Since You've Been Gone

by Samantha Chase

  “Yeah, I hear my Aunt Georgia has been helping out..”

  “She is like a force of nature, I can tell you that.” Then he stopped and laughed. “I forgot that she was your aunt.”

  “I’m sure she’d like to forget that too,” Garrett replied, and he was only partially joking. “But at least she’s doing something good for Happy Tails, and really, that’s all that matters, right?”

  They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as Garrett looked around the room. There were many framed photos scattered around the room and he stood up and walked around looking at them. There were several family shots–including one from what looked like Emma’s college graduation that made him smile. She seemed so happy–they all did. They were a happy family–a whole family. And he could admit to himself that he was envious.

  Moving along, he saw photos of Ed and Christine with different dogs, then some of their younger kids. The last picture on the shelf made him stop.

  Emma’s wedding picture.

  Granted, it was a shot of her alone, but it still was enough to make his heart kick hard in his chest. She was a beautiful bride. Before he knew what he was doing, he had the framed photo in his hand and was studying it and hating the reminder that she’d married that jackass.

  Ed came up beside him and put his hand on Garrett’s shoulder. “Emma keeps asking Christine to put that one away, but…it’s a great picture of Emma and my wife reasons that since she’s alone in it, there’s no reason it can’t stay out.”

  Unsure of what to say, Garrett simply nodded before gently placing the photo back in its place.

  “You know,” Ed said after a moment, “I do have a small favor to ask.”

  Garrett immediately turned. “Of course. Anything.”

  “I know I invited you for dinner, but…” He raked a hand through his hair and looked mildly uncomfortable before he continued. “It’s not healthy for Emma to only spend time with us. She’s been divorced for three years, and I swear I don’t think she’s gone out with her friends more than a handful of times.”

  That was…a little shocking, but Garrett kept that to himself.

  “Please don’t think poorly of me, but…would you consider maybe taking her out to a movie or dessert or…hell, even dinner? It breaks my heart to see her working so hard and never just going out and having any fun.”

  Garrett was pretty sure he was frowning. “So…wait. You want me to take Emma out? Like on a date?”

  A nervous laugh was Ed’s first response. “I know, I know…it’s awkward. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. I’ll…I’ll just go and see when dinner will be ready.” He went to walk away, but Garrett stopped him.

  “Believe it or not, I had hoped to ask her to have dinner with me tonight,” he admitted. “We ran into each other last night at the Publix and grabbed some pizza, but I was kind of hoping to ask her out for something a little…you know…nicer tonight.”

  Ed’s smile started small and then grew. “And then I went and invited you to dinner and…”

  “Technically, I was still having dinner with her, so…”

  They both chuckled at that, but Ed only shook his head. “You know what I’m saying, and I feel a little bad even having this conversation because Emma’s a grown woman. It just breaks my heart that she doesn’t go out and socialize more.”

  “Maybe she has her reasons,” Garrett suggested, but he was really curious as to what those reasons could be.

  “She’s embarrassed,” Ed said quietly. “Most of her friends are happily married and having babies, and it bothers her that…you know…her marriage ended quickly.”

  It made sense, but there was something Garrett had to know.

  “Did he hurt her?” he asked, his voice so low and gruff that he wasn’t sure Ed would even hear him.

  “Not physically or I would have killed him myself. But he hurt her emotionally and financially. She works so damn hard, and…hell, you have no idea how much Christine and I wish we could help her, but she’s determined to do it herself.”

  That sounded like the girl he knew–always independent–even when it wasn’t good for her.

  Before Garrett could comment or even ask how he was supposed to convince her to go out with him again tonight, Ed walked out of the room.

  He walked around with nothing else to do, looked at a few more pictures, and then stood in front of a large bay window and looked out at the property. It was massive and doing so much to help rescue animals, which Garrett always wanted for himself. It had a lot to do with growing up and volunteering here, but it was also something that just spoke to his heart. Hell, if he had money to invest in anything, it would either go to Happy Tails or to start up a place just like it on his own.

  But he didn’t have money to invest. He was fortunate not to have any student loans to pay off, thanks to his great-grandfather, but he’d spent so much time doing internships and searching for the perfect job that he didn’t have a lot in savings. And what he did have, he needed to live off of until he was earning a steady paycheck.

  A few days ago he was feeling like a relative success, but now? Not so much.

  Emma walked into the room a few minutes later, looking worried. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Ed’s not feeling well. He said his back is killing him and he needs to lie down. Mom’s upset and fussing over him and is trying to get everyone to sleep out tonight.” She was wringing her hands. “I’m supposed to tell you that dinner’s off.”

  “Oh.” And yeah, he was kind of impressed at the lengths Ed was going to just to make sure Emma went out with him.

  “He said to apologize to you and that he hoped to get a rain check.”

  “Of course. No worries.” Was he supposed to just ask her out right now? “So, um…what about you? What are your plans now?”

  “I’ll probably grab some Chinese or maybe sneak a portion of the casserole and take it home with me. What about you?”

  He pretended to think about it for a moment. “Hey, do you remember that bistro down the coast a bit? Blue Fin something? Is that still there?”

  She looked at him oddly. “Um…I think? It’s been years since I’ve gone down that way. How come?”

  “They used to have a fantastic menu. I remember going there a few times before I left for college and thought I’d check it out and see if it’s as good as I remembered.”

  The fact was that he already knew it was still there and had it on good authority that the food was even better than it was years ago. It was something he’d asked Austin about earlier today before confirming a donation from his brother.

  “Oh, well…you could probably just go online and check it out. I’m sure your family will be glad to have some more time with you.”

  Shaking his head, he explained, “Nah. Mom’s got a date, and Austin and Mia are gearing up for tomorrow. They’re breaking ground on their new home and have some things planned. That’s where I’ll be all day, so it was kind of cool to have people to hang out with tonight.” Pausing, he pretended to ponder some more. “Why don’t you come with me?” he asked mildly.

  Her eyes went wide. “But…we just had dinner together last night. There must be other people you’d like to visit with while you’re home.”

  He shrugged. “Not really. Besides, I feel like we rushed through our pizza last night because we both had things to do. Tonight we can just relax and enjoy a good meal. Come on,” he pled. “Don’t make me eat by myself.” Then, nudging her shoulder playfully with his, he added, “Please.”

  One small hand smoothed over her ponytail as Emma bit her lip. Garrett knew she was trying to come up with an excuse to keep her from going with him, but he was going to do his damnedest not to take no for an answer.

  “I’ll even let you beat me at a game of putt-putt,” he teased, reminding her of all the times they used to play miniature golf and she’d beat him. Her laughter in response was spontaneous and lyrical and made him smile. “I’ll even throw in some ice
cream on the pier, Em. Come on…”

  Clearly he’d worn her down because she rolled her eyes and smiled. “Okay, fine,” she said with another laugh. “But I’d like to go home and change first. Can we meet up in an hour?”

  “Just give me your address and I’ll be there.”

  Five minutes later, Garrett watched her drive away before turning and heading back into the house. Both Ed and Christine were standing in the kitchen, smiling from ear to ear. “You’re a little devious,” he told Ed, even as he shook his hand to thank him.

  “I can’t take all the credit. Christine was the one who came up with the excuse. We’re just glad Emma didn’t offer to stay and help get her siblings out of the house.”

  He slid his hands into his pockets and wasn’t sure what else to say.

  “We’re just happy she accepted your offer to go out,” Christine said after a moment. “I think her friends would all love to see more of her, but she just won’t reach out. She’s always been shy, but…it kills me to see her shutting herself away like this.” Reaching out, she squeezed Garrett’s arm. “You were always such a good friend to her and we always appreciated that.”

  “It wasn’t any hardship,” he replied. “If it weren’t for your daughter, I probably never would have graduated high school–let alone gotten into college. I hated how we lost touch once I left for college, but…”

  “We know,” Ed interrupted. “Steven monopolized her time and didn’t like her socializing with anyone other than him. There were so many warning signs that we all missed.”

  “I wish I had been around more. Maybe if I had seen what was happening…”

  “Don’t think like that,” Christine told him. “We’ve all said the same thing and there’s nothing anyone can do. It’s over and done with and I just want her to be happy now and to get her confidence back.”

  He nodded. “Well, I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but maybe tonight she’ll see that going out with a friend isn’t a bad thing.” Then he hugged Christine and shook Ed’s hand before wishing them both a good night.

  Once he was outside and climbing into his car, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Was he going to be able to spend this time with Emma as just a friend, or was he going to put his foot in his mouth and say something to make her uncomfortable because he wasn’t thinking of this as just a friends’ night out?

  “Only one way to find out,” he murmured as he pulled away from the Fosters’ home.

  4

  “And you can just stay there and think about what you did!” Emma yelled at the pile of discarded clothes in the corner of her closet. She knew she was losing it, but after trying on four different outfits and none of them looking good, she was growing frustrated. Garrett was due to pick her up in fifteen minutes and if she didn’t find something to wear soon, she would have to fake a headache and cancel on him.

  Not that it would be a big deal because…this wasn’t a date.

  If anything, he probably felt bad for her after her parents had to cancel dinner and was just looking to do something nice.

  Because that’s the kind of guy Garrett was.

  The good guy. The nice guy. The friends-with-everybody guy.

  “Add the guy who looks ridiculously hot without a shirt,” she murmured as she pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans. As soon as they were zipped, she flipped through every item hanging in her closet until she found a coral off-the-shoulder blouse. “It’s this or topless, and I believe if anyone’s going to go around like that, it should be Garrett.” Fortunately, when she looked in the mirror, Emma finally liked what she saw. “And we have a winner.”

  After that, she did a quick touch-up with her makeup and decided to leave her hair down. There were always hair clips and a few scrunchies in her purse, so she knew she’d be okay if her hair became an issue later. Once that was all done and decided, she had nothing to do but pace.

  And wonder what they were possibly going to talk about.

  Years ago when they were in school, it was never an issue. They usually talked about schoolwork and what assignments Garrett was struggling with. She used to worry about how he would do in college, but apparently he managed just fine on his own.

  She thought about asking him about the videos tonight.

  Specifically, him doing one for Happy Tails.

  “Why am I making such a big deal out of this?” she quietly asked herself as she looked out the window to see if he was there yet. “He obviously makes them all the time. What’s the harm in him doing one for a friend?”

  Once she wrapped her head around it that way, Emma felt like maybe it wasn’t going to be such a big deal.

  Actually, going out with him tonight wasn’t going to be a big deal either. They’d gone out together countless times without things being awkward, and clearly she was the only one making more out of it than she needed to. He was a good friend, and if any of her other friends had invited her out for dinner, she wouldn’t give it a second thought.

  It was all in the mindset, she reminded herself.

  But when she opened the door five minutes later and he smiled at her, she knew her mindset was wrong.

  None of her friends smiled at her with a sexy dimple.

  None of her friends smelled so good that she wanted to lean in and inhale deeply.

  But mostly, none of her friends were insanely good-looking males.

  “Hey,” Garrett said, his smile just as warm as it always was. “You ready to go?”

  Was it wrong that her heart sort of skipped a beat at the sight of him or that for just the teeniest, tiniest of seconds she imagined that this was an actual date?

  Nodding, Emma reached behind her for her purse and keys. “Yup. Ready,” she murmured, stepping out and locking the door behind her. They walked out to his car, which was a very nice Nissan sedan. “Did you happen to go online and see if this place was still there?”

  He waited until they were both seated in the car before answering. “It is. I called Austin and asked him about it, and he said it was and he and Mia were just there last week.”

  “So…Austin’s marrying Mia Kingsley. That’s pretty huge, huh?”

  He glanced over at her with a grin. “You mean because she’s a wildly famous author whose books are being made into movies?”

  Emma nodded. “It’s all everyone’s been talking about around town. People are hoping she’ll write something that takes place in a coastal town so that maybe they’ll film something here.”

  That made him laugh. “Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s something she’s looking to do. From everything I’ve heard, the movies they’re making are all based on her series set in Boston and there hasn’t been talk of any additional ones.”

  “That must be so cool to create something like that. Has Austin been to the set?”

  “He went with her once. They went up to Boston the first week of filming and he said it was a lot of standing around and waiting.” He shook his head. “My brother is not known for his patience.”

  “What about Mia? How does she feel about all of it?”

  “About my brother’s lack of patience?” he teased, making Emma laugh.

  “No, I mean about the movie. It must be weird seeing your story come to life like that and yet not be in control of it.”

  “That’s almost exactly what she said. She can go to the set any time she wants, but she said she’d rather be home working on her next book. She’s very practical. Have you met her?”

  “Just briefly. She did a signing at the library and I went and waited in line for two hours and talked to her for all of a minute before I was ushered away to keep the line moving. But from the little I saw of her, she seems very sweet.”

  “She’s amazing. Way too good for Austin, but…” Looking at her, he winked. “But seriously, she’s great, and if you ever want to meet her, just let me know.”

  “Oh, my goodness. I would never ask that of you.”

  “Why not?”

 
She shrugged. “Because it’s awkward, Garrett. I mean…I wouldn’t use you like that.”

  He let out an almost mirthless laugh. “It’s not that big of a deal, Em, and trust me, you wouldn’t be the first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He let out a long breath. “I don’t know…I mean, there’s been a few people that have asked me to get them signed books from Mia or blatantly asked me to introduce them. Most of the time, it’s not a big deal. I don’t mind doing it for friends; it’s the acquaintances that bug me.”

  “Wow, I had no idea. I’m so sorry. But it just reinforces what I’m saying, Garrett. I would never ask that of you.” And she knew she should probably change the subject. “So you’re here for the weekend. How often do you come back to visit?”

  “I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t come home very often. Mostly for weddings or random holidays. After I moved away, I kind of enjoyed my freedom.” He shrugged. “Then I graduated and started doing internships and looking for jobs and coming back to Magnolia really wasn’t on my radar–not even for a visit. Much to my mother’s dismay.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. She must love when you’re all home to visit.”

  “It doesn’t happen often–Jackson’s the hardest one to get home because he’s been deployed and stationed all over the world–but it’s nice when we all get to hang out.”

  “Someday, I hope it will be like that for my siblings and me. There’s such an age gap that I sort of feel more like one of the parents than a sister.”

  Garrett reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it, and Emma sort of froze. It was such an unexpected reaction that she didn’t know what to do. Pulling her hand away would be rude, she thought, so she just figured she’d wait it out until he let her go.

  And waited.

  And waited…

  “So tell me about Axel,” he said. “What happened to his leg?”

  “He was from a litter that had been dumped on the side of the road just outside of town. By the time we got them, we weren’t sure if any of them would make it. Doc MacEntyre thinks Axel’s leg broke when they were dumped, but we can’t know for sure. Either way, it was hard to splint his little leg and keep him calm and stable.” She sighed. “No one sees how sweet he is and I hate it.”