“Hi, Ms. Ryan. It’s Jason Harber. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Mr. Harber, thank you. What can I do for you?” The only time she heard from her attorney was if he needed money from her or he had something new to report in his efforts to locate Steven.
So far he’d only been successful in needing money from her.
“I’m calling to let you know that we tracked your ex-husband to Nevada and served him papers.”
Gasping, she asked, “Really? You found him?”
“Well…we did. Temporarily.”
“Oh, no…”
“The papers were served and when a colleague of mine went to reach out the next day to follow-up, he was gone. The landlord said he moved out the night before.”
She knew better than to get her hopes up–even temporarily. “So what happens now?”
“Since he was officially served, it means when he doesn’t show up for his court hearing, a warrant will go out for his arrest. Unfortunately, he’s been able to stay ahead of us every step of the way, so there’s no telling when we’ll catch up with him.”
“Oh.”
“I know it’s not particularly helpful news, but I did want to keep you informed.”
“Can’t we put out a warrant for him now?” she asked.
“I’m working on it. The courts are backed up, and the alimony owed to you isn’t something a judge is willing to issue a warrant for just yet.”
It was so unfair.
All of it.
With a weary sigh, she asked, “Okay, so then what happens next?”
“I’m going to keep trying to track him down, but his court date wasn’t set for another thirty days. At that point we could probably get a judge to hear us on the warrant for missing the date and the alimony. I know you’ve been patient, Ms. Ryan, but please continue to be for a bit longer.”
It was the story of her life.
Be patient…take all the crap life throws at you…don’t fight back…
Yeah, she was done with that.
“Mr. Harber, you have thirty days to make something happen,” she said firmly. “This has gone on for three years, and if you aren’t capable of handling this, then I’ll find a law firm that can. Do I make myself clear?”
“Um…yes. But you have to understand…”
“No,” she interrupted. “You have to understand. I’m done living in limbo and I’m tired of paying for you to do nothing but waste my time. Thirty days and that’s final.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll be in touch,” he said meekly before wishing her a good day.
Emma slid the phone back into her pocket and hugged Axel close. “If it weren’t for that guy, I’d be able to move someplace with you,” she said, kissing his nose.
In a perfect world, she’d not only be able to take Axel home, but she’d be going home to Garrett as well.
Okay, technically, she was going home to Garrett for the last several days. He was here for the week and he was staying with her and it was wonderful.
She just knew that it wasn’t going to last because he had to go back to Norfolk and deal with his job search.
Off in the distance, she saw Doc MacEntyre walking around with Garrett and wished there were something he could do to help him out. Even if he wasn’t looking to keep his practice, maybe he knew of someone who was looking for help. Or perhaps just take Garrett on until he could possibly get some financing to buy the clinic.
Of course, these were all just musings in her own mind. Garrett hadn’t mentioned even wanting to purchase Doc’s clinic. If anything, he seemed pretty set on settling up north a little more, much to her dismay. And while Emma knew it was pretty much too soon to be thinking about their future together, she couldn’t help but think about it.
Could she leave Magnolia Sound and her family to be with him? Would she be able to find work with a school district somewhere else?
But the biggest question was…did Garrett even want her to go with him?
Again, it was too soon for either of them to broach that subject, but if things progressed the way she hoped, they would have to talk about it.
Hopefully sooner rather than later.
“Maybe I should be looking at jobs up in Delaware,” she whispered and considered pulling her phone out again, but Axel was squirming and she knew he’d rather go out and run around with her and a ball or frisbee than sit here in a corner while she scrolled on her phone.
Besides, she could always look for jobs later.
“Come on, sweet boy. Let’s go play,” she said as she stood and put him on his feet. He immediately began barking and dancing around her again, and he was just the cutest thing in the world.
And as she grabbed a frisbee on her way out of the barn, she allowed herself to imagine they were out playing in their own yard while waiting for Garrett to come home.
“You’re a hard man to get together with.”
Garrett wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a compliment, but as he took his seat across from his father, he forced himself to smile. “I’ve got a lot going on.”
“So it seems,” Cash said easily. “Thank you for finding some time to meet with me.”
They were back at The Mystic Magnolia for lunch. After dessert Monday night, his father asked if Garrett would join him the following day, but Garrett declined.
Then he texted.
And called.
It was pointless to keep putting it off, so he finally agreed and figured he’d just get it out of the way. Now that he was here, however, he wasn’t feeling nearly as confident as he’d hoped.
They sat in awkward silence for several minutes until Garrett decided that he needed to be the one to break the ice. “How are you feeling?”
Cash seemed to relax a bit. “Today’s a good day. I’ll admit that it’s taking a little longer for me to get up and do things, but for the most part, I can’t complain. How about you? How are things going?”
They had talked the other night about his job search, and no matter how much his father tried to tell him he had no reason to keep looking for employment, Garrett wasn’t ready to believe it yet.
“Good,” he replied. “I was over at Happy Tails again today lending a hand. They’re pretty much full to capacity so I’m helping them with the dogs who are going into foster care and making sure they’re clean and healthy and their charts are up to date.”
“So you’re just volunteering your time?”
“Yup. They’re good friends of mine, and Ed really encouraged me when I was growing up and first became interested in becoming a vet.” He shrugged. “Now Ed’s getting ready to have back surgery so I’m glad I can be of help.”
“You’re a good man, Garrett. Everyone says so,” Cash said quietly. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much to you, but I’m proud of everything you’ve done. You worked hard and went through so many years of school, and your mother said you graduated at the top of your class. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the praise felt really good.
“Thanks. I struggled a lot in school when I was younger…hell, probably through most of high school too. Once I hit college, I knew I had to work even harder, but it was all worth it.”
“Good for you. You deserve a practice of your own for all your hard work and I’m glad I’ll be able to help you with that.”
“Yeah, um…about that…”
Cash held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t. Just…don’t.” Sighing, he continued. “Look, I get it. You don’t trust me, and if you had your way, we wouldn’t even be here talking right now. I get it. But I’m trying to do the right thing for you and your brothers. You ask anyone around here and they’d tell you I’ve been selfish my entire life, but when you know that life is coming to an end, you want to at least try to make amends.” He paused, and Garrett saw a sheen of tears in the old guy’s eyes. “Let me do this for you. You don’t have to thank me.” He let out a mirthless laugh. “Hell, you do
n’t even have to like me. I just need to know that I’ve done something for you after everything I cost you growing up.”
Well…damn. There was no snarky comeback for that.
“Listen, Cash…”
Hanging his head, Cash shook it. “It’s really weird hearing you call me that.” He looked up. “Any chance you might try calling me Dad?”
Raking a hand through his hair, Garrett glanced around and seriously wished a waitress would come by and interrupt them. When he realized no one was coming, he looked across the table. “You have to understand…I spent most of my life not calling anyone that. You’re basically a stranger to me. Maybe in time, I’ll be more comfortable with it, but…”
He let out another mirthless laugh. “I don’t have a lot of time, Garrett. I wish I did. I wish we were looking at years of getting reacquainted, but that’s just not going to happen.”
And now he felt like crap for being honest.
“This has all been a lot to take in. You have to realize that.”
“Hey! Welcome to The Mystic Magnolia! I’m Jasmine. Can I take your orders?” She was young and perky and Garrett noticed his father straighten in his seat as he talked to her about today’s specials.
Apparently, the man flirts with everyone…
Jasmine giggled and wrote something down before looking at Garrett. “And for you?”
“I’ll get the fish and chips, please. And a Coke.”
“You got it!” She winked at Cash before she walked away and Garrett fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“Anyway…”
“I do understand what you’re saying,” Cash said, his expression going serious again. “Your mother said I should just give you time, but like I said, I don’t have a lot of it. I was hoping we’d talk a bit and you’d relax and give me a chance.”
“The fact that I’m here should tell you that I’m giving you a chance, but I can’t force myself to feel something that just isn’t there yet. I’m not a liar and I would think you’d appreciate that.”
With a curt nod, Cash replied, “You’re right. I do appreciate that. You’re an honest man and that’s admirable.” Pausing, he shifted in his chair. “So tell me about this girl you’re seeing. Is it serious?”
Emma’s name came up several times Monday night over dessert, so it wasn’t like the man had been secretly spying on him or anything.
“Emma and I have been friends since the third grade, but I always had a crush on her. I was just too insecure to do anything about it.” He shrugged and smiled when Jasmine put their drinks down. “Anyway, we ran into each other recently after not seeing or talking for years and things just sort of fell into place.”
“Why didn’t you talk for years?”
Ugh…
“Well, she started dating someone our junior year of high school who didn’t particularly like the fact that Emma and I were close. We started drifting apart and then I left for college the next year and so did she, but the boyfriend went with her. Then they got married.”
“Damn. That had to be rough for you.”
He nodded. “It was. And honestly, I thought I was over her. I mean…I missed her and thought about her a lot, but I certainly didn’t live like a monk either.”
Cash chuckled. “Good for you.”
“Then I found out she was divorced, and so when Austin called and asked me to come home for the weekend when they were breaking ground on the house, he sort of dared me to go and see her.” He shrugged again. “Turns out we ended up running into each other at the Publix and we’ve been together ever since.”
“Sometimes the best things in life are worth the wait,” Cash said grimly. “And sometimes you miss your chance.” He looked over at Garrett. “I’m glad you didn’t miss yours.”
“Me too.” He smiled. “She makes me happy, happier than I can ever remember being. Things are still complicated because all my job offers aren’t around here, but…”
“All the more reason you should be happy that I’m here to help.”
Unable to help himself, Garrett chuckled.
And it felt good.
Resting his arms on the table, he tried to keep his tone light. “You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a bit in the I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it mentality.”
Cash didn’t seem to take offense. “I respect your honesty, but I want you to promise me something.”
It seemed ironic that he’d be asking, but Garrett figured he’d humor him. “Yeah, sure.”
“When I give you that check and you get your clinic, I don’t want you to thank me; I want you to make it a success.”
“Seriously?” Because it seemed like an overly selfless request and it didn’t line up at all with who Cash Coleman was.
“That’s all I want, Garrett. And I seriously hope that I’m here to see it happen. Your mother and I believe in you, and I think…”
He held up a hand to stop him. “Okay, I think there’s something I have to say.”
“You think there’s something?”
Nodding, he amended, “No, I know there’s something I have to say.”
“O-kay…”
“I think it’s very…admirable that you’re here and trying to reconnect with us. And by us, I mean me and Austin, and Jackson if he were here. However…you need to stay away from Mom.”
“Excuse me?” Cash’s expression went from mildly amused to indignant in the blink of an eye.
“You have no idea how much she’s struggled–the things people said to her or the way she was treated by members of your family all these years. She’s done some amazing things with her life and she’s finally in a good place and deserves to be happy. Don’t come here and get all flirty with her or chummy with her or whatever it is that you’re clearly doing. Give her the divorce she deserves and leave her be. Dominic’s a good man and he makes Mom happy.” His heart was racing and he still couldn’t believe he’d just said all that, but…it had to be discussed.
They stared at each other, both leaning back in their seats with their arms crossed as if it were a showdown. There was probably a lot more that Garrett could say, but he opted to wait and see how the old guy responded.
“I appreciate you looking out for your mother,” Cash began gruffly. “However, there are things that don’t concern you. She’s my wife.”
“But they do,” he countered. “You see, her being your wife is really just a technicality. My brothers and I were here–you weren’t. For far too many years, she had to be both mother and father to us. When we were all old enough, we did what we could to help ease some of the burdens she had to carry because her husband wasn’t around. We all worked and helped with the bills, we learned how to do home repairs, and had far more responsibility from a young age than we would have if we had a father around. Mom’s happiness is most definitely my concern and you don’t get to swoop back into town and play the part of the loving husband.”
“Garrett…”
“And if my saying this means you’re not going to give me the money for the clinic, I don’t care. It needs to be said and you need to hear it. So…if there are conditions on your gift, then you can keep it. My mother comes first.”
They were back to staring each other down and that was when Jasmine decided to come back with their lunches. Luckily, she didn’t linger and simply placed their food down and walked away.
A solid minute passed before Cash leaned forward and looked at his burger and seemed to relax. “You want to know the best part about dying?” he asked with a grin.
“I wouldn’t think there’d be a best part.”
“I eat whatever I want. My doctor doesn’t harp on me about my cholesterol or how I should be scheduling colonoscopies. It’s very freeing.” Taking a bite of his burger, he moaned with pleasure. “Everything tastes better with extra bacon.” Nodding toward Garrett’s plate, he asked, “Well? Aren’t you going to try it?”
“Um…yeah.”
“When you were little, you would only eat
fish if it were breaded like that. And you’d pour an almost obscene amount of ketchup on it,” he explained with a laugh. “Promise me you outgrew that.”
Unable to help himself, he laughed. “That is something I can definitely promise. I can’t even remember the last time I put ketchup on fish.”
“Thank God.”
It was the most bizarre meal he’d ever had. One minute they were strangers, then they were friendly, and then they were adversaries. Now it seemed they were veering toward being father and son.
Garrett knew it was a long time coming and knew the path was going to be bumpy, but for the first time in a long time, he wasn’t quite so hostile about it.
11
Life was good.
Seriously, Emma couldn’t remember the last time she had spent so much time just being happy.
And she owed it all to Garrett.
She woke up next to him every morning, they left for work at the same time, she would meet up with him at Happy Tails before coming home to have dinner together, and then they’d spend their nights talking and laughing and making love. It was just…perfect.
Years ago, this was what she envisioned married life would be like. Unfortunately, her life with her ex didn’t even come close. For the longest time, Emma had simply convinced herself that she over-romanticized what her life was supposed to be and that the relationship she dreamed of didn’t exist.
But it did.
And she’d never been happier about being wrong.
It was a little after two on Friday afternoon and she was done for the day. Rather than going over to Happy Tails, she decided she was going to go food shopping. Most nights they’d had takeout or gone out to eat, but tonight she wanted to cook a meal for the two of them. Part of it was because she loved the idea of doing it and partly because today Garrett had his final interview over the phone with the clinic up in Delaware that he was really hoping for. They postponed the call last week, and today they were supposed to make him an offer. As much as she hated the thought of him working so far away, he talked so much about it that she knew it was important to him.
Since You've Been Gone Page 15
