It was more than he could have dreamed. Aiden was eager to get clean and restart his life. Garrison should be thrilled.
He was. Of course he was. And also, oddly, unsettled.
He sat at the kitchen table. The dishes were done. Only the syrup remained. Garrison stared at it, thought of the thousand and more breakfasts he'd shared with his son in the past seventeen years. The mushy bananas and rice cereal, the Lucky Charms Aiden had loved when he was six. He was the only boy in the world who picked out the marshmallows and ate the rest. Then there were stacks of pancakes and waffles and French toast. He thought of how young Aiden would turn up his nose at bacon, and how teenage Aiden could eat an entire pound.
How could Aiden be leaving?
Garrison had given up everything to rebuild his relationship with his son, and now... Rehab for three months. Sober living for much longer. By the time he moved home, he'd be a high school graduate, an adult.
Listening to him just now, Garrison realized his son was nearly an adult already. Mature. Wise. Not the teenager he'd been just a few weeks earlier. He had a plan for the next few years, maybe a plan for his life. And the talent—he couldn't believe the immense talent his son had been given. Where had it come from? Garrison had always known he could draw, but the design he'd conjured for that old cabin. Amazing.
Aiden was well on his way to becoming a man.
And what part would Garrison play in his future?
This was what he'd been working toward, what he wanted, for Aiden to grow up, to take responsibility for himself. But Garrison couldn't help missing that little boy sitting in front of a bowl of floating marshmallows, a dribble of milk on his chin.
"You okay?"
Samantha leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. He hadn't even heard the door open.
"Yeah. Why?"
"You're meditating on syrup."
"Fascinating stuff."
She crossed the room, kissed his temple, and whisked the syrup away.
Garrison watched her wipe down the counters and rinse the sponge. When she was finished, she turned and smiled at him.
Without Aiden to care for, Garrison's life would be different. But different didn't have to mean worse. With Samantha, different could be good. It could be very good.
An excerpt from Innocent Lies
She’d frozen, and not from the biting cold or the falling snow. More than nine years had passed since she’d seen Carlos. She’d let herself believe she would never see him again.
What a fool.
“Come, mi dulce.” He’d beckoned her forward with his old nickname for her. “We have much to discuss.”
Mateo climbed off the snowmobile and offered his hand. His voice was soft. “Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”
She took his hand, squeezed, and whispered, “Help me.”
He responded just as quietly. “I tried.”
She slid off the snowmobile, and Mateo led her gently to the man in the door. They climbed the steps and stopped one level below Carlos. He towered over them. When he stepped back into the house and the light hit him, his features became clear.
Creases had set in around his eyes. His dark brown hair hung almost to his shoulders. He looked as if he hadn’t shaved in days. “You are just as beautiful as I remember.” He held out his hand.
Mateo squeezed hers, and for a moment, it was almost as if she had a friend beside her. But Mateo had been and always would be Carlos’s man.
Mateo let go of her, and her hand hung between them awkwardly.
She didn’t want to reach for Carlos. Didn’t want to willingly walk to him. But Eric... She had to do what she could for him. Maybe Carlos would let her see him one last time.
She took Carlos’s hand, swallowed a sob, and stepped into the house.
Innocent Lies: Releasing Winter, 2018. For updates, join my newsletter list.
Dear Reader
Thank you for spending your limited money and time on Generous Lies. If you enjoyed it, would you leave me a review at your favorite retailer and, if you’re a member, Goodreads? And then tell a friend about my books. You'll be doing me a big favor.
Like Garrison, I have a loved one who struggled with addiction. While all his friends were enjoying their senior years of high school, he was in rehab, then in a sober living house. Now, he's sober, and he shares the love of God and the freedom that can be found in Christ alone with whomever will listen. His is a success story, but there are so many people who haven't been so fortunate. If you have a loved one you fear might be addicted to alcohol or drugs, seek help. There are many resources for those willing to search for them and many recovering addicts and their loved ones who will gladly give you advice. If you don't know where to start, visit Al-Anon or Celebrate Recovery. If not for the people willing to share their expertise with us, I don't know where our loved one would be today.
If you haven't yet, check out the first book in this series, Convenient Lies (sign up for my newsletter, and I'll send you a free copy). It tells the story of Rae, Brady, and their adorable little Johnny. Then move on to Twisted Lies, which tells Nate and Marisa's story. I think you'll enjoy them both.
Also, check out A Package Deal. It's a romance novella about a beautiful young cancer survivor who's given up her dream of adventure because of her illness, and a handsome single father who may be just what the doctor ordered.
If you'd like more information about any of those books or my next releases, you can sign up for my newsletter, where I announce contests and giveaways and sometimes, offer free books. And of course I'll let you know when I have a new release. I promise not to sell or share your email with anybody, and I promise not to send you stuff every day—or even every week.
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I'd love to hear from you. Keep in touch on Facebook to hear what's going on with me and to share what's going on with you. And check out RobinPatchen.com to find out about my other books and follow my progress as I write.
Thank you for reading! Nothing makes this author happier than to share her stories.
In Christ,
Robin Patchen
Acknowledgments
There are so many people involved in writing and publishing a book. Without these people in my life, this story and all my stories would be nothing more than files on my laptop.
Thank you, Quid Pro Quills—Kara Hunt, Jericha Kingston, Candice Sue Patterson, Pegg Thomas, and Jodie Wolfe. Also, thanks to Normandie Fischer, Sharon Srock, and Terri Weldon. Your critiques make me a better writer, and I'm proud to call each of you friend.
Thank you, Ray Rhamey, for your insightful edits.
Thank you, Lacy Williams, for your marketing brilliance.
Thank you, Chuck Robinson, Marvin Stoll, and Lance Lang, for guiding us through the most challenging time of our lives.
Thank you to my family, who puts up with me and all my imaginary friends.
And, of course, thank you, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the grace that makes living possible.
Also by Robin Patchen
Order today
Convenient Lies
Twisted Lies
Generous Lies
Coming winter, 2018: Innocent Lies
Chasing Amanda
Finding Amanda
A Package Deal (part of the Matched Online anthology)
Matched Online
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