Vengeance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 1)

by Reese A. Stephens

  “Mom?” Dylan asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.

  “I don’t know,” I finally say. “People change, Dyl. I love a part of him, the part that gave me you.”

  “That’s grownup speak for, ‘Yes, I pine for him.’ or whatever those romance novels say.” He laughs. I swat him playfully.

  “I have no clue what they say, but no, it’s not adult speak for anything. It’s just the truth. I’m not the same person I was when I was fifteen and I’m sure he isn’t either.”

  “He sounds like a total douchebag to leave his pregnant underage girlfriend to join the military.”

  “First, watch your mouth. Second, he didn’t know anything about you until a year ago.”

  Dylan scoffs. “Why didn’t he step up then?”

  I exhale. I know he’s not a little kid, but there’s so much he just wouldn’t understand. I don’t even understand it myself. This bond that Ryan and I had. I can feel it simmering under the surface, and I know if I let it, it will consume me again. I just need time to sort through my feelings without giving a blow by blow to my son. I let out an exasperated sigh and try to be as honest as I possibly can.

  “Because he was in the middle of moving across country to care for his mom and he didn’t find out about you in the best of ways, so he was a little rattled.”

  “Yeah, you’ve told me that already.” I can tell by his tone that he’s not happy with my answer.

  “Yes, but you keep asking. Dylan, there’s really not much to it. He broke up with me and joined the Marines. I found out I was pregnant after he left. I tried contacting him and couldn't reach him. Then a year ago some girl we knew from high school told him I had been pregnant and had a little boy who she thought the Thorns kept.”

  “So he went to Maw and Pops?”

  “Yeah, and they told him the truth; that I’d tried contacting him. He knew that was true, because he was the one rejecting my calls.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “The one time he answered, he basically told me he was an adult and didn’t have time for childish games anymore and I should stop calling him because he was with someone else. He hung up and I never tried again.”

  “Jerk.”

  I hate that Dylan is forming a low opinion of his father, but I can’t lie to him either. Ryan hurt me deeply.

  “Yep, but in his defense, he had no clue about you.”

  “But you knew each other your whole life; your parents had been best friends. Weren’t they supposed to take you when your parents died?” my son asks. I can hear a tinge of anger in his voice.

  I inhale a deep breath and explain to him again, “Yes, that’s true. I later found out that they’d had a huge falling out and had planned to change their will so that the Thorns would take me. That’s why it took them so long to get me. They only had a handwritten letter that my dad had started. They had to go through foster classes and be approved, since the change wasn’t put in place.”

  “That took over two years?”

  “Yeah, because at first they tried fighting to get me with the letter, but I got lost in the shuffle of things and they couldn’t find my file. The system is so bogged down that things just happen, but luckily I went to them right before I found out I was pregnant. I have no clue what would have happened to you if I’d been in a group home.” I shudder at the thought.

  “Was your adoption finalized before you knew?” Dylan asks.

  I shake my head. “No, not until June, right before I had you.”

  “Right. So, Maw and Pop adopted you, you had me, then went to college and became a big time surgeon.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, exactly.” There was so much in between those things, but that was the perfect summary for a teenager.

  We’re about an hour from our new, old home when the phone rings. I groan when I see that it’s Ryan. “It’s your dad, you want me to answer?”

  “Go ahead, but do hands free.”

  I roll my eyes at my protective offspring, but do as he asks. Nosy kid. “Hello,” I answer.

  “Hey, you almost here?”

  “About an hour out.”

  “Awesome. Listen, I know you don’t want me there, but I’d really like to have dinner with you guys tonight.”

  “Ry …”

  “I know what you said, Shayla! You’ve kept me from my son for fifteen years and I will not miss another day of his life. You owe me this much. It’s just pizza.” Sighing, I look at my son, who looks almost hopeful. I’m about to answer when Ryan continues. “Unless Dylan doesn’t want to meet me tonight, I’ll be there.”

  I gesture for Dylan to answer. He clears his throat and says, “Uh. Yeah, that’d be great.”

  “I’m on speaker?” Ryan says with an edge of anger.

  “Duh, you called me while I’m driving.”

  He huffs. “Right, sorry. It’s good to hear your voice, Dylan. I can’t wait to finally meet you.”

  “Me too,” Dylan replies.

  I’ve spoken to Ryan a handful of times since he called me that first time. That initial conversation was full of anger and accusations, but eventually we called a truce. The rest of our conversations were … nice, for lack of a better word. He filled me in on a few things about his past, and I about mine. We never talked about our break up other than both agreeing we wished things had been different. It’s crazy that those little interactions have stirred up feelings in me that I don’t know what to do with. I miss Ryan; that much I do know, but there’s a hopeful longing inside of me that things between us might work out this time. I’m not sure how I’ll react to him when I see him. I know I want to be careful, and take things slowly, but it’s hard to tell my heart to do that. I’m scared we’ll move too fast, and not only will I get hurt, but Dylan will as well. That alone makes me so anxious that I feel sick.

  Dylan and I are quiet the rest of the ride until we get about a mile from the house. “Um, we’re almost there. You sure this is okay? If you don’t want to meet like this, I’ll call him.”

  “No, it’s fine. I want to meet him.” I nod in agreement, hoping this isn’t the wrong choice for my son.

  We arrive at my childhood home not long after. My heart thuds a rapid rhythm in my chest as I see Ryan standing on the porch steps. He looks so … good.

  “Dang, that’s him?” Dylan asks.

  I can’t help but giggle. “Yep, that’s your dad.”

  “Awesome. I hope he can teach me how to build muscle like that. Wonder if he’d take me to get a tatt.”

  “No!” I yell, looking at him with wide, surprised eyes. He throws his head back and laughs.

  “You’re so easy, Mom.”

  I smack his arm. “You snot.”

  He continues to laugh as he gets out of the car. Taking a deep breath, I reach for the door handle, only to let go when the door is pulled open by Ryan.

  “Long time, no see,” he greets me with an easy bright smile. The one I remember so well, the one his son also has.

  “Yeah, I guess it is.” My smile is involuntary.

  This easy nature is one of the things I fell in love with when we were kids. He’s like gravity; he’s always pulled me in. Suddenly, and without warning, he pulls me into a tight hug. My arms hang limply at my sides.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispers into my hair. I exhale softly, closing my eyes to keep my tears at bay. Just as quickly as the hug starts, it ends and he says, “Introduce me to our boy.”

  I pull back and wipe my eyes before turning to our son. “Dylan, this is your dad, Ryan.”

  “Hey,” Dylan says quietly.

  He sticks out his hand into the customary first meeting handshake. Ryan, who is a hugger by nature, swats his hand away and pulls him into a full bear hug. Dylan squeaks in surprise, but accepts the hug from his dad and returns it. My heart melts at the sight of it.

  “I’m so glad you’re here. We have a lot to talk about, but first, I want to introduce you to Luigi's famous pizza!” He slaps Dylan on the ba
ck and pulls him towards the house.

  I can already tell that Dylan is being sucked in by Ryan’s charm, but I guess that can only be a good thing. Gale Thorn, or Maw as Dylan calls her, stands on her porch next door and waves hello with a big smile. I return her smile and wave.

  “I’ll come over soon.”

  “Take your time, darling. Get reacquainted. We’ll be here.” I nod and hurry up the stairs. By the time I get inside, the guys have filled their plates and have started to eat.

  “Just alike. No manners.” I tease. They both give identical snorts.

  “So I get my awesomeness from my dad,” Dylan says with a cheese-pizza-filled grin. I shove him playfully by the shoulder.

  “You get your nastiness from your dad.”

  “Hey, I resemble that remark!” Ryan defends with the same pizza-filled grin. I knew they looked similar but seeing them together, it’s remarkable. Dylan is a younger Ryan.

  “You’re ridiculous as always, I see,” I tell him.

  “Always,” he agrees. “So, Dylan, you excited about going to school where your parents went?”

  Dylan rolls his eyes. “I’m pretty sure all schools are the same. I do want to try out for football though.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. I happen to be one of the coaches.” He winks.

  I look at him. “Really? I thought you were a police detective.”

  He nods and wipes his mouth. “I am, but the school lost their coach over the summer and asked me if I’d help out.”

  “Is Principal Dillard still there?” I ask.

  “Nope, he retired last year, but his daughter took over. You remember Amber, right?” I grimace. We were almost enemies because of Ryan. Well, because Ryan dated me. “She’s not so bad anymore. She’s married with a couple of kids.”

  “That’s good.”

  Ryan laughs at me. “You sound barely convinced. It won’t be as bad as you think.”

  I give him a look to show my disbelief. “I’m sure there’s gossip. The town isn’t that big.”

  Ryan nods as he grabs his third piece of pizza. “Of course. A town this small wouldn’t be what it is without gossip. I’m sure if I’d come back sooner, I’d have known right away that you’d had my kid,” he says this almost playfully, but I can tell there’s some hurt too.

  “I’m …” Ryan holds up a hand to stop me.

  “I’m not over it, but I understand, mostly. It’s in the past and I’m ready to move on. All I’m saying is this town thrives off of the latest juicy news.” I know he’s right so I don’t argue.

  “Where have you been if you weren’t around here?” Dylan asks. He knows his dad was in the military, but neither of us know much else.

  “I was in the Marines for four years. Then I worked in DC with the FBI. I came home a year ago to help my mom, who had cancer, but she’s doing a lot better now. She’s in remission. I hadn’t been back here in sixteen years before then.”

  “What do you do now?” Dylan asks.

  “I’m a detective with the police department. There’s not a lot happening in this tiny town, so I often work with a few of the surrounding cities or sometimes fill in as a Deputy Sheriff.”

  “You like it?”

  I watch as father and son talk and my heart aches for them both, for time lost. Even though I didn’t intentionally choose to separate them, I had done just that. My choice caused this, but Ryan’s choice to not speak to me also played a part. I can understand his guilt and anger, but I can also understand moving forward. After talking for a few hours, Dylan glances at me.

  “Do you mind if I crash?”

  I know he’s exhausted; neither of us has been sleeping well. I nod my head, standing. “Of course not. I’ll help you get settled.”

  Ryan stands as well. “I’ll work on the mess.”

  I nod and mouth, "thank you." I lead Dylan to his room, which is up the stairs and the first bedroom on the left. Gale has already fixed it up for him, though I’m sure he still needs to personalize it. His bed and furniture were delivered a few days ago so he can shower and jump right in.

  “What’d you think?”

  “I like him,” Dylan says immediately.

  I smile. I’d meant his room, but I’m glad he and Ryan hit it off so well. “That’s good.”

  “You think he likes me?” He seems so much like my little boy, I want to hug him tightly, but I know he won’t like an emotional mom moment.

  “Of course he does. You’re awesome, what’s not to like?” I tease.

  He smiles. “I hope he sticks around.”

  “He will. Everything will be okay, baby.” I smooth my hand through his hair like I’ve done many times throughout his life.

  “I hope so. I’m really tired. I think I’ll just crash, okay?”

  “Whatever you want. Tomorrow, we’ll have to help unload the moving truck, but after that we’ll just take it easy and start unpacking the next day.”

  “Sounds good. Night, Mom. I love you,” Dylan says, hugging me.

  I squeeze him tightly, making him chuckle, then stand on my tiptoes to kiss my over six-foot-tall son on the cheek. I pause for a moment as I step out of the room, not looking forward to going back downstairs and having what I’m sure will be an awkward conversation with Ryan. When I reach the kitchen, I stop and stare at the man before me. He is so much different from the boy who left me. He’s grown a few inches taller, making him closer to six-three and he’s bulked out. Not like a body builder, but very fit and lightly tanned, with visible muscles. His slightly wavy, almost black hair is longer than I’ve ever seen it. It’s now hanging down to his shoulders. I can see bits of tattoos peeking out of his tight, black t-shirt, and his blue jeans are faded and worn but fit him so perfectly. He’s absolutely as breathtaking now as he was when I was fifteen. At that time in my life, I thought the world revolved around him.

  “See something you like?” he asks, startling me out of my thoughts.

  I clear my throat. “Yep,” I answer honestly.

  “What’s that?” he asks with a quirked eyebrow.

  “The walls. I like the paint color Gale chose.”

  He guffaws. “Yeah, right. You’re still a horrible liar. I saw you checking me out.” He flexes his muscles, to which I roll my eyes.

  “So why ask then?”

  Chuckling, he walks over, stopping directly in front of me, and giving me a sexy smile. His hand lifts and moves a piece of my hair behind my ear, causing my breathing to hitch.

  “I still affect you,” he whispers leaning into me. “You still very much affect me.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “Beautiful,” he murmurs.

  My eyes close as I try to reign in my emotions. It’s ridiculous for him to affect me all these years later, especially with the hurt we’ve both caused each other. He must sense my distress, because he gathers me into his arms and holds me tightly.

  “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere this time. I swear.”

  I clutch his shirt in my hands as the dam breaks. He lifts me off the ground, carrying me into the living room and settling us both on the sofa.

  “I needed you and you wouldn’t listen,” I sob, letting every bit of pain I’d felt all those years ago surface. “I had to raise him on my own.”

  “I know. You’ll never understand the depth of guilt and regret I feel. I hate myself for turning you away. For how I spoke to you the day you called.”

  I pull away and sit beside him on the sofa, instead of on his lap. I brush my hair out of my face and twist it into a messy bun before letting my hands fall to my lap to pick at the invisible lint on my pants.

  “I’d never hated anyone until that day. You were so cruel. I swore I’d never forgive you, but when I held Dylan in my arms, that all went away. I was so thankful you’d given me him, even if I was too young to really care for him properly. I swore that day that I’d never let him down. I’d finish school and go to college. I’d be a doctor just like my dad. If it wasn’t
for the Thorns taking me in when they had, none of that would have happened.”

  He squeezes my hand. “I’m grateful for them and what they did for you both. I’ll never hurt you like that again.”

  “Don’t promise me that. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. We haven’t seen each other since we were basically kids.”

  “I can tell you’re still the same loving and sweet girl you were then. Sure, you’ve grown up and matured, but under that armor of adulthood, you’re still the scared little girl who would climb into my bedroom window and let me hold her all night.”

  He leans forward and presses his lips to mine. I resist for about half a second before I give into the passion of my first love. My hands move to his hair and pull him closer. He winds his arms around my back and shoulders, holding me tightly. I haven't had a kiss this passionate, this exciting, or this full of meaning since the day he broke up with me. Only this time, it isn't a goodbye.

  A bang causes us to break apart and look to our left. Dylan stands there with his mouth gaped open and his eyes wide. He stutters a few times, but gets out a rushed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

  I try in vain to right myself. “What’s wrong?” I ask him.

  “Nothing. I was thirsty and couldn’t sleep.”

  I jump up. “I’ll get you a bottle of water.”

  I hurry into the kitchen, leaving father and son alone. Leaning heavily on the counter in front of the sink, I mentally scold myself. What was I thinking letting Ryan get to me like that? I swore to myself long ago to never get involved with him again. Things would never be off the table for us, ever. I see that now. I grab a water bottle and fill it with filtered water and ice. I head back into the den, but stop when I hear voices, not wanting to intrude. Okay, okay, I was eavesdropping.

  “Sorry you had to see that,” Ryan says.

  Dylan snorts. “What, you molesting my mom?”

  “I was not molesting her. I was kissing her. There’s a huge difference,” Ryan tells him with a bit of anger in his voice.

  “Yeah, like it’s not rape for a nineteen year old to have sex with a fifteen year old.”