by Ellie Hall
His mind asked questions, shouted answers.
His heart thudded in his chest because the truth was, he’d wanted his family to come back together, for years and years. Still, the past contained pain and he felt it acutely right then.
Judith stepped closer to him, but like an animal that had been betrayed, he flinched.
Brynn must have sensed his conflict and also stepped closer. “This is a big house. I’ve been fixing it up. We could feed a big family, almost an entire community in need in there. Though, I don’t think I could handle cooking for that many by myself. But having a family, this family, is important to me. I think in this case, at least to start, we’re the family in need. In need of reconciliation.”
Her words touched Owen somewhere deep inside, but all of his anger from his mother ditching her husband and boys was closer to the surface.
“Daddy, I met Granny Judy.” One of Harper’s front teeth was loose and the way she said his mother’s name would’ve been adorable if he wasn’t so upset. But he set his stone mask firmly in place, stowing away his emotions.
“Yes, I see that. Are you having a good time?”
She nodded. “We had appetizers, looked at old photographs, and she told me lots of stories. Mostly about how you were a rascal.” Harper smiled. “Now we’re dancing like we did at the restaurant. It’s a Hawkins tradition and she wants to make sure I know the steps. Do you want to watch?”
“Of course,” he answered, trying to focus on what was most important to him—Harper—and not the creeping sense of betrayal. Did Brynn seek his mother out? He tried to get a moment alone with her, but Harper was so excited, she just kept chattering and demanding everyone’s attention.
The meal was delicious but awkward.
Owen remained silent.
Judith talked about herself pretty much nonstop.
Harper colored a big turkey, giving it a unicorn horn, of course.
Brynn kept casting him anxious and concerned sidelong glances. He knew she wanted a family, but it wasn’t going to be his. It was too messed up. He wanted to shield her from that, from his own pain. He knew that once she saw the truth of how broken the Hawkins family was, she’d bail. She’d find a reason to seek out someone better.
He started to get up, motioning that she follow him into the kitchen. “We need to talk.” His tone was harsher than he’d intended.
Judith interrupted, her eyes glued to the phone. “Wait a minute. You have got to see this. It’s live. This is happening right now.” The excitement in her voice drew his attention as she angled the screen so everyone could see it.
His brother Blake filled the frame, down on one knee against a tropical backdrop.
Chapter 11
Brynn
“Is this some kind of reality TV show?” Owen asked. His voice was laced with a mixture of irritation and disbelief. Brynn sensed some of it was directed at her for orchestrating the mother-son reunion, a lot of it at his mother, and anything that was leftover at his brother for the live internet spectacle.
Judith shook her head. “We’re friends on Facebook. I send him these hilarious memes but he never replies. I tried to find you on there, but—”
He shook his head. “I don’t have an account.”
“That’s too bad, but I have to show you this hilarious video of a dog.” She held her hands up. “Let me set the stage. A hot summer day in Texas. A dog is trying to find a way to cool off. There’s one of those squat drums of water.” Judith angled herself to include Brynn and held her hands about as wide as a car tire. “You know the kind we used to have on the ranch. Well, it was filled with water and this poor dog—a shepherd of some sort—was trying to sit down in it to cool off.” She had the tinge of a southern accent. “But it was too big for the bucket and kept turning in a circle, trying to sit.”
Harper giggled.
“Mom—” Owen cleared his throat as though the word had rusted itself solidly to his tongue. “You got off track. What is Blake, my brother, perennial bachelor and bodyguard, doing proposing to a woman on Facebook?”
She shrugged. “I guess the only way to find out is to ask him.”
Where Owen’s eyes had been dim, perhaps to shield himself from whatever emotions came up at seeing his mother, they now flared with anger.
“I don’t even know what to say to that. Are you advising me to resolve things with him? You have no idea what tore us apart. Or are you trying to parent me? If you haven’t noticed I’m a grown man and have a child of my own.”
Her shoulders lowered as she exhaled. “I have noticed and I’m very proud of you. Harper is a darling and this gal here,” Judith thumbed Brynn, “I’d make sure she sticks around.”
“If you think so let me know where I can get some glue.” In any other setting, the comment may have been funny in a self-deprecating kind of way.
As Owen pushed his plate away and shoved up from the table, if Brynn had thought a reunion with his mother would cause a seismic shift in his life, she’d been mistaken. The pressure was building and the big one, the earthquake, was yet to come.
“Brynn, can I speak with you in the kitchen for a moment?” he asked.
She set her napkin on the table and excused herself.
Judith called, “Hang on. You don’t want to miss this. He’s just finished telling her how much he loves her and popped the question. She said, yes. Oh, look, he’s spinning her around.”
A sucker for grand romantic gestures, Brynn didn’t want to miss the action, but since it was a Facebook live event, surely, she’d see it later.
Blake was tall, buff, and indisputably handsome. At first, she’d noticed that his fiancé-to-be had the most gorgeous, shoulder-length wavy hair. Hair she’d seen before... In fact, she was none other than Cece Sparrow also known as The Hair and a famous singer-songwriter. She’d been involved in a bit of scandal recently and had cut off her hair, but it seemed to be growing back beautifully.
Brynn sensed an intense set of eyes on her and broke away from the proposal to meet Owen in the kitchen. He angled himself so he could keep Harper in his line of sight, who also watched the Livestream.
Instead of giving her a death stare, Owen closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “First, who is that woman and what did she do with my mother? The woman I knew would’ve flown in here on wings of war, insulted by what you’ve done to the farmhouse, refused to eat your homecooked meal, and the dog memes on Facebook?” He scrubbed his hand down his face.
“Time? People change?” she tried.
Owen stared into the dining room as though trying to decide whether to remove his mask and let out his emotions or keep them bottled inside. The stony demeanor seemed to be its own sort of agony.
She didn’t know Judith before but sensed the version Owen described had mellowed out over the years. Though she could see what he meant. When she’d reached out to Judith, prefacing it with a request for the hot chocolate recipe, the woman had been snappish and shrewd. Then Brynn explained that her granddaughter was one of her students and that she and Owen were friends.
That opened the door, but still, Judith didn’t immediately let her in. She was curious about Harper but suspicious of Brynn. She’d asked her what her angle was. What she wanted. So over the phone, Brynn explained and spent nearly a half-hour telling her about her background in foster care and how much family meant to her.
Then she told her all about Harper.
At the mention of the little girl’s name, Judith went silent. She’d asked if she’d hung up, which she knew was silly because if she had, there was no way she’d be able to hear her asking as much.
Judith hadn’t hung up. Instead, she told Brynn something personal in return—in addition to the five boys, she’d had a daughter, but she’d passed away. Judith told her that after that loss, nothing was ever the same. She didn’t feel worthy of the family, but she was too proud to admit how much she was hurting so she sought ways to hide the pain, masking it under all that
wealth and fame could bring her.
Judith said that as she aged people and things started to fall away. She came to realize what was actually important. Family.
Brynn asked her why she didn’t try to reunite with the boys. She said it was her stubborn pride again. Afraid that they’d reject her. She told Judith that she was sure that’s how they likely felt—rejected, something Brynn knew all too well—and she ought to take the risk.
That was what brought Judith to her doorstep along with the realization that the address she gave was her old address. The farmhouse. All afternoon they’d been marveling about the Lord’s perfect plans. Judith didn’t believe in coincidences and quite frankly, neither did Brynn.
Judith hollered over her shoulder, “I wonder if I’ll be invited to this wedding. Sadie wrote me a letter along with the invitation to theirs, explaining that Tripp was hurt, but would like to try to make things work.”
“Did you go?” Owen’s voice was all nails.
“No. I—” Judith cleared her throat. “No. Not to Kayla and Dallen’s either. He sent me an invitation and even called me, but I—” She shook her head.
“Figures.”
“No, you know what figures? All these women just want your brothers for their money. As soon as they find out about your father’s will, they come a-calling,” Judith spat. “This girl is either a really good actress or had no idea. I asked her if you were a couple and she told me all about her husband who’d passed. From one widow to another—”
Brynn felt a sudden sting of betrayal. She thought Judith had come around, but it seemed she was exactly how Owen had described.
“You divorced Dad so I don’t think that qualifies you as a widow.”
“I survived my second and third husbands, son.”
Owen glowered at this news, apparently not aware that his mother had remarried, twice.
As the Facebook live continued, Judith sank back into her seat. “I feel awful about not going to the weddings, but I genuinely didn’t feel like I’d be welcome. And you know, you’re one to talk. You didn’t go either and this sweet little girl didn’t know much about her family. Heck, I didn’t know about her.”
“And yet you can find dog memes on Facebook.” Owen pressed his lips together.
Judith slowly got up from her chair. “I can see that I’m definitely not welcome here.” She looked around the dining room a moment. “You’re making good progress on this place. It almost looks the way it did when we first moved in.” She tapped Brynn on the arm. “That’s a compliment.”
Brynn set aside the comment about her being a good actress or not knowing about the will. “Hold on, Judith. Please, finish your meal. Let me talk with Owen a moment. I overstepped my bounds and I’m sorry, to both of you.” She held her breath, hoping they’d both agree to it with minimal fallout.
Judith’s phone beeped with an alert. “Look, they officially announced the engagement. If I get an invite, I’ll definitely accept as long as this girl isn’t a gold digger.” She lifted an eyebrow in Brynn’s direction.
Feeling the need to defend Cece Sparrow, and reading a bit into Judith’s questioning gaze, she said, “Cece Sparrow is one of the top-grossing singers of all time. I hardly think she needs anyone else’s cash.”
“If that’s true, and Cece Sparrow isn’t already rich enough, now she’ll share in Blake’s billions. Some people have all the nerve.” Judith glowered.
Owen shook his head. “I thought you said you wanted to go to the wedding.”
She jutted her chin. “That doesn’t mean I approve.”
“I think you surrendered your voting card when you left,” Owen said.
“For the record, I’m not a gold digger either. I don’t know what you guys are talking about. Both Owen and I have good salaries from our jobs, health care benefits, and a retirement package. So we’ll be doing just fine, thank you very much. I don’t need fancy baroque furniture or trips to exotic places. Call me simple, but I just want a home and home is where these two people are.” She pointed to Owen and Harper.
Judith flinched and then as though reconsidering her comments, she slouched and then shook her head. “You’re right. It isn’t fair of me to assume you’re after his money.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “Being back here is hard.”
“Not like you and all the men you dated after Dad.” Owen sneered.
Judith lifted her chin and exhaled. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I just hope it isn’t too late for an apology. Your father would want us to reconcile.”
“It’s too late for a lot of things.”
“Charles didn’t think so. He wanted you boys to get married and—”
“You know nothing about what he wanted. But I did. He wanted our family to stay together. He wanted us to be happy, whole. You ruined it all. And he thought marrying us off would fix it? No, it made things worse. Cece doesn’t need Blake’s money and I don’t need Dad’s.” Owen’s chest rose and fell with effort.
Brynn didn’t follow what they were saying about the will, but clearly, it upset Owen. She wanted to hold him as he’d done for her when experienced difficult emotions.
Judith remained quiet as though resigned to and accepting of her son’s ire.
“And do you think marriage is really the key to happiness? Because if you agree with his stipulation, you sure had a strange way of showing it,” Owen said.
“Marriage is a beautiful thing,” Judith replied simply.
His eyes flicked to Brynn and then he said, “Marriage isn’t on the table. If you haven’t noticed, Thanksgiving dinner is and I’m sorry I came.” He strode to the hall.
“Wait, Owen,” Brynn called, reaching for his hand and just barely grasping his ring and pinky fingers as she caught up to him in the kitchen. “I understand that you’re upset.”
“I hoped that maybe she had changed. But no. She’s always got her eyes and her mind on money. It’s the only thing she cares about.” He gestured to Judith.
Brynn wasn’t sure if what Judith had told her had been in confidence, but she took the risk. “When I told her Harper’s name, she told me about your sister and how it broke her. She bawled her eyes out, to a perfect stranger, over the phone. I think she cares a lot about family.”
Owen tilted his head, but his eyes were still hard. “My mother cried?” He laughed darkly. “I’ve never seen her cry.”
“Well, I only heard it over the phone but full waterworks.”
“She just ditched us after my sister died.”
Brynn nodded. “I think she regrets it.” She relayed what else Judith had said about not feeling worthy of motherhood. “It seems confusing and complicated, but instead of dealing with the difficulty back then, she hid it away, bottled it up.” Brynn bit her lip and then twined her fingers fully around Owen’s. “It sounds kind of familiar.”
His eyes flashed with recognition and then fell into shadow. “You know nothing. You should have done nothing. You shouldn’t have involved yourself or my daughter.” He strode back into the dining room. “Harper, come on. Let’s go.”
“Owen, I’m sorry. This isn’t what I meant to have happen. I thought it would be a blessing to bring your family back together.”
Harper hung her head and went to get on her coat.
As Owen followed, he leaned in and said, “It was a mistake, falling for you. Getting involved.”
“I’m sorry that I meddled,” Brynn said, but he must not have heard because the front door slammed along with the walls around her heart.
Judith stood under the arch leading to the dining room. Whereas before she appeared to feel perfectly comfortable in the old farmhouse that had once been hers, she wrung her hands and stood stiffly. “I should go too,” Judith said, collecting her things. “Thank you for trying.” She patted Brynn’s arm. “We may be broken, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be fixed. But I guess the cracks go deeper and wider than I thought. It’ll take some time.”
Again, the front door open
ed and closed.
Brynn was left alone, again. All she’d ever wanted was a full table at Thanksgiving, surrounded by plenty, by friends, family, and laughter. She wanted to create good memories. But she’d been wrong. Judith was wrong.
She was the one that was broken, discarded. No one wanted her or her table. She slouched down in the chair, held her head in her hands, and cried.
A couple of days later, Phoebe showed up on Brynn’s doorstep.
Wearing mismatched pajamas and her hair in a messy bun, she opened the door.
“You look like a wreck,” Phoebe blurted, never one to hold back.
Her friend was wearing a bright pink puffer coat, gold-rimmed sunglasses, and a headband with a giant felt turkey on top.
She popped an identical turkey headband on Brynn’s head. Typical Phoebe. But she couldn’t bring herself to appreciate her friend’s signature style—something Brynn could never pull off. Or the turkey trot scheduled for later that weekend. Instead, her gaze felt flat as though she were looking through Phoebe instead of at her.
“Earth to Brynn,” she said, waving her hand in front of her face.
She snapped to. The last person who’d stood on her porch and rang the bell had been an officer. She’d been dressed much the same and looked awful, but it was because she’d been working on the bathroom and baking. This time, she’d been lying in bed for days.
Phoebe shoved past Brynn, letting herself in. “So, what are we dealing with here?” She took off her coat. “Crazy ex? Family trouble? I could write a book about those topics.” Her footsteps echoed down the hall. “Unrequited love?”
Brynn must’ve made a move even though she felt numb because Phoebe rocketed back.
“Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner.” She led Brynn to the living room and surveyed the space. “Interesting décor. Not what I would’ve expected from you.” She tilted her head from side to side. “Do you have some kind of obsession with old England or something?”
“It’s baroque and it’s Owen’s mother’s style.”
