Splintered Courage

by J. E. Sawyer

  Chandler takes this has his cue to leave. “I’ll talk to you later and let you get settled in. Let me know if you need anything,” he says as he gives me a small hug and jogs up the stairs.

  Garret

  I stand there a moment and listen as Chandler and Gemma talk. I am grateful he’s trying to make her feel comfortable. Everyone in this house is important to me. My heart swells when I hear her confirm she knows I care about her. It’s more than she knows though. It saddens me to think I could hurt her and not even realize it. I know I’ll have to tread differently with her than I did with the guys. Most importantly she is my own, and I want her to feel that way. I regret every moment she had to endure away from me. I should have been there for her. All I can do now is try to make it right.

  “Gemma, so Chandler mentioned the shop earlier,” I start.

  “I was going to talk to you about it earlier, but I figured one thing at a time would be best. Would you be interested in working the office for us?” I ask. “We could use the help, and it shouldn’t be much different than what you were doing before.”

  “I think I would like that,” she says with a small smile. She ducks her head to hide her blush. I guess she is thinking about someone in particular working there too. I chuckle to myself. These kids are going to kill me, I just know it.

  “We all work there, we all work together. We all pitch in. We help each other when in need. That goes for inside the shop and out. It’s a solid system we have that works for us, and I believe it will work for you too. It allows us to have a solid, safe place. That’s something some of us have never had.” I explain.

  “Is that why you brought me here? You see me a damsel in distress that needs saving?” She asks with a little fire lit in her eyes.

  “No, no, pumpkin. I brought you here because you my dear are my daughter, and I want to be your father. If you’ll let me,” I confess.

  She looks off to the side with a look of guilt. I don’t blame her though. I would be more concerned if she didn’t ask questions.

  “Well, I guess this old man is going to head on up to bed. Thank you for cleaning up, we all appreciate it. Let me know if you need anything,” I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her shoulders to pull her in for a hug. She wraps her arms around my waist. I kiss the top of her head. “Goodnight pumpkin, I love you.”

  I feel the dampness on my chest through my shirt. I hear the sweetest little sniffle and hug her a little tighter.

  “I love you too Dad,” she says. I can feel she does, or she at least wants to. My heart feels like it’s about to explode. I’ve waited nearly two decades to hear those words. Never in my life would I have thought they would have meant so much to me. I let her go to head upstairs.

  I spot Weston in the hall as I top the stairs. I open the door to my suite, and nod at him to join me. He doesn’t hesitate, he enters and I follow behind shutting the door.

  Weston takes a seat on the loveseat and waits. I’m sure he knows what’s coming. Weston’s gaze reaches my own holding steady. Out of all of the guys he’s the strongest, a leader of sorts. I know he won’t back down. Not that I expect him to. I already see the fire dancing behind his eyes. A challenge perhaps. Very well then.

  Before I can speak he says, “I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “Not intentionally at least, I see the way you two look at each other. She is an adult, but don’t forget she is my little girl. My little girl that I just got back. Just don’t break her heart, that’s all I ask. You know how much I love our family, please don’t make me have any regrets.” I remind him.

  Weston drops his head and nods, looking at the ground. “I won’t,” he says as he looks back up to me, that fire still simmering. I believe him, he hasn’t let me down yet, I don’t expect him to start now.

  Gemma

  I woke Sunday morning the most rested I’ve been in ages. The wonderful bed and soft sheets might have helped with that a little. I can smell the strong aroma of coffee brewing downstairs. Yep, got to head that way soon. I shower quickly, dry my hair and put on some eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss per my usual.

  I make my way downstairs not sure what to expect in the morning of the Taylorton boy’s household. However, I’m not disappointed. I’m greeted with a warm smile and side hug from my father.

  “Good morning sweetheart, you’re just in time for breakfast. I hope you like bacon, eggs and pancakes. Did you sleep well?” He asks while eyes roam my face.

  “Yes, to both. That bed was almost as amazing as breakfast smells,” I tell him with honesty. I haven’t slept that well in a long time. The room was surprisingly relaxing and all the excitement over the past couple of days finally seemed to catch up with me.

  “Glad to hear it, go ahead and dig in before this rowdy bunch eats it all,” he laughs.

  “Give us a little more credit than that, Doc. We’d never let the little lady go hungry. Geez.” Jake says in jest as he slaps Garret on the shoulder.

  I smile at them both and shrug a shoulder. I don’t have to be told twice, I grab a plate and fill it with a little bit of everything. Unlike last night, everyone seems to be content eating spread out around the kitchen. I choose a spot beside Jake at the island. The food is awesome. The scrambled eggs are fluffy, the bacon crispy and flavorful, and the pancakes are exquisite. A perfect start to a Sunday morning.

  As I finish eating, I can feel the heat of eyes on me. I look up and meet the emerald eyes of Weston. He’s leaned up against the counter in front of the sink with one leg crossed over the other. He still has his plate in hand but he’s already finished and seems rather interest in me finishing mine. I can’t help the blush when our eyes collide.

  I can’t entirely decide the what I see in his eyes, maybe a little bit of everything. Challenge, interest, reluctance, longing. It’s intense but I refuse to back away. That is until we hear a throat clear and we both drop our gaze at the same time. Garret must have noticed the little encounter and decided to put us both out of misery. I look around and apparently everyone noticed because everyone is staring at us now. Oh geez, how embarrassing.

  “So, how does that sound?” Garret asks

  “I’m sorry, what?” I reply a little confused. He just chuckles, he obviously knows I wasn’t paying a lick of attention.

  “A trip to town, to show you around. There’s not much to Taylorton, but we figured we’d give you the tour,” Garret explains.

  “We?” I ask. I wonder who else is going to be going. Most of them have been nice so far. The verdict is still out on Jason. He wasn’t exactly mean or anything, but I have a feeling he’d rather I wasn’t here.

  “Me and Jake, want to tag along too if you are ok with it,” Chandler pipes in a little unsure. Now, I kinda feel bad. I hope they don’t think I don’t want anyone to go with us.

  “Oh yeah, sure, that would be great,” I say probably a little too cheerily. He seems to relax a little after that. I can still feel Weston’s stare every so often. He has yet to say anything this morning. The same goes for Jason, but I’m not surprised, nor am I going to let it bother me. I will give it some time. If he has a problem with me being here, he needs to go ahead and address it. I haven’t done anything to him, so I feel it’s his problem to work out, not mine.

  Fifteen minutes later me, Garret, Jake and Chandler are piled in Jake’s Black Tahoe headed towards town. The trip is short only a couple miles up Muskatee Hwy.

  “I figured we’d just park at the park and walk around town a little so you can get a feel of the place,” Jake says as he looks over to the me from the drivers seat.

  “Sure, works for me. I need to walk off this breakfast anyway.” I say the last part more to myself than anyone else.

  Jake finds a parking spot nestled in a little park that takes up the middle of the town. It’s almost surreal with a large wide-open area surrounded by huge oak trees. It has a walking path that winds all around the park. There’s a play area for kids, a picturesque pond in the center w
ith geese lazily floating about. There are benches and picnic tables throughout. There are public restrooms which seem pretty convenient for downtown shoppers and then there’s the most beautiful flowers scattered all over the property. It almost reminds me of a Thomas Kincaid painting. Jakes breaks me from my thoughts when he explains that the main downtown area is probably where I will spend most of my time. Back closer to the interstate is Walmart, a mall and different chain restaurants.

  “However, most of us around here find what we need right here. We like being able to contribute to our neighbors, and they do the same for us, so it’s a win win,” he continues to explain.

  “I completely understand, I came from a small town myself. Besides, I usually end up ordering stuff online anyway. I don’t care much for being around a lot of people. I guess I’m somewhat of an introvert,” I tell him. He just nods in understanding. I really do appreciate how him and Chandler both seem to be taking all of this so well. I came in and sort of upset their routines. If it’s bothering them, they are doing a good job of hiding it. I only came because Garret asked me to, and I do want to have a relationship with him. He is after all the only family I have now. However, I really want to get along with these guys because they seem to mean a lot to Garret.

  Chandler interrupts my thinking, “So, the north side of town,” pointing to his left as we talk of walking in that direction, “is more shopping related. There is a jewelry store, a couple boutiques, antiques, souvenirs and stuff like that. At the end is Tennison General Store. It’s owned Orville Tennison and has most of anything you need. Everyone thinks the world of Mr. Tennison, oh yeah it’s also the closest gas station.”

  As we continue walking, I peek in the windows of each of these charming shops that remind me a lot of home. Except back home a lot of the shops started being turned into art galleries and craft shops. There’s only so much of that a local can handle.

  We pass “The Jewel Shop” that has several glass cases. You can see the sparkle and shine from the sidewalk. “Taylorton Gifts & Things” has every mug, keychain, T-shirt, and pen you can imagine with “Taylorton, Texas ‘You’re Always Welcome’”. A cute clothing and accessory store catches my attention. “The Charming Chandra Boutique” seems very trendy, with cute subtle clothes, jewelry, purses and shoes.

  Jakes notices me eyeing the store. “A lot of girls around here like to shop there. But, I feel like I should warn you. The owner Chandra Marshall is something else. You’ll know her when you see her. She’s tall with long flaming red hair. She’s also Weston’s ex.” He looks at me with a half smile. “Just thought you should know.”

  “Thanks,” is all I manage as I duck my head a little, instantly losing interest in the store.

  Next, we come up on “Tennison General Store” at the end of the town and it could not be anymore charming. It looks like a large rustic cabin and takes up the remaining portion of the block. There are several gas pumps to the right. It has a large wrap around porch with several tables and chairs.

  “Come on let’s pay Orville a visit,” Garret says as he guides me in with his hand on my back. I just realize I haven’t heard from him much since we left. I guess he’s content with letting the guys showing me around.

  The inside is just as warm and inviting as the outside. It has large exposed timber beams, and tables nestled throughout adorning everything from clothes, fruit, canned goods, bread and household supplies. The back wall is lined with coolers for sodas, drinks and perishables. The wall on the right has bags of chips, snacks and miscellaneous items like you’d find in a gas station. The left is the counter. Behind it is an adorable old man with smile lines, white bushy eyebrows that seem to wiggle every so often and an old gray golf hat.

  “Garret, what brings you by today my boy,” he says with a broad smile.

  “Good morning, Orville, I want to introduce to someone,” Garret says with this hand still on my back.

  “Well, I sure do hope it’s the little lady. I’m telling you, you couldn’t deny that child if your life depended on it. Hello there dear, I’m Orville Tennison, and who might you be?” He says as he comes around the counter holding out his right hand for a shake.

  I take his hand in mine and clasp it with my left. The man exudes so much warmth, it’s easy to see he is cherished by those around him. “My name is Gemma Tate, and you are correct. Garret is my father. It’s very nice to meet you sir.”

  “Well, she’s beautiful and polite. Must do you real proud son.” Mr. Tennison says to Garret.

  “Yes, yes – you can only imagine,” Garret says to Mr. Tennison but it attention is directed at me. I can’t help the slight blush from all the attention. “Well, I hate to run so soon, but we’re showing Gemma around town so we’ll be on our way.”

  “Welcome to Taylorton dear, I hope you’re happy here. We are mighty glad to have you.” He says. I give the old man a hug and can’t but think this must be what it feels like to have a grandpa.

  Jake and Chandler bid their goodbyes as well. We head down the other side of the North side. We pass an overstocked antique store and pawn shop called “The Treasure Chest” that takes up several store fronts. There is a small art gallery similar to the ones at home, and a visitor’s center.

  “Ok, now on the the South side, which happens to be my favorite,” Chandler says as he takes my elbow. “The South side has all the good stuff. Well it’s pretty much food. But, like I said. The good stuff.” Everyone chuckles. First, we come to “Mel’s Diner”. I look at Chandler and he just gives me a nod. This is the place from the story he was telling me last night.

  “Best burgers in town, breakfast around the clock, milkshakes, just about anything.” He explains but keeps walking. Next door is an ice cream shop “Pop’s Marble Slab Creamery”. They have homemade ice cream, fudge and other treats.

  “So, Gemma what is your favorite kind of food?” Chandler asks.

  “Well, I guess it’s a toss up between Italian and seafood. What about you?” I ask

  “Definitely Italian, and this place is the best around.” He says, as I read “Amilifi’s Italian Fare”.

  Already at the other end, the next shop isn’t a restaurant. It simply reads “Dane’s Ink”. A tattoo shop.

  Jake must notice the question on my face, “Dane is the best around. Does real awesome work. We all got our ink from Dane. Well, except Doc. He had some from way back.” They direct back the way we came which leave me a little confused. There’s more shops on the other side of the street. I wonder why we didn’t just cross then head back up like we did on the North side? I don’t ask this out loud though. Back to the center of town, we cross the street and head down the other side. I try and act like I didn’t pick up on it, but I don’t get it past Garret. The corner of his mouth lifts with a half smile as he squeezes my shoulder. Whatever those boys are up to, I’m just going to go with the flow even if it is a little weird.

  “Ok, here’s another one of my favorites. Who am I kidding, I love all these places,” Chandler says with excitement. The boy apparently really loves food. “This is our local Chinese restaurant. “Hunan’s Wok” has the best shrimp fried rice I’ve ever had.”

  The next place takes up several store fronts, but I can tell what it is immediately. Ummm coffee, I absolutely looovvvee the smell of coffee and this place smells amazing. “Bea’s Beans” I can already tell is going to be my favorite. Chandler explains they have all different roasts, cappuccino, frappes, lattes, tea, and just about any sort of pastry, donut, or muffin you can imagine. I have a feeling I will be visiting here quite often.

  “Ok, and last but not least is,” Garret starts, but I don’t let him finish.

  “Taylorton Auto,” I read out loud while rooted in my spot. The place is huge. It takes up the rest of the block considerably larger than Tennison General Store. It is a beautiful dark gray with an expanded paved lot. It has 7 roll up garage doors with an office area the to left. The place is quite impressive. Better yet, if I am going to be
working in the office, that means I am going to be just a few steps from Bea’s Beans. I can’t help the few fist pumps in the air that follow. Everyone bellows out in booming laughter.

  “I think she likes it boss,” Jake says as he wipes the tears from his eyes.

  “Are you kidding me this is great!” I exclaim.

  “Glad you like it sweetie,” Garret says just loud enough for me to hear with a tight hug and a kiss on top of the head.

  Everything just seems to keep getting better and better, I know better though. I am just waiting on the other shoe to drop. Life is too cruel and complicated for second chances to come this easily.

  When that shoe does drop, am I going to be strong enough? If it comes down to it would I be able to walk away if needed? Would it be better to walk away now before I get hurt, before it gets unbearable? It’s inevitable, someone is going to get hurt, and it’s probably going to be me. When you heart expands whether its blood, love or joy, sooner or later it also has to deflate.

  Gemma

  Garret asks, “Do you want to see inside while we’re here?”

  “Can we?” I am curious what it’s like. I know I will be here tomorrow, but it would be nice knowing a little bit more what to expect when I get here. I have to admit I’m a little excited too.

  “Absolutely, let’s go,” Garret responds. I think he is just as excited as I am. Sometimes you get to see a different side of a person in their work environment.

  Garret unlocks the building and we all file inside. The office area is way better than it was at my old work place. This room is super clean. There is a large L shaped antique desk made of solid hickory that takes up the center of the back wall. To the left of the desk is a bathroom. To the right is a private office which I am assuming is Garret’s that has all the filing cabinets, a desk, a couch and two chairs. The rest of the main office area serves as waiting room with a lush couch, several stationary chairs, a kitchenette with a microwave, refrigerator, several cabinets, a drink machine and snack machine. I guess it serves as a break room too. The walls are deep taupe with soft white trim. Huge windows take up the front wall facing the highway.