“Kari.” He begged her with his gaze. “Will you please take Austin to the buffet?”
“Of course.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She must’ve overheard what Janielle had said. Oh, no. She’d given him a chance to open up last night, and he’d failed. He fully recognized how deep the failure was at this moment, but could do nothing about it. Had he messed up their entire relationship?
“Thank you,” was all he could say.
She simply nodded and wrapped a hand around Austin’s shoulders, but Austin didn’t move with her. Kari looked to him for help.
Gavin gestured across the open area to his office. “Let’s talk in private,” he suggested to Janielle, but anyone within hearing distance would know it was not a suggestion but a command. He had to get her away from Austin. This woman wasn’t going to hurt his son, and she wasn’t going to ruin his brother’s or sister’s weddings.
“No,” she cried out like a petulant child. “I’ve come back for my son, and you and your controlling mother have nothing on me anymore.”
Austin’s brow was furrowed as if he didn’t understand. That was good.
Wedding guests were looking around, and Nick appeared next to Kari. “Janielle?” Nick questioned.
She glared at him and yanked a stack of papers from her purse. “This says that what Ruth did to steal my baby is illegal.”
Gavin felt suddenly cold all over. He’d always thought of his mother as Austin’s rescuer. She wouldn’t have done anything illegal. Janielle’s words couldn’t be true, could they? “But you’ve taken almost eleven years to do something about it?” Gavin asked, trying to keep his voice level.
“You and your ‘mama’ are both going to prison, and I am walking out of here with Austin.” She jutted her chin out and shook the papers at him.
People were staring and whispering, but Gavin didn’t care. He only cared what Austin and Kari thought. He knew the rest of his family would be on his side through thick or thin.
He caught a glimpse of Mama running toward them in her blue lacy dress and heels, but she didn’t get there quick enough.
“You think I’m your boy?” Austin peered up at the woman.
“Yes, you are. I promise you! And Gavin is your dad.”
Gavin heard several people gasp. Mama stopped just short of ramming into Janielle. She looked furious enough that Gavin wasn’t sure what she’d do.
Austin’s eyes flickered to him. “Is it true, Gav? You’re my … dad?”
Gavin’s heart raced. He knelt down in front of his son and took his shoulders in his hands. “It’s true, bud,” he ground out.
“Mama?” Austin glanced up at her.
Mama’s dark gaze was full of angst, but she nodded. “Gavin’s your dad, love.”
Austin blinked at him, and Gavin could see the pieces falling together. He pointed at Janielle. “And the pretty, kind of crazy lady is my mom?”
“She’s your birth mother,” Mama was quick to correct. “She’s not your mom now.”
Janielle started screeching in protest about lies and her rights to Austin and them going to prison. Gavin stood, holding on to Austin’s shoulder with one hand.
Mama’s face tightened and she commanded Janielle, “Calm down and watch what you say.”
“I’ll watch you and Gavin hand over all your money and rot in prison,” Janielle flung back. “Austin deserves to know what his grandmother is capable of.”
Mama slapped her hard across the face, and Janielle fell into stunned silence. The crowd was shocked into silence as well; then a low buzz started again.
“We are done with your lies.” Mama wrapped her hand around Janielle’s skinny arm and dragged her toward Gavin’s office. “We’ll see what your papers say, but you’ve got no leg to stand on.”
Janielle found her tongue and was whining about mistreatment and how Ruth was going to prison and had stolen her baby. Papa cruised toward the office in his wheelchair, people making a path for him.
They finally reached Gavin’s office. Mama held on tightly to Janielle as she punched in the code; then she swung the door wide, and the three of them disappeared inside.
Gavin’s gaze swung past Kari on its way back to Austin. She looked … disappointed in him. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for not sharing, sorry for a mistake he’d made over eleven years ago, sorry he wasn’t good enough for her, but would she please not give up on him? Of course, he couldn’t voice any of that. He had to focus on Austin.
His son’s eyes were suspiciously bright, and his lip quivered. Gavin had no clue what to expect, what to say. He knelt in front of him again, resting his hands on his shoulders.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Austin asked in a quieter voice than his boy even used in church.
Gavin pressed his lips together and finally muttered, “You don’t know how many times I wanted to.”
Austin shook his head. “Did you think I was just a stupid little kid who couldn’t handle it?”
“No.” Gavin’s knees hurt from kneeling in front of his son, but his heart was hurting worse. He’d never been good at expressing things, and he couldn’t mess this one up. “Mama, Papa, and I wanted to wait until you were old enough to understand and not get confused. Before Christmas, we decided it was time, and I wanted to be the one to tell you.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “But you know me, bud. I’m not good at this, and I never knew how to get it out. I was planning on telling you after the weddings. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
Gavin realized there was a crowd around them, but he didn’t care. He had to make this right with Austin somehow, someway.
Austin’s little jaw was working, and a tear squeezed past his eyelids and rolled down his cheeks. “I’m mad at you,” he declared.
Gavin’s gut churned. “I understand, bud. I’m mad at myself too.”
“And I don’t want that lady to be my mom. She’s kind of scary and screechy.”
Gavin nodded, praying that Janielle didn’t really have incriminating evidence on Mama or a way to force herself back into Austin’s life. Maybe he was wrong to say it, but he promised Austin, “That woman gave birth to you, but she is not your mom and she has no right to be part of your life.”
Austin considered this, and then he sniffled and pushed at his eyes. “You’ve always been my best bro, Gav. Do you … not want to be my dad?”
Gavin’s breath was coming in great gulps, and he felt the sting of emotion in his own eyes. “Austin, I love you. I want to be your dad. I want it more than anything.”
Austin barreled into him. Gavin barely managed to stay upright on his knees as his son hugged him fiercely around the neck. He held his son tightly against him. Austin murmured into his ear, “I love Papa, and I always felt bad, but I’ve always wanted you to be my dad.” Austin buried his head in his shoulder.
They held each other and ignored everyone else around them. Finally, Austin drew back and yelled, “My best bro is my dad! That’s so cool!”
Everyone laughed and tittered around them. Gavin held on to Austin as he pushed to his feet and stood.
Austin clung to his neck. “I love you, Dad,” he said.
“I love you too, son.” It probably sounded cheesy and too sappy. Gavin couldn’t have cared less. He loved hearing his son say “Dad.” He loved his son. He wanted everybody to know that. He lifted Austin up into the air and said loudly an even cheesier line, something one of Kari’s characters would be proud of: “This is my son, Austin, and I’m the proudest dad in the entire world.”
The audience around them cheered. Gavin could see that many of the women had tears on their faces, especially his sisters, Hazel, and Kari. Ah, Kari. How was this going to affect them? Would she forgive him for basically lying to her? It was a lie he’d lived with for so long he didn’t even think it was hurting him, but the truth coming out had freed him. Maybe Janielle showing up wasn’t all bad, if he could ensure she never got near Austin again. If he could make things ri
ght with Kari.
Austin beamed and laughed. Gavin lowered him to his feet, and Austin was staring up at him with almost hero worship. Gavin would do anything to protect and help him.
“I’d better go help Mama and Papa with the scary lady,” he told Austin.
“Oh, yeah. Why’d you ever make her my mom?”
Gavin couldn’t help but chuckle. “I was young and stupid, bud. Listen to me when you’re a teenager, all right?”
“You got it, Pops.” Austin smirked at him; then his face turned a little more serious. “So Mama and Papa are my grams and gramps, right?”
Gavin nodded. “Yeah.”
Austin gazed around at all of Gavin’s siblings, who had pushed their way to the front of the crowd. “And you guys are all my aunts and uncles?”
“That’s right, bud,” Ella said. “You can call me Auntie Ella.”
Gavin swallowed hard as he carefully met each of his siblings’ gazes. They might have some questions, want some explanations, but every single one of them was on his side and would support him. He found his throat getting too thick to speak again.
He looked to Kari. Hazel had her arm around her. They both looked beautiful, with Hazel in her wedding dress and Kari in an off-the shoulder blue formal that made her eyes even bluer.
Gavin needed to talk to her, but first he had to make sure. He glanced down at Austin. “You’re okay, bud?”
“I’m not gonna lie.” Austin did his cute half wink, half blink. “You tricked me good this time, Ga— … Dad. But I’m good. I’m really good.”
Gavin couldn’t resist one more hug. “Stay with one of your aunts and uncles.” He looked to Nick, who nodded seriously. Whatever Janielle was up to, Gavin wasn’t ruling out any threats from her.
“Okay.” Austin pumped his eyebrows at Nick and Stetson. “You two can be my wingmen.”
Everybody laughed. Gavin forced himself to leave his son in his brother’s care and go to face Janielle. But first, he had something more important to do. Striding up to Kari, he wrapped his arm around her waist and directed her away from the crowd to a quiet corner. She didn’t resist him, but she was stiffer against him than he would’ve liked.
When they had a little bit of privacy, he leaned in close. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.
She blinked up at him. He wanted to kiss her. Now wasn’t the time. “It’s okay,” she said.
Gavin heaved out a breath and pushed a hand at his hair. “It’s not okay. I should’ve told Austin. I should’ve told you.”
She held up a hand. “Maybe you should’ve told Austin, but … it’s fine. You didn’t need to tell me.” But something in her eyes said he should have, last night, when she’d tried to get him to talk about himself. The moment had passed, and he’d missed it.
“I wish I would have.” He glanced around quickly and saw there were still people watching him, but more importantly, Austin had almost every Strong sibling or in-law close by his side as he flirted with a couple of the girls from the spa. Gavin focused back on Kari. “I’m not very good at relationships. Obviously.”
She shrugged and bit at her lip.
“But I want to be. For you, I want to be.” He rested his hand against the wall behind her and bent closer. “I’ve been reading your books and trying to talk and act more like one of your heroes would.”
“Really?” She seemed to soften toward him. Did he dare hope that she would forgive him for not sharing all his dark, deep secrets before they were thrown in front of the world by Janielle? “I … love that you did that,” she admitted, biting at her lip.
“Will you be patient with me while I figure out this mess with Janielle?”
Kari stared up at him, so beautiful, so perfect to him. She didn’t respond for far too long. “I’ll try,” she finally said.
It wasn’t the answer he’d been hoping for, but what did he expect? Her sappy declaration of undying devotion? He rolled his eyes at himself. That wasn’t what he needed. He needed solid and good and kind and all things Kari. “Thanks,” he forced out. “I need to go.” He didn’t want to leave her, especially as he’d be going to face Janielle and whatever horrors or tricks she had up her sleeve.
“Okay,” was all Kari said, but she darted under his arm, across the room, and disappeared in the women’s restroom next to the restaurant. Gavin pushed out a breath. That hadn’t gone as well as he’d hoped, but he couldn’t do much about it right now.
He strode around the fringe of people, trying not to draw more attention to himself, and finally arrived at his office. He rapped sharply on his own office door, and then pushed through it. Papa’s face looked drawn, stressed. Janielle was in a corner, talking on her phone.
Mama rushed toward him. She hugged him tight and said, “How did Austin take it?”
Gavin couldn’t help but smile. “Like a champion. He said he loves Papa, but he wants me to be his dad.”
Papa smiled. “That’s exactly how it should be.”
“But he doesn’t want the ‘scary lady’ to be his mom.”
Mama’s dark eyes filled with determination. “We might have a legal battle on our hands, but that selfish brat is never going to touch our boy.”
Gavin’s gaze sharpened on Janielle. She was selfish, always had been. “What do you think her play is?”
“I bought her off in the first place. A hundred and twenty thousand dollars for her to sign her rights away.”
Gavin staggered. That was a lot of money, a lot more than he’d ever imagined Mama had handed over to bring Austin home to him. Mama and Papa must’ve taken it from their personal investments.
“She originally went to Texas with the promise of luxury and all the money she could imagine, if she’d sell her baby to human traffickers.”
Gavin’s breath rushed out. Austin. His boy. The thought of traffickers ever touching him, or any child, made him want to hurl. He knew it happened, had almost seen it happen at an orphanage in Cozumel where Cassie and many children were threatened, but now the ugliness was overwhelming. He couldn’t believe Mama had never told him all of this, but it was so awful that he could see why she’d kept it to herself. Also because of his closed-off personality, he’d never asked.
“But they didn’t come through,” Janielle said from behind them.
Mama gave Gavin a secretive, reassuring look, and Gavin felt like maybe they’d be okay. With Mama on his side, he could protect his son.
“What do you mean, they didn’t come through?” he asked.
“The traffickers, they promised me a beautiful house, money, a modeling contract. All I had to do was give them my baby and I’d be rich and famous. Five months, I waited and waited on empty promises. When Ruth showed up, Austin was over a week old and I had no clue how to take care of him, hardly any money, and I was just praying my contact would show up with my money and take my baby away. I was desperate, and Ruth bought me off with only a hundred and twenty thousand dollars. It wasn’t worth it. I’ve missed out on my adorable boy. Now I want my son, and I want a bigger chunk of money than that, as well as twenty thousand a month for child support, or you’re all going to prison.”
Chills raced down Gavin’s back. Janielle couldn’t have his son.
Mama seemed confident and unconcerned. “You signed away the rights to your son. You’ve got no legal recourse here.”
Janielle waved her papers. “I just got off the phone with my boyfriend—I mean, lawyer—and he says I do.”
Mama’s eyes narrowed, but she said smoothly, “How much money do you need, Janielle?”
Janielle’s face crumpled and she started crying. “I’m in so much debt and I need a lot. I need a whole lot.”
Mama made a noise in her throat that could be compassion or disgust. Gavin would bet on the latter. Mama was a sweetheart, and she was more charitable than anyone he knew besides Cassie, but she had little patience for those who looked for a handout when they were able-bodied and could help themselves.
Gavin watched, and
prayed, as she and Mama talked and negotiated. Janielle seemed at best unstable. She claimed she wanted Austin, but it became more and more obvious as they talked that she only wanted more money.
He was concerned about the ramifications of Mama buying her off almost eleven years ago, but he also hoped they could work this out, and quick. Mama and Papa were missing out on their daughter’s and son’s weddings. Kari and Austin needed him. If he could simply hold the two of them close, everything would be better, but this probably wasn’t that day.
Chapter Sixteen
Kari tried to act relaxed and mingle with the Strong siblings after she forced herself out of the bathroom to wait for Gavin. She was the outsider here in this family and this town where everybody seemed to know everybody. She hadn’t felt like an outsider with Gavin’s family, but without him by her side, it was more than obvious that his siblings were trying to watch out for her and make sure she felt included. Still, they were all also busy with many people from the town, the lodge, and the extended family wanting a piece of their time. She noticed how Nick and Stetson didn’t leave Austin’s side. Did Gavin think his ex … what was she? His ex-wife, ex-girlfriend? Did he think she would try to kidnap their son?
Their son. That created a knot in her gut that she didn’t know how to unravel. He’d claimed he wanted to try to be good at relationships, for her, but then when she said she’d try, he’d rolled his eyes at her. She wasn’t going to lie. That hurt. Not knowing the truth about his background, especially when he’d had several openings last night to tell her and had outright lied or evaded her questions, hurt even worse. She’d said he didn’t need to tell her but she wished he had, wished she was that special someone he shared everything with.
She smiled and chatted with different guests as the evening progressed. She wasn’t able to eat anything, but Ella and Trey kind of appointed themselves her guardians, and she noticed Ella giving Trey a few worried glances when time kept dragging on and Gavin still didn’t appear.
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