Faithful (35 page)

“What happened, Mom?” Jefferson asked.

“He asked Angie to leave, and then we fought like we had never fought before. It just so happened that she was interning there, too, and he said he’d run into her, but nothing else had happened. The more he talked, the more upset I got. When I told him I was going to leave with Jeff and stay with my parents for a few days, he blew up. He grabbed me, and one thing led to another. Before I knew it, he had me on the sofa, and—”

I put my hand over my mouth. “He didn’t force you, did he?”

She had tears in her eyes. “No. I loved him so much. I would have done anything for him…anything to be with him. Later, I found out I was pregnant again. Things were never the same. He grew distant, but when you were born, Ellie, he seemed like he was happy again. It lasted for a few years. Then, one day, he came home, and Angie was with him. He told me he was leaving me for her, and the only reason he’d stayed as long as he did was because he felt guilty for ‘knocking me up with another baby.’ Those were his words, not mine.”

Oh Jesus. I think I’m going to be sick.

“Jesus H. Christ, Mom. He said that to you?” Jefferson shook his head.

She smiled and nodded. “When he left, my world just fell apart. I had no job, no money, and a broken heart. A friend of mine came over one night and talked me into going out. I got drunk and had so much fun,” she said with a gruff laugh. “It was the first time I didn’t actually think about him. Since the alcohol seemed to help me forget, I moved from beer to hard liquor. The only problem was that the hurt turned to anger. I started to blame you, Ellie, for everything. He would show up randomly while you kids were at school. He’d tell me how sorry he was, and then before I knew it, I was sleeping with him.”

She shook her head and glanced up at me. “After you left, Ellie, I realized all the time I’d wasted being angry. I almost ruined your life and that caused me to wake up and see that I needed to be rescued from the hell I was living in. So, I decided I was checking into rehab and making a new life for myself. If I got myself clean, I knew the first thing I was going to do would be to ask forgiveness from both of you.”

“Oh god, Mom. What a dirty, rotten bastard,” I said.

She laughed and agreed.

“When was the last time you saw him, Mom?” Jefferson asked.

“About a year ago.” She smiled. “I was on a date, believe it or not!”

Jefferson and I both laughed.

“With my counselor.” She held up her hands. “I know! I know!”

“How did you feel when you saw him?” I asked.

“Free—like his hold on me was finally broken.” She shook her head. “I need you both to know something though. I have no doubt in my mind that at one time, your father was just as much in love with me as I was with him. And I truly believe he loved you both. But now, I have someone in my life who is my prince. He literally rescued me. Just like in my story, Ellie.”

We talked for a bit longer before making our way back to the house. Garrett invited my mother over to his house to meet Emma, Jack, and Grace and to spend more time with the kids. Since we were all going out, Luke and Alex were going to stay with them tonight.

As we sat in Emma’s kitchen, I watched as my mother talked with two of the most important women in my life, and a sense of calm came over me. My mom was holding Alex in her arms when she looked over at me and smiled. I got up and walked over to her.

“Grace, could you please hold Alex for a bit?” my mother asked as she turned toward Grace.

Then, she held out her arms for me, and I walked right into her embrace.

“I’m so sorry for all the pain and hurt I caused you,” she whispered into my ear.

“I love you, Mom. I really do love you.” I pulled away from her and smiled.

She laughed while she wiped the tears away from my face as I did the same for her.

“I love you, too, Ellie Marie Mathews. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much, baby girl, for giving me a second chance. You have no idea how much I need you and your brother.”

Jefferson came into the kitchen and took a good look at us before he walked up and wrapped his arms around us. “Mom…”

“Yes, Jeff?”

“I forgot to tell you. You’re gonna be a grandmother again.”

“What are you smiling about over there?” Ari asked, reaching for my hand.

“The look on my mom’s face when I told her she was going to be a grandmother again.”

Ari started laughing. “Yeah, it was priceless. I’m so glad she finally made the move to come and see y’all, Jeff.”

I smiled as I thought about Ellie. I knew how she had dreamed of this moment, especially when she’d found out she was pregnant. I remembered the day we’d walked along the river when she told me how much she wished our mother could help her through her pregnancy because she felt so scared. My heart had broken for her. She’d had Grace there, but it hadn’t been the same thing.

“I can’t wait to see Amanda! I feel like I haven’t seen her in so long! I wonder if she’ll have the baby before she graduates,” Ari said.

“I just hope everything works out for them with the move. I hate that they are moving to Florida.”

Ari grinned. “We’ll have a place to visit now, I guess.”

I glanced over and smiled at her before looking straight ahead.

“Okay, why in the hell is Gunner not going? It’s a damn green light!” Ari said.

After sitting there through the whole green light, I jumped out of my truck and ran up to his. I was about to knock on his window when I saw that he was kissing Ells.

What in the fuck?

I banged on the window, and they both jumped.

Gunner rolled down his window. “What’s wrong?”

“You just sat through a damn green light while you were sucking face with my baby sister, you douche.”

Gunner gave me that damn smile of his. “I can’t help it if I sweep your baby sister off her feet, dude,” he said with a wink.

Ellie started laughing as Ari honked the horn.

“Fucker!” I jogged back to my truck and jumped in, shaking my head. “Stupid romantic ass.”

Ari started laughing as Gunner punched it when the light turned green again, and we made our way to Luckenbach.

As soon as we pulled up and parked, Ari jumped out of the truck and ran over to Ellie. I knew she had been dying to talk to her. Gunner smiled and gave me another wink.

Bastard. Thinks he’s all romantic and shit. I can be just as romantic as his ass.
“Keep on smiling, dude. I’ve got my game on tonight,” I said as I slapped his back.

Gunner started laughing. “Yeah, okay…if you think you’ve got what it takes to outromance me, dude, bring it.”

“Oh, I will. I am! You wait and see.”

I turned around to see Heather with a big-ass smile on her face as Ari and Ellie attacked her. They each grabbed her arm and started heading into the dance hall. I watched as they walked by. They were talking so damn fast that my head was spinning from just trying to figure out what they were saying.

Baby…twins…cribs…wedding…

Gunner turned to me, and he looked just as confused. I shrugged my shoulders and glanced back to see Josh walking up with the biggest damn smile I’d ever seen on his face.

I stuck out my hand to shake his. “Congratulations, Daddy!”

Josh laughed. “Twins! Can you fucking believe it? Twins.”

Gunner started laughing as he slapped Josh on the back. “Let’s buy you twin beers.”

When we walked in, I saw Scott right away. “Ah hell. What’s Scott doing here?”

Gunner shook his head. “Dude, he’s not after Ari. He never was. He just likes fucking with you.”

“How do you know that?”

Gunner looked over toward Scott and then back at me. “Look at who he’s watching like a hawk. He can’t keep his eyes off her.”

Josh and I both noticed at the same time, and then we both asked, “Jessie?”

“Yep. He stopped by the other night, and we had a few beers. He opened up and said he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since the night he drove her home after they dropped off my drunk ass.”

“Really? Jessie, huh?” I said with a smile on my face.

“Dude, Ari is so head over heels in love with you. You ain’t got nothing to worry about,” Josh said with a chuckle and started toward the bar.

After about four beers, I was feeling pretty good. Ari was having fun, and Ellie was so damn happy that my heart was overflowing.

That was when I saw the bastard talking to the DJ.
What in the hell is his romantic ass up to?
“Ah hell…what’s he doing, Josh?”

Josh looked over toward Gunner and shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know.”

Gunner started to walk back toward us, but he was focusing only on Ellie.

“Holy hell, Ellie. That boy is looking at you with nothing but love in his eyes,” Amanda said.

I glanced over at Brad and Amanda. She was sitting on his lap, and his hands were on her belly. I smiled, thinking about how far they had both come in the last few weeks.

Then, Kenny Chesney’s “Because of Your Love” started to play. Gunner walked up and reached for Ellie’s hand. “Dance with me?”

Ellie smiled and stood up as he kissed the back of her hand. As they were heading out to the dance floor, Gunner turned around and winked at me.

I watched while they were dancing, and Ellie buried her face into his chest. I had to hand it to him. He made my sister happy. I grinned just a bit at the thought of my best friend and sister being so in love with each other.

“He loves her so much,” Ari said from behind me. She put her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

“I know he does.”

“He’s so sweet with the way he’s always sweeping her off her feet.”

Wait. What?

She moved around and sat down next to me, facing Amanda and Heather.

“Did Ellie tell you how he packed up everything the other day and took her and Alex to the river for a picnic?” Heather asked.

The other two sighed.

I looked over at Josh, and he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Then, I glanced toward Brad.

“Don’t even try, dude. He’s got us all beat,” Brad said.

Fuck this shit.
I stood up and walked over to the DJ.
I can be just as romantic as Gunner.