Garrett was great at encouraging people and whatever he said seemed to help because Ed was a little more relaxed by the end of the day.
Emma had shown up an hour ago, and as much as he wanted to take her home and pamper her for all the ways she took care of him yesterday, it just wasn’t going to happen. She had a tutoring session, and he needed to go over to his mother’s. The plan was to meet Austin over there and have dinner with her before Cash showed up. They had considered inviting him to dinner, but it seemed a little too soon to be trying to sit down for a family meal.
According to Austin, their mother took the news surprisingly well. She was a bit shocked, but overall, she didn’t seem nearly as bothered by Cash’s appearance as they were.
“So weird,” he murmured. “Maybe this is all a dream and I just can’t wake up.”
That would make more sense than the reality he was currently living in. Never did he imagine that he’d be dating Emmaline Ryan–let alone sleeping with Emmaline Ryan–at the same time that his father came back into his life. It was as if every dream he had as a kid was coming true.
Then he remembered the not-so-dreamy part of his reality: no job.
Yeah, he was going to have to do something about that.
And soon.
He had a call scheduled with the Delaware clinic at the end of the week, and so far, they were the only ones who didn’t add making videos and modeling for random crap a part of the negotiations.
And he prayed it stayed that way.
But if it didn’t, he wasn’t sure what to do.
Ed had mentioned that Doc MacEntyre was retiring, but he wanted to sell his clinic rather than take on someone to help run it. So that definitely left Garrett out. He might not have any student loans to pay off, but he certainly didn’t have the money to buy a clinic–even a small-town one.
“Great, now I’m nervous and depressed,” he said wearily. “This night’s off to a great start.”
When he parked in his mother’s driveway a few minutes later, he was relieved to see that Austin’s truck was already there. With any luck, he could sort of get lost in the background for the bulk of the night. This whole thing couldn’t have happened at a worse time and he wasn’t sure just how much more emotional stuff he could take.
As he walked up to the door, it occurred to him that maybe he should have stopped and picked up a bottle of wine or perhaps something for dessert. There was still time for him to drive into town to get some, but…
“You going to stand out there all night or are you coming in?” Austin asked as he pulled the front door open.
“What? Oh, um…yeah. I was just thinking that I should have stopped to pick up wine or dessert or something.”
“It’s already taken care of.” He stepped aside so Garrett could walk in. “You look like shit. What’s going on?”
Raking a hand through his hair, he glared at his brother. “You mean other than our father showing up after almost twenty years while I’m trying to figure out where I’m going to work because I’m essentially unemployed while finally dating the girl I’ve been in love with for half my damn life?”
Austin’s eyes went wide and Garrett realized just how much he’d revealed.
Dammit.
“G, look…I get that the timing of all of this must really suck, but…”
“But you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to,” his mother said as she walked into the room. She had changed out of the scrubs she wore for her work in the pediatrician’s office and was dressed casually in a pair of black leggings and a long gray sweater. She looked completely relaxed–like this was just an everyday occurrence that the husband who abandoned her and their kids coming by was normal.
“I’m not leaving,” he told her. “It’s just…it’s a lot to take in, that’s all.”
“Dude, it’s a lot for all of us to take in, but you’ve clearly got a lot on your plate and I think Mom’s right; you shouldn’t be here if you don’t want to.”
It was so damn tempting to turn around and leave, but…he wouldn’t. There was a part of him that needed to be here and see how it all unfolded.
When his mother walked over and hugged him, he felt himself start to relax. When he pulled back, he had to ask, “What about you, Mom? How are you doing with all of this?”
Sighing, she turned to sit down on the living room sofa. “I have to admit I was a bit shocked when Austin came by and told me the news yesterday, but…this is typical of your father. He just shows up when he wants to. I’m used to it.” She shrugged. “As for the rest of the news, well…I don’t think I’ve really processed it all yet.”
He sat beside her. “Yeah, me either. I hate that it took him getting sick to come here to see us.”
“Are we sure he’s really sick?” Austin asked.
“That’s a terrible thing to say!” Grace scolded. “Now I’ll admit that your father has done some awful things, but I can’t imagine he’d fake cancer just for sympathy.”
“Again, are we sure?” Austin repeated.
Rather than respond, Grace stood. “Come on. Dinner’s ready.” She walked toward the kitchen. “Thank God for the crockpot so we could eat sooner rather than later. I just made some beef stew. I hope that’s alright.”
Alright? His mother was a fantastic cook and her beef stew was one of his favorite meals. “You didn’t have to do that, Mom. We could have just ordered a pizza or something. We know you worked all day.”
“Nonsense. That’s the beauty of a crockpot meal. It practically made itself.” The three of them worked together to make their plates before sitting down at the table. “So,” Grace said after a moment. “How was everyone’s day?”
Austin talked about the progress on the house he and Mia were building and a new shopping center he was submitting designs on. His mother mentioned how the pediatric practice she worked for was looking to move to a bigger location and how they should maybe consider building from scratch. When they both turned to Garrett, he considered how much to share with them.
“I had a good day with Ed over at Happy Tails. I was able to examine the dogs and make notes for Doc MacEntyre so when he comes in next week, things will be a little more organized.” He took another bite of his dinner. “Ed’s having back surgery in two weeks so they’re going to be short-handed. I wanted to help out where I could.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Garrett. It’s a shame Doc MacEntyre is retiring. I know a lot of people are scrambling to find new vets,” Grace commented. “Any chance you can get financing to buy the practice?”
He almost choked on his dinner, and while he was coughing, Austin spoke up.
“Mom, Garrett’s got a plan already. He’s practically got the position at a clinic up in Delaware. Why would he want to get into a heap of debt for a small-town practice?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know…I just thought it would be nice if he moved closer to home.”
“Doc’s practice isn’t closer, Mom; it is home,” Austin countered. “Besides, Garrett’s famous now. He’s the Hot Doc, the social media sensation!” With a laugh, he grinned at Garrett. “All he has to do is take off his shirt and snuggle a puppy and he can have his pick of any practice he wants. Why here?”
Garrett felt like his face was on fire as he focused on his meal. Clearly his mother must have noticed because she quickly changed the subject to whether they would tell Jackson about what was going on.
So he ate the rest of his dinner in peace, but it was only a matter of time before she would want to talk to him about his reaction to Austin’s teasing.
But at least it wouldn’t be tonight.
Ultimately, Grace decided that she’d be the one to tell Jackson when she heard from him. With his deployment, their communications were sporadic, but she didn’t feel like this was something urgent that they needed to worry him with. And once dinner was over and everything was cleaned up, they had nothing to do but wait for Cash to show up.
And he did.
Right on time.
It was the first time the man was ever where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there, and it felt weird.
And felt even weirder when his father walked into the home they had all shared at one time and Garrett was hit with just how much had changed. Not only were he and Austin older, but…so was Cash. His dark brown hair was all gray, and the giant of a man he always remembered suddenly didn’t seem quite so larger than life. Now he was just a man–not overly large or powerful…just an ordinary man who was a stranger.
They all sat, and he noticed how his parents seemed to only have eyes for each other.
Oh, God…
Garrett and Austin exchanged nervous glances, and luckily his brother knew how to get things started.
“So, Dad,” he began loudly, effectively snapping everyone to attention. “You wanted to talk to all of us.”
Cash seemed to reluctantly tear his gaze away from his wife and cleared his throat. “Um, yes. Thank you for agreeing to see me again.” Then he did look directly at Grace. “I appreciate you opening your home to me.”
Before she could reply, Austin spoke up again.
“Yeah, okay. You’re welcome. Did you happen to go and speak to Pops’ attorney like you said you were going to?”
“Actually, I did.” Shaking his head, he let out a low chuckle. “My grandfather left my inheritance in a trust until I came to Magnolia to claim it in person.” He paused. “Richard McClellan informed me of everything Pops left to everyone.” Glancing at his sons, his smile was sad. “I’m glad he gave you boys the opportunity to go to college.” And then to Grace, “And that he took some of the burden off of you with the house.”
They all nodded silently and waited for him to go on.
“Anyway, I was more than a little shocked at what he left me. I thought for sure he would have left me out of things, but Richard had gotten in touch with me and mentioned an inheritance when he died. Then I thought it was going to be something small–like a token gesture.” Raking a hand through his hair, he let out a long breath. “Boy, was I wrong.”
“Cash,” Grace said, reaching out a hand to him. “Are you alright?”
He nodded, and once again, Garrett and his brother exchanged glances.
“There’s some…uh…property at the northern tip of town,” Cash explained. “About ten acres worth that he left to me. Richard’s been handling the taxes on it all these years, but it’s all undeveloped. I went and looked at it and it butts up to where all the revitalization seems to be happening in that part of town. The land is worth…well…a lot.” He looked up at the three of them. “Like 1.5 million.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the room and Garrett had to wonder just what his great-grandfather had been thinking in leaving something that valuable to someone who was never around. At times, Pops had been openly hostile where Cash was concerned, so this simply didn’t make sense.
“I think at the time the Will was written,” Cash explained, “the property wasn’t worth nearly that much. All the work happening up there really pushed the value up.” He shrugged. “I was still in total shock, but then there was a letter from the old guy, and…it’s been a hell of a day.”
Maybe no one was saying it, but they all had to be thinking the same thing–now Cash had the money to do all the things he wanted to do his whole life, all the things that were more important than his wife and kids. And the irony was that he might not live long enough to enjoy any of it.
If that wasn’t karma, Garrett wasn’t sure what was.
“O-kay…,” Austin said. “So…now what?”
“Now I have to talk to a realtor and see about getting the property sold and hope I can get more than what it’s worth.” He looked at all of them before adding, “It makes sense for me to do that. I hope to get two million for it, so that would be half a million to each of you. Including Jackson.”
“What?!” Grace cried. “Cash, you can’t be serious! Think of what you could do with that money! You can get better treatment, talk to some specialists about the cancer! You…you can…”
But he held up a hand to stop her. “Grace, I’m not looking for any more opinions on my disease. It is what it is, and believe it or not, I’ve already had multiple doctors weigh in on it. I’m at peace with my decision.” Pausing, he sighed again. “All this time, I was trying to think of some way that I could do something good for all of you. There’s no way I can make up for the things I did and I’m certainly not trying to buy your forgiveness, but by doing this, it feels like a way for me to know that you’re all going to be okay.”
So many thoughts raced through Garrett’s mind, but as usual, his brother spoke up with his thoughts first.
“Dad, take some time to think about this before you do anything you might regret.”
“Don’t you get it, Austin? I’ve had a lifetime full of regret. For the first time, I’m going to do something selfless.” His voice cracked, and he took a moment to compose himself. “I like knowing that this money can help you pay off that new house you’re building.” Then he looked at Garrett. “And maybe you can start up your own veterinary clinic.” He paused. “I have no idea what Jackson plans on doing after he comes home from deployment, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind having a little financial freedom to do whatever it is that he wants.” Then he looked at Grace. “And you deserve not to have to work so hard. I made your life hell, and you worked hard to be both mother and father to our boys. Let me do this for you.”
“Cash,” Grace said softly. “Believe it or not, I’m okay. Your grandfather helped me out over the years and taught me how to invest my money, so financially, I’m good. If you’re really going to do this, then do it for the boys. I don’t want to be part of the equation.”
“You’re always part of the equation,” he replied gruffly. “Always, Grace.”
There was an awkward silence and Garrett finally spoke up. “I think this is a lot for all of us to take in. Why don’t you take a few days to think it all through?” he suggested.
“There’s nothing to think through, Garrett. This is what I’m doing, and Richard is going to make some calls for me and get back to me tomorrow with the name of an agent who deals in property deals like this.” He gave a grim smile. “With any luck, we can have a deal by the end of the month.”
“Let’s just…see how it goes,” Grace said. “I picked up an apple pie from Henderson’s and some brownies. Why don’t we have dessert?” She rose and walked to the kitchen with Cash following.
Once they were out of earshot, Garrett looked over at his brother. “Is it just me or are you not getting your hopes up on this either?”
“It’s not just you. I think this all sounds too good to be true, and I can’t believe Pops would have left him something that valuable.”
“That was my thought, too. So now what do we do? I mean…if he wants to stay local and play at being a dad, are you interested in that?”
“Yeah, Mia asked me about that last night. Like where did I see our relationship as father and son at this point.”
“And what did you say?”
“Yesterday, I wasn’t so sure I wanted a relationship with him and I felt guilty about it. Now I feel guilty if I do suddenly want one because then I have to ask myself if I’m doing it only because of the money.” He paused. “What about you?”
“Pretty much the same and I’m not proud of it.” Sighing, he leaned back on the sofa. “The bottom line is that he’s dying. How petty would it be for us to turn him away?”
“It’s no more than he deserves, G.”
“Maybe.”
They were both quiet for a moment.
“I just think maybe…maybe we give him a chance,” Garrett said quietly. “I’m not saying we become his best friend, but…”
“That’s exactly what Mia said,” Austin replied wearily. “I’m just not going into this with any expectations.”
“Me either.”
�
��Although…this could be great for you. With that kind of money, you really could start up your own practice instead of going to work for someone else.” Then he laughed. “And you’ll be able to keep your shirt on!”
“That would be a perk,” he murmured with a little more heat than he intended.
Austin stood and stared down at you. “Are you okay? Is there something going on?”
“It’s nothing,” he said, standing. “Just…this is all a lot to take in.”
His brother continued to stare at him until he started to squirm.
Then the sound of feminine laughter–almost a giggle–had them both turning toward the kitchen.
“Oh, God,” Austin groaned. “I never thought we’d have to worry about how the two of them still felt for each other.”
Garrett shuddered. “Do we even want to go in there?”
Grace laughed again, followed by, “Oh, Cash, you always could make me blush.”
Now they both groaned. “I think it’s important that we go in there and put a stop to whatever that is,” Austin grumbled as he turned and walked away.
And all Garrett could do was follow.
10
Axel was his usual excitable self when Emma walked into the barn a few days later. He danced around her legs, and by the time she sat herself down on the ground, he was already in her lap and giving her happy puppy kisses. She loved this time with him and wished more than ever that she lived someplace that was pet-friendly so she could just take him home with her.
Someday…
Her phone rang, and she laughed hysterically as she tried to maneuver the two of them so she could pull it out of her pocket. “Axel,” she chided playfully, “let me get this!” It took a little work, but she finally had the phone in her hands and frowned at the name on the screen. “Hello?”
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