Finding Gavin (Southern Boys #2)

by C. A. Harms

  “You gonna tell me yet where it is you’re taking me?” she asked.

  I took her hand in mine and led her to my truck, helping her up. She giggled when I boosted her up by placing my hand on her bottom.

  “Well, if you wanted to touch my ass, all you had to do was ask, handsome.” She winked over at me and a grin spread out over my lips. I shook my head and closed the door, chuckling to myself as I walked around and climbed up to join her.

  Once we were on the highway, I placed my hand on her knee and lightly brushed my fingertips along her leg. The touch set a relaxed tone for both of us.

  Arriving at a place just outside of town, I placed my truck in park and looked over to meet Maria’s smiling face.

  I know how much she loves to dance, so a honky tonk restaurant seemed the best place to take her. We could grab something to eat, and then I could spin her around the dance floor.

  When we walked inside her face lit up, seeing all the couples holding each other close. I could see the excitement in her eyes. “Let’s get something to eat first. Then we’ll dance.” I whispered from behind before placing a kiss onto her temple.

  While we ate, I watched a little boy, about the age of eight or so, who sat to the left of us. He kept sneaking little glances in Maria’s direction, when he thought no one was looking. I couldn’t help but smile, as I knew what he was feeling. Maria is beautiful.

  “What are you smiling at?” Maria asked, as she looked around the room.

  I leaned forward, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “You have an admirer.” I nodded my head just slightly toward the boy, and she casually looked in his direction.

  The moment he saw that she had spotted him watching her, his cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

  Turning back to face me, she winked before sliding from the booth and approaching the little boy’s table. I sat wondering what in hell she could be doing.

  She spoke quietly with his mother, who appeared to be a single mom with two children—the little guy who was admiring my date and another little boy who is maybe about four.

  After a short conversation with Maria, the woman smiled and nodded her head, as she looked over at her son. Maria changed sides and held her hand out to the little boy. His face lit up and he looked past her, as if asking me if it was okay. I thought the entire situation was real sweet.

  I nodded my head and watched as Maria led him to the dance floor and began showing him how to do the two-step.

  At that moment, she looked so happy and free, like she didn’t have a care in the world. It truly was an amazing moment—one that warmed my heart to witness. She has an amazing soul, and regardless of the pain she has suffered in her life, she has the ability to bring out the happiness in others.

  After the first dance, the little boy seemed to catch on, and they went on to dance a couple more. His mother stood from the booth and snapped a few pictures before turning back to me and smiling.

  “Your wife’s really sweet. Mikey needed that. After the year he’s had, it’s really great to see him smile.” She looked back out to watch them once more.

  The girl was so young that it was hard to believe she could be old enough to mother these two children.

  “I’m sorry to hear you and your boys have had a run of bad luck,” I said, causing her to turn back to me.

  “Oh no, um, you see…” she paused, as if trying to figure out how to explain what she meant. “Mikey’s not mine. He lost his parents in a car accident about eleven months ago. This is the first time I’ve really seen him laugh since then. I used to be his babysitter. I actually try to take him out once a week, just to get him away from the children’s home.”

  The moment she said ‘children’s home’ my heart hit the floor. “Doesn’t he have any other family that can take him in?”

  She shook her head and looked back to the little boy in the booth. “That’s my son, Jeffrey. If I wasn’t raising him alone, I’d take Mikey in a heartbeat. Most days I find it hard to survive with just the two of us. I’d only be fooling myself if I tried to take him on. It breaks my heart to take him back to that place. The look in his eyes crushes me each time I walk away. It makes me feel like I should do more, ya know?”

  Turning once more to look over at Maria and Mikey dancing, the woman spoke as her voice cracked with emotion. “But what your wife is doing right now is one of the most heartfelt moments I’ve ever witnessed. A complete stranger taking her time to make a little boy feel special is amazing. She didn’t have to do that, but she did. It says a lot about the kind of person she is. If you don’t mind me saying so, you are pretty lucky to have her in your life.”

  The lady was right. I was lucky. After all the pushing, she was here with me.

  Hearing her call Maria my wife didn’t make me want to correct her. I watched them as the song ended and they began walking in our direction. They were laughing, and it sent my heart into overdrive.

  “What home is he in?” I asked the lady before Maria and Mikey reached us.

  “Joseph’s in Statesboro,” she replied, just before they reached our tables.

  I stood back and took in the excitement on the boy’s face as he tried to show us what Maria had taught him.

  ***

  Maria and I never really got the chance to dance at the honky tonk, so when we got back to my house, I made sure we got our dance.

  Turning on a slow song, I slowly walked toward her and pulled her into my arms. Our bodies began to slowly sway together.

  Making love to Maria was something that was continuously running through my mind. I wanted to take my time with her, something I had yet to do. With us, it had always been rushed.

  Our next time together, I would show her what it felt like to be treasured.

  Because of her recent procedure after the miscarriage, we needed to refrain for just a little longer. So holding one another close would have to satisfy our hunger for each other just a little longer.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Watching Maria walk out of my room wearing one of my t-shirts was one of the sexiest sights. Here she was—this cute little thing, long dark hair going in all different directions, sleepy-eyed and beautiful.

  “Good morning,” she yawned. Taking a seat on the bar stool, she blinked up at me and my knees felt instantly weak.

  Something changed last night. Watching her perform such a selfless act for a young boy she didn’t even know made my feelings for her stronger.

  She had no idea that Mikey had suffered such a loss. Hell, she still didn’t know about me. I hadn’t told her about my life before Brooklet—well, besides the small bit regarding Nicole.

  I scooped the scrambled eggs from the pan and placed them on the plate next to the bacon I had already finished. Taking a seat next to her, I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the side of her mouth.

  “Eat up, baby, we’ve got some things to discuss.” I urged her on, as I lifted my fork to my mouth.

  She sat next to me, staring back with a panicked look on her face. “Is something wrong?” She looked freaked out and pretty damn adorable at the same time.

  I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that rolled through me. She lightly slapped my arm and pushed me gently. “Stop laughing, you’re making me nervous. What happened, and why do we need to talk about it?” She was beginning to have a little breakdown and all I could do was chuckle. “Damn it, Gavin. Stop laughing. You’re freaking me out.”

  I reached out and grabbed her cheeks in my hands. “Stop with the little breakdown. I just want to tell you about my childhood, things I know you don’t expect and then a couple of other things I wanna run by ya.” I leaned in to give her a quick kiss before pulling back. “Now eat your breakfast.”

  Turning back around to finish my breakfast, I watched her from the corner of my eye. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually began to eat.

  ***

  “Okay, so is this the part where you tell me you used to be a girl?” She looked at me from
the couch as I took a seat beside her. “Because I won’t believe you. No one would ever believe that.”

  I chuckled and gripped her waist, pulling her over onto my lap. “Have I told you lately how crazy I think you are? Where the hell do you come up with this shit?” I continued to laugh while she reached out and attempted to twist my nipple. I grabbed her wrist and quickly raised her hand to my lips, kissing her palm. She calmed almost instantly.

  “I love when you do that. I don’t know why, but I do,” she whispered.

  I winked at her and brushed my thumb over her wrist lightly, as I continued.

  “Now if you’re done acting all crazy, I need to tell you some things.” Raising an eyebrow in question, I waited for her to agree.

  “I wanna ask you to come back to Savannah with me Friday and stay the weekend. We’ll stay at my father’s place.” The smile that pulled at her lips almost made me laugh. I gripped her thigh and pulled her in just a little tighter. “It may be a bad idea, but I want you with me.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and waited silently for me to continue.

  “The chance of running into Nicole is pretty high. In fact, once she gets wind that I have another woman with me, I’m positive it will pique her curiosity. I just need to know that you’ll be okay with the chance.”

  She nodded her head lightly. “As long as you’re okay with it. I’m not intimidated by her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “I want you to meet the man who raised me.” I didn’t take my eyes from hers as it sank in.

  “The man?” she paused. “Not your parents?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. I was the result of a teenage pregnancy. My mother gave me up after the delivery.”

  Maria raised her hand to rest it on my chest, and I placed mine over hers. “I was adopted when I was one by two of the greatest people I have ever known, Kathleen and Wayne Tennison. They were older, but that didn’t stop them from taking in an infant.”

  I swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. “Kathy died when I was eleven. After that it was always me and Wayne. I looked for my real mom for a short time, but then I realized I had all the love I needed from those two. If at some point in time my real mother contacts me, I would agree to meet her. But I was blessed to have what I had, so there wasn’t a reason to go looking for more.”

  “Last night, do you have any idea what you did for that little boy at the restaurant?” She smiled and bit her lower lip. “You took a heartbroken boy, who had recently lost both of his parents, and brought joy back to his life, even if it was just for a short time. He now has a happy memory to help him through his dark days.”

  “What?” she gasped. “He lost his parents?” she asked, holding her hand to her chest.

  “Yeah, that woman was his old babysitter. He lives in a boys’ home.” Tears fell from her eyes and I wiped them away.

  “But what I did wasn’t enough. We need to do more,” she insisted with determination in her eyes. “But how do we? We should have asked, Gavin. We should have asked her how we could do more.”

  I slipped my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her close, feathering a kiss across her lips. “I did ask, baby. I know where he lives. I’ve already planned on finding a way to be a part of his life, even if it’s just in a small way. You saying that you want that too just goes to show what I already knew.”

  She tilted her head, her eyes still reddened from her recent tears. “What’s that?”

  “You’re really making it hard for me not to fall further.” I watched as her eyes once again glistened. “You just got this way about ya. I’m not sure how the hell I fought it this long.” I wasn’t ready to say the words. The next time I did, it would be forever. The next time I confessed my love, it had to be forever.

  “You better hurry up and catch up, Mr. Tennison. I fell a long time ago. It’s been kinda lonely without you by my side.” She blinked back her tears, and her confession made my chest tighten.

  Flipping her over and resting her back against the couch, I lowered my body over hers. “You’re not alone. I promise. I’ve just been really good at hiding it.” I kissed her softly. “Don’t lose hope in me. I just need us to fall together. We haven’t done any of this right. We’re starting over, and this time there’s no holding back, okay?” I kissed her once more. “I won’t push you away. I won’t run. I promise.”

  She looked in my eyes with adoration. At that moment, it was on the tip of my tongue, and I could see she was about to say the words herself. Kissing her with more intensity was a cop-out, but I wanted to be able to say it back and I wasn’t quite there yet.

  Chapter Seventeen

  My phone rang just as we drove past the sign saying Savannah. I hit the button, and the voice that filled the car made my head hurt.

  “Where are you? I don’t have all day to wait on you. I have a child who is tired and hungry. You’re late.” Nicole’s bitching had me gripping the steering wheel and grinding my teeth.

  “No, actually, I’m early. I have 32 minutes to be exact. So you’ll see me in 32 minutes. Go feed your daughter.” I hit end just as Nicole started to argue.

  Looking back, I had to admit she had always been demanding and high maintenance. But love is blind and I just took it, without thinking twice. Each day I spend with Maria, I realize more and more that Nicole and I were completely wrong for one another.

  Maria’s sweet voice filled the silence. “Well, she’s pleasant.”

  I chuckled at the sarcasm dripping from her comment. “Yeah, if you find a root canal pleasant, then she’s a gem.” I winked and grabbed for her hand, holding it securely in mine and resting it on my upper thigh.

  The moment we pulled up in front of the place I had grown up in, the sense of home set in. This place held a lot of great memories for me. I was ready to share some of this place with the girl I had almost broken. I wanted to let her into my world, my life.

  “You ready to meet my best friend?” I smiled, and she returned an excited smile, nodding her head as we both crawled out of the truck.

  Wayne is my best friend, the man who taught me everything. He was the one person who always stood by my side. Never passing judgment, he always understood and supported me.

  I had taken only two steps toward the house before the back door came open. A big ole’ grizzly of a man filled the doorway and warmed my heart instantly.

  “Damn, boy, you said she was pretty, but you sure didn’t do this girl justice,” Wayne said.

  All I could do was shake my head and laugh. “I’m pretty sure what I said was, ‘She is so beautiful she makes my knees weak,’” I clarified and looked over to find Maria with reddened cheeks. She turned, looking back at Wayne just as he reached out and took her in his arms.

  I watched as he held her close and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. Something in that moment made me realize just how genuine she was.

  Maria has one of the kindest hearts, and she deserves to be happy. Standing back and watching her interact with one of the most important people in my life was enough to make a grown man feel weak.

  “How do you feel about entertaining this old man while I go get this mess finalized and out of my life?” I asked Maria.

  Wayne wrapped his arm around Maria and pulled her toward the house, hollering back at me as he dragged her along. “Oh, son, she’ll be just fine. I have a whole mess of photo albums filled with all your embarrassing, awkward moments.” He chuckled, and I hung my head with the thought. “We’ll grab us a good ole’ cuppa sweet tea and sit out on the porch. I’ll give this girl plenty of ammo to use against ya.”

  Maria looked back, shrugging her shoulders and smiling. She was loving this.

  I could only imagine the torture of her comebacks after a few hours with my pop.

  Turning back to the truck, I climbed up in it and dreaded seeing Nicole.

  After today, I
would never be forced to be in the same room with her again. I could let go of my past and all the bullshit that had been dragging me down over the last year and a half.

  I could finally face the fact that I was in love with an amazing girl. A girl that deep down I knew could make me happier than I had ever been before.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Walking into the conference room and seeing the glare on Nicole’s face almost made me laugh. Did she think that shit could still work on me?

  My lawyer had arranged for us to meet at his office. So I took a seat next to Trevor, my lawyer and longtime friend.

  “Glad to see you made it safe. Did you bring your friend?” he asked quietly enough that I thought only I would be able to hear. I smiled, nodding my head, and looked up to find Nicole with a sour look on her face.

  “Your friend, huh? Well, you sure moved right along, didn’t you?” she spat with venom.

  “At least I waited until the divorce was filed. I could have been like you and slept with one of your friends.” Tilting my head to the side, I waited for her to make another comment.

  “Okay, let’s get this moving along. There’s no need to drag it out any further,” Trevor stated, and I couldn’t have agreed more. This damn thing had gone on way too long as it was. The sooner my signature is on that paper, the sooner I can move along with Maria.

  “The house is closing next week, and those proceeds will be split between the two of you, once all fees and commissions are paid.” Trevor began reading through the final agreement.

  “As for the joint bank accounts, they have all been unfrozen and closed. I have two checks, one payable to each of you for equal amounts.” I could feel Nicole’s glare, but I refused to give her any satisfaction. I watched Trevor as he went over everything from our life together.

  “Gavin has agreed that any contents, as far as furniture and so on, go to Nicole. As for his truck and her Equinox, they are both paid for and the titles have been changed to individual from joint ownership.”