“It’s not your responsibility to make sure it stays open,” I reminded him gently. “This is Dad’s problem, Dad’s responsibility. He’ll figure it out.” The last part was close to a lie. Knowing my dad, he’d probably let it all fall apart or marry someone who could keep it running before he’d try to figure it out for himself. But that wasn’t what Mason needed to hear right now.
“I know Lainey, but I can’t just leave him hanging like this. I mean, I know he almost deserves it. He’s been a shitty dad all my life, if he’s even earned the title of Dad, but he’s still my father. And what about Hannah? I don’t know her all that well but she’s still family, and from what I’ve gathered this past week she’s hell-bent on never going back to live with her mom. So if Dad screws this up and loses the bed and breakfast, she’ll have nowhere to go. At least, nowhere half pleasant.”
I smiled, feeling pride overwhelm me. “You’re such a saint, Mason. But you don’t need to be. Really. Everything will figure itself out.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already made up my mind. I’m staying until Dad figures out what’s going on.”
“What about Cynthia?” I pressed, remembering back to just a week ago, how much Mason missed her then after just a few days. How were they going to manage a few weeks, even months? I couldn’t imagine Adam deciding to go somewhere for an indefinite amount of time, leaving me behind.
“She’ll understand,” he said. “She won’t like it, but she’ll understand. I’m going to try and get her down here for the next long weekend she gets and if I’m still here by Thanksgiving…” his voice trailed off but there was no need to finish his sentence. Thanksgiving was months away. If Mason really thought he was going to have to stay until then there was a chance he might never be able to go back.
“Okay well, I’m here if you need me. For anything.” It seemed like the least I could do, even though I was sure he’d never ask for anything.
He smiled gratefully and nodded. “Yeah, I know, and I might just have to take you up on that offer sometime.”
“You’d better,” I said and left him in the kitchen while I went to wake and dress Harper.
Within half an hour we were in the Montgomery’s backyard, technically our front yard, sitting under the shade of umbrellas and eating the food Ned and Adam grilled. Sylvia was there even though she had the day off. She spotted us quickly and took a seat next to me after lifting Harper from her car seat.
“I’m surprised she’s not fussing,” Sylvia remarked with a smile. “Neither of my kids was ever fond of this kind of heat.”
“It’s been like this all summer, so I guess it’s all she really knows,” I said. “She’s in for a surprise when winter gets here, if it ever does.”
“Maybe she’ll take after Surrogate Grandma Sylvia and prefer summer,” Sylvia suggested with a wink. “She might turn out to be my little beach baby after all.”
“Next year,” I promised. “She’s too tiny to handle the beach right now.”
“I don’t blame you.”
The three of us kept up idle chit chat for the next hour or so until I was more stuffed than I’d be in a while and Harper became fussy, wanting to be fed and walked around. I left Sylvia and Mason at our table and began to walk around the yard, waving to some people I recognized and smiling at a few I didn’t. I’d texted Hannah about forty minutes earlier, but she said she’d decided not to come. That wasn’t likely her at all, but I didn’t press it. Something about Hannah had changed and I couldn’t really put my finger on it. It felt like some sort of sadness, but I couldn’t be sure. I hoped not.
I found Adam around the side of the house, leaning against it and laughing at something Brad was saying. Of course Brad was there. I didn’t know why I hadn’t expected it. I walked up beside them and smiled awkwardly.
“If it isn’t the old ball and chain,” Brad remarked, but smiled as if to hide the sarcasm his words held. I forced myself to smile back at him and refrained from sticking my tongue out. It was what Hannah would do in this situation, I was sure.
“Hi Brad,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray the annoyance I always felt when around him.
He nodded at me and then turned to the other guy standing with them, whom I hadn’t even noticed before. Clay, I thought. I was pretty sure that was his name. Clay, or whoever he was, smiled slightly at me and then followed Brad back towards the party.
Adam looked down at me, a small smile playing on his lips. “What are you up to?” He asked. “Besides chasing my friends away, I mean.”
“Nothing, just taking Harper for a little walk around the yard before she eats. I think she missed you.” I decided to ignore his comment.
He took her from my arms and kissed the top of her head, holding her to his chest so that her head could rest on his shoulder. One of her tiny hands rested against his chest, exactly over his heart and I almost wanted to cry at how appropriate that seemed. No matter what ever happened, Harper held our hearts.
Adam extended his free arm out to me and I stepped into his embrace, kissing the hand that rested over his heart and smiling to myself. My little family. As imperfect and untraditional as were might be, we were a family. And that was easily the best feeling in the world.
“Are you having fun?” Adam asked after a few minutes.
“Yeah, it’s just a little too hot.”
“Yeah, you’re not kidding.” He stepped away and used the arm that had been resting over my shoulders to brush sweat from his face. He kissed Harper again and handed her back to me. “I think I’d better get back to the grill. Dad wanted me to keep an eye on it so he could talk to some potential clients. I’ll come check back with you in a bit, okay?”
I nodded, swallowing my disappointment. As much as I cherished the moment we just shared, there was no denying those moments were becoming fewer and far between lately. But I was determined not to take it personally. This was Adam’s parent’s barbeque and of course he was supposed to help them run it. And of course he was going to spend time with his friends in between shifts at the grill. I had to remind myself that we lived together and that he provided for Harper and me almost completely. Even when I wasn’t getting his full and undivided attention, everything he did was for us.
I watched him head back over to the grill, slapping Brad on the shoulder as he did. Brad and Clay followed him, and I turned to Harper, who was watching all of them even more intently than I was.
“What do you say, Harper Grace? Want to go see if Uncle Mason feels up to feeding you?” She let out a giggle as if to reply, and I found my way back to the table where Mason was now sitting alone, watching the crowd with a look of amusement on his face.
“They sure know a lot of people,” he remarked when I sat down next to him. “I think half the town is here.”
“Yeah, they do,” I agreed.
“Who are those guys that are always hanging around Adam?”
“Brad and I think Clay. They work with him.”
“The one looks like an ass.”
“That would be Brad,” I said without looking up. “He isn’t my favorite.”
“I bet he makes you miss Nolan,” Mason grinned.
“Yeah,” I admitted with a laugh. “He does, actually.”
“Do you still hear from him?”
I shook my head. “ Nope. He went to California and that’s the last I heard. I’m sure classes are starting up for him soon if they haven’t already. He’ll probably be back this winter for break and all.”
“I wonder who Hannah’s love interest for this year will be, now that Nolan’s gone and I’m hitched.” Mason’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he spoke. Over the summer he’d heard all about Nolan and Hannah’s doomed romance and her crush on him before.
“I’m sure she’ll find someone,” I said, having no doubt.
“As long as it’s not Brad?”
“Yes, definitely as long as it’s not Brad.”
“She’s different than I expected,” he comment
ed as I got one of Harper’s premade bottle out of the diaper bagged and handed it to him.
“Who, Harper?”
“No, Hannah.”
“How?” I handed Harper to him and she began to protest until she noticed she was about to be fed. Then she couldn’t be happier in Mason’s arms.
“I don’t know. All the stories you told me about her, I was kind of expecting this vivacious, full of life girl that caused trouble but meant well, you know? And all she does is hide in her room.”
I frowned. “That doesn’t sound like her at all.”
“You don’t think she could be pregnant, do you?”
I almost laughed, the idea was so far-fetched. “I doubt it. She and Nolan were only together once and that was back in June. And she’s lost some weight, not gained.”
“Maybe, but can’t morning sickness cause weight loss before weight gain?”
I frowned deeper this time. That was possible. I was pretty sure I’d even lost a pound or two early in my pregnancy. And I hadn’t begun to show for months.
“I really wish you hadn’t just planted that idea in my head,” I groaned.
“Sorry Sis, but I couldn’t help but wonder. It would make sense, don’t you think? You told me she won’t say a word about why Nora left and why she allowed her to come back with your dad, and after the way Nora reacted to your pregnancy…”
“I think I’ll stop over there tonight,” I said softly, already dreading what I could possibly find when I did.
Chapter 8
Once the party started to die down Mason and I got into his car and drove over to Bella Vista. I didn’t bother letting Adam know where I was going. He was still so busy talking to Brad and Clay and other guests I figured he might not even notice. I didn’t plan on being gone for long anyway.
For whatever reason, I hadn’t been expecting the possibility of running into my dad there. I knew he hadn’t accepted the Montgomery’s invitation to attend the party but I hadn’t really expected him to be home, either. But there he was, standing right outside the front door, staring off into the distance as if he’d been waiting for us.
He seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see him. His eyes widened slightly, followed by a small, hesitant smile. “Lainey,” he said, and that was all he needed to say.
“Hey, Dad,” I said softly. Mason smiled at both of us before taking Harper from my arms and going into the house. I cleared my throat. “Did you have a good trip?”
“That would depend on how you define good,” he said with a chuckle. “Come here.” He held out his arms and I had no choice but to step into his embrace. As angry and divided in my feelings as I was towards my dad, I couldn’t deny that it still felt nice to hug him.
“So I guess that was my granddaughter Mason just ran off with,” he commented as we stepped away from each other. I nodded.
“Yeah, Harper,” I replied, in case he didn’t know her name.
“I like that,” he said with a smile. “A nice literary name. I saw her once, right after she was born. I wasn’t sure if you knew about that or not.”
“I knew you were there, but I didn’t think you’d had a chance to see her.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t around all summer, but I hope you know I plan on being around now. I know I haven’t always been the best dad, but I’m hoping I can make up for that a little by being a good grandfather. If that’s okay with you.”
I nodded and smiled, feeling my eyes fill with tears I didn’t want to cry. As much as I truly wanted to believe that, I couldn’t seem to accept it. I wanted him to be there for Harper more than he was ever there for me but I also realized there was a good chance these were just more empty words. My dad was known for his empty words.
“What are you doing outside anyway?” I asked, letting out a small laugh and hoping to change the subject, divert attention away from the tears that were still gathering.
“Oh,” he chuckled. “I was out here waiting for Erin Foster to stop by. Apparently she and her husband had a little cookout to celebrate and they had more food than people so she was bringing me some leftovers.” He sighed. “I guess now that I’m practically a divorcee for the third time around, I’m not above accepting donations in the form of food by sympathetic friends.”
“I’m sorry about you and Nora, Dad,” I said and meant it. Regardless of how I might feel about Nora, I was sorry that their marriage seemed to have met its end. Maybe they weren’t right for each and never had been, but Nora could have been good for my dad. Either way, breaks up were hard whether at fifteen or forty.
“Yeah, well…” his voice trailed off and I decided that was the end of our conversation, at least for now. I gave him another quick hug and hurried into the house. Mason poked his head out from the office.
“We’re in here if you need us,” he said. “I’m going to lay her down and see if she wants to start rolling for me.”
I laughed. “Okay. Whatever you say, Uncle Mason,” I smiled gratefully at him. Both of my parents were only children, and I’d never gotten to experience having an aunt or uncle before. I was happy Mason was proving to be a really great one.
I made my way up the steps, and it felt both familiar and a little surreal all at once. I’d visited Bella Vista pretty often over the summer but hadn’t ventured upstairs very often, if ever. Normally I didn’t mind feeling nostalgic and thinking back to the places I used to live and the things I used to love, but I’d been emotional enough as it was. I didn’t want to risk it.
Hannah’s door was closed so I knocked once before opening it and stepping in. She turned around, an annoyed look on her face, her mouth already opened as if to relay an angry message. All changed as soon as she noticed it was me.
“Lainey,” she said, surprised. “What are you doing here? I thought Adam’s family was throwing a barbeque.”
“They are, but I left early to come see you. I was surprised you didn’t want to come.”
She shrugged. “I’m just not in the mood for parties, I guess. I’ve been going through some of my old clothes instead, thinking of which ones to get rid of.”
Getting rid of old clothes sounded nothing like the Hannah I knew. But then again, I knew better than anyone that even after you give birth, your body never really goes back to the way it was before. Could that be it? I tried to force the thought from my mind, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Mason said you’ve been hiding out in your room all week, after school,” I said slowly, hoping to get the truth out of her as painlessly as possible. Hannah rolled her eyes.
“I haven’t been hiding anywhere. There’s just nothing else to do around here but stay in here and I haven’t really been in the mood to hang out much lately.”
“I know,” I said. “But you know you can tell me anything, right? No matter what it is, or how bad it seems, I’ll never judge you or anything. You realize that, don’t you?” I tried to speak those words as gently and soothingly as possible, something I’d learned in the nearly three months I’d been a mother. It usually worked for Harper, even in the midst of one of her tantrums, but Hannah was just looking at me as if I’d grown a third head.
“Yes,” she said slowly. “I know I can tell you anything. What are you getting at?”
“I’m just letting you know that whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. That’s all.”
“Whatever I’m going through? I’m not going through anything, Lainey. What is wrong with you?” I could tell she was starting to get defensive, a clear sign she was, in fact hiding something.
“If you don’t want to tell me, will you at least tell me if I guess right?” I asked. She nodded, but was still giving me that ‘you’ve turned crazy’ look.
“I guess so.”
“Okay. Um,” I cleared my throat. “Hannah, are you pregnant?” It came out quickly with the words sliding together and when she was silent immediately afterwards, I worried she hadn’t heard me or hadn’t understood what I’d tr
ied to say.
“Am I what?” She asked finally.
“Pregnant,” I repeated. “It’s perfectly okay if you are, Hannah. Just tell me and we’ll figure this out together. You were there for me and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure I’m there for you.”
Hannah burst into laughter, grabbing her stomach and falling over onto the bed. I watched her, stunned. I didn’t think my reaction to finding out I was pregnant had been normal by any means, but hers just seemed a little over the top.
She laughed for what felt like five minutes straight and finally calmed herself down enough to sit up. She shook her head, grinning at me.
“No Lainey, I’m not pregnant. Where did you even get a crazy idea like that? Who would the baby daddy be, even?”
I blushed, feeling ridiculous. I wondered if this was how it was going to be for the rest of my life, assuming people were pregnant just because they acted a little differently. I hoped not.
I sat down on the bed with her and shook my head slowly. “I guess I assumed it would have been Nolan,” I admitted. “But we hadn’t talked all summer, so…”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “I can assure you that Nolan Reeves most definitely did not impregnate me Lainey, and I definitely wasn’t going to get any one night stands in with my mom watching me like a hawk all summer long.”
“Okay,” I said, and felt relief wash over me. I took a deep breath, finally feeling myself begin to calm down a little bit. Hannah wasn’t pregnant. Harper wasn’t going to be getting a playmate close in age anytime soon.
Hannah was still grinning at me and I was glad she was more amused than insulted. I decided not to let her know that I hadn’t been alone in coming to this conclusion.
“Why would you think that anyway?” She asked, and I blushed more.
“I guess because you wouldn’t tell me why Nora was gone, and why she let you come here with my dad, and I just started to think…”
“That she was going to do the same thing to me that she did to you,” she finished for me, looking sympathetic. “Don’t worry; it’s not that at all. I didn’t do anything wrong. This time it’s all her.”
The Heart of a Girl (The Haven Series) Page 5