finally asked.
“Because I knew that he was looking for more than I could give him. Because I realized it wasn’t fair to lead him on when I didn’t have any real romantic feelings toward him. And just so you know, I’ll repeat it again—it absolutely had nothing to do with you.”
“Didn’t think it did.” Nick should have been ashamed by the sense of satisfaction that swept through him at her words. He knew it was wrong to not want her for himself, but also hate the idea of her being with anyone else.
As Garrett began to cover one of his chubby bare legs with sand, Nick started to cover his other one. Garrett started giggling, and the sound was infectious. Soon Courtney and Nick were laughing as well, and it felt good.
There had been nothing but tension between them since the moment he’d come back into town, and this moment of shared joy with their son filled his heart with a warmth he hadn’t felt since the death of his sister.
It didn’t last long, but as he and Courtney shared a last smile over Garrett’s head, for the first time since returning to Grady Gulch Nick felt as if he was where he belonged.
For just a brief, shining moment, he wanted to go back in time, back before Cherry had died, before he’d left Grady Gulch, back to the time when Courtney had been his.
He wanted to go back to those moments in the old Yates barn when he and Courtney had spun fantasies of love forever and building a family and supporting one another through good times and bad.
For just a brief moment he wanted it back, he wanted her back, and his need for her filled him up so much that he couldn’t think of anything to say when the laughter finally ended.
He spent the next thirty minutes focused on Garrett, playing in the sand, showing him how to fill the back of the plastic pickup truck with the white grains and then pretend to drive it around the sandbox. Garrett mimicked his actions, grinning at Nick with young pride.
“You like working at the café?” he finally asked to break the silence that had grown between them.
“Actually I do enjoy it,” she replied. “Oh, I don’t like the time I have to spend away from Garrett, but I like the people I work with and I absolutely adore Mary.”
He gave her a quick smile. “Everyone adores Mary. She’s one of the best things that ever happened to Grady Gulch.”
“She’s certainly been good to me. I showed up in the café with a suitcase and a sob story, and she helped me instantly.”
He didn’t want to think about that time in her life, that time when she’d had to have felt so alone.
“Now that I’m here I can make things easier for you,” Nick said. “Maybe you could cut down on some of your hours at the café.”
She shook her head. “I take care of myself. I don’t want you or any man taking care of me.” She raised her chin a notch. “I spent too many years letting my parents take care of me, and in my experience help always comes with strings attached. I’m doing fine, Nick. Garrett and I are doing just fine.”
He looked at her somberly, still fighting the crazy feelings that he knew he shouldn’t be feeling. “But you know that you can come to me for anything you need, anything Garrett might need. I intend to start paying child support immediately. You just tell me what you want, and I’ll pay each month until we work out the custody agreement.”
Her eyes once again darkened, as if she didn’t even want to think about a custody agreement. “Maybe a hundred dollars a month? It would help with the diapers.”
“We’ll make it three hundred a month. I’m sure he’s outgrowing his clothes with each minute that passes, and if he’s like his dad and his uncles, he probably has a healthy appetite. I’ll have a check ready for you tomorrow.”
He thought she was going to protest, but at that moment Garrett poured a bucket of sand over Nick’s head. Garrett’s laughter rode the air as Nick jumped up and pulled his hat off.
“Because I knew that he was looking for more than I could give him. Because I realized it wasn’t fair to lead him on when I didn’t have any real romantic feelings toward him. And just so you know, I’ll repeat it again—it absolutely had nothing to do with you.”
“Didn’t think it did.” Nick should have been ashamed by the sense of satisfaction that swept through him at her words. He knew it was wrong to not want her for himself, but also hate the idea of her being with anyone else.
As Garrett began to cover one of his chubby bare legs with sand, Nick started to cover his other one. Garrett started giggling, and the sound was infectious. Soon Courtney and Nick were laughing as well, and it felt good.
There had been nothing but tension between them since the moment he’d come back into town, and this moment of shared joy with their son filled his heart with a warmth he hadn’t felt since the death of his sister.
It didn’t last long, but as he and Courtney shared a last smile over Garrett’s head, for the first time since returning to Grady Gulch Nick felt as if he was where he belonged.
For just a brief, shining moment, he wanted to go back in time, back before Cherry had died, before he’d left Grady Gulch, back to the time when Courtney had been his.
He wanted to go back to those moments in the old Yates barn when he and Courtney had spun fantasies of love forever and building a family and supporting one another through good times and bad.
For just a brief moment he wanted it back, he wanted her back, and his need for her filled him up so much that he couldn’t think of anything to say when the laughter finally ended.
He spent the next thirty minutes focused on Garrett, playing in the sand, showing him how to fill the back of the plastic pickup truck with the white grains and then pretend to drive it around the sandbox. Garrett mimicked his actions, grinning at Nick with young pride.
“You like working at the café?” he finally asked to break the silence that had grown between them.
“Actually I do enjoy it,” she replied. “Oh, I don’t like the time I have to spend away from Garrett, but I like the people I work with and I absolutely adore Mary.”
He gave her a quick smile. “Everyone adores Mary. She’s one of the best things that ever happened to Grady Gulch.”
“She’s certainly been good to me. I showed up in the café with a suitcase and a sob story, and she helped me instantly.”
He didn’t want to think about that time in her life, that time when she’d had to have felt so alone.
“Now that I’m here I can make things easier for you,” Nick said. “Maybe you could cut down on some of your hours at the café.”
She shook her head. “I take care of myself. I don’t want you or any man taking care of me.” She raised her chin a notch. “I spent too many years letting my parents take care of me, and in my experience help always comes with strings attached. I’m doing fine, Nick. Garrett and I are doing just fine.”
He looked at her somberly, still fighting the crazy feelings that he knew he shouldn’t be feeling. “But you know that you can come to me for anything you need, anything Garrett might need. I intend to start paying child support immediately. You just tell me what you want, and I’ll pay each month until we work out the custody agreement.”
Her eyes once again darkened, as if she didn’t even want to think about a custody agreement. “Maybe a hundred dollars a month? It would help with the diapers.”
“We’ll make it three hundred a month. I’m sure he’s outgrowing his clothes with each minute that passes, and if he’s like his dad and his uncles, he probably has a healthy appetite. I’ll have a check ready for you tomorrow.”
He thought she was going to protest, but at that moment Garrett poured a bucket of sand over Nick’s head. Garrett’s laughter rode the air as Nick jumped up and pulled his hat off.
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