Hitched (Promise Harbor Wedding) - By Erin Nicholas Page 0,105
Mom on Mother’s Day. And that you introduced me to the reruns of Night Court.”
His dad nodded, but Gavin noticed he wasn’t smiling. He knew the other shoe had to drop. Gavin hesitated. Did he need to keep going? Did he really need to say the rest? They both knew what was coming.
But he really did feel like he needed to lay it all out there.
“As much as I hate it and wish it was different, I also see the guy who hurt my mother and never got anything honestly in his life.”
Greg flinched, then cleared his throat again. “I know.”
Well, of course he knew was Gavin’s first bitter thought. But then he watched his dad’s gaze skitter from his. Greg’s neck got red and he shifted from foot to foot. And like touching a live wire, Gavin felt a shock rock through him all the way to his feet.
His dad was ashamed.
This was so far from the angry, cocky man Gavin’s remembered from high school that he had a moment of disorientation. But this was his father. He’d recognize the cowlick—the same one he struggled to control—and the calluses on his big hands and the scuffed brown work boots anywhere.
Gavin was used to his chest and gut hurting when he thought about his father. It was Greg’s fault. He’d done it, he’d been the ass who’d messed everything up. But maybe ten years had given him some perspective or something.
Or maybe Gavin was just tired of being pissed off all the time.
Or both.
“Okay,” Gavin slipped his hands into his front pockets, “we both know what happened in the past. But there are about ten years to catch up on. Maybe we’ll just do that for now.”
Greg nodded. “Sounds good.”
Gavin looked around, not sure what to do next. “Where are Gabe and Garrett?”
“In a meeting with the church board,” Greg said, waving toward a doorway. “They’re really running the show now. I just come to pound nails anymore.”
At least he hadn’t said “screw things”, Gavin thought. Then grimaced and ran a hand over his face. None of it was funny. His father’s past, his family’s dysfunction, Gavin’s inability to get past it all. Definitely not funny.
But it felt…old. And tired.
He’d been hanging on to his anger and self-righteousness for so long now that it suddenly felt as if it had dried up and shrunk a little. It was still there. Still ugly—maybe even more so now that it had rotted for ten years—but it wasn’t as big and didn’t feel like it pressed on his heart quite the same way it used to.
He took a deep breath. “I came by to talk to you about maybe working with you for a while. While I get to know the community again, maybe put out some feelers about vet services.”
Greg was clearly shocked. “You want to work with me? With us?”
Not really, but it seemed like a good way to make some cash here while he kept paying bills in Alaska. He couldn’t stay on Hayley’s couch indefinitely. This would also show Allie he was trying at this family thing. “For a while.”
“I thought Ken Martin—”
“Ken called,” Gavin broke in. “I’m not doing that and you should know that.”
“I didn’t ask him to call you,” Greg said quickly. “We were just golfing and you came up.”
“Uh-huh.” Gavin felt exhausted suddenly. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll do it on my own.”
“Gavin,” Greg said earnestly. “It was bad timing, I know. But Ken and I are friends. Of course it came up that my son was finally coming back. He told me about his decision to retire after he’d called you.”
Gavin looked his father directly in the eye for the first time in ten years. There was sincerity there. And regret.
He tried not to be moved. He wasn’t—not really. Anything his father regretted was all his own doing. But the sincerity got to Gavin.
“Fine. Okay. I believe you,” Gavin finally said. “I’m still not taking over the practice. Not right now. I just need to…”
Fuck. He just needed to take one thing at a time.
“You can definitely work with us,” Greg said, when Gavin still failed to come up with more words.
That was all he wanted. He wanted work that would provide him a paycheck, a chance to reconnect with his brothers, maybe let go of some more of his anger toward his father, and concentrate on Allie. That was all more than enough right now.