Zach seemed to want the relationship as badly as he needed air to breathe. Maybe if Troy handled his confession the right way, he could keep Julie too.
* * *
Julie struggled to blink back the tears, but Troy saw how much this conversation with Zach affected her. The man wasn’t used to this kind of emotion. She read it in his stance. In the way he sat forward on the sofa like he might bolt at any minute. But he wouldn’t. Funny how she knew that about him. He was solid. Reliable. The kind of guy you could count on when things got rough. When bullets were literally flying.
So, no, she didn’t worry about him bolting from this particular conversation, but she worried how he’d react. Would he open himself up to the love his father—his real father—wanted to give or would he stay tucked in his tight circle of Troy? He may have let her in to an extent, but she still got the feeling he was holding something back. The man was smart enough to see how it bothered her when he didn’t open up, and she conceded that he had been trying. He kept things close to the chest. Was he afraid to get hurt? Afraid he’d be rejected the way his father had rejected him growing up with constant abuse?
More than ever the time seemed right to tell him her feelings. She wanted to believe that he’d return the emotions. That he cared about her as deeply as she cared about him.
Hours ticked by as Zach talked about the past, filling in gaps for Troy of the decades he’d been gone, talking about the town and the additions to the cabin. He clearly and desperately wanted a relationship with his son. Zach finally checked his watch. “Look,” he said, getting to his feet. “I didn’t mean to eat up your whole day. I’ve had a long time to get used to it, but it seems only fair that I give you some time.” He moved to the door. “I just wanted to talk to you, you know, after you read the diary. I think you deserved to have any questions answered.” He put his hand on the knob and turned back to Troy. “I’m hoping you’ll let me be part of your life from here on out. That’s all I ever wanted.” Zach opened the door. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow and maybe we can talk some more, do some more catching up.”
Aside from standing, Troy hadn’t budged from his spot near the sofa. “That sounds good,” he said. He must have sensed the emotion radiating from Zach because he moved toward the door. “Zach.”
Zach looked up and saw him coming. He took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around Troy in a hard hug.
That about sealed it for Julie. Quietly, she moved into the hallway and into the bedroom where her own tears escaped silently down her cheeks. Seeing the possibilities for those two men made her feel hopeful and happy. They had a future.
Now it was her turn.
* * *
Troy found Julie in the bedroom. He’d seen the look in her eyes before she’d snuck out, leaving him and his uncle—father—alone. Any remnants of tears were long gone as she turned from the bay window. The setting sun lit her in a soft pink glow and her smile leveled him.
“Hey, there,” she said softly. “Your...” She faltered. “Zach seemed like a pretty happy guy knowing he has a son.” She watched him and her mood sobered. “How’re you holding up?”
The woman always asked the questions he wasn’t sure he had answers to. His world had shifted in a total turnaround. Trying to keep up was taking everything he had, but having her with him now made his life complete. With her by his side he could handle anything that came his way. “I’m good.” He stopped in front of her, wrapped his arms around her waist at the same time she draped hers around his neck.
Her eyes sparkled into his. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more relieved in my life than when Zach hugged you. You’re like this amazing gift.”
That observation seemed over the top—by about a thousand feet—but Troy felt his cheeks heat up anyway and Julie chuckled.
“It’s true,” she said. “And I’m not speaking just in terms of Zach.” Her serious gaze had his pulse rate doubling. “You’ve been a gift to me too.” She licked