Page 85 of Moving Forward

What happened to you, Cain?

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CAIN

“Why’d you do that?” I ask Grams in a hushed voice.

She watches Max climb into my truck. When the door is firmly shut, Grams gives me a stern look. “I wanted to show her your life. All mamas and grandmas do it. There is nothing wrong with that.”

I clutch the back of my neck as I step in front of Grams, blocking Max’s view of our conversation. It’s too dark for her to really see anything, but I don’t want her worried.

Grams points her scolding finger at me. Even as an adult, practically twice her size, I find myself shying away. “I wanted to show her your mom. I wanted to tell her about the memories that made us laugh. I wanted her to see your history. You can’t blame me for that.”

I nod curtly. Mostly I’m irritated because I know she’s right. Grams has spent too many years riding my case about getting married to scare off the one girl I could really settle down with.

Grams pats my cheek. “Honey, what you have with Max is the real thing. Don’t ruin that by trying to hide your past. Now, go home and enjoy the rest of your evening. I love you.”

“Love you too,” I say back, unable to remember the last time I told her that. All this time I’ve been afraid to, thinking if I did, she might be stolen from me just like everyone else I’ve loved. Today that fear doesn’t seem as important as telling her I love her. I’m tired of pushing away all the love in my life, and I’m ready to grab hold of it.

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“Is everything okay?” Max asks softly as we walk hand in hand back to my boat.

“Yeah,” I lie.

“Cain?”

I swallow. “Hmm?”

She squeezes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. “You promised me honesty.”

“I did, didn’t I? Honesty, not perfection,” I repeat. “Let’s go sit on the dock.”

A small smile plays on her lips. “The place where it all began.”

I can’t help but grin back. What I wouldn’t give to go back to that day and start a relationship with her then. If I had known how much she would mean to me, I would have done more than offer her a piece of pie and send her on her way.

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