Page 64 of You're the Reason

“Before what? Seth hasn’t changed. Have you?”

Everything from Saturday replayed in her mind. Seth giving up his day to drive her four hours to Chicago. Seth helping her relax and have fun with a special day at Navy Pier and cupcakes. Seth being kind but firm with his mother—the drug addict.

She’d guessed there was more to his story after all of that, she just hadn’t guessed it was this.

When she didn’t answer, Ms. Margret pushed on. “That boy has been through a lot. And I believe he’s changed, and I think Jon agrees or he wouldn’t have offered him a job.”

“I know, but?—”

Ms. Margret lifted Grace’s chin with her finger and waited for Grace to meet her eyes. “We trust him, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is, do you trust him?”

“Trust him not to harm me? Absolutely.” She pulled a throw pillow to her stomach and tightened her grip. “Trust him to tell me the truth? I don’t know.”

Ms. Margret dropped her finger and patted her hand. “Then at least hear him out.”

“What if he won’t talk about it?”

“I think he will. But with a guy like Seth, you have to make room for him to talk.”

“What does that mean?”

“Know when to talk and when to be silent. You can’t make him talk.” She reached out and squeezed her hand once more. “Trust is a two-way street—he also has to trust you to listen. Can you do that?”

There were only a few times since he’d become sober that a hit grew from a want to a desperate need. The moment he realized he’d lost the last photo of his father with the town fire. The time he’d found his mother beaten after she hadn’t been able to pay her dealer. And the moment Grace had looked at him waiting for him to deny what Gabe said—her face morphing from irritation at her brother to revulsion at the sight of him.

Seth gripped the steering wheel tighter as the next green exit sign grew in the distance. If he gave in and turned the car around, there was no way he’d stay sober for the rest of the night. There was only one place he could go. It was where he’d always gone when life imploded. Quinn Ranch. He hoped and prayed he had enough gas to get there because he didn’t even trust himself to stop at a gas station.

Two hours later as he took the long driveway to Quinn Ranch, he let his shoulders relax for the first time in an hour. He’d made it. The first time he’d been dropped off here, he’d wanted a hit too. Only that time he’d been angry he couldn’t get it. He’d been brought by court order and was sure no one here understood him. He was certain he’d never survive. But he had, and he had come out a stronger man because of it.

He turned into Grant’s driveway instead of toward the bunk house that had been his home, although maybe he should have gone that way. Maybe this was proof he needed to move back.

His desire for a hit had faded to a dull need by the time he stepped on Grant’s wraparound porch. But it must have still shown on his face, because as soon as Grant opened the door, his smile dropped. With a nod and a quick shout to Caroline, he grabbed his coat and stepped out on the porch. “Let’s walk.”

“Daddy.” His three-year-old daughter, Vangie, ran out the door. “Hug.”

Grant scooped her up and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her strawberry blonde curls were the perfect combination of her mother’s red and her dad’s dark blond. He set her back down. “I’ll be back.”

He hadn’t seen Grant since the baby shower. That had only been a month ago, but it felt like forever from where he stood. Grant had been more than just his sponsor. With his military background, he’d reminded Seth so much of his dad. At least what he could remember of him. Even now, as Grant walked beside him, he didn’t know if he was his friend, mentor, sponsor, or all the above.

They were five minutes into the walk before Seth spoke. “I don’t think Heritage is working out. I need another job and soon. Maybe I could work here.”

“That’s interesting, because Leah just told Caroline that Jon was excited about your presentation today and that he offered to go into a partnership with you on the rec center. She also mentioned you went to Chicago this weekend with Grace.”

“That’s over.” Seth shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I didn’t even realize it had started.” Grant sent him a side glance, but Seth refused to meet his gaze. “What happened?”

“I should have told her.” His voice was tight as he fisted his hands in his pockets. “Initially, I thought she knew. It never occurred to me that she didn’t. This weekend I finally put it together, and I was going to talk to her today, honest. But we... got sidetracked. And then Gabe showed up and started carrying on?—”

“Hold on.” Grant stopped. “Are you saying she didn’t know it was your drugs that her brother overdosed on?”

“She didn’t even know I was there that night.” Seth kicked a small rock down the path before continuing on. “She didn’t know how I was connected to Gabe beyond our childhood years. And she definitely didn’t know my own history with drugs.”

Grant caught up in a few strides. “How is that possible? Heritage isn’t that big of a town.”

“That’s why I assumed she had to know. But when she met my mom on Saturday, she clearly had no idea that had once been my life.”

“You took her to your mom’s?” Grant eyed him a moment. “So, you really like this girl.”

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