Page 71 of Unbreakable Love

The blender kicked on, making me jump. Dolly threw her hands in the air. “All right, girls! Let’s get this party started!”

Girls’ night indeed. I looked at the women who took me in as their own and slid my glance to my sister.

She was grinning wide and free and happy.

Yes.

Best Thanksgiving ever.

TWENTY

GAVIN

“You doing all right? You were quiet today.” My dad lounged back in his recliner.

I was leaning back on the couch, head to the armrest, stretched out with the bottleneck of a beer in my hand, resting it on my stomach. “I’m good. Better than, actually.”

We pushed through the day, as difficult as it was, but it hadn’t all been bad.

Cameron and Ava were back in Denver at his place. He had an appointment with his doctor in the morning, and he said that Ava had seemed better once they were safely encased behind his alarm system. I hated that she needed it to feel safe but glad she was smiling a little.

Everyone else in my family had gone to their own homes or to bed, so it was just my dad and me, him staying up probably until I finished my drink.

“That something good has anything to do with a certain teacher Josie keeps mentioning?”

“Yeah… I think, I think we’re gonna see what happens.”

“Yeah?” My dad wasn’t a man of words, but his expression said it all. He was cautiously optimistic.

Me too.

“Yeah. We talked a little last night when I headed back home.”

“Good. That’s good. You deserve good things, too.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“So why didn’t you bring her here? We wouldn’t have minded.”

“Didn’t think today was the day.” As soon as I said it, the light in his eyes dimmed. “Another time, and besides, her sister told me a secret today.”

“Already meeting the family?”

“No, old man. Her sister is here, on break from college. It’s Penny’s birthday in a couple weeks. Thought I’d talk Mom into throwing her a surprise bash, out here. Maybe mixing it up with Josie’s or something.”

“Not like your mom to turn down a party planning opportunity. Be fun. And like I said, you deserve to find some goodness.”

I threw my feet to the floor. Mom was in bed, Josie asleep. Tomorrow, I’d take us back home and get us back on a regular schedule, but I was giving Josie one more night to enjoy the Thanksgiving break fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and I was giving myself a night of space so I didn’t intrude on Maize and Penny’s few nights they had together.

“I’m going to head upstairs.”

I might not want to intrude on them, but I did want to hear her voice. Make sure we were still on the same page. Make sure she was still willing to see me. I’d have to juggle her and Josie, but I’d make it work. Somehow, someway, I wouldn’t screw this up.

It was closing in on midnight, and there was the fact she might have been sleeping, but once I brushed my teeth and changed out of the dress pants and shirt I’d worn all day, I tugged on a pair of flannel pajama pants and slipped into bed.

You awake?

It took only seconds for her text to appear.

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