Page 71 of Close to My Heart

“But now, I’m living hours away from them, and Stacy’s made it clear she won’t be commuting here. It’s going to be tough.”

“What do you want?” I asked him.

Ryder hung his head. “I miss my family. I want my daughter. It feels like an impossible situation.”

Teddy nodded. “You’ll figure it out. The placement here is only temporary.”

“I won’t be able to see Faith as much.”

“If it’s a separation, won’t you be able to see Faith here every other weekend? Maybe a few weeks in the summer? It’s similar to a divorce, isn’t it?” I asked. “She shouldn’t be able to say you have to drive there. She called it a separation.”

“I hadn’t thought about it like that.”

Teddy inclined his head. “You might want to talk to an attorney. See what your options are.”

Ryder nodded. “I’ll do that.”

I touched his shoulder. “We’re happy you’re here, but not about what you’re going through. We’ve missed both of you.”

“I appreciate that,” Ryder said as Faith skipped into the room.

“Can we get ice cream? Izzy mentioned a place she likes in town.”

“Let’s get this bed together. Then we can go.” The sun was starting to set, and Faith’s room was set up. “We can stop by tomorrow and get your kitchen unpacked.”

We got to work and had the bed together in no time.

Teddy dumped the box labeled bedding onto the mattress. “You can do the sheets.”

“Always a big help,” Ryder said. “You don’t have to stop by tomorrow. I can get the rest.”

We made our way downstairs.

“It’s the least we can do. You’ve been gone for years. Let us help you out,” Teddy said.

Outside, Faith climbed into the rear seat of Ryder’s truck.

“Is it okay if we come with? I sell my pies to the owner,” Daphne said.

“The more the merrier,” Ryder said, and I wondered if he enjoyed having us all around again or if it was too much.

He’d stayed away for years, and we didn’t know if it was something he wanted or Stacy insisted on.

“I could go for some ice cream,” Sutton said, and we didn’t have anywhere to be. So, we followed them to the shop, parking in the lot nearby.

The shop was small but close to the harbor. Our family filled the space in front of the ice cream cases.

“My mom’s pies are used to make the flavors,” Izzy explained to Faith who was suitably impressed.

When the woman working there finished helping the customers before us, she turned to Daphne. “It’s so good that you’re here. Everyone loves the peach pie flavor.”

“That’s great news. Violet, this is my crazy family.” Then she introduced us one –by one. When she got to Ryder, she said, “This is my brother, Ryder. He’s moving home temporarily, and we’re thrilled to have him back. This is his daughter, Faith.”

Violet’s gaze settled on Ryder. “I’m so glad you’re home. You must be happy to be around family.”

“It’s good to be back.” But from his tone, it didn’t sound like it was.

I hoped we learned more about what life was like in Virginia while he was married to Stacy. We had our suspicions that she was the one who pressured him to keep his distance from us.

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