Page 13 of Shadow

“Well, Garrett, I guess you’ll be bringing your new lady friend to dinner tomorrow night?” Kevin grins like a fool.

“Wait. You’re okay with this?” I ask in disbelief.

“Treat her right and we don’t have a problem,” he answers. “Now, a word of advice? Let me take Lindsey back to the house for the night. You two can sneak around once you’ve told everyone else.”

ChapterSeven

Lindsey

I probably should have talked to Garrett first but since I’m having a breakfast meeting at the local coffee shop with Gramps and Dad this morning, I figured I’d get my questions out of the way first then we could decide together how to tell my family we’re a couple. I mean, if we are a couple.

We haven’t exactly had a chance to talk since Kevin essentially tucked me into bed last night like I was a little kid all over again.

“There’s my beautiful Granddaughter,” Gramps says with a kiss to my cheek before sitting down across from me.

My dad takes the other seat beside Gramps. “Baby girl, I think we’ve got some good news for you.”

“I can’t wait to hear it, but I wanted to talk to you both about something before we start talking business.” I pause until the waitress pours us each a cup of coffee and takes our order. When she walks away, I start again. “How much do you both really know about Garrett?”

In my mind, I was going to tell them what he’d told me, but the more I thought about it, I need to know how much they really knew all this time. And why they withheld that information.

The two men across from me exchange nervous glances and I know my original hunch was right.

“You two already know he was the kid mom was working with when she died,” I say for them.

Dad clears his throat and speaks first. “When he first came to the ranch as a teen and started helping out, we didn’t know. He was part of a work-study program through the vocational school so we didn’t bother looking into anything. When he graduated and actually applied for a job with us, your grandmother did her due diligence, just like she would with any other employee. Because he was a minor at the time of the accident, his name was retracted from the news articles related to what happened to your mom, and honestly, we’d all worked hard to put it behind us. But, his father’s name came up in her search as well as his arrest record. That’s when she made the connection. At that point, none of us thought it mattered. Garrett had proven himself to us over and over again and we knew he was nothing like his father - who he also hadn’t had contact with in years since his uncle had been raising him.”

“Did you ever bring it up to Garrett?” I ask.

“Well, no. Didn’t seem like there was any reason to. We assumed there was a reason he never brought it up and thought maybe even he didn’t know. Or didn’t remember. Childhood trauma sometimes causes kids to forget things.” Gramps says.

I shake my head then take a sip of my coffee.

“How did you find out?” Dad asks me.

“He told me. And as for you two...you both failed to realize that part of why Garrett stuck around was because he thought he owed the family something. He’s blamed himself since he was seven years old for what happened to Mom.”

Dad and Gramps both frown.

“Well shit. We had no idea.” Dad says.

“Probably should have considered it though.” Gramps rubs his chin. “Guess it’s time to have a talk with the boy.”

I certainly wasn’t expecting that.

“I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” I nod.

“Bet that’s why he’s been donating to your sponsorship,” Dad adds.

Gramps smirks and I start to speak up but he beats me to it. “Nah, William. I think that’s for a totally different reason. We should probably talk to him about that too.”

“Oh my God. You two knew he was helping to sponsor me too?”

“Listen here, girlie. I might be old but I’m not dead,” Gramps laughs. “Everyone at Addington Ranch had the chance to donate and almost everyone did. Some, more than others.”

I grumble in frustration. “Unbelievable. What is it with you men?”

The waitress returns with our food and we eat in silence for a little bit.

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