Page 1 of Saving Grace
Chapter 1
Leila
“Are you sure about this?” my older brother asks as he leans against my bedroom door. Gavin’s six-foot frame takes up most of the opening, the worry in his eyes something I’ve come to know quite well over the last several years. I’m the one who usually puts it there, after all.
I offer a smile that is hopefully more convincing than it feels, especially since my insides are twisted into so many knots that I think I might actually make myself sick. “I’m going back to Havenwood, Gav,” I say, breathing through the nausea. “It’s the right move.”
The only move, really. The last several months have been nothing short of terrifying, but by some miracle, I’m still standing. Hell, if I’m honest, the last decade has been one gigantic nightmare after another. But the little girl in me, the one who remembers the feeling of belonging, of safety, wants to find that joy in life again.
Especially now.
Gavin runs his fingers through his nearly black hair, the locks just long enough to stand on end when he does it. “You may not like what you find when we get there,” he warns.
I glance around the room, making a show of its emptiness with one arm stretched wide. “You do realize this room is void of all personal items, right? We’ve already loaded up the moving truck with everything we own. I’ll figure out our living situation once we get there. I know you’d rather not get woken up at all hours of the night.”
He stands tall, stretching to his full height like it’ll give him the power to sway me. “You’re staying with me, Leila. There’s no point in you paying rent somewhere when you don’t need to.” Glancing down at the bundle in my arms, he adds, “Maybe we should wait a few more weeks.”
I shake my head at the big oaf. He worries too much. It’s justified—I’m a walking panic attack—but he put his life on hold for me. It’s been ten years since Gavin carted me away from the cause of my night terrors, leaving our hometown and his life behind. When the opportunity presented itself for him to move back and oversee farm operations of River Haven Ranch, he wanted to say no. With everything that happened in the last year, he wanted to stay in Tennessee. For me. For my sanity.
I understand his hesitation. I swear I do. He doesn’t want to see me hurt again.Idon’t want to get hurt again. I don’t have time to go through the constant tears and feelings of inadequacy again, but staying in Tennessee is only masking the problem.
I’m done hiding from my past.
Slipping the band from my hair and undoing the tangled braid, I offer my brother a gentle smile. This one at least feels sincere. “It’s all good, brother. The doctor said everything looks good, just to take it easy. And I already have an appointment set up with Kristen for next week to keep my therapy sessions flowing like they suggested.”
When he opens his mouth to argue, I hold a hand up. “We’re going back to Havenwood, Gavin. My mind is made up. And you know damn well you won’t be able to change it.”
My brother sighs heavily, clearly conceding to my victory. Not that it’s anything new. I’m nothing if not stubborn to the bone.
“I’ll load up the last few bags. We can be there before lunch if we leave soon.” He hesitates before adding, “Did you give anyone a heads up that we’re coming into town?”
Nodding, I shrug. Not a confirmation exactly, but…
“I sent a text. You know how hit or miss things have been, though. I think he needs this as much as us. We need a support system. What better place to find one than in the best little town in Georgia?” At least, I hope that’s what we find. This idea has more potholes than a southern backroad.
“Your heart is too big, baby sister. I hope Drew doesn’t break it,” Gavin says as he walks out to put the rest of our bags in the already running Explorer. Theagainthat he keeps to himself rings clear.
Glancing down at the bundle in my arms and placing a kiss on my seven-week-old daughter’s head, I sigh and soak up the newborn snuggles as she snoozes against my chest. “You and me, both,” I whisper to Gavin’s retreating form as I hold Kaia close and silently pray that I’m not making the worst decision of her tiny little life by taking her closer to family.
To her father.
To the one man who loved me through all the ups and downs before crushing my heart into a gazillion pieces.
To the cowboy who calls me “sunshine.”
The one and only, Drew Flynn.
***
The journey from Tennessee to Georgia is a long one of mostly mountainous roads, the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching a good portion of the trip. After nearly three hours on the highway, my anxiety reaches its max as doubts double down on the good vibes I had going.
Gosh darn it. Maybe this isn’t the best idea.
When I reached out to Kelsey Riley a few months ago about finding a way to come back home, I left out the fact that we’d have a baby in tow. She knows now, of course, because Gavin can’t keep anything from his ex-girlfriend, but that’s a story for a different time.
And while I may have let Gavin believe otherwise, Drew hasn’t answered a single text or call since the day Kaia was conceived and he shoved his big brother out of our hotel room. He closed the door between us that night, in Tennessee and in our relationship.
It’s not like Drew would have told anyone about us anyway. We’d kept our relationship a secret before the pregnancy. With our brothers being best friends and work buddies, we didn’t want to muddy the waters between the two. Especially since we lived in different states.
