Page 44 of The Awakening
“I can’t. She’s my life, Dad.” My voice cracked. “This isn’t a life without her and our baby. It’s my fault she left in the first place.”
My legs no longer capable of sustaining my weight, I fell to my knees. I ran my hand over my face, wiping away straytears I hadn’t realized were rolling down my face. “I had coffee with Naomi, and she filled my head with all the doubts I had about our former relationship. So I came home and started questioning Ellie about why she was here and why she was with me. She doesn’t know how much I love her, and she doesn’t have any idea how much I need her,” I yelled as my father knelt down and pulled me to him, letting me cry into his shoulder.
My family gathered around me, and Tyler and Rob helped me to my feet. Mom rushed ahead of us when they dragged me through the front door and poured me a cup of coffee.
“Drink this, my baby. You’re going to need it.” Her voice was calm and soothing, like it had been when I was a child.
The warm liquid was a bitter reminder of the day before and the reason I’d treated Ellie badly. I was about to confess to everyone what happened when my phone rang. Picking it up, I hit the green answer button.
“Ellie?” I frantically asked.
“Is this Gavin Morton?” the voice on the other end asked flatly.
“Who’s asking?” I barked.
“Hank Bowers, Elyse is here in Montana.”
“She’s what?” I yelled into the phone.
“Ray found her in Texas and brought her home. Quite frankly Morton, she ain’t our problem anymore. She’s your wife, so you need to come get her before anything happens.” His voice was emotionless, like he was talking about dirt instead of his daughter.
“There better not be one hair out of place when I see her, or I will personally see to it that anyone involved in her abduction is dealt with. That includes you, Bowers.” I was seething, my words spoken through gritted teeth. These last twenty-four hours had been torture.
“Gavin, everything ok?” Rob called from the other room.
I shook my head and looked at my family. “Ellie’s in Montana.”
I didn’t need to say more. My brothers were hot on my heels.
Over the years, we’d had our ups and downs. But when push came to shove, they were the only men I needed standing behind me.
They were both on their phones, looking for information on the way to the truck.
“We have Tony on the way, and Tyler filed a flight plan. By the time we get to the hangar, it will be ready. The three of us will go with you. Mom and Kate can keep the ranch running, and Jessica will make sure the kids are occupied.” Rob was beside me, matching my steps.
“I can’t lose her or the baby.”
“Gavin, we’ll get her back, and the baby will be fine.”
“I want the chance to truly make her my wife, I want to be a daddy to that baby.” Words I hadn’t spoken aloud for anyone else fell from my lips.
“What are you talking about? She’s your wife, and that baby is yours.” Dad looked over his shoulder at me and then to Tyler.
Tyler shook his head. “You better fill him in while we drive, Gavin.”
Hopping into the truck, I knew it was time to come clean. So I told my dad about the night I found Ellie standing at the stove in my cabin. About her father and Ray and how we’d lied about being married.
“What was the endgame? What about when she was ready to move on and have a real life? Her taking off would have killed us all. You really don’t think, do you? And all this is a result of a story you concocted?”
I nodded, feeling like I was three years old, being scolded. “You know, Dad, I never wanted to be a father because I didn’t want to turn out like you. So you can be mad all you want.But over the last six months, I have realized that no matter what, I will never be like you.” This was not the time to make grand statements or have this conversation, but my mouth was moving, and I couldn’t stop it.
“I know I’ll never live up to Tyler or Rob in your eyes, but I carved out a life for myself with little help from you. I’ve made mistakes, but Ellie is all the good that has come out of it. I will raise that baby as a Morton, whether you choose to be a part of our lives or not. This is my family we are talking about, and I need to bring them home.”
“Well, let’s go get our family, then.” He turned off the ranch road and sped down the highway.
Flying over Texas as the sun set was usually one of the things I loved most, but I couldn’t enjoy it tonight because people I loved were in danger.
My phone rang, and I answered it through my headset.
