Page 167 of Between Never and Forever
“Boss, Ms. Sharon is here!”
Brynn is bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen seconds later. She’s wearing jean shorts and a The Hometown Heartless t-shirt, and she flops down onto the floor and starts pulling on her shoes.
“I know what I want for my birthday.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted the digital encyclopedia membership thing.”
“Not anymore.” Brynn pushes back to standing and flashes me a grin. “I want an electric guitar like Sav’s.”
“What’s wrong with the acoustic one she gave you?”
“That’sdifferent, Dad.” My daughter rolls her eyes and sighs. “She’s your girlfriend now so she can help you a pick a good one.”
Of course. I flick my eyes to Sharon and find her smirking at me. With all of the media attention, the only thing Brynn has focused on is the relationship between me and Savannah. Brynn already knew she was adopted, so that didn’t bother her. But after I explained that Sav isn’t actually engaged to Torren King, Brynn has latched onto me and Savdating.
It’s times like this I wish she wasn’t such an advanced reader. I can put parent controls on her tablet, but I can’t keep her from seeing the printed magazines in the grocery store checkout line.
Honestly, she’s been handling it all better than I’d expected, but I keep having to remind her that Sav has a life in Los Angeles. That I have a relationship with her, but we’re not exactly dating, and I don’t know what that means for the future. I’m trying to prep my daughter for something I still am not even ready for.
I try to fight the nagging feeling that I’ve set my daughter up for yet another loss. I’m doing the best I can, but fuck, it never feels like enough.
I look back to Brynn.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
No way I can get a guitar exactly like Savannah’s. That thing is custom and probably cost a small fortune. But I might be able to get something similar before the birthday party.
I hand Sharon my credit card and make eye contact.
“Use this for the clothes,” I say.
She takes it with a placating smile, but I know she won’t use it. I’ll just have to figure out how to pay her extra when payroll goes out next month.
“Ready to roll, Boss?”
Brynn grins at Sharon and gives her two thumbs up.
“Ready to roll, Ms. Sharon!”
I follow them to the door, then watch from the porch as they climb into Sharon’s car. The asshats with the cameras mill about and take their pictures, and I glare at them. I called the county sheriff on them on Friday, and since then they’ve been staying across the street. Don’t know how long that will last, but for now, the sheriff has a patrol car circling the block once an hour. We’ll have to come up with something different when Sav comes back.
Ifshe comes back.
I turn and walk back into the house.
One more week in Portofino. Then New York. Then...
She hasn’t mentioned staying in North Carolina, and I would never ask that of her. She’s too big for this small town. I know that. But Sav hasn’t asked me to come with her to California, either. And even if she did, would I?
I walk out to the deck and stare out at the surf. The beach is full of people today. It has been ever since the production crew left and removed the barricades. I put my hands on the deck railing, noting how different it feels without my ring. Itook it off the day Sav left.
I didn’t build this house for Savannah. Not really. That would suggest I expected her to come back to me, and I didn’t.
I hoped for it.
Dreamed about it.
But never expected it.
