Page 22 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

And he wantedher.

He gave her chin a little pinch, humor flickering in his eyes. “Hasn’t anyone told you, you shouldn’t leave a guy hanging?”

She breathed a laugh. “Sorry. I—I’d like that.”

His lips turned up at the corners just before he kissed her again. This one was longer and deeper, making her forget she was in a public library until the squeaky wheel of a book cart pulled her back to the present.

Everything changed after that. That last week of school he sat with her and Bethany at lunch and walked her to class. Sometimes in the hallway he took her hand in his big, callused one. At the end of the week, they celebrated the 98percent they’d received on the Shakespeare project with dinner at the Trailhead—their first real date.

Eating out was a luxury Laurel and her mom didn’t enjoy very often, but Gavin seemed familiar with the menu and staff. She wished there were a band playing so she’d have an excuse to get her arms around him. They talked and talked until long after the food was gone.

Her mom had dropped her off, and as the evening wore on,Laurel worried about what would happen when he took her home. What would he think of where she lived?

“Tell me about your family,” he said. “I know you don’t have any siblings, but what are your folks like?”

“It’s just me and my mom. My dad left when I was little.”

His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard. Do you ever see him?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea where he is or if he’s even alive.”

“That’s rough.”

She thought of his picture-perfect family. He wouldn’t have a clue. But it wasn’t his fault he had it all. “It was a long time ago.”

“Still leaves its mark. You know anything about my dad?”

“Not really, but he seems nice.”

“Jeff’s my stepdad. He married my mom when I was twelve. My biological father’s an alcoholic. He wasn’t much of a dad or husband even when he was home. Couldn’t hold down a job. My mom worked a lot of hours to make ends meet. Eventually he abandoned us, and Mom divorced him.”

Laurel sat back in the booth. “I didn’t know. I thought—”

“That we were the perfect family?”

Her face heated at his razor-sharp accuracy. “I guess I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“Coop’s my biological brother, and Avery’s technically my stepsister, but she’s as much my sibling as Cooper. And Jeff’s pretty awesome too. But don’t tell him I said so—I like to keep him on his toes.”

“Do you ever see him—your dad?”

“He used to live here in town, and I saw him around. When he left it was actually a relief.” A flush crawled up his neck. “It was kind of embarrassing, you know, the messes he’d get himself into, everyone talking about him.”

Compassion squeezed her chest. She knew the shame of having a dad who’d rejected her. But he’d also borne the humiliation of his father’s behavior. She set her hand on his.

He turned his hand over and laced his fingers with hers.

She had the feeling it was as difficult for him to talk about his dad as it was for her, so she changed the subject. “I always wanted siblings.”

A saucy brow cocked. “You can borrow mine. They’re a pain in the butt sometimes.”

They shared a grin, and she felt so connected to him just then. Having that little piece of his history, finding they had this big thing in common, made her feel so much closer to him. He didn’t have a perfect family. His dad had left them for alcohol while her father had abandoned his family for another woman.

When he took her home, her palms grew sweaty at the thought of him pulling in to her potholed driveway and seeing her small, shabby house. Too bad it wasn’t light out so he could also see her beautiful azaleas, hydrangeas, and the lush blue carpet of creeping phlox she’d planted last summer.

When they reached the property, he said nothing as he walked her to the door. A moment later as they stood under the porch light, Laurel tried to block out the peeling paint on the windows and the dark spot on the door in the shape of an old door knocker.

“Is your mom home?”

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