Page 35 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

“I can’t, Gavin. It’s too much. I need to focus on my schoolwork. If I want to achieve my goals I have to work hard. I can’t just show up to my classes and earn straight As.”

“That’s not fair. I study plenty. And I know how important your grades, your future, are to you. But how exactly am I keeping you from your schoolwork? We only talk a couple times a week.” Something flickered in his eyes. “Maybe something else is taking up all your time.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you’ve met someone else.”

If that wasn’t a case of projection she didn’t know what was. She gave a wry laugh as she brushed at the tears flowing down her face. “I’m not the one with girls barging into my dorm room.”

“Fee’s just a friend.”

“Fee?”

“Felicity. Everyone calls her Fee. This isn’t about me anyway. This is about you. Dumping me.”

She snorted. “I’m just saving you the trouble, Gavin.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind. It’s like I said. This long-distance thing isn’t working for me. We were stupid to think it would.”

“Stupid, huh?”

“We’re just a couple of high school sweethearts, destined for a clichéd breakup. Can’t you see that?”

He stared down for a long moment, his jaw twitching. When he glanced back up, there was a different look in his eyes. A look she’d never seen before.

“Well... I guess your stupid high school boyfriend won’t be calling you anymore.”

Like a glacier calving, a chunk of her heart crumbled off. “I think that’d be for the best.”

He gave her a long stare, those blue eyes burning a hole through her. “You got it.”

Chapter14

Friday turned out to be the worst day since Mike and Mallory died. Laurel hadn’t spoken to Gavin since the night before—she wouldn’t even spare him a glance as they went about their daily routine with Emma.

That afternoon as the Claytons packed their things for their flight home, Judy was a mess, moody one minute, tearful the next. Paul was flustered when Gavin pulled him aside before they left.

“I just got off the phone with my sister, Avery. She’s a doctor and runs the clinic in town. She’s had some experience with dementia patients.”

“I’ll take all the help I can get.”

“She said that when Judy asks about Mike, just go along with it. Change the subject or divert her attention by asking questions. Whatever you need to say to mollify her. She says there’s no sense tormenting her with the truth when she’s in a forgetful state.”

Paul let out a deep breath. “That sounds so much kinder than what I’ve been doing.”

“You didn’t know. I didn’t either.” He put his hand on Paul’s shoulder. “You’ll get through this. We all will.”

By the time the two of them got into their rental and drove off, Gavin was relieved to only have Emma’s despondency to contend with. He shifted the girl’s weight, then dried her tears. His heart broke for her. Too bad her grandparents couldn’t have stayed longer. She needed all the support she could get.

Sunny trotted up to them, her blue rubber ball in her mouth.

“Look, Emma. Sunny wants you to throw the ball.” Gavin started to set the child down, but Emma clutched at his shoulders.

“Let me take her,” Laurel said. “You should get going anyway.”

He handed Emma over. He was going to be late for his family supper, but he didn’t want to further upset Emma by leaving on the heels of her grandparents.

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