Tracey shrugs and smiles gently at her mother. “You should be happy Summer’s found her father. God knows she needs him more than ever now and I’m pretty sure Aunt Meg will be dancing for joy in Heaven.”
Aunt Kim groans. “She’ll be booking my ticket to Hell more like. I swore I’d look after and protect Summer if anything ever happened to her. I’m pretty sure this is the last thing she would have wanted.”
I decide to tune out of the conversation. I have so much on my mind I can’t think straight, anyway. What if Joey’s wife hates the fact I’m here? She might make it difficult and that’s the last thing I want. I don’t want to come between the family because one look at Maxwell’s and Charlie’s faces told me everything I needed to know. It will be difficult and not the cotton candy homecoming I would hope for.
By the time midday comes I’m a bag of nerves. I feel excited yet worried about what the day will bring. Will Maxwell come to fetch me, or Charlie? On one hand, I hope it’s Charlie because of the two he was the sweetest. I still remember his words when I left them last night. He said so sweetly, “Whatever happens, babe, you’re family now. Just hold that thought and I’ll make sure you know what that means. Max will come around, don’t worry about him.”
I remember the gratitude I felt at that little speech. Then I think of Max and my heart beats a little faster and the sadistic part of my soul wants it to be him to come and fetch me. I want to test my reaction to him in the cold light of day. Maybe I was mistaken and when I see him again, it will be different.
The sound of the doorbell shocks me back to the present and my stomach ties itself in knots as I wait for my Aunt to open it.
She closed the door so we couldn’t hear and I can only imagine what she’s saying out there. It must be ten minutes later the door opens and I’m surprised to see that the person collecting me is my father.
His eyes fill with emotion as he sees me and says softly, “Hi, Summer, are you all set?”
I swallow hard and walk toward him on shaking legs. He winks at Tracey and says jovially, “You ok, babe?”
She nods, apparently tongue-tied for once and he reaches out and takes my hand in his. Then he faces my very worried looking Aunt and says gently. “I’ll look after her, Kim. I know you think only the worst of me and probably with good reason but not this time. Summer’s my daughter and no harm will come to her all the time I’m alive. I’ll have her back in a few hours.”
Aunt Kim just nods and says, “I know that, Joe. It’s just Summer is all I have left of Meg and I owe it to her memory to do what’s right.”
Joey nods and says softly, “I’m sorry about Meg, Kim. I never knew and even though it’s been years now, I still remember the beautiful girl I fell in love with. I’ll always regret what happened because I never got the chance to fall out of love with her and when I came home, she’d gone. I learned to forget and hardened my heart until I met Rose who let the light back in. I always loved Meg, you have to know that at least.”
I feel as if I can’t breathe as my Aunt nods and the tears fall. “I know you did, Joey and for the record, Meg loved you too. She just did what was best for Summer and gave her the best start in life she could. Don’t hate her for that.”
I feel the emotion in the room taking up every spare ounce of oxygen. It’s hard to breathe among the past and present colliding together and spilling a lifetime of bitter regrets. I try not to think of my mom but she’s all around me here. This was her life, her family. These people made her the woman she became and I can see where she crafted her strength. This side of her was unknown to me, this life and the choices she made. As the grief hits me hard again, I feel the love I hold for my mom giving me the strength to see this through. I’m on a voyage of discovery and much like her, I think it will end badly.
We head outside to a large black 4x4 that looks expensive. Like a gentleman, Joey opens the door and sees me safely inside before joining me. As we pull away, he says gruffly, “I hope you slept better than me sweetheart because that was some bomb you dropped last night.”
I nod wearily. “I’m sorry, I never meant to blurt it out like that. I’m not sure what I thought I was going to do, but the opportunity presented itself sooner than I thought and I had to know.”
He nods grimly. “Yes, the boys told me how you met. I’m just glad they saw what was happening and got to you in time.”
My heart skips a beat at the mention of what happened last night and then Joey says in a hard voice, “Listen, babe. I came to fetch you for a reason. I wanted to warn you about those boys and one in particular.”
I think I hold my breath as he says darkly, “They are your brothers and although it’s not by blood, the ties are still as strong. I adopted them and raised them as mine all those years ago and know how they think. I’ll level with you, I’m concerned that one of them may have developed an interest in you outside of the family relationship I want us to share. I think you know who I’m talking about so, I’ll say this only once. Keep away from Maxwell and if he tries anything, let me know. I won’t have anything ruining this family and he’s a hot-blooded male who screws anything that moves. If I know him, he’ll be working out a plan to get what he wants as we speak. Just turn and look the other way for all our sakes.”
His words crush me for more than one reason. I know he’s right and had to lay it on the line. I should take his words to my heart and carve them on it for posterity. My head agrees wholeheartedly with what he says and yet my heart is singing a different tune. I’m not strong enough to resist something that hit me harder than anything else that happened last night. I found him. Not my father but the man who wakes up the woman in me and sends the heat to her soul. The man who with one look destroyed every defense I have ever set in place and made me realize the power of attraction. Despite his words, I know that given one moment alone with Maxwell would destroy any reasoning within me. If I could have one wish in life, it’s knowing what it feels like to be loved by him.
We sit in silence for a moment and I look at the passing scenery with interest. This place, this country, is so different from what I’m used to. It feels as if I’ve traveled to another planet not halfway across this one.
I look across and say with concern. “Um… did you tell your wife, was she ok with it? I mean, it must have come as quite a shock.”
He nods and then smiles proudly. “Rose is an exceptional woman, Summer. You’ll soon find that out for yourself. To answer your question, she was shocked at first but she understood what this means to me. You see, that’s what I want for you, someone who will always put your needs above theirs, even if it means trouble for them. Rose is that woman and is backing me every step of the way. Like me, she has her worries about how it will work out but she’s willing to do anything necessary to make us one big happy family at last.”
I can tell by the way he speaks of her that Rose is a special woman and I’m glad he found her. Smiling, I say softly, “I can’t wait to meet her.”
He laughs. “Well, you don’t have to wait because we’re here.”
Looking out, I see a large house set in beautiful grounds nestling at the end of a sweeping gravel drive. Everything seems clean and immaculate with nothing out of place. I can tell there is money here and my heart beats a little faster as I think about what’s inside. I’m not sure I’m ready for this and swallow hard as I prepare to meet my new family.