Page 48 of Falling Together

“Georgia?” he calls out when I have one foot out the door. “I’m sorry I said those things about you. I just…”

I nod. “I know. It’s okay. This is a lot to handle. You’re going through a lot of changes right now.”

He snorts. “You sound like the puberty video we had to watch in health class.”

I throw my hands up. “That’s out of my wheelhouse, Luke. But moving to a new school and town? It’s a lot for anyone to take, and then we drop this news on you? I don’t blame you for freaking out.”

“Thanks.”

I point a finger at him. “But you will need to apologize to your dad too.”

“Ugh. I know.” He collapses back on the bed. “I’ll do it later.”

“He loves you, you know. When I first told him I was pregnant, you were his first concern.”

“No way.”

“You were. He loves you, Luke; don’t ever doubt that.”

With those parting words, I head back upstairs. Dinner is put away and Grant is out on the patio, a beer in hand.

I step through the open French doors and stand beside him.

“How’d it go?” he asks. “Or do I even want to know?”

“He’s upset, but I think he’ll be okay by tomorrow.”

“No fucking way,” Grant says. “The last time he yelled at me like that was when I told him we were moving here and he didn’t talk to me for a week.”

I lean against the railing, my arm brushing against his. I ignore how good it feels. How it spreads warmth through me that has nothing to do with the warm summer night.

“I might have told him that he could come out to the barn and go riding.”

Grant smiles at me. “Is that how you convince people to like you? Bribe them with horses?”

“No.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Queenie is very good at sensing emotions and is good with kids. It helps to calm them down, and when they’re calm, they feel safe talking to you. I think it could be really good for Luke. Help him process everything he’s feeling.”

“Damn.” He lets out a whistle and sips his beer. “Note to self on how to get him to talk to me next time.”

“He did apologize to me, and I told him he also has to apologize to you.”

“Wow.” He stares at me, brown eyes fixed on mine, like he can’t quite believe me.

“What? I wasn’t going to let him get away with not apologizing to you too.”

“I know, but I don’t think he’s ever apologized to me,” Grant says. “He moped around the house before we left and then one day he asked for a snack and that was that.”

I burst out laughing. “Is that how families do it these days? No one actually apologizes—you just ask about food and move on?”

“More or less.” The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Works for the two of us.”

“I guess I have a lot to learn about being a part of a family,” I mutter, more to myself than anything.

“You don’t have any family?” Grant asks.

Of course he heard that.

I pat him on the shoulder. “A story for another day.”