"Who is she?" Annalise asked, then quickly put her hands up. "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess. It's that friend of yours, isn't it? The one you swear there's nothing else there. What's her name again?"
"Becca," Grayson said.
"That's right, Becca with the freckles. It happened, didn't it? Just like I said it would, right? You saw her one day and she looked different to you."
Annalise led us into the large kitchen where a rectangular wood table took up most of a corner of the room. A fresh pot of coffee was already brewing on the counter.
Benny quietly followed us, keeping himself close to Annalise. As I sat down, Benny sat on the floor next to me and rested his large block head on my lap. He looked up at me with his expressive brown eyes until I started petting him.
"That's exactly what happened," I said. "It was months ago at the South End fundraiser at the Boone Art Gallery. I saw this beautiful woman standing at the bar with her back towards me and, excuse me for saying this, but I had to have her. I didn't recognize her until she turned around."
Annalise laughed. "That's just sad," she said. "Have you ever thought that maybe you did know it was her? I mean you'd been working together for months at that point and spending time together outside of work too, how could you not recognize her?"
I shook my head. "Maybe you're right, maybe I didn't want to recognize her so that I could see her differently. I don't know," I said. "All I know is that after that, things changed for me. I tried to keep thinking of her as my best friend still, but it didn't change that I wanted more than just her friendship. I let it go for months until that day Navarro and I—" Annalise's eyes squinted at me like an Old West gunslinger. "I mean Grayson and I went out with the guys last month. I think watching them made me realize what I really want."
"And what is that?" she asked.
"My own family."
* * *
A couple of days later, I was on the phone with Mason Abernathy about a new project for him in Canyon Cove. He heard about my involvement with a small manufacturing company dedicated to creating more environmentally friendly building materials, and he wanted me to use his ranch as a prototype and build a state-of-the-art building dedicated to training horses.
It was a great opportunity for me, but it would take me months before we could break ground. I didn't want to make any promises in regards to materials if I didn't have enough resources. I was excited to get the ball rolling on it but knew it was better if I was patient.
As I hung up with Mason, Grayson joined me on the porch. We rocked in the chairs as we let the ocean hypnotize us. Annalise stepped onto the porch in a heavy sweatshirt and wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to stay warm.
"It's so sunny out, I was hoping to sit out here with you," she said.
Grayson slid to one side of the oversized rocker and patted the seat next to him. As his mother squeezed in beside him, they wrapped their arms around each other instinctively.
That was what I missed about having a mom. It took me years to stop expecting my mother to be something that she wasn't. It didn't matter that most of my memories of her involved her leaving the apartment, I had thought one day that would change. It didn't.
Between being abandoned by my dad before I was even born, to my mother abandoning me too, I didn't think I was family man material. But seeing Becca on that date with Taylor changed that.
I could be the damaged man I believed myself to be, or I could be the man Becca saw me as. She believed in me and supported me from day one. It was because of her that I had the confidence to create my environmental architecture firm. And it's because of her encouragement that I will return.
I realized that no matter what, I would never be like my parents. I had a good role model in Gabriel, who took on the father role despite our close age. I had needed that and I would forever be in debt to him.
But seeing Taylor on that date with Becca made me realize I didn't have my shit together. I imagined that one day, Becca and I would get married and have children. I couldn't do that until things with my company were stable enough that I could support Becca in whatever she wanted to do.
I walked away from Becca so that I could be the man who deserved her. I promised myself the next time we saw each other, I would be that man.
Part Two
Chapter Sixteen
Becca
Three Months Later
The bell chimed and I turned around to see who was entering Mirabella's, then turned back to Sandra, who was seated across from me.
Mirabella's was empty except for one other table. While the dark-colored walls helped the place feel cozy, I was so anxious to see Gideon that I jumped every time a new person entered. It wasn't just this restaurant that made me crazy like this, it was everywhere in Canyon Cove.
Sandra's blonde hair was cut in a long bob that she pushed behind her ears. She had heard me mention Mirabella's so many times from my lunches with Cassie and other girls that she wanted to try it herself.
"He's not going to walk in, you know," she said.
