Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 103918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 520(@200wpm)___ 416(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
As I sat on the porch waiting for Andre to arrive, I focused on the sounds of the birds in the trees as they welcomed spring. It was late May and relatively mild for the area. I thought about LA and how warm it would be there by now, but surprisingly, I didn't have any particular longing to return home. I was scheduled to stay in Birch Cabin for a couple more weeks, but I was already thinking about reaching out to Harvey Parnell to see if the place was available for longer.
The sound of tires coming down the driveway got my attention. I stood up and went to where the stairs were but stopped when I realized something was off. The sound of the engine was too loud and rumbly to be the expensive sedan Andre drove. I knew exactly who that noisy engine belonged to.
When the vehicle turned off, I stayed where I was, trying not to give in to the need to run down the steps and greet my visitor. Butterflies danced in my belly as I waited for the distinctive sound of the vehicle’s door opening and closing.
I didn't need to wait long for confirmation that I'd been right about who it was that had come up the driveway because Brewer practically slammed into my legs when he jumped up onto the porch. I tried not to get too excited about Gideon being just a handful of feet away from me, because he was likely here just to check on the wood pile or do some other task related to the maintenance of the cabin. I heard footsteps approaching but they stopped before climbing the porch steps.
"Her name was Beth," Gideon said. His voice sounded grated and harsh, like he hadn't been using it enough recently. I suspected that was probably exactly the case. The fact that he was even talking to me should've had me over the moon, but the way he’d opened the conversation meant what I was about to hear wasn’t going to be easy and I’d be watching—or hearing, rather—Gideon suffer even more.
"But we called her Bethie."
Gideon didn't say anything for a long moment, and I didn't press him. I also didn't move from where I was. I could barely make out his shape because the sun was too bright.
"She was five. Serena and I hadn’t been planning on having more kids, so she was a surprise." Gideon paused before adding, "The best kind of surprise."
"Our first daughter, Emma, was a surprise too. I'd always wanted to be a father, but we’d had Emma when we were really young and neither of us was completely ready. But we made it work. Emma’s fifteen now."
It was a relief to know that he still had one daughter, but the fact that he'd never mentioned her before today wasn't a good sign.
"What happened to Bethie?" I asked. I took a gamble and moved down a step so I could be a little closer to him. "Was it related to her diabetes?"
"No," Gideon said. "We killed her. Serena and I."
They were the last words I’d expected to hear. I opened my mouth to tell him I didn't believe him, but then snapped it shut again. He'd come here to tell me a story and I needed to listen to it.
"By the time Bethie was born, Serena and I were done, at least as far as I was concerned. I'd asked her repeatedly for a divorce, but then she got pregnant."
"So you stayed," I suggested.
"I'd always hated growing up with divorced parents. They'd use me to play games with each other and whenever I was with one, all they’d do was complain about the other. It was like they wanted me to pick sides or something. What kid wants to pick which parent they want to be with more?" Gideon paused before saying, "I couldn't do that to my kids. I wouldn't."
As much as I wanted to respond, I knew what he needed me to do was just listen. I eased myself down another step. There were two more to go before I'd be able to reach him. I wasn't even sure if that was what he wanted. But he was here and that was all that really mattered.
"Bethie's condition put even more of a strain on my relationship with Serena. Managing Bethie’s diabetes was something we should've worked together at, but Serena was never good about following through on things like diet and monitoring blood sugar. Sometimes I was probably too good at it. I was afraid to let Bethie splurge at times. I mean, she was still a kid. If she wanted an extra piece of cake, maybe I should've just let her…"
"You did what was best for her, Gideon. I was Bethie's age when I started getting sick, but it was a long time before anyone thought to take me to a doctor. They just figured I was being difficult. I missed out on being a kid because no one cared enough to manage my disease. You did the right thing."