Hometown Family. Mia Ross
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Название: Hometown Family
Автор: Mia Ross
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
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Matt had never shared that with anyone, and he had no idea why he’d picked now to bare his soul. Too tired, he figured, to keep his mouth shut.
“He loved you,” Caty said, rubbing his shoulder. “He wanted you to be happy. If that meant leaving home, he was okay with it.”
Matt wasn’t so sure about that, but he didn’t have the energy to argue with her. From leading his careless lifestyle to ignoring his family, he knew he’d disappointed his father too many times to count. Now it was too late to fix what he’d broken.
Tears stung his eyes, and he held them back with the heels of his hands. Caty put an arm partway around his shoulders, and he felt himself leaning into her. He didn’t know why, but just having her there made him feel slightly less miserable. The warmth of her went beyond the physical, drawing him in. When he realized he wasn’t fighting it, he knew he’d gotten way too close to this sweet, understanding stranger.
Angry with himself for losing his grip, he pulled away and got to his feet. “I don’t know why I told you all that.”
“Told me what?” she responded lightly. “We’re just out here getting some fresh air.”
Her smile promised she’d keep his emotional meltdown to herself, and he managed a halfhearted smile of his own. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
He went a few steps, then turned back. “You introduced yourself as Caitlin, but everyone calls you Caty. Which do you like better?”
She shrugged. “Whichever. I’m not picky.”
After studying her for a few seconds, he decided, “I like Caty. Suits you better.”
* * *
Matt turned and headed for the house, leaving Caty there, wondering what on earth had just happened. While she’d also lost her own mother at a young age, hers had simply vanished from her life. Lost in an accident with a coworker who’d had a few too many drinks after work. Caty couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be for a child to watch a parent wither away from illness. Matt had been old enough to know what was happening but too young to accept that she was gone.
Always missing her, wishing she could come back. Tears welled in Caty’s eyes as she pictured that little boy growing into a young man, bitter and furious, desperate to leave those painful memories behind. But Ethan had still been there, along with John and the girls. The pull of the farm fought with Matt’s need to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Judging by Marianne’s coolness toward him, his solution had only created more problems for his family. Over the years, he’d probably decided it was easier to stay away than come home and face the music. Unfortunately, it had kept him from being there when they needed him, and he could never change that.
Guilt is a terrible burden to carry around, no matter how strong you are.
Chapter Three
After spending the night on the Sawyers’ couch, Caty woke as the sun started peeking through the living room’s sheer curtains. She was usually up before now, but her long day had completely knocked her out.
She folded the light blanket and stowed it with her pillow in a hand-carved chest. After a couple of tries, she managed to fold up the sofa bed and replace the cushions and throw pillows. Stepping back, she decided everything was the way Marianne had left it and glanced into the antique mirror next to the front door.
Dressed in one of John’s battered football jerseys and a pair of Marianne’s capris, she wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but she was more or less presentable. She caught her hair up in the clip she’d worn yesterday and padded into the kitchen to start the coffeemaker. While it gurgled, she saw Tucker sitting on the back porch, gazing in longingly through the screen door. He had free run of the entire farm, but apparently he was feeling lonely.
“Morning, boy,” she greeted him, holding the door open. “Want to come in?”
Panting, he thumped his tail with enthusiasm and looked over his shoulder toward the field road that wound alongside the woods.
“You want some company?”
The thumping increased, and he spun a couple of tight circles before settling back on his haunches with an expectant look.
“Okay.” She laughed. “Give me a second.”
Most of the cups were too small to hold her usual dose of morning coffee, so she ended up with a huge purple mug sporting “Lisa” in fancy silver script. The dot over the i was a star, and the mug played “When You Wish Upon a Star” when she poured in her coffee.
“Totally Lisa,” Caty commented to no one in particular as she spooned in creamer and sugar. After a quick taste, she decided it worked and headed out the back way with Tucker.
He bounded down the lane toward the restored carriage house John called home. When Tucker raced up the steps and did some more spinning, Caty noticed Matt in a chair on the little porch. The Lab ducked his head under Matt’s hand, delighted with the ear scratching he got in return. Ten seconds of that was enough, and he repeated his come-with-me dance for Matt.
“Looks like you’ve snagged a partner already, boy,” he said with a guarded look at Caty.
She’d thought they were starting to become friends, so it was tough not to take his attitude personally. Reminding herself that he needed some understanding, she bit her tongue and forced a smile. “Tucker’s motto is The More, the Merrier.”
There, she thought. She wasn’t exactly asking him to come along, but she’d made it clear she didn’t mind if he took the dog up on his wagging invitation. Matt didn’t move at first, but eventually he got to his feet.
“I’d hate to disappoint you,” he told Tucker, avoiding her completely. The dog bolted from the porch and galloped up the road, glancing back to make sure they were following.
Matt’s long strides quickly took him past her, and when he got to the top of the small hill, he stopped to look over at a gnarled old oak a few yards away. The impassive look on his face changed, and she got a glimpse of the same grief she’d witnessed last night. Out of respect, she stopped, too. He seemed to be wrestling with something, and she didn’t want to intrude. To her surprise, he turned to her with a pensive expression.
“This is—was—Dad’s favorite place on the farm.” He glanced out over the hill toward the wheat fields becoming gold as the sun rose behind them. “He had all that, and he liked this old tree more than the rest of it.”
Caty took that as an invitation to come closer, and she paused a few feet away. Judging by Matt’s anguished memories of his own past, she suspected that, while he respected Ethan’s fondness for the old tree, he didn’t share it.
“Y’know,” he said with a scowl, “you’re really easy to talk to.”
The warm blue of his eyes took some of the sting out of his comment, and she smiled. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“It usually is. For me, anyway.”