Mistletoe Season by Michelle Major

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

GABEEXPECTED MAGNOLIAto look different.

He couldn’t explain why. It had been only two weeks since he’d driven out of town. But he had changed in that time.

Or at least had pulled his head out of the proverbial hole where he’d buried it.

Which was what he should have done from the start.

The past, his doubts, and the regrets he couldn’t control had held sway over his life. Fear had ruled the day, and there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to make things right.

He had to try.

He’d hurt Angi. There was no doubt about it. He only hoped she would find a way to forgive him. He’d spend the rest of his life earning his place at her side if only she’d let him back into her life.

He had thought about calling, although that was a bit of a challenge given he hadn’t replaced his cell phone. His was probably smashed into a million pieces or buried deep in the woods that bordered the highway where he’d thrown it on his way out of town.

That was an excuse and a lame one at best. He’d spent the past two weeks on a buddy’s farm outside of Memphis. Hours of helping with chores and far too much time ruminating over the mess he’d made of his life. At first, he thought he could walk away. He convinced himself it was better. Better for Angi. Easier for him. Yet she’d never been far from his thoughts, and the walls around his heart simply refused to be rebuilt.

She was a part of him. Magnolia was a part of him. This town had become his home. Maybe it had always been that way since those summers spent here with his grandmother and he’d just been too bullheaded to realize it.

Away from this place, there was no happiness or contentment. The idea of peace was like a song stuck in his head, but he couldn’t quite remember the words. Being with Angi was what made the song of his life complete.

He turned onto Main Street, knowing he’d have to pass In Bloom on his way to see Angi at the restaurant. It was Saturday midmorning so he knew she’d be there prepping for the lunch crowd.

Seeing his grandmother’s shop when he was no longer a part of it wouldn’t be easy. Based on his mother’s vitriol and the way she’d taken apart the house so quickly, for all he knew she’d already closed up this storefront and sold off the inventory just to make some quick cash.

Even if Poppy chose to stay in Magnolia, Gabe wasn’t going to be run off. He’d let the relationship with his mom—her negligence and outright hostility—define his life for too long.

He was a grown man and it was time to start acting like it.

As he passed the grassy center of town, he noticed a group of kids playing soccer. One dark head stood out among the boys. Gabe winced as Andrew kicked at the ball and missed. But true to form, Drew didn’t give up. He simply turned around and kicked again, this time passing to one of the other boys on the team.

“You keep kicking,” Gabe murmured into the truck’s quiet interior.

Without thinking too much about it, he parked near the curb and got out, slowly approaching the action. The kid Andrew had passed the ball to dribbled down the makeshift field and took a shot, the ball sailing up and into the goal.

Gabe let out a whoop of congratulations, drawing the attention of several boys, including Drew. The kid’s shoulders stiffened and his smile disappeared instantly.

Damn.

Gabe had expected a potentially icy reception from Angi, but he’d figured Andrew would be happy to see him return. Not so much, based on the glare the kid was currently shooting in Gabe’s direction.

In fact, after an almost imperceptible shake of his head, Andrew turned on his heel and stalked toward the far end of the field where his friends were currently gathering.

His chest aching, Gabe stopped. He wouldn’t force Drew to talk to him, especially not before he knew whether Angi was willing to forgive him.

Then, as quickly as Andrew had whirled away, he spun around and jogged toward Gabe.

“That’s my boy,” Gabe whispered under his breath.

Only Andrew still clearly wasn’t happy to see him.

“I hate you,” the boy ground out as he got closer. “My mom hates you, too. You made her cry.”

“I’m sorry.” Gabe felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Of course he knew he’d hurt Angi by leaving, but hearing the raw emotion in her son’s voice tore him apart in a way he wasn’t expecting.

“What do you want?”

Nothing. The word was on the tip of Gabe’s tongue. What the hell had he thought would happen upon his return? In truth, he hadn’t given much thought to the messy reentry into the lives of the people he loved. The understanding he’d gained about being willing to risk his heart to have the future he craved had trumped any doubt.

It was simple enough to give lip service to the idea that it wouldn’t be easy. Having a kid who’d adored him shoot visual daggers in his direction brought home the reality of what he truly faced.

He fisted his hands at his sides and forced a deep breath. He’d told himself that nothing would stop him from fighting for Angi and Drew. If he gave up so easily, what would that say about him?

Andrew continued to glare, and Gabe could hear the boy’s panting breaths like he was having trouble controlling his upset. Gabe knew about that, and he understood using temper and emotional distance as a shield because those were less scary than fear of rejection and vulnerability.

And Andrew had plenty to be scared about, as much as Gabe had at that age. But the boy kept at it, and Gabe almost smiled realizing that Drew had already mastered a skill Gabe was still struggling to learn.

“Nice assist on that goal,” he said, hoping to distract Andrew long enough to figure out how to make this better. If nothing else came from his return, Gabe wanted Andrew to know that he would be there for him no matter what.

“Thanks,” the kid muttered because his mother had raised him with good manners. “Why are you here?” he asked.

“Because I screwed up, and I want to make it better.” Gabe ran a hand through his hair and hoped Andrew hadn’t heard the catch in his voice. “I’m sorry I hurt your mom and I’m sorry I hurt you, Drew. I was selfish and stupid.”

“You didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I know.” Gabe crouched down in front of the boy. “It’s because I didn’t really want to leave Magnolia. I love it here. I love you and your mom very much, and it killed me to drive away from the two of you.”

“But you did,” Andrew reminded him.

“Yeah, I was scared, buddy. Terrified of admitting how much you both mean to me.” He bit out a harsh laugh. “In my experience, when someone knows I love them, it makes me weak. It makes them able to hurt me.”

“My mom wouldn’t hurt you. She’s nice.”

“More than nice.” Gabe nodded. Nice was wholly inadequate to describe all the amazing things about Angi, but he could tell that to the boy it was high praise.

“Johnny’s dad isn’t coming back,” Andrew said, as if the situations were the same. “He’s gonna stay in Florida, but Johnny’ll get to visit him for spring break.”

“I’m not moving,” Gabe said simply. “No matter what happens, Magnolia is my home.”

“Even if Mom doesn’t want to be your friend anymore?”

Friends. Gabe sighed. Angi was his best friend, and he had no idea what the hell he’d do if she refused to give him another chance.

At least he knew what wouldn’t happen. He wouldn’t run away again.

“Even if,” Gabe confirmed. “Although I hope I can convince her to try.” He flashed a tentative smile. “I hope I can convince you, as well. I’m sorry I messed up so badly, Drew. I missed you a ton while I was away, and I’d like to earn a place as your friend again.”

The boy inclined his head as he considered that. “Johnny has mostly stopped bullying kids since we’ve been back from winter break.”

“That’s good.” Gabe was impatient to know how Andrew felt about him but understood he needed to give the kid time. There might not be an easy answer to moving past the pain he’d caused, but he refused to give up. “Are you and Johnny friends?”

Drew made a face. “Heck, no. Somebody said Johnny doesn’t even change his underwear but once a week. That’s gross.”

“It sure is.”

“But we’re not enemies no more either.” The boy’s brows furrowed together. “I guess I’d like to be your friend again if you’re staying in town.”

“I am,” Gabe said. He reached out and squeezed the boy’s arm. “And no matter where you go in life or what happens with me and your mom, I’ll be here for you, Drew. You’re a special kid.”

“You first told me I was annoying.”

“That was also a mistake.” Gabe grimaced. “Let’s stick with special, okay?”

“Yeah.” Suddenly Andrew grinned, and to Gabe it felt like the sun popping out from behind a dark cloud, bright and warm on his skin. “I taught Princess to roll over.”

“I’d like to see that.”

“Only if Mom says it’s okay that you come over. If not, I’ll have to bring Princess to visit you ’cause Mom was real sad after you left. I don’t want her to be sad again.”

“Me neither.” Gabe pushed down the regret that rose in him like a noxious weed. He had to focus on making things better with Angi, not all the crap he’d done wrong. That was a sure road to ruin. “I was actually on my way to Il Rigatone to see her.” He straightened. “Maybe you want to come with me so she knows you and I are square? That might get me some points with her, you know?”

Andrew shook his head, and Gabe did his best not to be wounded. Baby steps. The boy didn’t seem to hate him anymore, so that was at least a win.

“Mom’s not at the restaurant,” Andrew explained. “She isn’t working there anymore.”

“What?”

“Nonna’s selling it and going to Florida, although she’s not gonna see Johnny’s dad. I asked her and she called him a bad word in Italian.”

Gabe blinked, his mind reeling from all the information he’d just received. “Where is your mom?” he asked, focusing on what was most important.

“The Wildflower Inn. It’s some girlie baby shower today with lots of pink food and pink decorations. Too much yucky pink.”

“That’s good to know, Drew.” Gabe blew out a breath. He didn’t exactly relish showing up at the inn, where he was sure to have to face Emma and Mariella if he was going to have a chance to talk to Angi alone. Surely there would be lots of groveling to her friends, which hadn’t been part of his plan.

He wanted to talk to her. He’d wasted too much time being a fool already.

“If your game is done, want to drive over to the inn with me?” he asked the boy. “I could use a solid wingman when I apologize to your mom.”

“Yeah, I’ll go,” Drew agreed, then offered a sneaky smile. “But I have to tell Nonna ’cause she’s babysitting me. So you’re gonna need to talk to her first. And she was even madder than Mom, I think.”

“Well played,” Gabe muttered, clapping the boy on the shoulder. “Let’s go talk to your nonna.”

ANGILAUGHEDATsomething the mother of the mother-to-be said. A lame joke about how to keep a husband happy when your attention was all on a newborn baby.

The young woman had stared wide-eyed at her mom like she’d made it to adulthood without realizing that her parents must have a sex life, or at least had at some point. Of course, Angi had no experience balancing a romantic relationship with motherhood when she’d had a baby—or ever. Gabe had been the closest she’d come. Everyone in town knew how well that had worked out for her.

“You just gave the fakest laugh I ever heard,” Mariella said quietly as she came to stand next to Angi in the threshold between the inn’s formal living room and the kitchen.

“It doesn’t matter. Nobody’s paying attention to me.”

“Emma and I are,” Mariella countered. “She’s worried about you.”

Angi lifted a brow. “And you?”

“To be honest, I’m irritated that you let a good one go.”

“What was I supposed to do, beg him to stay?”

“It’s not unheard-of. Gabe Carlyle looked at you like you hung the moon and the stars. Do you know how precious that is?”

The image of the adoring way Dylan Scott had gazed at Carrie a few weeks before Christmas outside the town hall popped into Angi’s mind. She remembered wishing for somebody who would look at her like that.

The difference was Gabe had turned away.

“It’s too late now. He’s gone. Clearly he didn’t have any problems taking his adoring eyes off of me.”

“He was going through a lot with his witch of a mother in town.” Mariella’s voice went tight. “You’ve got a great mom, Ang. You can’t possibly know what it’s like to grow up feeling as though you’re a burden to the person who’s supposed to care about you most in the world.”

“Gabe knows that his mother’s problems had nothing to do with him.” Angi said the words with conviction because she needed to believe them. She needed him to be the villain because it was the only way she felt she had a chance of healing.

“Don’t be so sure. Our parents play a big part in teaching us what it’s like to feel love and whether we deserve it or not.” Mariella gestured to the pregnant mother who was being feted by her female family members and friends. The sophisticated blonde’s gaze turned wistful. “When a negligent parent’s words and actions tell you you’re worthless, it’s a lesson that sticks even when you grow up and know better. Trust me.”

“I don’t want to talk about Gabe right now. This is a new year. A new start for me.” She couldn’t keep talking about Gabe; otherwise, she was liable to embarrass herself and burst into tears. She had cried way too much in the past two weeks, even though so many other parts of her life were going well now.

Despite the fact that Angi had walked away from their partnership, Emma and Mariella been thrilled by her return. She’d transitioned from the restaurant to the inn with a glad heart, knowing she had her mother’s blessing.

It made her wish she’d told her mom how she truly felt months ago. Which made her wonder what would have happened if she’d told Gabe about her feelings before his mother had come to town and infected him with her emotional poison. Maybe Mariella had been right, but Angi didn’t know what to do about it now. Gabe was gone. She’d learned from his grandmother’s attorney that he wasn’t taking calls or returning messages.

He’d truly left her and Magnolia behind.

Her attention shifted as the front door opened and Andrew walked into the room. The look on the boy’s face as he took in all of the bright pink decorations that filled the space would have been comical in another circumstance. Angi’s choice for a color scheme might not have included exclusively shades of pink, but that’s what the mom-to-be wanted so they’d made her happy.

She took a step toward her son. There was no humor to be found in the situation until she knew what he was doing here when her mom was supposed to be watching him.

Then Gabe entered the room behind Andrew, and her heart skipped a beat.

“This should be good,” she heard Mariella say from behind her.

Angi was surprised she could hear anything over the pounding in her head. As if there was a tangible shift in the energy of the room, conversation stopped as all eyes moved to Gabe.

Emma stepped forward before Angi could. “Hey, Drew,” she said. “We have extra cupcakes in the kitchen if you want to grab one.” She switched her gaze to Gabe. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“I know,” he said solemnly, but didn’t move.

Andrew came toward Angi with a wide smile. “Hey, Mom. Gabe came back. Nonna yelled at him real good. I’m gonna get a cupcake.”

She felt her mouth drop open as her son walked past her and the swinging door to the kitchen whooshed behind him.

Gabe had talked to her mother.

“I deserved everything she said to me.” He shrugged. “Even if I couldn’t understand most of it.”

“Gabe.” Emma’s voice held a note of warning. All of the women were staring at him.

“I know,” he repeated. “My timing is awful, but it has to be now.”

His gaze switched to Angi, and the emotion she saw there made her breath catch in her throat. “I’ve wasted too much time already.”

She shook her head, unsure how to respond to that. A twitter of anticipation whispered through the room.

“Oh my gosh, this is just like Jerry Maguire,” the soon-to-be-grandmother said excitedly. “Are you going to tell her she completes you?”

Gabe darted a glance at the older woman with her bottle-blond hair pulled back in a poufy chignon.

“No.” A ripple of disappointment seemed to dash across the baby shower partygoers.

“Although she does,” he quickly added, then looked at Angi helplessly. “You do. Complete me. If you want to. I want you to.”

“Tom Cruise said it better,” someone called out.

“Zip it,” Mariella commanded the guest. Emma rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure he did,” Gabe agreed. “I should have prepared more. I did prepare. Rehearsed all the way from Tennessee to here.” He winced. “It seems I forgot most of it because I’m scared as hell right now.”

“Scared of what?” Angi asked, tucking her hair behind one ear and then clasping her hand close when she realized it was trembling.

“That I messed up so badly you won’t give me another chance and I’m going to spend the rest of my life with a hole in my heart because you’re not there to fill it. To complete me.”

“Much better,” the mom-to-be said on a sigh.

Angi’s attention was fixed on Gabe. “Was that rehearsed?”

“No.” He took a step closer. “Just me telling you how I feel, something I should have done long before now. I love you, Angi. I love your fierce spirit and the tenderness you try so hard to hide. I love the way you love your son and how you want to do the right thing for everyone around you and—” he gestured around the room “—that you’re making your dreams a priority, too. I didn’t think I deserved someone as amazing as you. There was no way you could truly love me when you’re this bright light and I’ve hidden in the shadows for so long.”

“I do love you,” she whispered, unable to help herself. “But you hurt me, Gabe. A lot.”

“I know, and I’ll never forgive myself that.” He moved nearer again, or maybe she stepped toward him.

Either way, they were close enough that she could feel the heat from his body and smell the scent of his soap and the minty gum he liked. Her knees went weak with longing.

“If you can find a way to forgive me,” Gabe told her, “I promise I’ll learn to be brave like you. Before I came back to Magnolia, I wasn’t even sure I knew how to love. You showed me, and I love you so damn much. Please give me a chance to show you how much.”

She pressed her hands to her cheeks, unsurprised to find them wet with tears.

“If you don’t take him back, can I have him?” one of the guests called to Angi.

“He’s mine,” Angi said quietly, then lifted onto her toes to press a kiss to Gabe’s mouth. “You’re mine.”

“I always have been,” he confirmed, wrapping his arms around her. “From the moment I first saw you when we were kids. It’s always been you for me, Ang.”

“I love you,” she said again, and then laughed as Andrew joined them for a group hug. Emma led the shower guests in a round of applause, and Mariella whistled her approval. Angi couldn’t even bring herself to care that the sweetest moment of her life was shared by her friends plus a gaggle of excited clients.

Her heart was too full for anything but happiness. It felt so good to be tucked in Gabe’s embrace again, like coming home. Angi knew this man would always be her home, and she’d go through everything again to end up with Gabe, the exact place where she belonged.