“I met Brigham and we fell in love, but he told me the only way we could be together was if I left all of you behind. He didn’t want kids that weren’t his.”
She reached out to him and he recoiled from her touch. “You got your happily ever after. I hope it was worth it.”
He spun around to leave and she called out after him. “I’m so sorry, Nickolas, but I swear there’s not been one day I didn’t regret leaving you and Jacob and Dallas.”
The lack of Dutch’s name didn’t go unnoticed. “I’m out of here. Have a nice life, Mother.”
“Wait. I’m coming with you.” I ran to grab my stuff and then I ran out the door to catch him.
He stopped and turned to grab my arms as his fingers gripped me tightly. “Payton, I’m not in a good place right now.”
I grimaced from the pain and he immediately loosened his hold and put his arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Baby. Did I hurt you?”
He did, but I’d never tell him that. “No, you didn’t hurt me.” He pulled me into his world and squeezed me tightly.
I needed him to know I was on his side. “You’re not leaving without me.”
“I have to go see my dad. Alone. I have to know if he knew.”
“I understand that you need to do that without me. When’s check out time on the room you booked last night?”
“I think Noon.”
We left in such haste that I know he didn’t check out. “Do you still have the keycard to the hotel room?”
He reached for his wallet and opened it. He slid the card out and I stroked his hand as I took it. “Meet me there after you finish talking to your dad. And stop by the front desk to add on an extra night.”
22 Room 329
Nick
I wasn’t looking forward to this at all. I wanted to turn my car around and go to Payton in our hotel room, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to confront my dad about the things he knew about our mom, but kept from us.
His patrol car was in the drive when I got home. It was his day off, but I knew he wouldn’t be back from his morning run for at least another 30 minutes. Maybe longer if he was doing long distance today.
I was sitting on the couch when he came through the door and he was clearly surprised to see me. “I thought you left.”
“I did, but I came back because I need to talk to you about something serious.”
He wiped the sweat from his face with the towel around his neck. “Okay. Shoot.”
That was one of the perks of having Dutch Hawke for a dad. He was a straight shooter and taught me to not beat around the bush. “I’ve been at Matilda Archer’s house this morning. Did you know our mother lived in Franklin?”
He sighed and sat in the recliner across from me. “I knew.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“She was having an affair. He wanted her but he didn’t want you. He made her choose between him or her kids and she chose him. How was I supposed to look you in the face and tell you that?”
“We deserved to know.”
“You were too young to understand.”
“Hell, I’m almost nineteen and I can’t understand it now, but I still deserved to know. You have no idea how I felt when I realized I was standing there looking at my mother. She has other kids. We have a brother and sister we didn’t even know existed.”
“I did it to protect you.”
“And you knew Payton was the link to exposing the truth. That’s why you didn’t want us to be together, but it’s all out in the open now. You don’t have a reason to not want us to be together unless there’s something else you’re not telling us?”
“I never had anything against Payton personally. She’s a very lovely girl, but I knew your being with her would come to this. I was scared for you. I didn’t know how you would handle it because you were always the one that took it the hardest. It did something to you when Mattie left and I’ve never known how to fix it.
“I’m okay, but I don’t think I would be if Payton wasn’t in my life. It’s weird how her presence in my life brought all this to the surface and yet she’s the only one that could bring me out of this dark world I fell into. I love her, Dad, and she’s the rock that will help me get through this.”
“Are are you going to tell Jake and Dallas about your mom?”
“I don’t know. At first, I was angry with you for not telling us, but I understand why you didn’t. No child needs to hear that his mom left because she chose to be with her lover, but we’re not little kids anymore. Jake would be fine, but Dallas is so tender hearted. I don’t know how she would react so I need to think about it. She has the right to know, but I’m not sure I can do it.”
“I’ll do it. You’re not the parent here and the responsibility shouldn’t fall onto your shoulders. You’ve carried too much on them for too many years already.”
≈ ≈ ≈
I tapped lightly on the door to room 329 and waited for Payton to answer. She opened the door and was wearing a plush, velour robe with the hotel emblem embroidered on the pocket. Her hair was slightly damp and hung in loose curls with the sides pulled away from her face. I immediately recognized her signature smell hanging in the air and I knew she had showered while she waited for me.
I stood in the doorway looking at her, realizing I was afraid to take a step inside without her invitation. She stepped back to make room for me in the doorway and I recognized it for what it was-her unspoken invitation to join her in our room.
My heart leapt with excitement of the unknown. I wasn’t sure what being alone with her in this room all day and night might bring, but I was content with just being with her if that’s what she wanted.
I walked into the room and she shut the door behind me. I hadn’t had time to come up to the room when I booked it the night before, so I looked around for the first time and took it all in, including the king size bed.
She came up from behind and hugged me with her head against my back. I reached for one of her hands on my chest and grasped it so I could bring it to my lips for a kiss.
She squeezed me tightly and sighed as if having me in her arms was a relief. “I’ve been worried about you. I know it has only been a couple of hours, but it seems like I’ve been in this room waiting on you forever.”
She let go of me and I took her hand as we moved to the bed to sit on the edge. “I’m sorry. I had to wait on my dad to get home from his run.”