His grip tightened on the steering wheel of the Range Rover. Anger thrummed through his chest. He cared for Aubrey, he might always care for her, she was the mother of his child, but there was still a resentment there about her decision, a decision that he still considered selfish.
“I see.”
“My reasons, now when I think of them, I realize that they were selfish, that they were wrong. You have the right to know your son. I know I’ve stolen time from you two … For that, I’m sorry.” She started to reach her hand toward his but stopped herself and pulled back. She turned her face from his and looked out the front of the car. “You must hate me.”
He shook his head. “Hate is too easy. I’m conflicted. Torn.” He was angry, but this pull he had toward Aubrey, this draw, this chemistry, wasn’t going away even with his anger.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me,” she nearly whispered. She reached for her purse, which lay at her feet, and started rummaging through her bag. She came out with a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. “Seems like I’ve cried more in the past week than I have in the past fifteen years.”
Guilt cascaded through his chest. He didn’t want to punish Aubrey, really he didn’t. He’d meant what he’d said before they left Rockwater Farms, but he couldn’t seem to get his mind wrapped around the idea of forgiveness. While he might want her, desire her, even enjoy her company—hell, more than enjoy—he couldn’t see the path to forgiveness. It was though he was still trapped in those damned woods without any bars on his cell phone, only this time there was no grumpy old man to save him.
He reached out his hand and clasped Aubrey’s fingers. He turned off the frontage road and onto the gravel one that, according to his GPS, would lead directly to the entrance of Camp Willow. “I accept your apology.” And he did he truly did, but accepting her apology and forgiving her where two entirely different things.
He pulled the SUV into the parking lot of Camp Willow. Aubrey had called ahead and asked the camp director to have Max ready to come home to Rockwater Farms. They were to meet in the administrative offices. They climbed from the vehicle and headed up to the main cabin.
“You ready for this?”
Justin cleared his throat and pulled open the door to the administrative cabin. “Yes. Yes, I am. Are you?”
*
Aubrey didn’t answer Justin’s question. Instead, she walked into the cool air of the administration building, the only place in all of Camp Willow that had the luxury of air-conditioning. One of the camp counselors led them both into the office of Shirley Rossman, the current head of camp. Max sat in the chair facing Shirley’s desk, his black hair so similar to his father’s, his shoulders broad and just on the verge of becoming a man’s.
She stopped. Breath halted in her lungs. The moment he turned around, his world would be forever changed, her world would be forever changed. Never again would it be just her and Max and her family in the world. No, now Max would have the Travati family too, a host of successful uncles and a father to turn to for guidance. She pressed her hand to her chest. Damn. The change that was about to take place nearly knocked her to her knees.
“Ah, Aubrey, I see you made it.” Shirley glanced across the room.
Aubrey’s fingers tingled, and she tried to smile but guessed that it looked like a jagged line across her face. She didn’t feel happiness; no, instead a mix of fear and excitement and a kind of melancholy thrummed through her chest. So many emotions that she couldn’t seem to grab one. They all bounced about, searching for primacy. She held out her hand. “Director Rossman, thank you so much.”
Max’s head whipped around and his gaze caught hers, a hint of fear in his eyes. “Is Grandpa okay? Aunt Nina?”
Of course his first thoughts were that something horrible had happened, something bad that would cause her to pull him from camp.
“Of course, everyone is fine. That’s not why we’re here—”
Max’s eyes traveled past her. His jaw dropped open. And then his gaze flicked back to meet hers.
“We’re here because—”
“I’ll give you all a moment,” Director Rossman said. She smiled at Aubrey and squeezed her shoulder, then slipped out the door of her office and quietly pulled it closed.
Aubrey had to move; she needed to walk forward. Justin was just behind her, and he was trying to be respectful of her process, but her mouth … Her mouth didn’t seem able to form the words to tell Max that this man with her was his father. This moment would be seared into their brains for the rest of their lives. She needed to be strong and not wallow in her own guilt; she needed to do this the right way, to set the correct tone for the beginning of this new world that included Max’s father.