A Forever Love(43)

“We needed to come now because—” Aubrey stepped away from Justin and closer to her son. “Well, because it was time for you to meet your father.”

Max’s eyes widened. He looked at the man who stood before him.

“Max, I’m Justin. But if you want, you can call me dad. Or not. Whatever you feel most comfortable with.”

Suddenly her son didn’t look like a near-man anymore but instead, once again, the little boy she remembered. His eyes seemed a little lost, as though he didn’t know what to say or what to do, his body too big for the boy inside. He stood and his eyebrows furrowed. He pressed his hands into his pockets and again glanced from his mom to Justin.

Max thrust out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Justin did the same, a firm handshake between the two. Was that a tremble in Justin’s chin? He didn’t let go of Max’s hand. Instead, he stepped forward and pulled the boy into a hug. Pressed his hand to his back and Max, beautiful Max, seemed thankful for that, because he slung his arm around Justin and took the hug from this person who was a stranger and yet shared this bond with him.

Justin stepped back and his eyes were wet. “You are one fine-looking young man. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet you. I …” He stopped speaking and took a shuddering breath. “How pleased I was to get your e-mail and then to speak to your mom. I never thought I would ever be so lucky to have a son.”

Max nodded. His face flamed a bit. Aubrey knew that look. He was fighting his emotion, trying hard to keep in his feelings, to be a man, a near-man, to meet his father the right way for the first time. Aubrey pressed her fingertips to her lips. She had caused all this pent-up emotion, all this pain, all this confusion, and even though this moment wasn’t about her or the guilt that cascaded through her chest, those emotions combined with the joy of seeing these two together for the first time.

“So,” Justin said and released Max without stepping away, “we were thinking that maybe you’d come home now. If you don’t mind. It seems we have a lot to discuss. I know that this is your first week at camp—”

“I’ve got my stuff. I’m packed.” Max looked from his mother to Justin. “Yes, sir, I want to go home. I want to get to know you.”

“Excellent,” Justin said.

And with those words, the new world order in Aubrey’s life began.





Chapter 14




The next week, Aubrey grounded herself with work. Many things had changed, but the consistency of The Red Barn and the two seatings every night and the preparation for the next wedding on the calendar and the ordering and the payroll and the farm kept her mind from straying too far from the day to day. When she allowed herself to think about the future, her chest tightened and her breathing shortened and she simply would begin to shut down with an overwhelming feeling that she was losing her son, that Max was on the verge of leaving and that their world, her world, would never be the same.

She clicked on her to-do list for the week and checked off another line. The vet had been out that morning for a routine inspection of their milk herd, and all was well according to both the vet and Bob.

“How you doing, mama?” Nina stood in the doorway of Aubrey’s office. She carried a tray with two bowls, both filled with greens and heirloom tomatoes and what looked to be fresh cheese. “Thought it might be time for you to eat.”

Aubrey glanced at the clock on her wall. Past time. She’d been trying desperately to stay busy during the day so that Max and Justin could have those hours together. So far they’d gone fishing, worked in Dad’s woodshop, taken a trip to Lawrence and one to Kansas City. Nothing too far afield, but still, with each event and each outing and each burst of enthusiasm from Max, a piece of Aubrey’s heart saddened. She wanted Max to love and be with his dad, but she didn’t want him to leave her.

“Thanks,” Aubrey said. She scooted her chair from behind her desk and rolled it over to where she could sit beside Nina.

“So where were they off to today?” Nina opened a cucumber soda and placed it on the windowsill.

“I think they were heading to the Future Farmers of America meeting.”

“Oh, that will be new for Mr. Travati. I’m quite certain he was never a member of FFA.”

Aubrey smiled. “No. Not much room to show cattle on Wall Street.” She took a bite of the greens and chewed. Of course the salad was delicious. Everything Nina touched was delicious.

“Thank you for this,” Aubrey said. “I haven’t been eating much.”

“I’ve noticed. Tough thing for a chef, to watch her sister not eat.”