Page 31 of Shaded Amethysts
Gage shook his head before adding quietly, “She passed away.”
My palm went up to my mouth before I said, “I’m so sorry.”
Curious, I asked him, “Did that last beating from Jack take her life?”
“No, she survived that, but just barely. I have no doubt that he would have eventually killed her, if he hadn’t been stopped. She died of breast cancer.”
“You must miss her so much,” I guessed.
Gage nodded before adding, “But I hadn’t seen her in a long time. She never came to visit me in prison, and she never forgave me for murdering Jack.”
“You didn’t even tell your mother that it was Noah?” I asked quietly, not wanting to betray Gage’s trust by taking a chance that someone might overhear.
“No, she was unconscious when it happened, and there was no reason to have her be upset with both of her sons.”
I stared down at the ground and shook my head before saying, “You sacrificed so much––too much.”
His shrug made it obvious that he didn’t think it was as big of a deal as I did.
I tipped onto the balls of my feet to kiss him directly on his soft lips. After reluctantly pulling back, I infused sincerity into my voice when I said, “You’re a good man, Gage Tavish, and I’m falling head over heels in love with you.”
“Well, isn’t that something?” he asked with a wide grin before he continued, “Because I just so happen to already be madly in love with you, Avery Biggs.”
I beamed up at him before saying, “I’m going to need you to prove that to me with your body… over and over again.”
“Gladly,” he responded, just before we turned and raced––holding hands and giggling––to his truck.
27
Gage
Iknew Avery’s parents didn’t like me. Honestly, I couldn’t blame them. I wasn’t exactly the kind of man they probably envisioned their daughter ending up with. But I would win them over… eventually… I hoped.
Avery wanted to tell them that I had gone to prison for my brother’s crimes, but I couldn’t let her do that. Besides, I had another plan that, with a little luck, just might work.
I waited until I knew Avery was at the library studying, then went to her parents’ house. When her mother answered the door, it took her a moment to recognize me with my newly clean-shaven face and trim haircut, but once she did, her lips pursed just before she said in a clipped tone, “Avery’s not here.”
She moved to close the door in my face, so I quickly said, “I know. I’m here to see you and your husband.”
She considered me for so long, I began to wonder if she might not let me in. Eventually, her innate politeness kicked in, and she opened the large door before ushering me inside.
I held the bouquet of flowers I’d driven down to Portland to hand-select out toward her and said, “These are for you.”
After deciding they probably looked like a mismatched hodge-podge, I pointed to each bloom and explained, “The white gardenia represents gentleness and beauty, the peach gladiolus signifies strength of character, the purple iris expresses wisdom, and the yellow rose is a sign of deep caring. I see all of these magnificent traits in your amazing daughter, and I’m confident they were passed down to her from you.”
The woman’s hand fluttered to the thin column of her throat at my bold compliments, just before she said in a much warmer tone than she’d previously used, “Oh my… thank you.”
After she accepted the flowers from my outstretched hand, she graced me with the first smile I’d ever seen on her face. With complete honesty, I said, “It looks like Avery gets her beautiful smile from her mother, too.”
The woman practically tittered at my kind, sincere words, and I knew that half of this battle was won.
When she went to the kitchen to put the fresh-cut flowers into water, I turned my attention to Avery’s gruff father, who was glaring at me with his arms crossed. My flattery of his wife and daughter had obviously done nothing to ingratiate me to him.
“Hello, sir.” I held my hand out for a formal handshake.
His arms remained crossed over his chest and, for a moment, I wondered if he was going to leave me hanging. Eventually, he reached out to accept my hand, and we shared a firm handshake.
I swallowed down my significant nerves before asking, “Avery mentioned that you’re an avid fisherman, so I was hoping I could get your opinion on which of these would be the best, most durable fishing rod?”
