Page 16 of Out of Bounds
She’s been gone now for twelve years and her father has been waiting for me to be ready to let her go. This summer is the first I’ve thought of taking that trip and in the same breath parting with her.
Mom taps my shoulder and I look back at her.
“I think you are better,” She states. “More healed than you think. You must be if you’re planning on taking the trip. It’s a good thing. It means something’s healed in you.”
“Yeah, sure. And thanks.”
Mom smiles proudly and I return to my focus to open road ahead and to my thoughts.
She’s right in a way. I must have healed somewhat. I don’t know what’s sparked the healing process after so long but maybe time is finally doing the trick.
To be honest, however, I feel like I’ve been wandering around on a desert island for the last decade. Maybe before that too. I spent the years before Amelia trying to work out my anger issues toward my father and the years after her death trying to find myself.
The only time in my life when I had some reprieve was when I was with her.
I can’t explain it because she was also another good girl who shouldn’t have been with a guy like me.
After she died, I finished college and then I became a cop, like her father. By then he’d retired and moved to Florida to start over. A little similar to what my grandfather is about to do. For Amelia’s father, though, it was more about starting over after losing everything.
My grandfather is retiring to head to Italy, where he’s purchased a vineyard and decided he wants to spend the rest of his days there.
Good for him.
We turn down the road leading to his manor home, and I think of how this meeting will go.
At least it can’t be anything like my meeting with Bree the other night.
Everything Logan and I hoped for in getting that bastard happened. We got the names of the people we needed to close the case on our end and the feds can take over. There’s a just a few legal matters that I need to talk to my other friend Bryce about. He’s a lawyer I work with when I have these types of cases.
I thought of going to see Bree yesterday but stopped myself when I realized it would freak her out and I’d just dig a deeper hole for myself.
I don’t know what it is with me and her, but she fascinates me.
It’s an unhealthy fascination I have to sort out before it gets me in trouble.
I gaze down the road and the house comes into view. There are large wrought iron gates that open for us when we approach.
I drive straight in and moments later I pull up on the drive right in front of a home that looks like it was plucked from somewhere in Europe.
Diane, my grandfather’s new wife comes out to greet us in her usual heartwarming way when we step out of the car.
She’s been married to my grandfather for the last five years. At fifty-eight, she’s twenty years younger than my grandfather and eight years older than my mother, but they’re happy.
When my grandmother died, my grandfather was by himself for twenty years so I’m glad they’re doing this.
“I’m so glad you’re both here,” Diane beams hugging Mom then me.
“We’re glad too,” Mom beams.
“Wait until you see the flowers that came in this morning. I got you some and some stuff from that shop you loved last time you were here.”
Diane has a way of being a mother to everyone including my mother.
“Thanks so much.”
“Come let’s go in. Mac’s inside in one of his moods.”
Which means he’s fully in his no-bullshit business mode.
