Chapter Nineteen

 

The bar at the inn was crowded for a weeknight, and all eyes were on Gunnar as soon as he walked in. Gianna felt bad for him. She knew he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but he couldn’t help it. Wherever he went, people stared. At least in Vista Falls most people respected his privacy.

They approached Gabby’s table and Gianna introduced him to the inn’s owner, Rush; his new bride, Taylor; Gabby’s husband, Colt; and his business partner, Wes; along with Wes’s wife and Gabby’s best friend, Sage.

It wasn’t until Levi jumped up to pull Gunnar into a back-slapping hug that Gianna realized how easy it had been for him to make a new friend here. She was glad. She knew how close he’d been with his bandmates, but now that they’d split, she didn’t know if they’d be able to maintain their friendship.

“Glad you guys could make it,” Rush said, grabbing two chairs from an adjoining table. “What can we get you to drink?”

“Uh, I’ll have a glass of Chardonnay, please,” Gianna said, snuggling in next to her man.

“You got it,” Rush said, jumping up. “How ’bout you, Gunnar?”

“A Bud sounds good to me. Thanks.”

“No problem.” He pointed to the bar. “We’re short-staffed tonight, so it’d probably be faster if I grabbed it myself. Be right back, guys.” He leaned over to kiss his wife before he walked away, which earned him a hard shove from his older brother, Wes.

Gunnar smiled at their antics before leaning in to hear something, Levi, who was seated on his other side, had to say.

“I can’t believe he’s really here,” Sage whispered, grabbing Gianna’s hand. “When I heard your ex was none other than the Gunnar Williams, I couldn’t believe it. How could you hold out on us like that?”

“It’s not that I was holding out on you,” Gianna said, feeling a twinge of guilt when she thought of how welcoming everyone had been since she arrived in town. “I just wanted to get to know everyone before I dropped a bombshell like that.”

“I can’t believe your kids were able to keep it a secret,” Taylor said, smiling. “Kudos to them. I mean seriously, what teenager wouldn’t want to brag that her dad and his band have pretty much dominated the Billboard charts for how many years now?”

“It’s been a long time.” Gianna didn’t follow Gunnar’s career as closely as she used to, but she knew all of his albums had gone platinum, sometimes several times, with one or two hit singles thrown in for good measure.

He winked at her as he pulled his chair in so he could chat with the rest of the guys while she filled the ladies in on their relationship.

“So, where do things stand with you two now?” Gabby asked, leaning over the table so her face was just a few inches from Gianna’s. “You guys looked pretty cozy when you came in. Does that mean you’ve worked everything out?”

“We’re still working on some things,” she said, thanking Rush when he handed her a glass of wine. “We don’t want to rush into anything. We want to get it right this time.”

“I heard through the grapevine that he bought a cottage on the lake,” Sage said. “Is that true?”

Gianna laughed. “That’s what I love about small towns. Nothing stays a secret for long.”

“Ha!” Gabby said, pointing at her. “Then it is true.” She frowned, letting her hand fall. “But what does that mean? Why isn’t he moving in with you and the girls?”

“Like I said, we’re taking it slow.” She wasn’t surprised her friends would have a hard time understanding. Most women would put the pedal to the metal with a guy like Gunnar, no questions asked. “We want it to be for keeps this time.” She took a sip of her wine. “It has to be. I couldn’t put the girls through that again.”

“They must be excited you guys are getting back together,” Sage said, smiling.

“They are, I think.” She thought about their blow-up the last time Gunnar left. As painful as it been for all of them, she thought it helped Gunnar to understand his daughters better, so it was worth it.

“Speaking of kids,” Sage said, grinning. “I hear ours have been spending a lot of time together.”

“They have?” Gianna liked to think she had a close relationship with her daughters, but when it came to boys, they often kept her out of the loop.

“Not that he’s come right out and told us they’re seeing each other or anything,” Sage said, rolling her eyes. “Because apparently kids don’t do that anymore.”

Gianna had heard the same thing from Keegan and Ramsey. Kids dated, hung out, went out together in groups, and undoubtedly had sex, but apparently, committed relationships among teens weren’t as common as they used to be. For which she was grateful. She wanted their daughters to explore the world, have fun, and find themselves before they found a partner.

“She has mentioned Nick,” Gianna said, thinking about her circle of friends. “And she’s brought him by the house a time or two with some of the other kids from school. But I didn’t realize they were…” She circled her hand in the air. “Uh, what are they anyway?”

Sage laughed. “Damned if I know. If I dare to ask him about girls, Nick just shuts me down.”

Gabby told Gianna that Sage and Wes put their son up for adoption when she got pregnant right after high school. Apparently, they’d all gone their separate ways and just reconnected within the past couple of years.

“I hear that,” Gianna said, sighing.

“Oh please,” Gabby said, nudging Sage. “We were exactly the same way when we were their age. Think about it. We were crazy about these two,” she said, inclining her head toward their husbands. “But can you imagine if our parents knew about some of the things we did?” She shuddered. “I’d have been grounded for a month.” She appeared thoughtful, tapping her finger against her lips. “Maybe ten.”

“It’s crazy to think about, isn’t it?” Sage asked. “I was Nick’s age when I fell in love with Wes. That seems so young to me now. Yet at the time, I thought we were so mature, that we knew what we wanted and we’d be together forever.”

“Well, you did end up together,” Taylor reminded her. “So, you must have had some sixth sense about Wes.”

Before Sage could respond, the guys took it up a notch, hooting and hollering until Gunnar finally jumped to his feet, hands raised in supplication.

Gianna grinned, anxious to hear him sing again. It had been a long time, and she’d missed seeing him play for an audience.

“I’m only doing this because they’re your friends,” Gunnar whispered in her ear as Rush ran up on stage to tell their patrons about the special treat he had in store for them.

“Really?” she asked, linking her arm around his neck. “From where I was sitting, it looked like you were having a pretty good time.” It had been a while since she’d seen him laugh so much, which was a relief after that phone call. She could kiss every one of her friends for helping take his mind off that.

“I was.” He brushed his lips across hers. “I like them. And I like it here. Feels good.” He kissed her again. “Feels like… home.”

Gianna felt a thrill as she watched him move through the cheering crowd, strapping on the guitar he’d borrowed from one of the guys in the band.

He adjusted the microphone and smiled at the crowd. “How you guys doin’ tonight?” He chuckled when people shouted out and a few tapped their beer bottles against the table. He sat on the stool in the middle of the small stage and fiddled with the guitar, presumably tuning it to his liking.

“Well, it’s been a little while since I’ve done this, so I hope you’ll all bear with me.”

Gunnar was born to the stage and as far as Gianna knew had never put on a bad show, but she loved that he’d remained humble and still worried about pleasing his crowd, no matter how big or small it was.

“Instead of playing something you might recognize,” he said, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “I was thinking maybe I could try something new on you tonight?” He grinned as his eyes moved around the room while people cheered his name and applauded. “Well, alright then.”

Gianna was mesmerized while he sang about a stupid boy who’d lost his girl to bad decisions and reckless ways. He talked about what he’d do and say if he ever got her back… and his eyes locked with hers.

The song was sweet… and haunting at the same time. And Gianna had no doubt every person in that room who had ever been in love before took the same journey with him. That song resonated with her in a way no other song, or even Gunnar’s own heartfelt words ever had.

“Wow,” Taylor whispered, fanning her face as Gunnar broke into one of his faster-paced hits that had the crowd singing and dancing after the rousing standing ovation they gave him for his new work. “That was just… wow. I’ve always been a fan of his music, but he just took it to a whole new level with that song, didn’t he?”

There was murmured assent around the table as Gianna continued to watch the man she loved with newfound appreciation. He was more than a singer or a talented guitar player. He was a storyteller, completely unafraid to bare it all for his fans, and that made her look at him in a whole new way. He was so incredibly brave to put it all out there the way he did. It inspired her to want to do the same.

When Gunnar wrapped it up after a few more songs, the band took over and Rush sat in with them to sing a few, joking that Gunnar was a tough act to follow, but he’d do his best.

Before Gunnar reached their table, Gianna stood, meeting him at the edge of the small dance floor. “Dance with me?” The song was an old favorite of hers from high school, one she hadn’t heard in years.

“Of course.” He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Damn, this feels good.”

She sighed contentedly before tipping her head back to look at him. “I remember dancing to this at my senior prom and thinking I was going to marry my date, Joey Corolla.” She laughed when he scowled. “He friended me on Facebook the other day. He’s a mechanic with a beer belly and a missing front tooth. I wouldn’t worry.”

He grunted. “I’ll always worry about another man taking you away from me, Gi.”

“You don’t have to.” She couldn’t believe how far they’d come in such a short time. It felt like the last and worst years of their relationship had never even happened. She was getting to know a side to Gunnar she had never even known existed and it made her love him even more. “There’s no one else I could ever want. I know that now.”

“So tell me, this, uh, Joey guy. What kind of life did you imagine having with him?”

She could scarcely remember anything about that time. It was only the song that triggered an isolated memory, but when she thought more about it, she said, “I guess I thought I was in love with him. We’d been together awhile, he was a pretty nice guy. He talked about taking over his dad’s body shop in town, which I guess is what he did.”

“Would that life have been enough for you?” he asked quietly. “Is that the life you wished you’d had?”

She knew he was still insecure about their relationship. She was too. It would take time for them both to have complete faith in what they had again. “I wouldn’t trade these years with you for anything. And not just because of the girls. You’ve been…” There were no words to describe how important he’d been to her. He helped her find herself all those years ago. She found her voice, her confidence. She learned what she wanted and didn’t want, liked and didn’t like, all because of him. “My everything.”

“You really feel that way?” he asked, looking a little stunned and awed.

“I do.” She smiled, tracing her thumb over his lips. “I won’t say it hasn’t been a wild ride, being with you. It has. It’s been terrifying at times.” She thought about the first time she had to walk a red carpet on his arm with flashbulbs going off in her face. “It’s been exhilarating.” There were incredible trips to exotic places that not even a camera lens could capture. “It’s been scary.” She thought of all the nights lying in bed, wondering where he was and why he hadn’t come home or called. “It’s made me sad.” She thought of all the times she thought of leaving… then stayed. “But more than anything, it’s given me the kind of life that high school senior who danced with Joey couldn’t even have imagined.”

“I’m sorry…” He bit his lip as he focused on something over her shoulder. “For making you sad.”

“Hey,” she said, guiding his face back to hers. “We made each other sad. That’s what people in relationships do sometimes, Gunnar. It goes with the territory.”

He nodded, but didn’t look convinced.

“Come on, you think we won’t fight from here on out?” She laughed, slapping his chest. “Two hot heads like us? I’d say that’s a given.” She wanted to make him smile, but more than anything, she wanted to erase those faint lines of worry bracketing his beautiful hazel eyes.

“But you won’t leave me again?” he asked, breaking her heart with the question. “Even if we do fight, you promise you won’t leave me again?”

She fought the tears as she hugged him hard and promised, “I won’t leave you again.”

 

***

 

Gunnar walked through Gianna’s door and stopped dead in his tracks. His oldest daughter sprawled out on the couch… making out with a boy.

“What the hell’s going on here?” he demanded.

“Dad!” Keegan scrambled back on the couch as the boy jumped up, raking his hands through his hair as he grabbed his running shoes from the floor.

“Gunnar,” Gianna said, curling her hand around his bicep. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?” He turned to glare at her. “Did you not just see what I saw? This horny little bastard with his hands all over our daughter, his tongue half-way down her goddamn throat!” He turned his fury on Keegan. “What’s he even doing here? I didn’t hear you ask permission to have friends over tonight.”

“I was going to,” Keegan said, shooting a pleading look in her mother’s direction. “But I knew you guys wouldn’t be cool with me having a boy over when you weren’t here.” She glanced at the digital readout on the TV box. “I didn’t realize how late it was. Nick was supposed to be gone by the time you got back.”

“Nick?” Gunnar’s eyes narrowed as the kid blushed at the mention of his name. “You’re Wes and Sage’s son?” Wes had mentioned to Gunnar that he thought his son may have a thing for Keegan, but he didn’t think anything of it. Until now.

“Yes, sir.” Nick looked at the floor, shoving his hands in his pocket.

Gunnar was torn. The father in him wanted to tear the kid a new one, but the teenage boy he’d once been wanted to cut him some slack. “Why don’t you and I have a word outside?”

Nick swallowed, looking even more terrified as Keegan groaned. “Dad, why can’t you just let it go? It’s no big deal. It’s not like you walked in on us—”

“Enough out of you,” Gunnar said, pointing at her before she could put any more gut-churning images in his head. “I’ll deal with you later.”

“You think you can just walk in here and take over?” Keegan asked, jumping up. “It’s not even your house! Even when we did live with you, you didn’t care what we did. So, why all of a sudden are you so determined to act like a father?”

Gunnar knew she was lashing out because he’d embarrassed her in front of her friend, but that didn’t excuse her behavior. “Well guess what? I am here now and you’re going to have to get used to that ’cause I’m not going anywhere.”

“Great,” she murmered, rolling her eyes.

“Nick.” Gunnar opened the door while Gianna stepped back, raising an eyebrow in question. He inclined his head toward Keegan, indicating she should have a little chat with their daughter about where stupid decisions could lead if teenagers weren’t careful. “Outside?”

“Um, sure.” He looked over his shoulder. “See you tomorrow at school, Keegan.”

She mouthed “Sorry” and closed her eyes, looking dejected.

They stepped out on the porch and Gunnar grabbed the railing, leaning over it slightly as he took a deep breath. “Look, kid,” he said finally when it looked like Nick was about ready to jump out of his skin. “I haven’t forgot what it was like to be a teenager. Lord knows I was no angel.” He sat on the railing and crossed his arms, staring at Nick. “But here’s the deal. I’m Keegan’s father. That means it’s my job to protect her from guys who just want to take advantage of her.”

“Sir, it’s not like that,” Nick said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I really like her. Like, a lot.”

Gunnar didn’t know Nick’s family well, but Wes and Sage seemed like good people, so he wanted to give the kid the benefit of the doubt. “You’re young, though I suspect not as young as my daughter. Am I right?”

“I’m seventeen,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Seventeen,” Gunnar repeated. “I know in the big scheme of things two years seems like nothing, but at your age, two years may as well be ten. You’re probably into things Keegan just isn’t ready for.”

“And I’d never pressure her into anything,” he said, raising his hands. “I swear I wouldn’t.”

“I believe you, but that’s not really what this is about, is it?” Gunnar wasn’t naïve enough to believe fifteen- and seventeen-year-old’s weren’t making out, and much more, every day. But when it was his daughter doing it, he couldn’t deal. He still thought of her as his little girl, and probably always would. “This is about you two getting in over your head, not just physically, emotionally too. You know this isn’t the time for that, Nick. You’re probably heading off to college soon, right?”

“Hopefully.”

“Good.” One less thing to worry about. “So, why start something with Keegan if you’re not even going to be here to see it through?”

Nick raised a shoulder. “No offense, Mr. Williams, but—”

“Gunnar.”

He blushed. “Uh, no offense, Gunnar, but at our age, it’s tough to think past tomorrow, ya know what I mean?”

“No.” He looked him in the eye. “You know why? ’Cause when I was your age, I wasn’t thinking about what college I was going to go to on my daddy’s dime. Hell, I didn’t even know who my daddy was. I was thinking about how I was going to scrounge up enough money for my next meal. I was thinking about which one of my friends might let me crash on their couch, or how I was going to get a job and not get kicked out of school.”

“Sorry,” Nick said, leaning against the porch post. “I didn’t mean—”

“Hey, it’s okay. I get it.” He raised his hand. “You don’t have those problems, and I’m glad you don’t. But you’re going to have even bigger problems if you don’t think before you act, kid. Tell me something.” He waited until Nick looked at him before he asked, “You think things would have gone any further if Gianna and I hadn’t walked in when we did?”

Nick looked like he was hoping he’d fall through the porch as he muttered, “I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Oh yeah? You got a condom?”

“Jesus.” He swiped a hand over his mouth. “No. I mean, I don’t think things would’ve gone that far.”

“Then you’ve never been with a girl?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So you have.” Which meant he was probably hoping it would happen again. With his daughter. Gunnar tried to remind himself he was just a teenage boy doing what teenage boys do, but when he thought about his daughter, who he tried so hard to protect, making a split-second decision that could ruin her entire life, he saw red.

“Look, I don’t think you’re a bad guy.” Had it not been for Gianna’s relationship with Sage and Wes, he probably would have come down a lot harder on him. But he had to remind himself he wasn’t in L.A. anymore, and in small towns, everyone knew everyone else’s business. “I just think you’re too old and experienced for my daughter. When the time is right, which hopefully won’t be for a while if I have anything to say about it, she needs to find someone her own age.”

Nick looked at Gunnar a long time, but remained silent.

“You obviously want to say something to me,” Gunnar said finally. “So, just say it.”

“You don’t know how I feel about her. And you don’t know that some guy her own age would take better care of her than I could.”

Gunnar stared at him, a little stunned to be challenged, as he waited for Nick to plead his case.

“Just because we’re young, you think we’re too dumb to know what we want. The same thing happened to my parents,” he said, sounding bitter. “My parents gave me up for adoption just ’cause my grandparents told them they could never make it. But they did make it. They’re married now and successful and—”

“Nick, what the hell are you saying, that you’re in love with my daughter?”

He squared his shoulders, looking Gunnar in the eye, though he could tell he was terrified. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“You guess?” Gunnar couldn’t even call him to task because he’d already shown more courage than Gunnar himself had throughout his entire relationship with Gianna. He’d found the guts to express his feelings. “You don’t sound too sure of yourself.”

“I just know that I’ve never felt like this before,” he said, linking his hands behind his neck as he turned in a slow circle. “Sure, I’ve been with girls before, had girlfriends, but Keegan’s different. She’s amazing, man.”

Gunnar had to smirk and he held his hand over his face to hide it. Suddenly, he wasn’t talking to him like his girlfriend’s scary father anymore. He was talking to him like he was one of the guys, and Gunnar realized maybe his daughter could do worse than Nick.

“You’re right. She is pretty amazing.” At least Nick realized that.

“When I first came here to live with my parents, I wasn’t so crazy about it either. Not that I was from L.A. or anything, but still, I missed my friends and teammates and school. And my adoptive parents. I missed them too.”

Gunnar suddenly realized Nick hadn’t had it as easy as he’d assumed. “You said something about your adoptive parents? What happened to them?”

“Well, my dad died.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, it was rough at the time.” He sank down on the porch swing, crossing his foot over his knee. “Then my mom remarried and my step-dad and I didn’t really see eye-to-eye. He wanted to retire and move away. My mom tried to convince him to stay ’til I finished high school, but he was determined to move out to the middle of nowhere and homeschool me.” He scowled, looking at ground. “Can you imagine being homeschooled in high school? That would seriously suck.”

Gunnar tried to keep a straight face. His friends were the only thing that got him through high school, so he could understand why Nick wouldn’t want to lose that connection. “I guess it would. So, how’d you end up here in Vista Falls with your birth parents?”

“I’d already started talking to them,” Nick explained. “Coming out to see them on weekends and during vacations, so when my parents decided they were moving, my mom talked to Sage and Wes and worked it out so I could stay with them ’til I left for college.”

“I’m sure they’re happy to have this time with you.” Gunnar knew he would be in their position.

“Yeah, I think it’s been good for all of us.”

Nick was mature beyond his years and Gunnar knew that could only come from one thing: life experience. He’d lived more and experienced more loss than a lot of people twice his age. “So, you ever see your adoptive mother and step-dad?”

“Yeah, I spend a couple of weeks with them every summer. We talk on the phone and email too.” He shrugged. “She’s cool, but I don’t think I’ll ever get along with him. He just doesn’t like kids, I guess.”

Sounded a lot like the foster parents Gunnar had growing up. They just didn’t like kids. They liked the money the government gave them every month though. That’s the only reason they let him stick around.

Nick looked up, giving Gunnar a half-smile. “I’m not even gonna lie. Sittin’ here talking to you like this, it’s surreal, man.”

“Oh yeah?” Gunnar cocked an eyebrow, thinking how much this kid reminded him of himself at seventeen.

“I mean, your music is cool and all, but when Keegan told me who her dad was, I never thought…” He shook his head. “I didn’t even think I’d get to meet you, let alone talk to you like this.”

Keegan must have given Nick the impression her father wasn’t a big part of her life, which hurt, because up to that point, it had been true. “Well, I for one am glad we got to talk like this.” He gestured back and forth between them. “Gave us a chance to work some things out, don’t you think? Come to an understanding.”

“Uh, sure?”

Gunnar chuckled. “So, let’s recap, maybe set some ground rules if you’re going to keep seeing my daughter.” He’d already accepted the fact there was nothing he could do to keep them apart, so he hoped they’d be respectful if he tried to be reasonable about their relationship.

“Okay.”

“From now on, you’re not welcome here unless Gianna or myself are home, got it?” Since this wasn’t technically his home yet, he didn’t expect to be spending a lot of time there in the immediate future, but Nick didn’t need to know that.

“Got it.”

“Look, Nick, I didn’t want to like you. But I think I do.”

He grinned. “Really?” He whipped his phone out. “You like me enough for a selfie?”

“Let’s not get carried away,” Gunnar said, laughing. “Maybe someday, when I learn to like you a little more.”

Nick laughed, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “Fair enough.”

“I’m okay with you and Keegan going out to movies and stuff, maybe grabbing a burger from time to time, but I don’t want her getting serious with anyone. I meant it when I said I think she’s too young to get serious with anyone.”

He nodded. “Doesn’t mean I can help how I feel about her though.”

Gunnar appreciated his honesty… and suspected he’d be getting that damn selfie real soon. “Fine, but just keep things in perspective, okay? Remember that you’re older and more experienced than she is. She’s never been in love before.” As far as he knew. “And if she develops feelings for you and you go away to college, well, that’s gonna break her heart, and I don’t want to see that happen. I don’t think you do either, right?”

“It’ll suck,” Nick said, cracking his knuckles. “I know we’ve only known each other a couple of months, but already it’s tough for me to imagine not seeing her every day.”

“And that never gets easier, trust me.” The months he had to spend away from Gianna and the girls while he was touring always felt like years.

“Keegan said you and her mom, were, uh, separated. But you’re… back?”

“Yeah, I’m back.” He smiled. “Hopefully for good this time.”