Chapter 12

Gage

I was happy things were working out, and we’d worked through another crisis, but Ollie was still in her room sulking, and I needed to speak with Edna about that.

I hated to beg anyone for anything, unless it was Lauren for sex, which was more of a role-playing game than anything, but, like that, this was a special circumstance. Lauren had left my office to go talk to Ollie, and I had thought it best to give them a little time while I got ready to make the call.

I went to sit behind my desk and then played with my phone a moment while I got my mood straight to talk to the old woman. I knew that things had turned out okay with the cake, Chloe, and even Reed, since she’d agreed not to screw with my life by getting involved with that suit against James, but this was the big problem, the last one that would set the mood for the rest of our lives together.

I took a deep breath and dialed before I let myself get too overtaken by what it could mean if I had to share Ollie back and forth again.

“Hello, Gage. I hope you called me with good news. Please tell me you’ve come to your senses and you’re going to have Ollie come stay with me.”

“Edna. Ollie doesn’t want to do the back and forth thing again. And I know you’ve probably already talked to your lawyers, but I’m calling to ask you to rethink things. We can come to some kind of reasonable solution, and I think us talking is the way to get there.”

“Reasonable solution? I want to see my granddaughter more. I’d like her to come stay with me. Make it happen.” She was in a shitty mood again it seemed, but I was willing to talk to her as long as she could watch her tone and remain calm.

“Tell me something, if you get your way and it hurts Ollie’s feelings, will it be worth it? Especially if she grows up resenting you for it?”

“I’m lonely, and she’s all I have. You don’t know what it is to lose a child. I thought if I got away for a while, that I would heal, but then I realized that Ollie is the only link I have to my daughter, and while I’ll never stop mourning her, I have a lot of life to live and love to give, too. I just want to be able to share what little time I have left on this earth with someone who cares about me. Even if it’s only every other week or every so many months.”

Crap. I hadn’t thought that this had to do with Edna losing Katrina, but I guess it made sense. Ollie had gone to live with her at a time when she was still mourning the loss of her daughter. And although she’d never used Ollie to fill that hole, she thought now she could. Before, she was just escaping her pain, but she finally learned that pain from that kind of loss doesn’t go away so easily for some.

“Edna, I’m not trying to keep her from you. I think it’s important that you are a part of her life. So, I’m willing to offer you a deal.”

“A reasonable solution?” The old woman laughed. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, you’ve spent some time away from home once already, and you were going to sell that house, so tell me, what if you moved closer back here to Gatlinburg? I could help you find a nice house.”

“And live close to you and your new woman?”

“Yes, and close to our son, too. He’s Ollie’s brother, and while I know he’s not your blood, I think it would help him to have you close, too. You could come and see us on holidays, and this way, Ollie is able to go over after school and stay a few nights here and there. The long commute isn’t going to work for her, Edna.”

“Your wife wouldn’t like it.”

“She’d hate having to send Ollie nearly an hour away for weeks at a time. They are very close. Besides, Lauren is a nice woman, she’d love to get to know you, and since she’s lost her mother, maybe the two of you could get along.”

“I’ll think about it. I’m not sure how much I can get for this old house I’m in.”

“I’ll help you with a reasonable home. Hell, I’ll have you one built. But let’s work together on this for Ollie’s sake.”

“You’ll build me a house?” I could tell that she liked the idea of that, and then she made a sound like she was thinking. “You still have your parents’ house?”

“It’s being rented.” She wasn’t getting my parents’ house that was a good twenty minutes away.

“Then I want a house near you. In your neighborhood, where Ollie could come over anytime she wanted.”

“Fine.” I crossed my fingers hoping that Lauren would be okay with it, and for the first time in a while, I was truly thankful to be wealthy and a contractor.

“If this is how you want it,” said Edna. “I’d like to come down and see the area.”

“How would you like to come down this week and attend my wedding?”

“Do you think it’s okay with your bride-to-be?”

“Sure, she’ll love it. Then you can see Ollie, and we’ll discuss where you’re going to live.” Footsteps brought my head around as Lauren and Ollie walked into the room.

Lauren gave me a suspicious look, but they waited until Edna and I said our goodbyes.

“Was that Edna? Is she coming here?”

“I don’t want to go there, Daddy.”

“You don’t have to, baby. Not ever.”

Lauren gave me a stern look. She’d warned me about making promises. “Gage.” She shook her head.

“No, I’m serious. It’s all worked out now. There will be no courts or judges, and everything will be better than ever.” I put my hands in my pockets and gave my girls a smile.

“What did you do, Gage, and will I like it?”

“I hope you do. I mean, I had to come up with something.” I shrugged, but she gave me a sideward look.

“Tell me.”

“Yeah, Daddy. Tell us.” Ollie walked over and rested her head against my desk.

“Well, I kind of told Edna that since Ollie doesn’t want to go away all the time, but would still love to see her, perhaps it would be better if she lived closer and maybe then she’d see Ollie more.”

“She’s going to sell her house and move to Gatlinburg?” That didn’t seem like such a horrible idea to her. “I think that could work, but I’m still not doing the back and forth. That’s ridiculous.”

“You wouldn’t have to. She wants to live close enough that Ollie could see her anytime she wanted.”

“You didn’t tell her she could move in, did you?” The wary look on her face made me think she’d go for anything but that.

“Nope, even better. Especially for Ollie. I told her that we’d build her a house close by.”

“Close by, as in our backyard close by?” The property was actually Lauren’s, but I didn’t think she’d mind.

“It will increase the value, and if she didn’t need it after a while, we’d have a guest house.”

“You know, it’s not a bad idea. I have to hand it to you, Gage, you sure do know how to use all of that money of yours to an advantage.” She gave a little laugh. “Ollie, do you want Grandma Edna to build a house next to this one?”

Ollie’s eyes lit up. “You mean, she’d stay for always?”

“Yes, and you could run over there any time you wanted.”

“Awesome!” She pumped her little fist and cheered.

“Looks like you’ve got it all figured out, after all.” Lauren came around and gave me a hug and a kiss as Ollie continued to cheer and then ran to the window seat.

“That’s right, baby. I told you it would all come together. And best of all, in another week, I get to be your husband. No more Patrick and Riley. I can’t wait until you have my name.”

“It really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, of course. All of my life, I wanted to share my name with my wife. I guess you could say that was my one wedding dream. That and carrying you over the threshold.”

“Then now, both of our dreams will be coming true.” She gave a wide smile, but staring into her eyes, I felt mine already had.