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Love & Family - Holidays in Hallbrook (Book 2)

By Elsie Davis

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Chapter One

Gemma paused in the doorway of her mother’s room, balancing a breakfast tray. It saddened her to see her mom this quiet and distant, the wing-back chair engulfing her petite frame as she sat stoically, staring out the window. It had been this way since Gemma’s stepfather passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack a few months ago.

Amy Watson was a private person, and she only did this when she thought no one was watching. “Good morning, Mother. I brought tea and some of your favorite sweet treats from Carlyle’s.”

Her mother glanced up, the smile on her face erasing the shadow of sadness. “Good morning, dear. You didn’t have to stop there. I’ve been eating far too many of Maggie’s treats lately.”

“They’re as much for me as they are for you. Her pastries are the best in Syracuse as far as I’m concerned.” Gemma shot her mother a conspiratorial grin. “It gives me the excuse I need to indulge.”

“Like you need an excuse. You’re thin and active and could eat as many as you want and never gain an ounce.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way. So why are you sitting up here and staring out the window again? I know something’s bothering you, and I wish you’d tell me what’s going on in your head.”

Gemma had tried talking to her mother on several occasions but to no avail. She’d keep trying until this stage of indecision and grief past. At forty-five, her mother was too young to hide out in her room and avoid life.

“Just thinking.” Her mother took the cup of tea from her. “Thank you, dear. Your visit is a pleasant surprise.”

“Don’t try to change the subject. What are you thinking about?” she persisted. Gemma placed the pastries on the side table, grabbed one, and took a seat on the bed.

Her mother’s hands twisted together in her lap. She shook her head. “It’s complicated and Mark’s death…Well, I’m just trying to understand.”

It was the first time her mother showed a glimpse of opening up, and Gemma needed to tread carefully if she wanted her to continue. “Understand what?”
There was a long pause of silence before she answered. “My life.” Her mother let out a deep breath.

“I’m not sure I understand.” Gemma smiled, encouraging her mom to say more.
“Do you think I made Mark happy?”

“Of course.” Talk about a bomb out of nowhere. “Why would you even ask such a thing?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that we seemed so sedentary the past twelve years. And now, he’s gone, and I’m not sure what’s left of that life.”

“You were sedentary because Mark enjoyed a quiet, organized existence. He loved accounting, and he loved you. He was able to enjoy both all day. I know he always had a ready smile for you, even when you weren’t watching, so yeah, I’d say you made him happy.”

“Good. That’s good.” It was a strange answer and one that worried Gemma.
“Mom, what’s going on?”

Her mother shrugged as she started to lift her hands before dropping them back in her lap. “It’s just with him gone, I want to know I did right by marrying him. That I made his life better.”

“You know you made his world brighter. Why are you second-guessing everything? Now of all times.” Gemma pulled one knee up on the bed to get more comfortable.
“I’ve agreed to sell Mark’s half of the accounting firm to Anthony. As Mark’s assistant, there’s nothing for me to do now, and his clients needed to be transferred to someone else. Anthony is going to bring another partner into the business to handle the client overload.”

“I think that was a smart move. I’m not sure your dream job was to be an accounting assistant. What do you want to do now?” She took a sip of tea, keeping a close eye on her mother, trying to get a feel for what to say, how to help.

“I don’t know. I’ve always had to worry about others. Mark’s gone, and you’re all grown up and quite self-sufficient. This is the first time no one needs me, and I’m at a loss of what to do next.” Her mother gazed out the window again.
“Then take the time to find out. Get out of the house. Go places. Go to church. Meet people. And for the record, I’ll always need you.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She turned back to Gemma and smiled. “You’re a compassionate young woman, and I’m lucky to have you as my daughter.”

“Even luckier, since I’m here this weekend to help you clean out this room and not the other way around. Call it payback time.” Somewhere along the way from child to adult, Gemma had decided she preferred a clean room, and after years of her mother having to pick up after her, she was determined to help.
“You don’t have to do that.”

Yes, she did. “You sit right there, and all you have to do is tell me which box to put Mark’s things in. Then, I’ll haul the stuff up to the attic, to a charity, or wherever else you want his belongings to go.”

“It doesn’t seem right, but if you insist. The idea of sitting here and sipping my tea sounds far more appealing.”

Gemma grabbed the boxes in the corner and placed them on the bed. She emptied Mark’s side of the dresser, putting all his clothes in a box she marked as donations.

“What would you say if I told you I wanted to go away for a week or so?”
Gemma paused mid-way from the dresser to the box, surprised and excited her mother had considered a getaway of such magnitude.

“I was thinking of stopping by Mark’s mother’s house and dropping off some of his personal belongings and to check in on her. After that, I might head to Colorado Springs for a getaway.”

“It sounds perfect and exactly what you need. What a wonderful idea.” Gemma’s smile was one of pure happiness, knowing her mother would be all right. This was just the beginning.

“I’d be home for Thanksgiving, of course. I would never leave you here alone and without family during a holiday.”

“Mom, I’d be fine. I know how to cook, even if it’s just for one.” How hard could cooking a turkey be? And think of the leftovers she could put in her freezer for loads of easy meals. With the dresser empty, Gemma started in on the clothes hanging in the closet.

“Still, I’d prefer to be here.”

“Whatever you want. What will you do in Colorado Springs?” She dropped the first load of clothes on the bed and removed the hangers, folding the suits into a neat pile and placing them in the donation box.

“There’s a meditational spa resort there. I saw it on the internet the other day, and it sounds heavenly. It’ll be the perfect place for me to relax and figure out what I want to do next with my life.”

“Hey, you could always work with me as an event planner. You have lots of amazing ideas. But the resort sounds enjoyable, and I think you should do it.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m sure you don’t need me underfoot. Not to mention, the ideas are only part of what you do. It’s a lot more complicated than what I want at this stage of my life.”

Her mother continued to talk about the resort while Gemma finished the clothes.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help? This doesn’t seem right.” Her mother started to get up.

“No. I’ve got it. Not much left anyway, and then we can call to have someone come pick the stuff up. Have another pastry and enjoy letting someone else do the work.”

Gemma pulled a huge box down off the top shelf of the closet. It was heavy enough she set it on the floor and started to empty stuff off the top to lighten the load. Halfway down, she found a photo album with her name written on the front.

It was an album she’d never seen before. She opened the cover and froze. Her eyes teared up as she pieced together what she was seeing. Page after page, there were newspaper clippings of a bull rider. Chad Andrews.

The Bullbuster.

Her father? It couldn’t be true. There had to be some other explanation. For years, she’d wanted to know who he was, but would never ask the question. Not after the first time.

Once had been enough.

She remembered the day as if it were yesterday. She’d come home from school crying after some of the other girls taunted her about not having a father, and she’d asked her mom why she didn’t have a daddy. Her mother’s answer still echoed in her head. Your daddy was too foolish to realize what a priceless gem you would be, and he left. But I will always love you, sweet Gemma.

At five years old, the message she’d gotten was that her daddy didn’t want or love her. And the message stuck. She realized now she must have caught her mother in a weak moment, because other than that once, she’d never heard another word about her father. Until now. Gemma’s hands shook as she took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her emotions.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed Chad Andrews, legendary professional bull rider, would turn out to be her father. She knew of him, who didn’t? He’d hailed from Hallbrook, New Hampshire, a small town about fifteen minutes north of where she and her mother used to live in Glen Haven.

Gemma remembered the last time they attended a PBR rodeo event in Concord. She was ten, and they’d watched as the Bullbuster hung on to a beast of a bull for eight seconds, much to the delight of the crowd cheering on their local favorite. He’d gone on to win the event, but it was the first, last, and only time Gemma had seen him in person.

Her father.

“You okay in there?” her mother called out, concern in her voice.

It was time to find out the truth. Gemma stepped out of the closet, clutching the photo album to her chest. “Who is he?” Her voice squeaked as she asked the question.

Her mother’s hand froze in midair, and she started to rise, setting the cup of tea down as she did. “Gemma, I’m sorry. That’s not how I wanted you to find out.” She held her hand to her chest, anguish etched on her face.

“So, it’s true. He’s my father?” Gemma waited for the words to confirm what she already knew in her heart.

“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But you never asked, and I figured you didn’t want to know. I thought you would talk to me about it when you were ready. I should have remembered the album was in there. I’m so sorry.”

“Why do you have this album? And why did you stop adding to it? I can’t believe this.” Gemma sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I made it for you, knowing one day you might want to know about him. I stopped when I married Mark because it seemed wrong to continue.” Her mother touched her arm, her lily-of-the-valley fragrance surrounding Gemma like a cloak.

Gemma closed her eyes, desperate to calm the pounding in her head, as she tried to focus. “So, what happened? And for the record, I did ask once. You told me he left because he was too foolish to stay and realize what he had with us. Is this what he left for?” She held up the album. “The rodeo?”

“Oh, dear. I shouldn’t have said that to you. You couldn’t have been more than five at the time, and I was still upset. Things were tough back then, but it was wrong of me to say those things. I’d hoped you’d forgotten. To answer your question, yes, he left for the rodeo. But it worked out for the best the way it did, didn’t it?” Her mother’s brow was drawn tight with lines of worry.

“If you say so.” Not exactly how Gemma would describe her childhood. Best would have been having her father around the way other kids did.

“You liked Mark, didn’t you?” Insecurity echoed in her mother’s voice.

“We didn’t have much in common, but he was fine. Nothing not to like.” There was no sense in hurting her mother. Mark was okay, he just wasn’t her real father. Not that Gemma had ever given him the chance to be one.

She’d been too stubborn to open her heart, preferring to swallow the bitter pill of rejection by her father, all by herself. The only person she’d ever really talked to was Katie, her friend back in Glen Haven. But even then, Katie couldn’t understand. After all, she had a mother and a father.

Gemma had thought she’d put it all behind her but finding out who her father was opened old wounds. “Maybe we should take a break for now. This is a lot to absorb. Please don’t get upset, but I think I’ll go to my old bedroom for a bit. I need some space to take this all in. I’ll finish up later.”

Her mother wrapped her arms around her, holding Gemma close. “I understand. I’m here if you have any questions. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”

“It’s not your fault, Mom. I should have asked more about him sooner.” Gemma pulled back, anxious to be alone and to check out the album.

Walking into her old room, she stopped, taking in all the childhood memories that assailed her whenever she visited. Her mom had never gotten around to changing it after she left. Her oversized stuffed panda bear still lay on the bed, along with countless posters she’d taped to the walls over the years. All her softball awards still hung on the walls, her trophies on the dresser.

Softball had been her place to excel, a place to learn confidence, and a place where not having her own father to celebrate the joy of success and the misery of defeat didn’t matter quite as much. Because on the team, every dad out there with his own daughter was also Gemma’s staunch supporter. As the league’s number one shortstop, and with the second-highest RBI average, Gemma had commanded lots of fatherly attention.

Chalk one up to Chad Andrews. She’d clearly gotten her athleticism from him.
Mark, on the other hand, had zero interest in sports. Always the accountant, never the sportsman. No one could have predicted he would have a heart attack at the age of fifty-three, and it seemed crazy to think he was gone forever. He’d done his best, but the two of them were on opposite sides of the spectrum. But Gemma was glad her mom had him in her life. She was a beautiful woman who hadn’t deserved the life she’d been dealt. Being a single mother hadn’t been easy, but she’d made it work.

The question now became, what did Gemma do with the information? It wasn’t as if she could undo what she’d learned, not that she wanted to. What was done was done.

Gemma pulled up the internet browser on her phone and typed in Chad Andrews. Within seconds, she had tons of information at her fingertips. She scrolled through the listings to get some of the most up-to-date facts.
Career Status: Retired. Two-time PBR champion.

Residence: Hallbrook, New Hampshire. Seriously? He’d moved back after he retired, which meant if they’d never left Glen Haven, maybe she would have found out about him sooner.

Marital Status: Single. Never married. Serves him right.

Children: None. Total lie. She was tempted to update the website, but just couldn’t make herself do it. She didn’t want to be his daughter, so announcing it to the world served no purpose. It was better left alone.

Hallbrook.

Katie Daniels still lived in Glen Haven. Maybe it was time to pay her friend a visit, and while she was there, she’d stop in to pay a visit to dear old Dad. The timing couldn’t be better. With her mother leaving town for a few days, she wouldn’t have to worry about her being alone.

It was an opportunity to confront her birth father, give him a piece of her mind, and then leave without ever looking back. Gemma wanted closure on a past she once dreamed of, a past made impossible by the choices Chad made twenty-four years ago.

She closed the album after she finished going through every article, shaking her head in disgust. It was one thing to think of your dad as some loser who’d just moved on with his life. It was quite another to realize he’d moved on to chase his dreams and ride the rodeo circuit instead of sticking around to help raise his daughter.

It didn’t matter that both her parents would have been eighteen years old, and it didn’t matter if it was an accidental pregnancy. He should’ve stuck around, and he should’ve been there to watch her grow up.

Gemma went in search of her mother and found her in the kitchen. “Did you know he moved back to Hallbrook?”

The guilty expression on her mother’s face was all the answer she needed. “Yes.” Her mother twisted the dishtowel in her hands.

“I’m going to see him,” Gemma announced, confronting her mother with her decision.

“I think that’s an excellent idea. I’m sure he’d love to meet you.” Wait, what? Not the answer she expected.

“Probably not. I’m not going for a friendly visit. I just want to give him a piece of my mind—for both of us. I want closure.”

Her mother moved to stand next to her, reaching out to touch her arm. “It was a long time ago, honey. Maybe you should give him a chance.”

“Why would you of all people want me to give him a chance?”

“Because sometimes people change. We make mistakes. We make choices we regret. I fell in love with your father for a reason. It just didn’t work out for us. Give it time to find out how you feel, and if you still don’t like him, then walk away. Trust your judgment, but only after you’ve met him.” Tears rolled down her mother’s cheeks, and she brushed them away.

The last thing Gemma expected was for her mother to defend her father. It was almost too much to bear. “We’ll see.”
 

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