The Brightest Sunset

Fuck. Okay. Perhaps Charlotte had been right and I should have told them she was coming and given them an update on the last week and our whole together thing.

“Okay. And I will give you that information, but lay off Char—”

“It’s okay, Porter,” Charlotte said, catching my arm. Stepping around me, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders. “Mrs. Reese, I can understand your hesitance about me. Quite honestly, I was hesitant about coming here today too. I feared I’d be seen exactly the way you are looking at me now. As some sort of person who snatched your grandson away from you. Porter’s an amazing man, but I think his love for me has blinded him to how truly unique our situation is for everyone involved. All of us have had our lives rocked due to the decisions that were made for us without our knowledge or our consent. I didn’t want to lose Lucas ten years ago any more than you wanted to lose Travis two weeks ago. But both things happened and neither of us are at fault for that.”

She sucked in a breath, the color slowly creeping back into her cheeks. “I’m sure you remember that first day at Porter’s house when I realized Travis was my son. It wasn’t pretty. But it was definitely real. I love him. As I know you do too. Tanner told me the other day that Travis was the answer to all of our questions. So yeah, we’re here today because Travis wanted to come. And, regardless what happens with Porter and me, I can tell you with absolute honesty that, as long as Travis wants you and your family in his life, that is where you will be.”

By the time she finished, my heart was in my throat and pride flowed through my veins.

Hooking an arm around her shoulders, I pulled her into my side and kissed the top of her head.

“Well,” my mom breathed, lifting a shaking hand up to smooth her short, blond hair down. “I may have underestimated my son’s taste in women.”

“Gee, thanks,” I mumbled.

“And I’m sorry.” She looked away as the tears started to spill from her eyes. “Sorry for my snap judgment. Sorry I made you uncomfortable. Sorry you’ve had your life flipped upside down by all of this too. And, most of all, I’m sorry you lost your son.” She stared Charlotte directly in the eye, tears glistening on her cheeks. “But…it has been the absolute joy of my life, helping raise that little boy over the last few years, so thank you for allowing me to continue to do that.”

“Jesus,” I breathed, hooking my other arm out and dragging my mom into my other side.

Yeah…I definitely should have warned them she was coming.

“Wow. You sure know how to bring the party, Porter,” Tanner said, strolling back over. “You’ve got Mom crying. Your girlfriend’s crying. And Dad just burst into tears when he saw Travis. I swear—you keep this shit up and I’m not inviting you next time.”

Mom sniffled and stepped out of my arms. “You’re right. This is a celebration. Especially now that Travis is back.” She gave Charlotte’s shoulder a squeeze and then moved to my brother, linking her arm through his. “All right. Let’s get back to cooking. We need two more steaks and at least one more side. But it has to be quick because Hannah is not going to wait long before hitting the pond.”

Tanner winked as they meandered away, discussions of Tabbouleh salad ringing in the air.

Alone, I shifted Charlotte in my arms so her front was pressed to mine and whispered, “That was amazing.”

Craning her head back, she said, “You are officially fired as the communications manager for our relationship.”

“What? Why? I think that went great.”

Her mouth fell open, and she lifted her fingers in the shape of a telephone to her mouth and ear. And then, in a deep, ridiculous voice that sounded nothing like mine, she mocked, “Hey, Mom, I’m bringing Charlotte with me to the cookout. She and I are in a relationship and have committed to doing what’s best for Travis. Uh huh. Yes. Of course he’ll be there too. Okay, sounds great. See you then.” She hung up her pretend phone and glared at me.

I twisted my lips. “Okay. Fine. I’ll admit that might have been the best course of action. But, sweetheart, I assure you your fancy-ass speech was way better. I’m pretty sure my mom fell in love with you by the end of it.”

She shook her head before hissing, “Fired!”

“Okay. I’m sorry. You were right. And that’s not me trying to seduce you. Though…there is a really good chance of you getting some tonight.”

She rolled her eyes. “Just a heads-up. Whenever we do come out of the closet with this to my family, I’m totally throwing you to the wolves.” She quirked an eyebrow before finishing with, “And Tom carries a gun.”

I barked a laugh then touched my lips to hers. “You ready to meet my dad? He’s gonna love you.”

She glowered.

But it was beautiful.

If for no other reason than it was aimed at me.

* * *

After the world’s most awkward introductions that left me wishing I had sent Porter’s family gift cards in lieu of attending the cookout, the rest of the day was actually a lot of fun.

By the time I met Tommy Reese, he’d gotten the rundown of what was going on between Porter and me. He greeted me with a huge smile that looked just like his sons’ and an even bigger hug.

He talked.

I listened.

And Porter never left my side.

Slowly but surely, I started to relax.

After our showdown of sorts, it was as if a switch had been flipped and Lynn seemed to take to me. I was a relatively quiet person, but she was having none of it. She asked about my family, my career, and my friends. And, in turn, she told me about her family, her career, and her friends.

She’d almost dropped a plate when she’d found out Rita was my best friend. It seemed Tanner was a momma’s boy, because she knew entirely too much about his relationship with Rita. To hear Lynn tell it, her son had been smitten, planning lavish vacations, and introducing Rita to all of his celebrity friends. She’d told me that the two of them hadn’t spoken again since Tanner had shown up at my apartment and unleashed on me the morning after I’d gotten Lucas back. Lynn worried that Tanner was nothing more than a pretty-faced rebound for my best friend. I thought this was probably true but made a mental note to call Rita and see what was really going on.

Lunch had been amazing. It was clear Tanner had inherited his culinary skills from his mother. His steaks were unbelievable, but her bacon ranch pasta salad was to die for. And, after watching Porter eat his fourth mountainous plate of it, I feared that was exactly what was going to happen. Over lunch, the guys reminisced about their rowdy youth. I literally couldn’t stop laughing as Porter recounted stories of how his father had made him cut the grass with a pair of scissors after he’d gotten caught skipping math class in junior high. And Tanner told me that he’d been forced to wash his dad’s Corvette with a toothbrush after he’d gotten caught with his first girlfriend in his bedroom.

Through it all, I couldn’t help but feel that warmth in my chest spiraling out of control, because for as much as I was laughing, so was Travis. He even stopped Tanner a time or two to correct the details of his uncle’s story. Clearly, it wasn’t the first time he’d heard them, and I loved the idea that he’d grown up with that feeling of warmth and belonging.

Once we’d finished eating, the kids took off to the corn hole boards for a game, and during that time, we discussed Travis’s health in great detail. Lynn asked me at least a dozen questions, and Tanner and Tommy listened intently to my answers. Porter chimed in several times, but for the most part, he sat back, anchored his hand to my thigh, and let me brief his family.

While I was sure Travis would have loved to swim with his little sister, excessive exercise wasn’t good for his heart. Something it seemed the Reese family not only knew, but had been mitigating for years. As soon as Hannah waded into the water, yelling for her father and Uncle Tan, Tommy took his grandson down to the dock on the opposite end of the pond to go fishing.

I sat there for hours, watching everyone interact with each other. The smiles were smooth and effortless. And the love was beautiful and refreshing.