Brandon gnawed at his hand, bringing me back to the present, and I dug a teething biscuit out of my pocket. Unlike Hannah, he was early for everything. His first tooth started coming in at five months, and he seemed to pop them nonstop.
“There you go, my boy. Let’s go find Mommy and see what she’s doing, okay?” He grasped the biscuit, gumming happily as I walked toward the house.
As I rounded the side, I spied Holly in the garden. Angela was at her best friend Carly’s house but would be home by three. Hannah was on the porch, napping. My little dumpling loved her naps, but she never liked to be far away from Mommy, so I built a daybed and screened in the front porch so she could nap and be happy.
My footsteps carried me to Holly, who stood and brushed off her hands as we approached.
“There’re my two favorite boys.” She smiled and blew a raspberry on Brandon’s cheek, then leaned up for a kiss. I happily obliged, capturing her face with my free hand and caressing her lips. She hadn’t changed much, except to get prettier. Her hair was longer, still wild and curly, and she smiled all the time. As I suspected, she was a wonderful mother, a great partner, and loved by everyone who met her.
“Quite the harvest,” I observed, indicating the basket beside her.
She nodded. “There is a pile of peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes. I thought maybe I’d jar up some of that homemade salsa you like so much. You can take some to Carol and Dan too.”
“Awesome.”
A car pulling into the driveway diverted my attention. It was an SUV, silver in color, with rental car plates. A man was behind the wheel, and as I watched, he shut off the engine, spoke to someone in the back, and opened his door.
I chuckled. “Another lost tourist, no doubt.” It happened a lot in the summer.
Holly reached for Brandon and settled him on her hip. “Go give directions and get them unlost.” She tickled Brandon’s tummy. “We’ll wait here.”
I approached the SUV, prepared to give directions, my smile in place. But as I neared the vehicle, the man walked toward me, and something about him struck me as familiar. He was tall, with deep brown hair shot with silver. Sunglasses covered his eyes. He was dressed casually in jeans, a polo shirt, and a light jacket, but his posture was tense, his shoulders stiff. He had his hands buried in his pockets as I stopped a few feet away.
“Can I help you?”
He cleared his throat. “Hello, Evan.”
I frowned at his deep baritone, its familiar tone striking a long-forgotten memory.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
He took off his glasses and stepped forward. Recognition hit me in the gut, and I stared at him. I had only seen him once, but I remembered him.
“It’s me. Simon—Simon Fletcher.”
Holy shit.
My brother-in-law.
It was my turn to clear my throat. “What are you doing here?” I asked, once I had made sure my sister wasn’t in the passenger seat.
He scrubbed his face with his hand. “I realize seeing me must be a shock, but I needed to come and reach out.”
“Why?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “My daughter—your niece—asked to see you.”
For a moment, I was struck silent. Holly appeared at my side, Brandon still perched on her hip, chattering away in his baby voice, the sounds incoherent. She wrapped an arm around my waist in support. “Hello.”
He smiled, the action causing his hazel eyes to crinkle at the corners. “Hello. You must be Holly.”
“I am. And you are?”
“Kelsey’s husband,” I muttered.
He was fast to shake his head. “Ex-husband. We split up not long after I met you, Evan.” He huffed out a long breath. “Look, maybe I should have called or written, but it felt to me like this was best done in person. It’s a long story, but Mia wanted to meet you.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a well-loved worn little stuffed bear that I recognized. “She wanted to meet the man who gave her this.”
I stared at the bear. I had never looked in the discarded bag, assuming all the gifts I had brought that Christmas were still in it. “I-I thought that had been thrown out with the rest of the gifts.”