Without You (Love Wanted in Texas 1)

“Shh…don’t cry, baby girl. Come on, let’s walk while we talk about it.”

“What was it like for you when you had to leave Gramps?” I asked as we started walking again.

She chuckled. “It was very hard. Remember though, Alex, you have ways of keeping in touch, unlike what Garrett and I had.”

“Did you ever doubt your feelings for him?”

She thought about her answer. “No and yes. I remember there was a boy…oh, what was his name? I don’t even remember.” She chuckled.

“Did you like him?”

She looked at me and smiled. “I liked the attention he gave me. It was different. He looked at me in a different way than Garrett did, and a small part of me enjoyed it. Would I have ever done anything with him? No. Never.”

I looked down and smiled. My grandparents had such a strong marriage. The fact that Gramps still held Grams’s hand, kissed her on the lips, and told her how beautiful she was warmed my heart.

“Your love with Gramps is so different, Grams.”

She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. “Is that so? Are your other grandparents different? What about your parents? Their love must be different, too.”

I bit down on my lower lip. “Well…I, um…”

She shook her head and started walking again. “Let me tell you something, Alex, and you listen closely to me. Garrett and I are no different than any other couple in love. The same goes with your other grandparents and your mother and father. It’s true love, Alex. True love is a forever love. It is tested and tried all the time. It’s sometimes broken, but it always, always heals itself. It stands strong during storms, even when it feels like it is about to fall apart. Love’s roots grow stronger and deeper after the storm. That’s true love. There are ups, and there are downs. You just weather them.”

I nodded my head. “Did you and Gramps have a lot of downs?”

She laughed. “We had a few. Nothing big, but yes, we had a few. There were times I wanted to knock that man senseless, but I always took a deep breath and stared at him. All he had to do was look at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his or play Nat King Cole’s ‘Send for Me,’ and I would be butter in his hands.”

I giggled. “I remember Daddy playing that song once, and he and Mama danced in the kitchen to it. I walked in and saw how Mama looked at Daddy. I knew then, in that moment, that I wanted what they had. I want a love like that.”

Grams laughed. “Oh, Gramps must have told your daddy about that song.”

“What about it?”

“Your grandfather only plays it when he’s done something to upset or anger me or when he’s feeling…romantic.”

She winked, and I could feel the blush hit my cheeks.

“How romantic,” I whispered.

She nodded her head and began walking again. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

We continued to walk in silence as I tried to figure out why I was feeling like I was.

“Grams? Do you think I’m feeling this way because I’m just worried that Will and I will grow apart?”

She didn’t look at me as she kept walking. “When I had to move back to Austin and leave Garrett, my whole world felt like it was over. We went for months without seeing each other, and we could only talk on the phone a few times. I’m not going to lie. It was hard, Alex, but nowadays, you kids have those phones, and you can talk to each other over video. You’re only going to be a few hours away from each other. You can visit him, and he can visit you. I will agree with your daddy on one thing. If your love is strong enough and is meant to be, you will be okay.”

I smiled and nodded my head. “Grams, only y

ou can make me feel so sure about things.”

She laughed. “No, darling. You feel sure about things when you finally learn to listen to your heart and not your brain.”

I chuckled and then felt sad. “I’m going to miss our walks.”

“So will I.”

“I’m taking Emma to school.”