looking for something to fill the void of my landscape changing. My mom had passed away six months before and my father’s health was declining. I wanted to feel connected to life.”
“Did your dad get better?”
“No he passed away soon after.”
Tyler instinctively moved closer and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m so sorry Michelle. What did he die from?”
“It was a combination of things. He’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but to tell you the truth, it was a combination of his age, health, and my mom passing away. I think he lost the will to live.”
“How old was he?”
“Seventy nine, bless his heart.”
“Oh. Was your mom younger than him?” Tyler asked.
“No, she was seventy six when she passed away.”
“They waited late in life to have kids, eh?”
“No kids. Just me. My adoption was one of the things they had on their bucket list.” Michelle gripped her mug tighter.
“I didn’t know you were adopted.”
“It’s not something you bring up in casual conversation. But the thing is, I never felt like I was adopted. My parents made sure of it.”
“Do you know anything about your biological parents?”
“I don’t know if there’s any more to learn other than the obvious. They couldn’t take care of me for some reason. I don’t need to know anything else.”
“Not even remotely curious?” Tyler asked.
“I’ve seen psychologists since I was five. My parents were concerned about my mental health. They wanted to make sure their daughter grew up with a healthy sense of self. We loved each other, but people can be cruel to each other when they see situations they don’t understand. My mom once put her own best friend’s daughter out of our house because she called me Little Orphan Annie. My mom, Odessa, was a bit of a hell raiser in a really poised, civilized way. My dad felt so bad about what happened he bought me a horse. His name was Dutch.” She wiped tears away from her eyes.
“Come here.” Tyler pulled her into a full-fledged embrace and stroked her hair. They sat that way for a few minutes, as the sounds of the embers flickering filled the room. “Sounds like they loved you very much.”
“They did. I’ve never regretted a moment with Thomas and Odessa. Some woman found us, claiming to be my birth mother’s sister. They had a private investigator corroborate the story they were given and said if I wanted to meet this long lost aunt, I could. I declined. I wrote the woman a letter and said thanks for the effort but unless she had a time machine, nothing good would come from meeting her. I had a great childhood, an excellent education, and I can play a mean game of cricket.”
Cricket? A horse named Dutch? He’d never really thought about where she’d grown up, but he’d been around enough rich, snobbish people to know highfalutin words when he heard them.
“Michelle, are you rich?” He raised an eyebrow.
“My parents were kind of loaded.” Michelle laughed. “I was left a sizeable trust fund that I can’t touch until I’m forty. My parents wanted to make sure I had an identity and a good work ethic of my own that didn’t include money.”
Tyler didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“Tyler, what’s wrong with you? This can’t possibly be a problem. Your family is wealthy.” She ribbed him with her elbow.
“It’s just surprising. You work at the bookstore and live in an apartment.”
“So? You live with your parents.” She huffed. “Your mother still cuts your meat for you.”
“Does Morgan know about this?” He knew how Morgan felt about the snooty rich folk who lived in Ashcroft.
“Yes she does. She was the first person in my life who didn’t care about how much money I had. She gave me the job and we became friends. When she was having financial troubles at the bookstore she declined any help and said she didn’t want me manipulating any pots of gold for her. And that made me love her even more.”
“Isn’t
“Did your dad get better?”
“No he passed away soon after.”
Tyler instinctively moved closer and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m so sorry Michelle. What did he die from?”
“It was a combination of things. He’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but to tell you the truth, it was a combination of his age, health, and my mom passing away. I think he lost the will to live.”
“How old was he?”
“Seventy nine, bless his heart.”
“Oh. Was your mom younger than him?” Tyler asked.
“No, she was seventy six when she passed away.”
“They waited late in life to have kids, eh?”
“No kids. Just me. My adoption was one of the things they had on their bucket list.” Michelle gripped her mug tighter.
“I didn’t know you were adopted.”
“It’s not something you bring up in casual conversation. But the thing is, I never felt like I was adopted. My parents made sure of it.”
“Do you know anything about your biological parents?”
“I don’t know if there’s any more to learn other than the obvious. They couldn’t take care of me for some reason. I don’t need to know anything else.”
“Not even remotely curious?” Tyler asked.
“I’ve seen psychologists since I was five. My parents were concerned about my mental health. They wanted to make sure their daughter grew up with a healthy sense of self. We loved each other, but people can be cruel to each other when they see situations they don’t understand. My mom once put her own best friend’s daughter out of our house because she called me Little Orphan Annie. My mom, Odessa, was a bit of a hell raiser in a really poised, civilized way. My dad felt so bad about what happened he bought me a horse. His name was Dutch.” She wiped tears away from her eyes.
“Come here.” Tyler pulled her into a full-fledged embrace and stroked her hair. They sat that way for a few minutes, as the sounds of the embers flickering filled the room. “Sounds like they loved you very much.”
“They did. I’ve never regretted a moment with Thomas and Odessa. Some woman found us, claiming to be my birth mother’s sister. They had a private investigator corroborate the story they were given and said if I wanted to meet this long lost aunt, I could. I declined. I wrote the woman a letter and said thanks for the effort but unless she had a time machine, nothing good would come from meeting her. I had a great childhood, an excellent education, and I can play a mean game of cricket.”
Cricket? A horse named Dutch? He’d never really thought about where she’d grown up, but he’d been around enough rich, snobbish people to know highfalutin words when he heard them.
“Michelle, are you rich?” He raised an eyebrow.
“My parents were kind of loaded.” Michelle laughed. “I was left a sizeable trust fund that I can’t touch until I’m forty. My parents wanted to make sure I had an identity and a good work ethic of my own that didn’t include money.”
Tyler didn’t say anything for a few minutes.
“Tyler, what’s wrong with you? This can’t possibly be a problem. Your family is wealthy.” She ribbed him with her elbow.
“It’s just surprising. You work at the bookstore and live in an apartment.”
“So? You live with your parents.” She huffed. “Your mother still cuts your meat for you.”
“Does Morgan know about this?” He knew how Morgan felt about the snooty rich folk who lived in Ashcroft.
“Yes she does. She was the first person in my life who didn’t care about how much money I had. She gave me the job and we became friends. When she was having financial troubles at the bookstore she declined any help and said she didn’t want me manipulating any pots of gold for her. And that made me love her even more.”
“Isn’t
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