Page 41 of Riverbend Gap (Riverbend 1)

He frowned at her. “I don’t see anything funny about this. It’s a serious problem, and Gavin’s already been through a lot. It’s not fair to let him—”

She waved his words away. “No, no. I’m not—This is not the way it seems, Cooper. I’m not an alcoholic.”

He stared into blue eyes that were as convincing as any he’d seen. But he also had an alcoholic dad, and he knew they were capable of lying to themselves—not to mention others—quite convincingly.

“No, really.” She clearly struggled with something. Finally she sighed. “Okay, I guess I’ll have to explain. You know I was a foster child. Well, my mom was an addict. Because of that, I’ve never touched drugs or alcohol.”

Kate took another drink and capped the bottle. “After Spencer died I did some searching online and discovered our mother was living in Riverbend Gap. I found out she was a leader at the local AA group.”

Ahhh.He tipped his head back, relief rolling through him. “You moved here because of her.”

“Stupid, really. I mean, our mother never sought us out, even though we never left Asheville. We would’ve been easy enough to find. She’d obviously straightened out her life, but she still hadn’t bothered to find us.”

“You attend the meetings to see her?”

“I went to two meetings—and I did meet her.”

“Would I know her?”

Kate considered for a moment. “Beth Wallace?”

“Name sounds a little familiar, but I don’t know her.”

“She seems like a nice enough woman. She gave me her card and told me to call anytime.”

“Have you?”

She gave a wry huff. “I didn’t have to. She turned up at the clinic yesterday and invited me to coffee.”

“Did you tell her who you are?”

“No, not yet. And she didn’t recognize me either. She looked me right in the eyes—which are the same shade of blue as hers, by the way—and didn’t even know her own child.”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve hurt.” He shifted his foot in the dirt, feeling her pain. “I know a little about having an alcoholic parent. About being rejected by said parent. It leaves its scars.”

“Gavin told me about your dad. It was a connecting point for us. And yes, all the above can shape who you are.” She shook her head. “I set up a coffee date with Beth for next Saturday, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I suspect you’re trying to get to know who she is before you risk heartache by telling her outright.”

“Yes. That’s it exactly. Is that stupid? I moved my life here on a whim, and if she rejects me...”

“It’s wise to get to know her a little first. She’s given you noreason to trust her. But if she ultimately rejects you, it’s no reflection on you, Katelyn. You’re a terrific woman. You’re beautiful and smart and kind. Look how far you’ve come from the mess your mother left you in.”

Her eyes caught on his, and Cooper felt the jolt down to the soles of his feet. Heat washed through him. Had he given himself away with those emphatic words? He broke eye contact and scratched the back of his neck.

“Thank you, Cooper. You’re pretty wise yourself.”

“Not beautiful and kind? I’m hurt.”

She chuckled, just as he’d hoped she would.

“Does Gavin know? About your mom being here?”

She sobered. “Not yet. He knows I was a foster kid and that my mom had to give us up, but the rest of it... no.”

“Your call, of course.” Why hadn’t she told him? But this wasn’t information that would hurt his brother. Just something Kate needed to sort out. He thought of telling her Gavin was an excellent sounding board. He had a good head on his shoulders. But for some reason, Cooper held back the words.

“Wallace...” he said. “You have a different last name than your mom.”