Blinding Trust (Mitchell Family, #7)(27)

I don’t know how long I’d been out there, but a man clearing his voice caught my attention.

Ty came and sat down next to me. He put his arm around me and I nestled my head into his chest, like I did when we were teenagers. “You going to tell me why you’re here?”

I shrugged. “I just needed to clear my head.”

“Van, I know you. This can’t just be about Noah. You know you can talk to me. I’m not always a complete dick.”

I couldn’t believe that he could tell something else was wrong. “I’m fine, really. I think I am just being selfish. I mean, Noah has a right to know his uncle, doesn’t he?”

Ty looked straight out at the wall, never really paying attention to me being so close to him. I appreciated that we could be like this and it didn’t harbor any feelings between us. He really was a good friend to me.

He cleared his throat again. “Don’t get me wrong, Van. I think it’s cool and all that Noah has a famous uncle, but from what I’ve seen, he’s not really kid friendly. What made him come around again?”

“He was in town and said that he’s trying to turn his life around. I get that. I can’t imagine what it’s like to not have family. I just wish he didn’t want to be a part of mine. I sound like a selfish bitch don’t I?”

“No! You sound like you don’t want to share your son with someone you don’t trust. I know exactly how you’re feeling.”

I smiled and looked up at him. “Colt said you would.”

“That’s surprising, considering that when you last visited he practically ripped my head off for teasing you.”

“He knew about Zeke and hadn’t told me. I guess he had a lot on his mind and you were an easy target.” I almost felt bad for Ty, except he was forever tormenting poor Colt.

“He’s doing that shit again, where he shuts you out. You’d think he’d learn.” Ty shook his head and patted me on the leg. “Maybe if you performed annilingus once in a while, he’d be more open.”

“Anni what?”

“You know, where you lick each other’s *s.”

I slapped him in the arm. “You are so sick!”

“Come on, Van. Don’t even tell me you never did it before.”

Whether I had or hadn’t, it was none of his business. Besides, Ty knowing my sexual secrets was not a good way to keep Colt happy.

“No comment!”

“It’s all good.” He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know if Miranda told you, but today is the church picnic. I think Amy and Conner already told Addy she could go with them. I know the pastor would love to see you.”

I shrugged and stood up with him. “That sounds like fun. I mean, what else am I going to do if you’re all there?”

I hadn’t been back for the church picnic since before my parents had moved to Kentucky. One thing was for certain. The people would still be the same ones that attended when I was a little girl.

After calling Amy, and finding out that they were already getting ready to head there, I agreed to catch a ride with Ty and Miranda and meet them. I guess they knew all along that I would want to go, or maybe they weren’t really going to give me the option to decline.

When we first got there, I was surrounded by a bunch of elderly people that remembered me, but I had no clue who they were. All of the children congregated on the big playground, while the adults mingled around evenly lined up picnic tables on the grass.

It was a perfect day for a picnic. The sun was shining and there were just enough clouds to give us random breaks from the hot rays. I got myself comfortable at a table with my family. Watching them all interact with their children was still a hoot, considering that Ty and Conner were never the type of guys that anyone could see being in devoted relationships and raising families.

I happened to look over at Ty, just as he spotted someone that he obviously didn’t care too much about. “Look what the damn cat drug in. Miranda is going to flip her lid.”

I followed his eyes across the lawn to a blonde looking down and talking to a boy that was about the age of Addy. It wasn’t until the woman looked up that I realized who it was and why Ty had made his comment. I kept my voice as low as possible. “Oh my God, is that Heather?”

She didn’t look that much different. She gained maybe ten pounds, but was still skinny and her hair was as perfect as it always had been. She was too caught up in the conversation with the child to notice Ty and me looking at her.

I turned around and looked at him instead. “I thought she moved far away?”

“As far as I know she did. Her mom still lives here. She must be visiting.” Ty kept looking at Miranda, just waiting for her to notice Heather.

After the whole episode with Amy’s ex, she and I had forgiven Heather for her flaws to the extent of being able to tolerate her. She had risked her life for our family, but no matter how hard she tried, Miranda would never forgive her for what she had done to her and Ty. I wasn’t even sure if Miranda had seen her since that all happened.

It had been years, and with time, the wounds of her wrecking my relationship with Ty were long gone. I got that she was in love with him and sometimes people do desperate things for the people they love. I didn’t agree with her actions, but we were all adults now. If the child holding her hand was her own, then she’d obviously found someone to love her.