Away from this place, there was no happiness or contentment. The idea of peace was like a song stuck in his head, but he couldn’t quite remember the words. Being with Angi was what made the song of his life complete.

He turned onto Main Street, knowing he’d have to pass In Bloom on his way to see Angi at the restaurant. It was Saturday midmorning so he knew she’d be there prepping for the lunch crowd.

Seeing his grandmother’s shop when he was no longer a part of it wouldn’t be easy. Based on his mother’s vitriol and the way she’d taken apart the house so quickly, for all he knew she’d already closed up this storefront and sold off the inventory just to make some quick cash.

Even if Poppy chose to stay in Magnolia, Gabe wasn’t going to be run off. He’d let the relationship with his mom—her negligence and outright hostility—define his life for too long.

He was a grown man and it was time to start acting like it.

As he passed the grassy center of town, he noticed a group of kids playing soccer. One dark head stood out among the boys. Gabe winced as Andrew kicked at the ball and missed. But true to form, Drew didn’t give up. He simply turned around and kicked again, this time passing to one of the other boys on the team.

“You keep kicking,” Gabe murmured into the truck’s quiet interior.

Without thinking too much about it, he parked near the curb and got out, slowly approaching the action. The kid Andrew had passed the ball to dribbled down the makeshift field and took a shot, the ball sailing up and into the goal.

Gabe let out a whoop of congratulations, drawing the attention of several boys, including Drew. The kid’s shoulders stiffened and his smile disappeared instantly.

Damn.

Gabe had expected a potentially icy reception from Angi, but he’d figured Andrew would be happy to see him return. Not so much, based on the glare the kid was currently shooting in Gabe’s direction.

In fact, after an almost imperceptible shake of his head, Andrew turned on his heel and stalked toward the far end of the field where his friends were currently gathering.

His chest aching, Gabe stopped. He wouldn’t force Drew to talk to him, especially not before he knew whether Angi was willing to forgive him.

Then, as quickly as Andrew had whirled away, he spun around and jogged toward Gabe.

“That’s my boy,” Gabe whispered under his breath.

Only Andrew still clearly wasn’t happy to see him.

“I hate you,” the boy ground out as he got closer. “My mom hates you, too. You made her cry.”

“I’m sorry.” Gabe felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Of course he knew he’d hurt Angi by leaving, but hearing the raw emotion in her son’s voice tore him apart in a way he wasn’t expecting.

“What do you want?”

Nothing. The word was on the tip of Gabe’s tongue. What the hell had he thought would happen upon his return? In truth, he hadn’t given much thought to the messy reentry into the lives of the people he loved. The understanding he’d gained about being willing to risk his heart to have the future he craved had trumped any doubt.