Blinding Trust (Mitchell Family #7)(22)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I woke up to the smell of cooking bacon and a conversation between Miranda and Ty having to deal with nipple sizes.

“I’m telling you, baby, their like fingerprints. Each set is different,” Ty said as he flipped the bacon.

Miranda sat in a chair with her knees against her chest. She had a cup of coffee in her hand and was reading something on her tablet. “That’s ridiculous! How would you know anyway?”

“I am the master of tits, that’s how!”

They didn’t look at each other as they talked and they didn’t notice me standing there, holding my hand over my mouth.

“The master of tits?”

“Shit yeah! You put a picture of your tits in a line up with a hundred other sets and I guarantee I can pick yours out!” I couldn’t help but start to laugh. They both turned and looked at me.

“Van, can you please tell my husband that he’s full of crap?”

“Honestly, I think you should take him up on the challenge.”

“And let him look at ninety nine other sets of br**sts? You’ve got to be jokin’. The last thing this man needs is permission to be a pervert.”

Ty held up his arms like he couldn’t help himself. “It was worth a try, right?”

“No!” Miranda and I said at the same time.

They retreated into the living room shortly after, while I made a cup of coffee and sat in silence. It was nice to have a little time to myself, but also made me think of the reason that I wanted to leave town in the first place.

I felt like my happy little bubble was being jeopardized and I didn’t know how to make things better. With my health being in question, no matter how much I was told not to worry, I still couldn’t see a way out. I think Ty being obsessed with br**sts was making my morning worries heightened. As much as I tried to separate my problems from my visit, they were clearly one in the same.

In just a short time, Colt was going to take Noah for a weeks visit with Zeke. Maybe I would have felt better about it if I were included in the decision. To be honest, I felt like I didn’t belong. Maybe I was being selfish. I’d known all along that I wasn’t Noah’s birth mother. I shouldn’t have been surprised that this kind of conflict had come in to play.

Once the kids woke up, the house filled with chaos. I went outside to the barn, where I sat down on the couch and looked around, thinking of all the happy memories that we’d all shared in the place.

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 ass**les.”

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.”