Stay Forever

by Darcy Schroeder

  Wayne Montgomery shook his head. “I will talk with your grandfather. I’ve still been paying, so I’m not sure where the money is going, but Warren—” Their father stopped himself and looked down. “Never mind. I will get this resolved.”

  “Good. Now, I’m done with this conversation.” Lucy turned and walked in the opposite direction, leaving the Montgomery men standing alone.

  Andrew couldn’t help but let out a soft snort. “Yep, she’s a stubborn Montgomery.”

  Miles caught his gaze, and then looked over at their father. “I have to agree with Andrew. Obviously, the Montgomery twins have a sister, and she’s quite feisty. Way to go, Dad. Way to go.”

  Wayne Montgomery didn’t make a move. He stood stoically in the middle of the trail, looking at the area where Lucy had just been standing. “Thank you both for trying to make this situation not seem so bad, but I’ve always known this day would come.”

  Suddenly, Lucy returned, her arms crossed. “All of you need to shut up.” Her eyes held a deep anger. “You’re not my family. I don’t want anything to do with anyone who has the last name Montgomery.”

  “We’re not trying to be your family, Lucy. We are your family. At some point, you’ll need to forgive our father, who obviously did something very wrong.” Andrew took several steps to close the space between them. There had always been something familiar about her. Andrew had never been able to peg what it was that made him feel close to Lucy, but now he knew—she was his sister. “I’m sorry too, about the accident. If I hadn’t been on the road that night, your mom might still be here.”

  Miles followed in step behind Andrew. “That’s right. Lucy, we’re not leaving here today without you understanding we’re family. A very good and strong family. Besides, I’ve always wanted a sibling who actually lives in this town.”

  Andrew opened his mouth to respond, and then snapped it back shut.

  “You’re both idiotic assholes. No one in this town likes you.” She looked down.

  “What?” Miles exclaimed. “That seems a little dramatic. People like us. In fact, I know firsthand that a lot of people in this town like us.”

  Andrew thrust his arm toward Miles. “Lucy, what my brother is trying to say is that while we may not be loved by everyone, they certainly do see the value to our company being here.”

  She let out a sarcastic laugh. “Wrong. This town wants nothing to do with the Montgomery family.”

  Andrew could feel his cheeks begin to burn. He tried to calm himself down, but she had touched a nerve. “Lucy, damn, you are definitely a Montgomery. There’s no denying that you’re just as passive-aggressive as the rest of the family. Now, can we put all our differences behind us?”

  She shook her head. “You think this is easy for me? I’m sure you honestly think everyone wants to be a Montgomery, but my life has been different. I’m not like the others in this hell hole of a place.”

  This time it was their father who walked toward Lucy. “I know. I’ve watched you since you were a baby. You’ve always reminded me of these two boys. You’re just as determined, and I love all three of you. You are my children. Lucy, I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to admit what I have done.”

  “Stop.” Lucy held up her hand.

  Andrew rolled his foot over a small rock in the middle of the dirt path. “Lucy, can you forgive us?”

  Lucy took several steps back. “I don’t know. Sorry.”

  Andrew looked toward the roadway. There was a car approaching. He watched as Isabelle pulled her vehicle in behind the two Montgomery Industry trucks. She and Anne then got out.

  “Hello, Lucy,” they said in unison.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Isabelle stopped several feet away from Andrew. “We were just driving by and saw all of you standing out here. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it uncomfortable.”

  Andrew walked toward Isabelle, not wanting her to feel like she had intruded. “I need to tell you something.”

  “What?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow as she gently slid her hands into the pockets of her shorts.

  Andrew suddenly felt uneasy about what to say. Isabelle knew Lucy. She had also seen the ceramic cup he’d picked up at his parents’ house after the fire.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. “We found out Lucy is my sister. I mean, she’s a Montgomery. The cup that we found in the ash at my parents’ place belongs to my dad.”

  Isabelle nodded. Meanwhile, Anne’s lower jaw dropped.

  “Huh?” Anne said, turning to Miles. “What am I missing, babe?”

  Miles shook his head. “It’s a long story. We just found out. Andrew is right, Lucy is our sister. She’s part of the family.”

  Lucy was still standing there defiantly, her body shaking. “This is a complete waste of my time. I’m leaving for good.”

  “Wait!” Isabelle yelled. “Don’t leave, Lucy. Let’s talk. This isn’t a bad thing; it’s good. Very good.”

  “Dr. Rodriguez, you’ve always been very gracious to my grandfather and me. Even after the incident a while ago, you still allowed me to come into the clinic and talk with you. Thank you. I wish I had to more to say, but I don’t. I just need some time on my own to think.”

  “Wait! You were there,” Andrew said as he thought back to that night. Isabelle had said it was just the two of them in the clinic, but she’d obviously lied.

  Neither Isabelle nor Lucy acknowledged Andrew’s statement. Instead, Isabelle nodded. “I understand, Lucy, but please know you can always come and talk to me if you have any questions. We can work through this together.”

  “I know,” Lucy responded, looking down at the ground. “I know.”

  Andrew watched as Lucy once again disappeared behind the tree line. He wondered if she’d really left the area this time or if she was just back there hiding, listening to everything they said.

  Isabelle reached for Andrew. “Let’s get out of here. We obviously have a lot to talk about.”

  They drove to his place first, and then over to her house, where she poured two glasses of wine.

  “What happened back there?”

  “My father admitted Lucy was his daughter. We hadn’t expected his answer. I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about everything. I just hope Lucy is okay.”

  “She’s a tough girl.” Isabelle took a sip of her wine. “What about your mom? Does she know?”

  “I think so. It sounds like she’s probably known for a while, but really, the bigger question is, why did you lie to me about Lucy being at the clinic that night?”

  “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell the full truth. At the time, it was just you and me. I didn’t realize she’d gone into your room.”

  Andrew thought back to that night. A lot had happened. “Did you know about Lucy?

  “No,” Isabelle said. “We’ve talked a number of times about her grandfather, but I didn’t know she was connected to your family. This is just as much a shock to me as to you, but I like Lucy. She’s a good girl who’s had a very tough life. You guys need to give her some space.”

  Andrew swallowed the lump that had developed in the back of his throat. Isabelle was right. This was a lot for everyone to take in. He definitely hadn’t expected to come back to town to find out he had a sister. A part of him was angry with his father, but then another part was happy.

  “We should go and talk with your mom tomorrow. I want to make sure she’s doing okay with this new revelation,” Isabelle said. “There’s been a lot of stuff dumped on her lately.”

  The idea of talking to his mother about a sister she hadn’t conceived struck him as odd. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He hadn’t intended for life to get so crazy, but the puzzle pieces were finally fitting together.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  5 Months Later

  Every yard and house on the street were covered with holiday lights and cheap plastic decor. There were large lighted reindeer, Santa Claus and his sleigh, and various other ornaments
hanging from trees, plants, and any secured object.

  Andrew smiled to himself. It had been a long time since he’d seen this sort of passion for Christmas, but he had to admit, he did like seeing the houses adorned with the festive lights. This was what it was like to live in a small town.

  He let out a soft whistle as they turned the corner and came face to face with a giant snowman in a yard filled with fake snow. “Wow. That’s pretty big.”

  Isabelle smiled. “I’m sure they’ve added more snow and lights this year. Maybe they did it just for you.”

  “Doubt it.” He glanced over at her, sitting next to him in the dark cab of his truck. She looked amazing. He grabbed her hand and let their fingers entwine. “I bet they did it for their favorite doctor.

  They pulled out onto a larger road and headed toward Miles’s house. His family had decided to spend this Christmas Eve at his brother’s place, since Miles and Anne were the only ones with a house big enough to host the entire family.

  Andrew’s parents had recently started construction on their new home, but it was still a long ways off from being completed. His parents had agreed to go in a different direction than what they’d had before. As his mother had put it, they’d decided losing their old home had really been a sign that they needed a fresh start. It had taken a while to convince his mother of that idea, but once they’d begun to talk about Lucy, she’d decided that a new look for their home was just what they needed, and had poured every waking hour into helping their architect complete the plans. Andrew’s respect for his mother had quadrupled over the past few months. He knew accepting Lucy had probably been tough for her, but she had done it with an amazing amount of grace. Andrew even noticed there was an extra room added to their new home, and he assumed that had to be for his new sister.

  Miles didn’t disappoint. He also had thousands of lights strewn about his yard and wrapped around his house.

  “The electric company for this town must really love the holidays.” Andrew laughed.

  Isabelle hit him softly on the shoulder. “Don’t be a Scrooge. This year is a little more magical then years past.”

  Andrew had decided to stay. In the end, it had been an easy decision. His heart felt whole again, being back with his family and friends. Isabelle had also been a big factor.

  Warren was still in jail, and would be there for a few more years, due to the myriad of charges the district attorney had gotten him on, including attempted murder, assault, and theft. Cassie and her children had taken off, and no one was really sure where they’d gone, but Andrew knew they would surface at some point.

  “It just dawned on me that I haven’t seen his kitchen in at least three months.” Andrew knew Miles had been working on a large number of renovations to his house. Apparently, Anne had put her foot down and demanded they all be completed before the holidays.

  “I have,” Isabelle responded with a twinkle in her eye. “Their house looks amazing. Just wait. I know you’re going to like it.”

  Andrew shrugged. “Of course, I’ll like it. We’re twins and have always had similar tastes. I still think mine is a little bit better than his, but don’t tell Miles that, since we’re crashing his house for the family dinner.”

  “I agree, you do have very good taste,” Isabelle shot back as she began to laugh. “Especially in women. Although, I do think it’s funny how different I am from Anne.”

  “But you’re both amazing women. So again, we’re similar, but I’m superior, because you’re even more amazing.”

  “I’m not going to argue with that, Mr. Montgomery.” Isabelle leaned her head back as Andrew reached out to take hold of her hand. Their relationship had blossomed over the past few months. It was hard for him to think about a time before she was in his life. Everything had come so naturally. “Although, Anne is also pretty spectacular.”

  “She is, but Anne is not you.”

  Isabelle glanced toward the back seat. “So, what’s in all those packages? They look pretty big.”

  “You’ll just have to wait and see,” Andrew said as he pulled his truck to a stop in Miles’s driveway. His dad’s truck was parked just ahead of his. He wasn’t surprised his parents had arrived before him and Isabelle.

  Andrew grabbed the three bags that contained his family’s gifts. Isabelle was also carrying a large bag that looked to have several neatly wrapped presents inside. He could hear the sound of laughter as they walked up the front porch steps. The door flew open just as they got to the top.

  “It’s about time.” Miles smiled. “We’ve already started.” Miles motioned like he was going to throw a beer toward Andrew, but then saw that his brother’s hands were occupied with bags.

  “Just hold that for a few more seconds,” Andrew said as he entered and set the presents down by the tree. This was his first Christmas at home in fifteen years. He didn’t want to think about the last few. Those holidays had always been very lonely, and it had been his own fault. Instead of coming home, he’d usually ended up drinking at some dingy bar in whatever place he’d landed.

  His mother wrapped her arms around him. “This is the best Christmas present ever. Thank you for being here, Andrew.”

  He leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, Mom. I love you.”

  Miles walked over and handed him the beer that he’d been holding. “You’d better take this while it’s still cold, brother.”

  Andrew didn’t hesitate. “The house looks great! I can’t believe how much you guys have done over the past few months.”

  “Thank you. I’ll take you on a tour in a little bit. The good news is that Anne didn’t kill me during the remodel.”

  “But there were definitely a few times I thought about it,” she yelled from the other side of the room as she carried out several platters of food and put them on a serving table.

  Andrew glanced over at the table. There were eight spots with plates and silverware. “Is Lucy coming?” he asked Miles.

  His brother grinned. “Yes, and she’s bringing Marlin.”

  “That should be interesting.”

  “I agree, but I have to admit, it was fun inviting her. At first, she glared at me. Then she rolled her eyes. Finally, she said yes. It was a process.”

  Just as Miles finished, Andrew saw a pair of headlights in the driveway. He walked over to the door and opened it up. Lucy got out of the vehicle, wearing a large bulky red sweater and tight jeans with a pair of ankle boots. It seemed odd to see her dressed up a little more, but Andrew had no plans of saying that to his sister. Over the past few months, he’d learned just how much they were alike.

  “Need any help?” Andrew hollered.

  “No. I’m good.” She began to pull random bags out of her vehicle and place them on the ground.

  “Are you sure? It looks like you have your hands full.”

  She put both hands on her hips. “Fine. I guess you can help me. Besides, I know that if I say no, you’ll only keep asking.”

  Andrew took the stairs two at a time and headed toward her big new SUV. He had overheard his father talking to her, wanting to let her take one of the company trucks, but after she’d declined for the fourth time, he’d had the SUV delivered to her house.

  “You’re probably right. I just can’t let a woman carry a whole bunch of stuff without at least offering. Sorry, it’s part of my southern charm.”

  “Whatever. This truck is too big. It’s Dad’s fault I have so much crap for one little dinner,” Lucy said as she pulled open the back door and handed Andrew two glass bowls containing what looked like salad.

  Andrew turned to head back inside just as Marlin slowly got out of the truck. The man looked as if he had lost ten pounds since the last time Andrew had seen him at Isabelle’s clinic.

  “How’s it going tonight?” Andrew nodded at Marlin.

  “Good. Merry Christmas,” he responded, looking Andrew in the eyes. “It’s good to see you, Andrew.”

  Andrew knew Lucy had
been worried about her grandfather’s health, and the fact that he couldn’t spend more than an hour without a bottle of liquor in his hands, but it seemed as if, tonight, Marlin was sober. His plaid, long-sleeved shirt was tucked into his overly big jeans.

  “It’s good to see you, too, Mr. Wynock. I’m glad you’re here,” Andrew said.

  Marlin nodded, to show that he’d heard him, but he didn’t say anything back. His hands shook slightly. Andrew had been honest. It was good to see both of them. He knew the past few years had been tough.

  Lucy came up behind Andrew, carrying several large bags. “Seriously, why are you going so slowly?” She huffed. “Let’s get inside.”

  “Sorry.” Andrew laughed. “I didn’t realize this was a race.”

  “It’s not, but it’s cold out here, and I’m ready to eat. I mean, there is food, right?”

  “Yep, there’s way too much food.” Andrew turned and headed for the front door. Lucy and Marlin followed.

  Even though he couldn’t see her, Andrew could tell Lucy had stopped when they’d gotten through the front door. “Oh my goodness. It’s so beautiful in here.” Her eyes were large as she looked around the living room.

  Andrew agreed. Miles and Anne had done a great job. The ceiling had been opened up to expose some of the wood beams, and they’d torn down a study to the side of the living room to make the space bigger. From the outside, the house had the feel of a country home. But on the inside, it was much more modern.

  Lucy stood motionless, and then ducked her head. Andrew had seen the tear roll slowly down her cheek. It was just another reason that he was so happy she was a part of their family. They all deserved to have one another in their lives.

  The next hour passed by in a blur. They ate the large turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and all the other holiday favorites. There were several bottles of wine in the middle of the table. All were open, and at least one had already been emptied.