When he saw me, his eyes grew wide. “Jillian.”
“Please tell me what’s going on. Did you remember something?”
He stepped onto the boat and it swayed under his weight. “My memory is back, and I remember everything now.”
My heart pounded. “That’s—” I started to say wonderful, but there was nothing wonderful about Keith’s expression nor the horrible tension between us.
“Did you talk to Lyla?” I asked.
He blew out a slow breath and looked across the water, completely avoiding my gaze. “No. I drove to her house, but I didn’t go inside.”
“So, where have you been?”
He placed his hands on the edge of the boat. “I’ve been sitting in the parking lot of the liquor store.”
“Keith—”
He looked at me. “I never got out of the truck. I wanted to. I wanted a drink so bad, but I didn’t get one.”
“That’s good, Keith.” I walked to him and placed a hand on his chest, but he stiffened and moved away from me.
The gesture hurt more than he could imagine. “Please don’t do this.” Fear took hold of me. I was going to lose him again if I didn’t do something. “Look at me.”
He slowly met my gaze.
“On the dance floor, you said you loved me. Is that true?”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “With all my heart.”
“Then you have to tell me. Even if I don’t like it. Even if you slept with Lyla, I have to know.”
“I didn’t sleep with her.”
“Then, what are you hiding from me? What do you remember? Whatever it is, I forgive you.”
He shook his head. “You can’t forgive me for this.”
Seven years ago, I would’ve listened to him. I would’ve given him space to sort it out. I would’ve focused on taking care of the kids, the house, my job. I would’ve allowed my grief over losing Marcus and the baby to swallow me whole, but I’d already been down that road, and I refused to lose Keith again.
“I promise whatever you tell me won’t change anything between us. I love you. I do. I never stopped loving you, but we have to be honest with each other.”
“I know. Just give me time to figure it out.”
“Figure what out?” I demanded, my voice breaking.
He answered by pulling me against him. My arms encircled his waist, clinging to him, desperate to show him how much I loved him.
I only hoped my love would be enough.
Chapter 37
Lyla
“She’ll be home any minute,” Lyla told herself, pacing the living room, watching for Ronnie’s car. Lyla had spoken to Avery on the phone this morning, but her daughter had been more interested in collecting seashells on the beach with Mrs. Williams than coming home.
Finally, a white Lexus pulled into the driveway. Lyla breathed a sigh of relief as Avery jumped out of the car and bounded toward the house. Flinging open the door, Lyla welcomed her daughter with a huge hug. “Oh, Avery. I missed you so much.”
Avery wiggled out of her mother’s arms and held up a plastic pink bucket of cleaned seashells. “Look! Daddy real wife help me. She nice.”
Lyla’s stomach dropped as Mrs. Williams—not Ronnie—strode toward her. A false smile was plastered to the first lady’s face, and Avery shocked Lyla by running back to Mrs. Williams and hugging her. Was Ronnie’s real wife no longer the evil villain of Avery’s story?
Mrs. Williams placed a possessive hand on Avery’s shoulder. “Did you show your mom the shell you saved for her?”
“Oh!” Avery reached into her bucket and pulled out a perfectly shaped whelk shell. Instead of giving it to Lyla, however, Avery turned and handed it to Mrs. Williams. “For you!”
Lyla’s stomach clenched. Avery was too young to understand the implications of her gesture, but nevertheless, Lyla’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces.
Mrs. Williams gave Lyla a look of pity. “Isn’t this shell for your mother?”
“No. For you.”
Turning the shell over in her hand, Mrs. Williams laughed. “Well, thank you so much, sugar. Will you do me a favor?”
“What?” Avery asked.
Mrs. Williams held up the shell. “Will you take care of it for me?”
Avery brightened as she took the shell and pressed it to her chest. “I take care of it?”
Mrs. Williams gently touched Avery’s cheek. “Yes, sweetheart. That’s right.” Genuine tenderness flickered across the other woman’s face, and for a moment, Lyla felt sorry for the first lady who’d never been able to have children of her own.
As quickly as it appeared, however, the sentimental moment passed, and Mrs. Williams resumed her I’m-in-charge-and-nobody-better-tell-me-what-to-do demeanor.
“Avery, dear, why don’t you put your shells away while I talk to your mother.”
“Okay.” Avery hugged Mrs. Williams good-bye and started to run into the house, but then she stopped and dug in her bucket until she found a piece of polished glass. “Here, Mommy. For you.”
Lyla blinked back tears and stared down at the sea glass, worn smooth by the salt and ocean waves. “Thank you, Avery.”
Avery grinned and skipped into the house, leaving Lyla alone with Ronnie’s wife.
“She’s such a darling child,” Mrs. Williams said in a condescending tone.
Lyla squared her shoulders, preparing for battle. “Thank you for having her.”
“Oh, she was delightful. Simply delightful. The governor met with his campaign advisors last night, and they just ate her up.”
Lyla’s gut jolted. She’d seen the news this morning and knew Avery’s presence was helping Ronnie’s campaign efforts. She only hoped Ronnie didn’t intend to exploit their daughter for votes.
“Well, thank you for bringing Avery home, Mrs. Williams. Have a nice day.”
“Just a moment, please.” The first lady pressed her hand to the door to stop Lyla from closing it. “The governor and I have discussed it, and we think it’d be best if we took full custody of Avery.”
“Excuse me?” Lyla’s stomach plummeted. Surely, she’d misunderstood.
Mrs. Williams nodded. “Yes. Ronald loves that little girl, and after spending the morning with her, I can see why. She’s absolutely adorable with her sweet disposition and joy for life. Honestly, she’s like a Labrador retriever, so loyal and eager to please.”
Lyla was too stunned and offended to respond.
“Anyway,” Mrs. Williams continued, “I’ll have our lawyer contact you—”
“No!”
Mrs. Williams flinched. “Pardon?”
“You’re not taking my daughter.”
The first lady gave a patronizing smile. “Lyla, it’s obvious the child needs more than you can give her. Ronald and I can provide Avery with the best schools, outstanding medical care—”
“No!” Every nerve and fiber of Lyla’s being stood on edge. “I’m not giving up my daughter. And I’m not listening to any more of this conversation. You need to leave. Now.”
Lyla started to close the door, but Mrs. Williams stepped forward. “Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be, dear.”
It took every ounce of self-control for Lyla not to punch the other woman in the face. “You’re the one making it difficult. The only way I would ever let you have Avery would be over my dead body.”
Mrs. Williams gave Lyla a chilling look that felt like a threat. Lyla tightened her grip on the doorknob. “Get off my property now before I call the cops.”
An amused smile tugged at the first lady’s lips as if she had no reason to fear the Rose Island police force. She was the first lady, after all, and she had a reputation for achieving her goals through unsavory means.
With all her force, Lyla slammed the door shut and turned the dead bolt. Revulsion burned through her, and she pressed a hand to her stomach, afraid she’d vomit.
When she heard the sound of Mrs. Williams driving away, Lyla bre
athed a shallow sigh of relief. With trembling hands, she pulled out her cell phone and called Ronnie.
He didn’t answer, of course. He was a coward who’d sucked Lyla into his pathetic life.
No, that wasn’t right. Lyla had walked into his life on her own two feet. Now, she was paying the consequences of her bad choices.
The ringing of her phone startled her. Although she didn’t recognize the number, she answered anyway, thinking it might be Ronnie calling her back. Instead, it was the Williamses’ lawyer wanting to talk about custody.
“I’m not interested!” Lyla hung up the phone without listening to anything he had to say.
Her mind raced with fear. She needed a lawyer, and she needed money. There was an offer on the house, but the closing wasn’t for another thirty days. Was there a way to speed up the process so she could have her money earlier?
Scared to death, Lyla called her realtor only to learn that the buyers had backed out of the deal.
“Why?” Lyla asked.
“I’m not sure, but . . . well, I hate to do this, but I’m afraid I need to step down from representing you.”
“What?” Lyla was shocked. “Did something happen?”
“No . . . I just don’t think it’s working out. I’m sure you’ll find someone else.”
“Kathy, tell me what’s wrong. Why don’t you want to represent me anymore? Did—” Suddenly, Lyla knew. “The governor and his wife contacted you, didn’t they?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Kathy, did they threaten you or—”
The phone went dead. Had Kathy hung up, or had someone disconnected the line?
Terrified, Lyla raced to check on Avery, relieved to find her playing quietly with the shells on her bedroom floor.
Next, she ran through the house, making sure all the doors and windows were locked. She told herself she was overreacting, but how could she relax after what just happened?
Moments later, she received a text from an unknown number. “Your choice. The easy way or the hard way.”
Lyla’s knees buckled. She took a screen shot of the text, not sure why, but thinking she might need it for evidence. Unless she figured out a way to stop them, Ronnie and his wife were going to take Avery away. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t legal, but they had the money, power, and connections to do so. All Lyla had was—
Suddenly, it hit her. Straightening, she allowed the idea to take root. Could she do it? Would it work?
Striding down the hall, she checked on Avery again, only to find her sleeping on the floor, her arm wrapped around the bucket of seashells. Lyla’s heart softened. She lifted her daughter and tucked her into bed, pulling the covers around her.
“On the day you were born,” Lyla whispered, “I promised I would always protect you. I haven’t forgotten that promise. I will always keep you safe with me, Avery. No matter what.”
Convinced she had no other option, Lyla marched into the study and sat at her computer. She read the wooden sign above the mantel for inspiration. Then she opened her e-mail and began telling the story of what really happened out in the desert when Marcus Morgan died.
In a frenzy, she typed every detail, including both her role and Ronnie’s in the tragedy. She knew her confession might lead to grave consequences, even for herself, but she wasn’t going to lose Avery without a fight.
When she finished the e-mail, she reread it. Satisfied, she picked up the phone and called Justine.
“If something happened to me, would you and Caleb take care of Avery?”
“What are you talking about?” Justine asked.
“I can’t talk right now, but if I had to go to jail for a little while, could you take care of Avery until my release?”
“Lyla, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry, but I need to know. Could you—”
“Yes, in a heartbeat. I’d treat her like she was my own. I love that little girl, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.”
Lyla blinked back tears. “Thank you. I’ll call you as soon as I can, but keep an eye on the news today, okay?”
Without explaining anymore, Lyla hung up the phone. Before she could lose her nerve, she sent the e-mail to her old boss—the anchor of Austin’s most popular news station.
A clap of thunder shook the house, and Lyla jumped.
“Mommy!” Avery screamed from the bedroom.
Lyla raced down the hall and found her daughter sitting up in bed, tears streaming down her face. “Bad dream.”
Lyla sat beside Avery. “It’s okay; it was just a dream. Do you remember it?”
Avery nodded. “I lost you at beach.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Lyla hugged her daughter tight. “I promise, no matter what, I’ll always be here for you.”
“I scared.”
Rain pounded against the window and a flash of lightning lit Avery’s bedroom. Lyla brushed back her daughter’s hair. “It’s okay to be scared, but I promise everything will be all right.”
“Cause God loves us?” Avery asked, her speech clearer than ever.
“Exactly. Everything is going to be okay because God loves us.”
Chapter 38
Jillian
I awoke late Saturday morning to the sound of thunder and rain echoing off the metal roof of my parents’ house. My head pounded, and I couldn’t stop the sickening feeling churning in my stomach, telling me I’d lost my second chance with Keith.
After leaving the harbor last night, I’d come back to the ranch to sleep in my old bedroom. Bianca and Vicki had spent the night in their old rooms as well, while Matt and Drew stayed in Marcus’s old bedroom, something my mother had always encouraged, insisting her grandchildren brought new life to the place.
The smell of coffee lured me down to the kitchen where I realized I wasn’t the only one who’d slept in—nor the only one with a broken heart. Like my eyes, my mother’s were swollen from crying. She refused to talk about it, so I didn’t know what was wrong. Perhaps something had happened after I left the reception last night.
It rained all through breakfast, but when there was a break in the downpour, my dad and I took the boys outside to clean the rest of the mess from the party. My mom and sisters stayed in the kitchen, tackling the mountain of dishes.
“So, all of Keith’s memories have returned?” Dad asked, after I told him about my conversation with Keith on the boat last night.
“I think so, but he won’t talk to me about it.”
“Give him time.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to give Keith time. “Dad, did Keith ever say anything about not being able to talk to me?”
My dad’s expression faltered, but he covered it with a quick smile. “He loves you, honey. Of that, I’m certain.”
“Then why—” My voice broke, and I began to cry. “Why is he acting like this? Why is he pushing me away?”
My dad patted my back. “Ah, come on, now. It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll work it out. I’m sure whatever he did or didn’t do was out of love for you.”
I wiped my eyes. “How can you be so sure?”
My dad gave a sad smile, and I had a foreboding feeling that he knew something I didn’t know. Before I could ask, Bianca opened the back door and yelled for us to come inside right now.
“What is it?” Dad asked, recognizing the alarm in her voice.
It began to rain again, and I looked up at the dark sky, wondering if a hurricane was heading our way.
“Just come inside. There’s something on the news about Marcus.” The screen door slammed shut and she stepped back into the house as lightning flashed across the sky.
Chapter 39
Keith
As the rain pounded down on my boat, I paced the small cabin, desperate for a drink. When I’d left rehab, I’d been confident that alcohol no longer held me captive, yet here it was, rearing its ugly head.
I considered calling Dr. Jacobs, but I didn’t want
to bother him. Besides, the doc had already gone beyond his professional obligation to help me. It was the weekend, and he deserved to spend it with his daughter, not with some recovering alcoholic, struggling once again.
Picking up the phone, I tried to call Jillian, but I couldn’t do it. Not yet. Not until I figured out what I needed to do about these returning memories. If only I had a drink.
Glancing at the time, I realized I’d missed my regular AA meeting that morning, but there was another one near post I could attend. I climbed into my truck and drove through the storm toward the address on my GPS.
Despite the difficult driving conditions, my mood lifted as I sang along to a country song on the radio. When the song ended and the DJ began irritating me with talk of some woman he’d met at the bar last night, I turned the channel to the news where a panel of political pundits discussed the governor.
“These latest accusations from Lyla Gray will cost him the election,” a woman predicted.
“Are you kidding me?” a man with a deep voice said. “Williams is so far ahead in this race, nothing can bring him down.”
I’d assumed they were talking about Lyla’s little girl, so I wasn’t prepared when the woman said, “According to Lyla Gray’s accusatory e-mail, Williams directly caused the death of Marcus Morgan when he thought it was a good idea to enjoy a little target practice in the middle of a war zone. What kind of idiot does that?”
“An idiot who believes women are impressed by big guns,” another man said with a tone of amusement.
The shock of hearing them talk so candidly made me almost lose control of my truck. Gripping the steering wheel, I pulled into the first parking spot available and tried to breathe.
What they said was true. Wanting to impress Lyla, Williams had taken her out into the desert to shoot guns. Because such a stupid act was against regulations, he’d taken only Marcus for security.
And then, the unthinkable had happened.
His gunfire had attracted the attention of American troops who, not knowing it was Williams, responded with force, instantly killing Marcus. Williams had covered up his mistake, insisting the shots heard earlier had been fired by insurgents who’d killed Marcus before escaping.
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