“What?”
Nita sniffed and stood slowly. “Liza got fired today. She was very upset.”
Jaime felt like he’d been doused in a bucket of ice water. “What? Why?” Liza had come to his house for support, and instead she’d discovered what a crummy liar her fiancé was.
Nita clenched her hands into fists. “Rick insisted that she work with Mark on a project. She refused, so he fired her.”
“I’m gonna kill him,” Jaime seethed.
“Probably shouldn’t say things like that around here,” Nita whispered. “You’ll be hired as a hit man by day’s end.”
“That’s why she came by my place.” Jaime put his hand on his forehead and pushed it through his hair. “My ex was there, and she told Liza a bunch of stuff—some that I was hoping to have a chance to tell her.”
“Uh-oh.” Nita stood up. “That doesn’t sound good. What were you hiding from her besides your DUI?”
“You know about that?” Jaime said, and then he waved his hand. “Never mind. Everyone knows about that.”
“But what don’t they know about?” Nita asked, putting a hand on her hip.
Jaime looked down at the floor and whispered. “That I have a son. I didn’t want him to get hurt, so I kept him a secret. I realize how bad that looks now.”
“You think?” Nita narrowed her eyes. “You’re her fiancé!”
Jaime swallowed back his retort about being a fake fiancé, because that wasn’t the truth he wanted to defend. “I love Liza. I didn’t mean to hurt her. What can I do?”
“Tell her the truth, for starters,” Nita said.
“I did. I’ve told her everything now except the reason that I had to keep my son a secret. She left before I could explain and I didn’t even know about her getting fired. I wonder if she went home.”
“I wouldn’t go there,” Nita said. “She’ll need time to cool down, but I would call Adina and double-check.”
Ugh. That was going to be the most uncomfortable phone call in the history of the telephone. “Okay, I’ll do that. Would you mind texting me if you hear from her?”
Nita pursed her lips. “I guess. I need to chat with her first to see what’s really going on.”
“I get that. I wouldn’t trust me either.”
Nita pulled out her phone. “What’s your number?”
Jaime told her and then said, “Please, if you have any sway, will you tell Liza that I really do love her? It’s not an act.”
“Well, you’d have to be a pretty good actor to get that sheen in your eyes just now when you were professing your love.” Nita raised her eyebrows. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not considering where to punch you because you hurt my friend.”
“I messed up, but seriously, if you knew the whole story, I think you’d go a tiny bit easier on me.”
“We’ll see,” Nita replied. “And everyone will see, ’cause that’s the thing about the truth. It always comes out.”
As Jaime left the office of Stellar Ads, he thought about what Nita had said. The truth didn’t always come out, though. There were things that he would never know about Kori and her dishonest manipulation, but he didn’t want to know those things. If people thought Kori was wonderful, so be it. But Liza—she was his whole life, and somehow he needed to prove it to her. That was the truth that needed to come out—that Jaime hadn’t been pretending. He really wanted to be Liza’s fiancé; more than that, he wanted to be in her life forever.
28
“Honey, are you sure you want to do this?” Mom said as she helped Liza load her suitcase into the car.
“I have to.” Liza threw in an oversized bag and her lunch bag. She’d turned off her phone two days ago and slept most of the last twenty-four hours, but she couldn’t hide anymore.
“Jaime came by again this morning,” Mom said. “He truly looks like his heart is broken. Aunt Mary said she won’t be offended if you change your mind.”
“Good.” Liza unwrapped her scarf and threw it on the passenger seat. Her aunt Mary only lived two and a half hours away, on the other side of Albany. Liza had wanted to go farther to visit Lori, but her sister lived in Buffalo and they had worse snowstorms than Echo Ridge. With the crazy winter storms predicted, she didn’t dare. Her father would’ve tied her to a chair if he could to keep her from making this trip as it was.
“I don’t think you really mean that, but even if you do, please don’t stay away too long.” Mom hugged Liza and patted her hair. “I’m sorry this hurts so much. I still think you need to give Jaime a chance to explain what he was thinking.”
“Mom, he had so many chances. We were together every day.” Liza tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He could have told me a thousand times. I opened my heart and soul to him.” The familiar burn in the back of her throat signaled tears that Liza didn’t want to cry. “I have to go, but I’ll call you at the halfway point.”
A few minutes later, Liza had circumvented the town of Echo Ridge, leaving behind all the places she’d pointed out to Jaime in the window display at Kenworth’s. She thought back to that night. It had been perfect, and for a moment, she had seen a future here with Jaime. One where they could take their children to Chickadee Lake for ice skating and go up to Ruby Mountain Resort for skiing after downing shakes and fries at Chip’s diner, or even better, pizza at Jack’s. She wanted to join the library board and be part of the planning committee for the city, but now all of that seemed like wasted dreams.
Part of the reason Liza wanted to visit Aunt Mary was to check out potential jobs in Albany and maybe even visit a few companies before everything shut down for Christmas. She was running away because there was no sense in standing still and letting life beat the last breaths out of her. For a second, she thought of Jaime and all the times he’d comforted her, made her laugh, and encouraged her to go after her dreams. That was gone now.
She didn’t want to cry anymore, but her tears kept pushing forth. Liza tried to concentrate on the Christmas songs on the radio, but they all reminded her of what she’d lost. By the time she arrived at Aunt Mary’s, Liza was exhausted.
Mary met her at the door and enveloped her in a hug. She was older than Liza’s mom by about ten years, and her face was creased with lines from her perpetual smile. “Darling, I’m so sorry about all of this,” she murmured. “But don’t you worry. You go right in and lie down for a while. We’ll talk later.”
Liza hiccupped over a sob. “Thank you.”
True to her word, Aunt Mary didn’t pressure Liza for explanations or details. She gave her plenty of time to relax and invited Liza to help in holiday preparations. Mary’s daughter, Christina, was coming from Alabama to visit with her family on December twenty-second. Liza helped Mary clean the house, decorate, and prepare Christmas pies and cookie dough for the festivities.
On Sunday, Liza attended Mass with her aunt and felt soothed by the music and the prayers. On the way back to Mary’s house, Liza patted her aunt’s hand. “Thank you for letting me hide away for a few days. This was just what I needed.”
“You know you’re welcome to stay here,” Mary said. “But I know your mother would about tan my hide if I didn’t send you back home to her.”
Liza smiled. “I promised her I’d be back for Christmas. I checked the weather and there is another storm coming through on Tuesday, so I think I should head back tomorrow.”
“That sounds sensible. There will be just enough time for you to help me bake my Christmas cake,” Mary said with a twinkle in her eye.
They returned to Mary’s house, and Liza noticed a missed call from Nita. She bit her lip, considering how to proceed.
When she’d first arrived in Albany, Liza had deleted all of Jaime’s texts and sent him one message.
Please do not contact me again.
She’d cried when she’d sent it, but Jaime respected her wish and didn’t send any more texts. She vacillated each day between calling him to find out why he had lied or blocking his number c
ompletely. She didn’t want to block Jaime from her life. She just wanted to understand why he couldn’t be honest with her. But it all hurt too much to try to sort it out right now.
But she couldn’t ignore everyone, so Liza called Nita back, eager to talk to her best friend.
“Liza, it’s like you dropped off the face of the earth. I miss you!”
“I had to get away. I knew if I stayed there, I wouldn’t have the space that I need to think about what happened. Jaime’s my neighbor, so it’s inevitable that I would see him.”
“Oh, so you don’t ever want to see him again?” Nita asked.
“No, that’s the thing that is so confusing. I miss him, but at the same time I’m so angry and hurt. I feel betrayed.” Liza sat in the overstuffed chair next to the window in Mary’s guest room. “I want to see him, but I don’t.”
“That makes sense even though it doesn’t,” Nita replied. “Do you think it’d be worth it to at least talk to him and find out more about his son?”
“You mean so that I can justify his reason for lying?” Liza could hear the edge to her tone.
“Maybe. We all do stupid things, and at the time it seems like a good idea, or else we wouldn’t do them, right?”
“Nita, I don’t know. I don’t know if my heart can take it if I give him another chance and then he breaks it.”
“And what if he’s the one? How would your heart take it if you missed out on love?”
Liza sighed. “If only my track record wasn’t so horrible. I’ve lost confidence in myself. I’ve made some really bad decisions.”
“I don’t think you can say that, Liza. You made decisions to trust people, and because they’re human, they’ve made mistakes. That hurts no matter who you are, but what makes the difference is if they’re willing to change. If they’re willing to trust you enough to be honest.”
Liza couldn’t ignore the logic in Nita’s words. “So you think I should give Jaime another chance?”
“I think you should at least talk to him face-to-face.”
“I’ll just be a mess.” Liza sniffed. “I’ve cried so much that my eyes are swollen.”
“Good. That will make him even more remorseful, don’t you think?”
Liza chuckled. “I’m coming home tomorrow. There’s another storm coming through on Tuesday.”
“Let’s do lunch. I’m headed out to see my family on Tuesday, and I won’t be back until New Year’s.”
“Okay, where do you want to meet?”
“How about I pick something up and come out to your place? I haven’t seen your mom in ages.”
Liza liked the thought of that. She wasn’t ready to go out in public and have one more person ask her details about her engagement and upcoming wedding. “You’re a mind reader, Nita. That would be perfect.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Drive safe.”
“Thanks, Nita. I’m lucky to have you for a friend.”
“I’m luckier.”
After Liza hung up, Nita’s words kept echoing through her mind. The idea that Jaime had made a huge mistake but that he could still be the right man for her heart was scary to consider. If that was true, what did it mean for their future? Liza had fallen in love with Jaime, and even now, thinking about the time they’d spent together brought the edges of a smile to her face. If she were to forgive him, would they continue dating? Would she be able to truly trust him?
Liza rolled her shoulders back. She didn’t have to figure it all out now. She would talk to Nita more about it at lunch tomorrow, and maybe her friend could help her figure out a way to contact Jaime to get the conversation started. Liza nodded, content with her plan. She walked into the kitchen to help Aunt Mary bake her Christmas cake.
29
Liza made it back to Echo Ridge by ten o’clock on Monday. It had been hard to leave Mary after their time together, and she promised to visit more often in the future. She had many soul-searching moments and spent a long time on her knees in prayer the previous night. She felt that Nita was right, that it was okay to talk to Jaime and try to sort out everything that had happened. Liza felt safe in considering that route. She kept thinking about Jaime and how she should contact him as she unpacked her suitcase and changed her clothes in preparation for lunch with Nita. Should she text Jaime or call him? Or even drop by his house? Would he even still want to see her, or had he given up completely?
Liza tidied up the kitchen with her mom, and they chatted about the Christmas day menu as they waited for Nita to arrive. Liza was working on a shopping list when the doorbell rang, and the door opened a half second later, followed by Nita’s cheerful hello.
“Nita, it’s so good to see you!” Adina said as she hugged her.
“Sorry I’ve been a stranger. I miss you guys so much. Work just isn’t the same without Liza.” Nita gave Liza a hug. “How are you feeling today?”
“Better. I think I’m ready to do some hard things.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear that, because I really hope you’ll forgive me, but someone asked for my help and he seemed pretty desperate, so I told him I’d try my best to help him.”
“What?” Liza asked. She heard the front door click open and shut again. A second later, Jaime stood sheepishly in the hallway.
“I told Jaime to come,” Nita said. “He just wants to talk to you for a little while, and I really hope you won’t be mad at me.” Nita licked her lips and scrunched her eyes in an imploring expression. “Your mom was in on it too.”
Liza glanced from her mom, to Nita, and then to Jaime. When she saw Jaime, her heart leapt out to him; at the same time, her brain told her to run, or better yet, smack him. She looked at Nita and nodded. “It’ll be okay.”
“Good, because I’m making lunch with Adina while you and Jaime chat.”
Nita kissed Liza’s cheek and walked into the kitchen. Adina gave Liza a hug and whispered, “I may have been in on this, but I want you to know that I am here for you. You’re my number one priority.”
Liza hugged her. “Thanks, Mom.”
She turned to face Jaime. He stood in the same place about five paces from the front door. He had his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders were slumped. As she took a step closer, she noticed that his eyes were rimmed with red and he looked weary. She studied him, knowing that the next step she took would be the deciding factor. She could walk toward him, or she could walk away. It wasn’t a decision to be made in haste. With a breath, Liza listened to her heart—felt how it reached out toward him. “Jaime.”
He lifted his head slightly and took a deep breath. “Liza, I’m so sorry.”
“Let’s go in the den.” Liza led the way into the cozy room by the fireplace. She settled on the large sofa and patted the seat next to her.
“Thank you so much for giving me a chance to talk to you.” Jaime sat next to her tentatively. “This has been the worst week of my life.”
Liza was about to say the same, but the words died as she thought about what she’d gone through when Mark had called off their engagement. She thought about how she’d suffered as he continued to harass her months after the breakup. Those were lonely, scary times filled with confusion. The situation with Jaime had been horrible, but she was sitting next to him now and didn’t feel any of the emotions that she had experienced in relation to Mark. “I was going to agree, but I know you aren’t like Mark, and because of that, this wasn’t my worst week.”
Jaime pressed his lips together, and his eyes filled with moisture. “Liza, I should’ve trusted you. I didn’t know you at first, and I tried to protect Alex—my son—from the chaos and confusion of the divorce and subsequent drama that his mother has put him through. I never agreed to pretend to be your fiancé to benefit myself. I honestly hadn’t even considered it until after we were already acting the part. Then I told myself that it probably wouldn’t hurt since we were pretending anyway, but by then, I had already started to fall in love with you.” He swallowed. “My ex-wife steals my son’s medic
ation every chance she gets and he was failing school because of it. I had to get him away from her, so I came up with the idea of boarding school.”
Liza covered her mouth with a gasp as she listened to Jaime explain how Kori manipulated and emotionally abused Alex. Tears came to her eyes and Jaime described the home life that his son used to be in. Jaime wiped his eyes. “I’m so very sorry that I lied. I realize now that I could have been truthful with you, but I was afraid to try. And then I wasn’t confident enough to just tell you how I felt, because I thought that maybe you would think it was all part of the act.” He took her hand and looked in her eyes. “Liza, I love you. Will you please give me a chance to earn your trust?” Jaime took a deep breath and blew it out. “How can I prove to you that what I’m saying is true?”
Liza let Jaime’s words fall on her heart like the gentle snowflakes she could see outside the window. She had a choice to make. She could hold out her hand and catch the snowflakes, with a chance to admire the beautiful crystalline structure before they melted, or she could turn away and miss the beauty right in front of her. Liza swallowed and reached out to Jaime, letting his fingers clasp her hand. “Jaime, I fell in love with you, but I’ve been so confused because I couldn’t discern between what was real and what was an act. When I found out that you had lied about your son, I realized that my feelings were true; otherwise, it wouldn’t have hurt so much.”
Jaime put his arm around her. “I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Liza nodded. “I already have. I’m more than a little scared, but I can’t keep my heart from loving you.”
“I love you so much. I’m not sure how I did it, but somehow I prayed you into my life. You’re the answer I’ve been looking for. I would do anything for you, and I was crushed when I thought I’d lost you.”
“I don’t think you can take all the credit, because I’ve been praying pretty hard too.” Liza smiled. “God certainly has been looking out for me.”
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