Melissa couldn’t keep her smile hidden. “I only meant I already agreed to go with someone else.”
“With your mother?”
“No, I’m going with Richard and his family.”
Lettie laughed. “Honey, that means you’re coming with me, too. I told you I don’t drive much. Richard or Angela always pick me up.” A speculative gleam flashed in Lettie’s eyes. “So my boy is taking you to church, is he? Fancy that.”
Melissa’s merriment faded. Lettie had no idea that Richard had proposed and that she had turned him down. “Miss Lettie, Richard and I are friends. You have to stop thinking that there’s something more between us.”
“Pshaw. I have a right to think anything I want. It’s a free country.”
“I just don’t want you getting your hopes up.”
“My hopes are exactly where they belong. I’ve never seen two people so bent on being friendly when it’s as plain as day that they can’t keep their eyes off each other. Now, you tell me I’m wrong about that.”
“I think you’re reading too much into what you see.”
“All right. I’ll stop nagging you and Richard, but I’m not going to stop hoping. You two would make a fine pair.”
Lettie’s words ran through Melissa’s mind as she drove through town later that evening. If she had accepted Richard’s offer, they wouldn’t be a pair for long. Soon there would be a baby to make three. Dean’s baby. Many a marriage where the couples started out in love with each other didn’t survive the difficulties of raising children. And to raise another man’s child, that was asking a lot. Even for as fine a man as Richard. She had done the right thing by turning him down. If only she could stop dreaming about living her life by his side.
Passing through the outskirts of Nashville, she pulled into the parking lot of a modestly popular nightclub. The lot was empty except for two white vans parked near the side doors. She watched as three men came out of the club and lifted a large set of speakers from one of the vans. She recognized all three of them, but the man she was here to see wasn’t among them.
Melissa stepped out of the car and walked toward the nightclub, trying to ignore the rush of apprehension pouring through her veins.
Chapter Seventeen
As Melissa stepped through the large, metal side doors of the club, she paused to let her eyes adjust to the dim light. The room was packed with an assortment of mismatched tables and chairs around a small dance floor that looked as if it hadn’t had a good cleaning in years. Mirrors on the walls reflected the shabby scene, but did nothing to lighten the place’s dark mood. The nauseating smell of stale cigarette smoke permeated the air.
How could she ever have imagined that a life in places like this night after night was what she had wanted?
The band was already on the low stage. Dean stood near the microphone testing the sound of his guitar while the other two band members were hooking up the amplifiers. She walked to the foot of the platform and waited until Dean noticed her. She knew he had seen her by the sour note he struck.
“What do you want?” he demanded in a grim tone.
“Could I talk to you for a few minutes?”
“Anything you need to say can be said to my lawyer.”
“This is about us. Not about anything else that happened.”
“Your papa’s watchdog attorney might see it differently.”
“Please, Dean. I’m only asking for a few minutes.”
He glared at her, but she didn’t back down. This was important and it needed to be settled before she could move on.
“All right. I’ll give you five minutes.” He slipped the strap of his guitar off over his head and laid the instrument on the floor, then he hopped off the stage. He flipped his long hair back, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one. “Say what you’ve got to say.”
“Outside.” She wasn’t about to discuss their personal life in front of the other band members. She turned on her heels and walked out, not knowing if he would follow.
He did. She stopped beside the closest van and faced him. “I came to tell you that I’m keeping the baby.”
“Oh, so now you’re gonna sue to make me pay child support?”
“I’m not asking for child support. As far as I’m concerned, since you’ve never wanted this baby, I see no reason to include you in my child’s life unless you want it. Do you?”
He threw his cigarette down and ground it under his boot heel. “I should say yes just to see you squirm.”
“I won’t squirm. If I really believed that you wanted to be a part of our child’s life, I would let you. But I know that isn’t the case. I won’t let you use her as a weapon to hurt me or my family. If you try, I’ll take you to court and prove to everyone you are an unfit parent. The fact that you abandoned me in Detroit will be easy to prove, as will your drug habit. Don’t forget, I know all about that, but I’m sure your manager doesn’t. You’ll gain nothing by fighting me except a stack of bills for legal fees.”
He took a menacing step toward her. “If I hadn’t thought I could get a hold of your old man’s money, I never would have hooked up with you.”
“It was a mistake for both of us. After the baby is born, I’ll have papers sent to you so that you can relinquish your parental rights. I don’t want anything from you, except that. I think it will be best if we never see each other again.”
He crossed his arms and leaned one shoulder against the van. “Have your daddy drop the charges against me and I’ll consider relinquishing my rights.”
“My daughter isn’t a bargaining chip. You will have to pay for your own mistakes. Sign or don’t sign, it’s up to you. But know this, you won’t have a part in this baby’s life. I’m not your pawn, Dean. I’ve learned a little about standing up for myself in the past month.”
“Who’s been teaching you? Daddy’s attorney?”
“Among other people, yes. I’m getting my life back on track. I’m not getting a penny of Daddy’s money so you don’t have to feel bad thinking the rich girl got away.”
“Right. Like I believe that.”
“I feel sorry for you, Dean. You have talent, but you are always looking for the quick fix, the easy road. There isn’t one. I also came to tell you that I forgive you for the way you treated me. Have a nice life, Dean. I’ll pray for you.”
She turned and began walking to the car. Her knees were shaking so badly she wondered if she could make it.
“Pray for yourself, Melissa,” he shouted after her. “You’re the one who needs it, not me.”
She stopped and looked back. “I do need it. Say one for me and for your daughter if you ever feel like praying. I hope someday you will.”
Sunday morning the sun was shining brightly as Melissa walked with Richard toward the Northside Community Church. Located on a gentle rise, the white brick building overlooked an expanse of shady lawn that rolled away to the tree-lined edge of the river below. Looking up, she saw the steeple silhouetted against a flawless blue sky. She mounted the broad steps leading up to a columned portico with a growing sense of happiness. It seemed so right to be here.
Inside the building, a deep awareness of real peace settled over her as she made her way down the central aisle. Overhead, the vaulted ceiling, spanned by heavy oak beams, gave the building a feeling of expansiveness. Brilliant colors spilled into the space from tall, arched, stained-glass windows on either side. In a pew near the front, Melissa saw her mother sitting with Amy and Heather.
As Richard’s family filed into a pew on the opposite side, Melissa touched Richard’s arm. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she said quietly, “but I think I’ll sit with Mom.”
Richard smiled, his eyes filled with understanding. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Walking the rest of the way alone, Melissa stopped beside her mother. “Is there room here for one more?”
Nora stood and threw her arms around Melissa. “Always,” she whispered, her voice choke
d with emotion. “There is always, always room for one more in God’s house.”
“I’m learning that.”
As they took their seats, both Heather and Amy reached out to squeeze Melissa’s hand in welcome. A moment later, the congregation rose as the minister approached the pulpit. Together, the voices of the people were lifted up in song. With a hymnal in hand, Melissa sneaked a peek back at Richard. He was singing, but his eyes were on her.
Samantha stood beside him, singing in a beautiful alto that carried each note clear and true. She caught Melissa’s eye and smiled. Melissa gave her a thumbs-up sign. If the choir director was listening, he certainly would be blown away by the improvement in the girl’s voice.
Following the opening song, the congregation sat down and Reverend Abernathy began his sermon. He spoke sincerely and eloquently about the meaning of Thanksgiving. As Melissa listened, she silently listed all the things she was grateful for in her life. So many of her troubles that had once seemed like unbearable burdens were bearable now that she had faced up to them and stopped running away.
God had opened her heart to the good in people. People like her mother and her brothers and sisters. People like Richard, who cared about others and sought to help. Closing her eyes, she gave thanks for the people she loved, for her baby, and her family, and for the man seated a few rows back. A man she loved deeply.
As she prayed, her father’s face came to mind. He was the one part of her life that she hadn’t made peace with. Perhaps she never would, but she knew she had to try.
Later, when the service was over, she spoke to her mother as they were leaving the church. “Mom, how is Dad?”
“Better I think. Dr. Strickland seems quite hopeful that your father will make a full recovery.”
“Do you think it would be all right if I went to see him?”
“Of course it would. You don’t have to ask that.”
“It’s just that I don’t want to upset him.”
“He’s worried about you. Seeing you would do him a world of good.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Darling, I know so.”
“All right. I’ll go. I’ll go this afternoon. That is, if you’re sure?”
“I’ll drive you myself.”
Melissa chewed her lower lip, then blurted out, “No offence, Mom, but I think I’d rather see him alone.”
“I understand. I’ll drop you off and you can call me when you’re ready to leave. How’s that?”
“That would be fine. Could we go now, before I lose my nerve?”
“Certainly, and don’t worry about your nerve. I suspect you will find in time that you have inherited your father’s nerves of steel.”
The drive to the hospital didn’t take long with the light Sunday traffic. Melissa stood in the parking lot and watched her mother drive away with a sinking sense of dread. Why on earth had she insisted on seeing her father alone?
Because with her mother present, both Melissa and Wallace would have maintained a polite demeanor and nothing important would have been said.
She stared up at the austere building, waiting for her fear to creep out and choke her, but nothing happened. Jenny’s death had been tragic, but Jenny was at peace. Melissa knew it in her heart. Squaring her shoulders, she walked through the doors.
Outside her father’s room, she paused only a second. If she waited, she might lose her resolve. She tapped lightly and opened the door before he answered.
Wallace was sitting up in bed with a Bible in his hands. A set of gray wires protruded from inside his navy-blue pajama top. They led to a cardiac monitor over the bed where his heartbeat was displayed by a green, bouncing line. A tray of food had been pushed to one side. It looked as if he had eaten very little.
He laid his book aside. “Melissa, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Daddy.”
“Come in, sit down.”
“How are you feeling?” She approached the foot of his bed.
“I’d be better if they’d let me out of this place.”
She nodded toward the tray. “They aren’t going to let you go if you don’t eat better than that.”
“The food here is terrible. Everything tastes like paste.”
“Mom told me you’d been complaining about the meals.”
“I miss her cooking. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“And the baby?”
Melissa patted her stomach. “Your granddaughter is fine.”
“My granddaughter. That is going to take some getting used to.”
“About the other day, Dad—”
“I’m so sorry,” he interrupted. “When they told me about your fall I thought…I thought you might never want to see me again. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”
“When Richard told me what Dean tried to do, I thought you might never want to see me again.”
“It looks like we were both wrong,” he said with a wry smile.
“I’m sorry for so many things, Daddy…I don’t even know where to start.”
“Me, too.” He held out his arms and Melissa rushed to him. He held her close and patted her back as she broke down and cried for all the misery and misunderstanding that had kept them apart for so long.
“Don’t cry so. You’ll make yourself sick.”
When she was able to regain a measure of composure, Melissa sat back on the side of the bed and wiped her face. “I don’t think these tears…will make me sick. I think…these tears are going to make me better. Don’t worry, I cry all the time. I think it’s the pregnancy.”
Wallace wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “Your mother was that way when she was pregnant with the twins. I tiptoed around for months trying not to upset her.”
“Did it work?”
“No, she cried at every little thing. Once, I found her at the window crying because it was such a beautiful, sunny day. Two days later, she’s crying because the sound of the rain made her happy. The next day she was crying because she looked too fat in her favorite dress. That was a long nine months.”
Melissa managed a weak smile. “I’m not quite that bad, but I have a few months to go.”
“Are you sure keeping the baby is what you want? It isn’t going to be easy.” His doubts were evident in his face. A few days ago, his tone would have been enough to send her self-esteem plummeting.
Heavenly Father, give me the chance to prove to this man that I have changed.
She sat up straighter. “It is what I want. I know there will be tough times, but I have God and my family in my corner, so I’m going to be fine.”
He reached out and touched her face. “You remind me of your mother.”
“Daddy, I do believe that’s the finest compliment I’ve ever received.”
Richard drove Lettie home after the service. She was unusually quiet on the trip, but then, he wasn’t much in the mood for conversation. Melissa had looked so happy today. He couldn’t get her image out of his mind. The more he tried to get on with his life, the more he found himself thinking about her. Living in the same house with her and not being able to tell her how much he loved her was torture.
As he pulled up to the curb in front of his aunt’s place, Lettie spoke at last. “What’s eating you, Richard?”
“Nothing.” He turned off the engine but didn’t get out.
“Don’t be fibbing to me. I can see you got something heavy on your mind. It’s as plain as the nose on your face.”
“That plain?”
“Reminds me of the way Melissa’s been looking.”
“I thought she looked happy today.”
“Happy? I thought she looked downright beautiful.”
“She is beautiful, inside as well as outside.”
“Except when she’s moping over you.”
“What? No, you’ve got that all wrong. She isn’t moping over me.”
“Don’t be contradicting your elders. If
I say the girl is moping over you, she is.”
“I’d like to think that’s true, but I know better.” He couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into his voice.
“All right, I’ll bite. How do you know it isn’t true?”
“Because I asked Melissa to marry me and she said no.”
Lettie stared at him openmouthed. “How could a man as smart as you mess up a proposal so badly?”
“I didn’t mess it up.”
“If that girl told you no, sugar, you messed up bad.”
“Lettie, I’d really rather not talk about this.”
“I can see why. I’d be embarrassed, too, if I made such a fool of myself.”
“I didn’t make a fool of myself. I asked her to marry me and she turned me down.”
“Did you tell her how much you loved her? Did you mention that you couldn’t live without her? Did you tell her you give thanks to God every day for bringing her and her baby into your life?”
“Not in so many words.”
“I was right. You messed up.”
“I can’t believe I’m having this discussion with you.”
“Who else you gonna tell?”
Who else, indeed? He gripped the top of the steering wheel. The need to share his disappointment was stronger than his need to hide his wounded pride. “I told her that I cared deeply for her. I said I wanted to protect her and be a father to her child. I even said that if she married me before the baby was born I would be considered the legal father and Dean Orton wouldn’t be able to threaten her ever again.”
“Oh my stars, you didn’t say that?”
“What’s wrong with wanting to protect her?”
“Sugar, a woman doesn’t want a man listing all the reasons why it’s a good idea to get hitched. A woman wants a man to say he loves her and life without her as his wife isn’t worth living. She wants passion, not common sense. You ask her again. That gal is in love with you.”
“She’s had so many adjustments in her life, lately. I don’t want to pressure her. I won’t say anything until after the baby is born.”
“Well, you’re a good boy, Richard. I can see you have her best interests at heart. But you take my advice, don’t wait too long. I don’t see any sense in both of you being miserable for months when a little plain speaking and a kiss or two would make the world right as rain in no time.”
Prodigal Daughter Page 18