Lacey lifted her head and studied the woman who’d seen so much of life’s woes. Louise’s own life had been worse than most of her cases.
How spoiled I am. How pampered. She was right. I’m soft. Dev deserved a chance to explain, at least.
Her fingers brushed the envelope. This was something the man who’d made love to her so tenderly would do.
It nearly killed me when you threw my love on the ground and walked away.
There had to be reasons why he’d kept so much secret. She needed to hear him out.
“So you’re telling me to fight for him?” A tiny smile curved Lacey’s lips.
“Don’t know how you can look at yourself in the mirror if you don’t try. That’s a lot of man there, girl. Big heart, fine and strong. Easy on the eyes, too.” Louise grinned, eyes sparkling. “You too soft for the fight, maybe I’ll jump in and grab him for myself.”
Lacey laughed, and it felt so good. She settled back on the pillows. “I think I’ve been feeling sorry for myself.”
Louise shrugged. “Little bit of that goes a long way.”
Lacey drew a deep breath. “You’re right. It does.” She looked carefully at the woman before her. “I’m going to try to adopt Christina, if I can get the rest of my life straightened out. You might not want me working on her case until then.”
“I get worried about your behavior, I’ll tell you. Meanwhile, you need to get yourself well. There’s work to be done, and I’m not getting any younger.” She made as if to leave.
Lacey held out the envelope. “Here—you’ll want this.”
Louise winked. “Not my courtin’ gift, hon. I best be leaving it with you. Seems like someone in this room might want to thank the man properly.” She waved on her way out.
If only he’ll come back so I can, Lacey thought. If only I can dig past the remote stranger to find the real Dev.
Chapter Thirteen
When the tap on the door turned out to be Dev, Lacey’s nerves jittered. “Hi. Come on in.” She clutched the envelope to her breast. “Thank you for getting her here.”
He shrugged. “Happy to do it.”
Still so distant. So impassive.
“And thank you for this.” She indicated the envelope. “Louise says that Christina’s aunt can’t make her case now. If only…”
He frowned faintly. “If only what?”
She glanced away. “I don’t know if I’m the best person for Christina now. I don’t know how I’ll support her. None of what I thought was mine feels right to keep now.”
“They’re still your parents, Lacey. They wouldn’t want you to give up anything of yours. They still love you.”
“Do they, Dev? Why would you lie like that to someone you love?”
A spasm of pain crossed his face, and she regretted her words.
Before she could speak, he did. “Your birth family is nothing to be ashamed of. Those people are as deep-down good as anyone I’ve ever known.” Finally, the impassiveness gave way to strong feeling. “You need to meet them and find out for yourself.”
Just the idea made her uneasy. She could listen, though. Find out more. “Tell me about them.”
Dev thought for a minute, then a faint smile curved his lips. “You’d love Maddie. She’s funny and cheerful and about half-gypsy. And she’d understand, Lacey. She only found out a few months ago that her father lived under a fake name for her whole life.”
“What?”
“Thought you were unique, didn’t you?” A trace of a frown ghosted across his face. “Maddie thought she was the only one left. She’d never known grandparents, and both her parents were dead. I found her for Boone’s dad.”
“I don’t understand.”
Some of the strain on his face eased as he slid into the story. “Maddie’s father—your father—Dalton Wheeler, took the rap for a murder he didn’t commit. His stepfather, son of the most powerful man in the county, beat Dalton’s mother brutally, and she killed him in self-defense. Dalton confessed in order to save her from jail, then vanished with the help of one of her friends so that she couldn’t recant and sacrifice herself. He gave up his identity and the woman he loved—your mother Jenny—to save his mother. Jenny, like everyone else in Morning Star, thought he was dead.”
Lacey couldn’t take it all in. “They were married?”
“No,” Dev said. “But they’d been in love since she was fourteen. Dalton disappeared without ever knowing she was pregnant.” He looked at her intensely. “Maddie is absolutely certain of that. He never really loved another woman, not even Maddie’s mother, the way he loved Jenny. After she went away to have you, Jenny came back and married Sam Gallagher, but she was never the same after she had to give you up. Boone and Mitch and Sam all remarked on the fact that there was always this sadness she couldn’t shake. Until Maddie found her grandmother’s diary with its speculations about the months that Jenny was gone from Morning Star, no one knew why.”
“They never knew about me?”
He shook his head and took her hand. “She never told a soul. Both Boone and Mitch say she always talked about how much she wished for a daughter. But until I started looking, it was only a guess on your grandmother’s part that you even existed.”
Grandmother. The only one Lacey had known had been Margaret’s mother, stiff in her disapproval. “What was her name?”
“Your grandmother?” At her nod, he continued. “Rose. Rose Wheeler. Maddie’s middle name is Rose. You all have the same eyes. Dalton’s eyes, too.”
“What did—” Her voice failed her. “What did my mother look like?”
“She had blonde hair and blue eyes like Boone’s, but she was delicate like you. Maddie’s taller, like her dad, but you and she share his coloring.”
“Tell me about Mitch and Boone.”
“They’re both big men, a couple of inches taller than me. Boone used to be a Navy SEAL, but he’s got a real reputation as a fine horseman. He loves that ranch. Says it’s the only place he ever wanted to be. He and Maddie met when his dad willed her the ranch house—it was Dalton’s old homeplace.
“Boone was madder than the devil, and the terms of the will said that he and Maddie had to live there for thirty days before he could buy her out.” He grinned. “Maddie led him on a merry chase, but I think he was a goner the day he met her. They’re married now.
“Mitch is a hunting and fishing guide. His hair is dark, and his eyes are brown like Sam’s.” He stared at her for a minute. “He’s had a rough time of it. Jenny died in his arms after an accident, and he blamed himself for it. His father did, too—banned him from the funeral and banished him from their lives. Sam went about half-crazy when Jenny died. Mitch has been alone for a long time, hadn’t seen Boone since that day. I just found him right before I found you. But he’s got a woman he’s going to marry soon. Her name is Perrie, and she’s got a five-year-old son named Davey who thinks Mitch hung the moon.”
Dev studied her. “He’s a good man, Lacey. They’re all good people. They’re waiting to welcome you into the family. Boone and Mitch swear that Jenny was just this side of an angel, and that she would never have given up a child unless she’d had no other choice. They want to do this for her, to bring her missing baby home. And Maddie—well, you’re the only family Maddie has left.”
She couldn’t fasten on the emotions of people she’d never met. Not yet. They weren’t real. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to be. “I’m sorry.” And she meant it. “I just…it’s a little hard to take in.”
He nodded his head, and that lock of black hair fell over his forehead again. She could remember how it felt against her skin.
“Were you surprised? When you found out that the baby was me, I mean?”
His head jerked up, his gaze meeting hers. For a precious moment, brilliant green glowed with wry humor. “You can’t imagine how much. Out of all the world…it had to be you.”
She smiled, but her own was tinged with rue, too. Then suddenly, her eyes
filled. “I don’t know who I am, Dev. Maybe I should be glad that they’re not my parents after what they did to you, but I’m not.” She lifted her head. “I’m nothing now. No one. Don’t you see? I don’t belong anywhere.”
He touched her hand, then pulled away as though her skin burned him. But his eyes focused intently on hers. “You need to do this. You need to see the place where your roots are buried. Need to meet the people who share your blood.”
“I—” She glanced away. “I don’t know…”
“They’re here.”
“What?” Shock rippled down her spine.
“I called them after you collapsed. Took myself off the case.” He raked fingers through his hair. “I’ve hurt them, too. I had to tell them that I didn’t know if you’d ever meet them now because of how I’d screwed up.” He shook his head. “Maddie didn’t waste time yelling at me. She simply told me they’d be here in a few hours, whether or not you’d see them.”
He looked at Lacey. “They’ve been waiting, hoping you’d want to meet them as much as they want to meet you. They care, Lacey. They’re prepared to give you all the love and support you could ever want.”
“Just like that? Without even knowing me?”
“You’re family.” He shrugged. “That’s all they need to know.” Dev watched her closely. “So are you going to give them a chance? Are you ready to give yourself a chance?”
Ready? Would she ever be ready for this?
But how would she ever find her compass again if she didn’t?
She squeezed her arms around her middle, but this time it was butterflies, not acid. “I can’t meet them here, not like this.” She chewed a thumbnail. “I don’t know what to wear.”
She surprised a laugh from him. That quick and rakish grin she loved flashed across his face. “You could wear a tow sack and they wouldn’t care.”
“I don’t think I have a tow sack. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”
“Oh, city girl, you’ve got some surprises in store. But Maddie was the consummate city girl herself when she first came. Boone can tell you stories…”
“You really like her, don’t you?”
Dev nodded. “I like all of them, but Maddie especially. I just didn’t register at the time that the reason was that she reminded me of you.”
A tiny flare of joy lit within her. Maybe there was hope for them. “I’m frightened, Dev, but I want to do this.”
His eyes…some kind of strong emotion peered out at her from them. There was so much left for them to deal with, and she didn’t know how to handle any of it.
“Shh,” he said. “I can see that brain clicking again. You’ll be fine,” he said, misunderstanding her worries. “You’ll like them, too, I promise.”
Her discussion with Dev should probably wait until after she filled in this huge hole in her past. “How soon can I leave here?”
“They’d be happy to come to the hospital.”
“But I’m not meeting them in my old nightgown, Dev. Let’s talk to the nurses. Doctor Byrne said I could go home when I was ready. Then Maddie and the others can come to my house, or I can go to them, whatever they prefer.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. Maybe you should stay another night or two.”
“I’m ready to go home.”
Dev’s brows pulled together. “We’ll see what the doctor says. You don’t have any clothes to leave in unless I bring them.”
Then he walked out the door, infuriating and far too bossy.
And then Lacey smiled. Bossy and domineering, yes.
But at last…not remote.
A few hours later, Lacey was home, showered and dressed after changing her clothes four times. She paced her bedroom, then darted back for one more look in the mirror.
Maybe not this long white knit sheath. Maybe the red sundress…
The same man who had picked her locks, knocked at the door now. “You decent?”
She gnawed on her thumbnail. “Decent but dressed wrong.”
He pushed the door open, then whistled softly. “You look beautiful to me.” In his eyes she saw memories of that night…their night of magic.
She touched her fingers to her lips and wondered if they’d ever find their way back to that magic place.
“Stop worrying,” he said softly. “Remember what the doctor said. No pressure on yourself.” He crossed the room and held her shoulders. “There’s no pressure from anyone else who’s going to be here. Maddie cried when I called her, she was so happy.”
“She did?” Lacey studied his eyes carefully.
He nodded. “She wants to love you, Lacey. That’s all she wants. She’s been alone before, too.”
The doorbell rang, and Lacey’s stomach gave a twist.
“Deep breath,” Dev urged. “Then blow it all out in a gust. It’ll relax you.”
She tried to comply, but she could only manage a small, gulping breath.
Dev pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “It’s going to be fine. And I’ll be right here.”
She tried not to read too much into it, but she was so very grateful. Her Margaret DeMille aplomb had utterly deserted her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He kept her hand in his as he walked her toward the door.
Lacey walked beside him, frozen in fear and hope.
Dev felt how tightly Lacey was wound and knew a moment of real fear. There was too much on the line. If he was wrong and she hated the Gallaghers, everything she’d been through would be for nothing. Whatever tiny hope he might still harbor for a future with her would be out of the question because he would forever be a reminder of all that she had lost.
He knew Lacey well enough now to see that she couldn’t go back to her old life, no matter how much she might wish for it. He didn’t know how she would ever forgive him if this was a bust.
A part of him still wanted her to love the Gallaghers simply to make Charles DeMille suffer for all that his arrogance had inflicted on others. Another part of him recognized that what he’d been through had made Dev the man he was. He was strong, and he was a survivor. DeMille couldn’t matter.
It was Lacey who was at risk now.
Lacey…and his own beat-up heart.
So close…they’d come so close to the dream he’d buried for years. But if they couldn’t make it past this hurdle…if Lacey couldn’t accept her past, he would forever be a reminder of pain, and whatever chance they might have would be finished.
So he tried not to think, and he opened the door.
She let go and stood behind him like a statue. He wanted to touch her so badly. Wanted to pull her into his arms and shield her.
But she only needed protection from her own fears. And from him. It wasn’t these people who had hurt her.
“Dev!” Maddie bounded through the door and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Dev…” Her eyes were bright and filled with tears as she spotted her sister.
Lacey’s eyes were huge in her face. Her very set, cold face. Dev wondered if only he saw that her knuckles were white where she gripped her hands together.
“Lacey DeMille, I’d like you to meet Maddie and Boone Gallagher—”
He never got a chance to finish. Maddie barreled right past that princess mask and threw her arms around the sister she’d waited so long to meet.
Lacey froze, and Dev moved closer, torn between protecting her and protecting Maddie’s generous heart. But then, finally, he saw Lacey’s hands rise and touch her sister’s back gently.
Maddie hugged her hard, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she stepped back. “Let me look at you—I’m sorry, I’m just so—” She turned to her husband. “Oh, Boone, she’s here. Finally, finally, she’s with us. Dev, I love you, I’m going to cook anything your heart desires, you just have to say the word—oh, look, we have the same eyes. Boone, she’s got my eyes—”
Boone chuckled, but Dev saw a sheen in his eyes, too. He stepped closer and grabbed Maddie around the waist. “You’re ba
bbling, sweetheart. Give her a chance to take a breath,” he said gently, squeezing Maddie’s waist.
Maddie still held Lacey’s hand as though she would never let go. Lacey looked poleaxed.
Boone was accustomed to gentling skittish horses. He sized Lacey up in an instant and took a different tack. His voice gentle and pitched low, he spoke to her. “Hello, Lacey. You must be tired. Would you like to sit down?”
Boone was a wizard with horses, and Dev could see Lacey respond to his calm voice. One look at her eyes told him Boone was right. She was both exhausted and stone-cold scared.
“I’m so sorry. I should offer you something to drink or—”
Boone grinned. “Don’t feel bad. Maddie knocked me for a loop the first day I met her, and I haven’t recovered yet.” He leaned down and whispered. “But she’s fairly harmless. Just watch out or she’ll have you eating tofu and calling it something that sounds good.”
A quick smile flitted across Lacey’s lips. “I like tofu.”
Maddie shot Boone a triumphant grin, then swooped close to hug Lacey again. “I promise I’ll stop doing this as soon as I’m sure you’re real.” She turned them both toward the sofa, wrapping her arm around Lacey’s waist, zooming past all the shyness just as Dev had foreseen. “You’ve been in the hospital. You sit down right here with me, and Dev can go get us something to drink, right Dev? Boone, you’ll help him? And then you’ll bring the photo albums and Grandmother’s diary?”
Boone turned to Dev and grinned. He pointed down the hall. “We’ve got our orders. This way?”
Dev glanced back, torn, but it wasn’t his place now. His job was done. “Glad to see nothing’s changed. Maddie’s still ordering us all around like we were her waitstaff.”
Boone paused. “She’ll thank you properly once she gets past being delirious.” He stuck out his hand. “I’ll thank you now.” When they shook hands, Boone clapped his free hand on Dev’s shoulder, and Dev saw the depth of the emotion Boone was trying to hide. “You’ve put a whole family back together.”
Dev felt his own throat tighten. He headed for the kitchen. “Maddie’s the agent of all this, her and Sam. I just did the footwork—not too damn well, as it turns out.”
Texas Heroes: Volume 1 Page 51