The Forgotten Path

by Marci Bolden

  “Did you really think we’d miss this?” he asked, hugging his sister.

  “This was supposed to be small.”

  “It is.” Matt opened his arms, and she practically threw herself at him. “Just the family.”

  Annie laughed. “Yeah, like I said. Jenna,” she whispered before hugging Marcus’s sister.

  “We had to be here,” she said.

  Marcus shook Paul’s hand and then Matt’s as Annie greeted their wives.

  “I can’t believe we managed to surprise her,” Paul said.

  “I’m glad you guys could make it,” Marcus said. “I know it was a bit inconvenient coming all this way.”

  “We wouldn’t miss this,” Matt said. He looked at his sister, and Marcus saw emotion brewing.

  He cleared his throat, not wanting to break down. He’d managed to hold himself together so far; he intended to make it through the ceremony.

  Dianna hugged Annie tightly. “You look so beautiful.”

  “I’m glad you let Mal dress you up,” Donna said.

  Mallory beamed. “I didn’t give her a choice.”

  “No, she didn’t. If I’d known you guys were going to be here, I might have reconsidered.”

  “Oh,” Mallory teased, “you’ll dress up for them but not for me?”

  Annie playfully glared at her. “This makes it a bit more…formal.”

  Taking her hand, Marcus pulled her from the half circle of family members. “We’ve got about ten minutes until the judge kicks us out. Are you ready to do this?”

  She grinned. “I’m more than ready.”

  “Okay.”

  She started to walk with him but then pulled back. He felt his stomach tighten a bit, not sure if she was having second thoughts. She turned to her brothers, and the tears that had been occasionally shimmering in her eyes dripped down her cheeks. She hesitated before hugging them both. Marcus couldn’t hear what she whispered, but it did the guys in, which did him in.

  Damn it. He lowered his face, sniffed, wiped his eyes, and didn’t look up again until she grabbed his hand.

  “Come on, you old sap,” she said, pulling him toward the judge. “We don’t have all day.”

  Taking a deep breath, he walked with Annie to the judge and smiled as he looked into her eyes and made her his wife.

  Continue the Stonehill Series

  Jessica’s Wish: Stonehill Series: Book Four

  Stonehill Series Book Four

  Jessica’s Wish

  Mallory was sliding into a booth by the window when she noticed a little girl peeking over the top of the cracked red vinyl seat across from her. She grinned, immediately recognizing her. “Hey, Jessica.”

  The girl beamed, clearly thrilled that Mal remembered her.

  “What’s up?” Mallory asked.

  “The sky.”

  Mallory laughed more than the joke required. “Very clever. How are you?”

  Jessica rested her folded arms on the back of the seat back and her smile widened. “Jenna added rainbow pancakes to the menu. And guess what?”

  Mal didn’t have a chance to guess before Jessica told her.

  “She named them after me because she didn’t have rainbow pancakes until I asked her to make them. They are on the kid section, but she’ll let you order them. You should. They are de-licious.”

  “I bet they are.” Mallory couldn’t help but feel excited for the girl. Clearly this was a big accomplishment for her. Then again, who didn’t want pancakes named after them?

  A few beats passed as Jessica narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “I thought you moved away.”

  “I did. But I came home to see my mom.”

  “I don’t have a mom,” she said as casually as one might comment on the weather.

  Mallory opened her mouth but wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She knew that Jessica’s mother had bailed when the girl was an infant. Mal understood the hole in Jessica’s life—her dad had ducked out before she was even born. Annie had been a single mother from the moment she’d told him she was pregnant.

  “I didn’t have a dad for a long time,” Mallory said, wanting to give the girl hope, “but then my mom got married. To Jenna’s brother, actually. I like to think of him as my dad even though he really isn’t. And that makes Jenna my aunt.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes with all the reprehension the rainbow pancake-loving little girl seemed to be able to muster. “My dad will never get married. He’s too peculiar.”

  Mallory didn’t mean to laugh, but the sound ripped from her chest. She’d met Jessica’s father. He was cute. Nice. A bit of a hippie, but he was Kara’s child and that woman looked like she’d walked out of a Woodstock documentary. Even so, Phil hadn’t seemed odd to Mallory. “What do you mean, he’s too peculiar?”

  “Grandma says that he’ll never find a girlfriend if he doesn’t stop being so picky.”

  “Oh. You mean particular.”

  Jess shrugged, as if she didn’t care that she’d used the wrong word. “Grandma says it’s important that Daddy be choosy, but he can’t expect to find someone if he never dates anyone. He says he’ll date when he’s ready, but I think he is ready because I caught him flirting with my teacher.” Jessica looked up and smiled when a throat cleared as someone approached her table. “Hi, Daddy.”

  Phil seemed to have overheard at least a part of the conversation he’d interrupted. He had an air of disapproval on his face as he drew his mouth tight and lifted his brows at his daughter. “Hey, Punk.”

  “Did you remember to use a paper towel to open the bathroom door so you don’t get germs on your fingers?”

  He nodded. “I did. Thanks for checking.”

  Jessica returned her attention to Mallory. “Some people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom so you should always use a paper towel or your sleeve to open the bathroom door.”

  “Good tip. Thanks.” Mallory tried to hide her smile, but figured her amusement was out there for the world to see. Jessica’s father, on the other hand, still didn’t appear amused. “Hi, Phil. How are you?” Mallory asked to rescue the girl from his scowl.

  He stared, as if not quite sure who she was. Most people who knew Annie immediately recognized Mal as the woman’s offspring. From her straight blond hair to her pointed nose and cool gray eyes, Mallory was practically identical to her mother.

  “Mallory O’Connell. We met at my uncle Paul’s wedding. I’m Annie’s daughter.”

  The light went off in his eyes as he nodded. “Right. How’s your mom?”

  “She’s okay. Getting better every day, so she says.”

  “I was glad the guy pled so Annie didn’t have to go through the trial. My mom said she was really worried about having to testify.”

  Yet another reason why Mallory had hated being away from home. Anticipating the trial had been nerve-racking for Annie and Marcus. Neither had wanted to relive the moment their lives had changed forever. They hadn’t said as much to her, though. Mallory heard from her uncles how choked up Annie still got talking about the moment a bullet ripped through her and how she didn’t seem willing to do that in front of the man who had hurt her. Her mother had reluctantly given a statement at the sentencing hearing and only because the prosecution insisted the judge needed to see firsthand how much damage had been done. Mallory knew that alone would have been stressful and was glad Annie hadn’t had to sit on the stand and answer detailed questions about the incident and her recovery.

  Phil put his hands casually into his pockets. “I thought you were—”

  “In California,” she finished. “Yes. I was. I just got back, actually.”

  “For good or just visiting?”

  “For good. I felt like a shi—” Her gaze darted to where Jessica was still peering over the booth, hanging on her every word. “Like a jerk not being here for Mom. I know she and Marcus can use my help right now. Even if they won’t admit it.”

  He furrowed his thick brows, as concern filled his dark eyes. Tho
ugh Kara clearly impacted his taste in attire, his olive skin and dark features were all Harry Canton. “Is she really okay?”

  “She doesn’t like when people feel sorry for her,” Jessica said. “If you feel sorry for her, she’s going to be mad at you.”

  Jessica wasn’t wrong. Annie and Marcus both would be furious if they knew the real reason Mallory had given up her dream job and living in SoCal was that she felt so damned guilty living her own life that she couldn’t even sleep at night.

  While Annie had been in the hospital recovering, she and Jessica bonded over their disabilities. Jessica had grown up dealing with pity, but that kind of attention was new to Annie, and she hadn’t handled it well. Kara had made an effort to bring Jessica around once she saw Annie interacting with the girl. Kara said one of Jessica’s natural talents was helping people who didn’t know they needed it. She was right. Without even being aware of what she was doing, Jessica was able to guide Annie to the inner strength she needed to stop being angry about her situation and to start recovering. The two had forged a strong bond, one that was evident in Jessica’s defense of Annie now.

  “I’m not feeling sorry for her,” Mal said. “I just want to be here for her.”

  Phil gestured to the table that Jessica hadn’t faced since Mallory sat down. “Finish your pancakes, Punk.”

  Jessica huffed but turned and disappeared behind the booth.

  Phil sank into the seat across from Mallory. The concern in his brown eyes was almost enough to make Mallory cry, though she didn’t understand why. She wasn’t the one who needed the help. She was the one who had come home to help.

  “I know worrying and family go hand in hand,” Phil said, “but your mom really does seem to be doing okay. She and Marcus came to Jessica’s birthday party last weekend. She smiled and laughed and seemed to enjoy herself. Marcus had to help her a little bit, sure, but she really was okay.”

  “Good to hear.”

  Jenna set a cup of coffee in front of Mallory and smiled at the little face poking over the seat. “How are your pancakes, Miss Jess?”

  “Fine,” Jessica said with a pout to her voice.

  Mallory tried not to chuckle, but a giggle escaped. “Can I get some of those rainbow pancakes she was telling me about?” she asked to atone for the slip.

  “The Jessica Special? Coming right up. Phil, you need anything?” She glanced between the two adults, clearly trying to gauge what was going on.

  “No, thanks, Jen. I’m good.” Phil waited for Jenna to disappear before looking at Mallory again. “You didn’t answer me before—and feel free to tell me it’s none of my business—but is Annie okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine. I mean, she’s not fine, she’s…got residual issues, but…” She laughed awkwardly. “She’s not in a coma anymore, right?” Her smile faded, and she sipped her coffee as he scrutinized her from across the table. Finally, she sat the cup down and fell back in the booth. “Sorry. I tend to make inappropriate jokes when I’m upset.”

  “I don’t mean to upset you.”

  She frowned as he gave her an encouraging smile. His mother had that same look. The one that made the words want to pour out of Mallory. When Annie was in the hospital and no one knew if she’d live, let alone recover, Kara had a way about her that made Mallory want to break down and let out some of her fear. She never had. She’d been too terrified that the reality of her mother’s condition would consume her. That fear still lingered in the back of her mind.

  Even though Annie was on the road to recovery, she’d never be the same. Nothing would ever be the same. That was terrifying. Mallory had never let the horror of what she felt really touch her. She attributed that trait to Annie. The woman was stronger than granite. But even granite cracked sometimes, and the way Phil was looking at her now made Mallory want to crumble. He apparently practiced the same emotional voodoo as his mother.

  Mallory took a deep breath to brace herself against his dark powers. “Mom’s probably handling her disabilities better than I am,” she confessed. “No. She’s definitely handling her disabilities better than I am. She was always the strongest person I knew, completely unshakable. Seeing her… God, I sound like an ass.”

  “No, you don’t,” Phil reassured her. “You sound like someone who is struggling with a drastically changed reality. Maybe I should be asking if you’re okay.”

  “I felt guilty not being here.” She stared at him hard. “And if you ever repeat that, I will deny it to my dying breath.”

  He crossed his heart. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “I stayed in California as long as I could. I wanted to come home so many times.”

  “What was the final push?”

  “Uncle Paul slipped. He said she was having a hard time coping with this brick wall she’s hit in her recovery. The therapist doesn’t think her speech will get any better and regaining full use of her hands is taking longer than they thought. She’s struggling with that. I realized it was time. I need to be here. I need to help her, even if she doesn’t want me to.”

  “I don’t think that’s the issue, Mallory. Of course she wants you home and close. She talked about you so much at Jessica’s party. She’s incredibly proud of you. I think she just wants you to be happy and worries that taking time out of your life to care for her isn’t going to make you happy. My unsolicited advice would be that since you’ve made the decision to come home, make a point to have a life outside of looking after Annie. Or you’ll both regret your decision.”

  Phil gave her that damned comforting smile again. He had a little dimple in his left cheek that drew her attention until she forced her focus back to her coffee cup. She’d talked to her family and friends about this, but something about the understanding in Phil’s eyes made her feel that coming home simply because she needed to be closer to Annie didn’t make her a baby. She appreciated that more than he could ever know, and apparently more than she could say since she couldn’t seem to find the words to thank him for being sympathetic. Or figure out why all of a sudden her eyes burned with unshed tears.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, snagging a napkin from the dispenser on the table.

  “Parents can be a handful, huh?” he asked softly.

  She laughed quietly as she dabbed her tears before they could fall. “Sometimes.”

  “Speaking of which”—he jerked his head back to the booth behind him—“I wasn’t flirting with her teacher. Just so you know.”

  “Yes, you were,” Jessica called.

  He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

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  Also by Marci Bolden

  Stonehill Series:

  The Road Leads Back

  Friends Without Benefits

  The Forgotten Path

  Jessica's Wish

  This Old Cafe

  Forever Yours (coming soon)

  Other Titles:

  Unforgettable You (coming soon)

  A Life Without Water (coming soon)

  About the Author

  As a teen, Marci Bolden skipped over young adult books and jumped right into reading romance novels. She never left.

  * * *

  Marci lives in the Midwest with her husband, kiddos, and numerous rescue pets. If she had an ounce of willpower, Marci would embrace healthy living, but until cupcakes and wine are no longer available at the local market, she will appease her guilt by reading self-help books and promising to join a gym “soon.”

  * * *

  Visit her here:

  www.marcibolden.com

 

 

 
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