“That’s nice, but I can’t leave until things here are all cleared away. I promised Nancy.” He searched her face as if looking for an explanation. His confusion softened her heart, and she reached up and touched his face. “I’m so proud of you and Abby. It was the sweetest act all night. It was a good idea to shift the chairs so she could see you. You’re a wonderful father, Gil.”
His brows drew together in a frown. “It’s because of you. All of this.”
Her heart squeezed. “No. All I did was suggest. You made it happen.” She stepped back. “I have to go. Enjoy your ice cream.”
Turning her attention to the hall, she let the chatter of well-wishers and performers divert her thoughts from Gil and Abby. The VFW members had assured her they would dismantle things, and the church women had already cleaned the kitchen. But Julie remained until the last guest and contestant had departed.
Thankfully Gil’s car wasn’t in the driveway when she arrived home. Hurrying into her apartment, she kept the lights off as she prepared for bed. She needed the darkness and the silence to think. She’d made a disturbing discovery this evening. She was in love with Gil. Somewhere she’d stepped over the line and hadn’t realized it until she watched him and Abby onstage. She’d fought it from the start because it was reckless, and impossible and wrong. But she’d lost the battle. Now she had to rebuild her barriers and keep her distance before she made a fool of herself. Gil couldn’t know.
She hadn’t yet responded to the request to go to Paris early. Maybe now was the time to decide.
* * *
Sunday afternoon was warm and sunny, and all Julie wanted to do was hide in her apartment and watch a movie. But she’d been invited to a party, and there was no way out. The Montgomerys were celebrating Gil and Abby’s talent show award and welcoming their mother back home.
Picking up her purse, she locked her door and started down the stairs. Gil was waiting beside his car and graciously opened the door for her. Julie tried to quell the anxiety in her chest. Abby had gone home with Francie after church to help, which left Julie to ride alone with Gil. “Are you sure I should come to this party? I’m not family.”
Gil winked. “No, but you’re a close friend, and Abby would be crushed if you missed it. Besides, my mother told me not to show up without you.”
“I like your mother.” Despite her concerns about what Francie might have figured out, she enjoyed being around the woman.
“She’s impossible not to like.”
Julie focused her attention to the landscape outside the car window. The city street gave way to a two-lane road lined with trees and newly plowed fields. The car slowed and made a left turn into a winding tree-covered driveway.
She’d never given much thought to where Gil’s family lived, but the sight of the large home as they emerged from the trees roused her curiosity. The three-story mansion was a pleasing combination of late Victorian and Greek revival, nestled in the middle of a lush lawn surrounded by hundred-year-old live oaks. Yet despite its majestic appearance, there was something welcoming about the stately home.
The interior confirmed her first impression. The home was cozy, comfortable and unpretentious. A family home. It made sense. Francie wasn’t a pretentious woman. She wouldn’t be comfortable in a perfectly decorated home.
Her tension eased as she entered the kitchen and received a warm welcome from Francie and was introduced to Linc’s fiancée, Gemma, and her son, Evan. A lovely strawberry blonde with dark green eyes, Gemma was clearly smitten with Linc. The loving glances and touches between the engaged couple were sweet to see but left a hollow sensation inside Julie’s rib cage. It was a future she would never know. A month ago it wouldn’t have mattered. But since becoming involved with Gil and Abby, her perspective had shifted.
After a light meal and a sumptuous cake made for the occasion, the family settled in the family room, where Linc had built a roaring fire in the large fireplace. Gemma came and sat beside her on the sofa.
“I’m glad you came today. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to meet you before you left. Gil says you’ve been a big help with Abby’s adjustment.”
Julie met her gaze. “Gil is a wonderful father. He just needed a little direction.”
“I think you’re too modest. They think the world of you.”
She tried not to be envious of the lovely woman. She liked her, and if Julie was remaining in town, she suspected she and Gemma could become friends. But she had an advantage Julie would never have. “The Montgomerys are a special family.”
Gemma’s smile softened, and her gaze went to Linc sitting across the room with Gil. “Yes. They are.”
Laughter from the brothers drew her attention. Gil’s laugh was full and rich, and his smile wide and genuine. It was nice to see him having a good time. At the beginning of her assignment, she’d wondered if she’d ever see him smile. Now he smiled easily, especially when he was with Abby.
The doorbell rang, and Evan jumped up. “I’ll get it.”
A few moments later Pam Wilson strode in. Julie held her breath. The room went uncomfortably still. What did she want?
The woman scanned the room, person by person, her eyes dark, her mouth in a hard line. Finally she looked at Gil. “I’ve come to see my niece.”
Gil rose to his feet. Abby hurried to her father’s side. “What are you doing here, Pam?”
“I told you. I want to spend time with my niece.”
He strode forward, gently depositing Abby at Julie’s side. “That’s not going to happen. You have no right to be here. You need to leave.”
“If you think some piece of paper can keep me from my sister’s child, you’re sadly mistaken. Leah wanted me in Abby’s life.”
“Leah’s gone.” He took a step toward her, shoulders stiff. “I’ll show you out.”
She backed up, glaring. “I will not leave until I’ve had time with Abby.”
Abby wrapped her arms around Julie’s waist.
Gil straightened. “Linc, call Chief Reynolds, then contact Blake Prescott and tell him we have a situation here. I’m sure you’re familiar with the name, Pam. He was my attorney during the custody hearings.” He stared at the woman. “His associate in Mobile was deeply involved, too, as I’m sure you recall.”
“You can’t intimidate me, Gil Montgomery. And you can’t keep me from my niece.”
Gil stepped forward, took Pam by the arm to escort her from the room.
She pulled away and faced them, her gaze pinned on Abby. “He’s not even your father. You’re adopted.” She glared at Julie. “And I know other things, too.”
“That’s enough.” He grabbed her arm and shoved her into the front hall. Linc followed.
Julie wrapped her arms around Abby, trying to hide her own shaking nerves. “It’s all right, sweetie. She’s gone.”
When Gil and Linc returned a few minutes later, they assured everyone Pam had left. The threat of the police showing up had cooled some of her anger. Gil went straight to Abby and pulled her close. “It’s all right, sweet pea. Everything will be okay.”
The party was obviously over. Gil muttered a goodbye, promising to fill the family in later. Julie grabbed her coat and purse and followed him, her head spinning. What a horrible conclusion to a wonderful celebration. If Gil’s former sister-in-law was like this all the time, she had a new understanding of his dilemma and a new respect for his character.
The woman’s comment about knowing something else rubbed like a burr in the back of her mind. She’d hoped she’d misread the woman’s scrutiny the day she’d appeared at the house, but now she realized Pam knew, or at least suspected, who she really was. That wasn’t her main concern. What would her revelation about Abby being adopted do to her daughter? She had no idea if Abby knew the truth or not. It had never come up.
Gil drove in silence on the way hom
e. Abby curled up in the back with Ruffles. At the house he said good-night, telling Julie he wanted to talk to Abby.
In her apartment, Julie curled up in the corner of the sofa, letting the tears fall. She just wasn’t sure if she was crying for Abby, for Gil or for herself. All she knew for certain was that her secrets were about to catch up with her, and she had no idea what to do.
* * *
Gil’s anger had eased by the time he arrived home but not enough. He wanted to punch something. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth. Like being yanked backward by a bungee cord, all his old resentments and pain sprang to life. He’d believed he’d never have to deal with Leah’s sister again. That had been unrealistic and naive. But he’d never imagined she would barge into the family home the way she had and spew her venom.
The important thing now was talking to Abby. As soon as she brought Ruffles back inside, he opened his arms to her. “Are you okay?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and nodded her head against his torso. “I’m sorry she ruined our celebration.”
“I don’t want to go with her.”
“You won’t. That’s a promise. You’re here with me forever. Why don’t you feed Ruffles, then get ready for bed? I’ll fix popcorn, and we can watch a movie. How’s that sound?”
“Good.”
He watched her walk from the room, his heart aching and his anger spiking once again. He couldn’t believe the gall of the woman. Tomorrow he’d talk with Blake and double-check the legalities to make sure nothing had been missed that might allow his former sister-in-law to claim any rights where Abby was concerned.
But first he had to deal with the woman’s outburst about Abby’s adoption. He and Leah had always agreed to let Abby know from the start that she’d been adopted, but he had no idea what she had told their child over the last years. Did Abby know? He’d never mentioned it because to him it was a moot point.
His mind filled with ugly possibilities on how she would react, and he prayed their relationship had progressed to the point where it could weather this news.
After placing a bag of popcorn in the microwave, he pushed the button just as Abby came into the room. “It’ll be ready in a minute.” She wandered into the other room. When he joined her, she was curled up on the sofa with Ruffles. He sat beside her and offered her the bowl. She took a handful of popcorn, her big brown eyes filled with questions as she looked at him.
“I want to talk to you about what your aunt Pam said about me not being your real father.”
Abby’s lip puckered. “But you are, aren’t you?”
“Yes. In every way that matters. But she was right about you being adopted. I want to make sure you know what that means.”
“It means you picked me special. Mommy told me.”
Tension whooshed from his body. “That’s right. We wanted a little girl, and you were the one we chose.”
“I’m glad. I love you. And Mommy, too, but she was sick a lot.”
Gil braced. He’d have to tread lightly here. “Yes. She couldn’t help it.”
“I know. It made her sad a lot. But sometimes she was happy.”
He pulled her to his side, wrapping her in the crook of his arm. Abby’s simple words cracked the hard shell of his resentment. Leah hadn’t chosen to be ill, but she had made the choice to keep it from him. That aspect would take a good deal more forgiveness. He wasn’t sure he could, but for Abby’s sake he’d try.
After tucking Abby in bed, Gil went back downstairs, hoping to divert his troubled thoughts with a good cop show or maybe a ball game on TV. But tapping on the patio door drew his attention. Julie waved at him. He unlocked the door to let her in.
“I couldn’t sleep until I talked to you about what happened today.”
He nodded. Maybe talking it out with a friend would help him sleep, too. “Not exactly the celebration I’d hoped for.”
Julie tucked her leg beneath her as she sat on the sofa. “Is she gone?”
Gil rubbed his forehead. “Yes. She’s on her way back to Mobile.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve got connections. People who’ll be watching her and letting me know if she heads this way again. I can’t believe the nerve of that woman. After all she did to try to foul up the custody. I should have had Chief Reynolds throw her in jail.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want Abby to see her aunt arrested. Besides, it would only encourage Pam to try harder.”
“What can she do? I mean, Abby is your child. I thought everything was settled.”
“It is. Legally. But Pam can still stir up trouble. She can spread rumors, and in a small town like Dover, that can become a cancer that destroys from the inside. Most of the ugly accusations she made were kept in Mobile. But if she started saying those things here, it wouldn’t only hurt me and Abby, but my family and our business.”
“I think she really loves Abby.”
He peered at her, caught off guard by her statement. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Julie bit her lip and shrugged. “She missed her. Maybe she just wanted to see her again.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you defending her?”
“No. Of course not. But I think I understand what she’s going through. And so should you.”
Gil squared his shoulders and set his jaw. He was not in the mood to be sympathetic to a woman who had caused him so much grief. “You have no idea what she put me through. She did everything she could over the years to keep me from my child. Used every underhanded thing she could think of. There’s no excuse for trying to keep a child from their parent.” Anger burned up through his chest, and he clamped his teeth together to keep from saying something rude.
“Or someone who loves them.”
Julie’s quiet tone pricked his anger. She leaned toward him, her brown eyes filled with tenderness, begging him to listen. He tried to look away, but her gaze held his.
“All I’m saying is maybe you should talk to her and try to work this out.”
“No. That’s why I got the restraining order. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her away from Abby.”
“The way she did to you?”
“Yes.” The disappointment in her eyes stung.
“Then you know how it feels. It must have made you angry and desperate.”
He searched her face, trying to understand what she wanted from him. Was she turning against him, too? “Are you saying I should forgive her? That’s not going to happen. Ever.”
“Gil, you’re not a hateful man. I’ve seen the depth of your love for Abby, your devotion to your family, and I’ve experienced your kindness and compassion toward me. But you are not seeing this clearly. Try to look at it without the emotion.”
How could she not see? This was all about emotion. “I lost years of Abby’s life because of her. Not to mention Leah keeping her illness a secret. I know Pam was behind that, too. I could have fixed everything if she’d only told me.”
Julie tilted her head, sadness reflecting in her eyes. “I doubt that. All I’m saying is that you should talk to her. She’s Abby’s only relative on her mother’s side. Do you really want to put her in that position again?”
“What position?”
“Being told hateful things about her aunt the way she was told hateful things about you.”
Memories of the pain and anxiety of not knowing how his child was, unable to see her or hold her, flooded through him with the force of a tidal wave. But he had done nothing wrong. There wouldn’t have been a custody issue if it weren’t for Pam and her selfishness.
“Isn’t it time to call a truce and mend the past?”
Old resentments surged to the forefront of his mind, triggering his defenses. “The way you’ve tried to m
end the past with your family?” He regretted the words the instant they were spoken. Julie gasped, her face drained of color.
“That’s a totally different situation.”
“Is it? It’s easy to tell someone else to forgive and take the high road, especially when it’s not your pain you’re dealing with.” He got up from the sofa and strode to the fireplace, staring down into the hearth. He shouldn’t have lashed out at her. None of this concerned her in the least. He’d let his bitterness get the better of him. He heard the rustle of her skirt as she stood.
“I was only trying to help. I don’t want to see you live your life bitter and resentful. You’re too good a man for that.”
Shame, hot and condemning, coursed through his veins. He was a jerk. “Julie.” She disappeared out the patio door, her image swallowed up in the darkness, leaving a darkness inside him that he suddenly wanted free of.
In his room, sleep eluded him. Even reading a few Scripture passages failed to ease his thoughts. Every verse he selected dealt with forgiveness. Julie had made a good point, but he didn’t want to hear it. He wanted to shut Pam out of their lives forever, not make peace. He’d hurt Julie when all she wanted was the best for him and Abby. She’d worked diligently to bring him closer to his daughter. But neither did he want to live with the hate and animosity eating away at him.
He was waiting in the breakfast room the next morning when she arrived. The grim look on her face meant she was still angry with him. Best he swallow his pride. “Julie, about what I said last night. I was out of line. I was upset and angry, and I thought you were turning against me, too.”
“No. I understood. Really, I did.” She brushed her hair off her face. “Gil, I need some time off. A couple of days.”
“Something wrong?”
“My sister has taken a turn for the worse. I really need to be with my family. Do you think you can manage without me? I’ll be back by the end of the week.”
“Of course. Mom will watch Abby. Take as much time as you need. I hope your sister will get better.”
Julie nodded. “Thank you. I’m already packed. Sorry to leave so quickly. Will you explain to Abby for me?”
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