Settling Scores (Piper Anderson Series)

by Danielle Stewart

  “Well just ask yourself what Bobby and Piper would want. It is their day, but they aren’t the type of people who mind sharing it with others. Neither needs much of a spotlight on them. As a matter of fact I’m quite certain this wedding is more for me than for them.”

  “Okay, I’ll think about it,” Willow said, nodding her head. “But the second thing isn’t so easily fixed.”

  “Josh,” Betty said knowingly with her lips pursed.

  “Yes. I don’t deserve him and I think I blew it with him. My head keeps telling me the humane thing to do for his heart is let him go. I had my chance. I made my choices.”

  “But?” Betty asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “My heart keeps telling me to fix it, if I don’t I’ll regret it the rest of my life. I’ve never met anyone like him before. He’s so genuine. He gives everything he has without a second’s hesitation. And every time he has, I’ve stomped on that. Why would he trust me again to not do the same thing again? How will he ever believe I won’t just run?”

  “My mama used to tell me that wherever I go in this world to listen to the sense the good Lord gave me, but to never leave home without my heart. Life without love is like the sky without the sun. It’s important to listen to your brain, but it’s crucial to follow your heart.”

  “He told me he loved me. I didn’t say it back.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t?” Betty drawled with a grin.

  “Um, I mean I know when I called you I was pretty drunk, but I didn’t spend the whole time out there on a bender. I think I’d remember if I said I loved him.”

  “I know you didn’t say the words, but that’s not the only way to say it. There are acts of love that speak volumes.”

  “I didn’t do any of those either. I was a bitch.”

  “Pushing someone away because you know you aren’t ready to love them. That’s an act of love. Trying to right your past so that you can be worthy of their emotions for you, that’s an act of love. The words are important Willow but they aren’t everything.”

  “I never thought of it like that,” she whispered feeling a layer of guilt peel away from her. “But maybe he hasn’t thought of that either. Maybe he’s still furious.”

  “I’ve known many men in my life,” Betty said patting Willow’s leg. “Well not like that, that’s not what I meant.” She blushed slightly, making Willow laugh out. “I just mean I’ve come in contact with, oh you know what I mean. Josh is special. He’s different. Not many men would do what he’s done for you. Or if they did, they’d have expected something in return or played the martyr when it didn’t work out the way they wanted. When Josh came back here, it wasn’t about what you’d done to him it was about what you were doing to yourself. There are few people in the world who can value you more than they value their own happiness. That’s the proof of an amazing person, when they can see the beauty in those around them, even when it’s buried. When you find that, you wrap your arms around it and hold on for as long as life lets you. He wants you happy. If you can do that, you’ll give him everything he needs.”

  “For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can do that. Something happened in the city Betty. A miracle. It started to change me.”

  “Then don’t let anything stop that change. Think of it like a wave. You’ve been at sea a long time Willow. Ride that wave to shore, because we’re all here waiting for you.”

  “I will,” she whispered, letting the tears roll down her cheek. “I am going to be better.”

  “Just remember Willow you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be present. No one cares what trouble you’re feeling while you’re here, they just want to be with you. You’ve been through more than anyone should have to go through in ten life times. You should have been worried about the monsters under your bed, not the real life monsters walking this earth. You didn’t get a fair shake, but you’ve got something now you didn’t have before.”

  “What’s that?” she asked, leaning her head on Betty’s shoulder and taking the tissue she was offering. The woman really had everything covered all the time.

  “An army. You have the love and support of an army now. There will never come a day when you will be alone, even if you want to be. Bobby just called you his sister. I’ve seen what he does for people he considers family. I’ve benefited from it myself and so has Jules. There is no turning back now. Our love is like a disease and you’ve been infected. There’s no cure. You’ve got us for life,” she wrapped her arms around her and squeezed with the tightness of a boa constrictor.

  Willow thought back to the analogy she used to try to push Josh away, oddly similar though the polar opposite. She’d thought herself such a plague that she couldn’t be around anyone without bringing them down. But in fact, this love was more powerful than anything she’d thought was inside of her. She really believed no matter what she did now, nothing could cure Willow of Betty’s love. And as she embraced Betty tightly, sobbing like a fool into her shoulder she realized this was something she never wanted to be cured of.

  When she finally composed herself she stood and brushed the tears from her cheeks.

  “Good thing I didn’t do my makeup yet,” she said, an attempt at levity in a powerful moment. “Do you think they know I’m here yet?”

  “We banished Bobby and Michael to the back porch so I doubt they told anyone yet. Josh is helping set up the chairs and stuff with Jedda and Clay. I’m sure they’re finished by now. I can send him up.”

  “No, I’m not ready. I need to see my parents first. I owe them a million apologies.” Willow slapped her hand to her forehead. “And like twenty thousand dollars.”

  “Then I’ll send them up. Don’t be afraid Willow. Don’t be afraid of their love for you.”

  Those words pierced the armor of Willow’s heart with a sting she wasn’t prepared for. That was something no one had ever said to her before. She’d given herself a thousand reasons why she fled Block Island. It was her inability to be healed the way they wanted her to. It was the embarrassment she’d brought on them. But in reality, their love terrified her. It was so pure and without any type of reservation that at times, it felt like it could not possibly be real. Much like Josh’s love. She could not only accept that kind of love, but maybe she could learn to give it as well. Surely, with so many teachers, it was a skill she could learn.

  A quiet knock on the door sent Willow almost instantly to tears. She knew it was her mothers’ delicate kind hand on the other side and she was suddenly desperate to be in her arms. She croaked out the words “come in,” and drew in a deep centering breath.

  The sight of her mother and father stepping quietly in, their hands locked together sent a scared shiver through her body. She’d thought through what they might say, what she might say but it all evaporated at the sight of them. “I’m so sorry,” she cried as she raced to them and felt their arms close in around her. All three were in tears as she breathed in the scent of them.

  “It’s okay, monkey,” her dad said into her ear, the name she earned for hiding in trees on days she was scared just after her adoption. Hearing him utter those words, knowing he still held that affection for her was all she needed in that moment. The last strength she had in her legs began to fade away and all her weight was on them now. They moved toward the bed and all sat, as close as physically possible.

  “I just had some things I needed to do and I didn’t know how to tell you what was going on with me. I thought you would be mortified that it had gotten out on the news about me, about where I was really from. We kept it secret for so long.” Willow’s words flowed together and she hoped they were making sense.

  “Oh, baby stop,” her mother said, pulling her in, her hand wiping away her own tears and then Willow’s. “We never kept your past a secret for our sake. We took our lead from you. We didn’t think you wanted people to know so we supported you. But neither of us has ever been embarrassed or ashamed of who you are. You make us proud every single day.
Even on your worst day. You’re our miracle.”

  “What?” Willow asked pulling away and looking back and forth between the two of them.

  “All we ever wanted was a child. You saved us. You gave us new life, a family,” her father choked out. “You’re all we ever wanted.”

  “But I stole from you. I ran away. People on the island must be driving you crazy with all the gossip.”

  “Who gives a shit?” her mother replied, uttering the first swear Willow had ever heard her say. “That money was your college money. It was yours, and if you did something with it that you felt you needed to, then that’s fine by us. We wished you hadn’t run off but believe it or not your father and I both had our struggles over the years and we’ve done our share of running, sometimes it’s just what you need to do.”

  “As for the gossip,” her father cut in, “the only phone calls we’ve gotten are from our friends asking what they can do to help, telling us they support and love us.”

  “Really?” Willow asked in disbelief. “People aren’t wondering why you let someone like me into your house? They aren’t asking about Jedda?”

  “They are asking about Jedda, they’re asking if he’s all right and if he needs anything now that he’s out. They’re calling him a hero for saving you. So are we. We’ve had the pleasure of spending the morning with him and your mother cried all over him, just thanking him for what he did for you.”

  “You look so much alike,” her mother choked out. “It made me miss you even more. I didn’t think you were coming today. But I wanted to be here just in case. I wanted to be here because I wanted to be with other people who love you as much as I do. If I couldn’t see you then that was the kind of company I wanted to keep.”

  “I love you both so much. I don’t know what I would have done without you. You saved me and I just wish I’d acted worthy of it. But I promise you, I’m going to be.”

  “You just have to stop trying Willow. Stop trying to be what you think we want you to be and just be who you are. We love you already. You don’t have to earn that. You just have to let us.”

  “I will,” she said, pulling them both in tighter to her. Another knock at the door sent them all wiping at their cheeks and trying to gather themselves.

  Jedda poked his head in and then at the sight of Willow, charged forward, not waiting to be invited in. “I knew you were here. I saw Betty talking to your parents and I knew you were here,” he said as she sprang up and fell into his arms.

  “I’m sorry Jedda. I know I wasn’t very good to you when you needed me. You’ve always done everything to protect me and I threw that in your face.”

  “I love you Willow,” he said, his safe large arms encompassing her in a way that made her feel like a little girl again. “I’d do anything for you.”

  “I didn’t know how to deal with that.”

  “I know. And Bobby told me it didn’t really work out up there in the city. There weren’t any happy endings. That must have been hard. I wish I could have been with you.”

  “What do you mean?” her father asked, and Willow realized they didn’t know what the last few months had been like for her. She’d completely shut them out and they deserved more than that.

  “I went back to where I was born and tried to piece together what I remembered about what my parents did. There were some girls, they sold them, and I was trying to figure out where they might be. If I could do anything to help them.”

  “You did that by yourself?” her mom asked in a concerned voice as she covered her heart with her hand.

  “No, I wasn’t alone. I haven’t been alone since I met all these crazy people,” Willow said gesturing out the window to where the wedding would be. “But unfortunately the girls either didn’t survive or didn’t have happy endings. My parents destroyed their lives.”

  “Oh my gosh, Willow, that must have been devastating,” her father said reaching out and grabbing her shaking hand.

  “It was but it didn’t end there. I did find two happy endings.”

  “You did?” Jedda asked, clearly not knowing what might have changed from Bobby’s last update.

  “I’ll tell you all about it later. I actually brought all the stuff from our old apartment back with me. I was hoping you would go through it with me. But we’ve got to get cleaned up and ready for this wedding. Bobby’s asked me to stand up with him. I can’t do that with these circles under my eyes.”

  “Of course I will. And I’ll be up there with you today,” Jedda said, stealing one last hug before he and Willow’s father headed out of the room.

  “Will you help me get ready mom,” Willow asked and loved the light that filled her mother’s face.

  “I can’t think of anything better in the world,” she said brushing Willow’s hair away from her eyes and studying her face as if she couldn’t believe this was more than a dream.

  “Can I tell you something, Mom?”

  “I hope you tell me everything Willow. I hope you talk and never stop.”

  “I think I’m in love.”

  “Oh please, tell me it’s Josh. I only picked up bits and pieces of what happened but he’s so handsome. Is it him?”

  “It’s him,” Willow smiled as her mother stood behind her. She looked at their reflections in the mirror. “I’m afraid I don’t really know how to be in love, and I might have ruined things already but I’m going to try.”

  “With the right guy, that’s all you need to do is try, and the rest works itself out. Do you have anything planned for how to tell him?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m hoping it comes to me.”

  Her mom wrapped her arms around Willow’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder, their cheeks pressed together. “I’m never going to give up on you.”

  “Promise?” Willow asked as she smiled at their reflection.

  “Promise.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The waves were crashing rhythmically against the shore as Willow gazed upon the most beautiful wedding she’d ever seen. The crowd was small but so brimming with love. There were no neighbors of a great aunt, but only those who truly were meant to be there. Willow had stayed upstairs getting ready until the ceremony was just about to start. She didn’t want to admit it was to avoid Josh but it was. The timing to talk to him wasn’t right and she didn’t want to waste her chance.

  When she walked down the aisle with her arm in Jedda’s she looked up at the arbor, the backdrop of the ocean and saw the look of surprise on many faces. Jules had clearly been given the heads-up by Michael, but Crystal looked completely shocked and then instantly thrilled to see she and Jedda arm in arm. Behind her and Jedda, she heard Piper’s voice, saying her name. She turned to see her arm locked with a man that she’d never met but that so closely resembled Piper that she knew they must be related.

  “Wait!” Piper shouted as she shook her arm free and charged halfway up the aisle toward Willow. Jedda let her go and Piper’s arms were around her in an instant. “Thank you so much for coming.” Piper sang as she squeezed her tighter.

  “Piper,” Willow said quietly, “go back over there and walk down the aisle the right way. It’s kind of important.”

  “She doesn’t do anything the right way the first time,” Bobby said with a smile, the gleam of tears in his overjoyed eyes.

  As if she suddenly realized where she was, Piper’s face grew pink and she hustled back to her father’s arm. “Sorry about that,” she said as she passed the small crowd of people who’d come to share their special day.

  When Willow got to the front of the aisle, she hugged Bobby tightly and stood to his right, just on the other side of Michael, who threw a wink her way. “Good choice kid,” he whispered and for some reason his approval sent a wave of joy over her. Her choices had put him at a legal risk too and through the reckless moments of her past few months, she felt immensely guilty about that.

  Her eyes locked with Josh’s, whose face was giving no indication of his emotions
. She wished he wasn’t so in control of himself. She wished she could read his heart by the look on his face so she knew what she was up against, but there were no clues painted there.

  As the bridal march began, everyone got to their feet and her eyes moved from Josh to Piper. During her time in the city with Piper and Bobby, Willow found out more about Piper’s plight and knowing that a path so jagged could still lead to a place so happy gave her hope for herself.

  She listened intently to every word, every vow, and every moment of the wedding. She took it in like a warm drink on a cold day.

  When Bobby and Piper were proudly pronounced husband and wife, the small crowd cheered in a way that spoke volumes about the journey these two had been on. Bobby kissed Piper with such enthusiasm that he lifted her off her feet. At that, the group cheered even louder. So loud in fact, that it stirred little baby Frankie, who was quickly soothed by a doting Betty.

  As Bobby and Piper charged back down the aisle amid flying rice and cheers Willow covered her heart with her two hands and relished the happiness that was today. She thought hard about what Betty had said about sharing her big news on a day that belonged to Piper and Bobby and she’d realized that most people wouldn’t appreciate it, but most people were not Piper and Bobby. She imagined they would feel blessed to know their big day was shared with someone else’s big news.

  “Okay everyone let’s move to the tables for some tasty beach food!” Betty clapped as she handed Frankie over to Jules and slipped her hand into Clay’s. Everyone began heading down toward the water where the tables stood covered in newspaper in preparation for the southern boil about to be enjoyed.

  Willow searched the small crowd for Josh and spotted him heading down to the tables with the other guests. He was not waiting for her, not glancing back to see where she was. For the first time she was searching for him and now, he wasn’t searching for her.

  “Josh,” she called loudly and she didn’t care that every head turned her way, as long as his did too. And it did. His flat expression was still mystifying her. It gave no indication of what she should expect, though she was starting to assume it wasn’t good.