“My mother never said anything about it. It’s all in your manuscript. The one you kept on your laptop.”
“How did…?”
“Eleanor is a smart, resourceful woman. You underestimated her.”
“She’ll come around. She knows the pressure I’ve been under.”
Angel clambered down the steps. Her cheeks were red and she was out of breath. “Eleanor will direct the team here.”
He wanted to take her in his arms and calm the agitation he could feel simmering beneath the surface. But he knew she wouldn’t let him past her barriers without a fight.
“There was no need to run, Angelina. Don’t you trust me?”
“I—I don’t know what to think.”
“You know I love you.”
She nodded. “It’s not enough, though.”
“It’s enough to make me want to do things differently. Do you remember the first night we were here? The Bible passage I read?”
“You read from First Corinthians. ‘Love is patient, love is kind.’” She held his gaze.
“You remembered.” Hope sparked somewhere deep inside him. He wished they were having this conversation at another time and place. As it was, he had to keep an eye on Jonathon during what might be the most important discussion of his life.
“I memorized it. I wanted that kind of love in my life. And I thought if I repeated it to myself enough, I might believe it was true.”
“I offered you that kind of love.” His voice was husky.
“You did. And I thought for a while we might have a chance. Before I let things get out of control.”
Matthew felt her slipping away, losing herself to the danger of the past. “There’s also a part of First Corinthians about love not keeping a record of wrongs.”
“I remember.”
“Yet you’ve kept a record of wrongs. Not mine, but Kent’s. And you’ll punish both of us because of them.”
“I don’t want it to be that way.” Her eyes were wide and dark. “I tried, Matthew, I really did. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Her anguish resonated through him. “I won’t push, Angelina. I love you too much.”
She shook her head. Her tone was professional when she asked, “Did you find out anything else from Jonathon?”
“Tell her, Uncle.”
Jonathon’s mouth twisted. “How stupid do you think I am? I’m not going to admit murder to a law-enforcement officer.”
Matthew tightened his finger on the trigger. It would be so easy.
“Don’t do it, Matthew.” There was an edge of desperation in Angel’s voice.
“I won’t. But I will tell Jonathon that my mother has proof even if he doesn’t confess in front of you.”
“Impossible.”
“Mom has a hunk of twisted metal she keeps hidden. I always wondered what it was, but didn’t ask after the first time because it upset her so much. Now I know. It was one of the padlocks from the barn.”
“That’s just wild conjecture based on some harmless piece of fiction.”
“How could you do that to my father?” His voice was bleak, as if his last ounce of emotion had evaporated. “How could you do that to my mother?”
“I loved Abigail. I did it for her own good. Joshua was a weak leader, a weak man. Abigail should have been mine.” Jonathon’s eyes blazed with passion.
“You’re insane.” Angel shook her head in disbelief. She advanced on Jonathon. “You claim you did these horrible things in the name of love. You don’t love anyone. You possess and degrade until there’s nothing left.”
Matthew wondered if he should intervene. Angel might as well have been talking to her late husband.
Jonathon raised his chin. “It was my right to take her as my wife.”
Angel stiffened. “She was a human being with thoughts and feelings that you couldn’t own, no matter how twisted your soul. Thank God she got away from you.”
“She was allowed to leave because I had already found her replacement. Rebecca was a much better fit in my household anyway.”
“You possessed an innocent young girl.” Angel practically spat the words. “Tell me what you’ve done to her. Why is she sick? Why can’t she associate with anyone but you?”
The hatred in Angel’s voice stirred the anger Matthew had managed to keep in check. This man had murdered his father and tried to destroy his mother. And now, he seemed to be bent on destroying his sister, too.
He stepped toward Angel, but she motioned him to stay back.
“I don’t have to answer that. She’s my wife,” Jonathon said.
“You say that as if you own her. She was young and carefree when you married her. And you did your best to destroy her. Just because you could. Because it made you feel powerful.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know all too well what I’m talking about. Someone very like you almost destroyed me once. But I survived. I made a life for myself and I help other victims.”
Angel stopped as if to catch her breath. Her eyes widened. “And I can have what you never will. Love without intimidation.”
Turning, she walked toward Matthew, stopping a few feet away. She held out her hand to him. “Matthew?”
He scarcely dared breathe.
“I really messed things up between us.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.”
Making a noise low in his throat, he grasped her hand.
She squeezed his hand as if she’d never let go. “I wasn’t afraid of you. I was afraid of me. I—I thought maybe I wasn’t capable of seeing a man’s true character once my emotions were involved. I felt so safe with you, so…whole. Then things went topsy-turvy when Jonathon made you say those awful things. I was so afraid I was turning back into what I used to be.”
“You’ll never be a victim again.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know you. I know your heart and your courage. I admired your strength, then I grew to love the whole package. That you’ve managed to keep a tender heart is a testament to your compassion. You’ll continue to help others. No one can take that away from you. Not me and not him.” He nodded toward Jonathon.
“I thought it was only love that could bring me to that place where all I knew was fear…. But I’ve found hate can take me back, too. I’m awfully tempted to destroy Jonathon the way I fantasized about destroying Kent. To reduce him to a pitiful wreck. I could do it.”
“I could, too. I could shoot him in revenge. But my mother and father gave me a strong foundation of love—they raised me to be a better man than that. I want to be a better man for you, too. I’ll leave it up to the authorities and God to punish him.”
“I want a chance to grow old with you, Matthew.” Tears trickled down Angel’s face. “I don’t want the Kents and Jonathons of this world to win.”
“Then accept the love I’ve offered.”
“It can’t be that easy.” Her voice held a note of hope.
“It can be that easy if you choose it to be.”
She touched his face. “I love you, Matthew. I want to try.”
He released a shaky breath. “I love you, too, Angelina. And we’ll do more than try. We’ll make it happen.”
The sound of boots reverberated above their heads. Angel glanced at the ceiling. “I think we’re going to be okay.”
Matthew wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, keeping the gun trained on Jonathon.
“I know we are.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later
THE ONE PERFECT white rose shook slightly in Angel’s hands.
“Who gives this woman in marriage?” the pastor asked.
“Her mother and I do.” Angel’s father’s reply was deep and sure.
Tears blurred Angel’s eyes as her father kissed her on the cheek. Then her mother kissed her.
“Do not cry, mija. This is a joyous day.”
“I know, Mama.�
��
Isabella took her seat with Angel’s father in the front row. Next to them sat Matthew’s mother, Abigail. And next to her was Eleanor, smiling every bit as proudly as Angel’s mother.
“Angelina, you may join Matthew.”
She stepped forward, her heart a jumble of emotions. Joy, awe, protectiveness and a bit of fear. Because they were embarking on a journey bound to be challenging and intense. But a journey she wouldn’t miss for the world.
“Angelina and Matthew have gathered their friends and family here today to witness a recommitment ceremony. As many of you know, they were married in a civil ceremony several months ago. Now they would like to seal their marriage before God.”
Matthew held her gaze. He knew this ceremony was her gift. An acknowledgment of how important his beliefs were to him. And an admission that she might someday forgive his God.
“Angel and Matthew have chosen a passage for me to read. ‘Love is patient, love is kind…’”
The pastor’s words washed over Angel. She placed her palm on her stomach, smiling to herself. The rest of the ceremony passed like a lovely, lovely dream, culminating in a tender kiss from Matthew.
The reception took place in their Houston home. Spacious and light, it was everything she’d dreamed of. Maybe because her life was everything she’d dreamed of.
“There’s got to be something I can do,” Angel insisted, glancing around her kitchen.
“No, dear, we’ve got it under control. Don’t we, ladies?” Angel’s mother asked Eleanor and Abigail.
“We most certainly do.” Eleanor bustled around the kitchen.
“Yes, please sit down, Angel.” Abigail hugged her quickly before placing the bride and groom figurines on the cake.
“You absolutely must tell me all about your trip to the islands,” Isabella said. “You both look so relaxed and healthy.”
Both women looked fabulous. Tanned, happy and, for Abigail, in remission.
Eleanor made a joke about the handsome island men.
Abigail blushed.
Angel’s mother made an off-color comment in Spanish. All four women laughed.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?” Matthew stepped up behind Angel and wrapped his arms around her.
“Just girl stuff. And talking about Abigail and Eleanor’s trip.”
“Ah. And how were the Caymans?”
Eleanor smiled. “Lovely. As was the cruise ship. We didn’t lift a finger the entire time.”
“You deserve to be pampered,” Angel declared. “Especially after you helped the U.S. authorities gain access to Jonathon’s Cayman accounts.”
“We received a most generous reward, so it was a win-win situation. Isn’t that what they call it?”
Angel patted Eleanor’s hand. “Yes, definitely a win-win situation. Are you still planning on breaking ground next month on Austin’s House?”
“Yes, and we’ve got the perfect couple lined up to run the place. We’ll be able to give many displaced boys a new start and the tools they’ll need to build a life outside polygamist sects.” Abigail’s face lit with enthusiasm. “And still have time to travel a bit ourselves.”
Eleanor said, “We hope to open Rebecca’s House in one to two years. By then, my Austin should have his bachelor’s degree and be ready to oversee the charitable foundation.”
Matthew shook his head. “You two are a couple of dynamos. Remind me to ask you if I ever need anything done.”
Eleanor patted his cheek. “We’re just trying to give back, dear. Right a few wrongs. And heal.”
Angel’s eyes misted. “You seem to have done that in spades.”
“I had an excellent coach.”
“No more mushy stuff. You’re going to make me cry and my makeup will run.” She snagged a stuffed mushroom from one of the platters. “I hear Rebecca went to visit Jonathon in prison. Closure before her marriage.”
“Rebecca is much too forgiving a creature.” Eleanor placed another mushroom on the tray. “Harlan will be good for her. He absolutely adores her. And she’ll be treated like a princess.”
Angel sighed. “I wish she would’ve tried Houston. Matthew and I would have loved for her to stay with us.”
Abigail patted her hand. “Ellie’s right, Angel. Rebecca is better off in a world familiar to her. She has every intention of being an integral part of creating a new Zion’s Gate. With Raphael as their new leader, I think they’ll do fine. I do wish I could see my grandchildren more often, though.”
Matthew nudged Angel and smiled. “When you ladies are ready, I’d like everyone to gather in the great room for a toast.”
Angel grabbed the plate of mushrooms. “I’ll carry these.”
Her mother touched her shoulder. “Thank you, mija. Are you going to give me a hint about Matthew’s announcement?”
“He didn’t say anything about an announcement, Mama.” She widened her eyes innocently. “Just a toast.”
“I thought perhaps there was…news.” Isabella glanced at Angel’s waist.
But Angel was too smart for her trap. “You’ll have to wait, like everyone else. Because if I tell you, you’ll tell the other grandmothers before Matthew gets a chance.”
“Other grandmothers? I knew it.” Isabella smiled. “But I won’t spoil Matthew’s moment.”
Angel went to her husband. “Better make it quick, Matt, my mother guessed. And if she knows, all three of them will know—they’re thick as thieves.”
Matthew tapped his wineglass filled with sparkling cider. “Angelina and I want to thank you for being here to share our happiness. When we went to Zion’s Gate we found much more than we anticipated. Love and family. And in the spring we’ll add a new member to our family. Angel and I are expecting a baby. Our child will be very blessed to have so many loving influences in his or her life.”
The three women converged on Angel, showering her with hugs, kisses and congratulations. A few minutes later they moved on, gushing over the father-to-be.
“I’m very proud of you, Angel.” Her father enfolded her in a hug. “You deserve every moment of happiness.”
“Oh, Daddy, I am happy.”
“I can tell. And, believe me, I’ve watched this relationship very closely. I will never forgive myself for abandoning you to Kent.”
“Daddy, you didn’t abandon me. You gave me space to grow. Unfortunately someone evil took advantage of that space. I only hope I’ll have the courage to allow my daughter to live her own life once she’s old enough.”
“So it’s a daughter?”
Angel grinned. “I’m not telling. It might have been a slip of the tongue. Or I might be teasing you. Because those three won’t be content until they know for sure.” She nodded toward her mother and the two Cooper sisters, as they referred to themselves.
Her father grasped her shoulders. “I know it’s been difficult for you to be on desk duty, but I have to admit I’m relieved now that the baby’s coming. You don’t need to be on the streets while you’re carrying a child.”
Angel made a face. “I don’t like it, but it’s what I need to do. Zion’s Gate taught me that if I don’t deal with the stuff from my past, it might come back to bite me later. I don’t want to put myself or anyone else in danger. The DPS counselor has been great.”
“I think you learned many things at Zion’s Gate.”
She grinned. “I’ve accepted that I can’t be in the thick of the action all the time. Eleanor showed me there’s a rhythm to life and sometimes I need to slow down.”
“A good lesson.”
“Besides, I’ll be able to sneak in some research for Abigail and Eleanor during the slow times.”
“Research?”
“Yes, for their book about the intrepid Cooper sisters, girl detectives. I’m brainstorming ideas with them.”
Her father shook his head and laughed. “You remind me more of your mother every day. You will definitely keep Matthew on his toes.”
Matthew walked over to them.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1875-8
SECRETS IN TEXAS
Copyright © 2006 by Carrie Weaver.
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