“Oh, Wendell—Rebecca’s the image of our Scotty!” she cried. “Look at the color of her hair, the shape of her face.”
“She’s got his eyes, Reba.”
“As soon as we go inside, I want to look at Scott’s baby pictures again. They look so much alike, it’s uncanny.”
“We’ll see all the pictures and home movies of Laurel and Scotty,” Wendell said. “It’ll be like old times.” He grinned. “We had all the Super 8 film transferred to video.”
Nate watched Spade’s father hug Laurel, something he must have done many, many times since she was sixteen years old.
“Lori Lou. You don’t know how long we’ve waited for this moment.” He wept openly. “Now that you’re home where you belong, we’re not letting you leave us again.”
A band seemed to tighten around Nate’s lungs.
“Before we go in, there’s someone I want you to meet. He’s been anxious to meet you, too. Nate?” Laurel called to him.
“I’m coming. I was just locking up the car.” He finished the walk to the porch.
Laurel turned to her surprised in-laws. “You always wanted to know the legendary Hawk. Well, I’ve brought him with me. He flew out from Colorado with us.”
Reba’s eyes lit up. “Hawk! We’d hoped to talk to you in Denver.”
“I know, but I had family obligations that prevented me from arranging anything.”
Wendell clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re thrilled you would come over to our house tonight. Laurel explained about your mother passing away at the same time as Scotty. We always hoped for the opportunity to sit down with our son’s best friend and have a long talk. Come in.”
The first thing Nate saw, on the wall by the staircase, was a row of large portraits of the Pierce brides. There were five of them. Laurel’s was at the end. Beneath the veil was the beautiful face and long black hair of the woman Nate remembered from the past.
“Bring Hawk into the family room with us, Wendell.”
“We’ll be right there. First, I want to show him some pictures in the front room.”
“Can it wait?” Laurel interjected in an anxious tone Nate immediately picked up on. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“We’ll be right there,” Wendell said again.
Laurel’s eyes flashed Nate a frantic message before she followed her mother-in-law to the other room.
Nate had no choice but to go with Wendell.
Judging by the number of mounted photographs hanging throughout the house, it was evident that the Pierces doted on their children and grandchildren. The mantel in the living room was a virtual shrine to Spade.
Some pictures included Laurel; others included the buddies in their old squadron. There was one of Nate and Spade. They were both grinning like idiots. Scott’s F-16 was in the background. You could make out the words Laurel—My First Love.
Lord.
“I’m glad we’re alone for a minute.” Wendell’s voice sounded unsteady. “Since the funeral I’ve wanted to ask you this question. Do you think Scotty knew he was going to his death?”
Spade’s grieving father needed comfort. Nate wished to God he could give it to him. Offering platitudes now would be an insult.
“Probably. But when the end came, it was instantaneous, the way he would’ve wanted it.”
The older man put a hand on Nate’s arm. “Why did it have to happen to him?”
“I believe we all go out of this world at our appointed time. I know there’s no solace in that, but…”
The older man’s eyes dimmed. “You never saw two kids more in love in your life. At least we know Lori Lou was able to tell him about the baby. But dammit, Hawk—she’d just found out she was pregnant. When she heard there’d been a crash, she almost miscarried.”
At that unexpected piece of information, something unpleasant twisted in Nate’s gut.
“We found that out through her girlfriend Carma, who happened to be there with her. She was the one who phoned for an ambulance. If the hospital hadn’t have been able to stop early labor, we wouldn’t have little Becky with us now. That’s why it’s been so hard on us with her living clear out in Colorado.”
“Wendell?” Reba’s voice rang through the house. “Bring Hawk into the family room. You’ve got to see these pictures! You can’t tell Scotty from Rebecca!”
Wendell patted Nate’s arm. “Thanks for the chat. Now it’s our daughter-in-law who needs attention. She’s putting up a brave front, but you know better than anyone how it was between her and Scotty. She’ll never get over losing him. You don’t recover when the only love of your life is gone.”
Nate’s legs felt like lead as he followed Wendell to their TV room. Reba held Becky while she made comparisons between the baby in her arms and the photo of Scott soon after he was born.
The moment Laurel saw Nate, she patted the seat on the couch beside her. When he sat down, she reached for his hand and gripped it hard. Reba and Wendell appeared oblivious.
Wendell moved to the TV and put in a video. “We can look at the baby pictures later. Since Hawk’s here, I’m sure he’d rather see our movies of Scotty and Lori Lou’s wedding.”
Seconds later, the screen showed a radiant Laurel and Spade kissing before the camera. Nate averted his eyes, unable to watch.
“These are pictures of the rehearsal dinner the night before their wedding,” Wendell explained as he sat down in a recliner.
“I still like your hair better long,” Reba murmured.
Nate felt Laurel’s tension even before she stood up and walked over to the TV to shut if off.
“I’m sorry,” she began. “Another time I’d love to look at these videos with you. But there are two very special reasons Becky and I came over here tonight with Nate.”
Laurel took a deep breath, then continued. “Months ago, I promised to bring the baby to see you after she was born. When I made that promise, I had no way of knowing the sun would shine for me again one day. Now that it has, I’m so happy to be back with you and my family. But the circumstances are different from the last time I was here.” She had to take another breath.
“Something miraculous happened to me when Brent and Julie asked me to live with them. Nate came into my life.”
She smiled at him. “My whole world has changed. He’s asked me to be his wife.” Laurel extended her hand to show them the ring. “We’re going to be married next Saturday at his family’s church in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
“We’d love it if you could be there. Afterward, we’ll be living in Colorado Springs, where he’s going to be a flight instructor at the Air Force Academy.”
Spade’s parents looked like the victims of shell shock. Nate felt bad for them, but he sensed that Laurel needed help. He stood up and put a supportive arm around her shoulders. Her body was trembling from head to toe.
“We want you to fly out whenever you can to see Becky. We’ll make frequent visits to Philadelphia with her to see you, as well.”
Tightening his grip, he said, “You’ve loved Laurel a lot longer than I have, so you can understand that when I saw her in Breckenridge after so many years, I fell fast and hard. The day she gave birth I was there. Needless to say, I fell in love with Becky, too.
“By the time I left the hospital, I knew my life would never be complete without them. To my great joy, Laurel accepted my proposal. I’m going to spend the rest of my life making her and Becky as happy as they make me.”
Reba’s gaze fastened on Laurel. “What have you done with Scotty’s ring?” she asked in a dull voice.
With that question Nate wondered how much of what he’d said had even penetrated.
Both the Pierces looked dazed. There was a new sadness in Wendell’s wet eyes.
Nate understood their pain; it was the same pain he’d experienced when he’d learned that his bereaved father had been kissing a woman other than his mother.
“I’ve put it in a safe place,” Laurel said quietly. “When
Becky turns eighteen, I’m going to give it to her. That was the age I was when Scott gave it to me. He’d want her to have it.”
Nate kissed Laurel’s temple, then walked over to the couch where Reba sat clutching the baby. He sat down next to her. She bristled with hostility.
He could understand that, too.
Anger had been his first reaction when Rick had told him about their father’s engagement on the drive home to Copper Mountain. Nate could appreciate their feelings better than they knew.
Spade’s parents felt betrayed. They would need time to get over the shock.
“I know how difficult this must be for you,” he began. “My father remarried less than a month ago. It was a big adjustment for me and my brother, as I’m sure this announcement is for you. But I want you to know that Becky will—”
“Her name’s Rebecca!” Reba cut him off in midsentence. “You call yourself Scotty’s best friend?” Her eyes were wild with pain. The violence of her reaction surprised him.
“He loved you like a brother. Laurel’s just had his baby! She doesn’t love you. She couldn’t!”
“Reba!” Laurel cried out, aghast. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
Yes, she does, Laurel.
Those were the same words Nate had said to Rick about their father and Pam. That seemed a century ago, before Laurel had come back into his life.
“How could you do it, Hawk?” Wendell murmured. “Our Lori Lou’s vulnerable to the attentions of any man right now. You above all people must know that.
“Our son confided in you, trusted you. You saw them together and knew how much they loved each other. If Scotty could see what was going on, it would kill him.”
“I think you’ve said enough,” Laurel muttered. “You’re both overwrought. We’ll talk later.”
Reba shook her head. “When Wendell and I were in Denver, Brent said you’d come by the house to bring Laurel a gift. I read the little card she put in her baby book. We asked him to tell you we were in town, because we wanted to talk to you about Scotty.
“I thought it was odd that Brent didn’t follow through. But now I know why. Obviously you couldn’t face us. Imagine our son thinking you were the most honorable man he’d ever known!”
“Don’t say any more!” Laurel cried angrily. “We weren’t engaged when you came to Denver. In fact, I was petrified that Nate didn’t love me. I thought he was leaving for Holland at any minute and I’d never see him again. There was nothing to tell you until I learned his true feelings.”
Nate had to give Laurel full points for trying, but certain home truths had been delivered tonight. He felt as if his insides had turned to stone.
“Scotty was Laurel’s first and only boyfriend,” Reba informed him. “She’s never known another man. Never wanted anyone but him. Did you know that?”
No. Nate didn’t know that.
Laurel took the baby from her mother-in-law. “We’re leaving, Nate. If you’ll bring the carrier…”
Nate got to his feet but he was slow to act.
“Our Lori Lou loved Scotty so much she went through years of agony trying to give him his own baby,” Wendell said.
“She never gave up,” Reba interjected. “That’s the kind of love they shared.” Her eyelids fluttered for a moment. She looked desperately tired. “To lose a mother is a terrible thing, Major, but it doesn’t explain why you didn’t want to talk to us in Denver. You avoided us because you felt guilty for betraying our son.”
“I couldn’t meet with you because my father was returning from his honeymoon and had already made arrangements to spend the weekend with me and my brother.”
Ignoring Nate’s explanation, Wendell said, “One day soon you’ll realize you could never measure up to Scotty.”
Nate didn’t need Wendell to tell him something he already knew.
“Every time Lori Lou looks at Rebecca, she’ll be reminded of her husband and everything she’s lost. What kind of marriage will you have then?”
“Nate!”
He grabbed the carrier. By the time he’d caught up to Laurel, she’d reached the car. After fastening it to the base in the back seat, he strapped Becky inside. Laurel climbed in the front.
Once he’d reversed the car to the street, she turned to him with a tear-ravaged face.
“I knew Scott’s parents were still grieving, but they need professional help. Forget everything they said, darling. When they come to their senses, they’ll feel terrible and apologize.”
“I don’t blame them for anything, Laurel. They were only speaking the truth.”
“Whose truth?” she demanded. “Certainly not mine! Wendell and Reba were projecting their own feelings onto me. They treated me as if I wasn’t even in the room.”
He gripped the steering wheel tighter. “That’s because they’re convinced you don’t know your own feelings. I’m inclined to agree with them.”
When Laurel digested what he’d just said, she felt almost incapacitated by the gut-wrenching pain.
“I thought you got past that when you came back to my bedroom,” she muttered.
“My desire for you was so fierce it blinded me to certain realities.”
“Don’t do this, Nate.” She shook her head. “Don’t ruin what we have.”
“You need to know why I was in such a bad way the night I saw you kiss Brent in the elevator. You thought it was because I’d been forced to give up flying.” She heard him pause before he said, “Nothing could’ve been farther from the truth.
“My anger and pain stemmed from the fact that my father could turn to another woman only six months after he’d watched my mother being lowered into the ground. Worse, he’d become engaged and was planning to marry this woman based on one month’s courtship.”
Nate could have been describing their own situation.
Laurel bowed her head in despair.
It had been hard enough for him to get past his guilt over betraying Scott. But his pain had been compounded by what he viewed as his father’s betrayal of his mother, something she hadn’t suspected.
Laurel’s love might have brought him halfway. Tragically, nothing she could say or do now would bring him full circle. The unintentional scar inflicted by his father went too deep.
What Reba and Wendell had effectively accomplished in their grief was to reopen that wound. Now the scar would be deeper than ever.
How well she understood Mr. Hawkins’s message the afternoon she’d talked with him on the phone. Her heart ached for the wonderful man who, after raising two extraordinary sons, had dared to reach out for a new love. Yet in the reaching, he’d hurt his children without meaning to.
All he could hope for was that Laurel’s love would heal Nate’s wounds. But her love wasn’t enough. When Nate made up his mind about something, it was final. That was what he was trying to tell her now.
She wouldn’t beg him a second time….
When her tears had dried, she lifted her head. To her surprise, Nate had already pulled the car into her parents’ driveway.
Relieved that Becky was still content with her pacifier, Laurel said, “Brent gave me a piece of advice. He told me that if you couldn’t come to me heart-whole, of your own free will, then we’d both be better off going our separate ways.
“I chose to ignore his warning by forcing a confrontation with you that day in my bedroom. In doing so, I started a sequence of events that placed you in the dreadful position of having to face Scott’s parents. Unfortunately they’ll never know what an honorable man you really are.
“My family adores you. They’re going to suffer when they find out we’re not getting married after all. To make this easier on both of us, let’s say goodbye now.”
She pulled off his ring and put it on the dashboard.
“It’s not too late to call for a taxi. There are so many flights leaving for the West Coast, you shouldn’t have any problem being back in Colorado by morning.
“Don’t worry about than
king my parents. By now they’ve gone to bed. Morning will be soon enough for me to break the news. If you’ll bring Becky to my bedroom, I won’t ask another thing of you.”
It was a struggle to draw breath right now. Those swirling black clouds she’d prayed never to know again were descending on her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”
“Laurel and I aren’t getting married.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because it can’t work, Rick. There’s an old saying. Beware of what you wish for. You might get it. I wanted her so badly, I forgot it takes two.
“Reba was right. She said Laurel couldn’t possibly love me, not after what she and Spade had together. Until tonight, I’ve been deluding myself, but no longer. Wendell didn’t know it, but he was speaking to the converted when he told me I could never fit into Spade’s shoes.”
“That’s bull and you know it! She loves you, man!”
“You mean the way Dad loves Pam?” he scoffed angrily. “Give me a break! That marriage was doomed from the outset. If you don’t want to pick me up from the airport, just say so.”
“I told you I’d be there.”
“After you drive me to Brent’s so I can pick up Mom’s car, I’ll get out of everyone’s hair.”
The second Rick heard the click, he punched in his father’s phone number at the ranch.
“Dad?”
“Rick. What’s wrong?”
“I know it’s after eleven. I hate to disturb you and Pam, but we have to talk.”
“Go ahead.”
“All hell’s broken loose.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nate ended his engagement to Laurel tonight. He wouldn’t discuss the details over the phone, but he and Laurel went to Spade’s house. Whatever the Pierces said convinced him that Laurel couldn’t possibly love him.
“He’s headed for the airport to catch a red-eye back to Denver. I’m going to be at the airport at six-twenty in the morning. He wants me to drive him over to the Marsdens’ so he can pick up Mom’s car. Who knows what he’ll do when he’s on his own.
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