A SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE BOXED SET

by Lewis, Laurie

  His brain functioned on two different tracks during the next hours, running Esther’s memorized letter through his mind, word by word, while watching the communications between his self-appointed attorney and the brawny detective, realizing his future hinged on what occurred beyond that plate of glass.

  He could do nothing to affect the outcome of Nathaniel’s negotiations, but Esther’s letter now held secrets he’d missed before—references to events that made her realize their marriage was more real than her family understood, and a comment about how tiny things had helped her see the big picture.

  Esther had offered him only obscure hints. Why didn’t she tell him about their daughter? Was it a test? Another test he’d failed? Would the knowledge of Jenna have been the incentive he needed to get his life on track more quickly? He’d never know, but the realization of what he’d lost tipped the scale against all his successes, leaving the balance of his life negative and void. He had a daughter, and now she belonged to someone else.

  He tried to picture what their family would have looked like, but he could no longer bring Esther’s face to mind, though he could now see traces of her in Jenna’s smile and the heart shape of her face. The person he could picture by his side was Tayte, and beside her—Jenna. But he could not separate that impish darling from Ely, Margot, and Micah. They were her family now.

  He glanced at the clock and realized he’d been sitting in that room for hours. Neither Nathaniel nor the detective were visible through the window, but the female detective entered carrying a tool and a wet paper towel.

  “I’m going to cut your restraints.” There was kindness in her voice. “Clean yourself up but do not leave this room. If you need to use the restroom, call for someone. Is that clear?”

  She cut the ties and left. Noah rubbed the deep marks left by the straps, as another set of feet entered. “You’ve been bleeding. Are you all right?”

  The voice was Tayte’s but she sounded wary and subdued, and though she stood mere feet away, it felt as if miles divided them again. He stood but remained behind the table. He wanted to go to her, to tell her how sorry he was that she had gotten caught up in this mess, but the expression on her face cemented him in place. He wiped the wet towel across his bloodied nose again, aware now of other abrasions and points of pain as he said, “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Okay.” She didn’t sound okay.

  “Have they. . . What have they done to you?”

  She shook her head. “They asked me a bunch of questions, then I sat in a room for an hour until Nathaniel convinced them to let me go.”

  “I’m so sorry—” rushed from each of them simultaneously.

  Tayte’s gaze dropped to the floor. Noah didn’t know where to begin. “You have nothing to be sorry for, but I didn’t do what those officers claimed.”

  She nodded. “I know that now. Nathaniel explained everything to me.”

  The impact of her words slammed Noah. He turned his head, retuning and replaying her comment. “You know it now? Because Nathaniel explained everything to you?”

  Tayte’s head shot up and her eyes widened. “I didn’t know what to believe at first.” She began a rapid ramble. “Margot started telling me the story of Jenna’s birth parents, and it matched your story too much to simply be a coincidence. So I asked if she had a photo of the father, and when she pulled it out, I saw you. It shook me up. The Eppleys even accused me of being your accomplice.” Her voice ratcheted up to a panic and then calmed. “Nathaniel explained everything to me and to the Eppleys. They’re considering dropping their complaint.”

  “What you’re saying is that Nathaniel had to defend me to you.”

  She blushed and then fired back. “The news came out of nowhere. I just reacted.”

  “It’s not like I’m some random stranger, Tayte! You know me, yet you believed what they were saying? That I knew Jenna was my daughter all the time? That I was worming my way into everyone’s lives? You were ready to accept that I was capable of that?”

  She swallowed and paled. “Put yourself in my shoes. It all added up.”

  His finger shot forward at her. “No matter how things looked, I would’ve believed in you and given you the chance to tell your side of the story.”

  “I wanted to, but there’s still so much we don’t know about each other. I—I panicked, okay? I’m sorry.”

  “You thought I was a con man? That I lied all along—to you, to Uncle John, to Agnes and the Eppleys? You believed I was capable of stalking and kidnapping a child from the only family she’s ever known?”

  She covered her ears as if to shut out Noah’s accusations. “All right. Just stop. I’m trying, aren’t I? I’m still here, admitting my mistakes.”

  He wished he saw confidence in her face, but the longer they shared the space, the less secure she seemed. Her doubts replayed over and over in his mind, increasing the distance between them. His hands flew to his head, and he groaned, turning his back to Tayte. He kicked his chair out of the way, moved to the wall, and allowed his head to fall against the painted bricks. The physical pain pushed the heartache back. Pain or numbness? The old options beckoned, but he’d come too far to surrender again. When he turned back around, Tayte was standing by the door with her hand on the knob.

  She blinked and asked, “Everything is ruined, isn’t it?”

  Noah swallowed past the lump in his throat. “You looked at me like I was a stranger or a monster when I was arrested. I wish I could forget that image and forget that you believed what they were saying about me. I’ll always wonder what you’re really thinking, what you really think of me, and whether you’ll bail the first time things don’t add up for you.”

  “Then I was right. People do disappoint us, and then they leave.”

  He offered no rebuttal as the door opened and Tayte slipped away.

  Chapter 30

  Tayte was crying as she passed Nathaniel on the way out of the room. Tension and fatigue etched deep lines around Nathaniel’s eyes and mouth. He paused in the doorway and sighed, knowing Noah’s relationship with Tayte could be added to the day’s list of casualties.

  He entered, placed his hands upon the table, and leaned toward Noah. His voice was caring but firm. “You’re angry. It’s understandable. I’m so sorry you’re going through all this, but don’t be too hard on Tayte. It all looked very bad. The story was almost too incredible for me to believe when I first heard it, and I had John’s testimony to back it up.”

  A new wave of betrayal harrowed Noah at the mention of John’s involvement. “He knew Jenna was my daughter, and he never bothered to tell me, but he told you?”

  “It wasn’t like that. He didn’t tell me. Sarah did, the day of John’s funeral. He told her the whole story the last day he was lucid. She wanted to explain it to you herself, but between losing John and being angry at him for this situation, she was too spent, so she asked me to handle it.”

  “Who else knew? Is that why Jared and Sam and the others all came out to help me?”

  “No. You can’t go forward thinking every kindness that came to you was performed out of guilt. Yes, Sarah did tell Jared, but only after she told me. I asked her to. I knew if this blew up we’d need someone armed with the truth and Jared’s legal skills. And I was right. I called him. He should be landing at BWI shortly.”

  Nathaniel paced in a circle and turned back to Noah. “And don’t let John’s error in judgment cause you to doubt that he loved you. Your uncle never expected the secret to get out this way, but Ely Eppley became uncomfortable with your generosity and the impediment you were creating between him and Jenna. He called the Chamber of Commerce last week to reject the prize. When they called John, he realized the foolishness of his plan.”

  “Which was what? To play God one last time?”

  “On the contrary. He was trying to atone for the harm he caused you, and by extension, to Esther, and Jenna. Keep in mind that Esther wrote to you using the return address on your letters to he
r, but you never replied. Maybe you moved, or maybe you ignored her letter, but for all intents and purposes, you disappeared off the grid. Then John looked for you for years, and when he couldn’t find you, he thought helping Jenna’s family was the next best thing, so he concocted a plan to help them under the pretense of honoring Ely, and he sold the idea to the Chamber of Commerce. He funded everything himself. And then that South Carolina police officer located you through the DMV records and you showed up. John believed it was a miracle. An opportunity to secretly help you bless your daughter and the family raising her. As flawed as his judgment may have been, his intentions were noble. Here. This explains it better than I can.”

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s the letter John wrote explaining everything. Sarah knew the contents. She also knew it was John’s wish that Jenna not know the truth until she came of age, but Sarah knew John was concerned about the tension developing between you and Ely Eppley, so she held on to it herself rather than hand it over to me as part of John’s estate. And it’s a good thing she did.”

  Noah ran his finger over his name and blinked to clear his eyes.

  “I was trying to meet with you to tell you everything I could legally. You had a right to know that a child was born and placed with a loving family in a closed adoption. You wouldn’t have known who the child was, but you would have at least known a child was out there, and you could have registered with agencies that reunite adopted children with their birth parents.”

  “What’s the chance that would have ever happened?”

  “It doesn’t matter now. You don’t have to wait nine more years to know the truth, and you have Sarah and the Eppleys to thank for that. They sent signed releases petitioning the court to open the letter now and release the information in order to prove your actual involvement in the case.”

  Nathaniel set several handwritten pages on the table. “Keep in mind that you weren’t expected to read this until Jenna turned eighteen.”

  Tears formed in Noah’s eyes as he read the weak scrawl that had become John’s handwriting near the end.

  Dear Noah,

  I can’t imagine what’s happened to you these past nine years, but I hope life is sweet as you read this letter, that you love your work, and more importantly, I hope you found someone to share your life with.

  You became a fine man, Noah. I love you. I hope you know that. I’m grateful for these days we’ve shared. It gives me peace to know we’ve mended our fences.

  You and I were both seeking atonement. You saved your money in the hope of finding a worthy cause to invest in. I found the Eppleys, a family worthy of your investment. I chose them for a very special reason.

  You see, I discovered that a baby was born from your brief marriage to Esther. I didn’t know you two were married until you told me, but I did learn that Esther bore your child. You have a daughter. Now, it’s not important how I know that. What matters is that she was blessed to have been adopted by a great family. I suppose you know by now that your daughter is Jenna Eppley.

  Serving Jenna was my restitution. I hope knowing you helped the family who adopted her will be yours. I didn’t tell you all this at the time because I feared it would complicate too many lives, but Jenna should be eighteen by the time you read this and capable of deciding if she wants to have a relationship with her birth parents.

  We can’t always see the end from the beginning, Noah. I wanted to return some portion of what you lost the night I failed you. Forgive me if my logic was flawed. You’re a fine man. I trust you’ll do what’s right with this information.

  Love,

  Uncle John

  Noah blinked rapidly as he folded the papers. Without looking at Nathaniel he asked, “Are these mine now?”

  “Yes. Of course. The police have copies. After reading them they understand you were an innocent party in the situation with the Eppleys.”

  “Am I free to go?” He heard the cold detachment in his voice.

  Nathaniel seemed to shrink in response. “Not quite. They’re debating charging you for resisting arrest, and we have other problems. When the police call went out about a possible kidnapping plot, the media picked it up.”

  Noah cursed under his breath.

  “I truly am sorry, but I think we ought to wait here and let Jared handle the media. He has had more experience in this area. I don’t want to add to your pain.”

  Noah’s anger abated enough to recognize Nathaniel’s efforts in his behalf. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me today. I should have called you as you asked.” A bigger concern crossed Noah’s mind. “How’s Jenna? Does she know the truth?”

  Nathaniel frowned. “She was at school when the police arrived at the house, but with all this media attention, it’s inevitable that she’ll hear rumors. The Eppleys will have to tell her.”

  Noah remained holed up in that room considering all the day’s repercussions while Nathaniel handled the paperwork to get him legally released. His cousin Jared arrived with Nathaniel, crossing the room to where Noah stood, gathering him up in a quick hug.

  “You look terrible. I’m so sorry about all this, Noah. I wish I could explain Dad’s reasoning, but right now we’ve got immediate decisions to make. I barely got past the sea of clamoring gawkers out there, and the press pool smells blood in the water.” He turned to Nathaniel. “What have you told them so far?”

  “That my client is innocent and that this would all be revealed to be a grave misunderstanding,” said Nathaniel.

  “Yeah. That’s what every defense attorney says. That’s not going to satisfy them. They need some accurate information to print or they’ll begin running columns filled with questions that’ll blow this all out of proportion.”

  “Just tell them the truth,” said Noah. “I didn’t know any of this. End of story.”

  Jared placed his hands on his hips and leaned toward Noah, “Unfortunately, the truth makes more interesting copy than the charges.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Noah, but this story isn’t going away anytime soon. The best defense is still a good offense.”

  The room grew quiet, and Noah sensed something unpleasant was coming.

  Jared looked Noah in the eye. “I feel fairly confident that I can get the commissioner to drop the resisting arrest charges, but we need to dry up the news drip by putting it all out there. The good, the bad, all of it.” Nathaniel nodded in agreement.

  Noah felt his cloak of invisibility fall away along with his dignity. His mistakes would be put on public display. It was the worst solution he could imagine.

  “I also have another idea. The best way to get the reporters off your trail is to give them another one to follow.”

  “What did you have in mind?” asked Nathaniel.

  “Let’s turn this situation into something benevolent. Salvage Dad’s original idea. It had merit, and continuing it will make the intrusion into the Eppleys’ lives seem less manipulated. Noah, the family knows everything now, and they’ve all agreed that we should set up an endowment to fund an annual award for a vet and their family who gives back to the community. Mom even came up with a name—‘The John C. Anderson Still Serving Award.’”

  Nathaniel nodded his approval. “Our family could use a bit of redemption as well. Add our name to the award and I’ll match your family’s donation.”

  Noah reached his hand into the center of the three-man circle. “Three ways.”

  “Twenty-five thousand each?”

  “Agreed.”

  “Nathaniel, call the Chamber of Commerce and see if you can get them on board. That would be helpful.” While Nathaniel made the call, Jared stopped to study Noah’s appearance. “I’ll call for a press conference in twenty minutes. What can we do in that time to tidy you up?”

  The work clothes Noah selected in the morning hardly seemed worthy of a press conference. Jared removed his suit coat leaving blue slacks, white shirt, and a tie. “We’re roughly the same size. Try this on.” Noah removed his
bloodied button front shirt and slid into Jared’s jacket. It was a bit tight in the shoulders, and the sleeves were an inch too short. Jared rolled the sleeves up into a cuff which went well with Noah’s remaining white T-shirt and his jeans. “Styling, if I do say so myself.”

  After twenty minutes, a battered but cleaned-up Noah Carter stood on the courthouse steps with the two attorneys and half the members of the Chamber of Commerce, surrounded by reporters, cameras, and curiosity-seekers from Frederick’s tightly knit community. Jared handled the reporters’ questions like a seasoned politician, deferring occasionally to Nathaniel on questions related to the Eppley family. The announcement about the endowment was received with warm applause, and at the end of the conference, a few members of the community came forward to shake Noah’s hand. Most, however, did not.

  “How do you think it went?” Noah asked the two men.

  “Fine. Fine,” said Nathaniel in a voice still filled with worry. “Most people get busy with their own lives and forget idle gossip, but there’ll always be a few with long memories.” He offered an apologetic smile. “As we both know.”

  Jared agreed. “You might want to lay low for a while. Come to California with Mom and me. Let me fax a photo of your deck to some friends back in San Francisco. I bet I can line up a few jobs in no time.”

  Chapter 31

  The slamming of doors kept sounding in Tayte’s head as she drove back to the farm. She turned the radio up to drown out the litany of self-recriminations replaying in her head.

  The farm lane appeared, but the overgrowth that once discouraged all but the brave from entering was now trimmed and tamed, with wild flowers that poked their heads above various hues of green and yellow grasses. Tayte had come to love this lane, but today it loomed monstrous again. She couldn’t manage this place without Noah. The enormity of what that meant for her and for Agnes pressed her deeper into the abyss of despair.