“My mother mentioned him, but then she quickly denied knowing him.”
“I don’t wonder. Richard is my half brother. He was living with us back then for a time. He’s a lazy, womanizing moocher who never did an honest day’s work in his life.”
“Where is he now?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea. But if your mother was involved with him, then she has my sympathy.”
“Why?”
“That’s something else you need to talk to her about.”
Carly thanked the woman again and left, her mind a whirlwind of questions and doubts. Why would her mother lie about her father having an affair with Bonnie, and what had gone on between her mother and Richard?
By the time she arrived home, she wanted to cry. In the kitchen she sought out Thelma for some sound advice.
“My goodness, what happened? You look so upset.”
Carly took a seat on the stool. “I just met with a woman my mom told me had an affair with my dad.”
“Really? Who?”
“Bonnie Hudson.”
Thelma kept her gaze on the brownie batter she was mixing. “What did she have to say?”
“She denied it. And I believe her. I just don’t understand why Mom would say that if it wasn’t true.”
“I’m sure I couldn’t say.”
Thelma was avoiding her. “What about a man named Richard? Do you know anything about him and my mother being involved?”
Thelma stopped stirring and stood still for a long moment before coming around the counter and joining Carly. “Richard was the man your mother was seeing. He was a charmer and he promised her all the things she wanted. She left to meet him at the airport. They were going to run away together. But he never showed up. She waited for days, but he never came back.”
Carly’s heart pinched. She could only imagine the humiliation. Yet she didn’t understand how her mom could simply walk away from her and her dad. “That was the week she was gone. She was supposed to be visiting a friend.”
Thelma nodded. “When she came back, she was so angry and hurt and humiliated. She lit into your dad something fierce, accusing him of all kinds of things. Then a few days later she took you and left.”
“Why would she do that?”
“I think she was embarrassed to be jilted by a lothario. It was easier to blame her husband for everything. If she accused him of unfaithfulness, then she wouldn’t have to face her own poor behavior and judgment.”
Tears formed in Carly’s eyes. “Why would she let me think that about my dad? She knew how much I loved him.”
“Exactly. She knew. How else could she get you to leave him?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I tried, but at the time you weren’t willing to listen to anyone. You were so angry and so distraught.”
It was true. Carly hadn’t been in the mood to listen to anyone at that time. “What about that next summer when I came back to visit?”
“I didn’t have a chance. You were here a week and then you ran off. You were still pretty upset—with everyone.” Thelma opened her arms and embraced her. “I’m so sorry. I should have tried harder. Nothing was the same after you left that last time. It took your father a long time to recover. It’s like the heart of him had been ripped out.”
Carly clung to the older woman. For the first time in years she felt a strange sense of peace. The truth was emerging. While it wasn’t what she’d expected, she knew it was true. It explained so many things.
She wiped her eyes. “Thank you for telling me all this. I think I have a lot of soul-searching to do. Where are the girls?”
“Outside. Where else? I’ll look after them. Go take some quiet time.”
Carly returned to the apartment, stopping at the large window with a view of the lake. She’d gone in search of the truth, but it was more upsetting than she’d imagined. How did she reconcile what she’d learned with what she’d long believed? A headache formed, and she went upstairs and stretched out on the bed. She wished her dad was here. He’d never lied to her or deceived her. Why had she been so quick to believe the worst about him?
Closing her eyes, she drifted into a troubled sleep. When she awoke she saw that she’d nearly slept through supper and left the care of Lucy and Ella all to Thelma.
She’d spent enough time feeling sorry for herself. It was time to focus on the present. The past couldn’t be changed, but she could shape a better future by getting the lodge open and up for sale.
It was the only logical solution.
* * *
Mack took up a position behind a tree, gun drawn, his gaze focused on the small clapboard house up ahead. The escaped prisoners had been tracked here after one of them had been injured. A blood trail had been found at the foot of a ravine. Now the deputies had them surrounded, but word had come down that they had amassed a small arsenal of weapons during their flight.
Instructions from the sheriff came through his headset, and Mack acknowledged the command, then motioned his men into position. Every muscle in his body tensed, his mind trained on the task ahead. As he waited for the order to move, a flash of color on the ground caught his eye. A small piece of blue fabric with little yellow flowers was trampled among the leaves and dirt. The colors reminded him of a dress Lucy had picked out. She’d fallen in love with it and given the most pitiful look, begging him to buy it.
He glanced up, his muscles tensing as he waited. He shouldn’t be thinking of Lucy or anything other than what he was going into, but his heart had other ideas. Suddenly being on this manhunt was the last place he wanted to be. The adrenaline rush that usually fueled him at times like these was missing. His throat suddenly tightened and his lungs froze. What if something happened to him? Who would care for Lucy? He should have made arrangements for her. How had he not realized that his job would put her at risk?
“Execute. Execute.”
Caught off guard, it took him a second to react. The men advanced on the old house. Shots rang out. Mack returned fire. He moved by instinct and habit, mounting the porch with one leap. A barrage of gunfire erupted. A bullet zinged past his ear. He aimed and fired only to feel something hot against his shoulder.
Gritting his teeth, he charged forward into the chaos.
* * *
Carly strolled into the kitchen, engulfed in the tantalizing aroma of chicken and vegetables. “I’m so sorry. I should have been here to help with the meal.”
“Nonsense. I have it all under control.”
Dwayne set the plates on the table. “Did you ladies know there’s a tropical storm in the Gulf? Looks like it’s going to grow into a hurricane pretty quick.”
Thelma handed her husband the napkins. “But it’s only the first of June. The hurricane season has just started. We don’t usually get hurricanes so early.”
“No, but it’s not unheard-of. Remember last year?” He looked past Carly to the TV in the corner of the kitchen. He stood and hurried toward it, a deep frown on his face.
Carly glanced at the screen and saw a sheriff’s deputy being interviewed. The crawl below reported that several officers had been shot during the apprehension of the escaped prisoners. One had died and another was in critical condition. Several were suffering from minor injuries. The officer’s names were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Carly’s blood turned to ice. Her heart refused to beat for a moment, then lodged like a stone in her throat. Mack. Had he been killed? Or shot? He had no next of kin except for his sister. Who would they notify?
Dwayne slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t get too upset. We’re listed as Mack’s emergency contacts and no one has called us. We’ll believe the best until we hear differently.”
She didn’t realize she was shaking until Dwayne eased her onto a stool and she glanced at her hands. Sh
e looked at the TV again, trying to control her rapid breathing. “Try another station, maybe there’s more news.”
Dwayne flipped through the channels, but none of the local networks had anything more to add. For the time being they could only wait. And worry.
She stood, her knees barely holding up her weight. She moved around in a fog, her mind unable to focus on one coherent thought. Blood pounded in her ears, and her heart beat painfully behind her ribs.
Thelma wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Why don’t you go lie down for a while? I’ll take the girls up to our place and keep them busy. Dwayne will see what he can find out.”
The silence in her living room offered only a brief respite from the shock. Then, like giant waves on the beach, the fear would crash over her again. She curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging a pillow to her chest. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come. The thought of Mack dead, or fighting for his life in the hospital, was too horrible to contemplate. Nothing could happen to him. He was too strong. Too invincible.
He was too important to her. More important than she’d been willing to acknowledge. She’d been ignoring her feelings for Mack from the moment she’d seen him in the lawyer’s office. Each encounter had cracked open the sealed compartment of her heart, and the harder she pushed to keep it closed, the harder it had become.
Her gaze drifted to the window and the glimpse of the shimmering lake beyond. She couldn’t afford to fall for Mack again. They didn’t want the same things. He was the opposition. He wanted to keep the lodge; she wanted out.
A sharp twinge of guilt danced along her nerves. It was time to face a few facts. She was afraid to look too closely at her feelings for Mack because that made her compare them to her love for Troy. And lately she’d been realizing that as much as she loved Troy, he never made her feel the way Mack did. What scared her most was that the two had nothing in common. Was it possible that her love for Troy wasn’t the same as her feelings for Mack? What did that say about her?
The disturbing thoughts clogged her throat and sent her heart into a tight knot. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, scanning the channels, but nothing new about the officers was being reported.
The apartment started to close in on her, making it hard to breath. She stood and went to her laptop and did a quick search but found nothing there, either, which only added to her anxiety.
Unable to sit still, she strolled out onto the lawn, seeking comfort in her favorite place, the yard swing at the edge of the water. But this time, the rhythmic sway of the swing and the gentle ripples on the water didn’t ease her fears.
She gave in to the horrible truth. What would she do without Mack? He’d been part of her world since she was twelve years old. She’d had a crush on him, even fancied herself in love with him when she was seventeen. Most of her past memories included him one way or another.
What would little Lucy do without him? And Dwayne and Thelma. Mack was the son they never had.
How would any of them go on without him? Please, Lord, bring him home safe.
Her text tone sounded and she quickly dug her phone from her pocket. Her heart raced when she saw it was a text from Dwayne.
Mack is fine. He’ll be home tomorrow.
Tension drained from her body like a flood, leaving her weak and light-headed. She sent up thankful prayers as the tears finally began to fall. The thought of seeing him for herself, knowing firsthand that he was safe and whole, made her realize how much he meant to her. And that was something she couldn’t let him see. She had to get control of her emotions before he returned tomorrow. She wasn’t about to make a fool of herself by revealing her crush, which was all it was. It couldn’t be anything else but a rebirth of her childhood feelings from long ago.
There was nothing else at work, because she’d already had the love of her life and she’d married him. There could never be another man like Troy.
She stood and headed back to the lodge. The best thing she could do now was keep busy. Preferably with something physical that would use up her nervous energy. She’d check with Dwayne and see what she could do. By the time Mack returned she’d have all these silly notions out of her head and her common sense would have returned.
She hoped. Thankfully, tomorrow night was the widow’s meeting and she had several things she wanted to share with them. She prayed that with their combined wisdom and experience, they could help her navigate this maze of emotions.
Chapter Nine
Mack drove down the long and winding road that led to the lodge, soaking up the familiar landscape. It was good to be home. He was bone tired and in need of a day’s rest and some good food.
Before all that, however, he needed to hold Lucy and let her know he was home for good. An image of holding Carly flashed through his mind, too. He’d welcome a hug from her. He’d welcome any chance to hold her close, which made him all kinds of a fool. They’d become close again, as friends. For him to think of anything more was pure nonsense. His feelings for Carly, as long held as they were, would never develop into a real relationship no matter how much he wished otherwise.
Pulling to a stop at the front of the lodge, he got out, receiving a warm welcome from Riley, who trotted alongside him to the porch. Mack stepped inside the lodge and was greeted by a loud squeal from Thelma, who hurried forward with her arms outstretched.
“Dear boy, we didn’t think you’d ever get here. Are you all right? You know you scared us all half to death when we heard about the shootings.”
He returned her hug. “Sorry about that. Things were a bit crazy.”
“Daddy Mack!”
Lucy ran through the lobby and launched herself into his arms, hugging his neck with all her might. He held her close, not wanting to let go. His love for this child went deeper every day. “I missed you so much, sweetie.”
“I missed you, too.” She kissed his cheek three times. “And guess what. I have the perfect name for you. Daddy Mack. Isn’t that good?”
He hugged her again. “I think that’s a perfect idea.”
Dwayne came forward, followed by Carly and Ella. His gaze locked with Carly’s, but Dwayne stepped in front of him, blocking his view.
“Son, you are a sight for sore eyes. Glad you’re home in one piece.”
He clapped him on his right shoulder, causing Mack to wince and pull away. The look of concern on the older man’s face touched Mack. “It’s all right. Just a small graze. It’ll heal in no time.”
He glanced over Dwayne’s shoulder and saw Carly had turned pale. He’d wanted to explain about his wound after things had calmed down. Ella hurried up to him, looking up at him with her big brown eyes bright and shiny. Eyes so much like her mom’s.
“I’m glad you’re home, Mr. Mack. I don’t like it when you’re not here. Lucy gets really sad and I do, too.”
He lifted her up and gave her a kiss on her cheek. “I’m sad when I’m away from y’all, too. Thank you for welcoming me home, Ella.”
Carly hung back until the others had moved off.
When she stood in front of him, he saw tears in her eyes.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I’m fine. I couldn’t get killed. I had to come back to my girls.”
Carly flung her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. Holding him close, overwhelming him with a fierce tenderness and protectiveness he’d never experienced before, making it hard to breathe.
Carly slowly released her grip on his neck and drew back, her own eyes searching his. Her hand trailed down his right arm. He knew she could feel his bandage beneath his shirt, and she’d realized his wound was more than a simple scratch.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
Her admission left him off-balance. He wanted to believe the sincerity and affection he saw in her eyes, but he didn’t want to read too much into it, either. �
��You’re just glad I’m here to help finish the repairs.” He’d meant it as a jest, but Carly stepped back.
“You’re right. That’s all that matters.”
She held his gaze a long moment and he realized he’d hurt her feelings. But he was afraid to believe that her words were more than normal concern for a friend. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been flippant. I’m tired. Thank you for caring. I mean it.”
She nodded but didn’t move, and he sensed she wanted to say more, but Lucy came up and took his hand. “Will you come play with me?”
How could he refuse such a request? He smiled at Carly. “I’ve been summoned.” He walked off with Lucy, but he could feel Carly’s gaze on his back. What did she want to say to him? Maybe when he had a moment he’d find her and see what he could coax out of her.
* * *
Carly pulled her sedan into a spot in front of the two-story office building in Hastings that housed the widow’s group. Ashley met her at the front door. Once inside the elevator, Ashley touched her arm.
“Carly? Are you all right? You look tired.”
Carly inhaled slowly, then nodded. “Just lost in thought, I guess.”
“You must have been terrified not knowing if Mack was safe or not. When I saw that report on the news, I wanted to call you. I knew you’d be stressed, so I decided praying might be more productive.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t in any shape to talk to people. I felt so helpless, and the not knowing—that was the worst part. Troy’s death was so sudden. One minute he was there and the next he was gone. But with Mack, the uncertainty, the sense of hanging in limbo waiting to hear if he was alive or...” The elevator opened and they stepped out. “I never want to go through that again. It was as bad as waiting for Ella to come out of surgery. Every moment felt like an eternity.”
“You care for him a great deal, don’t you?”
“I do. He’s like family.”
“Is that all?”
Their Family Blessing Page 12