Ridley and Jessica settled into a comfortable routine in the days immediately following the Sunday dinner with her parents. Mornings were spent alone, Jessica working in her studio, Ridley making more repairs around his parents’ place. At noon, Ridley, with Kris at his heels, wandered over to Jessica’s house where they ate lunch together and talked about little things, seemingly unimportant things. And yet those times together felt important to Ridley as he caught more glimpses of who Jessica was, who she had been, and who she wanted to be. With each glimpse, he fell a little more in love. He hoped she felt the same, but he didn’t rush her.
After lunch, Ridley returned home with his dog. Now that the cable and internet had been installed, he spent the afternoons doing research on his retreat ideas. He had yet to share his ideas for the future with Jessica. He wanted his thoughts to feel more concrete before he did that. He didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep. She’d had enough of those in her past.
In the evenings, after the earth started to cool, they took long walks together down their country lane. They listened to the clapping of aspen leaves, stirred by a breeze. They watched the sky turn from azure to pewter as the sun settled beyond the mountains. They took turns throwing a ball for Kris to chase. Unlike their lunches, they talked little during these nightly walks. Instead, they simply enjoyed the presence of the other and the beauty of the valley that surrounded them.
Ridley heard Kris’s whimper through a haze of sleep. He wasn’t ready to wake up, not since it meant letting go of a dream that made him feel joyous. Sadly, the details of that dream had already slipped away. Turning onto his side, he opened his eyes. The dog’s face was mere inches away, her muzzle now resting on the edge of the mattress. She whimpered again.
“I’m gonna install a dog door,” he muttered.
Paws hit the mattress on either side of Kris’s muzzle, and dark brown eyes pleaded with him.
“All right. All right.” He tossed aside the sheet and sat up. “You win.”
Clad in a T-shirt and shorts, he padded barefoot down the stairs and to the back door. He opened it, and Kris dashed outside, in a hurry to do her business. Waiting for the dog to finish, Ridley drew in a deep breath. He loved the smell of morning air in the mountains. The only thing that would make it better was if he was holding a mug of coffee.
Light had begun painting the valley with a buttery hue. It was early. Not yet six, he guessed. Birds chirped as they fluttered from branch to branch in the trees. For some reason, the sound made him think of his dream, and he smiled again. Not because he remembered the details. Only that he remembered it had made him happy. And if it made him happy, it must have been about Jessica.
Kris trotted back to the house and went straight to her food bowl, looking back at him to see if he followed.
“Not a chance, mutt. My coffee first.”
She released a soft bark.
He laughed as he walked into the kitchen. It didn’t take long to get his morning coffee started, but as he stood waiting, he felt a nudge in his spirit. It was as if God said, No more waiting. It’s time to act. And just as quickly, he knew what his next step was supposed to be. It was time to discover how he could finance his dream.
A few hours later, he rapped on Jessica’s back door. Her face revealed surprise when she opened it.
“Sorry to bother you,” he said. “I need to drive down to Boise on business, and I was wondering if you could look after Kris until I’m home.”
“Of course.”
“Afraid I’ll miss lunch, but I should be back before it’s time for our walk.”
A soft smile curved her mouth, letting him know she liked that he had called it “our walk.”
He liked the sound of it himself. “I’ve left the key under the mat at the back door. She might need to be fed again before I’m back.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Instinctively, he leaned in and kissed her. He’d resisted the urge for better than two weeks—and it hadn’t been easy. The first kiss they’d shared had been considered bad timing. He hoped the second wouldn’t be considered the same. Her lips warmed beneath his, and he had his answer.
“Thanks,” he whispered when they drew apart. “See you tonight.”
He hardly remembered why he wanted to drive to Boise. He would rather stay where he was, take her back into his arms, and kiss her until they both ran out of air. But he knew that wasn’t an option.
He cleared his throat and made himself turn and walk away.
Jessica was putting away her paints when the doorbell rang, causing Kris to bark. Her eyes went to the clock on her studio wall, and she was surprised to see she’d worked straight through the lunch hour. It was nearly two o’clock. No wonder her back ached.
“Be quiet, Kris,” she commanded as she left the studio.
The dog obeyed, moving off to one side of the entrance and sitting on a throw rug.
“Good girl.” Jessica was still looking at the dog as she pulled open the door. When she looked up to see her caller, she felt a jolt of surprise. “Ellery?”
“I hope it’s all right that I dropped by without calling.” Ellery flashed one of her gorgeous smiles.
“Of course. Come in.” She widened the opening as she took a step back.
Ellery moved inside, her eyes sweeping the living room. She’d never been to the Mason home before this and seemed to take a great interest in everything.
Jessica wanted to ask what on earth she wanted, but good manners kicked in. “Could I get you some iced tea? It’s decaf but it tastes the same.”
“I’d love some.”
Jessica’s stomach growled as she walked to the kitchen. She tried to silence it with a bite of cheese from the fridge before she filled two small glasses with tea. The size of the glasses was intentional. She didn’t want to encourage Ellery to remain longer than necessary. She set the glasses on the table, again thinking that sitting there would be less inviting than for them to be seated in the living room. “Ellery.”
The other woman stepped into view. “This is kind of you, Jessica.”
“Not at all.” She returned to the kitchen for sugar and lemon wedges. “Help yourself.” She set the sugar bowl and saucer of lemon slices on the table. “I’ll be right back.”
She went down the hall to use the bathroom. After washing her hands, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. What was Ellery Wallace doing in her home? She couldn’t imagine. They weren’t friends. Their paths had seldom crossed through the years, and certainly the woman had never been a guest here. Other than the Fourth of July, she hadn’t seen Ellery since . . . since Joe’s and Angela’s funeral, and then only a glimpse of her at the back of the church. Jessica frowned, bothered by that memory.
She shook off the feeling and left the bathroom. After all, she would find no answers in that small room, staring at the mirror. Only Ellery could tell her why she’d dropped by out of the blue. For all Jessica knew, she wanted to order some original artwork.
Ellery hadn’t waited in the dining room. She had carried her glass of tea into the living room where she was perusing a group of photographs. As Jessica stepped from the hallway, she saw Ellery run her fingertip along the frame of a photo. It was the only one of Joe still on display in the house. She’d put all others in a box not long after the funeral.
“That was taken last summer,” she said, moving forward again.
Ellery drew her hand back, like a child caught in the cookie jar.
“Joe loved those wilderness trips. Packing in where few other people ever go.”
“Did you like going with him?” Ellery turned her back to the photo.
“Yes.”
“I’ve never cared for roughing it myself.”
Jessica didn’t know Ellery well, but she would have guessed that about her.
“When is your baby due, Jessica?”
“Around the first of September.”
Ellery was silent a long while before saying, “You must have gotten pregnant just before the accident.”
Resentment coiled in Jessica’s chest. What business was it of Ellery’s when she’d gotten pregnant? What made Ellery think she had a right to say anything about Joe or their baby?
And just like that, Jessica knew the answer. Almost as if she’d known it all along. She stepped quickly to the sofa and sat down, her right hand on her belly in a gesture of protection.
“He never told you about me, did he? He said he was going to, but he didn’t.” Ellery shook her head. “I guess he betrayed us both.”
“Why did you come here?”
“I don’t know. I just . . . I just couldn’t believe it when I saw you in the park. I thought . . . He told me you never . . . He said he didn’t . . .” Ellery let the words die unfinished.
Resentment was replaced by an unexpected wave of pity. Jessica wanted to hate Ellery Wallace, but all she felt was sympathy. Ellery wasn’t a kind person or a generous person or even a friendly person. It should be so easy to hate her now that Jessica had discovered the truth. But hate wouldn’t come. She felt sorrow, regret, pity . . . but not hate.
Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, Jessica gave her head a slow shake. “I’m sorry, Ellery, but I think you should go.”
“Yes.” Ellery set her glass on the coffee table. “I should go.” She moved toward the door, then stopped and turned. Her chin lifted and a look of defiance entered her eyes. “He was going to marry me, you know. He promised to marry me and take me out of this town for good.” With a slight toss of her head, she turned away a second time.
Jessica stood but didn’t follow Ellery to the door and didn’t bother to say goodbye. After the door closed, she sank onto the sofa again, mulling over the encounter. She was surprised by the calm she felt in its wake. It had to be the peace that passed understanding, for she didn’t believe it would be possible otherwise. How very astonishing to discover the identity of her husband’s mistress, only to also discover it no longer mattered to her. There was lingering sadness for what might have been, for what should have been. She had wanted a lifelong marriage, filled with memories and joy. She had wanted to watch Angela grow up in a home with both a mother and a father. That wasn’t what had happened. Her life was very different from what she’d wanted, from what she’d planned. But God had brought her through the pain and heartache and loss. God would always bring her through. He was there in the joy, and He was there in the sorrow. He was there in the sameness and in the surprises. He was with her always, just as He’d promised.
It flowered inside of her then, the ability to let go of the past she could not change. The bitter root she’d held on to, even longer than she’d been aware, was gone.
“God, I forgive Joe,” she whispered. “I truly forgive him. And I forgive Ellery. I’m even sorry for her. Father, please forgive me, too, for failing to always walk as You would have had me walk. I lay it all at the foot of the cross. Help me not to take it up again.”