HARPER STARED AT the letter in her hand, unable to quite comprehend what she was reading.
Anna had passed weeks after Stuart and Vanessa’s wedding, quietly slipping away, her suffering at an end.
Harper had been grateful for Teagan’s support throughout as Anna’s passing had been more difficult emotionally than she’d been prepared for.
But she certainly couldn’t have imagined that Anna would’ve managed to write what she was reading right now.
Anna must’ve written the letter before she’d lost function in her hands and the fact that she could hear her mother’s voice in her head as she read, caused tears to flow.
My dearest Harper,
You are my greatest success and my biggest heartache. I failed you in life by not teaching you what true love looks like but I didn’t realize what I was looking for until it was too late. My love for you was the purest love I could ever imagine experiencing.
If you’re reading this, I’m gone.
I wish I had been more of a mother when I was alive, one you could count on, but we are dealt our hand and must live with our decisions.
Somehow, in my ignorance, I gave you the wrong message about love.
Love is kind, generous and compassionate.
It yields with grace and sings with joy.
I know this because whenever I looked at you... I felt it.
I’m sorry I never got the chance to show you properly what it means to love.
The reality is that my death is the only blessing I can offer you.
Please take this money and carve a beautiful life for yourself.
All my love,
Mom
Tears blinded Harper as the paper shook in her hands. She looked to Teagan, unable to read any further. He helped her, grasping the paperwork and reading it for her.
Finished, he looked to Harper and said, “Your mom left you as the beneficiary of her life insurance. It’s a tidy sum of money.”
“What?” Harper wiped at her eyes, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Seems your mom found an insurance company willing to take her on, in spite of her illness. She must’ve been early in her diagnosis. She knew she was going to die eventually and she wanted to be there for you in some way.”
Harper broke down and sobbed. This whole time she’d never known.
All the times she’d unfairly judged her mother for decisions that couldn’t be changed, for a past that wouldn’t die because Harper nursed that anger to feed her justifications—the unfairness of Harper’s judgment clogged her throat with misery.
Teagan gathered her in his arms and she wept her eyes out.
She didn’t know how long she cried, but Teagan’s warmth curled around her, holding her tight, and enabled her to get through.
“That was an incredibly selfless thing for your mom to do,” Teagan told her softly. “She loved you very much.”
Harper nodded against his chest, still unable to believe she’d been completely unaware. “She must’ve known how I was paying for her care,” she realized with a sad hiccup, feeling foolish for assuming her mother hadn’t been smart enough to figure it out. “I feel terrible.”
“Don’t,” he said firmly, releasing her so he could meet her gaze. “Your mom knew you were doing the best that you could do and that’s why she did this—to show you that she understood and wanted to make up for so much in the only way she could.”
Teagan was right. Harper nodded and wiped at her eyes. “It’s a lot of money,” she said, still in shock. “What should I do with it?”
“Whatever you like,” he answered without hesitation. “It’s your money.”
Since Teagan had started working for Stuart and Vanessa, his income had hit the stratosphere. They were more than comfortable and still enjoyed the perks of traveling wherever they liked on Stuart’s private jet.
“I want to make a donation to MS research,” she decided. “Not all of it, but a good portion. The rest I’ll invest. I know she would’ve liked that.”
Teagan brushed a kiss across her lips, so tender and loving. She gazed up at him, wondering how she ever thought she could live without him.
Teagan was her touchstone, her lover, confidante and best friend.
All this time she’d thought love was an illusion, a game made for suckers.
Now, Harper realized, love was the only thing that lived on when all else had turned to dust.
Her heart had known all along what her brain wouldn’t accept.
Love made life worth living.
* * * * *
If you loved this novel, don’t miss other titles by Kimberly Van Meter available at Harlequin.com!
Keep reading for an excerpt from HER HOLIDAY FLING by Jennifer Snow.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a
FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My
Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003