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Six months later
Penny waited until she heard Gabe's car leave the driveway, abundantly thankful that the local Air Force base had placed their employees on a mandatory six day shift for a few weeks. With the sound of her husband's engine fading into the distance, she threw the covers back, rolled from the bed, and hurried to her closet. Today had to be the day. The door swung open, and she grabbed the first clothes she could find. What she wore wasn't important. All that mattered was that after a week of fruitless watching, today might be the day that that girl...Scottlyn... broke her routine and left the house without Mercie.
She grabbed the bag she'd packed a week ago, bottled water, a book, and a package of peanut butter crackers, and pulled it from its hiding spot. The action dislodged a box hidden behind her clothes. Penny picked it up and studied the doll encased behind the thick plastic of the packaging. It almost looked like Mercie with its blonde curls, pink little bow of a mouth, and blue eyes. Her heart twisted with longing. Please God, let today be the day.
She shoved the doll back into the dark recesses of her closet. That and the rocking horse from last month's craft show would be the perfect Christmas gifts for her granddaughter. Gabe knew nothing of the gifts, or her daily surveillance of Scottlyn Rich. He wouldn't approve, but Christmas was just two weeks away, and she had to act now if she wanted to spend any part of the holiday with Mercie.
Dressed for the day, she paused outside Bradley's room on her way to the kitchen. Six months after Gabe's decision to put Bradley's stuff in storage, the room remained empty. Every time she walked by the closed door, the plans she had for Mercie flooded her mind. Gone were the initial visions of a nursery. Her granddaughter was eighteen months old now, a little girl instead of a baby. She would need a toddler bed, not a crib, a toy box in place of a changing table. Penny had the furnishings all selected, including a rocker for bedtime cuddling, paint for the walls, and a lovely pink floral wallpaper border that would take Mercie into adolescence. Gabe would have called her plans premature, but she was ready.
She laid her hand on the door and spoke aloud to the memory of her son. "Bradley, I still miss you beyond words. I've accepted that won't ever change. It is better, though. I don't cry as much. I've gained back most of the weight I lost. Your father and I have gone back to church. He tells me almost every day that he's proud of my progress. I hope what I'm about to do doesn't backfire and change his mind." With a final pat on the door, Penny continued on her mission.
She parked her car three doors down from her target at eight o'clock on Saturday morning. The red Rav4 was still in the drive. She'd watched the house from a different location every day this week, alternating vehicles between her car and an old work truck Gabe hardly ever drove. She didn't need to be reported for trespassing and have the cops breathing down her neck.
The girl's routine hadn't varied all week. Every morning Scottlyn Rich left the house at seven with a book bag over one shoulder, a diaper bag over the other, and Mercie in her arms, bundled against the December cold. She strapped the child into a car seat and drove to a popular and well-secured daycare center. Each day, mother and child went in, and only mom came out. The thought of Mercie spending her days in such an impersonal environment ate at Penny's heart. She didn't work, so she could easily provide the daily care Mercie needed. If she had her way that situation would change for the better shortly.
For five days Penny had returned home empty handed. The daycare wasn't the place for a confrontation. This was a delicate plan, best accomplished one-on-one. Surely Saturday would bring the break in Scottlyn's routine that she needed.
By ten in the morning, Penny was almost ready to concede defeat and wait for another day when motion from the house up the street brought her out of her daydream and put her on full alert. The girl approached the Rav4 alone, climbed into the driver's seat, and backed out of the drive. Penny's heart pounded with anticipation, and her hands shook on the steering wheel as she maneuvered her car into position. The bright red SUV was easy to keep in view, so she dropped back several spots. She had no clue where they were going, but she vowed to have the situation resolved by day's end or her name wasn't Penny Kathryn Nelson.
She followed the Toyota into the lot of a popular toy store and managed to snag a parking space two rows from where Scottlyn parked. Penny watched the girl enter the large building. She grinned. Christmas shopping for my granddaughter, no doubt. She grabbed her bag and followed the girl into the store. It was time to make her move.
***
SCOTTLYN PUSHED A CART through aisles stuffed with toys of every kind. She'd left Mercie with Diana so she could shop for a talking bear Mercie had seen on TV, but the wide selection of baby dolls sidetracked her quest. Heaven knew Mercie didn't need another toy, but what would Christmas be without a new doll under the tree? She reached for a princess doll from a favorite animated movie. A noise behind her had her spinning around with the doll clutched to her chest. She did a double take when she saw who stood beside her cart. Her stomach tumbled, heavy with foreboding. "You."
Bradley's mother smiled. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, but you're a hard person to catch alone. I've been looking for a chance to talk to you all week."
The skin on the back of Scottlyn's neck crawled with goose bumps at what the woman's words implied. "All week? Have you been following me?"
"Nothing so sinister as all that. I have something I want to give you."
Scottlyn took a step back when Penny Nelson's hand slipped into the bag hanging from her shoulder. Her apprehension changed to surprise when she pulled out a small photo album. "Pictures?"
Penny nodded. "I didn't want to come to your house. I was afraid you wouldn't let me in. You'd be justified in that. I didn't want to approach you when you had Mercie with you. I didn't want you to think seeing her was my only motive." She held out the album. "I finally felt like going through some old pictures. I know Gabe brought Bradley's old blanket to you. I hoped you'd consider putting these away for Mercie as well." She raised the book an inch higher. "Please."
Scottlyn took the book and studied the woman standing in front of her. Her eyes were clear and free of tears, her hair neatly styled. Her clothes no longer hung off her shoulders like a deflated mannequin, the remnants of a tan lingered on her face and arms. All in all, she looked pretty normal. Not at all like the crazy woman in the church parking lot spewing barbed insults.
"Thank you." Penny whispered.
Scottlyn nodded, not sure where either of them went from here. She didn't wonder long.
"Could I ask you for one more favor?" She waited for an answer, eyes downcast, the fingers of one hand twisting the rings on the other.
She's as nervous as a worm in an aquarium full of hungry fish. Diana's words from six months ago surfaced in Scottlyn's mind. They'll come to you when the time is right. Was this the time? "What can I do for you, Mrs. Nelson?"
Penny looked up. "I was wondering..." Her voice wavered, and she stopped to swallow as a couple of other shoppers wandered into the aisle. "This isn't the best place to talk. There's a Starbucks across the street. Once you've finished your shopping, I'd love to buy you a hot drink." There was just a hint of pleading in her voice when she continued. "I don't deserve to ask, and you don't owe me a thing. I'm not even going to ask you for a definite answer. Just think about it while you shop. I'll be there, waiting for you until noon."
Without giving her a chance to answer, the older woman turned away and hurried down the aisle and out of sight. Scottlyn returned to her shopping, but the activity lost some of its appeal. What does she want to talk about, and why should I listen? One doll and a talking bear later, she still hadn't decided what to do.
She took her purchases to her car. "Father, what do You want me to do? They've been quiet, You've been quiet. Things are perfect in my life right now. Mercie's growing like a weed. Grant will be home for Christmas break in a few days." She refused to let her thoughts dwell on the gift she hoped she'd be getting from the handsome journalism student. But if her mind wandered to small, black velvet boxes, she rarely bothered to pull it back. We'll be the picture-perfect little family, the poster children for happily-ever-after. She pulled her thoughts out of fantasy land and focused on the woman waiting across the street. "I don't want to rock the boat, but I don't want to ignore your direction either." Scottlyn looked at the green and white sign across the street. "Please tell me what I should do." She settled behind the wheel and waited for several minutes. Nothing happened. I guess no answer is a no. She started the car and backed out of her spot. Before she pulled out of the lot she got a sudden craving for a white mocha cappuccino. She shook her head and laughed out loud. "Well, alrighty then."
Scottlyn entered the coffee shop ten minutes later and spotted Bradley's mother at a table by the window, reading a book. She looked up when the door chimed, and Scottlyn saw her mouth move in silent words. Words that looked a lot like thank you, Jesus. Scottlyn crossed the room and pulled out the chair on the other side of the table.
"You came. Thank you. What can I get you to drink?"
"That's not necessary—"
"No, I insist."
"OK. A white mocha cappuccino sounds good."
"I like those, too. I'll be right back."
Scottlyn remained at the table while the older woman went to the counter and placed the order. She returned a few minutes later with a cup for both of them and two large chocolate chip cookies on a small tray. "I felt like a snack with our coffee. I hope you don't mind."
Both women sipped their drinks. Scottlyn tried to wait patiently, but it seemed as if Bradley's mom didn't know where to start.
Scottlyn broke off a piece of her cookie. "I'll admit to some curiosity about why you went to such trouble to track me down, Mrs. Nelson."
"Call me Penny, please."
Scottlyn nodded.
"I know that Gabe apologized for my behavior a few months ago, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am in person. I had no right to treat you the way I did. I'm seeing a counselor. She's helped me see that I was way out of line." She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. "I think between her and Gabe, and God, I'm about to get my balance back. Can you forgive me?"
"I forgave you months ago...Penny. I'm just glad that you're getting better." She patted her bag. "Thanks for the pictures. I'll put them away for Mercie. I know she'll treasure them when she's older."
Penny nodded. "Thanks for that." She studied Scottlyn in silence for a few seconds, finally leaning across the table. "Look, I know you don't have any reason to trust me, and I wouldn't blame you for laughing in my face at what I'm about to suggest, but I wondered if what Gabe said was true."
"What did he say?"
"That you might be open to us having a relationship with Mercie. A real grandparent relationship." She bolted ahead without giving Scottlyn a chance to answer. "The reason I'm asking is because Christmas is coming. I wouldn't think about asking for any time alone with her, not until we've had a chance to build some trust between us, but I wondered...would you like...I mean Gabe and I would love it if you and Mercie would..."
She trailed off as tears flooded her eyes.
"What I'm trying to say is that Gabe and I would love the chance to get to know you and Mercie better. We'd love it if you joined us for our Christmas Eve dinner."
"You want a relationship with both of us?"
Penny reached across the table and laid a hand across Scottlyn's. "More than anything else in the world. I'm not trying to replace my son. I'm not trying to weasel into your life for ulterior motives, but I think I'd be a good grandmother if I had the chance. And maybe we could learn to be friends." She pulled a napkin from the dispenser and blotted her eyes. "You don't have to answer me right now, but will you think about it?"
Scottlyn bit her lip. Can I trust her, and even if the answer is yes, I have plans with Grant's family that night.
Penny's shoulders slumped, obviously taking Scottlyn's hesitation as refusal. "I'm sorry, but I had to try." She reached for her bag and scooted her chair away from the table.
Scottlyn reached out a hand to stop her. "Don't go. I'm just trying to arrange my schedule in my head." Not Christmas Eve and Christmas morning is out. Her brows lifted as an idea took shape. We could do snacks Christmas afternoon, at my house not theirs. She'd be more comfortable with this meeting happening on her own turf with Grant and Diana both in attendance. I shouldn't have a problem clearing it with Diana, and Grant...well he said these choices were mine.
She looked into the hopeful eyes across the table and offered her alternative. "We'd love to have you, even Jared and Joel if they want to come." Scottlyn took a deep breath and faced the mother of the boy who'd raped her. "I think my baby should know all of her family. It was never my intention to have anyone begging for Mercie."
––––––––
A PEEK AT ALL ABOUT MERCIE, BOOK THREE IN THE MERCIE COLLECTION:
Scottlyn Rich should have listened to what her stomach tried to tell her that morning. She jolted to consciousness when the mattress convulsed around her, and giggles split the silence. Keeping her eyes closed for a second, she tried to capture the remnants of the dream that had troubled her sleep. Not really a nightmare, but—
"Mommy, wake up!"
Tiny hands framed Scottlyn's face, and a perfect rosebud mouth pressed a kiss to her lips. "You need to get up. We're getting weddinged today."
Scottlyn rolled to her side and tucked her three-year-old daughter close. She frowned and peered into tiny sky-blue eyes. "Weddinged?"
Mercie shook her head. "You told Gramma Diana that you had to get dressed for our wedding today 'cause Grant is marrying us."
"Silly girl." Scottlyn walked her fingers from the bottom of Mercies ribs to her collarbone, grinning when the child squirmed beneath the tickling. "We aren't getting weddinged today. I'm going to go look for our dresses, and you're spending the day with Grandma Penny."
Mercie's grin went to a scowl. "I want to marry Grant today."
Scottlyn pointed to the calendar on the wall across the room. The first five days in June were covered over with bright red Xs. "Just sixty-seven more days, if you'll go cross off today."
The three-year-old scrambled out of the bed. "Yay!"
Scottlyn moved a little slower, still unable to explain the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that continued to prick at the edges of a much-anticipated day.
In the kitchen, Diana Kensington, surrogate mother and grandmother, flipped pancakes onto plates. Mercie pulled free of her mother's hand and ran to attach herself to Diana's leg.
"I get to marry Grant in just sixty-seben more days!"
Diana reached down and gave the child a quick hug. "He's a lucky guy. Hop into your chair, missy. Breakfast is ready."
Mercie raced to the table and climbed into the pub style chair like a monkey. Scottlyn shook her head. Her daughter had entered the world with all the aplomb of a freight train. She continued to have only two speeds, asleep or wired.
Diana brought the pancakes to the table with a bit more dignity while Scottlyn poured coffee and milk. "I wish I had that much energy."
"You and me both," Scottlyn said.
Diana sat and studied Scottlyn over her coffee cup. "You need energy? I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls today."
Scottlyn frowned. "I didn't sleep well."
"Bad dream?"
"Not that I can remember." She drizzled syrup onto Mercie's breakfast. "I can't put my finger on it. But I'm still a little twitchy."
Diana patted her hand. "You're shopping for your wedding dress today and having dinner with..." She paused, cutting her eyes to the little girl struggling to cut up a pancake. She reached across to help.
Mercie pushed Diana's hand away and flashed a syrupy smile. "I do it."
"Yes ma'am, miss independent." She looked back to Scottlyn. "You're shopping for your wedding dress and having dinner with your F.A.T.H.E.R. That's enough to twist anyone's stomach into knots."
"I guess." Scottlyn thought about the man who'd tossed her out of his home almost four years earlier when she'd refused to abort the baby planted in her by a rapist. They'd not spoken since before Mercie was born, until he'd called last week. She closed her eyes. Father, please let this mean that he's ready for us to be a family again. I'd love for him to have a relationship with Mercie. You gave me Diana when I needed her most. I love her and I'm grateful, but I long to have Dad back in my life. If only I knew where my mother was... Scottlyn allowed the prayer to trail off. My mother? Where did that come from?
"Scottlyn?"
Scottlyn jerked back to the present. "Sorry. I'm trying to be hopeful without getting my hopes up." She forked a bite of pancake and smeared it around in the syrup on her plate. "He sounded...different when we talked. If I knew for sure he'd called to make peace, I'd call him right now and offer to have lunch instead of dinner." She glanced at Mercie. "But I have to go slowly. I have more than just me to consider."
Diana sipped her coffee. "I hope he's come to his senses for your sake, but let's deal with first things first. You've been looking at dresses online and in magazines for months. Do you have any idea what you want?"
Scottlyn swallowed back the remains of her nerves. Diana was right. There was a lot on her plate today and taking one thing at a time was the best advice. "Not a clue, but between you, me, and Grant's mother, I'm sure we'll come up with something."
Nine discarded dresses later, the something she'd been so certain of still eluded her. She stepped out of the dressing room wearing number ten, arms held out to her sides, her bottom lip clenched in her teeth.
Diana and Melissa Weber, mother of the groom, both gasped.
"Wow," Diana said. "Simple but elegant."
Melissa moved her finger in a circular motion prompting Scottlyn to turn around.
Scottlyn obliged, trying to look in all of the mirrors at the same time. The dress left her arms bare and fell to the floor in drapes of sheer fabric that floated when she moved. The back featured a row of tiny buttons that marched up from her hips to the base of her neck. The front of the dress transitioned from a rounded neck to a fitted waist and fell to the floor in delicate waves.
"You look like a princess," Diana said.
"It's a gorgeous dress." The sales clerk nodded to a display of colorful scarves. "It's designed to be belted to match the groom's cummerbund."
"What a wonderful way to accent," Melissa said.
"Do you like it?" Diana asked. "Because I think it's stunning."
Scottlyn relaxed her arms and smoothed her hands down the skirt. "It took the clerk twenty minutes to button me into it."
"Worth every second," Melissa told her. "Women only get to be a new bride once. Something so momentous should be a thoughtful and time consuming process."
Scottlyn faced the bank of mirrors a second time. She stood on her tiptoes, bundled up her long blonde hair, and imagined it clasped back with the combs that belonged to her mother. It is beautiful.
She remembered the price tag hanging on a hook in the fitting room and closed her eyes while her stomach sank. Beautiful but hardly practical. Surely there was something in this store just as lovely with a more attractive price tag.
She smiled at the clerk. "Thanks for your help. I don't mean to waste your time. But let's try the next one."
Diana took a few steps forward and cupped Scottlyn's chin in her hand. "You didn't answer my question. Do you like it?"
Scottlyn looked into the eyes of the woman who'd rescued her three-and-a-half years ago. The woman who'd made a home for her and her unborn child. The woman who'd become the mother she'd never had and a grandmother to Mercie. The woman who'd done way too much for her already.
The dress was perfect.
The dress was too much to ask for.
"This is an awesome dress. Grant and I have been saving for our wedding for two years. I have a generous dress budget, but this one is way over the limit."
Diana stared at Scottlyn before looking over her shoulder and addressing Melissa. "Did you hear anyone in this room mention money?"
"Nope," Melissa said.
"May I?" Diana asked.
"Be my guest." Melissa stepped to Diana's side and reached out to finger the sheer fabric.
Scottlyn frowned and looked from one woman to the other.
"Melissa and I have been saving as well." Diana began. "We knew that you and Grant planned to fund this wedding on your own. We think that's a great plan, and you've worked really hard, but—"
"I hope you don't think we're trying to meddle." Melissa twisted her hands at her waist.
"But," Diana continued. "We want you to have this dress, if it's the one you want."
Scottlyn studied the hopeful expressions of the two most important women in her life. I can't let them... "Thanks, you two, but Grant and I promised each other...
Diana held up a finger. "Melissa, I believe this is your cue."
Melissa dug deep into her bag, extracted her cell phone, and swiped the screen. She turned it to face Scottlyn and touched the play icon on the video. Grant's face popped to life, his dark eyes crinkled with laughter, his perfect mouth formed a wide grin.
"Hi, sweetheart. Buy the dress."
Melissa grinned. "We had a talk with Grant last night. We convinced him to let us help with this one thing. That's why we insisted that you try it on despite the price tag that you almost fainted over."
"We also videoed his answer so you'd believe us." Diana put her hands on Scottlyn's shoulders and turned her back to face the mirrors. "When you walk down the aisle in sixty-seben days, you'll be the most beautiful bride Sabor, Oklahoma, has ever seen. Grant's good with it. Will you let us help?"
Diana's mimicking of Mercie's excitement lightened the mood and drew a burst of laughter from Scottlyn. She wrapped an arm around each woman and hugged them to her sides. Before she could answer, a ringtone sounded from Scottlyn's purse in a chair across the room.
Melissa motioned with her head. "I'll bet that's my son now, calling to give you personal permission."
Scottlyn hiked up the skirt of the dress, stepped across to the row of chairs, and pulled out her phone. She swiped it open without looking. "We found the perfect dress."
"Is this Scottlyn Rich?"
She blinked her eyes at the unfamiliar voice. "I'm sorry" She glanced at her screen, saw a number she didn't recognize, and lifted the phone to her ear again. "Yes, this is Scottlyn Rich."
"Ms. Rich, My name is Arnold Lewis. I'm calling from Bridge Park Hospital."
Scottlyn sank into the chair. The skirt rustled and billowed around her. Mercie...Grant... "What...?"
"I'm sorry to deliver this news over the phone, but your father's neighbor found him unconscious this morning. He was transported here by ambulance. We believe he's suffered an aneurysm."
The phone slipped from her fingers as the uneasiness in her stomach solidified into a cold block of panic. It hit the carpeted floor with a muffled thud. She left it there as she sprang up and tried to reach the row of tiny buttons on the back of the dress.
"Help me get out of this dress."
The older women hurried to her side. "Scottlyn, what...?"
The buttons eluded Scottlyn's trembling fingers. "Please. That was someone at Bridge Park Hospital. They just admitted Dad."
"Oh, sweetheart." Diana stepped behind her, and Scottlyn felt the older woman's fingers moving down the row of buttons. Melissa stepped away, her phone pressed to her ear. Hopefully Grant was on the other end.
Imprisoned by the dress, Scottlyn twisted her fingers at her waist and closed her eyes. Jesus, please. Touch Daddy. The moment she felt the dress sag from her shoulders, Scottlyn gathered up the skirt and rushed back to the fitting room. When she came out a few minutes later, clad in jeans and a T-shirt, Diana and Melissa were waiting by the door with their bags.
"Did someone call Grant?"
"He'll meet us at Bridge Park." Melissa said.
Diana pressed Scottlyn's phone into her hand as they left the bridal shop behind. "Did they say what happened?"
Scottlyn slid into the back seat of Melissa's car. "A neighbor found him unconscious and called an ambulance, that's all I know." She looked up at Diana through a film of tears. "He has to be OK." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I should have called him this morning."
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