One by one, cars began to line up along the snow-covered driveway as the Clayton family gathered in Darlene Perry’s living room.
The festive Christmas decorations were at odds with the somber mood. Reverend West moved from couple to couple, his presence easing the tension that had begun to permeate the air as members of the family arrived.
“I asked you all to come here today…” Darlene looked at Reverend West, who nodded encouragingly. “I made a promise ten years ago. I shouldn’t have…but I thought I had to keep it. I didn’t know if it was right but I prayed about it. When Lucas told me about Kat, it was an answer to my prayer.”
Gabe slipped his arm around Brooke’s shoulders. The gesture wasn’t lost on Darlene. Tears pooled in her eyes.
“I don’t want this to cause anyone pain…I want it to bring healing. What Kat did…it was wrong. What I did was wrong, too. I hope she finds the forgiveness that I have.” Darlene released a ragged breath. “Ten years ago, I had an affair…”
Across the room, Mei’s eyes met Lucas’s. He braced himself to hear his father’s name, suddenly grateful their mother wasn’t in the room. It would be better hearing the news from one of them rather than from Darlene.
“With George Clayton Jr.”
Brooke’s audible gasp sounded like a gunshot in the quiet room. Vivienne turned her face into Cody’s broad shoulder. Zach didn’t look surprised by the admission, leaving Lucas to wonder if he hadn’t suspected this all along.
“It’s all right,” Reverend West murmured. “Take your time.”
Darlene nodded, tears tracking her hollow cheeks. “Georgie and I dated in high school, but your grandfather said I wasn’t good enough for him. No one stood up to George Clayton Sr., so he broke up with me.”
“Your father—” Her gaze touched on Zach, Brooke and Vivienne. “He loved you—and your mother. George was going through a difficult time after Lucy died and he turned to me for comfort. It was a mistake. We both knew that. When I found out I was pregnant, neither of us knew what to do. George didn’t want to lose his family, but he was a good man. He wanted to do the right thing.”
Darlene’s gaze bounced from Mei to Lucas. Lucas sucked in a breath, knowing that somehow this situation involved his father, too.
“He confided in his brother. Vern was…furious. He didn’t want a scandal in the family.”
Bitterness swelled in Lucas. Of course his father hadn’t wanted a scandal. His reputation had become the most important thing in his life, more important than his family or even the God he served.
“Uncle Vern and my dad were on their way to your house when the accident happened, weren’t they?” Vivienne asked in the silence that followed.
“I think so.” Everyone had to strain to hear Darlene now. “After they died, I didn’t know what to do. I finally got the courage to tell your grandfather. He didn’t want to have anything to do with me or the baby.”
Reverend West moved to Darlene’s side and took her hand, giving her the strength to continue. She gave the minister a grateful look. “George offered me money if I kept the name of Macy’s father a secret. I didn’t know what else to do. I was pregnant and alone. George Jr. was gone. I didn’t want to cause your family any more grief—your mother deserved the good memories she had of her husband. It wouldn’t have been right to take those away.”
“You had to think of Macy,” Brooke said. Her face was as white as Darlene’s, but already the warm light of forgiveness kindled in her eyes.
“Where does Kat fit into all this?” Zach asked, his expression still guarded.
Lucas had harbored no illusions about his father, but this had to be tough on his older cousin, too. George Jr. and Zach hadn’t been close, either, but the news of his father’s infidelity still had to cut deep.
“I thought a woman might be more sympathetic to my situation,” Darlene confessed. “I met with Kat and poured out my heart to her. She said she would see what she could do—but what she did was look out for herself.”
“She tried to extort money from her own father.” Arabella, who had been silent up until now, dashed at the tears welling up in her eyes. “She wanted cash in exchange for her silence.”
“Yes.” Darlene took a sip of water from the glass Laura West offered her. “Kat left town after that. I bought this house with the money George Sr. gave me and raised Macy the best I could. When I got sick, I knew that my daughter would need a family. I prayed about what to do. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but Macy needed you. All of you. I’m so sorry to cause you more pain.”
“I’m sorry, Darlene.” Arabella moved across the room and sat down next to Macy’s mother. “Sorry for what my mother did. Sorry the family wasn’t there for Macy—or for you—a long time ago. If we’d known, we could have helped.”
A murmur of agreement rippled around the room.
“You may not agree with George’s methods, but his motives were good,” Reverend West said. “He acknowledged his mistakes and got right with God.” A hint of a smile touched the man’s lips now. “I think as far as the will is concerned, George would say that the end justified the means. You’re all in Clayton. Now each one of you has to decide where to go from here.”
Darlene’s head rolled back against the pillow. “George wanted to make things right before he died. I—I wanted to do the same thing. If it isn’t too late.”
“It’s never too late.” Arabella leaned down and embraced Darlene. Vivienne and Brooke followed suit, offering the forgiveness that Darlene longed for.
Watching his cousins, Lucas felt the last of his defenses crumble. In spite of Kat’s negative influence, Arabella was a wonderful mother to her girls. If she could overcome the past, maybe he could, too.
Darlene’s eyes fluttered closed, and Jonathan quickly moved to her side. “I think Darlene should rest now.”
Arabella looked at him, a question in her eyes. Jonathan nodded and took Darlene’s hand. The woman’s peaceful smile rivaled the lights on the Christmas tree. “You’ll all stay…for a while?” she asked in a broken whisper.
Brooke smiled through her tears. “We’re family. I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.”
It was almost eight o’clock when the headlights from Lucas’s truck cut a swath through the darkness.
“Daddy’s here?” Max looked up from the puzzle they’d been putting together.
Ever since Max’s stay in the hospital, he no longer called Lucas by his first name. That day had been a turning point for both of them.
“I think so.” Erin brushed the curtain aside, her heart in her throat. It had been a difficult afternoon, waiting for him to return. Wondering why Darlene had asked Lucas’s family to gather at her home.
She and Max had eaten supper hours ago. When the house began to cool, Erin started a fire and supervised Max while he took a bubble bath.
Erin had been drawing the bedtime routine out, hoping Lucas would make it home before she tucked Max in bed for the night.
Max heard Lucas’s footsteps and bounded to the door. “We put a puzzle together and played games and built a tower…”
“Whoa. Take a breath, bud. My ears can’t keep up.” Lucas flashed a weary grin before turning to Erin. “I’m sorry I’m late. Again.”
“It’s all right. Max and I have been having fun.”
Lucas picked up his son and hugged him until he squirmed. “I can’t breathe, Daddy!”
“I know it’s a little past his bedtime, but he wanted to see you before he fell asleep.”
“I wanted to see him, too.” Lucas fumbled with the buttons on his coat. Without thinking, Erin brushed his cold hands aside and took over, unfastening them the way she would have done if it were Max standing in front of her.
“I’m gonna brush my teeth and pick out a story.” Max scrambled up the stairs.
Erin waited until she heard the bathroom door close. “Darlene?”
“She passed away an hour ago.”
Tears sprang into her eyes. “Was Macy…?”
“Not at the end. It was what Darlene wanted. They spent some time together and then Jasmine and Cade took her and the triplets and A.J. Wesson back to Arabella’s house. The rest of us stayed with her.”
The lump in Erin’s throat expanded. “It must have been so hard to say goodbye to her daughter.”
“Yes…and no.” Lucas cleared his throat. “She was an amazing woman. Darlene told us that she had peace knowing she would be safe in the Lord’s arms and Macy…Macy would be safe in ours.”
Lucas reached out and brushed a tear off her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “That was everyone’s response,” he murmured.
Erin knew there was more he wanted to say, but Max galloped down the stairs and flew into Lucas’s arms. “Can we open a present tonight?”
“I’ll tell you what.” Lucas tucked Max under his arm like a football. “Saturday night is Christmas Eve. You can open one present after Jasmine and Cade’s wedding. How does that sound?”
Max’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Really. Now up to bed.”
“Are you going to open one, too?” Max asked.
“Sure.”
“Is Erin goin’ to open one?” Max looked concerned.
“Erin’s presents are under her tree at home,” Lucas pointed out.
Max thought about that. “You can open one anyway,” he whispered. “Santa won’t mind.”
“I just might do that.” Erin swept Max into her arms and planted a kiss on top of his head, breathing in the scent of bubblegum shampoo.
“Okay.” His little feet barely touched the floor when he danced up the stairs.
“Darlene wanted a small, private memorial service,” Lucas said. “Reverend West is making the arrangements for the day after tomorrow. She made Arabella promise that Jasmine and Cade wouldn’t postpone the wedding. Darlene said it was another step toward healing for our family—and for Macy.”
“I wish I would have known her better,” Erin murmured. “She must have been a very strong woman.”
“So is Arabella, considering what she’s been through the past few days. Finding out her mother was behind everything hasn’t been easy on her.”
Erin nodded. “I know. We’ve been working almost round the clock to get things ready. Kylie, Vivienne and I are finishing up the food tomorrow.”
“But aren’t you going to the wedding?”
“Since I’m not family, I offered to take charge of the reception dinner. I’m needed more there.”
Something in Lucas’s expression caused Erin’s breath to catch in her throat. “But I need—”
“Daddy!” Max appeared at the top of the stairs. “I found a book about a cowboy!”
Erin smiled. “I’ll let myself out.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer?”
“I’m sure.” Erin turned down the invitation even as she silently acknowledged the truth. She wanted to stay. Forever.