24

 

The next morning, Lily picked at her piece of toast and barely sipped her coffee. She should be at church, but in light of her falling out with Nick, and her confusion over the situation with Chloe, she couldn’t face it. She needed the next twenty-four hours to make up her mind.

Never had she felt so tormented by a decision. Her strong feelings for Nick, as well as her concern for Sonia Martin’s health, urged her to remain silent, but she could not give up her goal of claiming her sister. The past thirteen years since her mother’s death had been a living nightmare. Yet she’d survived it all—every painful incident.

And over these past few months, she’d found a shred of hope to cling to at last. But now her one living blood relative was about to walk out of her life. Didn’t she deserve this small piece of happiness?

She sighed, thinking longingly of Nick. If he loved her so much, why couldn’t he put her happiness ahead of his aunt’s and cousin’s? Chloe would get used to the reality of her true identity soon enough. She might be upset with Sonia for a short time, but Chloe had much too generous of a nature to hold a grudge for long. In the meantime, she and Chloe could bond as sisters. If only Nick could understand how much she needed this.

Nevertheless, Lily could understand Nick’s point of view. Why couldn’t she wait until a better time to tell Chloe? But who knew how long that would take? By then, Chloe might have forgotten all about her. Found new friends, a boyfriend, a whole new life that Lily might not fit into.

No, she couldn’t risk it.

Lily got up, threw her toast in the trash, and sought solace in her artwork, hoping the answer to her dilemma would become clear. This time, however, dabbing colors on a blank canvas did little to quiet her mind. Her thoughts returned over and over again to Nick and Chloe. Frustrated, she cleaned her brushes and packed away her supplies.

With nothing left to lose, Lily turned to the only source of comfort she hadn’t tried. She sat in the middle of her bed, closed her eyes and began to pray.

Lord, I haven’t done this in a very long time, but I’m asking for Your help now. I’m trying to understand why You would let me find Chloe only to have her slip out of my life so soon. Is it wrong to want to acknowledge her as my sister? Am I being totally selfish? Please help me make the right decision. Amen.

When Lily opened her eyes, the room appeared the same. No magic solution came to mind. Still, it felt good to be able to pray again. To believe someone or something could be on her side.

A loud rapping on her front door startled Lily from her thoughts. Her heart picked up speed as hope poured through her. Was Nick here to work things out? When she looked at her watch, hope turned to disappointment. No, Nick would still be in church.

The knocking became louder, more insistent. Dread slid through her veins as she shot off the bed. Who could that possibly be?

“I’m coming. I’m coming.” She hurried down the hall, pausing to smooth back her hair before opening the door.

Sarah Jane stood on the landing, hand poised to knock again.

Lily frowned. How had she gotten in the front door? Had Maxi let her in?

Sarah Jane lowered her hand and lifted her chin. “I need to speak with you.”

Without waiting, the woman pushed past her into the apartment. Lily huffed out an annoyed breath and closed the door. Today of all days, she did not need Sarah Jane’s hostility.

“Have a seat.” Lily pointed to the living room on her right.

Once inside, Sarah Jane perched stiffly on the high back chair, while Lily took the sofa. The hard gleam in Sarah Jane’s eyes did nothing to ease her anxiety.

“What are you doing here, Sarah Jane? Shouldn’t you be in church?”

The girl patted her skirt into place. “I left the service early to find you. We have important issues to discuss.”

Not again. Sarah Jane just couldn’t let go of her fantasy relationship with Nick, no matter how many times Nick told her it was over.

Sarah Jane leaned forward in her chair, an unpleasant smile stretching her thin lips. “I want you to leave Rainbow Falls for good. And when you hear what I have to say, I’m sure you’ll agree.”

 

****

 

Nick walked into the kitchen, his shoulders sagging to match his mood. He tossed his keys onto the table with a loud sigh. Lily hadn’t shown up at church this morning—which meant she’d only been going to please him, and because of their argument last night, didn’t feel she had to keep up the pretense. Or maybe it was her way of punishing him. Either way, God wasn’t in the equation, and Nick needed to keep that in mind.

He rubbed a hand over his chest where a dull ache had settled. There had to be a way to fix this mess, but the answer escaped him. Even prayer this morning had failed to ease his anxiety.

Somehow he’d have to pull himself together before tonight’s dinner with his aunt and cousin. For their sakes, he’d pretend nothing was wrong. That his life wasn’t falling apart around him. He slapped his palm on the kitchen counter. The dirty cups jumped and clattered like his unsettled nerves.

Lord, please show me a way out of this dilemma. Help me find a solution that will keep everyone happy. And Lord…draw Lily to You and guide her to make the best decision for everyone involved. Amen.

The shrill ring of the phone pulled him upright. Maybe after a night of reflection, Lily had come around to his way of thinking.

Instead, the gruff voice of Ted Baker boomed through the line. “Nicholas, you left before I could speak with you.”

Nick stifled a groan. He could not deal with Ted right now. “Sorry, sir. I have a lot on my mind today.”

“I’ve set aside an hour for us to meet tomorrow. I can’t wait any longer for your decision.”

Nick’s mind whirled with uncertainty. His answer, once so irrevocable, now wavered. “Tomorrow’s not the best time for me. I have to see Chloe off at the bus depot.”

He was stalling, but hoped to gain a few more days. He needed time to settle things with Lily first.

“I’ve already spoken with Sonia. The bus doesn’t leave until four o’clock. We’ll have plenty of time before then. Meet me in my office at two-thirty.”

Nick closed his eyes, a feeling of doom washing over him. “I’ll be there.”

 

****

 

Tension coiled in Lily’s torso like the old springs in her couch, making it impossible to remain seated. She sprang to her feet and stood, arms crossed. “Why would you think I’d ever leave Rainbow Falls?”

Sarah Jane stared at her, unblinking, like a cat waiting to pounce. “I had an interesting visit with your father the other day.”

The blood drained from Lily’s head and pooled into the soles of her feet. She grasped the back of one of the wingback chairs with shaking hands. “You have no idea who my father is.”

“On the contrary. I know exactly who he is. Reverend Tobias Cunningham of Fielding, North Dakota. A charming little town just east of Bismarck.”

Lily’s body went numb. She counted to ten, trying not to panic. Losing control was not an option. “How did you find him?”

“With help from Mike Hillier. It wasn’t too difficult. Oh, don’t worry. Mike doesn’t know what I’ve found, but he will—if you decide to stay.”

Lily swallowed hard. She knew Mike was suspicious of her, but never thought he’d take it this far. “I see. And why do you think finding my father would make me leave here?” Sweat trickled down her ramrod spine as she waited for the woman’s response. Each second seemed like an eternity as Lily focused on the ticking of the mantel clock.

Sarah Jane picked some lint off her brown tweed skirt. “Call me crazy, but I don’t think you’d want Nick to know you’re a fugitive from the law.” She paused and shot Lily a look of pure venom. “Wouldn’t do for a minister to be associated with a wanted criminal, now would it?”

Lily’s hand flew to her throat.

“That’s right. I know all your dirty little secrets.” She let the insinuation hover in the air for a moment, seeming to relish the effect of her words.

The room made a slow spin around as Lily clutched the chair to keep from falling. Her legs, as limp as noodles, barely held her up.

God help me. What do I do now?

Sarah Jane rose in an unhurried fashion and fixed Lily with a hard stare. “Unless you want Nick and the rest of this town to find out all the sordid details of your past, I’d suggest you start packing. Immediately.”

Something in the woman’s smug, self-righteous smirk snapped the thin thread of Lily’s control. She flew forward, rage shooting adrenaline through her body. She itched to enjoy the satisfaction of physical release and to see the fear in her opponent’s eyes...

With a jolt, Lily pulled herself up short. Though every impulse begged for vengeance, Lily would not stoop to violence. She’d be no better than her father.

She lowered her clenched fist to her side. “Get out of here. Now!”

Sarah Jane did not seem fazed as she strolled into the hallway. With a hand on the door handle, she turned to shoot one more dagger at Lily. “You have until tomorrow night to be gone—or I tell Nick everything.”

The door slammed shut seconds before Lily gave a guttural scream and hurled a vase across the room, where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Lily hobbled down the hall to her bedroom, her spirit as broken as the shards of glass littering the floor. She’d made the fatal mistake of underestimating her enemy, and now it would cost her everything. Stifling a sob, she pulled the shabby suitcases out of her closet and threw them on the bed. Tears coursed unchecked down her cheeks, dripping onto her T-shirt. She no longer had a choice—she had to leave this town she’d come to love. If she didn’t, Nick, Chloe, and Maxi would learn all her sins, and she’d no longer be welcome. Worse yet, she’d be arrested. The fact that Mike Hillier had not beaten Sarah Jane to the punch surprised Lily. He seemed so dogged about finding out about her past.

If she cooperated with Sarah Jane, her secrets would remain buried. Maybe Lily would move to New York, too. And in time, when the dust settled, she could reach out to Chloe again.

As Lily grabbed handfuls of clothing from her drawers and crammed them into the cases, she determinedly banished all thoughts of Nick to the far recesses of her mind. She could not think about him right now, or she’d break into so many pieces, she’d never be whole again.

“Lily?”

Footsteps tapping on the hardwood floor jerked Lily to attention. Panic seized her insides, solidifying them into one gelled mass. She swiped her sleeve across her damp cheeks and buried her face in the closet.

“That must’ve been some fight, judging by the wreckage out there.”

Maxi’s amused voice caused twin pangs of regret and guilt to rise in Lily’s throat. For her friend’s sake, Lily needed to hold herself together.

“You going somewhere?” Suspicion entered Maxi’s voice.

Lily dared not look up as she hauled out an armful of clothes and stuffed them inside the cases. “I don’t know.”

“Then why are you packing?” Maxi strode into the room and stopped beside the bed.

Lily’s brain whirled to find a plausible explanation. “Actually, I’m going home. I need to see my father.” Not a total lie. She needed to find him before he arrived to stir up trouble in Rainbow Falls.

“Must be something bad. You look upset.”

Lily pressed her lips into a grim line to keep them from quivering. “It is.” She banged the lid shut, then turned to look at Maxi fully for the first time. “Please don’t ask me to talk about it. I can’t.”

Without a word, Maxi stepped forward and enveloped Lily in a fierce hug. “I hope you know you can tell me anything. I’m your friend no matter what.”

Lily’s body shook from the pent-up emotions warring for release. If only she could believe that. She squeezed Maxi hard, then moved away. “Maybe one day when we’re living in New York, I’ll tell you the whole sordid thing.” Lily attempted a smile, praying Maxi would leave so she could curl up in a ball until morning.

Maxi pushed her hands into the pockets of her pants. “What about tomorrow? Aren’t you going to see Chloe off?”

“I’ll be there,” Lily said grimly. “I’m leaving right after.” She set her bulging suitcases on the floor beside the bed.

“Did Peg give you time off work?” Lines of concern furrowed Maxi’s forehead.

She was fishing, hoping for a clue to Lily’s odd behavior, but Lily would give her none.

She walked past Maxi into the hallway. “Not yet. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Maxi followed her out to the kitchen where Lily pulled two bottles of water out of the fridge. With unsteady hands, she handed one to Maxi.

Maxi took the bottle, silent concern flooding her face. “You sure you’re OK?”

Lily looked away as she twisted off the cap. “Not really…but I will be.”

“If you need anything…money, a ride…”

“Thanks, but no.” Lily cringed at the hurt that shone in her friend’s eyes. One of the only true friends she’d ever had. She stiffened her posture to help her get through the next few minutes without collapsing.

Maxi shrugged. “Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at the bus depot. Nick has an appointment, so I’m picking up Chloe and her mom. Bus leaves at four o’clock.”

“I’ll be there.”

Maxi picked her way over the shards of glass in the hallway and opened the door. She looked back over one shoulder, worry creating furrows above her nose. “Call me if you want to talk. Or just come downstairs. I’ll be there.”

More tears burned at the back of Lily’s throat. How she wished she could do just that—tell her the whole sad tale, and have Maxi wave her magic pixie wand to make everything turn out fine. But those were fairytales. Hadn’t Lily always known her story would have no happy ending?

She swallowed hard and blinked to clear her vision. “Thank you, Maxi. You’ve been a great friend to me. The best I’ve ever had.”

With a final nod, Maxi turned and walked out, but not before Lily saw the tears glistening in her friend’s eyes.