2

Though she would have loved to laze in bed, Chloe rose early the next morning, knowing her sister needed her. She showered and dressed, then fastened her treasured gold locket around her neck—the one Lily had given her when she’d left for college.

Her sister had come into her life after the two of them had grown up in different adoptive families. When Lily arrived in Rainbow Falls looking for Chloe, Lily had met and fallen in love with Nick. Nick took one look at Lily and he’d been a goner.

Chloe caressed the filigree etching in the locket. Inside, a small black and white photo of their biological mother held a place of honor. On the other side, Chloe had added a picture of her adoptive mother, Sonia Martin, who’d passed away two years earlier. Chloe liked to envision both of her mothers watching over her from heaven. She closed the lid with a soft click. What would these good women think of the mess she’d made of her life?

Chloe brushed her hair and twisted it into a tidy ponytail. The sight of the ugly burn mark on her left arm made her grimace−a souvenir from her last night at the restaurant.

No point in dwelling on the past. She needed a new plan for her life. Her original dream of opening a bakery—a dream sidetracked by her ill-fated romance—still hovered in her mind. Perhaps there was a way to make it a reality. Maybe even here in Rainbow Falls.

But all that would have to wait until Lily’s situation improved. Nick and Lily were the only family she had left. Chloe could put her own plans on hold until they no longer needed her.

As much as she hated to deal with Aidan North again, her battered feet couldn’t take the walk to Lily’s. She grabbed her purse and jacket and headed down to his main-floor apartment.

Aidan answered her knock right away, looking very professional in a dark gray suit, crisp white shirt, and silver tie. Chloe didn’t remember vice-principals ever looking this good.

She gave a bright smile. “I’m here to take you up on your offer of a ride—if it’s still OK.”

“Sure. Come in. I’m almost ready.” He took a swig from a mug and waved her in.

The aroma of coffee filled his apartment, making Chloe’s mouth water. Where was a good café when you needed one?

“Help yourself to some coffee,” Aidan said and vanished down the hall.

In his surprisingly tidy kitchen, she found a mug, poured the coffee, and added cream. She wandered out to admire the living room with its large stone fireplace and built-in bookcases. His personal touches—a few magazines, his laptop on the table, the trendy artwork on the walls—gave the room a cozy, lived-in feel.

“Ready?” Aidan reappeared with a briefcase in hand.

“Sure. Just let me rinse this cup.” Several minutes later, buckled into Aidan’s sports car, Chloe stole a glance at him.

He drove with quiet confidence, his eyes shaded by mirrored sunglasses. As if sensing her gaze, he turned toward her. “It’s nice what you’re doing to help your sister. How long do you think it’ll take to find a suitable nanny?”

“Hopefully not long.”

“What about your job? Are you taking vacation time?” Aidan pushed his glasses up on his head. Sunlight gleamed off his perfectly groomed dark hair and flecks of gold flashed in his gray eyes.

“Something like that.” She wasn’t ready to talk about her job or the real reason she’d come home.

Aidan turned into Nick’s driveway and shifted into park.

“Uh, thanks for the ride. I appreciate it.” Chloe jumped out, in case he was about to question her further. When she reached the porch steps and looked back, Aidan was still in the driveway.

She’d avoided his curiosity; however, she doubted Lily and Nick would let the matter go as easily.

****

Chloe walked in without knocking and followed the voices to the kitchen.

Nick juggled one girl on his shoulder and the other on his hip, his blond hair standing up in messy tufts. An upended box of cereal lay on the kitchen table with a trail spilled across the floor. “Chloe.” The relief in his voice would have been comical if not for the lines of exhaustion around his eyes. “Thank goodness you’re here.”

A surge of love crashed over her. How she’d missed this man—her champion, her defender, her surrogate older brother. “Hey, cuz. You look like you could use some help.” She kissed his cheek and plucked her younger niece, Laura, off his shoulder. “Hi, sweetheart. I’m your Aunt Chloe.”

The one-year-old stared at her with big, blue eyes.

Three-year-old Annabelle, however, bounced on her father’s hip. “Auntie Chlo.”

“Hello, Miss Annabelle.” Chloe smacked a loud kiss on her cheek. “Are you being a good girl?”

Annabelle twirled a dark curl around one finger and nodded.

“Of course you are. Why don’t you help Daddy sweep up the cereal while I say hi to your mommy?”

“Mommy’s sick.” The large brown eyes went wide.

“I know, but she’ll get better soon. And then you’ll have a new baby in the family.”

“Don’t want a baby.” Her perfect little lips pouted.

“The B-word is a no-no around here.” Nick chuckled.

“I see.” Chloe hid a grin as she plopped Laura into the high chair and handed her a sippy cup. “After I come down, we’ll play with your toys.”

“And Daddy can get some work done.” Nick set Annabelle on the floor and opened the broom closet. “Lily’s not in the best of moods. Having you here should perk her up.”

“Let’s hope so.” But as Chloe mounted the staircase, the thought of telling her sister about her ordeal in New York made the coffee curdle in her stomach. With Lily and the unborn baby’s health in the balance, Chloe could not dump her problems on her sister.

As for Nick... Her heart stilled. How could she confess her transgressions to her devout cousin, minister of the town’s most popular church? Could he ever forgive her?

Could God?

She paused outside the master bedroom and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” The grumpy voice did not match the invitation.

Chloe forced her lips into a smile and opened the door.

Lily sat propped against pillows, her belly a curved mound under the quilt. Her dark hair, so similar to Chloe’s, poofed out around her.

“Hey, sis. How are you feeling?” Chloe’s heart swelled.

A huge smile transformed Lily’s face from grumpy to radiant. “Chloe. You’re home.”

“Yes, I am.” Chloe gathered her into a warm hug.

Lily held her tight and when she finally released her, tears leaked from her brown eyes.

Alarm raced through Chloe. Lily wasn’t supposed to be upset. “Hey, it can’t be that bad.”

“You try being confined to bed with two girls who need their mommy.”

Chloe grabbed a tissue from a box on the nightstand and plopped down beside Lily. “It must be frustrating.”

“It is.” Lily sniffed and took the tissue. “Annabelle doesn’t understand why Mommy won’t do things with her anymore. It breaks my heart to disappoint her.”

“I’m sure the doctor wouldn’t confine you to bed if it wasn’t necessary. What exactly is the problem?”

“My blood pressure has gone crazy. Doc’s worried about a stroke.”

A stroke? Chloe’s hand stilled. “Well, then you need to focus on your health and that baby’s. Better to miss a couple of months now, than to miss their whole lives.”

“I know.” Lily blew her nose. “But I can’t help going stir crazy. And the hormones are making me cranky.”

Chloe looked around. Heavy drapes darkened the dreary room.

“No wonder you’re feeling gloomy. Let’s get some light in here.” She threw back the curtains, and sunshine streamed in, immediately brightening the space. “That’s better. Maybe we can set you up on the couch downstairs for a while this afternoon. Give you a change of scenery.”

Through her tears, Lily managed a smile. “I’m so glad you’re here. How did you get time off work?”

Chloe straightened the covers, not meeting Lily’s gaze. “Paul understands that family issues come up.” That part was true. Paul Decourcy, her boss and owner of Oliver’s Emporium, believed in the importance of family.

“And what about Richard?”

There it was—the same stabbing pain every time someone mentioned his name. She exhaled slowly. “Richard and I broke up.”

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. What happened?”

Chloe shivered, remembering their last encounter. Wounds too fresh and raw choked her. “I can’t talk about it yet. I’m sorry...”

“Sure. I understand.”

But the hurt expression on Lily’s face filled Chloe with guilt.

How could she ever tell her sister the truth?

****

Aidan shut down the computer in his office. Chloe’s nervous reaction to his questions this morning had puzzled him all day. Her haunted look hinted at some type of trauma. Had she come back for another reason besides helping Lily?

Annoyed at himself, Aidan picked up his briefcase. Chloe’s life was none of his concern. The fact that a very attractive woman had moved in upstairs need not change his routine. In fact, they’d probably never see each other. Just as well. A woman was a complication he did not need. Or want.

He locked his office and walked out to his car. Instead of heading home, he pulled onto the gravel road leading to Maxi and Jason’s farmhouse on the outskirts of town. The bright flag over the fire station, built on the property Jason had donated to the town, flapped in the wind.

Every time he drove in here, memories of growing up on the farm, of his father trying to pressure Aidan and his siblings to take over the family business, flooded him. When his dad passed away several years ago, his mother had been forced to sell the property due to ill health, and Jason Hanley had purchased the land. Little did they know that Maxi would end up marrying Jason and living back on the family homestead.

The screen door opened and Maxi emerged, her auburn hair pulled back in a stubby ponytail. She carried one-year-old Ben on her hip. “Hey, Aidan. What are you doing here?” Surprise and pleasure lit her features.

“Nice to see you too, sis.” He climbed the stairs, gave her kiss, and took the squirming toddler from her arms. “How’s my favorite nephew?”

The child gurgled in response and grabbed a handful of Aidan’s hair.

“Come on in. I’m cooking dinner. Jason should be home soon.”

He sat with Ben on his knee at the big wooden table, one of the original furnishings Maxi had kept.

She stirred a pan on the stove. “We haven’t seen much of you lately. How are things at school?”

“The usual. Chaos for a few weeks until things settle into a routine. What’s new with you?”

“Not much. Ben’s cutting another molar, so he’s been a bit cranky.” She shot a glance at him as she put the lid on the pan. “I took Mama into Kingsville last week to see the specialist.”

A bolt of shame slammed through Aidan. He’d forgotten all about his mother’s appointment to check on her multiple sclerosis and had neglected to follow up. “Sorry, Max. The date totally slipped my mind. What did the doctors say?”

“They were very pleased with Mama. She’s still in remission, and in fact, they feel she’s improved somewhat.”

“That’s great news. Working with you and Peg at the hair salon seems to have given her a new lease on life.”

“Who knew she and Jason’s mom would become best friends and roomies.” She shook her head. “Jason and I tried to convince her to move back here, but she loves living with Peg. They get along so well, and Peg spoils Mama.”

“Now that Peg doesn’t have Jason to coddle, she needs someone to look after. I’ll give Mom a call tonight.”

“Good. She’d like that.” Maxi pulled a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge. “So, how’s the youth center project coming along?”

“I think I’ve got a building lined up, but I need more volunteers before I can go any further.” The teens needed somewhere to hang out to keep them out of trouble—a mission Aidan vowed to make a reality.

“Well, it’s a great idea and I’m sure you’ll win people over.” She grabbed two glasses from the cupboard.

“I hope so.”

Ben squealed with delight as Aiden bounced him on his knee.

Maxi set the jug on the table. “Not that I’m complaining, but what brings you by?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“No, but you look as if you’ve got something on your mind.”

He gave a half-shrug. “Guess who landed—quite literally—on my doorstep last night?”

“Who?”

“Chloe Martin.”

“Chloe’s home?” A grin stretched across Maxi’s face, brightening her hazel eyes. “I didn’t think she’d be able to get away from her job.”

“I asked her if she’s taking vacation time, and she got real jumpy. Any idea what’s going on with her?”

Maxi speared him with a shrewd look. “Since when are you so interested in Chloe? Seems to me you couldn’t stand her years ago. Or was it Chloe who couldn’t stand you?”

Aidan ignored the question. “Anyway, she’s living above me. I just thought you’d want to know she’s home.” He should’ve known Maxi would read something into his innocent queries. He jerked to his feet and handed Ben to her. “Sorry, just remembered something I have to take care of. Say hi to Jason for me.”

And before his sister could jump to any crazy conclusions about his interest in Chloe Martin, Aidan escaped out the front door.