by Shayla Black
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“I’m going to ask her.”
Keegan tapped out a text and hit send, then slid his phone away from him.
“They’re staring,” Willow said.
“Do you not like people knowing we’re together?”
She opened and closed her mouth. “It’s not that, it’s… What people are going to say about you? I mean, I’m used to this stuff, sort of. You’re the golden boy everyone loves. They’re all going to say I’m walking you down the path of sin.”
“You think my feelings are wrong?”
“No.”
“Do you think we’ve done anything wrong?”
“No, but—”
“Yes-or-no question.”
She narrowed her gaze at him. “No, I don’t think we’ve done anything wrong. Other—”
“Whatever qualifier you’re going to tack on to the end of that statement doesn’t matter.” He stroked his fingers over her hand. “I’ll admit, I used to have a pretty black-and-white view of the world, but that was until I got out there and lived in areas where the right answer was gray. For me? This? Us? This is a good thing. Anyone who says otherwise, they don’t matter. This isn’t their relationship.”
Willow blew out a breath. “How can you make me feel the warm fuzzies and crummy all at once?”
He grinned at her. “You learn what’s really important when you almost die.”
“Don’t joke about that,” she said sharply.
He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed a knuckle. “Sorry.”
The shop door chimed. Keegan glanced up at Ingrid standing there, her Times Remembered Tea Room apron on and a knitting project stuffed into one pocket. At least two pens were jammed into her hair.
“Hey,” he said slowly.
“Hey.” Ingrid frowned and came to stand at the edge of their table. “Someone say something to you?”
“No,” Willow said slowly.
“Some people just happened to show up at the same time we did.” Keegan tilted his head toward the counter, where Coralee stood with her cluster.
Ingrid did a quick glance then rolled her eyes. The annoyance was there for a split second before she wiped it away and refocused on Willow.
“None of us said anything. I swear. I mean, the way people talked about you? No.” Ingrid shook her head, almost losing the pen. “No way.”
“Oh.” Willow blinked at Ingrid.
“You’re one of the two people I can think of who deserve a damn break, excuse my French. I have heard a few people mention seeing you together, but none of it has been bad. The L.O.L.s are lively this morning talking about what they’re all cooking for the police Christmas party tonight.” Ingrid kneeled next to their table.
“Christmas party?” Keegan glanced at Willow.
“Oh…I forgot.” She winced and looked at him. “Got any plans?”
He grinned at her. “I guess I do now.”
“So you two really are a thing now, huh?”
Keegan glanced at Ingrid, taking in her smile and sparkling eyes. He felt a lot better about asking her directly about the town chatter. Ingrid had always struck him as a good egg, a bit eccentric, but good.
“Yes,” Willow said and squeezed his hand.
“About time.” Ingrid focused on Willow. “A real-talk-girl-talk moment? I would seriously never repeat the crap people say about you. Between us? I was always envious of your confidence. You didn’t take crap from anyone and you always went for what you wanted. I think I’d have liked to learn those lessons for myself earlier in life.”
Willow blinked at the other woman, clearly taken aback by her kind words. “That’s— Thanks, Ingrid.”
“We should hang out. Why haven’t we?” Ingrid pushed to her feet. “Not now, I mean Christmas and this guy’s here, but we should.”
“That would be nice.”
Keegan kept his grin to himself. Seemed he wasn’t the only one who saw Willow for the amazing woman she was. He’d often wished to emulate many of Willow’s traits himself. It wasn’t fair that the qualities people degraded her for having were the same ones that would be applauded in a man. The way Keegan saw it, anyone who saw her as less than was missing out on a really remarkable woman.
A woman he got to call his.
5
Willow reluctantly let go of Keegan. To keep her hands busy, she grasped the door and the wall while he stood on her front porch looking so damn good.
“Go run your mom’s errands before I decide to be bad and keep you here.” She tipped her chin up and smiled. Her insides were a riot of buoyant feelings, hope, too many things to name.
“That’s not a bad idea.” He leaned in, his grin so wide it tugged on other scars besides the one on his chin.
She planted her hands on his chest and chuckled. “I like your mom. Let’s not give her a reason to dislike me, okay?”
“Not possible. Mom likes everyone.” Keegan lowered his face and kissed Willow.
Her toes curled in her boots, and despite her resolve to kick him out, she sighed and leaned into him.
“Fine.” Keegan sighed against her lips. “I’ll go, but I’m not happy about it.”
“It’s not going to take me that long to shower and get ready. Then you can take me out for that nice dinner and we can hit the party after.”
He winced. “That was my plan, wasn’t it?”
“Yup. No one but yourself to blame. Now, scoot.”
“Any chance Trevor’s going to call you today?” Keegan let go of her, the front door still open at his back.
Whoever the lookie-loo was reporting back to the deacons’ wives must be getting one hell of a show.
Willow lifted a shoulder and tried to ignore the weight settling in her stomach. “Not sure. He is working today so there’s always the possibility.”
“Okay, well, let me know if anything comes up?” There was nothing outwardly wrong, nothing to indicate Keegan was bothered by the past. It didn’t stop the doubt from eating at Willow.
“Keegan?” She squared her shoulders and looked up at him. “Does Trevor bother you? Do you trust me?”
“I trust you completely,” he said without hesitation.
“You do?”
“Yeah.” He reached out and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “I don’t care what you did with who. That has no impact on me. What I care about is what we are together.”
Willow swallowed and let his words sink in. She wasn’t surprised by his response. It was uniquely Keegan to be so…good. Even if he’d said he was jealous, she wouldn’t have faulted him.
“I wouldn’t cheat on you. Ever. You know that, right?” She grasped his hand and squeezed.
He smiled. “Yeah. You’ve always had your boundaries. I respected that about you.”
“You should leave right now before I tear your clothes off you.”
“Is that supposed to make me want to leave?”
“Go.” She gave him a playful shove.
Keegan only put up a token fight. He did have errands to run and Willow would get ready faster if he weren’t around to distract her with all the other things they could be doing.
“Bye.” She wiggled her fingers at him as he got into his car.
Willow shut her front door then turned to survey her little home. She’d been here yesterday, but somehow it felt like she’d been gone a month. It was so easy to get swept up in Keegan’s spell.
She and Keegan might actually work. Sure, there were details like, were they going to keep doing the long-distance thing? Or could she pack up and go with him to Puerto Rico? What would she do there? And where would she live?
Keegan worked for a faith-based humanitarian organization. She didn’t know their rules, but she thought it was safe to assume living together premarriage was a big no-no in their book.
What if they got married?
Instead of the idea making her freeze, her heart sped up.
The idea excited her.
<
br /> She and Keegan knew each other so well, all dating did was give them permission to express their feelings for each other. There wasn’t much she didn’t know about Keegan, and she hadn’t kept many secrets from him either.
Guilt nipped at her heels as she headed into the bathroom to shower for the evening’s festivities.
There was still the fact of talking to Keegan’s dad and handling Jace, but she’d deal with that later.
While she showered, Willow imagined all sorts of ways for her to make a new life following Keegan. It wouldn’t be easy, but she knew in her gut if that was what he wanted, the results would be so worth it.
She took her time washing her hair, shaving, and getting herself ready to primp for the party tonight. It hadn’t been a big deal until she was taking Keegan with her. Whoever didn’t know they were together after this morning’s long stretch of sitting at the bakery would for sure find out when he took her to the party.
What would her uncle think?
Willow wasn’t sure on that front. Her uncle hadn’t taken an active role in her life until she was an adult. The only times she’d seen him were during a brush with police and he’d inevitably be called on to give her a ride home. Since then, they’d gotten closer, but neither of them was big on mushy family stuff.
Her doorbell pealed through the house.
Was Keegan done with his errands this soon?
She skipped to the entry and opened the door, more than ready for a few more quality hours with Keegan.
Her eyes met those of the man on her doorstep and the hopeful bubble burst.
It wasn’t Keegan.
“What, Jace?” Willow shifted her body so she could better leverage the door. She really had to get one of those new digital doorbells with the cameras.
“I hadn’t heard from you,” he said.
“I’m taking care of things.” The harsh reality of what she’d have to do for her happily ever after threw a bucket of cold water all over her. “I’ll contact you when it’s done. Until then, don’t show up here.”
She slammed the door shut, twisted the lock, and pressed her back to the old wooden door. Her breathing was far too fast, but her heart wouldn’t stop racing.
It was a cruel world where, in order to have the man she loved, she was going to have to sacrifice the integrity she’d worked so hard to maintain. But Keegan was worth it. That was the truth she had to keep telling herself.
Keegan paused for longer than was necessary at the stop sign down the street from his parents’ house. He knew what was coming the moment he got home. It was an argument he’d prepared himself for over the years. And it was finally time.
He pulled into the driveway, killed the engine, gathered the things for his mother, and got out. The front door swung open and Mom was there with a dishtowel in hand and a smile on her face.
“Just got your message. Perfect timing,” she called out. “Need a hand?”
“No, I’ve got it all, Mom.”
He carried the boxes and bags inside. While Dad was still determined to live in the Stone Age, Mom had fully embraced the era of online shopping.
“Put it in the living room,” she said as Keegan eased past her.
“Dad home?”
Mom sighed and the sparkle in her eyes dimmed a bit. “In the study.”
Keegan didn’t know if her reaction was because of Willow, people calling to inform them about their son, or because Mom knew this would mean a fight between Dad and Keegan.
No sooner had he set the day’s load down than he heard the study door open and his father’s heavy footsteps.
“That Keegan?” Dad called out.
“In here,” Keegan replied and turned to face his father.
Dad was dressed in slacks and a polo shirt with his reading glasses dangling from his fingers. His hair was thinner and grayer these days. It was hard to watch how fast his father was aging in the last few years.
His dad was getting old.
It was a reality Keegan wasn’t ready for, but here it was.
“Got a call from Mr. Judson,” Dad said.
Coralee’s husband. Great.
“Said you were hanging out at the bakery with that Taylor girl.” Dad’s frown intensified. “I don’t understand—”
“Dad? Stop.” Keegan held up his hands. His temples throbbed and he resisted the urge to bounce on the balls of his feet from the sudden surge of whatever this was. He’d planned to hear his dad out, but in the moment he just couldn’t listen to Dad say another condescending thing about Willow.
“You need to think about what people will say about you if you keep hanging around with that girl. You know what they say about her.” He shook his head. “I thought I raised you better than this.”
“But you did, Dad. I’m who I am today because I listened to you. Maybe what I got out of your sermons wasn’t what you meant, but I learned a lot from you. I learned that helping people makes me happier than a job with a big salary. I learned about forgiveness, giving people second chances, how I should treat others. And seminary only taught me that it’s okay to ask questions, to have doubts. I am the person I am today because of you.”
Mom sank to the sofa, hands clasped, watching them.
“And I don’t care what people say about Willow and me.” Keegan shrugged. Maybe it was time to give Dad the ultimatum, let him know how things were going to be. It was up to Dad how he chose to react. “The fact is, I love Willow. I’ve loved her since I was a teenager. I know everything people say about her. I also know who she really is. And before you go talking about her, you need to know that she’s the only woman I’ve seen myself with. You need to think carefully about how you talk about your future daughter-in-law, because God willing, that’s what she’ll be.”
His heart swelled. It was the first time he’d admitted that plan out loud, and he liked the sound of it.
Dad’s eyes bulged and his mouth started to move, but no sound came out. It was only a matter of time. Dad always had a verse for everything.
Mom sat up straight, her eyes equally large, but they looked brighter, more hopeful. Was it possible Mom would be his ally in this?
“Dad? I know you’re worried about the kind of influence Willow might have over me. You’re concerned about what people say about her and her past. I understand your concerns as a father. But before you quote scripture at me, think about all the redemption stories. The prodigal son, Hosea’s wife, Paul. I could go on. Those were always my favorite stories.”
Keegan kept staring at his dad, praying that under the protective parent there was a heart that understood. “Everyone likes to judge Willow for what she did as a teenager, but no one wants to admit that they did nothing to help her. You want to preach lessons based on the Good Samaritan, but who helped Willow? We didn’t. Sure, you let her hang out here, get a meal sometimes, but we never really helped her. People were too happy to sit back and make snide comments about her and her parents, but no one wanted to help.”
Now Dad glanced away. Did he understand? Could he?
“Willow’s made something of herself. And she did that on her own, with next to no help. But no one sees that. People can’t let go of the past. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Forgive and forget? Isn’t that what you told me to do?” He took a step toward his father. “I know her past, probably better than anyone, but that’s not what I see when I look at her. To me, she’s a beautiful, amazing woman who has had to overcome so much more than she should have. And that’s the person I want to marry, Dad. I don’t understand why she’s the one person you can’t seem to change your mind about, but I wish you’d give her a second chance. If for nothing else, for me. I love her, Dad.”
Mom stood and wrapped her arms around Keegan, squeezing him with a strength he didn’t know she had in that small frame of hers. He wrapped an arm around her waist while watching the emotions flit across Dad’s face.
Anger. Confusion. Shame. They were all there.
“That wa
s beautiful, son. You should bring Willow over for dinner, when you’re ready, of course.” She let go of him to cup his face in that special way only a mother could. Though she kept looking at Keegan, her words weren’t for him. “Your father will get over it. Ransom has always been a place for people to be forgiven and accepted. We can’t fault the transplants like your father for being a little slow. It comes from being an outsider and raised differently.”
Keegan blinked and thought through her words. Was she right? Was it possible more people accepted Willow than she believed?
It was a theory he was eager to test and he prayed his mother was right.
Willow stood staring at the three dresses laid out on her bed. She hadn’t considered her outfit for tonight’s party because she hadn’t been certain she was going. And before Keegan, she’d have chosen to wear slacks and a sweater. Something nice and fully covering.
Her fellow cops had never mentioned her past. Sure, there were a few who she’d gone to school with. That was inescapable. But one of her goals since dedicating herself to this path was a complete and total change to how she presented herself.
Thus, slacks and a sweater.
But if she was going with Keegan and if this was kind of a date, she wanted to look nice.
Too bad her going-out wardrobe was less than ideal.
She had a black dress she’d bought to attend a funeral in. Since then, she’d worn it to two weddings. It was perfectly fine, just boring and a bit shapeless.
Then there were two impulse purchases she’d dubbed her club wear. Shorter, tighter, flashy colors. These were what she wore on the rare chance she went to Dallas, where it was safer to cut loose.
None of them were ideal.
Rationally her brain told her that if Keegan liked her in a dirty sweatshirt and shorts, he’d like her in whatever she decided to wear. Too bad her heart was convinced that if she didn’t look like a cheerful holiday elf, he was going to dump her ass.
Emotions were a strange thing.