“While she was pregnant. Oh God. That’s horrible.”
“Vance made his parents leave, but as you can imagine, the damage was already done. Toni couldn’t stay in the place where she was raped. She blamed Vance because he was the one who brought his father into their lives. So she left with Willow and wouldn’t let Vance see her. When he lost them, his life unraveled. He went on a month-long drunk. I sat back and watched for a while. I thought he might get it together on his own but he didn’t, and I had to take it upon myself to help him get straightened out again. And he was straight. He was steering his life back between the lines. And again, I was proud of how far he’d come. But then that Sunday afternoon happened.”
She knows the one.
“Vance was at home watching the race. He’d had several beers when he got a call from Toni telling him that Willow had been admitted to the hospital with a severe case of meningitis. He panicked, and without thinking, got behind the wheel to go to her. He was on his way to the hospital when he ran a red light and hit your brother.”
She shudders in my arms and sucks air into her lungs, her grief a thief stealing away her formerly steady breath.
“Toni went into labor when she heard about the accident and there she was. A critically ill baby in the hospital and another one on the way. She had no one she could depend on but me, so I stepped in and stayed with Willow in the hospital while she gave birth to their second daughter, Keeley.”
She whispers between agonizing sobs. “I was never told any of this.”
“Because his defense attorney was an idiot.” Something we discovered too late.
“The prosecution spoke about Vance like he was some kind of repeat offender, a monster who got into a car after drinking without any regard for humanity.”
“As you can now see, that wasn’t the case at all. He was scared for his daughter, and in a state of panic, made a mistake. Unfortunately, his error cost your brother his life.”
Adelyn shudders against me, her sobs louder.
“Vance’s life has been little more than one bad circumstance after another. The same as mine would have been if I’d not been taken from Jimmy and Christie. I don’t defend Vance getting behind the wheel of his car after drinking several beers, and I wasn’t in that courtroom to rally for your brother’s killer. I was there to stick by a man who under some of the ugliest fucking circumstances was trying to be a loving and caring daddy to his little girl. I was standing by a man who was trying to be a better person despite being born into one of the worst situations imaginable.”
“And you still stand by him.”
“I visit Vance in prison because he needs to know there’s one person in the world who hasn’t given up on him.”
“What happened to his girlfriend and daughters?”
“I gave Toni a job in the warehouse. The little girls you played with in Molly’s office are Willow and Keeley.”
“I didn’t know.”
Of course she didn’t know. How would she?
“Vance, Toni, and the girls are deeply rooted in my life. They aren’t going anywhere so you have some decisions to make.”
This is a lot for Adelyn to hear at once. Everything she thought she knew about Vance has turned out to be wrong, and she’s going to need time to absorb the truth.
“I understand you need to think about this, but I want to tell you something before I go. I’ve never been as miserable as I’ve been the last three days. Being apart from you has confirmed how much I love you. I want you in my life, Adelyn. I need you. I don’t want to go back to being the man I was before you.”
I kiss the back of her head and squeeze her against me. “You are mine and I am yours. My connection to Vance shouldn’t change that but ultimately the decision is yours.”
I release my hold on her and get up from the bed. “I hope you still love me.”
Waiting a few seconds, I’m deflated when she says nothing.
“I am not asking you to forgive Vance Horton, but I am asking you to forgive me for how you believe that I’ve wronged you.”
I’m in no mood for talking but I answer my phone because it’s Lawry. She never calls this late unless she needs something.
“Charlotte just called. She said Christie died about an hour ago.”
“I guess that bad case of kidney failure finally got her?”
“Oliver.”
“It’s a legit question.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“No need since neither of us gives a shit.”
I wait to be scolded for saying such a thing about a dead woman but she doesn’t.
“The McCollums want us to come to the funeral.”
Bullshit. Jimmy and Christie’s people haven’t seen us in twenty-four years.
“The McCollums want us to come to the funeral or Jimmy wants us to come so we’ll foot the bill?”
“We both know we’ll be hit up for the money, but she was our birth mother and now she’s dead.”
Good riddance is what I have to say about that.
“What would you like to do, Lawry?”
“She was a shitty mother but she raised me for ten years and you for six. I think we should go. Not for her but for us. I think it’s the perfect opportunity to shut the book on that chapter of our lives.”
It’s been twenty-four years since we were with them. I shut the book on that chapter and all the shit they did to us a long time ago.
“I’ll go to support you. No other reason.”
“Charlotte said they’d wait on us to arrive before making arrangements.”
“Of course they’ll wait for us since I’m sure we’re paying.”
“It’s too late to leave tonight.”
“I definitely don’t want to drive it tonight. I just got back from there two hours ago.”
“It killed me to not call you this weekend. I’m dying to hear about your romantic trip with Adelyn. Did she love everything I planned?”
Lawry sounds so happy. And I have to take that away.
Fuck my life.
“The romantic weekend getaway didn’t happen. I went alone.”
“Why?”
“Long story, sis. I’m tired and don’t feel like talking about it right now.”
“Okay. I guess you’ll have the whole drive to Savannah tomorrow to explain.”
I’m relieved she isn’t pushing for answers now. I’ve barely had time to absorb everything myself.
“Could you be ready to leave around seven?”
I’m not in a hurry to get behind the wheel again. “Let’s say eight.”
“All right. We’ll come over around eight.”
My life with Mom and Dad has helped me to forget a lot of what we suffered. But not everything. Christie’s death drags a lot of childhood memories to the surface, heinous things that I haven’t thought about in years. I pretend they don’t bother me but they do. I tell Lawry I’m fine, and I am sometimes, but not always. Who wouldn’t be fucked up to some degree by the way Jimmy and Christie treated us?
I don’t need this shit on my plate while I’m trying to work things out with Adelyn. I don’t need her seeing me like this.
So she won’t.
22
Adelyn Maxwell
I can only recall one time in my life when I’ve been unhappier: the day I lost Tommy.
And now I know that Tommy’s death wasn’t the result of one mistake by a single person. The accident resulted after a long series of bad circumstances, not all of them the fault of Vance Horton. And that means I have spent all this time and energy hating a man who might not deserve it.
My brother was taken from me in the blink of an eye. I didn’t get to say goodbye. There was no opportunity for final words. One minute he was fine and the next, he wasn’t.
I didn’t get to decide if I lost Tommy or not, but I have a choice about losing Oliver. And I choose to not let him go.
I’ve been to Oliver’s house four times. His truck an
d motorcycle have been home for two days without moving but there’s no sign of him.
Something isn’t right.
I’ve been holding off calling or texting. I wanted our reunion to be spoiler-free. I want him to see me, see my expression, and know why I’ve come to him.
I had hoped that would happen at his house. I wanted to run into his arms and then take things upstairs. But it looks like I’ll be settling for a brewery reunion and maybe a romp on the sofa instead.
“Hey, Molly. How are you?”
“Doing pretty good. Busy as usual. How are you?”
“I’m good. Great, actually.” The best I’ve been in days.
“I see you brought more goodies.”
I had to. I’ve baked like a lunatic this weekend and I’ve run out of neighbors willing to take the sweets off my hands.
“Yeah. I was in a baking mood this weekend. I get like that sometimes.” I place the plastic container on Molly’s desk. “Do you mind seeing if Oliver is busy?”
A peculiar expression crosses her face. “He’s not here, honey. He left for Savannah yesterday morning with Lawrence and Lucas.”
I knew it. Something is wrong. The three of them wouldn’t have gone home for no reason. “Has something happened?”
“Lawrence and Oliver’s mother passed away Sunday night.”
Oh God, no. Not Mrs. Thorn. Oliver must be in agony. And Lawrence too. They adore their mother.
She seemed so healthy and active. I can’t imagine her dying from some kind of health complication. Oliver never mentioned her being sick. “What happened to her?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is Lucas called Porter first thing Monday morning to let us know they’d be out for a few days.”
Oliver’s mother died and he didn’t call me. He didn’t reach out to me when he was in pain. That says so much about how badly I’ve hurt him. I’ve been a mean, spiteful bitch and now I’m paying for it.
Oliver’s hurting. This is our first major life-changing event as a couple and I’ve failed him. I’m sick with myself. I should be with him in Savannah at a time like this, not here as though I’m not a part of his life.
Molly knows Oliver and I are together. She must be wondering why he’d leave without telling me something so important. “We had an argument. A pretty terrible one and it was all my fault.”
“It’s not my business, honey.”
“Maybe not, but I wanted you to know Oliver didn’t do wrong. It was me.”
“Honey, I know Oliver. Things will be fine.”
“I hope so.” I desperately hope so. I pray he hasn’t given up on me.
I look at my watch. Ten after one, which means ten after two there. The funeral is probably happening as we speak. “I should wait on calling in case they’re having afternoon services.”
A whirl of brown curls races into the room and propels herself into Molly’s arms. Willow. “Molly!”
“Ah, there’s my girl.” Willow crawls into Molly’s lap. “Did you have a good day at preschool?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What did you learn?”
“Umm… I don’t know.”
“Doesn’t sound like you learned much if you don’t know.”
“Mmm… August.”
“You learned what month it is?”
The little cutie shrugs. “I guess.”
Molly looks at me and winks. “First week back to preschool.”
Willow laughs when Molly pokes her in the ribs. “Do you know what month comes after August?”
“September.”
“Yes, and who has a birthday in September?”
“Meee.”
“That’s right. And how old will you be?”
“Five.”
“She’s one of the older ones in her class.”
Willow is such a beautiful little girl. Long brown curls. Vivid blue eyes just like her dad. Vance had the same vivid blue. And I hated them. I thought they were monstrous to me. Haunting.
I squat so I’m on Willow’s level. “What kind of party do you want?”
“A princess party.”
“Pink?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I love planning pink princess parties. I bet you didn’t know that’s what I do. I’m sort of like a fairy godmother. You tell me what you want at your party and I make it happen.”
“Like Cinderella?”
“A little bit. Would you like me to talk to your mom about having a big pink princess party for your birthday?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I can do that for you.”
I catch her eyeing the cupcakes and I gesture toward the container. “Would you like one?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I offered the cupcake without considering if it’ll be okay with Toni. “Will her mom mind?”
“She can have one. That’s fine.”
I turn and see who I presume is Toni standing at the time machine punching her card.
“Oh, hi. I’m Adelyn, Oliver’s girlfriend.” At least I hope that’s who I am.
“I’m Toni. I work in the warehouse and that’s my daughter, Willow.”
It isn’t possible for Toni to be more than twenty-one or -two but she looks at least fifteen years older. Life hasn’t been kind to this woman.
“Where’s Keeley?” Molly asks.
“Frankie has the afternoon off so she took her for me.”
Iron City family. It’s real.
“Willow tells me she wants a pink princess party for her birthday next month.”
“I’m sure she does. And I’d love for her to have one but big parties are expensive.”
I want to do this for them free of charge, but I’m not ready to let Toni know who I am. “Oliver said he and I would work something out if you say it’s okay for her to have it.”
Toni shakes her head. “That man is too good to us.”
“He is a very good man who wants Willow to have the princess party of her dreams. So what does Mom say?”
“How could I refuse my baby girl a birthday party?”
“Great. I’ll be in touch in a couple of weeks and we’ll work out the details.”
“Thank you. That’s really nice.”
Toni holds out her hand for Willow. “Come on, knucklehead. We gotta let Molly get back to work.”
I wave at Willow when she turns back to look at me. “Bye.”
“That was awfully nice of you.”
“Does Willow always come to work with Toni?”
A beer brewery doesn’t seem like a proper place for a child. Or safe.
“Not usually. Her babysitter quit on her a few weeks ago. She has to bring the girls until she can find a replacement. But the boys know.”
I like how Molly refers to Oliver, Lucas, and Porter as the boys.
“Oliver turned a storage room into a playroom for them. He was afraid they might get hurt in the warehouse.”
“It’s definitely no place for children.”
“There’s no way he’d risk anything happening to those little girls. He’s crazy about them.”
“I see that.”
“Those boys came in on one of their Saturdays off and painted the room pink. They childproofed it and filled it with brand new toys. It’s better than any daycare I’ve seen.”
I can just picture the three of them rolling pink paint on the walls while drinking beer.
“Oliver’s going to make a great father one day.”
“I’m seeing that too.” And it makes my ovaries ache. I want my kids to have him as their daddy.
“Those three were so hard a few years ago. Brutes wouldn’t be a bad word choice to describe them, but now they’re so different. Softened in all the right ways. You’d be a smart girl to latch on to him before some other woman gets her hooks in.”
“Don’t worry. I have every intention.”
I’m planning to hold on to Oliver Thorn and never let go.
I’ve called Oliver over and
over without an answer. I’ve texted multiple times without any response. And I’m scared. Terrified I’ve messed up far more than I originally thought.
I thought we were okay.
I love you, baby. We will work this out. Those were his last words to me. So why aren’t we working it out? Why isn’t he taking my calls or replying to my messages?
There’s only one thing to do. Find out what’s happening through Lawrence.
Adelyn: Please call me when you can.
Adelyn: I’m worried about Oliver.
Adelyn: He isn’t taking my calls or answering my texts.
Lawrence: I’ll call you in 5 mins. Need to get away first.
Get away from who? Oliver? The fact she needs to get away from anyone worries me.
What the hell is going on in Savannah?
I answer the phone on the first ring. “Lawrence, hey.”
“Hey.”
“I’m so sorry to hear about your mother.” I tear up as I say the words. I’m sad I won’t have a chance to know Libby better.
“Mom’s fine.”
What? “Molly told me your mother died.”
“Our birth mom.”
Oh. Thank God it wasn’t Libby. I don’t know how Oliver would cope with that loss.
But he still hasn’t responded to me. Are we okay?
“Oliver’s ignoring my calls and texts.”
“I promise he’s not ignoring you. There’s been a lot going on. It’s been a complete shit show from the moment we got here. These people are out of their fucking minds. Certifiably crazy.”
It’s bad if Lawrence is saying that. She never says anything unkind about anyone.
“He didn’t tell me anything. He just left without a word.” I know we were in the middle of a fight or whatever you want to call it, but it still hurts.