A Hero for Her Heart (Truly Yours Digital Editions Book 885) (18 page)

“Oh, wait just a second. That’s right. Cindy was working in the rehab clinic when Sandra Owens came in pregnant, desperate, and begging for help.
Cindy
did all the talking and made the arrangements. Fine, I drew up the papers, but I’m not going to take the rap for this.” Her breath hissed through the phone. “I’m talking to Michael. You’ll see. I did nothing wrong. I was helping three people achieve what they wanted.”

“Are you trying to tell me you put your reputation on the line for Cindy? I thought you hated her for marrying my brother.”

“Well, the adoption was helping him, really. I would’ve done anything for Luke.”

Allie’s heart thudded with a sickening thought. “And the money? What was that for? Were you telling the truth when you said Luke had an affair with you?”

“Why would I lie? It’s embarrassing enough.”

❧

Through the front window of The Quaint Shop, Derrick saw Shannon unpacking a cardboard box. The C
LOSED
sign hung in the window, but he banged on the front door.

Shannon looked up, dusted off her hands, and smiled warmly while she ran to unlock the door.

“Derrick, nice to see you,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so sorry about your sister.”

Allie must not have phoned her yet. “Thank you.” He didn’t know where to start. “Would you have a couple of minutes to talk?”

“Of course! It’s been quiet today.” With a wave, she summoned him to the back of the store. “How about I make us some tea?”

“That would be nice.” Derrick followed her through the tie-dyed curtains and took the same chair that he’d sat in when he’d last drunk tea with Shannon. When he’d stayed and played Scrabble, sitting next to Allie.

Shannon busied herself filling the pot at the sink.

“I won’t beat around the bush. I had an agenda the day of the parade when I walked in here for the first time.”

“I knew that.” Shannon didn’t miss a beat. She set the pot on the burner, lit the pilot light with a strike of a match, then came to sit across from him. “Does Allie know?”

Derrick nodded. “I just left her. She has every right to loathe and distrust me, but I wasn’t able to tell her everything. She shut down on me. Wouldn’t let me tell her everything.”

“She does that,” Shannon said.

“I thought maybe if you’ll give me a chance to explain, you could talk to Allie. At the very least, it might take some of the pain away.”

Shannon took a deep breath and sat back in her chair, studying him with her clear gaze. “I told you I liked you when we first met. I have instincts about people, and how I feel about you hasn’t changed. But I can’t promise I’ll talk to Allie until I hear what you’ve got to say. I won’t manipulate her. She’s gone through too much emotional pain already.”

“Fair enough.” He clamped his hands together on the tabletop and looked into her compassionate hazel eyes. “I’m grateful she has you to lean on because I’ve added to that pain. For that reason I wish I’d never come to Walla Walla.”

“Then you never would’ve met Allie and Danny.” She pointed in the direction over her shoulder. “Never tasted my tea.” She smiled good-naturedly. “God brought you here for a reason, Derrick. His ways are far above our ways.”

“Yes, but I’m not sure He can condone what I’ve done, yet I didn’t feel I had a choice.”

“Wow, that’s quite an introduction.” Shannon lounged with her back against the chair like she had all day to listen, and he sensed no judgment from her.

“I originally came here on my younger sister’s behalf. Her name was Sandy. She had cancer. When she knew she was dying, she confessed to me about her past—the extent of her drug use and that she’d given birth to a son.”

Shannon’s eyes grew wide. “Danny,” she whispered.

Derrick nodded. “All Sandy had left of the memory of her son was a worn photo and a couple of names in Walla Walla that I could follow up on.”

“Wow.” Shannon rose to tend to the whistling kettle. “I wondered if it was my wild imagination.” She poured tea into two mugs. “But you and Danny. . .it’s not just your physical resemblance.” She set the cups on the table and sat. “It’s something intangible, like your passion for life and magnetic personalities.”

Derrick smiled. “You should have met my sister.”

“She must’ve loved having a big, protective brother like you. I’m an only child.” She shrugged, then refocused on him. “Why didn’t you come right out and tell Allie when you discovered Danny was your nephew? It wasn’t like you’d come to town to steal him from the Vahns.”

“I couldn’t tell her. Sandy made me promise. She wanted me to check on Danny, make sure he was with a good family, and leave town without revealing her identity or mine. She didn’t want to disturb his life in any way. We were worried about what my father would do if he discovered he had a grandson. Turns out our fears were well-grounded.” He took a swallow of tea. “Anyway, everything was going well enough until I—”

“Started to fall in love with Allie?” Shannon pressed her hand over her heart, and he would have laughed if not for the bitter ending.

“Yes, I started to fall in love with Allie. I also loved my nephew as though I’d known him all my life. And Betsy felt like a second mom to me. I didn’t have that kind of warm upbringing.” He sighed. “I was selfish for spending the time with them that I did. I should have gone home as soon as I saw Danny was fine.”

“I understand why you did it.” Shannon played with the handle of her mug. “So Sandy finally gave you permission to tell Allie?”

“Yes, right before she died.”

Shannon sat back in the chair. “So you went to Allie after your sister’s passing? Confessed everything? And she wouldn’t forgive you?”

Derrick snorted a humorless laugh. “No, it gets much, much worse.” He felt the pain anew and drew a breath. “My father found out about Danny.”

Shannon’s eyes widened. “Oh no. And he got to Allie first?”

“Exactly. He went to the Vahns’ house and informed them the adoption was coerced. He demanded joint custody and threatened Allie and Betsy with a legal battle if they refused.”

Shannon blew out a breath of air. “I know what Allie’s reaction was. She came up angry, hurt, and fighting.” She frowned. “Was it true? Was the adoption coerced?”

He nodded. “Yes, in a manner of speaking. By law the adoptive parents should have been investigated and approved. Sandy should have been given time to reconsider before signing papers. Instead she signed as soon as Danny was born, and he was whisked away.”

“Man oh man. And Paige handled the adoption, right?”

Derrick nodded. “Keep in mind that my sister had no regrets. She was living on the street at the time and couldn’t have cared for him. But she wanted to make sure he was okay. That’s where I came in. I wanted her to go home with a peaceful heart.”

Shannon frowned in thought. “Do you remember the story of Rahab in the Bible?”

That came out of left field. Derrick just nodded.

“How she hid the Israelite spies from the local authorities and got protection for her family?”

“Yes.”

“Well, in a way, you were doing the same thing. You were hiding Danny from being hurt while you got information for your sister. You were protecting everyone. And you never outright lied.” Shannon slapped her hands on the table. “We’ve got to straighten this out.” She stood, went to the counter, and picked up her cell phone. “The Bible says if we know the truth, the truth will set us free.”

“I don’t see Allie ever trusting me again. She’s been deceived too many times.” Derrick’s shoulders sagged with defeat. “But if you’re willing to try.”

Shannon tossed her phone on the counter. “I won’t call. I’ll close the store and go pay Allie a visit instead.” She picked up a big ring of keys. “I hate cell phones. You may as well stick your head in the microwave.”

“Um. . .I never thought of it that way.” Derrick followed her outside.

She patted him on the shoulder. “Pray, Derrick.” She whirled away to her truck.

Derrick headed for his vehicle. Did God answer those kinds of prayers? He had deceived the very people who’d treated him with nothing but kindness.

Allie’s words came back to haunt him,
“I can’t abide lying.”

Twenty-three

Allie and Danny returned from the blackberry patch with two buckets of berries. She handed them to him. “Take these inside to Granny.”

“Wow, I can’t believe Mr. Derrick is my uncle,” Danny said for at least the eighth time, his eyes filled with wonder as he headed inside.

Just great. Her nephew was still impressed with “the hero” and glad he was related by blood.

Allie’s cell phone vibrated in its holder on her belt. She snatched it up.
Michael.
“Hello?”

“Allie.” His voice sounded strained. “I just talked to Paige. She’s hysterical. I want to verify what you told her.” He repeated her conversation with his sister.

“That’s right,” Allie said. “And did she tell you about the payments Luke made to her?”

After a long pause, Michael cleared his throat. “Payments?”

Allie explained the check stubs she’d found. “She claims she was having an affair with Luke and he helped support her.”

Silence from the other end. “Michael, are you there?”

“Yes—yes, I am.” He cleared his throat again. “Listen, no matter what you think of me, please know I don’t want your family hurt. I’m looking into this. And, Allie, you’d do well not to talk to any of the Owenses until you have legal representation. I had my doubts about Derrick all along. I’m here if you need me.”

Of course Michael would use this opportunity to make himself look good, to get Allie back. As she hung up, she heard a vehicle approaching and walked to the front of the house. It was Shannon in her old green truck, tearing up the driveway like a maniac, spewing dust in every direction.

After she slid to a stop, she hopped from the truck. “We need to talk!”

“Yes, we do,” Allie said. They exchanged hugs. “I’m so glad to see you. You’ll never believe—”

“I already know.” Shannon sank onto a porch step and patted the place next to her, suddenly composed and relaxed. “Let’s sit. It’s a lovely day.”

Allie complied. “What do you mean?”

“The sun is shining and—”

“I’m not asking about the weather, Shannon! I’m asking how you know what happened to me. Are we on the same page here?”

Shannon folded her hands in her lap and nodded.

“You spoke with Derrick, didn’t you?”

Shannon inhaled. “How cool that you picked up on that. Maybe you’re getting more in tune with body language.”

“I doubt it,” Allie snapped. “Otherwise I would have picked up on Derrick’s lies.”

Shannon waved her hand in the air. “I was thinking about what deception really is.”

Allie blinked. “What?”

“And then I thought about Luke and Michael. Especially Michael. Anyway, I’m not sure ‘lie’ is the right word to use for what Derrick did.” Shannon’s eyes were filled with compassion. A sure sign that Derrick had gotten to her.

“Derrick
did
lie.”

“Did he?” Shannon twisted her thumb ring. “He never told you anything that wasn’t true, did he? Did he purposefully set out to deceive you with malice in his heart?”

“What does that mean?” Allie gave an inpatient shrug. “This wound can’t be healed with soothing words. I know you mean well, but I—”

“Okay, stop.” Shannon held up her hand. “This is one time you’re not going to cut me off. You’re not going to stop listening like you do sometimes. It’s too important to your life and Danny’s.”

Allie’s breaths came fast and hard with irritation. “Go ahead then. I don’t have all afternoon. I have to make calls and fill my schedule with more work to earn enough money to hire an attorney to keep the boy who already belongs to us.” She felt the threat of tears all over again. “Did Derrick tell you that, too?”

“Yes.” Shannon patted her back. “That’s not what Derrick wants, Allie. And I believe him with my whole heart.”

“Of course you would. You have an almost unnatural ability to see only the good in people. Like my mother. And speaking of liars, guess who called me?”

Shannon raised her brows. “This is the only conversational digression I’ll allow you, then I get to talk.”

“Okay.” Allie told Shannon what Paige had said and then about Michael’s call.

“Hmm. Trying to get on your good side.” Shannon nodded. “I think God is at work here. I’m imagining a big creaky mill slowly turning. It might seem to take forever, but the grain is getting ground up.”

Allie wasn’t sure she could see it. Shannon was particularly confusing today. “Okay. . .God is working.”

“So now it’s my turn. Remember the story of Rahab in the Bible?”

“What?” Allie asked.

“When you hear why Derrick did what he did, maybe you’ll open your heart enough to forgive him.”

Allie sat back and closed her eyes, hoping it might help her understand. “All right. Spill it.”

❧

Derrick walked into his father’s office late that night without bothering to knock. He sat at his large cherry desk and looked up.

“Why’d you do it, Dad? Why did you threaten the Vahns?”

“You know why.” Dad stood and tossed a folder toward Derrick and pointed at it. “This is all the information I need to go to court. I’m not going to change my mind.”

Derrick approached the desk, but ignored the file. “So if you win this court battle—and you won’t—you’ll do what? Force a nine-year-old who adores his adoptive family to love you?”

Dad’s eyes glittered. “If they don’t agree to shared custody, I will do whatever I have to.”

Derrick fought the anger that burned inside him. “You might want to reconsider.”

“Are you threatening me, son?” He dropped to the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. “Your very generous paycheck comes from Owens Realty. You’d do well to remember which side your bread is buttered on.”

Money. Again. “You can keep your money.” Derrick put his hands, palms down, on his father’s desk. “You think money can buy anything, don’t you?”
Even love,
he was tempted to add.

“All of a sudden you’re the poor little rich boy, are you? Never heard you complain over the years when you squired your many women around town in expensive sports cars, spending money without a second thought.” Dad drew a noisy breath, went behind his desk, and sat. “I’ve got work to do, if you don’t mind.”