A Hero for Her Heart (Truly Yours Digital Editions Book 885) (19 page)

“I do mind,” Derrick said. “Why do you always play the womanizing card with me? You know I’ve changed.”

“Hmm, that’s right, you found religion,” Dad said, a trace of laughter in his voice. “But I think we’re more alike than you’d care to admit. Could be I’ve met my match.”

Derrick shook his head. “I used to wish that. I tried to emulate you. But now the last person in the world I’d be like is you.”

Dad’s head snapped back as if Derrick had hit him.

“You’re trying to intimidate and bully an innocent family. Danny is theirs, and that’s exactly how Sandy wanted it. Danny’s a happy kid, he’s well cared for, and—”

“And nothing!” Dad shot out of his chair. “His adoptive parents are dead. He’s being raised by a blacksmith and a cleaning woman when he could have all this.” He waved his arms, then his brows drew together and he snorted. “What’s that look on your face? If you and Sandy had come to me with this situation first, I could’ve handled things. You”—he pointed a shaking finger—“are the cause of all this confusion!”

“A situation? Is that how you refer to Sandy’s son?”

“Ah, now you’re talking sense. Danny is
Sandy’s
son.” Dad punched his right fist into his left hand. “
My
grandson. An Owens. Not an orphan meant to live on a dirt farm in the middle of nowhere. Left alone to break his arm.” Looking satisfied with himself, Dad dropped into his leather armchair.

Derrick backed toward the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving, Dad,” Derrick said quietly. “I want out of the company, out of this family for good.” At the slack-jawed look on his father’s face, anger seeped from him replaced by great sadness.

“You’re leaving us for them? You’re going to walk out on us after we lost Sandy?” Dad came around to the other side of the desk and clamped his hands behind his back. “And your mother, what about her?”

“I’m leaving because I won’t be a part of what you’re doing. Mom will always be a part of my life—I’ll be in touch with her regularly.” He studied his father intently, but the man’s face gave away nothing. “Mom doesn’t know Danny exists, does she? She’s got nothing to do with this idiotic threat.”

“No, she doesn’t. It would kill her to know Sandy’s son is being raised by strangers.”

“Hogwash!” Derrick’s muscles went rigid, and he drew a breath and asked God to give him peace. “You don’t know the Vahns. Allie and Betsy love Danny with all their hearts. Yeah, they have financial problems, but they work hard to give
your
grandson everything he needs.” He had his father’s full attention now, and Derrick took another breath lest he choke up. “You should’ve seen the birthday party Allie had for Danny. It must’ve cost her a week’s pay.”

Dad stared over Derrick’s shoulder.

What was the use? His words were falling on deaf ears. “I’d rather Danny be raised without all the things I had. You gave me plenty of material things, but I needed your heart. That’s what Danny needs, too, and he’s got that with Allie and Betsy.” Derrick swiped his suit jacket off the back of the chair and headed for the door.

“So just like that, you’re walking out?” Dad asked before he could read the message.

“I’ll have everything out of the guest house by Monday. And if you pursue action against the Vahns, I will use everything in my power to help fight you.” Derrick opened the door and stopped. Standing there in the hall was Mom, her face whiter than it had been, if that were possible. Tears wet her face.

“How long have you been here?” Derrick whispered.

Twenty-four

On Monday morning Allie loaded her truck with supplies, then zipped her bag closed. She had one appointment with a normal horse, then she’d have to deal with Eddieboy again. Seems he had spent two days hock-deep in manure in his stall, and the thrush grew worse. Not that she should complain. Frank paid her well, and she was able to slip in the appointment between two others. But today she was going to lay down the law. No animal, no matter how cranky, deserved to be treated like that. Besides, dealing with Eddieboy would keep her mind off everything Shannon had told her about Derrick. Allie didn’t know how she felt or what to think.

As she pulled down the driveway, a big blue Lincoln headed toward her. She got closer and recognized Philip Maynard. The mayor hailed her, waving his chunky hand out the window.

Allie pulled onto the side of the drive and waited. He stopped his car alongside her. “Allie, I need to speak with you.”

Her first question was, “Why?” Lately every encounter with a Maynard spelled trouble. In fact it was her encounter with Philip at the parade that had led to her meeting Derrick. “What can I do for you?”

“Um, got some place we can sit?” He cut the engine and tugged at his shirt collar.

“Yeah, sure.” Allie indicated the picnic bench near the house, a myriad of scenarios passing through her mind. Did he come in peace or to threaten them in some way?

After they settled at the table, the mayor smiled. “How’s everybody doing? Everybody okay?”

“Philip, I know you didn’t come here for small talk. Please just get on with it.”

“Right.” He nodded, and his smile disappeared. “I’m ashamed of my daughter.”

Allie gasped. “Paige told you about the. . .”
Affair? Adoption? Money?
The words stuck in her throat.

“Paige confided in Michael, and he’s the one who told me everything. You know, my son’s got plenty of faults, but he’s letter of the law when it comes to business.”

Her mind raced. “Business? Luke gave Paige—”

“Close to fifty thousand dollars. I know.” Philip sighed. “And I intend to give you back every red cent.”

“Why?” As much as her family desperately needed the money, her suspicions grew. This show of humility from Philip Maynard was out of character to the extreme. “What did Michael tell you exactly?”

Philip’s eyes narrowed. “Paige misled you.” He pulled a hankie from his pocket and dabbed sweat from his brow. “When Cindy was a nurse in the rehab clinic in the Tri-Cities, she met Sandy Owens, Danny’s biological mother.”

“Yes, I know all this and that Paige handled the paperwork.”

He breathed heavily and wiped his balding head, and she felt a pang of compassion for the man. Mayor Maynard looked her in the eye. “Did you ever ask yourself, ‘Why Paige?’ ”

Allie nodded. “Yes. She said it was because she loved Luke. She also told me she was having an affair with him.”

“That’s not true, Allie. Your brother was a good man, completely blind to what was going on. He wasn’t aware the adoption was questionable.”

“If she didn’t do it for Luke, then why? Paige would’ve never handled the adoption out of the goodness of her heart. Cindy and Paige disliked each other intensely.”

“Paige didn’t do it out of the ‘goodness of her heart.’ She used it as an ace in the hole to endear herself to Luke. She never did get over him.”

“Endear herself how?” Her heart pounded in her ears, and she struggled for breath.

“Then Paige could come to him with the cold facts later, in hopes that he’d leave Cindy for deceiving him. When that didn’t work, Paige got angry and blackmailed your brother. If Luke didn’t give her money, Paige threatened to expose Cindy, even at the expense of losing her law license.” He wagged his head. “I don’t know where I went wrong with my daughter. Gave her everything till she took advantage and I cut her off.”

That explained all the fights Luke and Cindy had. Cindy’s bitterness toward Paige. As Allie digested the information, she took pity on the mayor. Tears rushed to her eyes. “I’m so relieved to know my brother wasn’t cheating on his wife. It was killing me to think Luke was a fraud.”

“No, Luke was only protecting his wife and Danny. He hid things from you, but that’s what a good man does—anything to protect family.”

Just like Derrick had been protecting his sister. What Luke had done to protect Cindy—who wasn’t dying—Derrick had done for his sister, only in a different way. He’d even tried to protect Danny, her, and Ma. In her mind’s eye, she saw him sitting on the bale of straw, trying to get her to understand, but she’d refused.

“Why did you tell me all this?”

“Yes, well,” Philip said with a wave of his hand. “Don’t mistake me for being altruistic. I’m protecting my own family. If I didn’t tell you, Michael would have. He wants to get back into your good graces. Besides, from what I understand, the Owenses might try to sue for custody. All this might play out in court, and I’m not going to risk my reputation for what my daughter did.”

“That’s why you’re offering me the money?”

“Well, if you take recompense and don’t press charges against Paige, the DA, who is a friend of mine, won’t take this to court, and we’ll avoid a public scandal. Unless Owens raises a huge stink, which I hope he doesn’t. But Paige’s future remains to be seen. She may lose her license to practice law.”

“I don’t want a scandal either, and I don’t want to see Paige behind bars, but I might need that money for legal fees to fight the Owenses.”

Philip swung his heavily jowled head from side to side. “Try to settle out of court. Take it from an old man. Maybe you could see it in your heart to let the kid see his grandparents. I know how I’d feel if I knew I had a grandson somewhere.”

He struggled to his feet, and Allie followed him to his car. “Again, I’m sorry for what my daughter did, Allie. And the part Cindy played in all this.”

Cindy. Paige. The Owenses.
Philip’s words rang in her mind as he drove off. She walked toward the house feeling lighter. They wouldn’t have to sell their property. They would be able to battle the Owenses if they chose to fight. Despite all the bad that had happened, she could tell her mother Luke was innocent of wrongdoing. Ma would want to pray together to thank God, and for the first time in a very long time, Allie was eager to join her with a grateful heart.

❧

The full weight of what he’d done hit Derrick as he glanced around the empty guest house. Along with moving his belongings to a small apartment, he’d talked to his financial advisor. Though he had money of his own, walking away from his family meant he would no longer live a privileged life. Oddly enough, that idea challenged him and gave him the strength to follow through with his painful decision.

“So you finally stood up to the old man,” Hank’s voice came from behind him.

Derrick turned and saw him in the doorway. “Yes, I guess I did.”

Hank dropped into a leather chair in the corner. “I’m not surprised. It was inevitable. I saw it, even when you were a kid. No need to wonder where you and Sandy got your willful streaks.”

“Yeah, right. Maybe the showdown was inevitable, but not what I wanted.” He zipped his suitcases closed. “Promise me you’ll look after Mom?”

“You got it, but I think you’ll discover your mother has a backbone of steel. She might have appeared vulnerable and acquiescent all these years, and especially the last few weeks, but believe me, the woman knows how to run the show.”

“I hope so,” Derrick said.

“Let me help you carry those to your truck.”

The two men walked in silence out the door to the driveway.

“Will you fight for her?” Hank asked.

“What?” Derrick stacked the suitcases in the back of the Silverado.

“That young lady you like so much. . .Allie. Seems to me she might be worth fighting for.”

Derrick shrugged. “She hasn’t called me. Danny has, but nothing from Allie. I can’t go back to Walla Walla on just my nephew’s invitation. I need her permission.”

“She won’t call you. From what you’ve told me, Allie doesn’t seem that sort.” Hank slapped him on the back. “If I were you, I’d go see her. Tell her what you’ve done in the name of love.”

❧

Derrick stopped at a light and pondered Hank’s words. How about a happy medium? He’d call Shannon, get her opinion. By now she had spoken to Allie, and she’d know whether or not a visit from him would disturb the Vahns.

He dialed.

“The Quaint Shop, good afternoon.”

“Shannon, it’s Derrick.” He infused his voice with cheer he didn’t feel.

“Derrick! I was going to call you, but my pastor’s wife pulled me aside after our prayer meeting.”

She paused, and he heard murmuring in the background. “Shannon, you there?”

“Yes, sorry, a customer asked a question. Anyway, Portia, that’s Pastor’s wife, told me that I give out too much unsolicited advice. How embarrassing. Portia said she knows I mean well, but I have to allow God to do the work.”

“Um, let’s back up a sec. What does that have to do with me?” Derrick took an exit onto the highway toward Walla Walla. Is that where he wanted to go?

“If I keep talking right now, I’ll end up giving you my advice.”

“Shannon? I’m the one who asked you to speak with Allie. Therefore your advice wouldn’t be unsolicited.” He went on to tell her what had transpired with his father. “I want to tell Allie that I’m going to help them fight if they have to.”

Another long silence. “Shannon?”

“Yes. I’m thinking.”

Shannon was nice, but one of the most confusing people he’d ever talked to. “I’m on my way to Walla Walla, but I’m wondering if I should turn around and head home. I don’t want to upset Allie or Betsy. If there’s a chance that I’ll make things even worse by going over there, I don’t want to come.”

“I’ve decided I’ll tell you exactly what I think. You must come. Allie has some appointments. Call me when you get into town, and I’ll confirm where she is and give you directions. I don’t think you’ll make things worse.” There was a smile in Shannon’s voice, and a tiny flicker of hope came alive inside him.

Twenty-five

“Stop that!” Allie ducked to avoid Eddieboy’s third attempt to chomp her arm as she walked past his head.

He snorted.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Carnivore.” She checked his hoof one more time. “Frank needs a serious talking to. If this keeps up, your foot is going to rot away.” For some reason she felt sorry for the little pony, despite his rotten disposition. If he’d been better cared for, he’d have half a chance to bloom.

The barn door squeaked open. “Frank!” Allie yelled. “You and I need a word. I know Eddieboy is cranky. So are you, but you can’t allow him to continue this way.”