Hidden in the Heart (27 page)

“Of course you’re not. Don’t say that.” Claire flopped into a lounge chair beside Darcie’s and sipped her own cold drink. They sat behind the house, watching the activity on the lake. “Did you get enough to eat for lunch? Do you want some zucchini bread?”

“Claire. Cut it out.” Darcie’s eyes flashed and she made like she was going to chuck the magazine at her. Claire grinned at the fierce expression on her face. It was good to have her back. Yet there was so much she wanted to tell her, so much she couldn’t say. Having to stay quiet about their true relationship was proving more difficult as each day passed.

“Sorry. Just trying to be helpful.”

“I know.” Darcie shielded her eyes as she looked across the lawn. “Looks like your husband found a new best friend.”

“I think he has.” Claire watched Jackson tagging along beside James as he pushed a heavy wheelbarrow toward the newly built cottages beyond her own. Mac and his small crew of three had finished one of them already. New guests were arriving next week. She was pleased for Mac and Jessie. In the back of her mind she’d been pondering a way to help them, but she knew they wouldn’t take a dime from her.

“I thought he was supposed to be on vacation,” Darcie said, frowning as she looked at James and Jackson.

Claire laughed at the comment. “Oh, he is. You don’t know James. His idea of a vacation is finding as much to do as possible so he doesn’t ever have to sit still.”

“Okay.” Darcie’s lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. “And how did you two end up together?”

“Shut up.” Claire stuck out her tongue and pretended to pout.

Darcie returned the gesture, then grew serious. “I’m glad he came. You seem so happy together. Is everything okay now?”

Claire sat back and clasped the cold glass, thinking about the question as she watched her husband. James stopped on the path by the area needing more gravel. He shoveled the small rocks onto the ground, letting Jackson help with his small plastic beach shovel. The little boy’s incessant chatter could be heard even from here. Every now and then James’ laugh drifted across the lawn and made her smile.

“We’re getting there. I’m determined to do whatever it takes to get our marriage back on track. When we get home we’re going to counseling. I’ll continue with my AA meetings as well.”

“I hate the thought of you leaving,” Darcie sighed wistfully. “It feels as though you’ve always been here. Like you belong here somehow.”

Claire nodded and took a deep breath. She did belong here.

In two weeks time, she and James would be on their way home. Only God knew how the rest of this story would play out.

“Anyway,” Darcie went on, “I just want you to know how grateful I am. I know you really pitched in with Jackson while I was in the hospital. Grandma told me you and Rick were a big help.”

Claire lifted her shoulders and shook off her sorrow. “I was happy to do it. I wish I hadn’t had to though.”

“Yeah.” Darcie sighed, regret sliding across her face. “I know I can’t turn back time, Claire, but I really wish…well…I guess there’s no sense in wishing, is there? I made poor choices and I have to live with the consequences.”

Claire placed a hand on Darcie’s slender arm and tried to smile. “You’re going to be fine, Darcie Hart. You’ll be a walking miracle, defy all the odds. You watch.”

“I’m praying for that.” Darcie sniffed and fiddled with the vast array of bracelets on her wrist. “Some days I have more faith than others. It’s hard not to feel guilty, especially when I think that Jackson might have it too.”

“Jackson is going to be fine.” Claire set her jaw, convinced.

Darcie’s wide smile broadened and she tipped her head back in laughter. “Oh, Claire. It’s so good to see you happy.”

Claire smiled back. “Maybe, if you’re feeling up to it, we could go to church on Sunday. I want Jamie to come too. What a place they built, huh? What’s the story behind it, do you know?”

“Not really. You should ask Grandpa.” Darcie placed her glass down on the plastic table between their chairs and yawned. “I think I’m going to take a nap. Hey, is that…” Her mouth fell open and she pushed herself up in the chair. “Rick? Oh my word.”

Claire turned in the direction of the house and saw Rick walking toward them. Except the man didn’t look like Rick. Not the Rick she knew anyway.

She almost fell off her chair.

Dressed in khaki trousers and a dark blue cotton shirt, Rick Matthews looked more respectable than she’d ever seen him. But most surprising was the absence of the long hair and beard. Claire bit her bottom lip to prevent a giggle as he approached.

“Hello, ladies. Lounging by the lake today, are we?”

Darcie set a scrutinizing gaze on him and extended a hand. “I’m sorry, have we met? Claire, do you know this man?”

Claire screwed up her nose. “I’m not sure. He looks kind of familiar but…”

Rick swatted Darcie’s hand away. “Brats the pair of you.” He flashed a grin, sat on the edge of Claire’s chair and shot her a wink. “What do you think?” He ran a hand over his thick dark hair and made a face. “Too short?”

Claire tilted her head and studied him. “Hmm. No. I think it’s fine…you just look…different.” Years younger and way too good-looking to be anybody’s father, least of all hers. Visions of having to deal with his and her dad’s love lives flashed before her and made her feel slightly nauseous. “New York will never be the same.”

“You’re going to New York?” Darcie perked up. “Nobody told me that. What’s in New York?”

“Art show.” Rick’s cheeks darkened and he glanced at his watch.

“At The Alexander.” Claire turned to Darcie, unable to keep the pride out of her voice. “It’s a very prestigious gallery. They’re showing his sculptures and paintings.”

“What?” Darcie sat straighter, staring at him like he’d just won the lottery. “That’s amazing! We have to go with, Claire. Come on…” She slid one leg off the chair and Claire grabbed her arm.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re under strict instructions to take it easy. Rick doesn’t need us tagging along. He’ll be just fine. Won’t you?”

“Yep. Just fine.” He looked more like someone headed for a triple bypass and Claire suddenly wished they
could
go along for moral support.

“My mother lives in New York.” Darcie’s enthusiasm died. “Did you ever meet her, Rick?”

Claire sucked in a breath and studied the chipped nail polish on her toes. Michelle’s location was news to her, but not, she suspected, to Rick. She didn’t dare look his way to confirm it.

Rick cleared his throat. “We…uh…knew each other. A long time ago.”

Darcie’s laugh was laced with bitterness. “I saw her on television while I was in the hospital. Can you beat that? Haven’t seen her in years, I’m there sick as a dog and all of a sudden there she is at some political rally. Made me want to puke all over again.”

“Darcie,” Claire chided. Darcie rolled her eyes but said no more. Claire’s curiosity was peaked though. “What was she doing at a political rally?”

Darcie waved a hand and looked disgusted. “She works for some senator, I can’t remember his name, but he just got elected. Big whoop. You think the least she could have done was send flowers or something. I told you she didn’t care about me.”

“She called.” Claire hadn’t meant to say it. The memory pained her, but when she saw the surprise in Darcie’s eyes she was glad.

“My mother called? When?”

“Um…a couple of days after you went into hospital. I took a message. Sorry I didn’t tell you, it slipped my mind. She said to send you her love and that she’d talk to you soon.” Claire avoided Rick’s piercing gaze and studied the rings on her finger.

“Oh.” Darcie clasped her hands in her lap. A smile touched her lips and she seemed satisfied with that information.

Rick got to his feet. “I better get going. Long drive.” He went to Darcie and gave her a peck on the check. “Behave yourself.”

“Don’t I always? You better behave
yourself
, Mr. George Clooney lookalike. Don’t you be coming back here with some floozy on your arm.”

Rick chuckled long and loud. “Oh, I’d say the chances of that are fairly slim, kid. See
you next week.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Claire pushed herself out of the chair, stepped into her loafers, and they walked up the path together. When she was sure they were out of Darcie’s line of vision, she slipped her arm through his. “You knew Michelle lived in New York, didn’t you?”

Rick’s silence conveyed the answer. Claire sighed, watching his clean-shaven jaw twitch. There was a dimple in his left cheek she’d never noticed. She had an identical one. “You’re going to see her.”

Rick let out his breath and leaned against the side of his black truck. His blue eyes scanned the property and eventually landed on her. “I’m thinking about it. I doubt she’ll let me within ten feet of her, but I’d like to at least try. It’s time.”

“I’d say good luck, but I have a feeling you’ll need more than luck.”

His mouth curled in the beginnings of a smile and he patted her cheek. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Claire caught his hand in hers. “I just wish she and Darcie…well, I guess it doesn’t matter what I want. But I’d like to see Darcie get some closure, you know? It still hurts her so much, what happened between them. When I think about it, knowing that Michelle went through exactly the same thing Darcie did, being pregnant so young…and she had the nerve to be so hypocritical, it just…”

“Save your breath, Claire.” Rick chuckled and pulled her into a brief hug. “Believe me, I’ve asked the same questions a million times over and I can’t make any sense of it. But it’s just one of those things we’re going to have ride out. There’s a lot of healing that needs to happen in this family.”

“I’m starting to see that.” Sorrow weighed heavy again. There were so many dynamics, such far-reaching emotion, and so much hurt. When she thought of the veritable
Pandora’s box she’d unknowingly flung open, Claire wanted to hop on the next plane to Kenya and throw herself to the lions.

Rick knitted his brows together. “What did I say about those guilt trips?”

Claire laughed and gave him a push. “Go on. Have a great show. I hope you sell everything and make a million bucks.”

He pulled open the door and climbed into the truck. “I’ll be happy if I can make it through opening night. I really hate these things.”

“Your parents are going to be there though.”

“Yeah. And my brother.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yep. Landon. Well, we’re not really brothers. He was a foster kid that came to live with my parents when I was already in college. Unfortunately we never got that close, but I still think of him as a brother.”

Claire wanted to ask more, but there wasn’t time. “I’m sure they’re all so proud.”

Rick hid behind a pair of shades but his grunt conveyed nonchalance. He lifted the shades and seemed to hesitate. “If the opportunity comes up, I’d like to tell my family about you. Is that okay?”

“Sure.” Hope lifted her spirit and she felt the warmth of his smile as she nodded.

Claire stood in the driveway and watched Rick drive away. Her skin prickled and she rubbed the back of her neck. Something close to a sense of foreboding came over her, but she couldn’t say why. No matter what happened, she knew that from here on in, their lives would never be the same.

She’d released the deadbolt and opened the door to the past, and they all had to walk through it. Whether they wanted to or not.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rick paced his hotel room, tapping a pen against his palm. The events of the past few days had made his sleep intermittent and his mind run on overdrive.

He had a daughter.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and he gave into it. He stood at the long window and watched the Manhattan traffic move along the street at a crawl. Pedestrians strode past each other deftly, well used to the race. The tourists were easier to spot with their maps and cameras and the way they stopped to stare up at the buildings, slack-jawed. He could hardly believe he’d once enjoyed living here.

“What are you doing up so early?” Landon strolled out of the bedroom, pulling a T-shirt over his head. Rick smiled and slumped into a chair by the window. Angus surprised him by booking two suites. No doubt the lavish treat was an effort to make up for practically forcing Rick into this. His parents were in one room and he and Landon were sharing the adjoining one.

“It’s going onto eleven, hardly early.” Rick yawned anyway, Landon’s tousled appearance and sleepy expression almost making him consider going back to bed.

Landon fiddled with the coffee machine on the bar, soon had it going and the promise of caffeine began to fill the room. “That was quite a bombshell you dropped on us last night, man. I don’t think Mom and Dad will ever recover.” Landon set his piercing gaze on Rick
and raised an eyebrow.

Rick smiled. “I thought they took it quite well, all things considered.” Once Mom stopped crying and Dad picked his jaw up off the floor, they’d actually had a decent conversation.

“I’m sure it will take them a while to process it.” Landon poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Rick before he sat down. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about you and Michelle?”

Rick sipped the lukewarm liquid and thought about it. “No point. I thought it better to just move on and forget about it.”

Rick met Landon’s eyes and a connection he hadn’t felt in years sparked.

He’d tried to be there for Landon as much as he could, despite the age gap between them. But they didn’t see each other nearly as much as Rick would have liked. Life just got in the way. “You doing okay, Landon?”

“Sure.” Landon shrugged, cradling his mug between his hands. “So…how’d this girl find you anyway? I thought adoptions were sealed up like Fort Knox back then.”

Rick noted the change in subject. “Her father wrote down Michelle’s name. I guess there’s a lot on the Internet nowadays.”

Landon’s brow furrowed. “I don’t really remember Michelle. We might have met once at a Christmas thing, years ago. But you never forgot her, did you?”

Rick scratched the tip of his nose with the pen he still held and frowned. “No, I guess I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget her or any of it. It just became a nightmare I lived with.”