If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (30 page)

“Why would you? She would be the last woman anyone
would suspect.”

“Exactly. I thought your father must have some business
with Russell Harper. Then when he drove past the turn off to Harper House, I
was really confused. A few minutes later, he turned. There was a cottage. Small
but nicely maintained. He went in, didn’t knock or hesitate.”

“Their love nest?”

Tyler winced at the term. Stupid and thoughtless.

“I’m sure that was how he saw it. I sat frozen. I don’t
know how I got the courage to move. I knew my husband was in there so I sneaked
up to the window and looked in.” Anita sighed. “You can imagine the
rest.”

“I’d rather not.”

“It wasn’t pretty. Then I did something I’m not very
proud of.”

“What,” Tyler asked. “Tossed a rock through
the window?”

“I took a picture.”

“A picture.”
The
picture?

“Grabbed the camera before I left the house, never
thinking I would have the nerve to use it. I don’t remember actually taking the
picture. I knew it was in there though. I went to Spokane, had the film
developed. Before I could talk myself out of it, I sent the picture to Regina
Harper. Anonymously.”

Fascinated, Tyler asked, “What happened?”

“She broke off the affair. Your father stopped going
out. He became more attentive. Not that his new attitude lasted long.”

“And that was it?”

“About seven months later, I saw Regina in town. She
was very pregnant. I was in agony worrying that Martin was the father.”

“How do you know he wasn’t?”

Tyler held her breath waiting for the answer.

“Simple math. Another five months passed before she
gave birth to Drew. The affair was over well before she conceived.”

Tyler let her mother’s story sink in. It went to show you
never knew people. Their pasts were mysteries often best left that way. In this
case, she was glad to have it all out in the open. The fewer secrets she and
Drew had to deal with the better.

“Did you ever think about leaving him?”

“I did.” Anita closed her eyes as if trying to
block out the painful memory. “It was soon after that. I was tired. My
husband didn’t love or respect me. My sons were well on the way to being the
same. I prayed for the strength to go on.”

“How’d that work for you?”

“I know you have a problem with the church.”

“I’m fine with the church. It’s the hypocritical men
who run it that make me question your devotion.”

Anita chose not to respond. This was not a new argument, nor
was it one either of them would ever win.

“I always found comfort in my faith. Suddenly, I
couldn’t feel God with me anymore.”

“You stayed so you must have found peace again.”

“I’m happy to say I did.”

“And now you finally have your reward.”

Anita gave her daughter a puzzled look.

“Reward?”

“All those prayers. Kyle has a job, a good woman. Isn’t
that what you always hoped for? I doubt there’s any hope for M.J.” Tyler
shrugged. “At least one of your sons is moving in the right
direction.”

“Tyler, I don’t pray because I expect God to reward me.
That comes in the next life. Don’t roll your eyes, young lady. You might not
believe He’s watching, but I do.”

“Sorry, Mom. I try to respect your beliefs. It just
seems so random, futile.”

“It can appear that way.”

Anita looked around.

“I’m going to share my deepest secret. I’ve never told
anyone, not even during confession.

Tyler nodded. She couldn’t imagine what it could be. She
thought Anita told her priest everything.

“I
did
get my reward.”

“What was it?” Tyler found herself whispering,
enthralled.

“A baby girl.”

Tyler had no words — none.

“Your father was so angry when he found out I was
pregnant. We weren’t exactly intimate on a regular basis. I said all the things
I knew he wanted to hear. I was sorry. It was an accident.”

It was the only time Anita openly defied her husband. She
deliberately got pregnant then refused to have an abortion. Her belief in God
was enough of a reason; her wish for a daughter sealed the deal.

“I know he wanted you to get rid of me.”

“Martin never should have told you that. He was a mean,
spiteful man.”

“Obviously, I’m glad you didn’t do it. You know how I
feel about a woman’s right to choose. What I can’t forgive is him asking you to
do something knowing you considered it a mortal sin.”

“He couldn’t force me, so he stopped talking to me. He
pretended I didn’t exist.”

“Lucky you.” Tyler couldn’t remember the number of
times she wished her father would completely forget about her existence. He
didn’t pay attention to her often. When he did, it was rarely a happy occasion.

“I spent nine months praying that God would finally
give me a little girl to love. Doing the laundry, fixing breakfast, vacuuming
the floor. I prayed on the way to the hospital, all through labor. When the
doctor held you up, my sweet baby girl, I knew God was with me, Tyler. He had
finally answered me.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Come on, Mom. I was willful, argumentative. I got into
fights, at home and at school. How many times were you called into Principal
Harriman’s office?”

“Only six.”

“
Only
? Since they were all before my senior
year, I’d say that was a lot.”

“We had some good talks, Principal Harriman and
I.” Anita smiled. “Do you know how those visits always ended?”

“I can imagine,” Tyler said, shaking her head.

“I don’t think you can. She would tell me, off the
record, that she wished there were more students like you. Your methods were
sometimes a little… violent. I mean punching Randy Kincade in the nose.”

“He wouldn’t stop picking on the smaller students. He
was warned, suspended. Nothing worked until I showed him what would keep
happening unless he stopped.”

“Which is why she admired you. It’s also one of the
many reasons I’m glad you’re mine.”

“You must have wanted a sweeter, nicer little girl. One
you could dress in pretty clothes and teach to cook.”

“That was the girl my mother got. I wanted something
different for my baby.”

“You did?”

“Yes. I wanted a girl who was independent, fierce,
loyal. I wanted her to be strong, compassionate. With a strong body and a soft
heart. She wouldn’t suffer fools. She would stand up for those who couldn’t
stand up for themselves. I didn’t pray to be given just any little girl, Tyler.
I prayed for you.”

Tyler didn’t wipe away the tears; she let them fall on her
mother’s hand as it cupped her cheek.

“Do you see now why I will always get on my knees for
God?”

Nodding, Tyler slid to
her
knees, her arms encircling
her mother.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby girl. Always.”

TYLER COULDN’T BELIEVE it was only one-thirty.

Such an emotional morning left her feeling drained; like
days, not hours had passed. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed. Not
because she needed comfort or to hide. She wanted to savor the conversation
she’d shared with her mother, let the wave of peace settle a little deeper.

All those years. The questions, the guilt, the anger.
Cleared up in one morning. It was easy to wish it would have happened sooner.
The question was, like with Drew, would she have been ready to listen. So many
things over the past few months had configured to make all this possible.

Maybe she needed to watch her best friends fall in love with
good men. Men who were open about their feelings — their love. Forgiving Drew,
understanding her mother. Tyler wondered if it all had to happen, one after the
other, for her to understand how rare a chance she was being given.

Open your heart, Tyler
.

She wanted to. She would. Tyler twirled around, laughing,
arms spread. Hell, what choice did she have? Love and good feelings bombarded
her from every direction. Only someone made of stone could resist. Tyler Jones
was not stone. Right now, she was a grinning mass of happy — with a marshmallow
core.

Hearing the mail drop through the slot in the door, Tyler
practically skipped over. She scooped up the periodicals, catalogs, and
letters. Nothing would bring her down, not today.

Not looking at the stamped return address, Tyler ripped open
the manila envelope at the top of the pile. The first line of the letter made
her stomach sink. She read it again. The stomach hit the floor.

Whirling, she grabbed her keys, heading out the front door.

When she arrived home, she was on the top of the world. Now,
less that thirty minutes later, her home was being pulled out from under her.

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND how this could happen, Mrs.
Lawrence.”

“I know it’s upsetting, Ms. Jones. Unfortunately, there
isn’t anything I can do. Your loan was purchased by a third party. According to
the terms, they have the right to call that loan in.”

“They aren’t calling in the loan,” Tyler pointed
out through clenched teeth. “This is a foreclosure notice. I’m not being
given the option to do anything but get my things together and move out.”

Tyler took a deep breath. She spent the excruciatingly long
trip to Spokane going over the letter in her head. She was going to lose her
home, her studio. Every penny she put into it would be gone. All the steps
forward wiped out in an instant.

Only it wasn’t an instant. This took place months ago. Why hadn’t
she been notified? How could it all be taken away with the arrival of a tersely
worded letter?

“The original loan was fairly straightforward. Make
your payments on time, no problems. Then last winter the wording was
restructured.”

“I applied for a home improvement loan.”

“Right.” Mrs. Lawrence thumbed through the file,
pulling out the paper. “Solar panels. Pricey.”

“Practice. I use a lot of electricity in my work. Since
those panels were installed, my Avista bill has been nil. If fact, I have a
surplus. I’m going to start selling it back.”

“That’s very admirable, Ms. Jones. I’m very Green
myself. I’ve started bringing coffee from home in my little thermal cup. No
more styrofoam for me.”

Tyler gave the woman a blank stare. She had the grace to
blush.

“Right. Sorry. Not exactly on the same level.” She
cleared her throat. “The point is, when you increased your loan, the terms
of the first loan changed.”

“I’m aware of that. I had my lawyer look over the new
agreement.”

“Smart,” Mrs. Lawrence nodded with approval.
“Did he point out the new clause stating the bank had the right to sell
your loan at its discretion?”

“Yes, of course. Mr. Teegue, the man who handled all of
that, assured me that never happens. On the off-chance it did, I was supposed
to be informed.”

“Which you were. According to our records, the letter
was sent at the time the loan changed hands.”

“I received no such letter. Believe me, I would
remember.”

“I’m truly sorry. It’s out of our hands. You have my
sympathy.”

Great
, Tyler thought bitterly. That and a five dollar
bill would be enough to fill up Mrs. Lawrence’s thermal cup at her favorite
coffee kiosk. It wouldn’t save Tyler’s home.

“I suggest you contact your local post office. If you
can prove the letter wasn’t delivered, that might buy you some time.”

As solutions went, it was pretty lame. But it was all she
had. Tyler stood, shaking the woman’s hand.

“Can you at least tell me who bought the loan?”

“Of course. A holding company by the name of RRAH
Limited. Based in Seattle. I have a phone number.”

After leaving the bank, Tyler got in her car. She took out
her phone and dialed the number Mrs. Lawrence supplied her with. Taking a deep
breath, she waited while it rang.

“RRAH Limited. How may I help you?”

“I need to speak to someone about a loan that was
purchased from my bank.”

“Your name?”

“Tyler Jones.”

“One moment, please.”

Tyler sighed, preparing herself to be on hold for some time.
To her surprise, the woman came back in less than minute.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Jones. The gentleman in charge of that
account is on vacation. If you can call back in two weeks, he will be back in
the office.”

“I don’t have two weeks,” Tyler said through
gritted teeth. “There must be someone covering for him while he’s
away.”

“Yes, but he is out on business. I don’t know when
he’ll be back.”

“Can I leave my name and number? It’s extremely
important that I speak with him. Immediately, if not sooner.”

Tyler left the information with little hope she would get a return
call. How could this be happening? It felt like a bad dream that she would wake
up from. Give it time. Except time was the one thing she didn’t have. In less
than a month, she would literally be out on the street.

Her hand shook as she put the key in the ignition. Damn it.
She couldn’t drive back to Harper Falls until she got her nerves under control.

Tyler looked at her phone. Should she call Dani or Rose?
They would lend sympathetic ears. Hell, they would try to lend her money. Even
if it helped, which at this point it didn’t, she wouldn’t take it. They knew
that. They could make the offer. She could turn it down. No one would feel
better.

Drew. Tyler reached for the phone then snatched back her
hand. Again, there was no point. She didn’t want Drew throwing his weight
around to save her. She had to do this on her own. Fail or succeed, she was
responsible. Crying on Drew’s shoulder might feel good for a little while. Then
what? She would tell him and her friends when and only when, all possible avenues
were exhausted.