Letting Go (18 page)

Clarissa’s heart fell to her toes. She wanted to focus on the lawyer bringing donuts for the kids, but all she could think about was the word troublesome.

“I’ve got to go. I can’t let this happen to him. I should’ve known.”

“Sugar,” Bev said, “it’ll be fine. It won’t be easy, but it will work out.”

It would work out all right. “It’ll hurt Mackenzie. Jed can handle it. He’s strong and tough and such a good dad. But I can’t let this happen to Mackenzie. I’ve got to go. At least for now. I’ve got…I’ll talk to you later.”

She hung up the phone, threw her belongings into the two cases and ran down the stairs and into the diner.

Jed noticed the missed call at the same time his phone rang. He picked up when he saw Bev’s picture. Kind of early for a call from Bev.

“What’s up sunshine?” he said, pointing out the trees he wanted José to harvest next.

“I might’ve accidentally screwed up big time,” Bev said and Jed turned away from the arbor area completely.
 

He stuck a finger in his ear so he could hear better then said “What?”

“I told Clarissa your lawyer thinks her past might be troublesome. And a reporter called her asking questions. She’s scared, and I think she’s going to leave.”

Several things hit Jed a once. “Ron talked to you about my case?”

“Focus, Jed. Reporter, troublesome, bolting. Clarissa’s leaving because she’s afraid her past will lead to a big mess, and she doesn’t want Mack hurt. You better get to town quick. She sounded pretty determined.”

Jed hung up the phone and took off running.

Surprisingly, Pete understood when she said she had to leave.
 

“You might think about waiting a couple days to get things in order first,” he said, but Clarissa didn’t want to wait. Not with a reporter calling.

“I don’t have much to get in order. The church doesn’t need me any more for childcare, and you’ve hired new girls. I’ll go to the City maybe or Tulsa. Somewhere to wait until this is over.”

“You leaving won’t change anything,” Mrs. Norene said. She and Lester were eating breakfast at the bar instead of their table for a change.
 

“Norene,” Pete said looking at her pointedly. But Mrs. Norene just shrugged.

“I saw her come barreling in here with her hair all mussed and no face on yet, and figured it must be an emergency. It’s a good thing I’m nosy because she needs
my
advice, not yours, Pete.”

Then Mrs. Norene turned to her. “Trust me, sweetie. You can’t outrun the press. Running will just make you look guilty.”

“I am guilty,” Clarissa said, making the point yet again.

“Long time ago,” Lester said. And Mrs. Norene said, “Exactly. Plus, you leave that Jed and he’ll be heartbroken again. You don’t want that.”

She didn’t. “But if I stay, you have no idea…”

“I know you’re one of us now. We help our own.”

The bell over the diner door jingled, and Jed ran into the diner looking like the hounds of hell were on his heels. He spied her across the way and visibly relaxed.

“We need to talk,” he said, and she said, “Yes, we do.”

“Should’ve put your face on,” Mrs. Norene said.

Jed shot Mrs. Norene a confused look, and Clarissa didn’t bother to explain.

“You want to do this here?” He asked, looking pointedly around the diner. It wasn’t crowded, but everyone there was fixated on the scene playing out before them. Fortunately, no one had broken out a camera phone.

“Kitchen,” she said tilting her head away from the dining area.

“Bummer,” Mrs. Norene said, but she turned back to her french toast smiling.

And then Jed said “Never mind. I’d planned on something different, but this is good enough,” which surprised Clarissa because what on earth was he talking about?

Only then he knelt on the floor of the diner and said, “Clarissa Dye, I know you’re thinking about leaving because my fool lawyer said some fool thing to Bev who was foolish enough to repeat it to you, but I need you to listen. I love you. I will always love you. I think you are the strongest woman I know, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want you to be my wife and Mack’s Momma. I want to grow old with you and pray with you every day and fight with you over silly things like what color to paint the nursery or which music to play on the radio. I know some of our roads ahead might be tough, but I also know with you, those roads will be a whole lot easier. Knowing you’re willing to leave right now because you’re worried about hurting us makes me love you more and proves to me more than anything else you’re supposed to be my wife. Clarissa, will you marry me?”

Joy unlike anything she’d ever felt before filled Clarissa’s heart. Around her the diner had fallen into complete silence, and she knew they all were waiting. She also knew there was only one answer.

She threw her arms around Jed’s neck and buried her face there. “I love you, Jed Dillon,” she said through sobs. “Yes, Yes I will be your wife.”

And the whole diner cheered.

Will the Van Neys go through with the petition? Will Bethany return? What about the other Dillons? Look for more Triple Eight stories by Mary Beth Lee, coming soon.

About the Author

Mary Beth Lee is a student media adviser in Texas where she lives with her husband. She earned her BA and MA in English from Midwestern State University.

You can find her online at
http://marybethlee.com
and
http://marybethlee.wordpress.com
and follow her on twitter @marybethleeybnp.

Grace is Enough Excerpt

Some secrets can destroy a family. In
Grace is Enough
sisters Cass Deason and Anna Turner learn the secrets they think they're hiding aren't the worst ones of all. They also learn that God's forgiveness is there waiting. All they have to do is accept it. An inspirational romance by Mary Beth Lee. Enjoy this excerpt.

“Momma, Justine stole a cookie.”

“Momma, Delia colored all over my homework.”

“Momma, Dani’s stuck in the slide.”

Anna Turner wished for just this once that someone else named Momma lived in the house. And then she almost cried. Because someone else named Momma did live in the house. She just wouldn’t get out of bed.
 

Running a frustrated hand through her cropped blonde hair, Anna counted to ten and blew out a breath as she started down the back steps to see what had her girls in such an uproar.

Stuck in the slide sounded worst.

She hit the door and heard the commotion at the same time.

There, stuck between the first two steps on the wooden swing set ladder, baby Dani smiled, her toddler legs, one shoe on, one off, dangling from the backyard slide. The Chihuahua, Killer, danced around barking as if the screeching staccato noise would actually fix something. Justine had one of Dani’s arms. Delia the other. It looked like the girls were going to pull their baby sister apart.

Sighing, Anna started through the yard. Side stepping Killer’s dog doo, she reached the slide and pulled Dani up into her arms.

“Delia, go get your sister’s homework and let me see it. I swear, if you made too much of a mess you’re gonna be in trouble. Do you understand me?”

Delia’s bottom lip trembled as she ran into the house. Once the screen slammed shut, Anna turned to her oldest daughter.

Justine crossed her arms over her chest and let out a sigh that was far too old for her seven years. “I was hungry. It was just a cookie.”

It was more than that, and Justine was old enough to know it. Anna started to remind Justine of how much effort went into making sure they could have that cookie after school when her eyes caught the scar on her oldest daughter’s shoulder. The one that started there, matched by twins and triplets of puckered skin, skin that would never know perfection, all the way down to the top of her hip.

Guilt nagged at her even though Anna knew she’d done everything in her power to make it up to her girl, her oldest, her dear, sweet Justine.

But nothing was going to erase the awareness in those big chocolate brown eyes of hers. And nothing was ever going to put the innocence back.

What harm was an extra cookie? Justine’d earned that and more.

Anna tried to hold Dani close, to use the soft touch of the baby to give her a moment’s peace, but by the time she’d caught a whiff of her No More Tears Shampoo, Dani was wiggling free.

Anna sighed at the same time as Justine, and they both watched Dani waddle away. Once Anna made sure the baby was okay, she turned to face Justine again. “Yes, sweetie.
 
It was just a cookie. I bought the cookies for you and your sisters. One a day after school. That’s the deal. You had two, so you skip tomorrow’s.”

Justine started in on the “Mom” rant at the same time Delia brought out the homework sheet. Yep. Colored. Bright red and orange scribbles marred the perfect printed spelling words beneath.

“I was just trying to write, Momma. I was helping Justine.” Delia looked up at Justine with unadulterated hero worship, and Anna tried to stifle her smile. Mr. Andrews would still take the work on Monday. He’d understand. No damage done.

“You leave your sister’s homework alone, Delia. If you want to help, ask her first.”

Delia’s bottom lip quivered. “She never lets me help. She hates me,” she cried.

Delia didn’t remember, thank God, how very untrue that statement was.

“Your sister doesn’t hate you, Delia,” Anna said taking the homework from her middle daughter. “She just needs her space. And her homework is important. Go get Dani, and we’ll have supper in a minute.”

“Mac’roni and cheese?”

Anna nodded her head. “Yep.” Third day in a row. Delia whooped with glee—the girl could eat her weight in macaroni and cheese—and chased after her baby sister. Their soft brown hair with golden highlights seemed to sparkle in the late afternoon sun. Sparkle just like Cass’s had once upon a time.

Turning to go back in the house, Anna knew she had to call Cass. She couldn’t keep doing this alone. Momma needed help. Help maybe Cass could give.

Help Anna’d been trying to give all by herself for eighteen years. But it wasn’t enough. Not any more. Cass had to come home.

*****

I can do this. I can do this. God help me, I can do this. Cass pulled into her mother’s driveway, put the car in park and tried to ignore the way her hands were shaking.

This was so stupid. She’d seen her mother and her sister over the years, just not here. Not on their turf. And not when she was feeling so completely out of control of her own life.

The living room curtain moved, and Cass wondered who was watching, waiting for her.

She flipped the driver’s side mirror down, fluffed her hair, slid a dab of soft pink gloss over her lips and then grabbed her purse. Procrastination over.

She’d no sooner opened the car door and stepped into the sweltering Standridge, Texas late spring heat than the front screen on the house smacked against the wall, and four-year-old Delia came barreling out.

“Auntie Cass. Auntie Cass. We been waiting for you.”

Cass laughed at the excitement in the little girl’s voice and reached down to give her a hug. But a hug wasn’t going to be enough for Delia. She launched herself into Cass’s arms and hung on to her shoulders like they were some sort of lifeline.

For a moment the bitter taste of regret and wasted wishes overpowered the lingering sweetness of the Icee she’d stopped for just outside of town. Cass willed it away.

“We missed you bunches, Auntie. Gran won’t get outa bed. And Justine’s always doing homework, homework, homework, even though it’s Friday. And Momma’s mad all the time. Where’s Uncle John? He didn’t go to jail did he?”

Cass held Delia tight as the innocent words sliced into her heart. She forced herself to keep her smile in place and ran a hand over the little girl’s soft brown hair.

“No silly. Uncle John’s not in jail. He’s taking care of the church. Let’s go find your mother.” She wouldn’t talk about Momma not getting out of bed. This little girl certainly wouldn’t know the cause of her Grandmother’s deep depression.

Delia wiggled free of her aunt’s arms and then grabbed her hand to lead her inside.

“Momma didn’t believe you’d come, but me an’ Justine said you would. Are you really Wonder Woman? That’s what Momma said. But she didn’t sound all that happy about it. I like your lipstick. It smells like strawberries.”

Cass wouldn’t let her niece’s truth-filled ramblings hurt her. Where was Anna anyway? A four-year-old little girl shouldn’t be running around the front yard by herself.

As if the thought had conjured her, Anna appeared. Standing in the doorway with baby Dani on her hip, Anna looked tired and aggravated and not exactly welcoming.

What she looked was hardened. All the soft edges that had always made Anna more feminine, more exotic almost, were erased by the last few years. Years Cass knew little of, and what she did know made her heart hurt for her sister.

But Anna wouldn’t want to know that. God forbid anyone feel sorry for Anna Deason-Jackson-Fite-Turner. So Cass did what she’d become quite an expert at. She buried those feelings somewhere Anna wouldn’t see and then hugged her sister tight. “I got here as fast as I could.”

Anna hugged her close but fast and then stepped away. “I’m glad you’re here, Cass.” Then her eyes turned down to where Delia stood, smiling so big it hurt Cass’s heart and made her smile back at the same time.

“Delia, I told you not to go out front without me. Don’t do it again.”
 

Delia’s bottom lip turned out, and the little girl looked completely crushed at her mother’s reprimand. Cass wanted to tell Anna it was okay, but what did she know about parenting?
 

“Delia, did you hear me?”

Delia gave a long-suffering sigh and nodded. “Yes ma’am. I won’t go in the front yard without you.”

The baby in Anna’s arms threw herself forward with a laugh at the same time, and Cass grabbed her before she fell. The baby’s weight in Cass’s arms expanded the ache in her heart, but she bit it away. She wasn’t going to let regret rule her emotions. Not here. Not where she was needed.