Yesterday's Tomorrows (27 page)

Another knock sounded at the door, and a different doctor stepped in and introduced himself as Dr. Zadar. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I understand your family of Ms. Stone?”

I stood. “I’m her sister.”

“Would you like to talk in the hallway?”

There was no way I was leaving Holt. “It’s okay. You can tell me here. Is she okay? Can I see her?” Holt’s hand tightened on mine as we waited for the news.

Dr. Zadar pulled a chair from the corner of the room and placed it in front of me. He straddled it backward. “As you may know, your sister was shot in the abdominal area. Unfortunately, it perforated her liver. We did everything we could, but we weren’t able to save her. I’m very, very sorry.”

“
Y
ou’re
…you’re saying she…died?” Maddy choked.

The doctor nodded. “Yes. I’m afraid the damage was too extensive.”

My heart broke at her expression. I tried to squeeze her hand, but she jerked it from me to slap both hands across her mouth. I knew she was about to be sick as she scanned the room frantically before bolting for a bathroom door. The doctor seemed to grasp what was happening and left to check on her as vomiting sounds echoed from the bathroom.

“Maddy?” I called as she continued to be sick. “Maddy, if you don’t answer me, I’m coming in there.”

Dr. Zadar came out. He assured me Maddy was alright, just in some shock and she’d be out soon. He expressed his apologies for our loss once more and left. The only sounds coming from the bathroom were some sniffles I could hear over running water. Damn it; she needed me. I hurt like a sonofabitch, and I was still woozy from the surgery, but I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and was wrestling with the IV pole when she came out of the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “Get back in that bed.”

She hurried to my side and tucked me back into bed. I didn’t miss the slight trembling of her hands or her pale and clammy face. “Maddy, tell me what the hell’s going on?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I mean, it was a shock to see her. We had a few minutes together where she said she was sorry and that she was protecting Lily, her daughter. I didn’t even know she’d had a baby.” Watery eyes stared across the room. “I’ve always imagined what I’d say to her if I ever saw her again, but it was never under these types of circumstances. This time, I only wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be alright. I had so much to say to her, to ask her, and now I…I can’t. I wanted to hate her, Holt, but seeing her, knowing she threw herself at you to save you, I…I don’t know what I feel except sadness for all that could have been.”

“Come here, baby.” I lifted my good arm, and she lay down on the side of the bed. There wasn’t a lot of room, but turned on her side and rested her head on my chest.

I tried to choose my words carefully, knowing the history between the sisters. “Whatever else you know about your sister, she saved my life tonight. That’s what I’ll be focused on, because if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I’d be laying here tonight, holding you in my arms. And I’ll forever owe her a debt.”

I felt her head nod against my chest. “Charly made me promise to look after Lily. I don’t even know where to find her. And I’m a stranger to her, although Charly said Lily knows about me. I have no idea what to say or what to do.”

“Don’t worry about all the details, sweetheart. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.”

A knock at the door interrupted our conversation. My mom’s head poked inside, and she rushed to my free side followed by my dad and brother. My mom didn’t bat an eye at seeing Maddy curled up intimately by my side, but my brother shot me a raised eyebrow as well as a grin. My dad’s face remained neutral.

“Oh, my sweet children,” my mother gushed. “Are you okay? Let me see both of you.”

Maddy had shot up from the bed as soon as they walked in. Reluctantly, I had let her, but only so my mom could fuss over me like a mom needs to do. “Just a shoulder wound, Mom. I’m sore, but I’ll be fine.”

“Holten Andrews, you’re cheating me out of a full life. This is the second time you’ve scared years off it.” She turned to Maddy and wrapped her in a huge hug before stepping back and using her sharp eyes to inspect every inch of Maddy. “And you, young lady, are you okay?”

“A little shaken, but I’ll be okay.”

“What happened, Son?” my dad finally asked once he and Cal had hugged us and expressed their concern. We recounted most of the details, but Maddy held back on sharing that the woman who pushed me out of the way was her sister. I knew she was struggling to come to terms that Charly had come back in her life just to be lost forever immediately.

Another knock and John McCloskey stepped inside the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I wanted to see for myself that you’re okay.” My family cleared a path so he could shake my hand.

I was surprised to see one of the other partners, Barnes, follow in his path. I’d been around Barnes, of course, but most of my direct interaction had been with McCloskey. Much to my displeasure, his niece Misty trailed behind. Her eyes were red as if she’d been crying.
Shit. This infatuation of hers has to stop.

“I’m glad you’ll be okay,” she said softly. She looked at Maddy, who was curled back up against my side. “Both of you.”

John cleared his throat. “We’ve held them off as long as possible, but the police are here to interview you, Holt. I’ve already represented Maddy, not that there was a problem, but Vic is going to act as your counsel.”

I started to protest, but John held up his hand. “I don’t anticipate any trouble, but we’re not taking any chances.” He gestured to Maddy that she should follow him, and after glancing at my family gave me a shy kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be back soon,” she promised.

“Maddy,” Misty called. Her voice sounded strained. “I need to talk to you.”

I couldn’t imagine what Misty might need to say to Maddy, but Maddy seemed to think otherwise.

She nodded. “Yes, I believe we do,” she answered, some of the old snark back in her voice. “I’ll meet you in the waiting room.”

Misty and all the others except for Vic and Maddy left.

She glanced nervously at Vic, who smiled in return. “Go ahead,” he said. “I think the cat was let out of the bag several days ago.”

She grinned and leaned over and gave me a proper kiss this time on the lips. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised.

I settled in to get the interview over and wait for Maddy to return, and once she did, I was never letting her go.

I
t didn’t take
me long to find Misty in a quiet corner of the waiting room, looking distinctly nervous.

She ought to be,
I thought as I sat in a chair near her.

“Okay, Misty. I’m here. But I’m going to warn you I’m not up for taking any crap from you. And if you have any questions about Holt and me, I’m not answering them except to say, yes, we’re together, and by together I mean in
every
way. We love each other, and that’s all you need to know.”

She flinched slightly, either from my tone or my open claim of Holt, I wasn’t sure, but she nodded and bowed her head to stare at her laced fingers in her lap. This humble side of Misty caught me by surprise since it was a far cry from any other behavior I’d seen from her, but I wasn’t yet ready to lower my guard around her.

“First, I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch to you,” she started. I had to strain to hear her. She took a deep breath and continued in a stronger voice. “I was jealous of you before I even met you, and then when I saw how everyone at the firm spoke so well of you, and I saw how Holt looked at you, it just cinched it. It felt like you had everything I ever wanted.”

Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!
She was jealous of me? She looked like she came from everything I wanted, yet she was envious of me who came from nothing.

“Wait, you said ‘before you even met me.’ That doesn’t make sense.”

Misty nodded. “Just let me get this all out, and then I’ll answer any questions you have.”

“I’ll try.”

“Charly is…was my best friend. I’ve known her for almost six years.”

I gasped, but held my tongue.

“We met at a home for unwed pregnant girls a couple counties over. They helped us with medical appointments, gave us a safe place to stay, helped the younger ones get their GED or assisted the rest of us with some community college classes. I…I miscarried my baby, but Charly gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lily. Her birthday’s Oct. 5. She just turned six on her last birthday, and she’s in first grade. She’s the youngest in her class, but she’s a good student. Charly always said Lily was more like her Aunt Maddy than her.

“It turned out Charly was a gifted photographer, and she was able to find work with a local publication, but it wasn’t easy hauling a baby around to locations, much less a toddler, so I became Lily’s nanny in exchange for room and board and a small allowance.

“I have a habit of making bad choices when it comes to men.” She smiled wryly as she focused on a random spot off to our side. “My parents were really strict, and no matter how hard I tried, I could never seem to measure up to their perfect standards. After awhile, I quit trying and basically went the other direction. It was a lot easier to become the opposite of what they wanted. At least that got their attention. When I got pregnant, they threw me out of the house. Eventually, I made it to the home where I met Charly. Later, after we moved into a cheap apartment together, and any time I started back into my old habits, she was quick to pull me aside and remind me I was better than that. She said she also used to use her family as an excuse for her behavior, but something ‘big’ had happened and it scared her straight. She said someone sacrificed themselves for her, and she owed it to her to get her life straightened out until the time came that she could repay the debt. I didn’t know about you for several years. She bottled that story up tight. But as she grew to trust me, bits and pieces came out.”

She finally looked back at me. “She spoke so lovingly of you. Charly always said I was like a sister to her, and in most ways, we were. But there was always a soft look, a special voice when she spoke your name. I’m ashamed to admit it sparked a jealousy in me. I wanted to be that special to someone.”

I grudgingly felt sorry for her. I knew exactly how that felt.

“Why didn’t she contact me in all that time?”

“Basically, she thought she wasn’t worthy of you. And when she did write to you, you never responded.” I heard the judgment in her tone. “But despite that, she held on to the hope that someday she’d be able to tell you all this herself. And she made me promise that if anything ever happened to her, I’d find you and tell you myself.”

“I never got her letters,” I mumbled. “I wonder what happened to them.”

Misty shrugged. “About the time Lily was three, my Uncle Vic found me. I’d always been close to him and Aunt Francine until I ran away. They were nothing like my family. He’d been worried sick when I disappeared, and he finally tracked me down. He invited all three of us to come live with him. Charly was crazy about the idea from the very beginning since Richmond was not terribly far from where you were, and it gave us a nicer place than the tiny apartment we shared.

“It wasn’t unusual for my uncle’s partners to get together for dinners at least once a month, and Uncle Vic invited us along a few times. Charly sat next to Emma McCloskey one time, and that’s when Charly made the connection she had been one of your favorite teachers. Charly went on about how she used to live in the same county and ‘wasn’t it a shame what happened to that poor girl Madelyn Stone.’ That’s how Emma came to send her husband to help you. It was fascinating, like watching a conductor in front of an orchestra bring all the instruments together.”

Misty smiled softly at me. “It was Charly who put the idea of creating a work release program at the law firm in my uncle’s mind. She went on and on about how it would look good for the firm as well as helping the community and the individuals. It wasn’t a hard sale. My uncle is really kind of a softy at heart. She made sure to bring it up in front of the McCloskeys, and they quickly fell on board, also. They think it was their idea to offer you the position, but it was really because Charly planted the seed. She even managed to convince me to ask Uncle Vic for a job so I could be her eyes to make sure you were doing okay.”

“Unbelievable,” I mumbled. I’d never known Charly could be so crafty.

“I didn’t want the job, but decided I could learn more about the woman who did such a terrible thing, but was loved by her sister even more for it. Then I met Holten Andrews. He was the first decent man I’d been interested in for a long time. But once again, someone wanted you over me. When I saw him take you out to lunch, I was furious. You know the rest. I’m so sorry for embarrassing you in such an awful way in front of everyone. It was a shitty thing to do. If it helps any, my uncle pulled me aside and ripped me a new asshole and fired me. He said he wouldn’t tolerate that behavior from anyone, even me.” Misty sighed. “And he was right to feel that way. I told him I’d pack my bags and leave. But unlike my parents, he hugged me, told me he loved me, and that we all make mistakes, but the important thing was to learn from them. And I will, I promise I will. I want to honor Charly, and be more like the sister I should have been, like you were.”

She finally grew silent. I could hardly see her through my blur of tears knowing Charly had been looking out for me all that time.

“I don’t know what to say, Misty. It sounds like something out of a movie. And now there’s Lily to consider. I never knew she’d had a baby, so when she first mentioned Lilian, I thought she was talking about our mom.”

“She wanted to honor your mom,” Misty confirmed. “Charly was a good mother, Maddy. She knew what it was like to grow up without one and without a good dad. And now, ironically, despite her efforts, Lily is going to go through the same thing at the same age. I love that little girl, Maddy. She’s a bright ,sunny spot on a cloudy day. But I know it would be Charly’s wish for you to raise her. She left me a letter to give to you in case anything ever happened to her. I…I don’t have it here, but maybe you can come over to my Uncle Vic’s house. Then you can meet Lily at the same time. Uncle Vic didn’t know about you and Charly, I swear he didn’t. But I told him everything on the way to the hospital and while you were in with Holt.”

“Misty, I uh, I don’t know how to ask this, but do you know who Lily’s father is?”

She shook her head. “Charly never said. I don’t mean to say anything bad, but I’m not sure she knew either. Lily’s birth certificate doesn’t list a father.”

“Do you know what money those men were talking about?”

“I don’t, but sometimes when we were running low on money, Charly would mysteriously come up with it. She always seemed to have some secret that she didn’t even tell me. She kept a low profile, and I think that’s why she never took a permanent job and stayed freelance. It was easier to set the payment terms and keep a low profile. She used a different last name, too, O’Connell.”

I recognized it - our mother’s maiden name. We both sat quietly for several minutes, each in our thoughts. My mind was spinning with all the information Misty had fed me. I had a niece unknown to me until a couple hours ago, whose mother wanted me to raise her. How the hell was I supposed to do that? I didn’t know how to be a mother. I’d never even had one. For now, I just needed to get back to the man who grounded me.

“I need to get back to Holt. I have a lot to think about. I’ll be in touch.” I took two steps before hesitating. It had taken a certain level of courage and uncharacteristic humility for Misty to share the more personal elements she had. I turned around and saw her still sitting slump-shouldered in her chair.

“Misty?” I called.

She looked up as if startled to still see me there. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. For being there for Charly and Lily all these years. And, well thank you for your honesty in telling me everything.”

She smiled shyly. “It’s the least I could do. Please call, Maddy. I promise I won’t make any more trouble.” She gathered up her purse and sucked in a deep breath. “I have to go home and help tell a little girl her mother won’t be coming home.”

I took a step forward, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m sorry, Misty. Please, tell Lily her Aunt Maddy will be there tomorrow, that I can’t wait to meet her.”

Misty’s smile trembled. “I will.”

I took another step toward the woman I’d always seen as my nemesis, now brought together by a tragedy that impacted both of us. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but somehow we were going to have to get along. There was an innocent little girl who was going to need her, and hopefully me, to get through this. I held my hand out. To my relief, Misty grasped it back. It was a start.