cleaning up in the kitchen?
I bet she'd like the company."
‘’I'll apologize to her. She's
put up with a lot from me lately, and she doesn't deserve my anger."
Will's lips curved into a smile. Lane caressed his cheek, then gave him
a little shove toward the door.
"No, she doesn't," Lane
agreed. "Lillie Mae has suffered as much as any of us. And she loves
you more than anything in this world."
"Yeah, I know. I-I-"
"Go help her. You don't have
to say anything. She'll understand."
When Will joined Lillie Mae in the
kitchen, Lane slumped down in the enormous leather chair that had been
her father's favorite seat. She still missed her parents and probably
always would. Her father's death in a needless accident, caused by a
reckless drunk driver, had reminded her how very brief life is and how
very, very precious. When she had come out of the foggy, grief-induced
haze following Bill Noble's death, she realized two things. One being
that her mother, whose injuries in the accident had left her little more
than a vegetable, would require constant care. For eighteen months,
she, Lillie Mae and several private nurses had seen to Celeste Noble's
every need. She had died peacefully in her sleep, with her daughter at
her side. And Lane's second realization was that she couldn't continue
in her marriage to Kent. They had both been miserable, and with each passing
year, Kent had become more and more abusive. He had never struck her,
but he had verbally tormented her, making their lives unbearable. And
a part of her had lived in fear of him, never forgetting what he had once
done to her
Even though Kent hadn't been the
best of fathers, he had loved Will, and Will had adored Kent, the way little
boys so often hero worship their fathers. Will's adoration of Kent had
ended the first time he overheard Kent berating her. And Kent's love for
Will had ended the day he received Sharon Hickman's letter.
Why couldn't Sharon have taken
their secret to her grave? Why had she felt twangs of conscience when
she was dying? She might have eased her own burden of guilt by her deathbed
confession, but in freeing herself, she had damned the rest of them to
hell. Will. Kent. Lillie Mae. Her. And even Kent's family.
Lane had been taught that lying
was a sin. And sins required punishment and atonement. She had never realized
just how terrible the punishment would be for their lie. Or how costly
the atonement.
Will was an innocent child. The
one person who shouldn't have to suffer for the adults' sins. But he was
the one suffering the most. He was the one who stood to lose everything.
He had already lost the only father he had ever known. And now, if she was
arrested, put on trial for Kent's murder and was found guilty, he would
lose his mother, too.
The distinct chime of the doorbell
echoed through the quiet house. Lane rose to her feet and walked into
the hallway.
"I'll see who it is," Will
called out as he emerged from the kitchen.
She nodded agreement and turned
to go back into the den. But something stopped her. A tightening in her
stomach. A gut reaction warning her that something was wrong. She glanced
over her shoulder as Will opened the front door.
"Hello," the deep, husky
male voice said. "Does Lane Noble still live here?"
"Yeah, but she's Lane Graham
now," Will said. "Who are you?"
"Will!" Lane screamed
his name.
When her son turned around, obviously
startled by her outburst, he moved a fraction to the right, giving Lane
a better view of the front porch. The tall, broad-shouldered man wearing
a tan Stetson filled the doorway. He had changed. Grown older. Tiny age
lines surrounded his mouth and eyes.
"What's wrong, Mama?"
Will asked.
"Nothing," she replied.
"This man is here to see me. You go in the kitchen and tell Lillie Mae
to put on a fresh pot of coffee."
Hesitantly, Will obeyed
I bet she'd like the company."
‘’I'll apologize to her. She's
put up with a lot from me lately, and she doesn't deserve my anger."
Will's lips curved into a smile. Lane caressed his cheek, then gave him
a little shove toward the door.
"No, she doesn't," Lane
agreed. "Lillie Mae has suffered as much as any of us. And she loves
you more than anything in this world."
"Yeah, I know. I-I-"
"Go help her. You don't have
to say anything. She'll understand."
When Will joined Lillie Mae in the
kitchen, Lane slumped down in the enormous leather chair that had been
her father's favorite seat. She still missed her parents and probably
always would. Her father's death in a needless accident, caused by a
reckless drunk driver, had reminded her how very brief life is and how
very, very precious. When she had come out of the foggy, grief-induced
haze following Bill Noble's death, she realized two things. One being
that her mother, whose injuries in the accident had left her little more
than a vegetable, would require constant care. For eighteen months,
she, Lillie Mae and several private nurses had seen to Celeste Noble's
every need. She had died peacefully in her sleep, with her daughter at
her side. And Lane's second realization was that she couldn't continue
in her marriage to Kent. They had both been miserable, and with each passing
year, Kent had become more and more abusive. He had never struck her,
but he had verbally tormented her, making their lives unbearable. And
a part of her had lived in fear of him, never forgetting what he had once
done to her
Even though Kent hadn't been the
best of fathers, he had loved Will, and Will had adored Kent, the way little
boys so often hero worship their fathers. Will's adoration of Kent had
ended the first time he overheard Kent berating her. And Kent's love for
Will had ended the day he received Sharon Hickman's letter.
Why couldn't Sharon have taken
their secret to her grave? Why had she felt twangs of conscience when
she was dying? She might have eased her own burden of guilt by her deathbed
confession, but in freeing herself, she had damned the rest of them to
hell. Will. Kent. Lillie Mae. Her. And even Kent's family.
Lane had been taught that lying
was a sin. And sins required punishment and atonement. She had never realized
just how terrible the punishment would be for their lie. Or how costly
the atonement.
Will was an innocent child. The
one person who shouldn't have to suffer for the adults' sins. But he was
the one suffering the most. He was the one who stood to lose everything.
He had already lost the only father he had ever known. And now, if she was
arrested, put on trial for Kent's murder and was found guilty, he would
lose his mother, too.
The distinct chime of the doorbell
echoed through the quiet house. Lane rose to her feet and walked into
the hallway.
"I'll see who it is," Will
called out as he emerged from the kitchen.
She nodded agreement and turned
to go back into the den. But something stopped her. A tightening in her
stomach. A gut reaction warning her that something was wrong. She glanced
over her shoulder as Will opened the front door.
"Hello," the deep, husky
male voice said. "Does Lane Noble still live here?"
"Yeah, but she's Lane Graham
now," Will said. "Who are you?"
"Will!" Lane screamed
his name.
When her son turned around, obviously
startled by her outburst, he moved a fraction to the right, giving Lane
a better view of the front porch. The tall, broad-shouldered man wearing
a tan Stetson filled the doorway. He had changed. Grown older. Tiny age
lines surrounded his mouth and eyes.
"What's wrong, Mama?"
Will asked.
"Nothing," she replied.
"This man is here to see me. You go in the kitchen and tell Lillie Mae
to put on a fresh pot of coffee."
Hesitantly, Will obeyed
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