Chapter 47

Melanie did not make it back to Pendleton for lunch.

She kept thinking about Grace, imagining what it must have been like, faced with those choices. Grace could have opted for anonymity. Could have delivered the baby and walked away without ever laying eyes on it. No one but Grace, Gil, and Wyatt would ever have had to be the wiser. But she hadn’t chosen the easy way, and because of it, that baby would never wonder who her family was, or why her mother had given her up.

Grace had blessed her with that peace of mind—at the cost of her own.

That was when Melanie had had to pull off on the side of the highway to swab at the tears that were streaming down her face. And she’d kept having to pull over as more and more of the ramifications hit her. God. Poor Grace. She’d come looking for Hank that night at the Lone Steer—alone, terrified, possibly a little hopeful—and he’d crushed her.

Damn him. Maybe it was unfair to be so furious when he had no idea what he’d done, but that was the problem, wasn’t it? Hank had never had a clue, or cared to get one. Even now, when the proverbial pigeons had come home to roost, he chose to wallow in self-loathing and spread the pain as far as possible.

At that moment, Melanie was thankful she’d turned back, because if she could have laid hands on that old woman’s shotgun…

And Wyatt. What pure hell this past year and a half must have been for him, holding all of this inside, not even able to share it with Joe. No wonder he was single-handedly driving up the price of antacid stocks. Every moment he’d spent in Earnest, every time he’d had to see or speak to Melanie, the knowledge must have been like a hot coal, burning in his gut. The lies he’d had to tell…

He’d lied to her.

She straightened, her tear-swollen eyes narrowing as she thought of what Gil had said, and replayed Wyatt’s words that night in the bathtub. That bastard. Her teeth snapped together, biting off a curse as she slammed into the front seat, shifted into Drive, and hit the gas.

He was going to pay. But first, she had to see Grace.

Melanie found her in the first place she looked—at the athletic club, pushing Scotty and Philip through a set of medicine ball drills. Grace made a Halt! gesture when Melanie stepped into the gym. The two men flashed thankful grins that faded into alarm when they saw Grace’s tight, set face, then got a good look at Melanie.

“Should we…” Philip began, shooting a worried glance from one to the other.

“Go,” Grace said.

Scotty scrambled to his feet, keeping a wary eye on Melanie. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

They hesitated for a few seconds, then backed away, letting the door swing shut behind them but lingering to peer through the thick safety glass.

Grace held her ground, pale and stiff, but head high. “So now you know.”

“Yes.”

Every breath seemed to echo in the empty gym. Then Melanie broke. She took two swift strides and wrapped her arms around Grace’s rigid body. “I am so sorry.”

For an instant, she thought Grace would push her away. The she sagged and let out a choked sob. Melanie smoothed her hand over the springy ponytail, made comforting circles on her heaving shoulders. They stood and clung and rocked for Lord knew how long, until finally Grace did pull back, tears spiking her lashes.

“I was so sure you’d hate me.”

“No.” Melanie shook her head. “Oh, no. Never you.”

“But it was so stupid—”

Melanie pressed a finger to her lips. “It was a mistake…and God knows you don’t have the corner on that market. As Gordon was kind enough to point out, it’s not the mistake that counts; it’s what you do about it. You turned your nightmare into a dream come true for Laura and her wife, and I can only imagine what kind of life they’ll give that little girl.”

“Maddie,” Grace said softly. “Short for Madeline.”

Melanie swallowed hard. “That was my grandmother’s name,” she whispered.

“Oh my God.” Grace blinked away a fresh spurt of tears. “I had no idea.”

Melanie rolled her eyes heavenward. “Apparently someone did. So now she’s triply blessed—an incredible birth mother, lovely parents, and her great-grandmother’s name.”

“You act like I’m a saint, and I’m not.” Grace bowed her head and laced her fingers together. “They paid me. Enough to cover all of my student loans and put something aside.”

“Good for you.”

Grace’s head jerked up, disbelief puckering her brows.

“I’m serious. You gave them a priceless gift. You deserve something in return. Especially knowing that by doing it the way you did, the truth will eventually find its way back to Earnest.”

“We have a deal. In writing. They agreed to respect my privacy until Maddie’s tenth birthday. Until then—” She shook her breath, tears welling again. “This has been so hard on Wyatt, all because I’m too scared…my parents…”

Melanie hugged her again, quick and hard. “I understand. And maybe they will too, eventually.”

“No.” Grace’s soft mouth twisted. “They might try to forgive because their Bible tells them so, but they will never, ever understand.” She bit her lip. “Are you going to tell…anyone?”

Melanie shook her head. “You’ve had to make all of the hard decisions so far. You don’t deserve to have this one taken away from you. If you want Hank to know, you say when and how that happens.”

“You can live with that?”

“For as long as I have to…or ten years. Whichever comes first.” She reached out and squeezed Grace’s cold, interlocked fingers. “It’s entirely up to you.”

“Thank you,” Grace whispered.

“You’re welcome. And I mean that literally. If you take that job in the Panhandle, prepare to be initiated into the Earnest Ladies’ Club, and brace yourself, ’cuz you’re gonna be roping with Shawnee. As of now you are officially one of the family, even if I’m the only one who knows why.”

Grace flashed a watery smile. “Plus Wyatt.”

“Oh yes. We can’t forget Wyatt.” Melanie’s jaw set, and her eyes went squinty.

Grace’s chin dropped. “You can’t be mad at him.”

“Can’t I?” She spun on her heel and saw Scotty and Philip dive for cover in the thicket of exercise machines. “Just watch me.”