by Ava Miles
Walk, not run. “Sure.” Riley threw the weeds aside and brushed his dirty hands on his shorts.
Mark took off at a stroll, his arms locked behind his back. Dread rolled through Riley. Something was definitely off.
“There’s no easy way to say this, but I think you should know… Sadie is Paige’s half-sister.”
He stopped short. “You’re kidding! Why didn’t she say so?”
Paige had told him about her messed-up mom and absentee dad, which had made her more than sympathetic to his situation with Mandy, his ex. But she’d never told him the full story. This was the first he’d heard about any half-siblings.
“They’d never met until last night.”
“Oh. Wow. That’s like… I’ll just shut up now and let you talk.”
Mark looked him in the eye, and they started walking again. “Paige’s mom became pregnant when she was in high school. The father was much older and married with four young children. They met at church, and though it’s unclear from Paige’s mom who seduced whom, she wasn’t old enough to properly consent.”
It was statutory rape. A crime. Riley stopped walking again, the injustice rolling over him. “That’s…that’s…utterly despicable. What kind of a man does that?”
“Well, knowing Paige’s mom, she wasn’t totally a victim, but that doesn’t make it right. Suffice it to say, from what Paige and I managed to piece together after we got married—her mom’s not one for truth—it affected Sadie’s family very seriously. The man in question disappeared, and his ex-wife ended up remarrying and becoming a minister. After meeting Sadie last night, it appears the family turned around a tragedy and did just fine.”
“So has Paige, if you ask me,” Riley said. “I mean, she’s one of the best people I know, and you guys are like the rock of Gibraltar as a couple.”
Mark smiled. “Yeah, we’re really lucky to have each other. I hope you find someone you feel that way about too.”
“Can I do anything for you guys about this?” Riley asked. “I mean, I should probably cancel my date with Sadie, right? I don’t want to get in the middle of anything.” It gave him a sinking feeling to even say it, but Mark and his family were his support system. He owed them so much more than that.
“No, Paige and I talked about this. We don’t want you to cancel anything. It’s only one date. Go out. See how you feel. See how she feels. We know this is rare for you. Like I said, Paige is going to go to the quilting circle and keep an open mind and heart. Sadie was so earnest—and brave—to show up like she did. The quilt she gave to Haley…”
“The one with the moon and starts?” Riley asked. “Her artistry is incredible.”
Mark nodded. “You know better than anyone how much a person’s art is a reflection of them. It takes a special person to make a quilt like that for a sickly baby in the hospital.”
“Yes, it does,” Riley said, remembering the phrase stitched in the corner of the quilt. “Precious One” took on an even greater meaning.
“Of course, you spend most of your time drawing comics about maiming and killing people,” Mark drawled, “so clearly you have more inner demons than you like to let on.”
“Comic books always tell the tale of the fight between good and evil,” he said, one corner of his mouth tilting into a smirk. “When it comes to channeling anger, I just have to think about my ex. Gives me all the fuel I need.”
Mark glanced over at him.
“I’m kidding!” He held up his hands. “Mostly. I only have those thoughts at holidays and on Jess’ birthday when I can’t explain why her mom’s not around. Why she doesn’t even send cards.”
“It’s only natural to be angry,” Mark said. “Paige used to get angry around birthdays and holidays too, waiting to see if her mom would call her or send anything. Then she decided she was sick of all the lies and the drama. She realized family doesn’t need to be determined by blood. Now, Skylar has no power over her.”
“She’s not wrong,” he said, looking up at the hazy sky. “I just hope I can help Jess feel that way too. I…worry…about her. You know?”
Mark put his hand on his shoulder. “I know. You guys are going to be fine, and we’re here to help in any way we can.”
“Ditto. And I’m serious about not going out with Sadie. This might be too complicated.” He felt he had to say it again, after everything they’d discussed.
“No, you should give it a try,” Mark said. “It’s not going to be a problem for us.”
Riley thought Mark was being more than optimistic.
Complications were what had landed him where he was today, raising his daughter by himself.
Chapter 3
The new baby Crenshaw stretched his little arms in his sleep, wiggling under the quilt in his bassinet—a quilt Sadie had made just for him. The first time she saw Boone in the hospital nursery, she’d gotten of vision of his quilt. Sometimes it worked that way. A path of golden stars of various sizes shot right through the middle against a navy background. The phrase “Future Rockstar” had seemed like a fitting addition to the corner because even if he didn’t follow in Rye’s footsteps as a famous country singer, Boone Crenshaw was going to be a force of nature.
Now, looking down at him, Sadie felt her heart gush with warmth as she reverently touched his dark curls, impressive for a newborn. “Oh, he’s the most beautiful baby in the world.”
Tory reached out and touched his little fingers. “Boone makes me feel like I’m witnessing a miracle every day. I tear up. Rye tears up. Heck, if we weren’t so happy I’d wonder about our emotional state.”
Sadie was hoping the baby would give a natural boost to everyone’s mood before she shared the news about Paige. That was why, with Rye and Tory’s permission, she’d invited her siblings and their extended family for a meeting at Rye and Tory’s house the Thursday after her visit to Paige.
“I imagine having a baby is a pretty emotional experience,” she said, unable to take her eyes off Boone.
“I was worried Rye might be a caged tiger when he announced he was taking a self-appointed paternity leave, but he’s surprised me. He pretty much sings to him all the time, and don’t tell him I told you, but I’ve caught him standing outside the nursery like a little kid, waiting for Boone to wake up from his nap.”
Sadie smiled. “Rye’s come a long way in a short time. It’s hard to believe it’s only been a couple years since he met you and reconciled with his family. I remember when he used to claim his life aspiration was to grow older like Tom Jones—still famous, still a ladies’ man.” And now Rye, who’d always been as good as a brother, wasn’t just a family man—he was truly family. His beautiful sister had married her brother, J.P., making it official.
“The good old days,” Tory said dryly, laughing.
“What days are you referring to, sugar?” Sadie heard a familiar, and completely unmistakable, voice ask.
Rye stretched his arms out in the doorway.
“Never mind,” Tory replied.
“Fine,” he said, coming into the family room and crossing to where Sadie and Tory were sitting, waiting for the rest of the McGuiness siblings and the others. “Hey, little guy. Daddy’s back from his phone call. Now we can have some fun.”
Boone only stretched his little arms in response, continuing to sleep.
“This sleeping all the time is getting old,” Rye muttered. “I don’t care if his pediatrician says it’s normal. I want to play with him. Hello, Sadie.”
She bit her lip. “Hello, Rye.”
“You nervous, honey?” Rye asked, peering down at her. “What do you have going on? I told Tory it was a little weird for you to suggest we all get together on such short notice without any of the parents. I mean, heck, we’re all having Sunday dinner like usual.”
Suddenly all her nerves were back.
“Rye,” Tory said.
He held up his hands. “I’m just making observations. Can’t a man make those in the privacy of his own home? I’ll
make myself useful and get the door.”
Tory shot him one of her patented looks and patted Sadie’s arm. “Don’t worry. Whatever it is, we’re here for you.”
Sadie knew that. She’d prepared for this meeting almost as much as she’d prepared for her visit to Paige. Her speech was memorized, and she’d prayed extra hard for strength. Things usually worked out when she did that.
Her sisters appeared first, flanked by their spouses. Susannah and Jake looked radiant, and Shelby had pretty much taken to glowing after her engagement to Vander.
Sadie made sure not to meet his eyes. Vander was a private investigator, and part of her suspected he might guess what she was up to simply by looking at her. She also hoped he wouldn’t be upset that she hadn’t asked for his help finding their half-sister. After all, he was the one who’d help them track down their real daddy, Preston.
Rye’s sister, Amelia Ann, gave Sadie a saucy wink. Her husband, Clayton, also Rye’s manager, did the same. They weren’t blood family to Sadie, but they were family all the same.
“Sadie,” she heard her brother, John Parker, call out. Everyone referred to him as J.P. except for his beautiful wife, Tammy, Rye’s sister.
Sadie met her older brother’s gaze and instantly gulped. He knew! Somehow he knew.
“Darn it, Sadie,” Shelby said, coming over and kneeling in front of her. “You went and found our half-sister, didn’t you? Did you think we wouldn’t guess?”
Tears popped into her eyes. Somehow it was a relief they’d sussed it out on their own, no speech necessary. “I suppose it makes sense since you were the one to come up with the plan to find Daddy.”
No one else said a word, but Shelby reached for her hand.
“I couldn’t help myself!” she cried out, feeling her eyes well with tears. “She’s our sister. I…just couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
“Oh, don’t cry,” Shelby said. “I had Vander find her already too. I just didn’t know what to do about it.”
“You did?” she asked.
“Of course,” Shelby said, putting her hand on her heart. “If I weren’t so focused on being with Vander, I probably would have come up with a plan by now. What did you do?”
“I invited her to join my quilting class,” Sadie said. “When I saw Boone in the nursery, I walked by the NICU too, and it broke my heart to see those preemies and sickly newborns. I told the rest of the ladies in my class about it, and we agreed to make quilts for babies in the NICU. I told Paige it was for a good cause. But she already knew about us.” Sadie still hadn’t gotten over that shock.
“Wait a sec,” her sister Susannah said, darting over and kneeling beside Shelby, whose mouth parted like a trout. “She knew about us?”
“Sounds like we’d all better sit down,” J.P. said, ever the practical one. “And start at the beginning.”
When everyone had found a perch, she told them how easy it had been to find Paige and how nice she seemed on Facebook.
“Yeah, I found her in less than five minutes,” Vander said. “She wasn’t concealing anything. I took it from her Facebook photos that she isn’t in touch with her mother or her grandparents. I agree she looked pleasant. And her husband is a middle school guidance counselor.”
“Well, that’s a noble profession,” Rye said. “Young people with problems are terrifying.”
Tory shot Rye another look. “Keep going, Sadie. Tell us what she said.”
“Well, I was so nervous when I arrived, but her next-door neighbor was looking after Haley—that’s Paige and Mark’s daughter—and his own. They’re both seven and they reminded me of Annabelle. Know their own minds. I wasn’t as nervous for a while. I showed them the baby quilt I’d brought as a sample, and then they saw my picture of Annabelle’s princess quilt.”
“Okay, that’s great, but get to the point,” Shelby said, tapping her knee. “What did she say when she saw you?”
Sadie still wouldn’t forget that first moment. “Her husband had just introduced himself, and I said my first name, but before I could get to my last name, Paige said it for me. I’ve never been so…shell-shocked. Okay, I have, but this was up there.”
“Sadie!” Shelby cried out. “Get to the point.”
“Fine, in sum, her mother sounds like a horrible person who told her all sorts of lies about our daddy and us. Paige doesn’t talk to her now. She’s made her own family with Mark—who is the sweetest guy—and their daughter. She just figured we were part of a closed storybook.”
“How did she take you coming to her home?” J.P. asked.
“She’s coming to my quilting class!” Even now, the very idea of it made her want to cry tears of joy. “She said it took a lot of courage for me to find her.”
“Oh, good Lord, I’m going to start bawling,” Shelby said. “Sadie McGuiness, don’t you just beat all.”
Sadie wiped away her tears. “Susannah, what do you think?” Of all her siblings, she was the hardest to read in these moments. She had also been dead set against finding their daddy in the beginning, so Sadie was especially nervous about her opinion.
“I’m…hopeful,” her sister said in a raspy voice. “I’ve thought about her too, you know. She didn’t deserve to be born into a situation like that, and we’ve all been hurt by the same man. Even if she’s never met our daddy.”
The mere thought of him still hurt Sadie, and she wondered if she’d ever give up the hope that her daddy might up and change and reconcile with them. That he’d repent for all the bad things he’d done. Despite the way he’d run away from Vander over a month ago, his tail between his legs, she couldn’t help hoping. How did a daughter completely close her heart to the man who was her daddy?
Jake put his arm around his wife, and she snuggled close. “You were pretty brave, Sadie.”
She shrugged. “I figured being invited to a quilting class was low pressure. You know?”
“Does she even like to quilt?” Shelby asked.
She found herself laughing. “I don’t know. But she’ll be there Monday night.”
“Do you think we could come too?” Shelby asked.
“But you don’t like to quilt.”
“I still want to meet her,” Shelby said.
“Me too,” Susannah reiterated with a nod.
Sadie had hoped for this possibility. Prayed for it. All her sisters together, united by an activity she loved. Still…
“I feel like I’d better ask her,” she said. “I mean, one McGuiness might be enough of a shock at first. Let me find out how she feels.”
Like she probably should have done before agreeing to a date with Paige’s next-door neighbor. Heavens, she hadn’t expected he’d call her that same night. Men always said they were going to call, but some waited three days because that’s what all of the dating articles said about not looking too eager. But Riley had not only called, he’d sounded eager about it too, and in her surprise and excitement she’d agreed to a Friday night date. They’d hung up before she could properly think it through, and she’d paced a little that night, wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Except something told her it was right. Riley wasn’t just handsome. He’d appreciated her talent, and he was sweet. The way he had with those two girls was a clear indication of that. It had been a long time since she’d met a man with those attributes. Was she crazy for not wanting to pass this up? And what was she going to tell him about her and Paige?
Oh, stop it, Sadie, this is not the time to be worrying over that.
“That sounds like a reasonable approach,” J.P. said. “Of course, I’d like to meet her too, though not at your quilting class.”
“I can just see you sewing together those squares, J.P.,” Rye drawled. “No offense, honey.”
“None taken,” Sadie told him.
“Have you thought about what to tell Mama?” J.P. asked.
The million-dollar question had arrived. “Of course. I figured I’d tell y’all first. After all, she’s our half
-sister—no relation to Mama per se. I don’t want to hurt Mama, but after everything we put her through…”
Everyone’s faces seemed to fall. The pain they’d felt from that particular revelation had nearly decimated them, and they were all healing in their own time.
“I figure Mama always chooses love,” Sadie said softly, “even when it’s hard—and she’d be happy for us if it turns out Paige and all of us become friends somehow.”
She didn’t use the word family. She’d made sure to keep her expectations low this time.
“Let’s see how your first quilting class goes with her before we decide anything. It might be a good idea for you to go alone this time, Sadie,” J.P. said.
“Whew!” Shelby said. “I would have gone to your class, but quilting is so not my thing.”
Sadie couldn’t help but smile a little at that. Her sister had never had the patience to sit and sew.
“When and if the time comes,” J.P. said, “I’ll mention something to Mama. I have a feeling she’s expecting it.”
Susannah and Tammy nodded their heads in agreement.
“She has to know,” Shelby said. “I mean, after we tried to find Daddy…”
“Maybe she thought you’d be so disappointed by his actions you wouldn’t want to look for your half-sister?” Vander said.
“I can see how you might think that,” Shelby said, “but Mama would know we wouldn’t let a disappointment like that put us on our backsides forever.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Vander said, looking at her in that special way that showed his regard. “I have to say, after doing a thorough workup on Paige and her husband, I’m hopeful too.”
“That means a lot, coming from you,” J.P. said. “Okay, so Sadie will continue to be the McGuiness ambassador and see how things go with Paige. Should you feel like it’s okay to share, please tell her that all of us hope to meet her someday.”
“Oh, I kinda hate it that you got the jump on me,” Shelby said, “but I’m also so darn proud of you. This took guts.”
