Leah shrugged away. “I’m sorry, Paige, but Trev and I can’t stay. Let’s get together some other time, okay?”
Trev blinked. Everything was happening so fast. Were they leaving? Shouldn’t Leah go after her father and try to make this right? Her father was stubborn, but Leah had said some hurtful things, too. Such a short exchange, but it carried barbs that left their mark.
Paige nodded. “I’m sorry, Leah. I promise I didn’t set this up.”
“I know.” Leah leaned against Trev. He absorbed the hurt rising in her as if it were his own.
Leah continued, “Give the boys a kiss for me. We’ll talk soon.” Leah squeezed her sister’s hand before reaching for Trev.
Trev encircled her small and cold fingers within his own, trying to somehow bandage the wound that had been ripped opened between father and daughter.
Paige showed them to the door.
Silently, Trev and Leah walked to the car. When they arrived at the driver’s side of the vehicle, he asked, “Want me to drive?”
“No. I’m good.” Her voice was wooden and flat.
He opened the door and helped her in before hurrying to the passenger side of the VW. The heat along with his earlier helplessness pressed in on him, making it hard to breathe. This was not how this afternoon was supposed to go. Everything was falling apart, and he couldn’t do anything about it. He folded himself into the passenger side of the VW and slammed the door. Leah turned the key and backed out of the drive, saying nothing.
Once on the road out of town, Trev noticed the summer storm massing itself on the horizon. Iron-clad clouds boiled in the sky, blocking the sun. The afternoon turned still, sultry, and heavy. Leah didn’t like storms. He turned his attention away from the thunderheads and focused on Leah. “Want to talk about it?”
Leah had regained her color, but her eyes were still flat. “Not really. There isn’t anything to say. You were there. You see how he is.”
“Leah, pull over,” Trev said.
Leah found a place, nudged the VW to the side of the road, and put the car in first before turning off the engine. They both opened the doors to the car, but without a breeze, the relentless heat rushed in, making it hard to think.
Trev wiped his brow. “What did you mean when you told your dad you’re not like him and you’ll never make the same mistakes he made?”
Leah tightened her jaw and looked away from Trev.
He touched her arm, his voice softening with honest curiosity. “What did you mean?”
Leah tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “He had the opportunity to go to college, and he messed it up. He got distracted and made some poor choices and was put on scholastic probation. He knew he’d never make it to med school, so he quit. He went to work at his father’s mechanic shop.”
Trev began to understand. “And he thinks you’ll do the same thing.”
Leah nodded.
Trev thought hard. Maybe this could still be fixed. What needed to happen to make things right? “You’ll have to apologize, you know. The way you hurled those words at him like a fastball. All that talk of government aid had to hurt. Could you have asked to speak to him privately?”
Leah shook her head. “I’m tired of living under his fear and his poverty. I won’t quit school, and I’m not apologizing. His treatment of you …” She paused. “… of us … is what requires an apology.”
Disappointment over Leah’s choices crowded in Trev’s heart. “I won’t get in between whatever is going on between you and your father, but did you see his face?”
A hint of guilt overshadowed Leah’s brow. “Yeah.” She looked down at her hands. “Still, he’ll need to approach me first with an apology.”
Trev shook his head. “I wouldn’t handle it that way, but it’s your family.” He hesitated, pushing away the disappointment over the failed introduction. “Look, it doesn’t matter what your dad thinks of me. After what happened with Desiree, I can take anything. So, don’t feel the need to defend me.” He shrugged. “And who knows? He may loosen up after a while. Besides, Paige is right. You’re a grown woman. You can be with whoever you choose, and frankly …” Trev raised his eyebrows. “I think you’ve made an excellent choice.”
Leah’s mouth tugged upward in a smile before she broke out in a small laugh.
Relief flooded through Trev. He’d been able to lighten her mood. “You will become a doctor, Leah, if that’s what you want. We’ll figure it out together.”
Leah shook her head. “You don’t have to say that,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of baggage that goes along with my family.”
“You think you’ve got a corner on that market?” Trev laughed. “Every family has baggage. That’s probably the first thing they teach you in med school. You’ve been pawing through my family’s suitcases for weeks now.” He paused. “Then there’s Allison. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with her, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Leah laughed again.
He turned in the car to face her. This wasn’t how he’d pictured this conversation going. He’d hoped for romance, candles, and a corner booth at The Grand Tavern. Instead, he was stuck in the passenger’s seat in an old yellow VW with sweat trickling down his back. But the words wouldn’t let him go. They needed to be said. “The thing is, Leah, I love you. I’ll love you through your cranky father and your cranky fights with him. I just love you.”
The air in the car grew quiet and calm. Trev barely breathed. Had he said too much? Maybe this was the wrong time. The words had burst from him with happy release, but Leah just blinked at him, her wide gray eyes filling with tears. Was this to be the greatest letdown of his life? Maybe she didn’t feel the same or the argument with her father had given her second thoughts.
Leah blinked away her tears. “Are you sure? After everything you’ve witnessed this afternoon, are you sure you want this?”
Happiness broke through Trev’s doubt and worry. “More than anything,” he whispered, gently moving toward her. He cupped her jaw in his hand and kissed her forehead, the taste of salt on his lips. He tilted her chin toward him. His mouth found hers, sweet and yielding as her lips moved with his. “More than anything,” he murmured.
“And I love you, Trev,” she whispered, her breath soft and warm against his cheek. “Through your cranky sister and any and all past secrets.”
Softly, he pulled away and caressed her cheek. Her lips were full and pink with their kiss. He wanted to taste her again and bent near, his mouth caressing hers. The aroma of crushed roses lingered as he deepened his kiss. Her skin underneath his hand was petal soft. “All our past secrets,” he murmured as the first drops of a hard rain splattered against the windshield.
Chapter 19
Leah didn’t stay at Trev’s when she took him home. She didn’t want to face his happy parents after having a fight with her own. Her and Trev’s shared declaration of love brought her so much happiness, and she resented having to make room for the angry words spoken in Paige’s home.
Driving back to her apartment, she wished she’d responded differently. Instead of hurling her father’s shame at him like a flaming cannonball, she could’ve asked to speak to him in private, as Trev had suggested. Why hadn’t she thought of that? If they’d separated themselves from everyone, they could’ve at least spared Trev and the rest of the family.
Pulling into the lot of her apartment complex, she found her parking stall and stepped out of the car into the muggy furnace of the day before making her way to her door. The heat inside her home stifled her. The earlier storm had brushed by without much rain, instead leaving a trail of oppressive humidity.
Shedding her clothes on the way to the bathroom, Leah quickly showered before throwing on her oversized T-shirt and pajama shorts.
Thunder rumbled, rattling Leah’s window. She rose from her bed and looked out. Another storm loomed on the horizon. Would this one be a direct hit? She shivered with dread in spite of the heat.
Her phone ran
g, and she turned from the window. Her mother’s number flashed on the screen. Voicemail? No. It would deepen the insult, and Leah didn’t want to cause any more pain.
“Hi, Mom,” Leah said tentatively.
“Hello, dear. How are you?” her mother asked.
A cooling hint of contrition wedged into Leah’s heated irritation. The words she’d thrown at her father couldn’t help but taint her mother. “I’m fine, Mom. Just getting ready for bed.” Tears surfaced, but she hurriedly brushed them away as her emotions fell into turmoil. She reached for righteous indignation. Didn’t she have a right to be angry? Her father’s behavior was maddening. “I’m glad you took the twins out of the room. There’s no reason for them to see any of that.”
“Yes. I agree. We didn’t stay long. Paige was very insistent on understanding what had happened all those years ago, and your father refused to explain. We left for home.”
Leah pleaded her case, desperate for her mother to see her perspective. “Mom, I’m sorry for everything Dad’s been through, but I’m not like him. I’ve already made it through three years of school. I’ll be a nurse by this time next year, and on my way to med school. Trev …” She hesitated. “Trev is helping me.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to learn about him. If there’s anything about your father’s behavior that bothers me, it’s that. He made you choose, and at this stage of life, you won’t choose him.”
Leah breathed a sigh of relief. At least her mother understood.
“But Leah …” Her mother’s voice grew stern. “You shouldn’t have made that comparison between the two of you with such hurtful words. Your father works hard.”
As do you, Mom. That reality weighted Leah’s guilt as her defenses struggled to find a toehold. “Yes, I know. But he needs to realize that I’m not like him. I’ll never desert my schooling for a man or let my grades sink.”
“I know that, but your father lives with that very mistake, and he’s afraid for you, Leah. He had the best of intentions when he went to school, too. He knows how easy it is to get derailed.”
Leah gritted her teeth with irritation. “Can we just concede that maybe I’m more mature now than he was back then?”
Her mother’s tone sharpened. “I’m well aware of that, Leah.”
Leah took a deep breath. Her mother’s acknowledgment meant a lot. “Thank you.”
“And your father will understand soon enough. Just give him some time.”
“I don’t like how he treated Trev.” Leah’s grievance took a hard edge.
“I didn’t like that either, sweetie,” her mother replied. “So, why don’t you tell me about him? What is he like?”
Leah brimmed with the desire to share Trev with her mother. “Oh, Mom, he’s wonderful. He treats his parents with such care, and he’s so good to me. He’s such a gentleman, always pulling out my chair or opening my door.” Her voice softened. “He told me he loved me today.”
“And do you love him?” her mother asked.
“Yeah. I do,” Leah stated with boldness. She hurried on. “We’ve been so honest with each other, and I think our relationship will take some work, but it’s worth it.”
“So, he’s not expecting you to quit school and become his little piece of arm candy?”
Leah was anxious for her mother to see the good in Trev. “No. He wants me to become a doctor, too.” She bit her lip with hesitation before continuing, “He’s helping me pay for the first two years of medical school.”
Her mother gasped. “Oh my. This does sound serious. Leah, do you trust him?”
The question lingered. Trust. One of the many things Justin had stolen from her, but Trev had restored. “Yeah. I do.”
Silence hung on the line for a brief moment before Leah’s mother spoke. “I’m happy for you, dear. He sounds like a wonderful man. Now, I’m going to give you a little piece of motherly advice. Are you ready?”
Even though Leah appreciated her mother’s respectful approach, she pinched her lips together, steeling herself against her mother’s warning to play it safe and break up with Trev. “Yes.”
Her mother continued, “Paige told me he lives at The Cove.”
Leah blinked in surprise. Paige must’ve told her parents about Trev. She squelched the sprouting anger and gave her sister the benefit of the doubt. Her mother would pepper Paige with questions about Trev, and Paige would feel obligated to share what she knew. Leah refocused on her mother.
“The very wealthy think differently than the rest of us. Do you understand?”
Leah didn’t like her mother’s cautionary words, but she couldn’t dispute them. Her mother worked in the homes of wealthy people every day. Besides, her personal experience with Allison made it clear her mother was right.
Her mom continued, “There can sometimes be a sense of entitlement and a disregard for those who don’t run in their same circles. It can’t be helped, I suppose. There’s a cultural difference.”
“Yes,” Leah started slowly. “I see that in his household.” She hated to admit to this fault when it came to the Michaels family, but it existed. “He has a sister who sees the world that way.” She wanted to distance Trev from his sister. “But Trev works very hard at their real estate and property management business, so he doesn’t just sit in his ivory tower. He’s exposed to all kinds of people. He’s not like that.”
“I’m glad to hear it. And I’ve only heard good things of those families who live in The Cove. I look forward to meeting him one day. But in the meantime, just remember what I’ve said.” She paused. “And be gentle with your father. He’s so proud of you, Leah. Everywhere we go, he talks about his daughter who’s going to become a doctor. And after everything that’s happened in his life, he deserves a little pride. Give him the benefit of the doubt, will you?”
Leah softened. “Yeah, I can do that, but I’m not ready to apologize, Mom. He owes me and Trev an apology, and I’m not backing down on that.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t excuse your behavior.”
Fresh guilt riddled Leah, but she reached for the passion of her indignation.
Her mother continued, “Just think about what I’ve said.”
Leah’s stiff anger yielded under her mother’s patient understanding. “I will,” she promised.
“Now, get some sleep. We both have a full day of work tomorrow.”
Leah said a soft goodbye, but her thoughts remained with her mother. In the morning, she would be working in the luxurious homes of others, doing their dishes, mopping their floors, and cleaning their toilets and shower grout. Her father would be looking under the hoods of an untold number of cars, up to his elbows in grease and grime.
Whispers of Leah’s conversation with her father when she’d been fifteen filtered back to her. With an earnest promise, he’d pledged to her that he and her mother would take on extra hours in order to save money for Leah’s schooling. They never needed public assistance again, but it’d required a sixty-hour week from both of her parents as they’d tried to save money for her schooling while raising four girls. And every night during their family prayer, her father would thank the Lord for the extra work, never once complaining.
Self-reproach rode in on the earlier smoke of Leah’s fiery and defensive anger. How could she rob him of the pleasure he extracted from telling others about his med-school-bound daughter? She shook her head. She didn’t want to take that away from him, but she did want to determine her own path to that end, and she yearned to be free of his past mistakes.
Chapter 20
Leah got the text from Trev the minute she woke up. I won’t be here when you arrive. I’m meeting with the lawyers down in Little Rock to deal with the situation in Colorado. But I won’t be long. I’ll be home before dinner. I’m taking Dad with me. Take care of Mom, and I’ll see you soon.
Leah’s hope of seeing Trev deflated a little. It’d been a week since their confessions of love, but everyday still felt brand new. She sent him a q
uick text telling him she looked forward to seeing him later in the evening.
When she arrived at the Michaels home, she was greeted by Sanders, who wore a tense expression. “What’s going on?” Concern laced Leah’s question.
“Miss Allison is on a rampage again.” Sanders winced. “It’s always worse when Mr. Trev isn’t home.”
Leah recalled the last time Trev had been away and the disastrous conversation that had taken place between herself and Allison. She strained to hear. Voices from upstairs trickled down. Leah began to make her way to the staircase.
“Don’t go up there, miss,” Sanders said. “Sometimes, the less you know, the better it is.”
Leah furrowed her brow in shock at Sanders’s words. “I have to go. It’s my job.” She hurried up the stairs.
The carpet kept her footfalls hidden as she came to Paul and Rebecca’s bedroom, where she peeked around the corner. Allison stood over her mother, who sat on the bed with a credit card in her hand.
“This is my money,” Rebecca said. “Your allowance is more than mine, anyway. If you’re spending seven thousand a month on your vlogging business and bringing in nothing, that’s a bad venture, Allison. It’s time you faced the music and chose another vocation.”
Embarrassed, Leah held her breath. Maybe she shouldn’t be here, witnessing such a personal display of family conflict. Confusion set in. Taking care of Rebecca was her job, but did that mean protecting her from her own daughter?
“I’m doing this for Desiree,” Allison spit out. “She said I had talent.”
“That girl didn’t exactly bring out the best in you,” Rebecca retorted.
“It’s your fault she’s dead,” Allison hissed. “We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you and Dad. Desiree would still be alive and happily married to Trev in Seattle. You ruined everything.”
Leah’s earlier confusion cleared. This argument was spinning out of control, and she needed to intervene. She was about to step around the corner but was stopped by Rebecca’s words.
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