“Well, it might not be that easy,” Beth replied in a low voice, not looking at Steve. “Gracie means the world to David. He’s not just going to give her up to you without a fight.”
Steve looked at Beth strangely, suddenly wondering how much she really knew. “Beth, I am not taking her away. David’s her uncle. Why would he think that I would take her away from him?”
“Because you took Sarah away,” she answered softly.
Steve closed his eyes for a moment. They had never discussed his relationship with David before. Steve knew that, beyond a doubt, her words were not her own, but beliefs that David must have shared with her. “Beth,” he began slowly, “you don’t believe that, do you?”
Beth looked away. “David believes it,” she replied quietly.
Steve sat quietly for a moment, watching Beth’s profile. She could not seem to meet his eye, and there was a strange tautness in her face. Steve felt heaviness in his chest. Deborah had been right. She did know David, and for all Steve knew, Beth might be in contact with him still. She might have even told David that Steve now knew the truth about Gracie.
“You were the nurse that David was seeing after he broke up with Deborah,” he said finally.
Beth said nothing, but she didn’t seem surprised that Steve knew about her relationship with David.
“Beth, we’ve hung out all summer,” Steve reasoned with her. “You know me. You must know that David’s anger at me is obsessive! Yes, I was driving the car when the accident happened, but that’s the point, it was an accident! I didn’t wreck the car on purpose. I didn't want to hurt Sarah.”
Beth shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to David. In his eyes, you are not fit to raise Gracie.” She told him bluntly. “Maybe you didn’t know, but this was going to be his last deployment. He always intended to settle down when his parents got too old or sick to care for her properly, and with his mother’s cancer, he’d put in for a local assignment. You can’t expect him to be pleased that you’re back and taking his place.”
“And you think he should get custody of her, not me?” Steve asked her incredulously.
“It’s not what I think, it’s what he believes is his right! It’ll be like you’re taking his sister away from him again.” She explained.
“I didn’t take his sister away!” He exploded in frustration. “He was the one who shut me out! I lost six years with Gracie, and Sarah! I can never get that time back!”
Beth did not seem moved by his outburst. “I just thought you should know, that’s all,” she said, her voice obstinate, and Steve knew that if he asked her, Beth would side with David’s desires, not his rights. “He’s not going to be happy when he finds out that you know about Gracie.”
“You haven’t told him?” Steve asked her sharply.
Beth shook her head. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
“It’s time we get back,” he said dully.
The trip back to the dock was quieter than usual. Of course, the roar of the boat’s motor precluded any but the most determined conversation, but in the past there had always been a camaraderie that was missing now. Steve was shocked to learn that, even after spending so much time together this spring and summer, Beth was choosing to see him through David’s eyes. Steve felt a true sense of loss. Unless he and David should somehow reconcile, he supposed his friendship with Beth was drawing to an end.
David. Steve stirred uneasily. He would be home in a couple of weeks, and then what? Steve had told no one the truth about the incident on the cliff. No one knew just how far David was willing to go to destroy him. Even so, Steve had made up his mind to stay. Running back to Hanging Rock would solve nothing. And he wasn’t going to give Gracie up so easily.
At least one thing had changed in his favor, he mused. Through several long talks with Pastor Graham and his mother, the Bolton’s were now aware how David had lied about Steve. They knew that David had forged a false order to keep him away from Sarah at the hospital, and then later at the facility in Wilmington. With Lee Ann and Richard so devastated by the accident, followed by the shock of Sarah’s pregnancy, it had been easy for David to step in to the breach, and arrange so many things in his parents’ names. He had even stopped giving out the home phone number and had all calls routed to his cell phone. David had successfully cut Lee Ann and Richard off from Steve and his parents, as well as from the one Pastor who was in touch with the Williams family, and knew Steve’s heart. Over the course of the last few weeks the four of them had retraced the sad past and discovered that so many of the old hurts had derived from David’s determination to cut Steve out of their lives completely.
“Can you forgive us?” Lee Ann sniffed through sad tears, as they learned that, far from abandoning Sarah, Steve had made regular attempts to circumvent the standing order he had believed Lee Ann and Richard had set to try and see her in Wilmington.
Steve shrugged, unable to quite keep the bitterness out of his voice. “What’s there for me to forgive?” he said. “It wasn’t what any of us wanted, but it was no more your fault than mine. David arranged it all, and why wouldn’t we all trust David?”
A slightly uncomfortable silence filled the dining room. The Bolton’s looked troubled, but neither one of them could think of a response.
Reverend Graham leaned forward over the now familiar dining room table at the Bolton’s house. “The past can’t be changed, but we can let go of it and start over. What’s important is this family. Gracie’s family. All of you are a part of her, including her Uncle David, whom she loves dearly, I gather. The question is, what are you all going to do now?” He looked from one side of the table to the other, waiting.
The Bolton’s stared at Steve, and Steve stared back, fighting the desire to tell them what he had learned from Beth, and just how determined David might be to get what he wanted. Instead he remained carefully neutral. Just how many accusations against their only remaining child would they accept as truth, coming from him?
At last, Steve gave his pastor a wry smile and cleared his throat. “After seeing him last summer, it’s pretty clear he is still very angry. Some things...” he paused and took a breath to give himself time to choose his words carefully. “Some things happened last summer between us that were pretty ugly. I think that I could try to forgive, but I am not sure that he would be willing to try, at least not any time soon. I guess, the question for me is, what are you two planning to do?”
Richard sighed heavily. “It’s time this foolishness comes to an end. Lee Ann and I will have to confront him with the truth, and we will just have to make him see reason. He loves Gracie, like she was his own child. It may be rough at first, but I know that he will want the best for her in the end.”
Steve wished that he shared Richard’s certainty and optimism. He suspected that David might consider totally removing Steve from the picture as ‘the best thing’ for Gracie, no matter what his parents said. But he could only wait and see.
“So,” he said briskly, changing the subject to something dear to his heart. “When do you feel would be a good time to tell Gracie that she has a real daddy?”
Lee Ann smiled at the hopeful look in Steve’s eyes. She glanced toward her husband for confirmation. “Would now be a good time for you?” She asked, her eyes twinkling. “She’ll be home in a few minutes.”
Ch 27
Truth and Consequences
Lee Ann had just finished setting out the hot fudge, nuts and whipped cream when the crash of the front door, and the thump of a book bag flung haphazardly in the hallway heralded Gracie’s noisy arrival. She bounced into the dining room, and then stopped short at the sight of so many adults. Yet almost immediately, her eyes slid toward the ice cream toppings in front of her.
Lee Ann smiled fondly at Gracie. “Good,” she said. “You got home just in time. We’re having a little celebration, would you like a hot fudge sundae?
Gracie nodded vigorously. “Can I make it myself?” She asked, accepting the bowl of ice cream
and carrying it carefully to the table.
“Whatever you like,” Lee Ann agreed.
Steve, Richard, and Pastor Graham each took a bowl that Lee Ann had prepared and got in line behind Gracie. When she had trouble with the whipped cream bottle, Steve helped her squirt a small mountain onto her sundae, and then he squirted a dab on her freckled nose. Gracie laughed and tried unsuccessfully to reach the dollup with her tongue.
She is so beautiful, just like her mother,” Steve thought as he wiped the dot of whipped cream from her nose and ruffled her thick black hair. His heart was pounding with anticipation. They were such good friends, that he knew she would be excited to learn he was also her daddy. But first, he had to get through this bowl of ice cream.
They took their seats at the dining room table, where Richard had hastily draped some crepe paper and taped a cluster of balloons to the chandelier, while Steve had run home and picked up a worn, blue velvet bag that had been tucked in the top drawer of his dresser since last summer. He’d made one more stop at a jewelry store and bought a sturdy yet feminine silver chain. The velvet bag now sat in front of Gracie’s seat at the table.
As Gracie scooped huge spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth, she eyed the small bag with avid curiosity. “What’s that?” She asked at last, looking from her grandparents to Steve.
Steve smiled with nervous anticipation. “It’s a gift from me to you, Gracie. Would you like to open it?”
She nodded, and pushed her empty ice cream bowl aside. Slowly, she loosened the drawstrings and pulled out Sarah’s ring, now hanging from the silver chain. “Dolphins!” She cried happily. “Gramma, look at the dolphins!”
Lee Ann oohed appropriately and gave the ring back to Gracie.
“It’s on a chain so you can wear it whenever you like,” Steve explained. “It’s too big for you because it was a gift I was going to give to your mother before you were born, but I never got the chance. So now, I would like for you to have it.”
Gracie held it up to chandelier and smiled with pleasure, as the lights created rainbow sparkles on the tiny diamond. “Did my mother like dolphins?” Gracie asked, turning the ring from side to side to see how the sparkles glittered and glimmered.
“Uh huh,” Steve replied, smiling at her fascination. Any time we went to the beach we looked to see if the dolphins were there, too,” Steve told her.
Gracie looked at Steve with a new curiosity. “I didn’t know you were friends with my mommy. Was she pretty?”
Steve nodded. “When she was little she looked just like you do now. And when she grew up, she was even prettier, and smart, too. She loved to laugh. I loved your mommy very much, Gracie. That’s why I bought her this ring. I wanted to marry her.”
“But she got hurt and couldn’t wake up,” said Gracie in a sad little voice. She slipped the chain around her neck and looked down at it admiringly.
Richard cleared his throat. “Sarah Grace, what do you say when someone gives you a gift?”
Grace blushed and gave Steve a winning grin. “Oops. Sorry, Mr. Steve. Thank you very much for my dolphin ring.”
“Gracie, honey,” Lee Ann said with a nervous little smile. “The party tonight is a special celebration for you and for Mr. Steve. Can you listen to me while I tell you why today is special?”
Grace looked up from her ring and fastened her eyes curiously on her grandmother.
Lee Ann took a deep breath. “We have known Mr. Steve for a very long time, Gracie. In fact, he wasn’t much older than you when he became Uncle David’s best friend. He was friends with your mommy, too, and when they grew up, they fell in love.
Gracie wrinkled her nose and giggled at the thought. “Yuck,” she said.
Lee Ann sighed. “Honey, Mr. Steve was in the same accident that hurt your mommy, only he did get better after a long time. He thought we were mad at him because he was driving the car, so when he left to go to school, we never saw him again until that day that you found him at the doctor’s office!
Gracie grinned up at Steve. You signed my arm and I signed your knee!” She reminded him.
“He was surprised when he saw you, Gracie, because he never knew about you. You were born after he went away. So meeting you was a very special day for him.”
Gracie was getting bored. She slid the ring over two of her fingers, where it still hung loosely. She wiggled her hand to pretend the dolphins were diving through waves. “Why was it so special?” She asked looking up.
Steve was sitting beside Gracie. He turned to face her, so that he was at her eye level. He took her hands in his. “Gracie, that was the day I found out that I was a daddy. I am your daddy, Sarah Grace!” Steve’s eyes shone with expectant light, as he watched her face for her reaction to the wonderful news.
He was not prepared at all for what happened next. For a moment, there was an awful silence. Then Gracie’s face crumpled and a wail of terror filled the room. She snatched her fingers out of his, and clawed frantically at the chain around her neck as if it was suddenly burning her skin. It snapped and the ring flew across the room as she flung it far from her. In moments she was burying her face in Lee Ann’s arms sobbing hysterically on her shoulder.
Lee Ann rocked her helplessly, stroking her head. “What’s wrong, baby?” She pleaded with the child. “Why are you so scared?”
“He killed her!” Came the muffled reply. “He murdered mommy! Uncle David told me so! Now he wants to hurt me too!”
Richard had joined Lee Ann, and both grandparents sought to soothe the terrified child. “No, Gracie!” Richard tried to assure her. “You know Mr. Steve. He would never hurt you. He loves you, sweetie.”
But Gracie was hearing none of it. “I want my Uncle David!” She wailed. “He promised to protect me! Where’s my Uncle David!”
Steve remained in his seat staring in stunned silence as his daughter screamed in terror at the sight of him. He had no idea what to do. A firm hand squeezed his shoulder. “Steve, let’s go to the den, and give them a chance to get her quieted down,” Reverend Graham, said compassionately. Steve nodded dumbly and followed Robert Graham down the hall to the office by the front door.
He leaned miserably against the wall as he listened to Gracie’s loud sobs. “She thinks I killed her mother!” Steve said aloud to Reverend Graham, his voice filled with shocked incredulity. “David’s even managed to infect her mind with his lies!” Steve’s head began to throb as his anger nearly overwhelmed him. He pounded his fist in frustration against the wall.
“Lee Ann and Richard will sort it out,” Reverend Graham said soothingly. “Just give them a little while to talk with her. Sit down, now.”
“And do what?” Steve growled furiously.
“Pray for peace and the Spirit of Truth to reign in this house at last,” he admonished Steve. “Pray for your own peace to return, too,” he added, as he walked to the office door. “She’ll believe the lies all over again if she sees your face looking like that.”
“Where are you going?” Steve asked anxiously, suddenly not wanting to sit in the room by himself.
“Just to get some coffee,” he replied grimly. “We could be here awhile.”
When he returned with the steaming mugs, he set them on the coffee table and joined Steve on the sofa. “I think,” he said slowly, knowing his words would not be well received at the moment, “that we need to pray for David.”
Steve’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I can do that right now,” he answered in a heated voice.
“All the more reason to do it now,” Reverend Graham replied, not at all dissuaded by Steve’s angry refusal. “But we’ll work our way up to it. Let’s start by praying for Gracie. She’s had quite a shock tonight.”
Steve didn’t feel much like praying at all at the moment, but he could hardly refuse to pray for his own daughter. He bowed his head, and allowed his pastor to lead them. Almost against his will he felt his spirit soothed by the calming words of worship. Twenty minutes passed as the two men bowe
d their heads in prayer for each member of the house, including David Bolton. As Reverend Graham had promised, by the time they placed their requests for David in front of Jesus, Steve was able to add his own prayer for reconciliation and harmony in the Bolton family. They were still praying when Richard appeared in the doorway. Slightly embarrassed to be interrupting a sacred moment, Richard cleared his throat. Steve looked up, and Richard could see that the hurt and anger had drained away. Steve’s eyes were tired but peaceful.
“We’ve talked to her,” he told them. “I think that she’s ready to speak to you, if you want to try again.”
Steve nodded to Richard and turned grateful eyes on his pastor. “Thanks,” he said simply, and quietly followed Richard back to the dining room. Steve looked around the room. Bowls of half eaten ice cream lay melting in dark puddles of hot fudge. The balloons, meant to be signs of celebration, now appeared mocking and garish to his wounded spirit. And Grace. She sat in her grandmother’s lap, still red eyed, and hiccupping, but quiet.
Steve sat on the chair next to her. He spoke softly. “I’m so sorry that we scared you tonight, honey,” he apologized solemnly. “If we had known what Uncle David had told you, we would have waited, and explained it better. I would never want to hurt you, Gracie. Please believe me.”
Grace studied him through her huge gray eyes. She sniffed once and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Uncle David told me that my daddy was driving the car, and he killed my mommy,” Grace told him stubbornly. “Why would my Uncle David lie to me?”
Steve sighed. The nightmare of that night was never going to end, he thought tiredly. At last he nodded. “Uncle David told you that, because that’s what he believes,” he told Gracie. “I was driving the car, but we had an accident.” Steve pursed his lips and thought for a moment. “Remember when you played with the ball in the house last week, and you broke the window?” He asked her.
Gracie hung her head and frowned. She didn’t want to be reminded. She nodded slightly. “Gracie, when you threw the ball, did you want to break the window? Did you do it on purpose?” She shook her head vigorously.
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