Mending the Widow's Heart

by Mia Ross

  “It’ll get easier,” Holly said, hoping against hope that it was true. “I made a grocery run while Oliver was visiting this afternoon, so we’re all stocked up again. What would you like for lunch tomorrow?”

  “Lobster bisque and crab puffs.”

  “We don’t have—”

  “At The Minuteman,” Daphne finished in a no-nonsense tone, referring to the town’s iconic restaurant. “I haven’t been there in weeks, and I want to see everyone. I’m way behind on the town gossip.”

  “I’ve got a fridge full of things to cook. What if I broil up some of that salmon I bought today? It’s so fresh, I’m pretty sure it winked at me.”

  “No.” Daphne pressed her lips together in a firm line and shook her head like a petulant child. “I don’t want people thinking I’m some helpless old lady, stuck in her house when summer’s going on all around her. That’s just pathetic.”

  She’d been out on various excursions several times, so she was hardly a prisoner, Holly groused silently. But she was too tired to be reasonable, so she shot back, “Why do you care what they think? You never have before.”

  “I do now.”

  As their argument spiraled into a full-on fight, Holly felt herself teetering on the edge of a meltdown. In her previous visits with Daphne, they’d spent their time jetting here and there or tooling around in her convertible, enjoying days filled with shopping and fun. While she considered herself to be competent and levelheaded, Holly was rapidly coming to the conclusion that she was totally unqualified as a chauffeur-slash-caregiver to the stars. Overwhelmed by frustration, she blurted out the question that had dominated her thoughts since she stumbled across the truth of who she was.

  “Who’s Ian Bennett?”

  Chapter Eight

  Every bit of color drained from Daphne’s face, and she slumped back against the throw pillows in what Holly feared was an honest-to-goodness faint. Rushing forward, she caught her mother and was relieved to discover that she was still conscious.

  But that was small consolation when she saw the horror that suddenly darkened the aging beauty’s features. Holly had been the one to find Brady’s lifeless body, and she had more experience with that kind of life-altering emotion than she’d prefer. She understood all too well how it felt to be blindsided that way.

  “Where,” Daphne asked in a strangled whisper, “did you hear that name?”

  Holly had been prepared for anger or shock, but not anguish. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she sat on the coffee table and relayed how she’d found out who she really was. Then, a glimmer of hope flared and she asked, “Is it true?”

  Daphne nodded, and that tiny spark winked out as if it had never existed. Those wide violet eyes gazed on her with a heart-wrenching mix of love and dread, but the exuberant woman she’d adored her entire life suddenly seemed very far away. They should have so much to say to one another, but neither of them seemed to be able to reach across the yawning chasm that had suddenly sprung up between them.

  Love and patience were the only ways to bridge that kind of gap. Since she couldn’t leave Daphne alone in her condition, Holly knew she’d be needing plenty of both to get through the rest of the summer in Liberty Creek.

  They sat there for what felt like an eternity, and finally Daphne closed her eyes without saying anything more. Out of respect for her unspoken wishes, Holly retreated and left her to get some rest.

  Since there was nothing more she could do until her mother was ready to talk, Holly spent some much-needed quiet time with Chase, hearing about his entertaining day at the mini golf course and letting him beat her at the well-used game of Chutes and Ladders she’d found at a yard sale.

  At bedtime, they got on their knees beside his bed, and he began with the usual kid-related stuff before adding some more serious prayers.

  “Take care of Dad,” Chase said. After a pause, he went on, “And help Mom when she needs You, ’cause she won’t ever ask.”

  Touched by the sentiment, she nudged his shoulder. “I save all my prayers for you.”

  He gazed up at her with those large, intelligent eyes that would forever remind her of the Brady she’d fallen in love with. “I know, but you should keep one for yourself. Everyone needs help sometimes.”

  “Where did you learn that?”

  “Sam told me.”

  The former soldier had made it painfully clear that he was no longer the religious type, and she asked, “When?”

  “When he came over the other day to bring Auntie and her wheelchair inside. I said it was nice of him to help us, and he said that’s what neighbors do. I told him we didn’t have that before, and he said it was a good thing we came here.” Tilting his head with a quizzical look, Chase asked, “Do you think so, too?”

  Considering what she’d so recently learned, it was a toss-up, but Holly didn’t want to upset him by expressing anything other than confidence about their current situation. Still, she didn’t want to lie to him, either. So she settled on an explanation that she hoped would reassure him. “If I didn’t, we wouldn’t have done it. What do you think of Liberty Creek so far?”

  “It’s awesome,” he replied without hesitation. “All the trees and this great big house for us to live in. Cody and my new friends are cool. And Sam,” he added with a grin. “He’s the best.”

  Chase didn’t normally gush about adults this way, and Holly couldn’t resist asking, “Really? What do you like so much about him?”

  “Well, he likes the Red Sox. And when we were playing catch, he didn’t throw easy balls for me like I was some little kid who couldn’t catch a watermelon with a wheelbarrow.”

  Holly recognized the phrase as her father’s and smiled until her new reality kicked in and reminded her that the colorful man was actually her uncle. This was going to take some getting used to, she thought glumly.

  “Mom, is something wrong?”

  “Not a bit, but you’re stalling,” she teased, standing to toss back his covers the way she did every night. “You’re going to the new water park tomorrow with your summer rec crew, so you need a good night’s sleep.”

  “Okay.” Giving her a quick squeeze, he slid under the light blanket. “Night, Mom.”

  “Night.”

  Holly turned off the bedside lamp and retreated to the doorway. Looking back, she saw his peaceful face turned into the moonlight, eyes closed while he drifted off to dreamland. She didn’t know how long she stood there, at once amazed by his resilience and humbled by the incredible responsibility of making sure that he made the most of the amazing potential he’d been born with.

  Brady had failed their son, and Holly silently renewed her vow to never do the same.

  She eased his door closed and slowly went downstairs, her feet dragging on every step. It had been a long, tiring day, and the last thing she wanted to do was confront the mother who’d inexplicably lied to her every day of her life.

  Holly wished she’d kept the volatile secret to herself, at least until she came up with a way to address it in a logical manner. But the horse was out of the barn now, and there was no coaxing it back in. So she braced herself for some serious histrionics and joined Daphne in the cozy den.

  Maybe she’s asleep, Holly thought. That faint hope evaporated when those beautiful violet eyes swung to her as soon as she stepped into the parlor. Summoning the calmest tone she could manage under the circumstances, Holly asked, “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, thank you.”

  An unspoken plea for understanding radiated from the expressive features that had earned Daphne Mills so many plum roles. Incomparable, more than one critic had dubbed her. If he’d added incomprehensible, Holly would have said he nailed it.

  Uncertain of what to do, she sat in an armchair near the sofa and leaned back in a casual pose that she was
pretty sure wasn’t fooling either of them. Hunting for a way to start a conversation she’d never imagined having, she said, “So, I’m thinking you have a story to tell me.”

  Brow furrowed in confusion, Daphne shook her head. “I don’t know where to start.”

  At the beginning? Holly nearly shot back, then remembered who she was talking to. Deceitful as she’d been, Daphne was still her mother, and Holly had been raised to be respectful. So she swallowed her bitterness and suggested, “How did you meet him?”

  “I was shooting a movie in London,” Daphne began, a slight smile softening the concern that had lined her face a few moments ago. “Ian Bennett was a Formula One driver, and the producer hired him to do some stunt work for the lead actor.” She glanced over at the collection of frames on the mantel, nodding toward them. “That’s him, in the center photo.”

  Holly slowly rose and went to take the picture from its spot. A tall, dark-haired man in a polo and khakis stood beside a sleek roadster, arms crossed as he grinned at the photographer, who must have been Daphne. Handsome didn’t begin to describe him, and Holly wondered how many times she’d brushed past this photo, completely unaware that the young, carefree man was her father.

  “Where is he now?” she asked, setting the frame back in place.

  “In Heaven,” her mother replied sadly. “We were engaged and planning our wedding when he was killed during a race. A few weeks later, I discovered I was pregnant. With you,” she added with a trembling smile. “It was the saddest—and happiest—time of my life.”

  Some people might not have understood that, but Holly’s own experience as a mother supporting a declining husband gave her a different perspective than she would have had otherwise. So, much as she wished she could remain indignant about the enormous lie, she felt her anger beginning to ebb slightly. “I can relate to that, I suppose. But that doesn’t explain what happened after I was born. Was your career more important to you than I was?”

  “Never,” Daphne insisted vehemently, furious color rushing back into her cheeks. “More than anything, I wanted for us to be together. I even considered quitting the business, but then I realized that without my job, we’d have a terrible time of it. I didn’t have any money put away, and since Ian and I weren’t married, his life insurance money went to his parents. I needed to work to support us, and I thought I could balance the movies with caring for you.”

  “But?”

  “Your mother—” Pausing, she amended, “My sister objected. She reminded me that the fishbowl of Hollywood is no place to raise a child. The adoption was her idea, to give you a normal childhood while still keeping me in your life. Eventually, I agreed with her, and when you were born, she and Don made you their daughter. It broke my heart whenever I had to leave after a visit with you. But I honestly believed it was the best situation for you.”

  Much as she hated to admit it, Holly saw the selfless logic in that. She’d do the same for Chase, putting aside her own feelings if she truly felt someone other than her was best for him. But that didn’t cover everything. “Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

  “Every time I saw you,” the aging star confided softly, tears welling in her eyes. “But we had so much fun together, and I didn’t want to spoil that. The years slipped by, and then you married Brady and moved away, so I didn’t see you as often. When I came to see Chase after he was born, it occurred to me that I was his grandmother.” The misty look warmed with affection for her grandson. “I nearly told you then.”

  “But you didn’t,” Holly retorted, feeling the anger creeping in again. “Medical history is so important for a newborn. What if there was something I needed to know?”

  “Gloria would’ve told you. She’s his great-aunt, after all.”

  “She’s not a doctor. What if she’d made the wrong call and it affected his health? Chase would’ve suffered for it.”

  Daphne blinked, pulling back in horror. “I never thought of that.”

  “From where I’m sitting, there’s a lot of things you never thought of.” She’d hoped that once they hashed everything out, she’d feel better. Unfortunately, it was turning out to be the opposite, and Holly felt the weight of it all crushing down on her. Pushing up from the arms of the chair, she said, “Well, I’m done for now. Let’s get you into bed so we can both get some sleep.”

  Without argument, her patient complied, and in record time she was settled for the night.

  “Do you need anything before I go upstairs?” Holly asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  Holly headed for the door, then heard her name. Turning back, she braced herself for more tears. Instead, she saw contrition. “I’m so sorry for all the trouble this is causing you. I wanted you to grow up in the kind of warm, stable family I couldn’t give you. But from the moment you were born, I loved you more than I ever thought possible. I hope one day you’ll be able to forgive me.”

  “Me, too.”

  “If you want, I’ll call a local service and have them send out a visiting nurse to help me until I’m on my feet again. That way, you and Chase can go back to Boston.”

  The irony of the situation was too much, and Holly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Since crying didn’t solve anything, she opted for a wry chuckle. “No, we can’t. I had to get out of that depressing place, so I talked to the landlord a few days ago. He had a waiting list for our apartment, and he let me end the lease in June. Our stuff is in his storage area until I decide what to do. So, like it or not, we’re here for the summer.”

  “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. Would you be angry if I said I like it?”

  “Maybe a little.” Still, she couldn’t help smiling at the generous offer. “But thank you for understanding. Chase doesn’t get it, but I really think we need to start fresh in a new house and get on with the rest of our lives.”

  “Like me,” her mother commented with a wry grin. “When I decided to retire, I wanted to get as far from LA as I could. Not just in miles, but in attitude. I discovered Liberty Creek during an antiquing trip, and as insane as it sounds, I just knew I was home.”

  “What about Savannah?”

  “I was a girl there, and I loved it.” Glancing around, she smiled proudly. “But this is my grown-up place. The one I chose for myself and can make my own.”

  “Is that why you picked something so run-down? Like a blank canvas for an artist?”

  The woman she now knew as Mom tilted her head in a pensive gesture. “I suppose so. That hadn’t occurred to me before, but it makes more sense than ‘it spoke to me.’”

  That prompted another thought, and Holly smiled. “Is that why you hired Sam as your contractor? Because he’s a little run-down and needs some TLC?”

  “That man has so much inside him but has no idea how to tap into it. You can see for yourself how talented he is, hardworking and loyal to boot. He served our country for years and needs some help getting back on his feet. Mostly, he needs someone to recognize his potential and give him a chance.”

  “I guess you’re right about that,” Holly admitted sadly. “If I’d found a way to make that happen for Brady, he might have been okay.”

  “No, Peaches,” the older woman murmured with a frown. “When he came home, Brady was shattered beyond repair. You didn’t cause his problems, so there was nothing more you could have done to solve them.”

  Because she was still reeling from their emotional heart-to-heart, the uncharacteristically philosophical statement caught Holly off guard. Strangely enough, no one had ever come right out and told her that Brady’s deteriorating condition and eventual suicide weren’t her fault. Then again, she’d never voiced the fear that she might somehow have been to blame, so she’d never given anyone the chance to reassure her.

  Then again, Daphne was a consummate actress, famed for being able
to conjure convincing emotions out of thin air. But those expressive eyes held nothing beyond sincerity, and Holly wondered if the flighty diva had more depth than anyone—including her own family—suspected.

  Given the history lesson she’d received today, the concept wasn’t as far-fetched now as it would have been before. Furious as she still was at the deceit, she couldn’t deny that a part of her admired the woman who’d put aside her own wishes for the benefit of her child. Sadly, it reminded Holly of what she’d done for Chase, trying desperately to maintain some semblance of a family life even though she was the only one making the effort.

  Maybe, she thought as she turned to go upstairs, she and her mother had more in common than she’d realized.

  Drained from a long, challenging day, Holly dragged herself up the steps and into her room. Out of habit, she left her door cracked in case Chase needed something in the middle of the night. She didn’t bother changing, but collapsed into the grand four-poster bed in an exhausted heap. She closed her eyes, hoping to quickly fall asleep and leave her problems behind her for a few hours.

  But it didn’t work.

  After some tossing and turning, she finally gave up and rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. A shaft of moonlight was shining through the trees outside, and as the breeze wafted through the leafy branches, they made billowing shadows on the light-colored ceiling. She stared up at them for a while, letting the flowing images ease some of the aggravation she’d been fighting.

  When she felt a light tap at the foot of the mattress, she glanced down to find a sleek black cat creeping toward her. Silvery whiskers twitching cautiously, her mother’s enigmatic pet moved without a sound, placing each paw with care until she was sitting next to Holly. Cocking her head, Pandora blinked her enormous green eyes as if she was waiting for Holly to say something.

  “Hello, there,” she murmured gently to avoid spooking the rarely seen cat. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”