He nodded grimly. “We can only hope.” He glanced toward her, his shoulders finally loosening up some. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you back, Daleigh. I’ve had some things on my mind.”
“I need to talk to you about some things.”
He pivoted toward her. “What’s going on?”
She swallowed, her throat burning. She’d had some clarity in her time in the garage. She’d prayed and prayed. And she knew what she had to do. “I’m going back to Nashville, Ryan.”
His face looked solemn, almost too still as he glanced up at her. “I knew you would. That’s where you belong.”
“Is it?” Her heart felt like it was breaking as she said the words.
“Daleigh, you’re an amazing singer and songwriter. You have a long career ahead of you.”
She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Maybe.”
“Maybe? Of course you do.”
She stood and stepped toward the window. “Thanks for everything, Ryan. I appreciate all you’ve done. I wouldn’t have made it through this time without you.”
He stepped behind her. His hands circled her waist, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. “No, you’ve helped me, Daleigh. You’ve stirred up something inside me that I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Why did his words have a certain finality to them? Before she could ask, he turned her toward him and kissed her, long and hard. Like a goodbye kiss. Like a goodbye-forever kiss.
Then he stepped out the front door.
“What time’s your flight leave?”
“I have to make reservations tomorrow.”
He nodded. “I’ll drive you to the airport. Just let me know.”
Her fingers covered her lips, which still tingled after their kiss.
Maybe there were some things she just couldn’t fix. Right now, that seemed to cover her entire life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Daleigh couldn’t relax after Ryan left, so she crept outside and sat on the porch. As long as she stayed close to the house, she’d be okay, she told herself. She felt certain that Danny was behind this and, with the police on his trail, she couldn’t see him coming back here.
She stared over the river before her. The crickets sang in the woods and occasionally something in the water leapt to the surface before retreating with a splash.
Sitting right here was the closest Daleigh ever felt to heaven. It was so peaceful, so tranquil and safe.
“This used to be Dad’s favorite place to sit, too, you know.”
Daleigh looked up at the sound of Hannah’s voice. Her sister approached wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and carrying two steaming mugs. She handed Daleigh one as she sat down in the chair beside her. Daleigh took a sip of the warm coffee and leaned back.
“Almost every time I came out here to visit Dad, he was sitting here, watching everything around him. He said it was like heaven.” Hannah shook her head and looked out at the river, like the notion was ridiculous.
The words warmed Daleigh, though. She and her father were very alike.
“At least he’s in a better place.” Daleigh took another sip, realizing her words might sound trite. But they were true and still brought comfort to her.
“And he’s with Mom.” Hannah glanced at her sister. “Do you remember when Mom died?”
“Not really. I just remember having all the people in the house, and they kept hugging me and patting my head.”
“Yes, I suppose you were too young. I guess you were only three? I remember I kept thinking it couldn’t really be happening. Mom couldn’t really be dead. My nine-year-old brain kept thinking that at any minute Mom would stick her head in my bedroom and tell me she was back home, that she’d just taken a long vacation or something.”
Daleigh swallowed, the saliva burning her throat. “It’s a lot of grief for a nine-year-old to carry.”
“A lot of burden.” Hannah took a long sip. “I had to take care of you, you know? That’s what Mom would have wanted. That’s what older sisters were for.”
“I guess you were kind of like a mom.”
“I still am sometimes, aren’t I?” She stared straight ahead, a frown pulling down at her lips.
Daleigh looked at the ripples across the water that the moonlight illuminated. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. But what I really want is a sister.”
“I would never intentionally hurt you, you know.”
Daleigh didn’t say anything.
“You made Dad so proud. You know that, don’t you?” Hannah asked. “I always felt like the outsider in the family. You and Dad were both the creative, determined type. Then there was me . . .”
“You were determined to get married.” Daleigh forced a smile.
Hannah looked at her hands. “I wanted to go to college and study art, but I didn’t feel like I could leave you. I felt like you needed me in your life. I resented you for that for a long time, you know.”
Grief squeezed at Daleigh. She had no idea that’s what her sister wanted to do. “Hannah, you didn’t have to stay with me—”
She raised a hand. “I know. I didn’t have to. But it’s what I did. By the time I realized that my life had taken a different course than I expected it to, it was too late. At least, I thought it was.”
“You met Bruce. It wasn’t all bad. Right?”
Hannah nodded. “It’s true. I have two great girls. Then I look at you. You followed your dreams. You’ve made something of yourself. You’ve never settled for anything. Ever.” Hannah looked up at Daleigh. “I’m so envious of you sometimes.”
Daleigh snubbed her thumb into her own chest and tried to keep her mouth from dropping open. “You? You’re jealous? Of me? I thought you turned up your nose at the way I lived? That you’d rather eat worms than trade places with me.”
“Oh, I thought if I acted that way that maybe my thoughts would follow. But you’ve always been the happy, carefree one. You weren’t afraid to step outside of people’s expectations. I always wanted to stay in my safe little box.” Hannah chuckled, but the sound faded into sniffles. “I’m so proud of everything you’ve become, Daleigh. Part of me wants to take credit for the way you’ve turned out.”
“But you hate my music. You say it’s whiny and twangy.”
Hannah glanced over and shrugged. “I have every one of your CDs. I listen to them all the time. I even went to your concert once up in Richmond.”
This time Daleigh’s mouth did drop open. “You did? Why didn’t you find me after the show?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to see me.”
“Of course I’d want to see you. You are my sister.”
Hannah shook her head. “Everything I say you take the wrong way.”
Daleigh felt her cheeks heat. “That could be true. I don’t mean to. I just . . .” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence even.
Hannah sat up straighter. “I understand. I’ve been far from perfect.”
“We both have been.”
“You know that conversation we had on Sunday on the way to church? The one where my family said I was a servant?”
Daleigh nodded. “I remember every uncomfortable moment of that car ride.”
Hannah shrugged. “I’ve felt like a servant for a long time. But you know what I’ve realized? I’m okay with that. Today when I was at the pool with the girls, I saw Ryan there with Trevor. I realized how quickly life can be snatched away or turned upside down. Then I started thinking about Dad, and then I came home and realized you were in trouble.” She pressed her lips together, as if holding back a sigh.
“It’s okay, Hannah.”
“No, I need to finish. I realized that I can’t complain a lick about how my life has turned out. I love being a mom and a wife. I love taking care of my family. Despite the different path my life took, I know where I’m supposed to be.”
“Knowing where you’re supposed to be is a great thing, Hannah. All of our lives are important, whether we’re known by millions or by only j
ust a few.” Daleigh shrugged. “Maybe you should start doing some art. You’ve got some great inspiration, right here in Hertford. I can see some watercolor paintings of these trees and this river.”
“You’re right. You’re so, so right.” Hannah shifted to face her. “I’m really sorry I’ve been so awful to you since you came here, Daleigh. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. It’s just that we’ve lost Mom, then Dad. And when you started your private little investigation, all I could think about was losing you.”
“All I’ve ever wanted is for you to accept me as I am, Hannah.”
“Can we try again?” Hannah’s eyes were wide and brimmed with tears.
“I’d love to.”
They threw their arms around each other and then pulled back, each looking over the river. Daleigh’s heart finally felt like it was healing and whole. She’d prayed for so long to find the answers she sought. Finally, life was coming into clarity, and she was incredibly grateful.
“It’s beautiful here,” Daleigh murmured.
“You always have a place to stay here. Even if you wanted to move here permanently, you’d have a place. I know I’m not the only one who would like that idea.”
Ryan. Daleigh’s heart ached at the thought of him. “I’m not sure if things between Ryan and me are going to work out, Hannah. There’s a lot I don’t know about right now.”
“I can tell you one thing. As much as I’ve given you a hard time about Ryan, both of you light up when you’re around each other. That’s more that I can say for that Vince guy.”
“I thought you loved Vince?”
“I actually gave him a piece of my mind—in a nice, genteel Southern way, of course.” Hannah sighed. “I saw him when I was up in Elizabeth City. He was flirting with this woman—she was all over him, for that matter, and he wasn’t complaining. I couldn’t believe it. You deserve so much better than that.”
“That means a lot, Hannah. Thank you.”
They stared in silence at the river for a moment. Daleigh cleared her throat. “You remember how Dad always told us to be home before dark?”
Hannah nodded. “Just like your song talks about.”
“I feel like I got home just a little too late, you know? Dad was already gone. If I had come home earlier, when I was supposed to, then maybe . . .”
Hannah squeezed her hand. “Dad loved you, Daleigh. More than anything, he just wanted you to be happy.” Her lips twisted in a grin. “But I am starting to think that his advice was good. Maybe nothing good does happen after the sun sets.”
After a few more minutes, Daleigh stood. “Speaking of which, I should probably get inside. I have to head back to Nashville tomorrow or my career is toast.”
They walked arm in arm back to the door. Before Hannah could walk away, Daleigh touched her arm and pulled her into a hug. “Thanks for our talk tonight. It really meant a lot.”
Her sister smiled. “For me, too.”
Finally, Daleigh thought, maybe their healing could begin.
***
Ryan listened carefully to Daleigh when she called the next morning. She informed him that the chief had called with good news. Danny Harris had been arrested. They’d found Mr. McDermott’s journals in Danny’s house and a moonshine still in his backyard. Apparently, the journals had implicated that Danny was guilty of making the moonshine the college student had drunk before she died in the car accident. Danny didn’t want to be found out. He still hadn’t confessed to killing her father, but the chief felt certain that he would.
At least that mystery could be put to rest.
Her next tidbit was that she’d managed to get a plane ticket to leave at three o’clock. Ryan picked her up before noon to drop her off at the airport. Bittersweet emotions collided inside him as he placed her suitcases and guitar into the back of his truck.
The ride was mostly silent on the way to the airport. The gray, dreary day matched his mood as he turned his thoughts over and over. He hadn’t been able to sleep last night as he thought about Daleigh leaving.
He knew he had to let her go. To really let her go. And the thought seemed to squeeze the air out of his lungs.
“What are you thinking about?”
Daleigh’s sweet voice pulled him from his dismal thoughts. He looked over at her, wishing their time together didn’t have to end. “About how much things can change in a very short period of time.”
Daleigh glanced down at her hands. He could see the strain on her features. “Ryan, about us—”
“I know. We need to call our relationship what it is.”
She stared at him, blinking in what appeared to be confusion. “What’s that?”
“A fling.”
Fire lit in her eyes. “Is that all we are to you?”
Emotions threatened to choke him. He wanted to do what was best for Daleigh. That meant he couldn’t even tempt her into staying here in Hertford, not when she was destined for greater things. “You have a life back in Nashville, Daleigh. And I’m here in Hertford to stay. I promised my sister I’d be there for Trevor. I can’t let him or her down.”
“So, we’re not even worth a shot?”
Ouch. He had to stay strong. He’d thought long and hard about why they wouldn’t work as a couple. “Why fool ourselves? We both know it’s not going to work.”
She swallowed hard before nodding and staring out the front window. “I see.”
Silence stretched between them as he pulled into the airport parking lot. He felt like scum. But he’d tried to change a country girl into a city girl and he’d seen the devastating results. He couldn’t try to make Daleigh into a small-town girl, not when she was meant for bigger things. And no matter how he tried to rationalize it, trying to make their relationship work always ended up with Daleigh losing out on opportunities. That wasn’t what he wanted for her. He cared about her too much for that.
He pulled into a space in the parking garage and started to open his door to help her inside, when Daleigh’s hand came down on his arm. “I’ve got this.”
“I can walk you in.”
She shook her head, her lips set in a tight line. “I’ll be just fine. There’s no need to draw this out.”
“Daleigh—”
She shook her head again, raising a hand to silence him. “Really. I’d like to go inside. Alone.”
He got the message. They were over. Why draw it out? Why make it more painful?
Just as she stepped away, she paused and leaned inside the truck again. “One day you’ll have to forgive yourself for what happened to Jennifer. Until you do, that guilt is going to eat away at every relationship you attempt.”
She slammed the door. As he watched her walk away, he had the feeling he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life.
***
“Daleigh? You okay over there?”
Daleigh snapped her head up and saw Gus staring at her from across the living room of her apartment. She shifted on her plush couch and nodded. She had been lost in her thoughts, as she’d been in the four days since she’d returned to Nashville.
Her heart yearned to be other places . . . to be with Ryan, taking lazy strolls, to stare at the river from the gazebo by his property. Instead, she was in Nashville, staring at an unhappy manager on the verge of quitting and a pile of paperwork on her coffee table. She had two things to consider: renewing her contract with the label and whether she wanted to stick with Gus as her manager. The man had made headliners out of nobodies. But Daleigh was tired of short-term relationships, of having no roots or accountability. Her time in Hertford had proven that.
Thoughts of Ryan crashed into her head. His rejection still hurt. She’d thought he’d at least give their relationship a chance. She’d thought more of him. But Ryan had his own demons to battle. He had to put his guilt over Jennifer’s death aside. Until then, he’d just keep working hard to pay his penance by sacrificing his own happiness.
Gus still stared at Daleigh until she nodded. What had he ask
ed her? If she was okay? “I’m fine.”
He slid into the chair beside her. “Good, because there’s something I want to run past you.” He put a piece of paper on the table in front of her. “These are the tour dates we have lined up. The label said they’ll offer you another contract on the contingency that you agree to the tour and another album.”
She blinked at the list in front of her. Another city every other night. No stability. No place to call home. Since she’d been back, she’d caught up with a few people. Most of her semi-close friends were in the same boat she was—they were out of town, trying to save their careers before they ended. What kind of life was this?
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Gus. I don’t know that I’m up for this again.”
“You’re great on stage, Daleigh. People love you. You’re one of the hardest working women I know. You could be the next big name in country music, but you’ve got to put in the time.”
“What does it profit a man to gain a fortune but lose his soul?”
“What?”
Daleigh shook her head. Where had that thought come from? She leaned back into the beige cushions. “I need some time to think.”
His scowl showed her exactly how he felt about that. “I need an answer by the end of the week.”
She nodded. “You’ll get one. I have to head back to Hertford for the weekend for a benefit concert.”
“It’s on your dime, so whatever you want to do . . .” He paused and pulled something else out of his briefcase. “Oh, and you got some mail at the office while you were out.” He tossed it on the table and, a moment later, she heard the door close as he left.
Daleigh stared at the stack of letters. She leafed through them. Most of them appeared to be fan letters. She paused at one and squinted at the handwriting. Why did it look familiar? There was no return address.
Cautiously, she slid her fingernail beneath the fold and tore at the envelope. When she pulled out the paper inside, tears rushed to her eyes.
Her dad.
Home Before Dark (Christian Romantic Suspense) (Carolina Moon Book 1) Page 20
