Tears welled in her eyes. “Thank you.”
He wasn’t supposed to leave town, but he knew what he had to do...even if it meant that he wouldn’t get that signature...even if it meant being suspended for insubordination. He could join the Camden legacy.
Bryce looked at his watch, then pulled out his phone and typed a text back to his friend in the FBI.
On my way. I’ll be there in two hours.
* * *
Clarisse stood in front of her bedroom mirror, smoothing the front of her wedding dress. Lily watched as she leaned closer to check her lipstick again, then slipped her feet into the ivory satin shoes, giving her another inch of height.
Emily lay in Lily’s arms sleeping peacefully. She was so little—but she was getting bigger. She was heavier now than she used to be, and Lily felt a source of pride in watching the baby girl thrive. She was pudgier now, too.
Aunt Clarisse pressed her lips together to even her lipstick, then dabbed at it with a tissue.
“You look beautiful, Auntie,” she said with a smile. “Stop fussing.”
“You look more nervous than I am,” Clarisse said, shooting Lily a smile over her shoulder.
“Do I?” What was Lily supposed to say to that? This was the evening of Clarisse’s wedding, and Lily hadn’t heard anything from Bryce. She’d tried calling his cell phone a few times, but it went straight to voice mail. Lily had no more information to go on than she’d had that morning, and perhaps it was better to just support her aunt and pray for the best. This was out of her hands now.
“Are you sure about this, Auntie?” Lily asked after a moment.
“Positive.” Clarisse turned from the mirror and sank onto the side of the bed next to Lily. “You’ll have to trust me on this one, dear.”
And she would. There was no way around it.
“I’m more concerned about you,” her aunt said quietly.
“Me?” Lily stretched her legs out in front of her. She wore a tea-length dress of pale violet to complement her aunt’s, and she smoothed a hand over the silk. “Why?”
“Because you love him.”
Lily’s eyes misted. She hadn’t said anything about loving Bryce—how had her aunt figured it out? She cuddled Emily just a little closer. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, don’t be silly,” Clarisse said sympathetically. “Aaron and I could see it plain as day. The two of you were in love with each other. But you look miserable, and Bryce is nowhere to be seen. So yes, I’m more concerned about you.”
Lily fell silent. It wasn’t something they could fix. This wasn’t some misunderstanding or hurt feelings—this was the kind of roadblock that couldn’t be overcome. They wanted different things. It was supposed to be straightforward and logical. She was supposed to be able to move on. She’d made her choice, and she’d chosen Emily.
“You take too much onto yourself,” her aunt said. “If you ran off and married Bryce, you’d have a bit of freedom, and you deserve that. Life won’t fall apart here.”
“That’s what Bryce said last night,” she admitted sadly...well, except for the marrying part. But it wasn’t only about her responsibilities here in town; it was about Emily, too.
“Did he?” Clarisse reached over and took her hand. “You’re twenty-five, not fifty. I worry about how much you try to deal with alone.”
“I want to raise Emily,” Lily said. “I know it’s a big job, and I know I already have a business to run, but I can’t just give her up, and Emily deserves someone who loves her like that.”
“She does,” Clarisse said. “And why doesn’t Bryce fit into this?”
“He doesn’t want kids.” The lump in her throat choked off her voice. She swallowed hard. “He’s been very clear about it from the start. He knows his mind on this, and it isn’t about convincing him otherwise. I know what I have to do, but it isn’t easy...”
Clarisse shifted on the bed to face Lily, and she fixed her with a serious look. “You have to choose between them, then.”
“Yes.” Lily wished that her chin hadn’t trembled when she said it.
“Oh, Lily...” Her aunt put a hand over hers, sympathy welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
It was the reality of love. Her family needed her. Emily needed her. This town even needed her, and she couldn’t just walk away because it would be easier. Love stood firm, even if it meant breaking her own heart in order to do so.
“Will you be all right?” Clarisse asked gently.
“I’ll have to be,” Lily said, sucking in a stabilizing breath.
Clarisse leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lily, squeezing her close. The clock on the wall said 8:15, and outside the window, the sun was sinking lower and lower. She had to get her aunt to the church. There was no more time to gather information, and maybe Bryce had realized it was better to keep his distance from her, after all. Whatever happened, she’d have to trust this to God’s hands, because she had nothing else in her arsenal.
Lord, if this marriage is wrong for Aunt Clarisse, please stop this wedding.
“You’re going to be all right, Lily,” her aunt said softly. “I know that for a fact. You’re strong, sensible and smart. And we love you.”
She had family, and that counted for a whole lot more than Bryce seemed to realize. That was enough of her own heartbreak—today was about Clarisse’s wedding.
“We’ll be late if we don’t get moving,” Lily said, forcing herself to smile. “If you’re absolutely sure about this...”
A radiant smile broke over Clarisse’s face and she rose to her feet. “I’ve never been surer in my life.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bryce had only noticed that his phone was dead when he tried to call Lily from the car on his way back to Comfort Creek. His friend had let him into the archives, and he’d found exactly what he was looking for—and more.
Fort Collins traffic was worse than he’d expected heading out of town on a Saturday. And now, as he approached Comfort Creek, the sun was low in the sky, and there were only a few minutes before that wedding started. If his cell phone had been charged, he’d have called her, but as it was his only option was to step on the gas and pray that he was on time. Timing mattered, because Aaron Bay was not who he claimed to be.
Hopefully, Chief Morgan would agree that his detour to Fort Collins had been necessary. He hadn’t asked permission, because he hadn’t wanted to take the chance on the chief denying it. Even now, with the information he’d garnered, he was only sure about one thing—Aaron Bay had a hidden past—but what that meant, he couldn’t say. But Comfort Creek loved Clarisse Clifton, and Aaron had some explaining to do.
The church parking lot was so packed when he arrived that he was forced to park along the side of the road and walk the five hundred yards. The grassy lawn in front of the church was set up with folding chairs, the golden evening sunlight spilling over the grass.
Then Bryce saw Chief Morgan in full dress uniform. He was a guest for the wedding, too, it seemed, and the chief saw him at the same time. Bryce inwardly grimaced, then headed toward his temporary boss.
“Evening, Chief,” Bryce said.
“You weren’t on patrol.” The other man didn’t look amused, and he fixed him with an irritated stare.
“I was getting the information about Clarisse’s husband-to-be,” Bryce said, keeping his voice low. “I’m sorry for heading out like that, but I couldn’t let them down.”
“What did you find?” the chief asked.
Bryce gave a quick outline of his findings, and the chief nodded. “Go tell her now—before it’s too late. We can discuss your extended sensitivity training later.”
“Extended?” Bryce sighed. He’d known there would be consequences. “How long, sir?”
“I’ll discuss it w
ith your supervisor in Fort Collins on Monday.” Chief Morgan nodded toward the church. “Clarisse is up there.”
Many of the guests had already taken their seats, some still standing in groups chatting. A few kids ran in circles in the warm evening air. Bryce spotted Lily with her aunt on the church steps. Lily didn’t see him at first, as he strode across the lawn toward them. She looked up only when his feet hit the cement sidewalk, and when she heard his footsteps, she turned and stared at him in surprise.
“Bryce?” Lily’s face lit up at the sight of him.
“Hi.” He’d never been more relieved to see someone in his life, but this wasn’t about him and Lily, it was about Clarisse and her impending nuptials.
The smile slipped from Lily’s face. “Is there...news?”
Clarisse turned toward him, her expression grim. She could sense it—he saw it in her face. He nodded slowly.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“I’m getting married,” Clarisse said firmly. “Can’t this wait?”
“Not really,” Bryce said. “I’ve come across a few things you’ll need to know before you do this.”
Clarisse’s face paled, and her eyes flew across the church lawn to where her fiancé was talking with the minister. Aaron looked up and seemed to recognize something serious in Clarisse’s expression, because he started toward them.
“Let’s go inside where we can have some privacy,” Bryce suggested.
A few minutes later, they all stood in the foyer of the church, Clarisse holding fast to Aaron’s hand and Aaron looking uncomfortable. Lily looked up at Bryce, her expression taught and worried.
“Is it bad?” she whispered.
“I honestly don’t know,” Bryce replied softly. “We’ll find out, I guess.”
“Is there a problem?” Aaron asked.
“I think so,” Bryce said. “I’ve done a little digging into your past, and you aren’t who you claim to be.”
Bryce pulled the copied documents out of his pocket and carefully unfolded them, then laid them on the welcoming table one by one. Lily stepped closer to look, her soft purple dress brushing against his pant leg.
Aaron sighed. “Clarisse knows everything.”
Did she? He looked toward the older woman, and she wasn’t betraying much in her expression. If she didn’t know it all, she certainly deserved to.
“Your name isn’t Aaron Bay,” Bryce said. “You changed your name from Aaron Ventura eight years ago.”
“Yes.” Aaron nodded.
“Why?” Bryce asked. “That’s why you have no paperwork trail—everything else is in the name you were born with. What are you hiding?”
Aaron was silent.
“You also have a sealed juvenile record,” Bryce added. Bryce could very well have a record of his own right now, if it weren’t for his father’s intervention, so he knew the kinds of things that could be hidden.
Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, obviously trying to hold his temper.
“Just tell them,” Clarisse said softly. “Or they’ll worry themselves sick.”
Aaron shrugged. “I was fourteen at the time. My father, Vic Ventura, was a violent man, and he used to beat up my mother on a regular basis. You can look up his police record, too, if you like. It’s lengthy. I didn’t know how to handle the abuse. My mother told me I had to keep it a secret, and so I never told anyone, and I knew I couldn’t take him on and win that fight. But when he came home that night and started beating on my mother, something inside me snapped. I grabbed a rolling pin off the counter and I started to hit him.” Aaron winced, then shook his head. “I’m not proud.”
“And you got a criminal record from that?” Lily asked, frowning.
“I didn’t stop hitting him...” Aaron’s voice quavered. “I dropped the rolling pin and I started hitting him with my fists. I just couldn’t stop. I nearly killed my father that night. He spent two months in the hospital recovering.”
Bloody fists. Not stopping... Bryce shoved back his own memories.
“And once he did recover,” Clarisse added, “Vic never raised a hand to his wife again.”
“And I was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon. I pleaded guilty and spent two years in juvenile detention,” Aaron concluded.
“And you changed your name to cover that up?” Bryce asked. “Because if you were protecting your mother—”
“Everyone remembered me,” Aaron interrupted. “The thing is, my father’s abusive ways weren’t so secret. Everyone knew what he was doing, but my mother wouldn’t press charges. But when I beat my father into a coma, no one saw a boy trying to rescue his mother from a lifetime of beatings, they only saw the violent son of a violent man. They all figured I was going to end up just like my old man.”
The violent son of a violent man. Bryce had a similar reputation right now, and it stung. It didn’t matter how far you ran, you couldn’t get away from your parentage. He was the son of Richard Camden, and nothing would change that. He had that same walking potential.
“You could have just moved,” Bryce said quietly. It was something Bryce had considered, too, but he’d discarded the idea as cowardly.
“I could have...” Aaron paused. “But it was more than that. Getting away from my past and from my father’s taint on my life was more than a change of address, or even getting away from people who knew him. I had to change how I saw myself.”
Clarisse slipped her hand into the crook of Aaron’s arm, and Bryce glanced at Lily. She stood motionless, her hands clasped in front of her.
“I became a Christian ten years ago,” Aaron went on. “And when I started fresh with God, I changed my name. I was thirty-two, and I wanted that fresh start to be complete. My father had a history of drug dealing, and I didn’t want to be associated with all of that. That name change symbolized something more inside me, and I don’t regret the decision.”
“What about your mother?” Lily asked.
“She’s out there on the lawn...waiting to see me get married.”
Aaron’s story did match the evidence, and Bryce had dug up a few of those original documents that corroborated it. A man running from his past, from the mistakes of his youth, from the tainted opinion of the people who knew him. He’d also seen Aaron’s father’s criminal record. Some days a complete break from it all was tempting, and Bryce could grudgingly identify.
“I knew all of this,” Clarisse said quietly. “Aaron hasn’t kept any secrets from me.”
“I’m sorry, to both of you—” Lily began.
“What makes you so sure you aren’t exactly like your father?” Bryce broke in.
“Bryce...” Clarisse began, but Aaron but his hand on her arm.
“It’s all right,” Aaron said. “It’s better to have these things in the open. I did agonize over that for a good many years. I listened to the opinions of the people who knew my family, and I thought they were right. But when I became a Christian, I discovered that there was one opinion that mattered more—God’s. And when I read my Bible, it seems to me that God isn’t as concerned with where we came from so much as where we’re going. My past is just that—my past. I’m not my father, and I don’t have to make his mistakes. When I chose God, God started working on me. I’m a new man—born again.”
“Aren’t you afraid of inherited weaknesses?” Bryce asked, his voice low.
“Oh, I inherited all sorts of weaknesses,” Aaron said with a small smile. “But what I do with those is a choice. I might have had my father’s temper, but I now have God’s sense of justice, and that changes the direction of the anger. I’ll never see a woman hurt again. God changes how I deal with fear and helplessness, too. Am I weak? Yes, but He’s not, and I choose God.” He turned toward Clarisse and smiled tenderly down into her eyes. “And I choose...her.”
&n
bsp; Clarisse’s eyes welled with tears as Aaron bent down and pecked her lightly on the lips.
Bryce’s mind was spinning. If Aaron Ventura could turn his life around and become a better man than his father had ever been... If God could take a man’s weaknesses and weave them into something greater because of a choice to belong to his maker—
“Now.” Clarisse sucked in a deep breath. “If we’re all satisfied, I’m about to get married, and we planned this for sunset, so time is of the essence.” She turned to Lily and smiled. “And as for you, dear girl, are you okay now?”
“I’m sorry, Auntie. I was worried. I thought—”
“Don’t mention it again,” Clarisse said softly. “I’ll be just fine. And so will you.”
They all moved toward the door. Lily slid her hand into the crook of Bryce’s arm, and she tugged him closer and lifted his face toward him.
“I know you have to go—” She met his gaze pleadingly. “I just can’t say goodbye like this. Stay for the wedding? Then we can say goodbye properly when it’s over. I won’t make it hard on you, I promise.”
His goodbye wouldn’t be quite as final as she thought, considering that he’d be given further sensitivity training, but this was worth it. He’d delivered what he promised, and he could deal with the humiliation of further punishment later. His mind was spinning with other thoughts, though.
“I’ll stay for the ceremony,” he assured her.
They came out of the church and down the wooden steps. A familiar baby’s cry wavered across the lawn, and Bryce’s gaze snapped to where Iris tried to soothe the infant. Lily sucked in a wavering breath.
“Looks like Emily missed me. I’ll go get her.”
I’m terrible with kids, Lord, he prayed silently. Really terrible. Except for Piglet...
The problem here was that he was in love—with both of them. And he didn’t want to walk away, say goodbye, start over on his own back in Fort Collins. Reading his Bible, Bryce saw that Paul had championed the single life, but what if Bryce didn’t want that life anymore? Jesus had made a whole new life possible. What if he wanted to be more like Joseph, and marry the woman he’d fallen in love with and be a stepdad to a baby who needed his protection?
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