The Rose Ring

by Lucie Ulrich

  The dimly lit attic was like a giant maze, and Sky found herself winding her way through a lifetime of memories. Tears filled her eyes when she spotted the trunk containing Micah’s Christmas presents. At the sight of the battered sled, the tears slid down her cheeks. This place contained so much sadness, yet she’d learned more about Micah up here than anyplace else.

  Boxes containing her Christmas tree collection and the remainder of her meager belongings were stacked in a corner. Would they ever see the light of day in this house or remain stored until she moved out?

  “Enough.” Tired of depressing herself, Sky wiped away her tears and headed for the door, making one final stop to admire the antique vanity she’d been so impressed with the last time she was up here. Taking a seat on the embroidered chair, she ran her hand tenderly over the surface. Despite the dust, it was the most beautiful piece of furniture she’d ever seen.

  A quick peek into the right hand drawer showed the antique mirror where she’d left it. Curious about the drawer on the other side, Sky tried to open it, but it was stuck. She tugged and managed to get it halfway open. Reaching in, her fingers found the culprit. Some sort of heavy paper was wedged at the back. Careful not to do too much damage, she managed to pull it free. Smoothing it on the vanity top, Sky peered down at a faded black-and-white photograph of two women standing on the porch at the front of the house, one of them obviously pregnant. She guessed it was Micah’s mother, and possibly Annie, but there was no way to know for sure.

  After a final look around, she flipped off the light and went to get her things. Afraid to wrinkle the picture further, she slipped it into her purse, picked up her suitcase and laptop, and headed downstairs.

  Noah stepped out of his office and hurried over. “Perfect timing.” He took the suitcase and computer from her. “I figured you’d want a minute with Annie, so I’m going to warm up the car. I’ll meet you by the back door whenever you’re ready.”

  “Is she still in the kitchen?”

  “Yes.”

  Sky waited until she heard the back door close before pushing the kitchen door open. “Hi.”

  Annie wiped her hands on a dish towel. “Noah already told me, so there’s no need to walk on eggshells.”

  Tension seeped from Sky’s shoulders. “I sort of hoped he would.”

  “Let’s sit for a minute.” Annie hobbled to the table.

  Sky pulled out a chair, leaving room for Annie’s extended leg. “Do you think I’m wrong, Annie?”

  Annie looked at her with sad eyes. “If I had my way, you’d never leave. But it isn’t up to me to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong. Do you think you’re doing the right thing?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  “More than marrying Micah in the first place?”

  Sky’s body warmed at the memories of their wedding and that first innocent kiss, then the unexpected one they’d shared in the mud room. How quickly things had changed. “Did Micah tell you he changed his mind? That he’d decided proposing was the wrong thing to do?”

  Annie’s brows arched. “He never said a word.”

  “He told me from the start that he didn’t love me the way a husband should love a wife.” Sky placed a hand on her chest. “I was the one who talked him into going through with it. I was the one with the fairy tale dreams. But this isn’t a fairy tale, and it’s time for me to face reality.”

  “Which is?”

  “Come on, Annie.” Sky pushed her chair back and stood. “You’re a smart lady. You have eyes. He’s not over Morgan, and I don’t know if he ever will be.” She kissed Annie’s cheek and smiled through the tears. “I’ve loved Micah for a long time. My hope was that he’d learn to love me back.” The thought of her and Micah sitting at this table, sharing the only meal she’d ever prepared for him, followed by their near kiss in the stable was too much to bear. She swallowed hard. “And for a brief moment I think he did.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Sky sunk into the soft leather seat of Noah’s SUV and closed her damp eyes.

  “You’re not going to go to sleep, are you?”

  “Unless you can come up with something interesting to say, I just might.”

  “In that case, I’d better let you sleep.”

  She looked at him through half-opened eyes. “You always have something interesting to say.”

  “That’s not the way I see it, but I’m glad you think so.”

  When they pulled onto the main road, Sky yawned and closed her eyes again. She didn’t want to think, so she focused on the rhythmic sound of the tires against the road. The next thing she knew, someone was jostling her shoulder. Her eyes flew open. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Noah pointed toward the passenger window. “We’re here.”

  She straightened in her seat and followed his finger. They were parked in front of the diner. “Wow, I did fall asleep.” She looked at Noah. “I’m so sorry. You were nice enough to drive me out here, and I barely spoke two words.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You needed the rest.”

  With her elbow propped on the arm rest, Sky placed her chin in her palm and watched the activity through the large plate glass window. Most of the window seats were filled and she spotted Liz and the new girl, Emily, moving from table to kitchen.

  Her throat tightened at the sight of Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson approaching the diner. They were her favorite couple, always coming at the exact time and sitting in at the same table. Mr. Wilkinson tugged on the door and waited patiently while his wife shuffled along, holding on to her walker. This was their routine. If Sky were working, she’d already have their coffee on the table for them.

  Noah cleared his throat. “I think Carl is expecting you to go in, not watch him through the window.”

  She turned, her chin still in her palm. “Don’t interrupt. I’m having a sentimental moment.”

  “This place means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded before turning to the window again. “It was my home away from home for a lot of years.” Letting out a sigh, she faced him again. “Can you do me one last favor?”

  “Name it.”

  “Would you mind pulling into the alley? I’m not trying to hide anything, but I don’t see any sense in getting tongues wagging while I walk through the door with a suitcase in my hand.”

  “No problem.”

  Noah circled the block and parked next to a large dumpster. He got out and retrieved her things, while Sky pulled open the diner’s back door. The aroma of fried chicken combined with the busyness of the kitchen brought tears to her eyes. This was such familiar territory, yet she no longer belonged.

  Carl hurried over and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s going to be okay, honey.” Sky nodded into his chest but said nothing. He pulled back and held her forearms. “Jim had an emergency and had to take off, so I can’t leave the kitchen for a while.”

  “It’s okay, we’ll talk later.” She gave Noah a quick hug before retrieving her things from him. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been a great friend, and I’ll never forget all you’ve done for me.”

  Noah narrowed his eyes. “You make it sound like we’ll never see each other again. This visit is only temporary, right?”

  “That’s up to Micah. Either way, you and I will always be friends.” Sky headed toward the stairs then stopped. She put her bags down and reached into her purse. “I almost forgot. I found this in one of the drawers of the old vanity in the attic.”

  Noah took the photograph and barely glanced at it before sticking it in his shirt pocket. “What were you doing in the attic?”

  Her throat knotted. “It’s where I learned so much about Micah. Guess I was feeling a little sentimental.”

  “Does Micah know I told you about our folks?”

  “No, we never got around to talking about it.” She grabbed her belongings and left the men to themselves.

  ****

  Noah left m
inutes later and climbed into his SUV. He thought about what he might say to Micah when he saw him again. Wondered how upset his brother would be to find out Sky had left.

  It wasn’t until he pulled into the garage and unfastened his seatbelt that he thought of the picture in his pocket. He pulled it out and carried it into the light of day.

  Looked like Annie and his mother. The date on the back read June ’81, the year he was born. He grinned. “Well, what do you know?” This was the first picture he’d seen of his mother when she was pregnant with him.

  Or was it his mother? On closer inspection, something was off. The pregnant woman had a good two inches on the other. That wasn’t possible. Annie was the taller of the two.

  With his mind reeling, Noah entered the house, surprised to find his brother in the living room, a stack of papers in his hands. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Micah glanced over the top of the papers. “You’re not looking so good.”

  “Take a look at this and tell me what you think.” Noah placed the picture on the coffee table.

  Micah set the papers down and studied the faded and somewhat wrinkled photograph. “Kind of hard to see who’s in it, but that’s our front porch, so I’m guessing Mom and Annie?”

  “It is, but take a closer look.”

  Micah shrugged and picked up the snapshot. After several seconds he looked up. “Am I missing something?”

  “I’m trying to figure out if I’m missing something. When I first looked at this, I assumed Mom was the pregnant woman, but that’s Mom there.” He pointed to the person who wasn’t smiling. “The shorter one.”

  “You’re not saying… no way Annie ever had a kid. We would have heard something about it by now. In a town this size that kind of news would have spread faster than last year’s wildfires.”

  “According to this picture, she did.” He paced in front of the coffee table, his stomach twisting in knots. The ridiculous thought going through his head couldn’t be, yet what other explanation was there?

  He took the seat next to Micah. “Look at the date.”

  Micah flipped the picture over. “Okay?”

  “That’s the month and year I was born. Annie is pregnant. Mom isn’t”

  Micah held up a hand. “Wait, you’re not suggesting Annie was pregnant with you, are you? Think about it, Noah. There’s no specific date, just the month and year. Your birthday is early in the month, so who’s to say you weren’t already born and sleeping in the crib when this was taken?”

  Noah considered that for a moment. Maybe he had jumped to conclusions. The knot in his stomach tightened. Go with your gut. That’s what Annie had told him, and at this moment, he didn’t like the direction his gut was taking him. “Okay, I’ll agree that’s a possibility.” He stood and walked to the front window, trying to gather his thoughts. “But if I’m right, it would certainly explain why Mom treated us so differently.”

  Micah came to his side. “I don’t know. Seems to me you’re reading a lot into one picture. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I’m not convinced. We both know there’s only one person who can clear this up.” He handed Noah the picture. “But are you sure you want to ask her about this? Are you ready to hear what she has to say?”

  Ready or not, he had to know. “I won’t say anything until I do a little poking around, but I will ask her. And if it’s all the same with you, I’d like you around when I do.”

  “Consider it done.”

  “Thanks, brother,” Noah said, his voice raspy. The irony of his words didn’t escape him. The last week had brought a new understanding and respect between him and Micah. They were learning to be brothers again. And now it seemed they might not be brothers at all.

  Noah spent the next several hours in the attic, searching through paperwork and picture albums. He located his original birth certificate, which matched the copies he had in his own files. There was nothing suspicious, other than the thoughts running through his mind.

  By the time he reached the living room, Annie had awakened from her nap and was sitting in the large chair with her legs stretched out on the ottoman. She looked relaxed. Would his conversation unnerve her or prove his thoughts to be the result of an overactive imagination?

  Annie looked toward him as he came her way. “There you are. Micah is making coffee. Why don’t you light a fire?”

  “Sure.” Noah wadded up some old newspaper and stuffed in under the grate, adding kindling on top. His hands shook, and it took three strikes before the match lit. The fire caught quickly, reducing the paper to ashes. Would his life and all believed for the last thirty-two years also be reduced to ashes? Once the kindling caught, Noah stacked on some split logs. It didn’t take long before a crackling fire added warmth to the room.

  The kitchen door swung open. Micah appeared with two mugs. “I didn’t know you were here, Noah. Want me to get you a cup?”

  “Not now, thanks. I need to talk to Annie.”

  Micah locked eyes with him. “You sure?”

  “Sure about what?” Annie accepted the mug from Micah but quickly switched her attention to Noah. “I’m the one with the broken leg, but you’re the one who seems out of sorts. What’s going on?”

  Noah sat on the ottoman, facing his aunt. He pulled the picture from his shirt pocket and took one last look at the two women before handing it to her. “What can you tell me about this picture?”

  The photo fluttered in Annie’s hand. “Where did you get this?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “Sky found it in Mom’s dressing table.” For as much as Noah wanted to ask if he was right about his suspicions, he chose to let Annie take the lead.

  She clutched the picture to her chest and closed her eyes. “I wondered what happened to it after all these years.” She opened tear-filled eyes and placed a hand on Noah’s cheek. “You were such a sweet baby.”

  Air rushed from Micah’s lungs, and he found it hard to catch his breath. “Your baby?”

  She nodded.

  “How come you never said anything?” Noah asked.

  “I couldn’t.” She bit her quivering bottom lip. “Sam would have sent me away. I did what I had to, in order to remain close to you.”

  Micah lowered himself to sit on the coffee table. “I can’t believe this. You’re Noah’s mother?”

  Annie’s eyes remained focused on Noah. “I denied you as my own, but I never denied my love for you.”

  Noah rubbed a hand over his face. “So that makes everything okay?” His heart squeezed in his chest, remembering the way his mother had so often made him feel inferior, unable to offer the love he craved from her. “Well, it doesn’t. Not by a long shot.”

  Micah placed his hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Ease up, Noah.”

  “No.” Tears slid down Annie’s cheeks, which she wiped with the back of her hand. “He’s entitled to his anger. Lord knows I’ve dealt with my share.” She faced him, pain engraved on her face. “I had no choice, Noah.”

  The anguish in her voice echoed the hurt in Noah’s heart. “I want to know everything.”

  “Are you sure? It’s not pretty.”

  It was more a matter of needing than wanting. Noah stood and gripped the back of his neck with both hands and tried to squeeze away the tension. He fought to keep the hurt and anger from his voice while thinking about the child he gave away without a fight. “You can skip the sordid details. Just hit the highlights, like who my father is and why you let your sister raise me instead of raising me yourself.”

  Annie looked at her lap. Long seconds passed before she answered. “You and Micah have the same father.”

  “What?” It was Micah who spoke this time. “You and Dad? No way.”

  Noah lowered himself to the hearth, his legs barely able to support his weight. When Annie said it wasn’t pretty, he hadn’t expected anything like this. The thought of Annie and his father made about as much sense as the earth circling the moon. He ran a finger and thumb over his eyes and pinched th
e bridge of his nose. “I’m not even sure how to process that.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Annie wiped her eyes again. “It was nothing either of us planned, and it only happened once.”

  “If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t”

  Micah sat next to him and put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. He said nothing. The gesture of support spoke for itself, especially when Noah took a moment to realize he wasn’t the only one affected by the news. He gave his brother a grateful nod. “Please go on, Annie.”

  Annie took several shaky breaths before speaking again. “Two weeks before your mom and dad were to be married they had a terrible fight. Your mother and I shared an apartment back then. She came home in tears and told me about the fight while packing a bag. Said she’d be gone for a few days, but wouldn’t tell me where she was going. I don’t think she knew herself. Your father came over to the apartment that evening, distraught over the whole situation.” She paused, releasing another shaky breath, then continued. “We had too much to drink, and in my well-meaning effort to comfort him, one thing led to another. We both regretted our actions and vowed never to speak of it again.” A fresh batch of tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Noah hurt, not for himself, but for the woman who had kept this secret for so many years. He wanted to hug her, comfort her, but he needed to whole story first. If she stopped now, he might never know. He leaned forward. “But then you discovered you were pregnant.”

  She nodded. “A month after your mother and father were married. I was frantic and didn’t know what to do. When I told your father, he begged me not to tell your mother. I couldn’t bring myself to abort a life created by our mistake, so we went to your grandfather for advice.”

  “I can only imagine his reaction,” Micah said.

  “He told your father that no grandchild of his was going to live with strangers. I was to tell your mother about the pregnancy and make up a story about a one night stand who was now long-gone. Everyone was told your mother was expecting, but the pregnancy was high risk and she was confined to bed. My reason for coming to the ranch was to help care for her.”