She smiled brightly. “I have lots of time.” Genuine interest shone from her eyes.
Very few people knew my story, and I knew I’d have to get to know her better before I trusted her with it. I didn’t want to offend her—I had a feeling we could be good friends—but I wasn’t ready to launch into my crazy story just yet. “Maybe another time. These two will be getting hungry soon.”
“You’re welcome to stop by anytime,” she said. “I love being home with this sweet baby, but it can get a little lonely too.”
I knew exactly what she meant.
“And you can bring your dog too, if you’d like,” she added.
I laughed. “I think Trish would appreciate having her house back to herself once in a while.”
We walked down to the living room.
“How long do you think you’ll be living with them?” Jordan asked.
That was a topic I didn’t want to think about, but I answered her anyway. “Just until my husband can get his business off the ground.”
“Oh. Well, for your sake, I hope it doesn’t take too long.”
I nodded vigorously. “Me too.”
Chapter 10
That afternoon I sat in Trish’s backyard talking to Alyssa on the phone while Jackson napped and Natalie played with her doll on the patio. Greta lay in the sun, enjoying the late spring day.
“Ty wants me to come home,” Alyssa said.
“What do you want?”
“Of course I want to, but he doesn’t think he’s doing anything unreasonable.” She sighed. “And as long as he has that attitude, I can’t give in.”
“What about counseling? Like a marriage counselor?”
“I suggested it, but he’s resistant. He doesn’t like the idea of talking about our problems with a stranger.”
“Perhaps only time will get him to see that the path he’s on is the wrong one,” I said.
“You may be right, but it’s hard to wait. I mean, should I continue renting one of these hotel rooms, or should I start to look for a more permanent place?”
The reality of Alyssa’s situation hit me, and I was glad that even though I wasn’t thrilled with our new living arrangements, at least Marcus and I were still together. “I think you should stay where you are. Don’t give up hope yet.”
“You’re right. I guess I just needed to hear someone else say it.”
That night when Marcus got home, Natalie ran to him and flung herself into his arms. “Daddy!” she said as he scooped her up.
We were in the living room, and Trish came in when she heard the commotion. Her face softened when she saw the sweet way Marcus interacted with Natalie, and I was glad. When Marcus had first suggested adopting Natalie, Trish had been reticent. Although Natalie’s biological father was dead and Marcus had been in her life from the beginning, Trish had had some reservations, which Marcus had confided in me.
She’d worried that if our marriage failed, that he would be legally and financially tied to Natalie despite not being her biological father. Marcus had assured her that that was what he wanted, and that he loved Natalie as if she were his own. Eventually Trish had come to agree that adopting Natalie was the right thing, and she’d supported him completely.
Now, as Marcus set Natalie down and turned to me, I noticed how tired he looked. “How was your day?” I asked.
“Good,” he said. “I got a lot of work done for one of our clients as well as creating a proposal for a prospective client.” He smiled, then drew me into his arms. “But now that I’m home, my day has gotten much better.”
Though I was glad he felt so at home here—the house he’d grown up in—I felt less so, and a tiny sliver of resentment lodged itself into my mind. My home was sitting empty, waiting for strangers to move in.
Exhaustion settled over me—besides the time I’d spent with Jordan and the time I’d spent in the backyard, I’d spent the day keeping Natalie’s natural curiosity in check as she’d wandered from room to room.
I gazed at Marcus, then pushed aside my frustration with a smile. “I’m glad you’re home too.”
Marcus pulled away from me and looked at his mother, who stood nearby. “I’m starved.”
Not that I necessarily enjoyed cooking, but usually when he came home from work hungry, he’d look to me for sustenance. I didn’t like feeling so easily replaced, although I had to admit I was glad I wasn’t the one responsible for every meal.
“I made beef stew,” Trish said. “Your favorite.”
“Mmm,” Marcus said as he walked past me and toward his mother. “It smells delicious.”
Trish’s face lit up, and I felt guilty for my earlier resentment. Marcus was an only child, so of course his parents were thrilled to have him home for a while.
When Marcus and I finally had some time to ourselves that night, he confided that Rick, one of the men who’d started the business with him, had pulled out.
“He said the stress was putting too much strain on his marriage.” Marcus gazed at me, a meaningful look in his eyes.
“I guess I can understand that.” Our marriage was certainly feeling the strain, especially now that we’d had to give up our house. Half wishing Marcus would pull out too, and half proud of him for sticking with it, I said, “What will that mean for your business?”
“Well, we can’t buy him out.” He laughed, but it sounded tense. “We don’t have enough cash to pay him back all at once, but we’ve agreed to pay him back gradually.” Marcus sat on the foot of the bed as I stood in front of him. “He’s going to work for another firm, which means it could be a potential conflict of interest for him to be invested in our firm, which is why we decided to start paying him back his share.” His jaw tightened. “It also means he won’t be able to help us find new clients.”
“Is that going to cause a problem?”
Marcus sighed. “He was the one who had the most experience, and . . . well, he’s the one who was the best at getting new clients.”
Fresh worry bloomed inside me. What would this mean for their chances of success?
Evidently reading my mind, Marcus said, “This means it will probably take longer to get off the ground.”
My heart sank. That meant we’d be living with Jeff and Trish that much longer. “What about other investors? Can you get more people to invest in your firm?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that simple. The more people who invest, the more diluted my share will be, and the less control Jason and I will have.”
“Oh.”
“I just wanted you to know where things stand.”
“I appreciate you telling me.” I didn’t add that I wished he would go work for another firm too. “Are you going to tell your parents? You know, since that probably means we’ll be here longer.”
“Not yet.”
I itched to ask him how much longer we would need to stay here, but I knew that wouldn’t be helpful. Besides, I knew he wouldn’t have an answer for me.
Chapter 11
Going to Jordan’s house each morning became part of my daily routine. She enjoyed it as well, encouraging the children and me to come each day. She even liked having Greta come over.
Two weeks after I first met her I finally felt comfortable enough with her to tell her my story. We were on our daily walk when I told her how I’d had to flee from Trevor, and then how I’d had to lie to everyone about my identity.
“Wow,” she said. “That’s crazy, Lily. I never would have guessed that about you. You seem to have it all together.”
I laughed quietly as we pushed our strollers. “It’s been a long road. Having Marcus in my life has made all the difference.”
“I know you don’t love living with your in-laws, but I’m glad you live next door.”
“I don’t have a lot of girlfriends,” I said as I thought about Alyssa. We’d spoken the night before and she’d said she was still staying at the hotel, that Ty still refused to admit he had a problem. “Meeting you is one of the goo
d things that’s come from moving in with the Olivers.”
“So what happened with Trevor?”
When I told her how Trevor had kidnapped Natalie when she was just a few weeks old, then had attempted to kill me, her eyes widened in shock. Then I recounted how Greta had saved me.
Her gaze shot to Greta, who walked steadily beside me. “Oh my gosh. That’s insane.”
“I know. I’m just grateful I have Natalie.” I looked at Greta too as love for my loyal German Shepherd surged through me, and knew without her I would be dead.
“Wait,” she said, her eyes wide. “Mary had mentioned that someone had once died in that house, but I had no idea it was . . . well, your husband.”
“I’m so sorry, Jordan.”
“You’re sorry?” Her eyebrows rose. “What do you have to be sorry for? It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know. I just hope it doesn’t upset you too much to know what happened in your house.”
She shook her head. “No. That was in the past, and I try not to dwell on the past.”
Relieved my story hadn’t freaked her out, I nodded.
“I guess I’m lucky,” she said. “My husband has always been good to me.”
I’d only met her husband once, and he seemed like a nice man. “I didn’t have the best judgment when it came to Trevor.” I smiled. “But there’s nothing I can do to change the that. The best part is, I have Natalie.”
“You’re amazing, Lily. You know that?”
What I had been through had never been my choice. Just because I’d survived it didn’t mean I was amazing. At least I didn’t think so. “Thanks.”
When Marcus got home that evening, he finally had some good news.
“I think I’ve found renters for the house,” he said as we sat down for dinner with his parents.
“Really?” I said.
“Yes. They look good on paper, they’re only interested in a short-term agreement, and they seem like really nice people.” He placed a serving of casserole on his plate then turned to me. “Do you want to meet them?”
“Yes.” I definitely wanted to meet the people who could end up living in my home. And I hoped I wouldn’t resent them.
“Great. They can meet us at the house at seven.”
“We can watch the kids,” Trish said.
She didn’t offer to babysit often, so I was grateful. “Okay. That would be great.”
As Marcus and I drove to our house, I pretended that we were going home. But that illusion was swiftly shattered when we pulled up to the house and found a couple with two school-aged children waiting for us on the porch.
“There they are,” Marcus said.
Trying to put aside the sudden feeling of envy that they would be living in my house when I was stuck living with my in-laws, I climbed out of the car and plastered a smile to my mouth.
The woman, who looked like she was in her early thirties, approached me with a smile. “You must be Lily.”
“Yes.”
“This is Todd and Emily Barton,” Marcus said.
We all shook hands as their children stood quietly by.
“Let’s go inside,” Marcus said, then he unlocked the door and ushered us in.
We chatted for ten minutes, then Marcus looked at me with a question in his eyes. I smiled slightly and gave an imperceptible nod.
“Well,” Marcus said. “We’d love to have you live here.”
I smiled gamely, but my stomach churned.
“That’s wonderful,” Emily said, then she looked right at me. “We’ll take good care of your house.”
I wondered if my reticence was written plainly on my face. “I’m sure you will.”
They signed a month to month rental agreement. Now, if our situation changed, we would be able to move back in relatively quickly.
On the drive back to the Olivers’ house, Marcus reached out and placed his hand on mine. “Thank you, Lily.”
I wanted to tell him it was fine, but it really wasn’t. I felt like I’d just given my home away. But then I looked at Marcus and saw the love in his eyes and knew that home was wherever he and our children were. “I know we’ll move back some day.”
“That’s right. Eventually you’ll see that all this sacrifice is worth it.”
Intellectually I knew he was right, but emotionally I was struggling.
The next day I told Jordan the latest.
“Sounds like a good family will be living there” she said as she nursed Gabe.
I laughed, but it came out sounding discouraged. “I want my family to be living there.”
“When you first moved in here,” she said as she gestured to the room in which we sat, “I’ll bet you never imagined that you would be happily married and have two children in such a short period of time.”
That was for sure. When I’d moved in, my only hope had been that I could live in peace without Trevor tracking me down. Of course he had found me, but I’d survived, and Natalie had survived. “That’s true.”
“My point,” she said with a smile, “is that you never know how things will work out.”
“Yes, you never know what’s around the corner. I just hope it’s something good.”
“Chances are it will be.”
“Thanks,” I said with a genuine smile. “I needed to hear that.”
Chapter 12
When the children, Greta, and I got back to the Olivers’ house, Natalie seemed in especially high spirits, running around screaming, and then telling me no when I told her to stop. I set eight-month-old Jackson on the floor to practice crawling, and went to get Natalie.
“Those terrible twos,” Trish said with a smile as she watched me wrestle Natalie to the floor to change her diaper.
I doubted she could remember Marcus going through them, but at least she understood Natalie was going through a normal stage.
The moment I released Natalie, she sprang up from the floor and took off, racing through the kitchen, then the dining room, and finally circling back through the living room. Then she ran directly to the base of the stairs.
“No, Natalie,” I said as I hurried to keep her from climbing them. We didn’t have stairs at our house, and I constantly worried that she would fall down these. I wanted to get a gate, but the idea that Jeff and Trish would have to go through a gate every time they wanted to go up or down their own stairs kept me from suggesting it. Instead I’d been extra-vigilant, keeping a constant eye on Natalie—which I needed to do anyway to keep her out of trouble.
Every night I fell into bed more exhausted than the day before. As accommodating as Jeff and Trish had been, their home just wasn’t child-proofed to the extent I would have preferred.
“Let’s play outside with Greta,” I said to Natalie.
“Yay,” she said as I picked her up. “Outside.”
“Can you keep an eye on Jackson?” I asked Trish, then looked at Jackson, who was exploring the room.
“Why don’t I come outside with you, and I can hold him?”
“Okay.” Since we’d been living there, Trish and I had had several opportunities to visit, and though we’d been getting to know each other better, I still felt a barrier between us. It was as if she couldn’t completely let her guard down and let me in. I hoped that over time she’d let me get to know the real Trish.
A short time later we were settled on the back patio, with Natalie running after Greta across the grassy yard.
“I love this time of year,” Trish said.
I glanced at the clear blue of the early June sky and nodded my assent.
Trish looked at me with a smile. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Okay.”
“I know you’ve been working hard to keep the bathroom your family is using clean, and to keep the kids’ toys picked up, but I wanted to ask if you’d mind taking over some of the other chores. Like vacuuming the main floor and cleaning the downstairs half-bath.”
“No, of course not. I’m happy to h
elp. In fact I’ve been meaning to ask how I can help out more.” Trying to manage the children in a new environment had been all I’d been able to handle up until that point, but I didn’t like the idea that our presence was making more work for Trish. “What about dinners? I’d be happy to do the cooking some nights, or at least help you when you’re cooking.”
Trish laughed softly as she snuggled Jackson. “Just keeping these two entertained is job enough. Don’t worry about meals, at least for now. Just the cleaning part would help me out.”
“I can do that while the children are napping.” Although I normally treasured that time to do something I enjoyed, like reading.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Well, we really appreciate you letting us live here while Marcus gets things going.”
“I’m sure he’ll figure it out soon enough. Besides, he has his two partners to rely on.”
I held back my look of surprise. It had been two weeks since Rick had pulled out of the business, but evidently Marcus had yet to tell his parents. I wasn’t about to get in the middle of that, but wondered what Trish would think if she knew.
“Right,” I said with a small smile.
“It seems you and the neighbor girl are getting on well.”
“Yes, I really like Jordan. Her baby is only a few months younger than Jackson, so we have a lot in common.”
“And she doesn’t mind when you bring Greta over?” Trish’s gaze strayed toward my German Shepherd, who lay in the sun.
“No, not at all.”
“That’s nice of her.”
Thankfully Greta had left Trish’s flowers alone, and after the first few days of seeing Greta sadly watching us from the sliding glass door, Trish had relented and said we could let Greta be in the house with us in the evenings—although during the day she preferred that Greta stay outside. Now she slept in our room like she always had, and she seemed perfectly happy in her new house.
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