Brenda glared at Nell. “I knew I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Still, I have a niggling feeling it was her.”
Nell paced about the office’s small space. She tapped a finger against her lips. “Don’t, and I repeat, whatever you do, do not tell anyone else. Especially Addison. It’s as clear as the rouge on her face that she’s falling really hard for Wade, and every time he looks at her he goes all moonified.” She reached over and placed her hands on Brenda’s shoulders and gave a little shake. “Promise on your grandmother’s grave not to say anything until we’re absolutely, positively sure it’s her.”
Brenda shook her head vigorously. “On my grandmother’s grave…I promise.”
“Good. May she come back and haunt you if you break your promise. I gotta go. It’s getting dark out, and I don’t like being on the road at night even if Emmett is driving.”
Brenda walked Nell to the café’s front door. “What are we going to do if it is her?”
Nell shivered when she opened the door. “Nothing. It’s none of our business.” She closed the door and rushed to the car.
****
Ava hugged her brother and father as her mother set out sandwiches of leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, along with slices of pumpkin pie. Ava filled four cups with coffee.
Wade and his father exchanged smiles. “I guess we’re special, huh, Pop.”
Ward Grey chewed thoughtfully on a bite of sandwich. “Yep. Your mother often brought me supper when I was working late.” He winked. “I always enjoyed her company. Still do.”
Small talk shifted back and forth. Silence fell. Wade expected his sister and mother to pack up the dishes and leave, but they didn’t.
Wade slid his eyebrows up. “Out with it! You both look like you’re ready to explode.”
Ave huffed out, “Something unexpected has come up.”
Lucy shrugged. “Maybe it’s something. We’re not sure.”
Wade squinted as he searched their faces. “If you’re concerned about my relationship with Addison, don’t be. She’s been hurt as badly as I was. Right now she’s vulnerable. We’ll take it one day at a time.”
He thought of Addison and how she’d felt in his arms. He also felt guilty for letting Gracie’s name slip from his lips while indulging in the most sensual kiss he’d experienced in a long time.
“We’re not concerned about Addison. Oh, that didn’t come out right,” Ava cried. “The truth is we are concerned about her and you. Because…because Mom and I are certain we saw Gracie.” She rushed on, twisting her hands together. “And we know how deeply she hurt you and how long it’s taken you to get over that hurt, and—ˮ
“Whoa! You’re talking about my ex…Gracie Howard?”
His sister and mother nodded.
Anger welled inside Wade. “That’s crazy. Her parents moved to South Carolina fifteen years ago. After what happened, there’s no one and no reason to draw Gracie back to Meadow Creek.”
Ava tilted her head and expelled a long, fretful sigh. “There’s you.”
Lucy slammed the lid on the picnic basket. She placed her hands on her hips as she faced Wade. “Son, we like Addison very much, and I for one would love to see the relationship grow beyond friendship and into forever happiness…and grandchildren. If you haven’t told her about Gracie, then I encourage you to do so sooner rather than later. That is unless some part of you still loves that witch of a woman.”
Wade struggled with how to put his mother at ease. Still he had doubts about his feelings for Gracie. He had loved her from the time he’d yanked her pigtails in first grade. But now? How could she have put him through hell and then, when it was all over, walk away like it was no big deal?
Apprehension filled Ava’s voice. “You wouldn’t consider getting back with her, would you?”
He honestly didn’t know how to answer that question. He found it difficult to mention Gracie’s name, let alone think about seeing her again.
He heard the plea in his sister’s voice. “Wade, she almost destroyed you. How could you ever trust her integrity…her love?”
He turned the coffee cup in circles. “It’s true I don’t want to repeat the emotional wringer she put me through. Maybe she’s changed. Maybe she deserves a second chance.”
He raked his hands through his thick hair. “As far as I’m concerned, this is all private—between Gracie and me. And we don’t actually know that she’s back in town. It could be someone who resembles her.”
Ward had sat quietly, taking in all the facial expressions, the exchange of words. Now he sat forward in his chair. “You’re wrong, son. It isn’t private. What that little bitch did to you she did to all of us, including the town. Why in hell do you think her parents sold their house and moved all the way across to the other side of the United States? They were embarrassed and ashamed. You’re a grown man. Responsible.” The timbre of his voice increased. “Last time, your mother and sister nearly made themselves sick watching you fall apart. Keep that in mind while you’re making your decision about how to handle this.”
Ward stood up and hobbled to the door. He scowled back at his son. “This has got my stomach in knots. Consider me off duty. I need a beer. Maybe two.”
Lucy wrapped her arms around Wade. She hugged him tight. “Make the best decision for your well-being, son. And whether it’s Gracie or not, tell Addison, all of it, and don’t put it off.”
Ava brushed tears from her eyes. “You’re my brother. My twin. When you hurt—I hurt, too.”
His family bundled up to brave the cold. Hours after they left, he sat watching the fish swim back and forth in the aquarium. “Right now I’d like to trade places with you and not have a care in the world.”
One large goldfish turned to stare out from the tank. Its mouth moved up and down as if it were speaking.
Wade unfolded his six-foot frame from the chair and ambled to the coffeemaker to refill his cup. He returned to the chair and stared at the generous slice of pumpkin pie his mother had left, then pulled it toward him. He forked a large piece into his mouth and chewed.
He pointed the fork at the tank. “You know, fish, you and your buddies are pretty lucky. All you do is swim, eat, and poop. Me, on the other hand—ˮ He shoved another bite of pie into his mouth. He tried to enjoy the dessert, but he knew if Gracie had truly returned to Meadow Creek it was because she had an ulterior motive and not because she loved him.
He decided that chances were slim he would see her before Wednesday. Relaxing a little, he would dress in his best suit, enjoy a fine dinner with Addison at Le Chalet, perhaps order champagne, even enjoy a sleigh ride around the lake. After a few hours, he’d drive her back to his place and over coffee fill her in on his disastrous love affair.
The thought of reliving a past he’d rather forget and possibly losing Addison caused the pie to sour on his stomach.
Chapter Thirty-One
The woman sitting across from Wade took his breath away. Even the scar over her eye enhanced her beauty. Her complexion was creamy smooth, with a pale blush to her cheeks and a deep rose to her lips, the black of her eyelashes and perfectly arched eyebrows, her platinum hair combed over in a flawless wave with her long hair pulled up into a fashionable do. He certainly wasn’t an expert on women’s styles, but there was no doubt in his mind that Addison James had earned her title as the world’s most beautiful woman.
Addison seemed to glow as she took in the ambiance of the restaurant. “Le Chalet reminds me of Christmas in France’s Central Square of Mègeve. The owners have created a lovely and homey atmosphere with the fireplace and all the decorations. Do they offer sleigh rides?”
Perfect, he thought. “As a matter of fact, they do, and I’ve arranged for a trip around the lake.”
She rewarded him with a dreamlike smile that caused his heart to ratchet up a couple of beats. With a smile like that, how could he not be drawn to this woman? Being near her infused him with an energy that made him optimistic about a possible future t
ogether.
He reached across the table and wrapped his hand around Addison’s. A kind of magic had entwined them. Her gaze rose to his. Deep blue. Honest. Expectant. He was speechless, and for what reasons, he couldn’t say except that he felt like the legs of the chair had been knocked out from under him. His mother and sister had nailed it. If he was to have a serious relationship with Addison, he needed to be forthcoming about Gracie.
“Addison…” He fumbled for the words. “There’s something important I need to tell you. Maybe later tonight, at my place.”
Her laughter reminded him of tinkling bells. “Please don’t say you’re going to propose. Neither of us is ready to take such an important leap this early in our relationship.”
Before he could answer, a voice laced with mockery said, “My, my, my. Isn’t this romantic.”
Her words were met with stunned silence. “What are you doing here?” Wade finally managed.
Her dark eyes widened with mock surprise as she set her long-stemmed goblet of wine on the table and pulled out a chair and seated herself. “I’m sorry, am I intruding?”
Addison’s brows furrowed as she looked at the petite woman with spiked brown hair and dark eyes.
The woman smiled as though she saw confusion and a hint of anger in Addison’s face. She heard Wade’s deep intake of breath and then the release. The two exchanged glances before she turned smug attention to Addison and held out her hand. “Forgive my rudeness. I’m Gracie Grey. Wade’s wife.” And then her belly laugh drew attention from guests at other tables.
Addison couldn’t bring herself to look at Wade. With as much calm as she could muster she pushed from the table and stood. “This is obviously a shock. I had no idea Wade was married.”
Before he could react, Addison had grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and wove her way through the crowded restaurant, intent on making her escape.
Gracie clutched Wade’s arm and held it with a firm grip. “Let her go. She’ll get over it.” She purred, “As Mother Dear would always say, ‘We mustn’t make a scene.’ ”
****
Addison couldn’t look at Wade. As she hurried away, she guessed he watched her. What he’d done was just more proof of her bad judgment in men. This time, however, she refused to come unraveled. She still had her apartment in New York. She’d sign the ranch over to Nell. Options raced through her mind. She’d open her own agency. Damn him. Damn!
The snow-covered landscape with its brightly lit firs and the old-style farmhouse had lost its charm. At the moment, her only thought was to escape. A man dressed as a French doorman held the door open. She asked, “Is there a taxi service available?”
“No, mademoiselle. There is only the sleigh driver and his horse. He doesn’t go into town.”
“How far is it into town?”
The doorman had lost his fake French accent. “Too far for those shoes.”
Fueled by anger and oblivious of the cold, Addison had just whipped out her phone to call Emmett when a white paneled van stopped. The window rolled down. “Addison, everything okay?”
Although she’d only met him once, at the Mistletoe Market, relief washed over her. “Dr. Montgomery. Can you give me a ride to Nell’s?”
“Hop in.”
As Layne Montgomery guided the vehicle down the brick drive, Addison glanced at the man dressed in navy blue coveralls. She wrinkled her nose against an odious stench. “What are you doing out here?”
“Sorry about the smell. Manure comes with the job.” He gave an apologetic grin. “Mr. Bettencort, the owner, keeps a stable of draft horses to pull the sleighs. One of the mares was having a difficult time foaling. The better question is where is Wade, and why are you in my truck without him?”
Addison groaned at the memory of seeing Gracie sitting at the table with a death-grip on Wade’s arm and a malevolent smirk in her eyes. Worse was learning he was married.
Wife.
That one word was a difficult blow. She wasn’t just angry. She was furious.
The fact that it had come out of nowhere only made the entire situation worse. Had Wade planned it this way? Had the entire family duped her? Did Aunt Nell know about Gracie, too?
She gritted her teeth. “Let’s just say I must be the biggest fool that ever lived.”
Her phone vibrated.
—Addison, where are you?—
—Addison, I can explain but not in a text—
—The doorman said you left in a white truck—
The screen on her phone lit up again. Damn! This time she turned it completely off.
She curled her fingernails into the palms of her hands. She thought back over the betrayal of her fiancé. She groaned at the memory, and then inexplicably she started to cry.
Lost in her misery, she was oblivious to the brief phone call Layne Montgomery made to his wife. It wasn’t until he pulled into the ranch yard that she realized a strange car sat in the driveway. She didn’t want to see anyone or answer any questions, and most especially she did not want to give details about her date with the not-so-honorable sheriff.
Layne opened his door, jumped to the ground, and raced around the front of the van to open the passenger door. He reached up to assist Addison.
She tried to smile. “Thank you for the ride. I’ll telephone Ava tomorrow and explain. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a terrible headache…no, wait. How rude of me. May I offer you a cup of coffee?”
A woman’s voice called out, “Addison?”
She turned toward the porch. Ava skipped down the steps toward them. She kissed her husband and thanked him for the phone call. “I’ll see you at home. Supper is in the warming oven.”
Layne Montgomery hugged his wife. Inside the van he gave a last wave and drove off. Before allowing Ava to guide her up the steps and into the house, Addison stopped to watch the taillights disappear into the darkness.
“I am such an idiot,” she muttered to herself. “The men in my life are like disappearing taillights.”
Inside the living room, Nell sat in her favorite chair. Lucy Grey sat on the sofa nearest the crackling fire, a cup of coffee in her hand.
All Addison wanted was to go upstairs and crawl into bed. She didn’t even care if she undressed. Instead she said, “I’m not fit company tonight, so if you’ll excuse me—ˮ
“Sit down, Addison,” Ava gently commanded. “Wade called and told me what happened. And that you disappeared without giving him a chance to explain. He’s worried sick that you may have gotten into a vehicle with some maniac.”
Addison’s voice bit harder than she intended. “He should have told me he was married.”
Nell said, “We all share the blame in this. Brenda told me yesterday that she thought she’d seen Gracie. I didn’t believe her. That’s neither here nor there. We wanted you to hear about it from Wade.” She patted the cushion. “Sit and listen, please. Once you’ve heard the entire story, then the rest is up to Wade and you.”
Nell reached for the coffeepot and poured a cup for Addison, who sat next to her foster mother and kicked off the high heels. “I suppose I have nothing to lose.”
Lucy reached over and held her daughter’s hand, as if she needed courage to say what she had to say. “First, Wade and Gracie were divorced a long time ago. He had planned to tell you about her tonight.”
The statement didn’t appease Addison. She still felt like the life had been drained out of her. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
Lucy began.
“He had loved Gracie all through school. The two of them were inseparable. He was the captain of the football team and she was captain of the cheerleading squad. Wade wanted a military career. Gracie planned to attend nursing school. Before high school graduation he joined the Marines. After graduation he left for San Diego to attend boot camp.
“The news wasn’t good when he came home for a short stint. His unit was to deploy thirty days after boot camp. Gracie insisted she and Wade marry before he left. He promis
ed that when he returned from Iraq they would have her dream wedding.
“They were young and in love and immature. We naturally didn’t give it much thought when Wade called to tell us the happy news that he was about to become a father. We figured they had forgotten to use protection on their wedding night and every night thereafter until he left.
“By this time Ava was away at Harvard, studying medicine. Alice, that’s Gracie’s mother, and I were never close friends, but for the children’s sake we formed a bond. Ward and I treasured those rare times we got phone calls from Wade, because Iraq was a hot spot.
“Gracie kept promising that she’d enroll in nursing school when the baby was born and old enough for her to leave for a few hours. We thought she meant the local college. Thankfully, Wade was able to get leave and was here for the baby’s birth. A beautiful baby girl with blue eyes and a head full of blonde ringlets. They named her Meadow Lark. Unfortunately, Wade had to return to his unit to finish out his fifteen months. We thought he would get an assignment stateside. Instead he was sent to Africa.
“When Meadow was about nine months old, Alice found a note in Gracie’s bedroom saying she didn’t want to be a mother and that she had left for California to pursue an acting career. I think that’s about the same time Wade got the divorce papers. To say the least, he was devastated. He said he’d tried numerous times to get in touch with Gracie, but she didn’t answer her phone. He signed the papers and mailed them to me. He wanted to make sure they got filed. He also asked if I’d raise the baby.
“Well, I couldn’t just take her away from Alice. She and I agreed to share the responsibility as grandmothers.”
Lucy drew a deep breath and was quiet for a moment while she massaged her temples. It was almost as if she needed to collect her thoughts before proceeding. “In the meantime, Alice decided not to send Gracie any money, in the hopes the girl would come to her senses and return home. She did, all right. She came back with Tony Costa, Wade’s best friend. We didn’t even know they had left together.”
She again sat quiet for a moment before she continued. “Whatever happened to them in California changed them. Drugs, maybe.” She shrugged. “Anyhow, Tony and Hubert, that’s Gracie’s father, got into a physical altercation. It wasn’t pretty. Hubert suffered the worst end of the fight, with a broken nose and a couple of busted ribs.
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