His Honour, Her Family

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“Are you kidding? If she did, we’d have gotten an earful by now.” Grace picked at a thread in the couch fabric. “Besides, this is Golden. He probably wants to keep any potential romance private for now.”

“I can sympathize. Privacy is hard-earned in Golden.” Faith shifted in the chair. “I hate to admit this to you, but you’re going to hear about it anyway.” She took a deep breath, then blew it out in a hearty gust. “My bad decisions have finally come back to bite me. Big-time.”

Shocked that Faith would admit her failings to her, Grace said, “You know I’d help you if you’d let me.”

“Right.” Sarcasm twisted her tone. “Like always. Grace to the rescue.”

Grace opened her mouth to defend herself, then pursed her lips together, before saying, “Look, I don’t want to fight. Since we’re both staying here, can we agree on some kind of truce?”

More than anything Grace wanted to end the impasse they’d been perpetuating since they were teens. With Daddy long gone, Mama needing help and Grace once again dropping everything to save the day—as they’d see it—her siblings would resent her for it.

Faith’s tone was begrudging when she said, “I suppose we can handle a truce.”

She’d been expecting an uphill battle. Faith’s words came as a surprise. “I know things haven’t been—”

“Pleasant?”

“—in a long time. I hate that we can’t sit in the same room and carry on a conversation.”

“Don’t put that on me.”

Dejection swamped Grace. “Are you ever going to let it go about Daddy?”

Faith could fix it right here, right now, by working with Grace instead of fighting her, but Grace worried old habits died hard.

“We were kids, Faith. Stuff happened. You have to know I never meant to get Daddy in trouble.”

“Yeah, but he did and it changed everything.”

“So I’m guilty forever?” Grace brushed her hair behind her ear. “Mama still expects Daddy to come waltzing through the door like nothing happened. You still hold a grudge for my part in that, and all the other things we fought about when we were kids. And Nathan...where is he by the way?”

“I have no clue.”

“Great.”

An uncomfortable silence blanketed the room. John filled it with his sunny chatter about cars and trucks while Lacey dozed off as her belly filled. Maybe it was time to leave the past where it belonged, in the past, and make strides toward becoming closer.

“We’re family,” Grace continued. “I know I’ll mostly be working while I’m here, but I’d really like to catch up.”

A strange look flitted over Faith’s face. She opened her mouth and Grace waited on pins and needles to find out what was going on in her sister’s mind when John carried his truck over to Grace. Frustration mounted as the moment passed and whatever Faith was going to say slipped away.

“Don’t mind him,” Faith said instead. “He’s obsessed with anything on wheels, sleeping with his favorite truck and demanding to watch programs on television about heavy machinery.”

Lacey had fallen asleep, snuggled against her mother. A rush of love for her niece consumed Grace. Reaching over, she ran a finger over the baby’s soft skin. Lacey shifted and Faith rose to carry her to the crib she’d set up in the second bedroom. Grace was on the floor with John when she returned, racing his little cars around.

“Dirt,” John said, holding up his truck.

“Code word for take me outside,” Faith said. “Not now, John. Your sister is sleeping.”

Not sure how Faith would react to Grace’s suggestion, she said, “I can take him outside if it’s okay with you. You look like you could use a breather.”

Relief softened Faith’s features. “Are you sure? My sister, the big-time attorney, actually asking to play with a four-year-old?”

She tried not to let the sarcasm in her sister’s voice pinch her heart, but it did. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to do this.”

“Sure. But watch him closely. He takes off like a flash.”

Grace rose, held out her hand and took John’s smaller one in hers. “I may not be a runner, but I promise to keep an eye on him.”

As Grace passed by Faith to get to the door, she stopped. “What were you going to say before John interrupted us?”

Tears clouded her sister’s eyes. Instead of answering, she glanced away.

Grace touched her arm. “This is a safe place.”

Faith blinked, straightened her shoulders and met Grace’s gaze. “I’m a mother now. Time to own up to all the choices I’ve made.”

“You don’t have to do it alone.”

“This is hard.” She barked out a sharp laugh. “You always tried to look out for me, but I thought I knew better. Look how well that’s worked out for me.”

If Grace wanted to push for changes, now was her chance. “Faith, we’re going to be in close quarters for a while. If there’s something you want to say, just say it.”

Faith ran a hand through her hair, her voice shaky when she said, “Give me a little time to sort it all out, okay, sis?”

“All the time you need.”

With those words, Grace took John out to the path that led to the dirt lane, then headed toward the lake. She should be thankful that her sister wanted to talk, something they hadn’t done in ages. Maybe living together was a blessing in disguise. As she listened to John’s ongoing chatter, she hoped so.

* * *

GOOD GRIEF, WHAT was Faith feeding her son? And where could she buy whatever it was? The four-year-old had enough energy for a full platoon of men, with no signs of letting up soon.

They’d walked to the lake, then circled around to the play area. The sun was half-mast in the sky, which meant they’d be ready for dinner soon. Her stomach growled at the reminder.

“Okay, buddy. What do you say we head home?”

“No. I want to play truck.”

“We have been.”

He stomped his little foot, squeezed his face tight. “More.”

Grace laughed. She couldn’t help it. John was the spitting image of his mother when she was a child. “Good luck with that,” she muttered under her breath, remembering how hard it was to corral Faith when her mind was made up. Seemed like karma was having a belly laugh about now.

“How about we get something to eat and come back later.”

“No. Want to play.”

“After dinner.”

His brown eyes flashed. “No.”

John had no sooner said the word than he streaked right past her. She turned in panic, ready to give chase, when she saw him dash right into a pair of long legs. Which belonged to her new employee.

“Slow down there, champ.”

Her heart took a dizzy twirl when Deke waylaid her nephew. He smiled at the boy, revealing those dimples, which in turn made her chest squeeze tight. The sun caught the hidden highlights in his dark brown hair, and that woodsy scent of his tickled her nose. When his gaze met hers, well, she was nothing short of a goner.

This could be a problem.

“Hey,” he said in greeting, his voice scratchy like he hadn’t used it in hours. It definitely rubbed her the right way.

“Hi.”

Their gaze held for a long moment before she felt John wrap his arm around her leg.

A glimmer of something—what, she couldn’t say—crossed Deke’s eyes before he covered his reaction. “I didn’t know you have a son.”