wide smile was in total contrast to his usual shy personality, reminding Lacey just how much of a magnet Jack had always been with kids, making them feel special. He slapped Jack’s palm, and then Davey’s too, eyes aglow with the much-needed attention of an older male. “Maybe after next practice,” he volunteered, shooting a hopeful look Lacey’s way.
“Maybe,” Lacey said with a slow nod, following Jack’s lead in avoiding his gaze.
“Sweet.” Jack gave Spence a wink before smiling at Davey. He turned to amble down the driveway, ignoring Lacey without another word.
Her heart cramped as she watched him walk away.
A delicate sigh drifted from Mrs. O’Bryen’s lips before she squeezed Lacey in another hug. “I know it looks scary, Lacey, but promise you’ll come back. We all need to forgive and forget.” She pulled away with a tender gaze, hands still braced to Lacey’s arms. “We need you in our lives again, sweetheart, and I think you need us too.”
Emotion crowded Lacey’s throat, Mrs. O’Bryen’s words echoing deep in her heart.
If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Her eyes flickered closed with the point-blank reminder that this was the real reason she was in Isle of Hope.
She needed their forgiveness. And from the knowing look in Mrs. O’Bryen’s gaze, apparently her son and daughter needed it too.
With a shaky nod, she managed a weak smile. “I promise,” she whispered, drawing strength from the compassion that radiated from Jack’s mother and sister. “Soon.”
“Good girl.” Mrs. O’Bryen patted her arms and stepped away, casting a glance at her son and his new friend as they rolled and wrestled on the lawn. “David Montgomery O’Bryen—introducing your new friend to fleas and chiggers is not proper hospitality.” She clapped her hands, voice raised an octave. “Spencer needs to head home, young man, and you need to head into the shower after one game of horse.”
Davey froze on the lawn like a dead June bug, legs bent in the air. “But I just took a shower before practice,” he moaned, the pain in his voice tipping Lacey’s lips into a smile.
“Yes, but all the dirt and bugs crawling on you did not.”
Lacey opened her car door and lifted her chin. “Come on, Spence—Mamaw’s probably wondering where we are.”
Spencer sat up on the grass, a crease between his brows. “But we can come back another time, right, Lacey? Or Mack can come to our house soon?”
“You bet, bud—next practice, okay?”
“Okay.” Popping to his feet, he shot a shy grin at Davey over his shoulder as he trudged to the car. “Bye, Mack—see you at practice.”
Mrs. O’Bryen and Shannon joined Davey at the curb, each with a hand on his shoulder as they stood on either side. “Next week after practice would be good, Lacey, if it works for you,” Jack’s mother called, a gentle authority in her tone.
Lacey paused to stare over the roof of the Honda, one foot in the car. “We’ll be here, Mrs. O’Bryen, God willing.” Sliding in, she closed the door and clutched the steering wheel with clammy hands.
A slow smile eased across Jack’s mother’s face, a bookend reflection of Shannon’s. “He does, sweetheart,” she said, her face practically aglow with hope. “And it’s Tess now—we’re both grown women, destined to be good friends, you hear?” A sudden sheen of tears glimmered in her eyes. “Because it’s time, sweetheart.”
With a jerky nod, Lacey turned the ignition key, glancing at Spence in the next seat to make sure he was buckled. A slow, reedy breath escaped when she pulled away while Spence waved wildly out the window of the car.
No question about it—it was time, indeed.
Time to deal with the past.
Time to face her demons.
And God help her, she thought with a queasy roll of her stomach.
Time to face her father again
Chapter Five
Woof-Woof-Woof.
Tess O’Bryen glanced up from her laptop to
“Maybe,” Lacey said with a slow nod, following Jack’s lead in avoiding his gaze.
“Sweet.” Jack gave Spence a wink before smiling at Davey. He turned to amble down the driveway, ignoring Lacey without another word.
Her heart cramped as she watched him walk away.
A delicate sigh drifted from Mrs. O’Bryen’s lips before she squeezed Lacey in another hug. “I know it looks scary, Lacey, but promise you’ll come back. We all need to forgive and forget.” She pulled away with a tender gaze, hands still braced to Lacey’s arms. “We need you in our lives again, sweetheart, and I think you need us too.”
Emotion crowded Lacey’s throat, Mrs. O’Bryen’s words echoing deep in her heart.
If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Her eyes flickered closed with the point-blank reminder that this was the real reason she was in Isle of Hope.
She needed their forgiveness. And from the knowing look in Mrs. O’Bryen’s gaze, apparently her son and daughter needed it too.
With a shaky nod, she managed a weak smile. “I promise,” she whispered, drawing strength from the compassion that radiated from Jack’s mother and sister. “Soon.”
“Good girl.” Mrs. O’Bryen patted her arms and stepped away, casting a glance at her son and his new friend as they rolled and wrestled on the lawn. “David Montgomery O’Bryen—introducing your new friend to fleas and chiggers is not proper hospitality.” She clapped her hands, voice raised an octave. “Spencer needs to head home, young man, and you need to head into the shower after one game of horse.”
Davey froze on the lawn like a dead June bug, legs bent in the air. “But I just took a shower before practice,” he moaned, the pain in his voice tipping Lacey’s lips into a smile.
“Yes, but all the dirt and bugs crawling on you did not.”
Lacey opened her car door and lifted her chin. “Come on, Spence—Mamaw’s probably wondering where we are.”
Spencer sat up on the grass, a crease between his brows. “But we can come back another time, right, Lacey? Or Mack can come to our house soon?”
“You bet, bud—next practice, okay?”
“Okay.” Popping to his feet, he shot a shy grin at Davey over his shoulder as he trudged to the car. “Bye, Mack—see you at practice.”
Mrs. O’Bryen and Shannon joined Davey at the curb, each with a hand on his shoulder as they stood on either side. “Next week after practice would be good, Lacey, if it works for you,” Jack’s mother called, a gentle authority in her tone.
Lacey paused to stare over the roof of the Honda, one foot in the car. “We’ll be here, Mrs. O’Bryen, God willing.” Sliding in, she closed the door and clutched the steering wheel with clammy hands.
A slow smile eased across Jack’s mother’s face, a bookend reflection of Shannon’s. “He does, sweetheart,” she said, her face practically aglow with hope. “And it’s Tess now—we’re both grown women, destined to be good friends, you hear?” A sudden sheen of tears glimmered in her eyes. “Because it’s time, sweetheart.”
With a jerky nod, Lacey turned the ignition key, glancing at Spence in the next seat to make sure he was buckled. A slow, reedy breath escaped when she pulled away while Spence waved wildly out the window of the car.
No question about it—it was time, indeed.
Time to deal with the past.
Time to face her demons.
And God help her, she thought with a queasy roll of her stomach.
Time to face her father again
Chapter Five
Woof-Woof-Woof.
Tess O’Bryen glanced up from her laptop to
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