Sheâd be free to return to the life sheâd carved out for herself, the life God wanted for her. Strangely there was no peace in that thought.
Constrained laughter caught her attention and she looked up. Across the room Josh held a captivated audience as he talked.
She sighed. He looked handsome in his dark navy suit and tie, looking more like he belonged in a boardroom than out fighting fires. He stood tall and carried himself with a confidence that she envied. He was a part of these people. He belonged here. She didnât.
A young boy moved to stand beside Josh. Shock momentarily wiped away the numb ambivalence that had taken ahold of her the moment Mom G. died. Rachelâs heart pounded as she looked from the boy to Josh and back to the boy.
Even as Josh put his arm around the child andhugged him, Rachel realized that this boy with his light-colored hair and expressive eyes could only be Joshâs son. The âtheyâ Mom G. had been talking about.
The child could have been her son.
She blinked and turned to stare out the window at the little town of Sonora. The quaint, turn-of-the-century homes, the cute little café that hadnât been there when sheâd lived in the town and the gas station where Josh had worked during high school turned blurry through fresh tears.
Josh had a son. Why hadnât Josh mentioned him?
Why did she care?
She realized she didnât know that much about Josh and his life. She didnât want to know, she told herself. She couldnât change the past, could only accept it.
There was so much to accept.
The quicker she left Sonora and the memories behind, the easier the past would be to acceptâand forget.
Chapter Five
J osh hugged his son close. He was grateful his father had had the foresight to take Griff to the hospital before school the day before Mrs. G. died. He hated to think of the pain Griff would have suffered had he not had the chance to say goodbye to the woman who had helped raise him.
Thankfully Rachel had been able to say goodbye, too. He scanned the crowd. Heâd seen her earlier talking with Mr. and Mrs. Poe, then heâd lost sight of her.
She was putting on a good show of strength. Though her complexion was ghostly pale and her eyes were a little glazed, sheâd smiled and moved gracefully through the funeral service and the reception.
She looked very mature and womanly in her black tailored suit with her hair pulled up into a fancy twist. When theyâd talked briefly at the cemetery, sheâd been distant and polite, but he could see by the tiny lines bracketing her mouth and the way she had toblink constantly to fight tears, that she was struggling to keep her composure.
Where was she? He frowned. She shouldnât have to deal with her grief alone. He started to usher his son toward the door in search of Rachel when he saw her sitting by the window. She looked composed and serene, but he knew inside she had to be crumbling. He steered Griff toward the window.
As they approached, she turned and he saw a flicker of an emotion he couldnât identify in her eyes. But then it was gone and she smiled with distant, polite interest.
âRachel, Iâd like you to meet my son, Griff. Griff, this is Rachel Maguire.â
Rachel held out her hand. âItâs nice to meet you, Griff.â
Griff took her hand. âYouâre in the picture with my dad at Mrs. G.âs house.â
Her eyes widened with surprise. âYes, I am. How did you know?â
âMrs. G. takes care of me when Dad and Grandpa work.â
Rachel fought the burning behind her eyes at the boyâs use of the present tense. She could only imagine the grief the child would suffer when he realized that Mom G. wasnât coming back.
Josh cleared his throat. She saw the same concern in his eyes.
âWhen youâre ready to leave, let me know and weâll give you a ride to your hotel,â he said.
âThat
Constrained laughter caught her attention and she looked up. Across the room Josh held a captivated audience as he talked.
She sighed. He looked handsome in his dark navy suit and tie, looking more like he belonged in a boardroom than out fighting fires. He stood tall and carried himself with a confidence that she envied. He was a part of these people. He belonged here. She didnât.
A young boy moved to stand beside Josh. Shock momentarily wiped away the numb ambivalence that had taken ahold of her the moment Mom G. died. Rachelâs heart pounded as she looked from the boy to Josh and back to the boy.
Even as Josh put his arm around the child andhugged him, Rachel realized that this boy with his light-colored hair and expressive eyes could only be Joshâs son. The âtheyâ Mom G. had been talking about.
The child could have been her son.
She blinked and turned to stare out the window at the little town of Sonora. The quaint, turn-of-the-century homes, the cute little café that hadnât been there when sheâd lived in the town and the gas station where Josh had worked during high school turned blurry through fresh tears.
Josh had a son. Why hadnât Josh mentioned him?
Why did she care?
She realized she didnât know that much about Josh and his life. She didnât want to know, she told herself. She couldnât change the past, could only accept it.
There was so much to accept.
The quicker she left Sonora and the memories behind, the easier the past would be to acceptâand forget.
Chapter Five
J osh hugged his son close. He was grateful his father had had the foresight to take Griff to the hospital before school the day before Mrs. G. died. He hated to think of the pain Griff would have suffered had he not had the chance to say goodbye to the woman who had helped raise him.
Thankfully Rachel had been able to say goodbye, too. He scanned the crowd. Heâd seen her earlier talking with Mr. and Mrs. Poe, then heâd lost sight of her.
She was putting on a good show of strength. Though her complexion was ghostly pale and her eyes were a little glazed, sheâd smiled and moved gracefully through the funeral service and the reception.
She looked very mature and womanly in her black tailored suit with her hair pulled up into a fancy twist. When theyâd talked briefly at the cemetery, sheâd been distant and polite, but he could see by the tiny lines bracketing her mouth and the way she had toblink constantly to fight tears, that she was struggling to keep her composure.
Where was she? He frowned. She shouldnât have to deal with her grief alone. He started to usher his son toward the door in search of Rachel when he saw her sitting by the window. She looked composed and serene, but he knew inside she had to be crumbling. He steered Griff toward the window.
As they approached, she turned and he saw a flicker of an emotion he couldnât identify in her eyes. But then it was gone and she smiled with distant, polite interest.
âRachel, Iâd like you to meet my son, Griff. Griff, this is Rachel Maguire.â
Rachel held out her hand. âItâs nice to meet you, Griff.â
Griff took her hand. âYouâre in the picture with my dad at Mrs. G.âs house.â
Her eyes widened with surprise. âYes, I am. How did you know?â
âMrs. G. takes care of me when Dad and Grandpa work.â
Rachel fought the burning behind her eyes at the boyâs use of the present tense. She could only imagine the grief the child would suffer when he realized that Mom G. wasnât coming back.
Josh cleared his throat. She saw the same concern in his eyes.
âWhen youâre ready to leave, let me know and weâll give you a ride to your hotel,â he said.
âThat
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