Mom in the Middle (17 page)

She hesitated, sounded as if she might choke. Then continued.

“And finally I'd like to dedicate this ride as I always have. To my first love, the man I will always cherish, the one who never let me down. My best friend of ten years. My Phillip.”

Guy's breath caught in his throat. Casey stretched an arm behind him, laid her hand gently on his back.

Abby reached to hand the microphone back, then seemed to change her mind. “Wait, I forgot somebody very important.”

Guy's heart quickened, surged with what she was about to say.

“Garrett Ramsey! Thank you so much for the privilege of riding Restless!”

From the other end of the arena, Garrett's loud “Yip! Yip!” could be heard in response. While the crowd laughed, Abby guided Restless out of the arena to cool him down. Guy stood and moved toward the exit with Casey close behind.

“She only had about thirty seconds, bro.” Casey knew him too well, felt the need to excuse Abby's oversight.

“That's just it. No matter what I do, I can't even make that woman's short list, let alone her top spot. I'd like to chalk this one up to comeuppance but I'm afraid it's more complicated than that.” And more painful.

“You're crazy about that girl, aren't you?”

“It shows, huh?”

“To me, of course. But in the long run it's probably just as well. Now you won't have any worries about personal complications down the road when the insurance is settled and the investigation is closed.”

The investigation. It would never be closed because it had never officially been opened. He'd gone against the procedure established to protect
Hearth and Home after his last mistake. He'd chosen instead to protect the Reagans from the scrutiny of a private investigator and now when his father asked to review the file, Guy would have nothing to reveal but excuses.

To complicate matters, he'd challenged the insurance settlement, demanded the carrier review and reconsider the coverage, even insisted on paying out of his own pocket to ensure the Reagans never received another balance-due bill. While he could probably squash that revelation, was it ethical to keep it quiet from his parents? Didn't they have a right to know the person they assumed would be the next CEO of their company had interfered in a corporate settlement?

All because he'd let his intentions to save somebody go too far. He'd strayed from the plan that had always met his needs. He'd let his emotions overrule his good sense.

And he'd only really learned one thing. He'd found the one his heart loved but he was ten years too late.

 

“Guy said what?” Abby couldn't believe what she was hearing. He'd been in the stands cheering her on an hour before and now he was gone. Completely inaccessible, his sister had said, her voice firm, leaving no room for question.

Casey slammed the door securely and rounded the back of the H&H van. She glanced toward the passengers and lowered her voice.

“He said to tell you he had something important to finish up and that he'd see you next weekend at the dedication before he leaves for Galveston. He asked me to escort your mom back to the hospital and get the rest of you safely home.”

“Just like that, he left and turned everything over to you?”

“Yeah, stellar, huh?”

“No, it's not at all.” Her voice was petulant, irritated.

Casey stared hard, her blue eyes piercing. She folded her arms.

“Well, here's something that is. I never take anything for granted or at first blush. I probe for more facts until I'm satisfied with the answers. And I've done some digging I'm not too proud of at the moment. But here's what I learned, Abby. For the first time in his adult life my brother has put everything he values at risk. And today I watched his face at the moment he accepted that it was a roll of the dice and he may lose it all.

“Because of you, Abby.”

E
ight days later, with only her walker for assistance, and her husband right behind in his new motorized wheelchair, Sarah Reagan made her way up the sturdy wooden ramp and entered her home through a much wider door. A small army of Hearth and Home employees in the family room greeted her with a shout of “Happy Mother's Day!”

“Oh, my!” She raised a trembling hand and pressed it to her cheek.

“Welcome home!” they chorused and waved cheerful greetings.

“I wasn't expecting company.” Her voice trembled from the shock of surprise guests. Abby suspected her mother would react negatively to a welcoming committee, but they pleaded to stay if only for a few minutes.

“We all need to get back to our families but we have a few things we'd like to show you,” Leah
offered. “We gave Mr. Reagan a hand with some small changes that will make your home just a bit more accessible.” She pointed toward the kitchen.

The volunteers parted to give the lady of the house an unobstructed path. With her head held high, she worked her way across the floor, stopping in a slash of morning sunlight. She nodded her head in appreciation of the wide granite countertops, lowered wall-mount cabinets and non-skid flooring. Her gaze swept the room as she smiled approval. Abby was thankful they'd kept her mother's color schemes intact and had only made functional changes so the room was still familiar, homey.

“How lovely.” She pointed to the new ceiling fan.

“That's the one Abby and I always meant to hang.”

“Yes, I remember the day we picked it out. But I was referring to the stained glass on the end of the pull chain.”

Abby's chest throbbed with the dull ache that hadn't subsided in a week. Of all the lasting marks Guy had left on their home, his small pieces of artwork were the most eye-catching and engaging. How appropriate that one would be noticed right away.

“Look out the kitchen window, honey. The deck was one of our first projects.” The pride in her daddy's voice was unmistakable. Guy could take the credit for putting it there, but he wouldn't.

She swept the yellow gingham curtain aside. “Oh, it's wonderful. I can't wait to serve lunch out there. And those cedar barrel planters will be
perfect for a summer herb garden.” She turned back to the room full of guests, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

“I don't even know where to begin to thank you all.” Her gaze dropped; she leaned heavily on the handles of her walker, searching for adequate words.

“Don't tire yourself, Sarah. There's more to see and these nice folks will be at the playground dedication in a few hours. So come with me. Baby girl, you and Dillon bring up the rear. Will the rest of you please excuse us and see yourselves out?” He winked. “My bride needs some privacy in her new boudoir.”

The team of volunteers laughed as they shuffled toward the door and out to their cars.

Abby watched her dad take the lead down the long hallway while her mother, who was already an expert at navigating her new support after weeks of physical therapy, stayed close behind.

As she progressed down the hall, she paused to touch each doorway that had been replaced to more easily accommodate a wheelchair or a walker.

At the entrance to what was now truly a master bedroom, she stopped suddenly as if she'd experienced a sharp pain.

“Mama, are you all right?” Abby took a step closer, prepared to transfer all attention from her child to her mother, wondering how she'd ever manage this day in and day out.

Across the room, her father raised his palm signaling all was well.

“She's fine. Just amazed at the changes thanks to the kindness of others. Aren't you, dear?”

Her mother nodded, said nothing. Truly speechless.

Abby surveyed the redesigned and redecorated room as if seeing it as her mother would for the first time. Soft mauve carpet had replaced throw rugs on slippery old oak planks. A beautiful cherry bedroom suite, with the height of the sleigh bed adjusted for easy access, filled the space formerly occupied by inexpensive, decades-old furnishings. Where a wall of dark paneling had loomed in the small bedroom, leaded-glass French doors now opened onto the expanded master bath. The whirlpool garden tub, oversize tiled shower and matching marble sinks were strategically placed to maximize floor space for handicapped access.

In short, it was a luxurious blessing that had never even been a dream before this moment.

Abby's father had positioned himself next to a chair and ottoman that perfectly accented the plush spread on the bed. He patted the thick cushion of the chair and waited patiently until the love of his life settled into it comfortably.

The piercing eyes that had seen life only from a practical view during forty-eight years of marriage now held a spark of delight. “How did you accomplish this, Pete?” She reached for her husband's hand.

“The insurance company has offered us a very generous settlement in addition to paying one hundred percent of your hospital expenses. Of course, nothing's final yet, because you have to
approve what the attorneys have agreed to, but Guy went ahead and let us do all the work at cost. The H&H folks provided all the labor so everything would be finished by today.”

She laid her head back against the soft cushions, closed her eyes and prayed aloud.

“Father God, You have always made a way for us and I'm not likely to question You now. This is more than we need, more than we deserve. Please allow our family to use this time of rich blessings to bless others. Thank You for bringing me home to the husband I cherish, and to the daughter and grandson who make our lives complete.”

When she opened her eyes and looked at her daughter, there was something there Abby never thought she'd see.

Respect.

“Abigail, don't worry about what the future holds. Simply trust the one who holds the future.” She squeezed her husband's hand and leaned close to stare into his eyes as she continued to speak to her daughter. “Very soon you too will find the one your heart loves.”

 

Abby sat on the back row of the New Harvest sanctuary. The darkness of the room, curtains drawn against the midday light, suited her somber mood. She leaned her forearms on the pew before her and rested her head in her hands. Her eyes were closed as she struggled with what she was about to do.

Lord, You brought me to this moment. Strengthen me today to finally lay my Phillip to rest and say goodbye to Guy, too, if that is Your will for my life. I don't pretend to understand Your ways, but You've trusted me to care for my parents as well as my own child. I trust that You'll give me all the help I need to be successful one day at a time, to the glory of Your name.

“Is the seat next to you taken?” Guy's voice penetrated the quiet moment.

Her soul soured at the sound she hadn't heard in over a week. She raised her head. “If you're still willing to sit beside me, that seat is yours anytime you want it.”

He sat, reached out his hand. She slipped hers into it without hesitation. The handsome face she'd grown to love was a mixture of feelings. A perfect reflection of the confusion in her heart. His brows were drawn together in concern and though there was sadness in his eyes there was also a spark of hope. The prospect of moving on to a new phase of his life made him even more appealing. The lips that had kissed her so tenderly were pressed together, as if to hold back words that wanted to be said. His chin was low, not in worry but in sincerity, angling his head close to hers.

“Are you ready for this day?” His voice was an extension of the mixed messages that played across his face.

“Definitely.” She nodded, certain of what she must do.

“So many people have invested their time, prayer, hard work and wise counsel in our family this week. Today is a day of new beginnings for all of us.” She cast her eyes down to their hands folded together, squeezed his for strength and resolved not to cry. Dillon's tears,
real tears
as he'd cried himself to sleep asking for Guy the past few nights had been all she could stand. She had to be brave for her son, for her parents.

For herself.

God had brought her to this place for a reason. He had a purpose for every experience He'd put her through and how she realized it wasn't to punish her. It was to prepare her.

 

Guy had never known love until Abby. She was so strong in her weakness. She was the epitome of what God could do with a heart that had been broken. There was determination in the tilt of her chin, surrender in the softness of her mouth, acceptance and quiet joy in the lovely brown eyes.

“I want to apologize for not being part of that circle of friends who completed the work at your house this week. I need to show you what was so important that it kept me away from you.”

She placed the fingers of her other hand against his lips.

“You don't owe me any explanations or words of apology. I understand firsthand why the women you've dated have always wanted to tie you down.
You must not realize how strongly you've impacted the lives of others, especially my family. The changes to the house alone are incredible. For the first time in her life my mother was lost for words and that alone was priceless.” She smiled, a look of pure pleasure that he intended to put on her face for the rest of his life if she'd have him. If she could only accept him.

“But, Guy, you made the insurance your personal mission and the outcome of that is nothing short of a miracle. Then you sent Casey to finish things here so I could focus on my kids at school. And now you've made the time to come say goodbye in person. You're the kindest man I've ever known.”

He didn't deserve her praise. This was not the time but one day soon, before he took her to Iowa to meet his family, he'd tell her everything. How he'd gone home to see his parents to ask their forgiveness for operating outside of company policy. How they'd stood solidly behind his decision to negotiate the most generous possible settlement for the Reagans. How his father had accepted not only Guy's decision to step down, but his personal recommendation to have Casey take his place on the Heart and Home board. How his parents couldn't wait to meet the woman their only son loved.

“Will you stop being the mom in the middle of everything for a few minutes and let me talk?”

“I'm sorry for carrying on like this. You're probably in a hurry to get on the road.” She tried to
tug her hand free from his, but he held fast to her hand just as he planned to do with her heart.

“I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me that's what you need.” He forced the words out, not wanting to give her the opportunity to exercise that right. “Just bear with me for a minute.”

He stood, tugged Abby to her feet and led her to the front pew of the small sanctuary. “Wait here.”

On the far side of the room, he reached for the curtain and prepared to reveal the window behind the thick drape that blocked the Texas heat.

Father, I've learned more about the true meaning of service from knowing Abby for a couple of months than I ever did from all my years of rescuing others to make myself feel good. I believe I've found the woman You mean for me to share my life with. Even so, if this is not Your will, I'm prepared to accept whatever this day holds.

He pulled the short cord; the panels swept back; sunlight hit the stained glass and a rainbow cascaded into the room.

 

Abby's breath caught in her throat. The splendor of the work was amazing. The splashes of color matched those she had throughout her house in small doses. Guy's unique style, his artist's fingerprints were evidence of his identity. The simple clear window that had formerly afforded the congregation a view of the playground outside had been replaced by
a masterpiece of intricately cut and soldered stained glass as fine as those in any thousand-year-old European cathedral.

She crossed the floor as if drawn to the color. Her trembling fingers made contact with the vision. Flowers of every hue leaped to life and seemed to dance, move with the sunlight. Above their swaying heads, a pair of cupped hands released a butterfly, God's miracle creature that must literally be reformed and reborn before it can reach for the heavens.

“Abby.” His voice was soft, tender, almost pleading.

“I hope you will accept this as my tribute to Phillip, and my gift to your family. I worked on it around the clock all week, praying that one day you'd see it as a symbol of new life and new purpose. For you.”

She didn't wait for him to invite her into his arms. She boldly stepped forward, slipped her hands around him and pulled him close. She tipped her head back to see into the depths of the blue eyes she loved beyond belief.

“I actually see it quite differently.”

“You do?” His gleaming eyes reflected the peace and hope she knew must be shining in her own as they pooled with the emotion she wouldn't deny another moment.

“To me it confirms the transformation God's already made in me. My time of ashes is over and he's replaced the grief with beauty. I'm a new woman ready for a new love. I've been longing with all my might
for that new love to be you. I adore you, Guy. Whatever you do, wherever you go, I will still love you.”

“Oh, Abby.” He pressed his forehead to hers. She felt a tear fall from his lashes and mingle with her own. “I'm not going anywhere unless you and Dillon are with me. I thought I had things all figured out, but you taught me that my life was unfinished until I found you. Until you found me.”

“What about your family business? What about Galveston?”

“I think I've finally got the last laugh with Casey. While she was complaining about all the extra work I was putting off on her, I was really preparing her to step into my job. It's what she's always wanted and now it's hers. I just hope she doesn't let it blind her to what's most important in life.”