Sweet Memories, page 12
“I’m okay. It’s probably for the best. I need to focus on other things right now.” She didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, Gretchen or herself.
Gretchen eyed her critically, but didn’t say anything.
“Really, I’m fine.” She got into the car and shut the door.
“Okay.” Gretchen shrugged as she sat in the driver’s seat. “Let’s get going then. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The two of them had volunteered to put the newspaper and pastry bundles together for that day. They’d need to see Adam to get the newspapers and Angel wasn’t sure how she felt about seeing him again so soon after their breakup. But she’d made a commitment to help with the bundles and she didn’t want to go back on her word.
Too soon, they were pulling up to the newspaper office.
Gretchen turned to her before getting out. “Are you sure you want to go in with me?”
“I’ll be fine.” No, she didn’t want to go in there, but Gretchen couldn’t carry all of the boxes out to the car by herself.
She followed her friend into the office, almost hiding behind her as they entered. Her pulse quickened, imagining having to talk with Adam. A few days ago, she’d been furious with him, and in the heat of the moment she’d said some things that she now regretted. Had she overreacted?
The office was empty and her worry seemed anticlimactic.
Where was Adam? The door was unlocked, so he had to be here. Anxiety over seeing him started to rear up.
“Hey,” Adam said as he walked out of the back room. He stopped when he saw Angel. “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you today.”
She gave a tentative nod. “I said I’d help.”
He pressed his lips together. “Thank you. I appreciate the help.”
He almost looked like he was going to cry and her stomach twisted. She’d hurt him—something she’d never thought she’d do. But he’d hurt her first by not telling her the truth. He exited into the back room and she stared at him as he retreated. Should she tell him she was sorry about what she’d said?
Before she could decide, he brought out a dolly containing the stacks of newspapers. “You asked for one hundred, right?”
Gretchen nodded. “Uh-huh. My parents said the trial run was so popular with the nightly rental guests that they want to roll it out to every guest.”
“That’s awesome,” Angel said, turning to Gretchen. “I didn’t know that.” Even if a relationship between Adam and her hadn’t worked out, she didn’t want him to lose the newspaper.
“Do you need help with them?” he asked.
She and Gretchen exchanged glances and Angel shook her head.
“No, we’re fine. Thanks.” Gretchen grabbed the handle of the dolly, which was stacked high with newspapers.
Angel and Gretchen rolled the newspapers out and unloaded them into the trunk of the car. Angel could feel Adam’s eyes on her through the office windows as she got into the passenger seat while Gretchen took the dolly back inside.
She leaned back against the seat. Seeing him hadn’t been quite as bad as she’d expected, but she also hadn’t thought much about how Adam would feel after the breakup.
If a grand gesture was needed to win Angel back, that was what he’d do. Adam took a moment to compose himself on Mary’s front porch, then rapped on the door sharply. When she came to the door, she wore an expression of guilt and fear.
“Adam. I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” Her knuckles were white against the dark wood of the door.
“May I come inside?”
She glanced into the room. “Yes, come in.”
He stood on a flowered rug near the entrance and took a steadying breath before addressing her.
“Mary. I need you to tell Angel that you’re her grandmother.”
Unless Mary told her the truth, Angel would never forgive him. Mary had promised that she’d tell her granddaughter who she was within two weeks, and now that time was almost up.
She sat down in an armchair in her small one-bedroom apartment, suddenly looking ten years older than she had when he’d first met her. She looked up at him.
“I can’t do it.” She shrank back down into the chair.
He closed his eyes. “What do you mean, you can’t do it?”
She fiddled with the yarn fringe of a blue and green afghan, but said nothing.
He tried again. “Mary, you need to tell her.”
She looked up, her eyes bright with tears. “I can’t. What will she think of me?”
He sat down on the edge of the couch and leaned forward. “She’ll think you’re her grandmother.”
“But I haven’t seen her since she was three years old,” she whispered.
“You made a mistake,” he said firmly. “She’s an adult now. A warm and caring adult. She’ll understand.” He hoped Angel would understand his reasons for keeping her grandmother’s secret as well.
Her eyes drilled into his face. “She’s special to you, isn’t she? My granddaughter?”
“Yes.” He stood and paced the room. “I hate keeping this a secret from her.”
She nodded.
“I’m going to need to tell her tomorrow, whether you come with me or not.”
“Alright.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” He was almost afraid to hope. He didn’t know if it would be enough to get Angel back, but at least she’d finally know her family.
“Yes.” Her voice was shaky. “When should I tell her?”
He thought about it. He didn’t want to take Mary to the Bluebonnet Café while Angel was working and he wasn’t sure she’d open the door if he brought her grandmother to her house.
“The Sweethearts’ Dance at the renovated Sorenson Farm barn. Angel is friends with Maggie Price and she’ll be there. I know she will.”
She nodded slowly. “I heard about it. I’m glad to see that the farm will be saved and won’t become a new housing development. It’s been around since before I was born.” She stood. “I need a cup of tea. Would you like some?”
“No thanks.”
She pushed herself up from the chair and busied herself in the kitchen before returning with a steaming cup of tea. “Do you think she’ll agree to talk with me?”
“I don’t know,” he said honestly. At this point, Angel was pretty mad, but as far as she knew, Adam was the reason she hadn’t yet met her grandmother. If he kept it that way, it might kill any chance for things between him and Angel, but if it saved her relationship with her family, it would be well worth it.
“I’ll make it work.” He met her gaze. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at seven.”
“Alright.”
He turned to leave, but before he reached the door to see himself out, she called out to him.
“Adam.”
He pivoted to face her.
“Thank you.” Her hand shook as she set the tea cup down on the counter. “I’m sorry if this has caused problems with you and my granddaughter.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Outside, he sat for a moment in his car and stared straight ahead. None of this had gone the way he wanted, but Angel was special and she deserved to know her grandmother and the rest of her family—even at the cost of his own happiness.
18
“Maggie, this is beautiful.” The change from when Angel had been at the Sorenson Farm earlier in the week was astounding. While still rustic, the inside supports of the barn had been painted white and fairy lights hung from the rafters. The overall effect was that of a winter wonderland.
“No kidding,” Dahlia said. “I had my doubts about your ability to pull this off, but I shouldn’t have.” Her eyes were wide as she took in the renovations. Beside her, her husband Garrett gestured that he was heading off toward the bar, and she nodded to him.
Gretchen slugged Dahlia’s arm.
“Hey, I said I was wrong to doubt her.”
Maggie glowed from the praise. “It’s okay Dahlia, I had doubts too.”
Jake came up behind his fiancée and put his arm around her. “I didn’t. I knew you could pull it off.” He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled into him.
Angel’s stomach lurched watching the obvious love and affection between the two of them. She’d thought that she might have that with Adam, but she’d been proven wrong. Not that she shouldn’t have expected that.
“Maggie, someone’s asking for you over there.” Jake pointed to a group of people at the back of the barn.
Maggie craned her head around to see who he was talking about, and her face lit up. “It’s my parents and their friends. They haven’t seen the place all done up yet.”
“Go, go.” Dahlia motioned for her to leave and the two of them walked away.
When the happy couple was out of earshot, she nudged Angel. “Why so glum?” She scanned the room. “Did Adam come with you, or is he coming later? Garrett almost didn’t make it because he has a deadline on his newest novel, but luckily he finished up in time.”
Gretchen hissed, “Dahlia.”
“What?” Dahlia looked back and forth between her two friends. “Did I miss something?”
Angel stared at the ground. “He’s not coming to the dance—at least not with me.”
“What happened?” Dahlia asked. “I thought you two were an item now.”
“We broke up.”
Dahlia gasped. “Why? I thought things were going so well.”
Angel looked longingly at the exit. “I thought so too until I found out that he’d been keeping the identity of my family a secret from me.”
“Seriously?” Dahlia asked. “I can’t believe Adam would do that.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t seem like him, but I guess you never really know people.” She turned to Gretchen. “Do you think Adam would lie to Angel?”
Gretchen’s face reddened and she spoke as though she were choosing her words very carefully. “I don’t think he would lie to anyone unless he had a really good reason for doing so.”
“Well, he did.” Angel jutted out her chin. “He told me so himself.” She scanned Gretchen’s face. “You knew, didn’t you?”
Gretchen hung her head. “I did. I’m so sorry, Angel. And Adam is sorry too. This has been eating him up since he found out.”
“Well, why was he lying to me then? I can handle it if my family doesn’t want to see me or whatever.” She toed the wooden planks lightly with the sole of her shoe, then stared at Gretchen and Dahlia, who now looked like they’d rather be anywhere but where they were. “You know, never mind. Just the fact that he lied to me is enough to make me know that he isn’t the right guy for me. And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me either. I thought we were friends.”
“But Angel—let him explain,” Gretchen pled.
Angel tossed her hair back. “I’m getting a drink now. This is supposed to be a dance, right? We should be having fun, not talking about the man who did me wrong, like I was the star of a country western song.”
“I’ll come with you. Garrett’s still over there too.” Dahlia grabbed her arm and walked with her over to the line for the bar.
As they waited for their drinks, Angel snuck a peek at Gretchen. She was now leaning against one of the barn walls, biting her lip as though trying to hold back tears. At that moment, Parker came in and made a beeline to where his girlfriend was standing. Gretchen immediately crumpled into him. Parker glanced over to Angel and Dahlia and then put his arm around Gretchen, leading her outside. Dahlia had her back to them and didn’t see the exchange, but Angel’s heart sank. She hadn’t meant to hurt her friend and she knew Gretchen hadn’t meant to hurt her either.
After they got their drinks, Dahlia set hers down on one of the round tables set up along the exterior wall of the barn and joined Garrett on the dance floor. Angel sat down, sipping her Merlot and watching her friends swirl happily around the dance floor with their partners. Maggie’s face was flushed as she and Jake danced by and she appeared to be having the time of her life.
Angel had actually been looking forward to going to this dance with Adam. She’d even bought a new dress especially for the occasion. Now, seeing how happy her friends were, she couldn’t take it anymore. She reached down to the floor to pick up her purse, but when her head emerged from under the table skirts, she realized she wasn’t alone.
Adam stood next to the table, wearing a nicely tailored black suit. He looked incredibly handsome, but Angel fought to push that thought away. There was no future for her with him.
“I was just leaving.” She held up her purse to show him and stood from the table.
He put his hand on her arm, his touch causing her stomach to flutter. “Please don’t go.”
“I wasn’t having much fun anyway. It’s not because you’re here.” She pushed her chair in and then hesitated, waiting to see how he would respond.
He took a deep breath. “Angel, I truly am sorry. I didn’t want to lie to you.”
She looked up at him. “Then why did you?”
“I did find out who your grandmother is. But she made me promise not to tell you—at least not yet.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Okay, so who is she? Are you able to tell me now?” Even if he’d promised her grandmother that he wouldn’t tell her who she was, it still didn’t make things right.
He held up a finger. “Wait.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. She was giving him a chance to explain himself, and now he was walking away from her? “Never mind.” She walked quickly toward the exit. The sound of hurried footsteps followed her, and she quickened her pace.
“Angel, wait.”
She stopped and whirled around. Adam’s momentum caused him to crash into her, and she wobbled on her high heels. Before she could go down, he caught her by the waist, stabilizing her. Her skin burned where his fingers rested on the thin fabric of her dress. Caught off guard, she stared at him.
“What do you want?”
“Please don’t go yet. I need to show you something, or rather someone.” He peered into her eyes. “I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but can you wait here for me? Just for a minute, I promise.”
She nodded and he strode off toward the barn door. Thoughts swirled in her mind. Why should she listen to him? And what was he talking about? Now didn’t seem like the appropriate time to meet new people—she wasn’t in the mood for it. She was just about to continue on her way home when Adam returned with an older woman in tow.
The woman hung back, but seemed to be assessing her. An odd sensation traveled up her spine. Was this her grandmother? There was something familiar about her, although Angel wasn’t sure whether it was the slight resemblance to her mother, or perhaps from a long-ago memory.
She looked at Adam for an introduction, and he put his hand on the woman’s arm.
“Mary, this is your granddaughter, Angel.” He turned to Angel. “And this is your grandmother, Mary Thomason.” His gaze alternated between the two of them.
Neither of the women spoke for a moment. Angel stared into her eyes, the same blue eyes that both she and her mother had inherited. This was her grandmother. She didn’t know what to say or feel.
“It’s nice to meet you.” She held her hand out tentatively and Mary shook it limply. She was trembling like a frightened rabbit.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Angel.”
“Well, I think the two of you have a lot to talk about. Maybe we could go sit down over at that table?” Adam pointed at the empty table where Angel had been sitting when he arrived.
Angel glanced at her grandmother and then back to Adam. At this point, what did she have to lose? She nodded, and they followed Adam over to the table. Angel and her grandmother took chairs that were several seats apart. Adam sat across from them, as if wanting to stay out of the reunion but be close enough in case they needed him.
Angel and Mary stared at each other, unsure of how to start.
“So you’re my grandmother,” Angel said slowly.
Mary nodded. “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “You have no idea how much I’ve been wanting to meet you. You’ve grown into such a beautiful woman.”
Angel bit her lip and stared down into her lap. “Thank you.” She brought her head up and peered at her grandmother. “Why did you never contact me? My mother and I were all alone in Los Angeles, with no other family around. You knew about us. You knew about me. Did you not care about me?”
Mary’s face crumbled and tears streamed down her face. “I wanted to see you. Please believe me, I did.” She plucked a Kleenex out of her purse and dabbed at her face.
“Then why? Why didn’t you come see me?” Angel was getting angry now. This woman, her grandmother, had known about her all these years and yet hadn’t bothered to make contact with her.
“Your grandfather was a strict man.” Mary clutched her purse tightly in her lap. “When your mother became pregnant at sixteen and refused to tell us who the father was, he was furious. After you were born, you and Erin lived with us for a few years, but he could never forgive her, and it caused a rift between them. Erin finally had enough and took you away. I didn’t even know where you had gone.”
“But you didn’t look for us.” How could her grandmother have known she was alive and not even bothered to look?
“I know,” Mary whispered. Fresh tears appeared in her eyes. “Your grandfather was a very controlling man, and he ordered me not to make contact with Erin or you. He said it was your mother’s choice to leave.”
“But what about after he died? Couldn’t you have come looking for us then?”
“I could have. But I didn’t. That will be my greatest regret that I keep with me until my dying day.” Mary leaned forward, reaching her hand out along the table toward Angel. “If you will let me, I would like to be a part of your life now.” In a small voice, she added, “But if you want nothing to do with me, I will understand.”
Angel didn’t know what to think. She’d finally found her grandmother, but then learned that the woman had known about her all along and never tried to find her. Did she really want someone like that in her life? She looked back at the old woman.
