Back Where She Belongs - By Dawn Atkins Page 0,103

know her even better in the future.

* * *

“MAYBE WE SHOULD WAIT,” Dylan’s father said to him, stopping short at the entrance to the hospital. “Maybe tomorrow would be better.”

“It was your idea to come. To support Rachel, remember?”

Faye had been awake for three days. She’d been asking about the accident and Rachel was going to tell her what had happened today.

His father had changed since the revelation that Faye was his daughter. He seemed kinder, more open-hearted than Dylan remembered him, even when he was young.

As a result, the talk about changing Ryland Engineering had gone more smoothly than Dylan had even hoped. It was as if his father’s old resentments, his bitterness, had melted away.

“She’s not going to tell Faye who I am yet,” Sean said. “But if it slips out, I want to be there to back her up.”

Faye hadn’t remembered anything about the accident or the events that had preceded it. Tara had told him the plan was to reveal things gradually, letting Faye adjust in between.

“You think she’ll be ashamed to have me as blood?” Sean turned to Dylan and frowned. “I’m no Wharton. I came up from nothing.”

“Faye doesn’t think like that. She wanted you and Abbott to talk, remember? She wanted her mother to tell the truth.”

“That’s right. Faye’s a good egg. Solid. The best of the bunch over there, I always said.” His father’s face just plain lit up. Dylan felt a tightness in his chest. Seeing his father’s heart expand these past days had restored so much of their old closeness. He would always be grateful to Tara for bringing this about.

His father stopped walking and turned to him. “You’re still my son. That doesn’t change. So don’t you go feeling left out.”

“I don’t, Dad,” he said, hiding his smile.

“And you know I loved your mother....”

“I know that, Dad.”

“Rachel was from a different time in my life. I know I made mistakes. With Rachel. And with your mother.”

This new humility was like a fresh breeze blowing through their relationship. Dylan couldn’t get enough of the positive changes his father was showing. He would always be obstinate, opinionated and moody, but the burden of resentment and regret was lighter every day. “Do you still have feelings for Rachel?” he asked.

His father shot him a look, his face bright pink. “Too much time has passed. We both moved on.”

“Don’t give up before you’ve even tried, Dad.”

Sean seemed to ponder that, his lips twitching with a smile he was fighting.

Dylan intended to take his own advice with Tara. They could shake off the old hurts and start fresh. He planned to tell her so today. Sweat made his hands clammy. He was as nervous as his father.

There were obstacles—geography and career demands topping the list—but that wouldn’t stop them. They were two smart, stubborn people. Why couldn’t they be smart and stubborn when it came to each other?

“You ready?” Dylan said, hitting the elevator button.

“As I’ll ever be.” Determination showed in his face.

Same here.

* * *

“MAYBE IT’S TOO soon,” Tara’s mother said, stopping just past the nurses’ station, making the foil crackle on the plate of Ruthie’s empanadas Judith had insisted her mother bring to Faye to put some meat on her bones. Judith had told Tara her praise of Ruthie’s cooking at Ruby’s had helped convince Ruthie to take the job with the food truck in Tucson, after all.

“Maybe this will set back her healing,” her mother finished.

“She’s asking. She deserves the truth.” Faye had surprised the doctors with the speed of her recovery. Even Rita was impressed.

Her mother turned to her. “I don’t think I can handle it today. She’s been so sweet so far. After this, I don’t know.”

“Trust Faye, Mom. You know the kind of person she is.”

“And now she’ll know the kind of person I am.” Her mother’s face sagged. “So will everyone in town. I’ll never survive the scandal. All my good works will come to nothing because of what I did.”

“That’s not true. Your real friends will stick. Your charity work speaks for you. Your past doesn’t have to define you.” That was her lesson, too.

Since the revelation, her mother had been more open around Tara. She would never smother her with affection or be her best friend, but they were on good terms. They were talking. You take one step, then the next.

“If she doesn’t remember about the divorce lawyer, we don’t need to tell her,” her mother said. “Your father would never have gone through