A Family of Their Own - By Gail Gaymer Martin Page 0,73
lowered her head a moment, then looked at him. “I’m ashamed of how I behaved when we first met. I’d never had a friend since I got sick. Even when I tried to be nice, kids seemed to avoid me, so I decided to ignore them. It hurt me and made me sad.”
He slipped his hand over hers and squeezed. “It’ll still take some time for the kids to see that you’ve changed, and you’ll always have to be careful. Your arrhythmia will hopefully stay under control, but you still have a heart that needs watching. You know that?”
“I know, Daddy, but not living with that fear of a blood clot and having to take coumadin—that might be over, and I’m so happy.” She leaned forward, her eyes locked with his. “And I love Kelsey. She’s like a second mom to me, and Lucy’s a pain sometimes—especially when she can’t keep her mouth closed—but I love her, too. I realized that when she got sick.”
Ross’s voice hung in his throat. Happiness swelled in his chest, and he gazed at his grown-up little girl, wishing away the tears that pushed behind his eyes. “Do you really mean that about Kelsey?”
“You mean being like a mom?”
He nodded.
A worried look grew on her face. “Is that wrong? I still love Mom, but she’s—”
“No. No. It’s not wrong. I’m thrilled hearing you say you really care about her, and Mom would be so happy.”
She studied his face. “You think so?”
“I know it.”
A smile seeped from under her concern. “I’m finally feeling sort of like a family.”
He slipped around the table and sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders. “Me, too. A complete family.”
Kelsey paced the living room, her attention drawn to every noise she heard outside. The sound of a car caused her to veer for the window. When she looked out, her shoulders slumped, and she rubbed the taut cords in her neck. She’d gone over and over her thoughts a thousand times, and she ended up back at the same place. With God all things were possible, but with her, they weren’t.
Another sound alerted her, and when she looked, her lungs failed her. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, not knowing what to pray for but needing guidance. Ross’s car door slammed, and she approached the front door. When she touched the knob, ice ran down through her veins. She’d never felt so alone.
Feeling the knob turn, she pulled open the door, but when she tried to speak, her throat constricted. She motioned him inside, and though he faltered, he charged in, then turned to face her. “What’s happened?” His hand dragged across his jaw, his eyes fraught with concern. “Please, tell me it’s not Lucy.”
The lump in her throat swelled as she shook her head. Finally, she grasped her wits. “Have a seat, Ross. This isn’t about Lucy. It’s about…us.”
“Us?” He jerked backward, bewilderment drenching his face. “What do you mean?”
“Please sit. I need to explain.” She wanted to clutch him to her to ease his pain. Her own anguish rattled her bones as she sank into the nearest chair.
Ross stood over her, his fists clenched. “Kelsey, have I done something? I thought we—”
“So did I. I wanted everything to be fine, but deep inside, I—I—”
“You have no feelings for me? Or is it Peyton?” His shoulders slumped.
Her heart ached seeing the expression on his face. “No, that’s not it. I care. I care about you both.” She cared too much. But… “Please sit, and I’ll try to make sense out of this.”
He crumpled onto the sofa, elbows on his thighs and his head hanging. “Please, make sense.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “Since you called, I’ve been in a daze. I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong, but I didn’t expect this.”
She gnawed the edge of her lip, searching for words, thoughts that made sense not long ago, but they’d fluttered away like frightened birds. “Do you remember a while back when you talked about taking Peyton on a Dreams Come True trip and—”
“Yes. I’d love to do that, but I wanted to wait until—”
“Until Lucy was out of danger. I know.”
His brows drew together, his eyes narrowing. “I thought that would please you.”
“But it didn’t. It reminded me of how I made Lucy slow down and play less strenuous games for Peyton’s sake. Lucy was unhappy, and it caused us stress.” She shifted to the edge of the chair, her courage rising. “And do you