From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,31

her. As always, it was quiet in the hall. Deathly quiet. She glanced at Wallace’s closed door and shivered. Quickly she shifted her thoughts to the other night and hurried toward the stairs. Thinking about what Karina had to ask Trace had Nikki biting her lip. She’d given her word she’d keep mum, in exchange for the woman’s promise Nikki could be there when the bomb was dropped. It sure wouldn’t be easy.

With a grin, she swung off the last step and nearly knocked Lucy over. The frail housekeeper lost her grip on the laundry basket she was carrying and it fell to the floor. Amazingly the orderly stacks of folded clothes stayed intact. Lucy bent to retrieve the basket but Nikki grabbed it first.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.” Nikki balanced the basket against her hip and touched Lucy’s bony arm. As short as Nikki was, she felt tall next to the woman. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Lucy smiled. “I’m not used to having kids around the house again. It’s nice.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“You and Matt are still kids to me. I just made a fresh pot of coffee. I assume you’re headed for the kitchen.” Lucy tried to take the basket but Nikki wouldn’t have it.

The guilt for not chipping in more was finally getting to her. “Where do you want me to take this?”

Hesitating, Lucy studied her. “Wallace’s room.”

Nikki’s mind started spinning excuses to back out. She didn’t want to see Wallace. Even if he was sound asleep and didn’t know she was there. It would depress her. Probably make her feel even guiltier for not helping Matt more. “Fine.” She’d hand over the basket at the door. “Lead and I’ll follow.”

Lucy nodded, then held on to the railing as she slowly climbed the stairs. She had to be over seventy, and according to Matt, had known the Gundersons forever. There were no secrets hidden from her. She’d seen Wallace at his worst, breaking family heirlooms in drunken rages and verbally abusing Matt and his mother. But Lucy had stayed loyal long after Matt’s mom died, cleaning up after Wallace, making sure he had home-cooked meals and never gossiping behind his back. Matt didn’t understand it. He thought the woman was a saint.

Nikki had a different take. To her, the women in Wallace’s life, including her own mother, had been spineless fools. Not Barbara McAllister...she’d had the good sense to stay away from Wallace. And still she’d been dragged through the mud that awful February day when the bastard had gotten toasted and called her a whore in front of her sons.

The same day it had finally struck Nikki that she’d been unfair to Matt. Yes, she’d suffered from abandonment issues, but she’d been too self-centered to see that Matt’s childhood had been worse. He’d had to live under Wallace’s thumb. Four months later she clearly hadn’t made much headway. And that wouldn’t change at this particular moment. But for her brother’s sake she was trying.

She stopped outside Wallace’s door and handed the basket over to Lucy. “I’ll let you take it from here.”

The woman’s lined face remained expressionless, though her eyes slowly filled with disappointment. “You should see him. Just for a couple minutes. He doesn’t talk much, only stares at the wall when he isn’t asleep.”

“Another time.”

“Wait.”

Nikki had already turned away. She didn’t want to have this conversation, and she sure didn’t want to feel crappy for sticking to her principles. Seeing Wallace wouldn’t help Matt. “Look, I know you mean well. And I appreciate all you do for us.” She sighed, searching for the right words. “Wallace has never been a father to me. I don’t feel anything for him, and I sure don’t owe him.”

“You’re right,” Lucy said. “The man’s lived here his whole life, yet you don’t see folks lining up outside the door for a visit. He’s got a foul temper even when he’s not drinking. Truth be told, Wallace is getting exactly what he deserves. It’s you and Matthew I worry about. Regret can follow a person around like a dark cloud.”

“So I’ve been told.” She left out “too many times.” “That won’t be an issue for me. I promise.”

“You claim you don’t feel anything for him, but you do.” A sad smile touched the woman’s thin lips. “You hate him. I see it in your eyes, and I can’t say that I blame you. Trouble is, hate can fog a person’s thinking.”

Nikki silently watched her reach for the doorknob. “Can