know that. The extras don’t matter.”
“They do, though,” she whispered, finally accepting that Dallas could give their child far more than she ever could. “I realized she needed more, but I couldn’t do anything about it until I finished my training. Then, when Elizabeth asked me to come here, I jumped at the chance, even though it meant leaving everything familiar behind. It was a way to get all the things for Misty that I couldn’t provide. People who know what she needs, a place where she’s safe, more time to spend with her.”
All the things Dallas and his parents could give her without a second thought.
“You’ve made good choices.”
“Have I? I’m not so sure.”
Gracie thought of the nights she’d sat watching her baby, wondering if she should have gone back to his parents’ house, forced them to see how much Misty resembled Dallas. His parents could have paid for anything Misty needed. Her little girl might have wanted for nothing if Gracie had only pushed them.
But what if they’d tried to take her baby? The terror of that possibility had directed every decision.
“The past is done, Gracie. We can’t change it. All we have is tomorrow.”
“Yes.” At least until the police found his parents.
“So? Will you let her spend more time with me? Without coming back early, checking up on us, getting other people to report on me?”
Heat scorched her cheeks. Dallas knew what she’d been doing; knew but didn’t seem angry.
He was trying so hard. He loved their daughter. He would never let anything hurt her.
Gracie capitulated. “Wednesday evenings. I need a couple of hours to keep up with my records. Maybe…” She swallowed hard. “Maybe you could make her dinner, put her to bed?”
“I could,” he whispered, covering Gracie’s hand with his. “And perhaps Sundays? Could I take her to church?”
“Church?” To learn about God—who hadn’t been there when Gracie needed Him most?
“They have a class for kids her age. She’d meet new friends. It would expose her to somewhere other than the Bar None. Only for a few hours. You could come, too, if you want to make sure it’s okay.”
“Why church?” The pleading in Dallas’s voice, the light in his eyes confused her. What had God done for him except take everything away?
“Because I want Misty to know God loves her and that He’ll be with her always. That she can count on Him when you and I seem to fail her.” Dallas’s eyes blazed with a light Gracie didn’t understand. “It’s the only thing that’s helped me through the darkest times. The knowledge that even if I never remember, God will still be with me and that He’ll help me figure out my next step.”
“I guess it would be okay,” she muttered.
“Thank you.” He hugged her, drawing her to him. “We’ll get through this, Gracie. You and me. Together. We’ll figure out how to raise our daughter the way God intended.”
“I’m not real big on God,” she admitted. His chest rumbled beneath her. He was laughing.
“That doesn’t matter, honey,” he said into her hair.
“It doesn’t?” He didn’t try to persuade or convince her to share his faith. That surprised her. “Why?”
“Because God is big on you. He loves you dearly and He will never, ever walk away if you ask Him for help.”
A lump formed in Gracie’s throat. Dallas’s hand stroked over her head as she struggled to speak.
“He did walk away from me. I prayed and prayed that you would come back. But you never did. Where was God then, Dallas?”
“Right beside you.” He cupped his hands against her cheeks, lifted her head so she had to meet his gaze. “God didn’t leave you or abandon you, Gracie. He was there every step of the way, even when you didn’t realize it.” Dallas’s thumb brushed over her mouth.
Gracie fought past the longing. She needed the answer to this question. “Then why didn’t He change things? Why didn’t He send you home?”
“I don’t
“They do, though,” she whispered, finally accepting that Dallas could give their child far more than she ever could. “I realized she needed more, but I couldn’t do anything about it until I finished my training. Then, when Elizabeth asked me to come here, I jumped at the chance, even though it meant leaving everything familiar behind. It was a way to get all the things for Misty that I couldn’t provide. People who know what she needs, a place where she’s safe, more time to spend with her.”
All the things Dallas and his parents could give her without a second thought.
“You’ve made good choices.”
“Have I? I’m not so sure.”
Gracie thought of the nights she’d sat watching her baby, wondering if she should have gone back to his parents’ house, forced them to see how much Misty resembled Dallas. His parents could have paid for anything Misty needed. Her little girl might have wanted for nothing if Gracie had only pushed them.
But what if they’d tried to take her baby? The terror of that possibility had directed every decision.
“The past is done, Gracie. We can’t change it. All we have is tomorrow.”
“Yes.” At least until the police found his parents.
“So? Will you let her spend more time with me? Without coming back early, checking up on us, getting other people to report on me?”
Heat scorched her cheeks. Dallas knew what she’d been doing; knew but didn’t seem angry.
He was trying so hard. He loved their daughter. He would never let anything hurt her.
Gracie capitulated. “Wednesday evenings. I need a couple of hours to keep up with my records. Maybe…” She swallowed hard. “Maybe you could make her dinner, put her to bed?”
“I could,” he whispered, covering Gracie’s hand with his. “And perhaps Sundays? Could I take her to church?”
“Church?” To learn about God—who hadn’t been there when Gracie needed Him most?
“They have a class for kids her age. She’d meet new friends. It would expose her to somewhere other than the Bar None. Only for a few hours. You could come, too, if you want to make sure it’s okay.”
“Why church?” The pleading in Dallas’s voice, the light in his eyes confused her. What had God done for him except take everything away?
“Because I want Misty to know God loves her and that He’ll be with her always. That she can count on Him when you and I seem to fail her.” Dallas’s eyes blazed with a light Gracie didn’t understand. “It’s the only thing that’s helped me through the darkest times. The knowledge that even if I never remember, God will still be with me and that He’ll help me figure out my next step.”
“I guess it would be okay,” she muttered.
“Thank you.” He hugged her, drawing her to him. “We’ll get through this, Gracie. You and me. Together. We’ll figure out how to raise our daughter the way God intended.”
“I’m not real big on God,” she admitted. His chest rumbled beneath her. He was laughing.
“That doesn’t matter, honey,” he said into her hair.
“It doesn’t?” He didn’t try to persuade or convince her to share his faith. That surprised her. “Why?”
“Because God is big on you. He loves you dearly and He will never, ever walk away if you ask Him for help.”
A lump formed in Gracie’s throat. Dallas’s hand stroked over her head as she struggled to speak.
“He did walk away from me. I prayed and prayed that you would come back. But you never did. Where was God then, Dallas?”
“Right beside you.” He cupped his hands against her cheeks, lifted her head so she had to meet his gaze. “God didn’t leave you or abandon you, Gracie. He was there every step of the way, even when you didn’t realize it.” Dallas’s thumb brushed over her mouth.
Gracie fought past the longing. She needed the answer to this question. “Then why didn’t He change things? Why didn’t He send you home?”
“I don’t
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