locked up, but her thoughts were not on the neatness of the rooms. Today had been a turning point—in more ways than one. Sammy hadn’t just gained a grandmother. He and Libby had become members of a family—a really big family. Now Sammy not only had a father, he had a grandparent, aunts, uncles and, as Graciesaid, a whole slew of cousins. It boggled the mind. Knowing this filled Libby’s heart to overflowing and gave her a sense of peace she’d never had. If anything ever happened to her again, Sammy would never be alone.
She passed a mirror on the way to the kitchen to turn off the lights, then backed up and stopped, staring intently at her reflection. Her scars were fading. Her face looked the same, but she would never be the same again. Sam was back in her life, and if she trusted his words, he was here to stay. But could she trust him enough to chance heartbreak again? And if she didn’t, how would she deal with the guilt of walking away from him a second time?
She blinked slowly, then closed her eyes, thinking back over the past week. When she opened them again, she could see that the face was still the same, but she wasn’t. A decision had been made.
G RACIE LEFT on Monday, but not before meeting Kate, Pete and Charlie, and forming a bond with Kate Wyatt that surprised them both. And she’d elicited a promise from Sam and Libby that, despite whatever they decided about their own relationship, they would all spend Christmas with her at her home in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It was going to be their chance to meet the “rest of the family.”
Sam had watched his mother drive away, then left to take Sammy to school, promising Libby that he’d be right back. Libby knew he wanted to talk. And she did, too. There were things needing to be said that had been festering for eight years.
S AM KNEW something had changed with Libby and he was scared. He’d seen the look on her face as he and Sammy were driving away. She said she’d be waiting for his return. He didn’t know what that meant, but he wasprepared to face the consequences, whether he liked them or not. He drove back to the house with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The rest of his life hinged on what happened afterward. He parked in the driveway, then headed for the porch. But when he got inside, he couldn’t find her.
“Libby! Where are you?” Sam called, as he shut the front door behind him.
“In here,” she said. “In the bedroom. Could you come here a minute?”
“Sure,” he said, striding toward her bedroom with an easy stride. The door was ajar. He pushed it inward, then froze. Libby was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing a towel. If there was anything on beneath it, he couldn’t tell. “Uh…sorry, I—” Then he took a deep breath and started over. “What was it you needed, honey?”
“You.”
Sam’s heart stopped, then kicked in so hard he momentarily lost his breath.
“Oh…baby…”
“I love you, Sam Holt. I always have. I’m saying this now because after today we’re never going to discuss the past again.”
Sam nodded, then sat down.
Libby waved a finger at him. “Start pulling stuff off. What I have to say won’t take long.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. “I’m listening,” he said, pulling off his boots.
“We both made mistakes eight years ago, but having Sammy wasn’t one of them. You shouldn’t have said what you said to me. You should have trusted me.”
“I know, and—”
She held up her finger. “I’m not through and you still have on too many clothes.”
He popped the snap on his jeans and began pulling them off one leg at a time as Libby continued.
“I should have let you know I was pregnant. Even if you’d doubted Sammy’s paternity, you would have known the truth once you saw him. He’s practically a clone of you. You deserved to know and I took that away from you, so we’re both at fault. We were young and stupid. We are no longer young and stupid.
She passed a mirror on the way to the kitchen to turn off the lights, then backed up and stopped, staring intently at her reflection. Her scars were fading. Her face looked the same, but she would never be the same again. Sam was back in her life, and if she trusted his words, he was here to stay. But could she trust him enough to chance heartbreak again? And if she didn’t, how would she deal with the guilt of walking away from him a second time?
She blinked slowly, then closed her eyes, thinking back over the past week. When she opened them again, she could see that the face was still the same, but she wasn’t. A decision had been made.
G RACIE LEFT on Monday, but not before meeting Kate, Pete and Charlie, and forming a bond with Kate Wyatt that surprised them both. And she’d elicited a promise from Sam and Libby that, despite whatever they decided about their own relationship, they would all spend Christmas with her at her home in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. It was going to be their chance to meet the “rest of the family.”
Sam had watched his mother drive away, then left to take Sammy to school, promising Libby that he’d be right back. Libby knew he wanted to talk. And she did, too. There were things needing to be said that had been festering for eight years.
S AM KNEW something had changed with Libby and he was scared. He’d seen the look on her face as he and Sammy were driving away. She said she’d be waiting for his return. He didn’t know what that meant, but he wasprepared to face the consequences, whether he liked them or not. He drove back to the house with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The rest of his life hinged on what happened afterward. He parked in the driveway, then headed for the porch. But when he got inside, he couldn’t find her.
“Libby! Where are you?” Sam called, as he shut the front door behind him.
“In here,” she said. “In the bedroom. Could you come here a minute?”
“Sure,” he said, striding toward her bedroom with an easy stride. The door was ajar. He pushed it inward, then froze. Libby was standing at the foot of the bed, wearing a towel. If there was anything on beneath it, he couldn’t tell. “Uh…sorry, I—” Then he took a deep breath and started over. “What was it you needed, honey?”
“You.”
Sam’s heart stopped, then kicked in so hard he momentarily lost his breath.
“Oh…baby…”
“I love you, Sam Holt. I always have. I’m saying this now because after today we’re never going to discuss the past again.”
Sam nodded, then sat down.
Libby waved a finger at him. “Start pulling stuff off. What I have to say won’t take long.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. “I’m listening,” he said, pulling off his boots.
“We both made mistakes eight years ago, but having Sammy wasn’t one of them. You shouldn’t have said what you said to me. You should have trusted me.”
“I know, and—”
She held up her finger. “I’m not through and you still have on too many clothes.”
He popped the snap on his jeans and began pulling them off one leg at a time as Libby continued.
“I should have let you know I was pregnant. Even if you’d doubted Sammy’s paternity, you would have known the truth once you saw him. He’s practically a clone of you. You deserved to know and I took that away from you, so we’re both at fault. We were young and stupid. We are no longer young and stupid.
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