out the cart. She walked slowly up the steps. Her legs felt like they had each gained twenty pounds. She opened the door.
Patrick was bounding down the hall before she even had the door completely opened. He pulled Laney through the doorway and into a fierce hug. “Thank God you’re all right.”
Laney hugged him back, trying to put all the love she felt for him into that one action.
Patrick pulled back, looking down at her. “Laney?" He paused searching her face. "What is it?"
She took a shuddering breath. “I need to talk to you.”
Patrick gave her a long look. “Okay,” he said, drawing out the word.
Laney took his arm and he winced.
“Your arm,” Laney said. “Is it okay?”
He patted her arm. “It’s fine. It’s worrying about you that’s going to put me in an early grave.”
Laney couldn ’t laugh at his joke. But she managed to eke out a weak smile.
They walked into the living room and sat on the overstuffed yellow couch. Laney normally loved this room, with its pale ivory walls and yellow and blue furniture. It was her favorite place to curl up. But the room offered her no comfort today.
Laney could see the concern on Patrick ’s face, the worry. He took her hand. “Laney, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll face it together, just like always.”
She swallowed down the tears that threatened to break. I hope so.
“ It’s about—” She took a deep breath. “It’s about Mom.”
CHAPTER 26
P atrick watched Laney struggle to find words. His dread grew, but also his confusion. After Hershey, he’d linked up with Kati and the boys and hustled them back to Baltimore with the help of a Chandler operative. But he hadn’t been able to reach Henry, Jake, or Laney since the parking lot.
His imagination had gone into overdrive thinking of all the horrible possibilities.
Now h e watched Laney sitting next to him, struggling to speak, and all he felt was confusion and worry. Why would Laney want to talk about her mom? Especially now?
Patrick had been extremely close to his sister, Fiona. When Laney had come into his sister’s and her husband’s life, Patrick had watched their joy increase exponentially.
And w hen Fiona and Derek had died, Patrick had been inconsolable. He’d let Derek’s brother take custody of Laney, too lost in his own grief to notice what cruel people they were.
Later, w hen he learned of the abuse, he was angrier, and guiltier, than he’d ever been before. Laney was the last link he had to his sister. He demanded that her custodians hand Laney over to him immediately and sign over custody—or he’d have them put away. They agreed.
Then he fought the church to allow him to raise her. He even threatened to leave—and he meant it.
He loved being a priest, love d the archaeological work he was able to do on their behalf. But Laney came before all of that.
From the moment he saw her swallowed up in that hospital bed, her arm in a cast, his sister ’s daughter had become his. At first, it was because Laney was all Patrick had left of Fiona. But then it was simply because she was Laney.
All that love he felt for his sister and all the grief he felt at her passing, though, now returned with Laney’s words. Feeling shaky, he took Laney’s hand. “That can wait. Are you all right? Where did you three go after the park?”
“ After the attack, Henry, Jake, and I were chased down. We ended up crashing Henry’s car and running through the woods. We were cornered, but Rocky showed up. She saved us.”
“ Rocky? What on earth was she doing there?”
Laney took a deep breath. “Apparently Victoria sent Rocky to Syracuse five years ago to keep an eye on me. To help me if I was ever in trouble.”
Patrick stared at Laney , trying to understand what she was saying. Victoria sent someone to look after Laney? What on earth was going on? “Victoria? Henry’s mother?”
Laney nodded.
“But I thought you just met her a
Patrick was bounding down the hall before she even had the door completely opened. He pulled Laney through the doorway and into a fierce hug. “Thank God you’re all right.”
Laney hugged him back, trying to put all the love she felt for him into that one action.
Patrick pulled back, looking down at her. “Laney?" He paused searching her face. "What is it?"
She took a shuddering breath. “I need to talk to you.”
Patrick gave her a long look. “Okay,” he said, drawing out the word.
Laney took his arm and he winced.
“Your arm,” Laney said. “Is it okay?”
He patted her arm. “It’s fine. It’s worrying about you that’s going to put me in an early grave.”
Laney couldn ’t laugh at his joke. But she managed to eke out a weak smile.
They walked into the living room and sat on the overstuffed yellow couch. Laney normally loved this room, with its pale ivory walls and yellow and blue furniture. It was her favorite place to curl up. But the room offered her no comfort today.
Laney could see the concern on Patrick ’s face, the worry. He took her hand. “Laney, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll face it together, just like always.”
She swallowed down the tears that threatened to break. I hope so.
“ It’s about—” She took a deep breath. “It’s about Mom.”
CHAPTER 26
P atrick watched Laney struggle to find words. His dread grew, but also his confusion. After Hershey, he’d linked up with Kati and the boys and hustled them back to Baltimore with the help of a Chandler operative. But he hadn’t been able to reach Henry, Jake, or Laney since the parking lot.
His imagination had gone into overdrive thinking of all the horrible possibilities.
Now h e watched Laney sitting next to him, struggling to speak, and all he felt was confusion and worry. Why would Laney want to talk about her mom? Especially now?
Patrick had been extremely close to his sister, Fiona. When Laney had come into his sister’s and her husband’s life, Patrick had watched their joy increase exponentially.
And w hen Fiona and Derek had died, Patrick had been inconsolable. He’d let Derek’s brother take custody of Laney, too lost in his own grief to notice what cruel people they were.
Later, w hen he learned of the abuse, he was angrier, and guiltier, than he’d ever been before. Laney was the last link he had to his sister. He demanded that her custodians hand Laney over to him immediately and sign over custody—or he’d have them put away. They agreed.
Then he fought the church to allow him to raise her. He even threatened to leave—and he meant it.
He loved being a priest, love d the archaeological work he was able to do on their behalf. But Laney came before all of that.
From the moment he saw her swallowed up in that hospital bed, her arm in a cast, his sister ’s daughter had become his. At first, it was because Laney was all Patrick had left of Fiona. But then it was simply because she was Laney.
All that love he felt for his sister and all the grief he felt at her passing, though, now returned with Laney’s words. Feeling shaky, he took Laney’s hand. “That can wait. Are you all right? Where did you three go after the park?”
“ After the attack, Henry, Jake, and I were chased down. We ended up crashing Henry’s car and running through the woods. We were cornered, but Rocky showed up. She saved us.”
“ Rocky? What on earth was she doing there?”
Laney took a deep breath. “Apparently Victoria sent Rocky to Syracuse five years ago to keep an eye on me. To help me if I was ever in trouble.”
Patrick stared at Laney , trying to understand what she was saying. Victoria sent someone to look after Laney? What on earth was going on? “Victoria? Henry’s mother?”
Laney nodded.
“But I thought you just met her a
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