Betrayed Hearts (20 page)

“I'm sure Chloe will have a great time,” Lily said.

“I hope so. Maxi dear, could you do me a favor? The birthday cake is in my car. Would you bring it in for me, please?”

A hint of panic rose in Lily's chest as Maxi left the building.

Mrs. Martin's shrewd blue eyes bore right into Lily's. “You and I need to talk. Alone.”

Panic erased every coherent thought from Lily's mind.

“On Wednesday, Chloe will be staying late after school. Could you come to the house then?”

Lily clutched the strap of her tote bag. “I'll have to check my schedule, but I think my shift ends at three.”

Mrs. Martin nodded. “Good. That will give us enough time.”

“Can I ask what this is about?” Trepidation knocked at Lily's ribs.

The door swung open, and Maxi breezed in carrying a large box.

“Put it in the fridge for me, will you, dear?” Mrs. Martin motioned to the door that led into the small kitchenette.

“Sure thing.” Maxi used her hip to push through the swinging door and disappeared inside.

Lily almost jumped when Sonia reached out to touch the necklace around Lily's neck.

Sonia fingered the locket thoughtfully and then looked up. “Yes, we most definitely need to talk.”

 

 

 

 

18

 

Nick looked around the community center and grinned. Almost everyone in town had turned out to celebrate Chloe's birthday. The church ladies had cooked up a feast of chili and lasagna, salads and desserts. Aunt Sonia had even hired a local band to play country and western tunes after the meal, giving the guests a chance to try out their dancing shoes.

Nick's gaze fell on Lily, standing on the sidelines watching the dancers, and his grin widened. She looked especially lovely tonight in a gauzy green dress, her hair a cascade of curls down her back. With the stealth of a cat, he sneaked up behind her. “I hope you saved a dance for me.”

She turned and rewarded him with a warm smile. “Of course. But are you sure you want to be seen dancing with me?” She glanced across the hall.

Nick followed her line of vision to Ted and his perpetual scowl. “I'm sure. Ted doesn't get to control my life.”

He reached for her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor where several couples swayed to a slow song. Lily held herself as stiff as a starched shirt within the circle of his arms.

“Relax. I don't bite,” he whispered in her ear.

She pulled back to look at him. “Everyone's watching us. I feel like a bug under a microscope.”

He scanned the crowd surrounding them. “You're right. Guess we'll have to do something about that.” With a flourish, he led her off the dance floor, out into the hallway.

“Where are we going?” Her cheeks flushed pink, most likely from embarrassment.

“You'll see.” He grinned and kept walking, his hand firm around hers. A red exit sign glowed at the end of the corridor. He pushed through the door and out into a private back courtyard, where a group of benches and flowering shrubs surrounded a stone water fountain. Pink and green lights illuminated the water as it sprayed upward.

“This is incredible,” she said, eyes aglow like an enchanted child.

The cool breeze lifted her hair and blew it around her face. Nick resisted the urge to touch the silky tresses.

“Now we can finish our dance in private.” He smiled, pulling her close to him.

She laughed as he waltzed her around the courtyard, humming a tune. This time she relaxed into his arms, warm and inviting.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again.”

“That dress is fabulous. Green is definitely your color.”

She swished the full hem of her skirt around her knees. “Why, thank you, sir.”

They danced around in dizzying circles a few more times, until he slowed her to a stop. Under the glow of the moon, the world narrowed to include only the amazing woman before him.

“I've been waiting all night to do this.” He lowered his lips to hers, drinking in the sweet taste of her. When she melted into him, he relished the feel of her arms around him, grateful she now welcomed his affections.

The sudden clearing of a throat startled him. Lily all but vaulted out of his arms. Nick turned to see Ted standing just outside the door, a scowl contorting his face.

“Nicholas, your aunt sent me to tell you Chloe is about to cut the cake.”

Nick wrapped a firm arm around Lily's waist as he regarded the older man. “Thank you, Ted. We'll be right there.”

The two men locked stares for a moment, like a pair of dueler's facing each other before a battle. Nick held his ground until Ted finally turned and went inside. Nick's shoulders sagged in relief.

“He really doesn't like me,” Lily said. “This won't jeopardize your position, will it?”

“Don't worry. I can handle Ted.” Nick hoped his confidence wasn't misplaced. Knowing the good reverend, this wouldn't be the end of the matter. Brushing his concerns aside for the moment, Nick lowered his head for another quick kiss. “Come on. Let's go help Chloe blow out those candles.”

 

****

 

After being caught with Nick in the courtyard, bad vibes followed Lily like a cloud for the rest of the evening. Thank goodness Chloe and her mother seemed oblivious to the heightened tension as the party continued to flow around them. Chloe sliced her cake and opened her presents, beaming the whole time. Lily had given Chloe her gift earlier in the day, not wanting it to be a public affair, and was pleased she'd loved the painting.

After the few speeches concluded, Lily moved off to one side of the room to get another glass of punch, content to watch her sister from the sidelines. The school year would soon be over, leaving about six weeks before Chloe would start college. Lily gave an inward sigh. Even though Nick wouldn't like it, she couldn't let Chloe go without telling her the truth about their family connection. But she wanted all the details about her family tied up before she told Chloe anything. Hopefully, Doc Anderson had been able to find some new information for her.

She sipped her drink, lost in thought until she felt a presence beside her. Mike Hillier stood ladling punch into his cup.

“Hello, Lily. How have you been?”

She tensed and focused on keeping her breathing steady. At least he wasn't in uniform today. “Very well, thanks.”

He turned toward her and took a sip of punch. “Funny thing,” he said, studying her. “Turns out my family knows some Drapers up near Bismarck. Any chance they're relatives of yours?”

Lily's fingers tightened on her glass. No need to panic. Mike wouldn't be able to connect her father to Draper, her mother's maiden name. She gave thanks once again for changing her name when she moved to Bismarck. Still, she couldn't shake the anxiety clawing at her. “It's possible. Although my father's side of the family isn't very big.”

“What's your father's name?” The sharpness of his gaze belied the casual tone of his question.

Her body froze—her mind as blank as an erased whiteboard. “Tobias,” she said at last, unable to come up with a quick alternative. She bit back a groan. Why couldn't she have said Tom or Timothy? Lying to protect herself had been natural before moving to Rainbow Falls. Now, she couldn't do it to save herself.

“Hmm, Tobias Draper. Doesn't ring a bell.”

She inhaled through her nose. Mike would never find a Tobias Draper in North Dakota. Still Tobias was an unusual enough name to be worrisome. “Not the same family, I guess.” Her damp palms slid on the glass in her hand. She darted a desperate glance over the crowd to see if perhaps Nick would save her. Unfortunately Reverend Baker had him cornered on the far side of the room, and Maxi was off somewhere with Jason.

With no one around to intervene, Lily needed a distraction—in a hurry.

“Could you do me a favor?” She turned the full force of her smile on Mike and nodded in Nick's direction. “Would you go over and save Nick from Reverend Baker?”

Mike's features didn't soften as she hoped. He leaned closer, eyes narrowed. “You're not fooling anyone, Miss Draper. I recognize an evasion tactic when I see it.”

Lily swallowed hard. “I don't know what you mean.”

He took one step back, never blinking. “I'll let it go for now, but I know you're hiding something. And I intend to find out what it is.”

 

****

 

In direct contrast to their carefree dance in the courtyard, the atmosphere on the drive home was somber and dark. From the corner of her eye, Lily watched Nick as he drove. A nerve ticked in the hard line of his jaw. Since she'd seen him with Reverend Baker, his mood had changed for the worse. He'd hardly said a word to her the rest of the evening, and now his death grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles white.

“What did Ted say to you?” Lily asked when the silence in the truck became unbearable.

Nick's nostrils flared as he stared out at the road. “Nothing worth repeating.”

Lily crossed her arms and frowned. “Someone upset you, and I don't think it was Mike.” Mike had, in fact, broken up the Reverend's talk with Nick quite quickly.

Nick glanced over at her. The ridges on his forehead relaxed a little, and he blew out a weary sigh. “Ted raked me over the coals for kissing you. He wants to meet with me tomorrow to lecture me about the responsibilities of being a pastor.”

Nick cracked the window, allowing a burst of fresh air into the cab, which did nothing to cool Lily's outrage.

“That's so unfair. Why do religious people always try to control your every thought and action?”

“Not all pastors are so judgmental.”

Lily shook her head. “I'm sure
you
won't be like that, but you seem to be the exception to the rule.”

They sat in silence for the last few minutes of the drive. Lily hated seeing her worst fears come true—that Nick's career would suffer because of his involvement with her. As much as she enjoyed being with him, Lily would not allow him to throw away his life, or his career, for her. She couldn't, in good conscience, put her own happiness above his.

When Nick pulled into Lily's driveway, she waited while he shifted into park to gather her courage. She twisted her hands together, fighting the depression that threatened to engulf her like the low lying fog now creeping over the lawn. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “Nick, I know how important becoming a minister is to you. If our being together is going to jeopardize that”—she took a breath—“maybe we should stop seeing each other.”

She stared at her lap, not daring to look at him. Tension crackled in the air.

Nick shifted in his seat to face her. “Is that what you want, Lily?”

When she looked up, his face was cloaked in sadness, and she just couldn't lie to him. “No, it's not. But I won't let you—”

He silenced her with a lingering kiss that stole the air from her lungs. When he pulled back, a determined gleam shone in his eyes. “I will not let Ted Baker, or anyone else, dictate who I can care about.”

Wisps of doubt continued to cloud Lily's brain, but another kiss from Nick made them evaporate…for the moment.

 

 

 

 

19

 

Nick parked his truck in front of Good Shepherd Church and turned off the engine. Despite his apprehension over the upcoming confrontation with Ted, Nick allowed himself a brief moment of happiness. Lily had come to church again this morning, without him even asking. Could this mean she was beginning to feel a tiny spark of faith? He hoped so—with everything in him.

Because although he loved Lily just as she was, he couldn't marry her unless she allowed God to be an integral part of their marriage—of their lives. Even if they weren't meant to be together, if God had other plans for their lives, it would be a comfort to know Lily had come to develop a trust in God which would sustain her in the future. At least the seeds had been planted. Now they needed time to grow.

Nick kept this idea in the forefront of his thoughts as he approached the church office. He stood for a moment in the silent hallway, inhaling the familiar scents of pine soap and candle wax that drifted as far back as the office area. Once he felt focused, he knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Ted stood with his back to the door, staring out the large picture window. “Sit down, Nicholas.”

The familiar dread returned. Nick had prayed long and hard that morning for God's help with his constant battle to control his temper. Now he took a seat, determined to keep calm.

Ted turned and sat down in his chair across the desk from Nick. Shadows underlined his faded blue eyes. The hollows in his cheeks seemed more pronounced today. A pang of guilt spiked through Nick at his less-than-charitable thoughts of late. Did Ted suffer from ill health? Could that be the real reason for his retirement? Nick straightened on his chair, vowing to keep an open mind to whatever Ted was about to say.

The older man removed his glasses, set them on the desk, rubbed a hand over his eyes, and then looked at Nick. “Thank you for coming. I'm sorry if I've come down rather hard on you lately, son, but believe me; it's for your own good.”

“I understand. You only want the best for the parish you're leaving behind.”

Ted gave a wan smile. “Exactly. Which is why I want to talk to you in more detail about the realities of being a minister.”

He spent the next ten minutes describing the pitfalls of life as a clergy member, focusing on the importance of a spotless reputation, to be above reproach in every area of his life. Ted stressed the need for a supportive wife and helpmate, one who understood the rigorous demands of a pastor's career and who could, in a best case scenario, contribute her own gifts to the ministry.