Betrayed Hearts (29 page)

Tobias's eyes widened as though he thought Nick were lying.

“Maybe it's because she has someone else to worry about, to set an example for. I only hope being sent to jail won't undo all the progress she's made.”

Tobias scowled, creating more lines on his weathered face. “You blame me for all her problems. I can see it in your eyes.”

“You're right. I do. When Lily's mother died, she needed support, guidance, and love, but all she got was anger. No wonder she acted out. She was crying for attention in any way she could.”

Instead of arguing as Nick expected, Tobias grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. “Lily said the same thing to me today. Said she was trying to forgive me.” A silent tear escaped from the corner of his eye and rolled down into his sideburns.

“You saw her?” A thread of hope wound through Nick's system. Lily was trying to forgive her father. Maybe she hadn't returned to her former hardened self after all.

“She asked me to come to the station. Tore a strip off me about the way I treated her, but she didn't seem to hate me anymore. Just told me she was moving on and that our relationship was done.”

Nick smiled sadly. “She was getting closure on her past. Making peace.”

“I think so.” Tobias wiped his face and struggled to sit upright on the sofa. “Maybe she has changed.”

Nick met his eyes. “It's not too late for you, Tobias. You still have time to make amends. To do the right thing for your daughter.”

A shadow of sorrow passed over the older man's face. “I'll think about it. That's all I can promise.”

Nick nodded and rose slowly to his feet. His glance slid across the debris-filled room. He tried to picture Lily living here as a teenager, but pain held the image back. No point in holding a grudge. Tobias would be in God's hands soon enough.

Nick crossed the room and paused at the front door. “I'll be praying for you, Tobias. No matter what you decide.”

 

 

 

 

30

 

Lily stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. At some point today she would go to court for her arraignment, where she would plead guilty. In a strange way, it would be a relief. No more hiding the truth. She'd face her actions, receive her punishment, and prepare to pay for her sins.

She tried to pray, tried to feel the presence of God there with her in the cell, but couldn't call it forth. The peace she'd found yesterday during her confrontation with her father eluded her today.

In a futile attempt to escape her thoughts, she pushed up from the cot, used the crude facilities and brushed her teeth with the toothbrush they had provided her. Using only her fingers and a bit of water from the tap, she twisted her hair into a long braid and sank back onto the bed to wait in desolate silence.

A few minutes later, an officer came to unlock her cell door. “Your lawyer's here.” He indicated with a flick of his head for her to come with him.

“I don't have a lawyer.” She rose on unsteady legs.

“Court appointed.”

“Oh.”

She followed the man down the corridor to the same room she'd met Tobias in yesterday. A thin, balding man stood at the table, shuffling through papers in his briefcase.

He looked up as she came in. “I'm your attorney, Lionel Jones. We don't have much time, so I need to know how you're going to plead today.”

She stood across the table from him in her orange jumpsuit. The bleakness of her soul matched the décor of the sterile room. “I'm pleading guilty.”

His hands stopped moving for a split second. “Good. Makes my job a whole lot easier.” He snapped his briefcase closed. “Let's be on our way.”

The next few hours played out like a scene in a movie. Oddly removed from reality, Lily waited in an anteroom until her turn arrived. The guards ushered her into the courtroom through a side door and led her to a table where Mr. Jones sat scribbling on a notepad. As she took a seat beside him, she managed a glance at the room behind her. Only a handful of people filled the chairs, none of the faces at all familiar. She bit her quivering lip. At this point, she might even welcome the sight of her hostile father. Instead, she faced her fate alone.

No, not alone. She had to believe God was with her, whether she could feel His presence or not.

Moments later the bailiff announced, “All rise.”

The judge swept up to his desk. He looked like a kind, grandfather type. Her hopes soared for a brief second. Maybe he would be lenient with her. Only give her a fine. But reality snuffed out the last shred of hope. It didn't matter. She wouldn't be able to pay a fine anyway. She'd still end up in jail.

The legal banter back and forth was a blur to her. The noise behind her of people coming and going from the spectator area served as background static, yet the tick, tick of the ceiling fan above her echoed loudly in her ears. Only when the judge requested that she rise, did she focus her attention back on the proceedings.

She stood beside Mr. Jones as the judge read the charges against her. Breaking and entering, as well as theft under a thousand dollars.

“How do you plead, Miss Cunningham?”

One irrational thought circled her brain—that technically speaking, she hadn't broken in—she'd used her old house key. But it wasn't worth the energy to argue the point. “Guilty, Your Honor.”

The judge's bushy eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch above his wire glasses. Before he could utter his verdict, a loud clatter sounded behind her and a man crashed through the swinging gate.

“Your Honor, I want to drop the charges against Miss Cunningham.”

Lily's mouth fell open. Tobias stood in the aisle beside Mr. Jones.

“And who are you, sir?” the judge bellowed, gavel in hand.

“I'm Reverend Tobias Cunningham, the defendant's father. I'm the one who brought the charges against her in the first place.”

The stern man leaned forward on his desk to peer down at Tobias. “And why are you suddenly rescinding this action? Were the charges false?”

Tobias clasped his hands together in front of him. “No, sir. But I now realize my daughter only borrowed the money and intended to repay me in the future.”

Silence covered the courtroom while the judge spent several moments in quiet regard of Tobias, as though trying to assess his sincerity. Lily thought everyone must be able to hear her pulse thundering in her ears.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” the judge asked.

Tobias shot a sideways glance at Lily, then returned his attention to the front. “I had a conversation with my daughter yesterday. And later, her friend came to see me and convinced me she was telling the truth.”

In the audience behind them, someone coughed, another person scraped a chair back. A door creaked open. Lily held herself completely still as she awaited the judge's next words.

He turned stern eyes to her. “Miss Cunningham?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Do you have the money to repay your father?”

Her last hope floated away. “Not at the moment, sir.”

Tobias took another step forward. “I'll accept installments, Your Honor.”

The judge pressed his lips together in a firm line. “This is highly unusual.” He paused, eyeing them both, then let out a weary breath. “Very well. Seeing this is more of a family dispute than anything, the charges are hereby withdrawn. Case dismissed.” He banged the gavel.

Lily swayed on her feet and laid her palms flat on the table to steady herself. She lowered her head to make the dizziness subside.

Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

Mr. Jones stuffed his papers into the leather case and snapped it shut.

“What happens now?” she asked him.

“They'll take you back to the police station to have your release papers processed and get your personal items. You should be free in an hour or two.” Mr. Jones rose. “Good luck to you, Miss Cunningham.” He nodded and disappeared through the courtroom.

Tobias approached the table. For once the usual air of hostility didn't follow him. He fingered a battered hat and shuffled from one foot to the other. “I know this doesn't make up for the past, but I suppose it's the least I could do for you.”

Lily could barely take in what he'd done for her. “Thank you. I'll start paying you back as soon as I get a new job.” She pulled herself up to her full height. “Can I ask what made you change your mind?”

He shrugged. “Guess you could say I had a wake-up call.” He shot a quick glance over her shoulder toward the back of the courtroom. “Your friend, Nick, seems like a decent guy.”

In slow motion, Lily turned to follow his gaze. A shock of blond hair caught her eye. Nick was here—in the courtroom. And not only Nick. Maxi, Sonia Martin, Chloe, and Peg stood beside him. She bit her lip to hold back the sting of tears.

As the guard came to lead her away, a mixture of emotions fought to gain a foothold. For a brief moment, her blurred gaze locked with Nick's. She stumbled, but the guard yanked her upright and pulled her out of the courtroom.

 

****

 

The single cell seemed much smaller as Lily paced on legs as unsteady as a new colt. She had no idea how long it would take to process the necessary paperwork to free her. Would Nick and the others wait for her, or would they leave now that they knew her fate?

At last the key clanged in the lock and the door swung open. The guard from earlier handed her the package containing her clothes and personal items.

“You can put these on. I'll be back in five minutes to release you.”

Her spirits lifted as she changed, thanking God for one small miracle. She wouldn't have to spend any more time in jail. Two days was more than enough.

Dressed in jeans and a wrinkled cotton top, Lily stepped out of the cell and once again followed the man down the hall. The murmur of voices grew louder as she entered the main area of the police station. The stale smell of coffee, cigarette smoke, and grease rose to greet her. Her legs shook with each step. Would anyone be waiting for her?

When she rounded the corner, tears of disbelief pricked her eyelids. They were all there, crowded together in the outer room—Nick included.

Her initial burst of happiness gave way to uncertainty, freezing her feet to the floor. What would they think of her now? A common thief—a criminal just released from jail. She swallowed her nerves and her pride. No matter what happened, she owed her friends a huge debt of gratitude for coming. She would thank them and say her good-byes. Wiping her damp palms on her jeans, she moved forward.

Chloe and Maxi, the first to spot her, let out a cry and darted forward to envelop her in a huge hug. Lily clung to her friends until she feared she would break down and sob. Then the sudden realization hit her that Chloe should be in New York.

She pulled away to gape at the face so similar to her own. “What are you doing here?”

The girl gave a watery smile. “I came as soon as I heard.”

“But your studies—”

“They can wait.” She paused, tears leaking from the corners of her amber eyes. “Do you think I'd let my sister face this kind of crisis alone?”

Lily gasped. Her gaze flew to Nick, then back to Chloe. “You know?”

Chloe nodded. “Mom called to tell me after you were arrested.”

Lily struggled to comprehend how, after all the secrecy and the conflict, the decision had been taken out of her hands. Sonia Martin had decided to tell Chloe herself. A bubble of near hysteria rose in Lily's chest. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Instead she pulled Chloe into another fierce hug. Then she moved through the group to find Sonia who stood smiling through the tears on her wrinkled cheeks. Mere words could never express her gratitude to this woman. Lily simply stepped into her arms and embraced her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

Sonia hugged her hard before she pulled back and placed a hand on Lily's cheek. “I'm sorry it took me so long to overcome my fear. I finally realized that by telling the truth, I wouldn't be losing a thing. I'd be gaining another daughter.”

Lily broke down and wept as the woman kissed her on both cheeks.

“I want you to come and live with me,” Sonia told her. “Now that Chloe's away, I have lots of room.”

“But how can you forgive me after everything I've done?” Lily sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

“There's nothing to forgive, my dear. We've all made mistakes. Especially me, for not telling Chloe the truth from the beginning.”

The simple generosity of these people humbled Lily—that they could overlook all her flaws, all her mistakes, and accept her anyway. For the first time in her life, she truly understood what it meant to be a Christian and to love as Christ loved. She vowed she would earn every ounce of their respect and trust from now on.

“Enough of this chit-chat,” Peg piped up, dabbing a tissue to her eyes. “When can I expect you at the shop?”

Lily turned, dumbfounded. “You mean I still have a job? You'd trust me after this?”

Peg waved a hand and snorted. “I've seen you pick up a penny and place it in the till. I've no worries about you.”

Lily pressed her fingers to her mouth. Could she really return to her life in Rainbow Falls?

At last, she let her gaze fall on Nick. She drank in the sight of him in his suit jacket and jeans. Below a stray lock of hair waving over his forehead, his eyes were misty.

She took a step toward him, her heart knocking against her ribs. “Thank you.” Her dry throat barely allowed the words out. “I assume it was you who got my father to change his mind.”

His lips curved up. “It wasn't just me. I think God played a big part in it, too.”

She smiled back. “You're right. Only a miracle could explain Tobias's change of attitude.” She wished Nick would pull her close and hug her so she'd know how things stood between them. She searched his face for clues as to how he was feeling now that he knew all her secrets. Did he still care, or would he let her down gently? Tell her a minister couldn't afford to be involved with someone like her—a common criminal. She bit her trembling lip.