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“I probably wouldn’t have come back now if not for what happened to Amy. You said you’ve seen her? How is she?”

“Better.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “She’d been in Intensive Care, but your dad called me to tell me they’d moved her, so I thought I’d stop by and bring her some flowers.”

“My dad called to tell you?” Indie shook her head. “Man, I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”

“A lot can happen in seven years, Indie. People change. They grow up.”

She looked him up and down. His thick black hair was neat and trim, his faded jeans were designer, his black boots were polished, and his leather jacket looked new. “Obviously.” She grinned. “You sold out.”

“So did you.” He laughed. He eyed the red infinity scarf topping her cream wool coat, her skinny jeans and high black boots. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a damn good look on you.”

“Thanks.” She dipped her head when his appreciative gaze lingered just a little too long. “You look good too, Hal. It was great to see you again. Thanks for stopping by to see my sister. I’m sure it meant a lot to her.”

“Hey,” he said, gripping her elbow, “how long are you in town? We should have dinner tonight.”

“Oh, I—”

“You definitely should,” Penny said, nudging her arm. “We won’t be leaving until tomorrow at the earliest. That would give me a chance to have dinner with your parents. I’m assuming you don’t want to tag along for that?”

“Uh, no.” She glared at Penny, hoping she got the message that Indie didn’t appreciate being backed into a corner.

“Great, it’s settled then.” Hal looked satisfied. “Where and when can I pick you up?”

“We’re staying at Marlin’s on Rutherford,” Penny piped up. “Room 703.”

“Perfect.” Hal brushed a kiss across Indie’s cheek. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Can’t wait.”

Indie wished she could say the same.

***

Indie spotted her parents coming out of a room down the hall as soon as they stepped off the elevator. Her mother gripped her father’s arm as they stared at their youngest daughter. Time seemed to stop, and Indie felt a sob rising in her throat when she heard her mother’s cry.

“Go talk to them,” Penny said, nudging Indie.

The time had come for Indie to face the people who’d raised her, loved her, and left her to fend for herself.
Just put one foot in front of the other
. That wasn’t that easy when her boots felt cemented to the floor.

“Indie,” her mother whispered, closing the gap between them. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” She raised her arms but let them fall when Indie failed to return the gesture. Her eyes scanned Indie from head to toe. “It’s so wonderful to see you. You look so beautiful.” With a little laugh, she said, “Red always was your color.”

As opposed to black, which had been her uniform before she’d left home. “You look well too.” Her father’s eyes were soft and glistening with tears, but Indie tried not to let that sway her. She couldn’t forget all that had happened just because of a few minutes of tenderness. “How’s Amy?”

“Better,” her mother said, smiling brightly. “Thank God. Everyone at our church has been praying for her. God must have heard them.” She seized Indie’s hand. “Of course, we’ve all been praying you’d come home too.”

“She’s here now,” Leo said, placing his hand on his wife’s back. His eyes zeroed in on his daughter’s face. “That’s all that matters.”

Clearing her throat, Indie withdrew her hand from her mother’s firm grasp. “I understand I have a nephew.”

“Oh, honey, you should see him,” Giselle said, reaching into her purse. “He’s so beautiful, so perfect.” She passed her phone to Indie, showing off a picture of Cameron. “He’s staying with us while your sister recovers. You should come to the house to meet him.”

Indie wanted to meet her nephew, but she didn’t know if she was strong enough to walk back into that house. She had a fair share of good memories there, but somehow the bad had eclipsed them. “I’m having dinner with Hal tonight.”

Giselle smiled. “That’s wonderful. I assume you ran into him as he was leaving?”

“Yes.”

“We were wrong about him,” Leo said. “We were wrong about so many things, honey. Do you think you can ever forgive us?”

Indie looked into her parents’ eyes, the two people who’d loved and protected her… except when she’d needed them most. “I’d like to, but I can’t make any promises. Can we just take things slow and see where we end up?”

She saw a glimpse of sorrow in her father’s eyes. He looked a lot older than the last time she’d seen him. Life had obviously taken its toll.

“Of course,” Leo said. “You take all the time you need. We’re your family. We’re always going to be here for you.”

If only that were true,
Indie thought.

“Thank you for bringing her here,” Giselle said to Penny. “How did you know where to find her?”

The cousins exchanged a look before Penny said, “That’s a story for another day, Aunt Giselle. We’d like to go in and see Amy now, if y’all don’t mind?”

“Of course not,” Leo said. “You girls go ahead. We’ll wait here.”

“Um, Penny”—Indie touched her arm—“would you mind if I go in first? I’d like to have a word with my sister in private.”

“You go ahead,” Penny said, a slight smile curving her lips. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thanks.”

Indie paused to peer into the window of the room she’d seen her parents leaving. Her sister looked pale and battered, but that was to be expected. Opening the door quietly, Indie stepped inside.

Amy turned to face her, slowly opening one eye. The other was still bruised and swollen. “I can’t believe it.”

Indie took a hesitant step forward. She was crushed by seeing her sister so broken, but at the same time, she was angry. If Amy had heeded Indie’s warnings and seen that monster for what he was seven years ago, she wouldn’t be in the hospital. Amy lifted a few fingers off the bed, inviting Indie to hold her hand.

Knowing how close Amy had come to losing her life made it difficult for Indie to continue condemning her. Pulling up a chair beside the bed, Indie covered Amy’s hand with her own. “I’m so glad you’re going to be okay.” Her words came out in a fierce whisper laced with repressed emotion. “If you’d lost your life to that—”

“Please don’t,” Amy said, wincing as she shifted. “How did you know?”

“Penny told me.”

“She’s here too?”

“Yeah, she’ll be in to see you in a few minutes. I wanted us to have a chance to talk first.”

“I’m glad.” Amy tried to smile, but only one side of her swollen mouth moved.

“Do you need anything?” Indie noticed several bouquets of flowers on the side table. “I should have brought something. I never even thought—”

“You’re here. That’s enough.”

“Mama showed me a picture of your little boy. He’s gorgeous, Am.”

“He is, isn’t he?” She tried to smile again before tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m scared though. What if he ends up like him?”

“He won’t. You won’t let him.”

“I hope it’s not… you know, hereditary,” Amy whispered, terror evident in her dark eyes.

Indie gripped her hand tighter. “You don’t have to worry about that, honey. All you have to do is love him, and he’ll be just fine.”

A tear slid down Amy’s cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”

Indie smiled. She’d missed her sister too, but closing her heart had seemed easier than acknowledging it.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you, Indie. I’ll never forgive myself for taking his side over yours. I should’ve known you never would have lied about something like that.”

“We can talk about that another time. The important thing now is that you’re going to be all right.” Indie couldn’t let her family off the hook, but she did understand why they doubted her story. She still couldn’t believe that in a house full of people, at a family gathering, he had been so bold.

“Where have you been?” Amy asked, wincing when she tried to sit up.

Indie stood to arrange her sister’s pillows and give herself a moment to think. She decided not to keep her whereabouts a secret any longer. “I’ve been living in Nashville.”

She wasn’t naïve enough to think she could repair the rift with her family quickly. Things would never be as they once were, because their trust in each other had been shattered irreparably. But she had a nephew she wanted to get to know, and that meant her sister and parents would be a part of her life.

“Penny knew you were there?” Amy asked. “And she didn’t say a word? She knew how we felt, how much we wanted you back. How could she do that?”

“I wasn’t ready to come home,” Indie said. “Penny couldn’t change my mind, though she tried.”

“I would have reached out to you,” Amy said, “if I’d known where you were. It didn’t take me long to realize you were telling the truth. He started drinking more, and he’d become enraged over the stupidest things.”

Like he had that night
. He’d backed Indie into her bedroom and locked the door. He’d claimed that she’d embarrassed him at dinner by calling him out about whether he’d really been at work the night before. He told her his whereabouts were none of her business and she had no right to question him. That was when things got really ugly. He restrained her, tore at her clothes, and said ugly and vicious things about putting her in her place.

Indie closed her eyes as she tried to block the vivid flashbacks. “At least he’s out of your life now.”

“I hope so.” Amy released a trembling sigh. “I don’t know how long he’ll be in there. For all I know, he may have made bail.”

“But you can get a restraining order against him. And it’s not like any judge in his right mind would let him see Cameron, right?”

“I don’t know.” Amy lifted her free hand to her bandaged head. “I haven’t been with it long enough to talk to a lawyer.”

“You don’t have to think about any of that now,” Indie said, rubbing her arm. “When the time comes, Mom and Dad will be in your corner. They’ll help you sort it out.”

Amy looked at her for a long time. “But you didn’t have anyone in your corner, did you?”

“Yes, I did. I found a support system when I moved to Nashville. I had Penny, and I made a few friends. Life is good.” She smiled. Overall, she
was
happy with the way her life had turned out. She had a job she loved, a few good friends, and she was able to make a difference at the rape crisis center.

“Does that mean there’s a man in your life?”

“Uh, no.” She thought of Lee and the kisses they’d shared. “Not really.”

“What does that mean? Either there is or there isn’t.”

Indie stood to kiss her sister on the forehead. “You look tired. Why don’t we save that conversation for another day?”

“That’s not fair.”

Indie smiled. If she had a dollar for every time her sister had said that, she wouldn’t have to clip coupons. “I have to head back to Nashville tomorrow. I need to go back to work on Monday.”

“Oh, I was hoping you’d be able to stay a little longer. I’d love to visit with you, hear all about your job and—”

“We can always talk on the phone,” Indie said. She could spend a few more days in Florida, but since she knew her sister was going to be okay, she didn’t see any point extending the trip. Nashville was her home, and she wanted to get back to her life.

“I’d like that,” Amy said. “It’ll be so nice to have a sister again. I’ve missed you.”

Indie felt a chink in her armor fall away. “I’ve missed you too, sis.”

Even though Indie had been reluctant to accept Hal’s invitation, she was glad she had. Not only did it excuse her from dinner at her parents’ house with Penny, but she was having a wonderful time catching up with Hal. He was sweet, funny, and charming. While they weren’t out on a real date, she didn’t have as much trouble imagining herself dating anymore. Her cell phone buzzed, and she shot Hal an apologetic look. Lee’s name flashed on the screen. She hadn’t spoken to him since she’d left, and she missed him more than she thought she would.

“Hey, you,” she said, covering one ear to block out the background noise in the crowded steak house. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I was just wondering how it’s going,” Lee said. “How’s your sister?”

“Better, thank God.”

“Glad to hear it… Does that mean you’ll be back to work on Monday?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Even better.”

She smiled. Evidently he was as anxious to pick up where they’d left off as she was.

“Where are you? It sounds like there’s a party going on.”

“I’m just out having dinner with an old friend,” she said, smiling at Hal. When Lee didn’t respond, she thought she’d lost him. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah. This old friend… male or female?”

Was he jealous
? She didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. She’d told him she didn’t date. Was he questioning her honesty? Given Indie’s experience with being called a liar by the people she loved most, she knew she may be a little hyper-sensitive, but she was still stung that he may be doubting her. “Does it matter?”

“It does to me.”

“I can’t have this conversation right now.” She lowered her voice as she shifted in her chair.

“Because he’s there?”

Indie could tell Lee was annoyed, but so was she. “Yes.”

“Fine, I’ll let you go.”

“I’ll call you when I get back to the hotel. We can talk about it then.” She knew she wouldn’t get five minutes of shut-eye until they cleared the air.

“Suit yourself.”

Indie faked a smile as she set her phone back in her purse and reached for her water glass. “I’m so sorry about that.”

“Jealous boyfriend?” Hal asked, raising an eyebrow.

Indie assumed he was just teasing, but she wanted to clarify. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward. “I was kind of hoping we could see each other again when you come back to town.”

“What makes you think I’ll be coming back?”

“I thought you were ready to make amends with your family.”