Lilies and Lies (6 page)

“Round about.” Gunnar turned away, but not before Maddie saw the flicker of hesitation in his eyes. “No need to worry about it.”

“Gunnar…” Maddie stepped closer, tapped his shoulder until he turned back to face her.

“I'm glad all that rain has passed.” He made quick work of changing the subject. “A few more days like the ones we've had and we might make use of another ark.”

“Smooth transition, Gunnar.” Maddie propped one hand on her hip. “I'll get to the bottom of things; I have my ways. In the meantime, are you headed to Anthony Moretto's surprise birthday party at the pizzeria later this afternoon?”

“Of course. Wyatt mentioned it last week. Four o'clock, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“I suppose the entire town's going to be there, and I wouldn't miss it.” Gunnar grabbed the handle of the guitar case. “Kyle's gone to a ball game with the Thompsons for the afternoon, so I'm running solo. How'd you like to grab a bite to eat, maybe take a walk down the boulevard and enjoy some of this sunshine, and then head over to the party together?”

“I'd like that very much.” Maddie pressed a hand to her belly as it rumbled. “As you can hear, fielding all those questions has worked up a bit of an appetite.”

“More than a bit, sounds like you're housing a pride of lions.”

“That's me…dainty and feminine to the core.”

“Dainty, no.” His eyes danced. “But feminine…well, you sure get my vote.”

 

****

 

“So, you play your music at the church every Wednesday?” Maddie fell in step beside Gunnar as they ambled down the boulevard. The road was deserted, a sprinkle of cars parked here and there along the curb. This was usually the case during the heart of a Sunday afternoon in Clover Cove. Shops were closed; families enjoyed the day together. Even the pizzeria was locked up tight for the moment, and Gunnar wondered how Wyatt and Kami planned to lure Anthony to the restaurant without alerting him that something was up. “Do you enjoy it?”

“Yes. I work with the youth, sing a little bit and teach them some strumming and chords. You'd be surprised what an ice-breaker the guitar can be when you're talking to teenagers.”

Sunshine warmed Gunnar's back through his shirt and a gentle breeze carried the scent of Maddie's perfume, a blend of citrus and something sweet. He itched to hold her hand, almost reached for it before he caught himself, showed some restraint.
Patience, Gunnar…When the time is right…

“The guitar leads to other things, opens the door, right?” Maddie asked as they neared the nursery. It was vacant, same as every Sunday afternoon. Hattie Cutler insisted that business be held to the other six days of the week, leaving Sundays to God and family.

“That's the plan.”

“And what does Kyle think of all this?”

“He comes with, of course. He wasn't happy about that at first…he'd never really been to church. It wasn't my sister's cup of tea, to say the least. But he made some friends pretty quickly, and now he'd have my hide if I tried to keep him away from it. He's even picked up quite a bit as far as playing goes. I'm thinking about getting him his own guitar for his birthday in a few months. I know he wants one.”

“That's great.” Maddie tilted her face toward the sun and breathed deeply. “Can you smell them?”

“What?”

“The Stargazers I set out at the entrance of the nursery last Tuesday—the day of the accident—before I left in the truck. Customers gobbled them up and only a few still remain in the display, but their fragrance is gorgeous.”

“Stargazers?”

“Oh, sorry. I forget sometimes plant names can be like a foreign language to those who aren't mired in the landscaping business. Stargazers are lilies, and their scent has been described as straight from heaven. They were created in 1978 by a breeder from California. Cool, huh?” She took his hand and they approached the nursery's entrance. “Come on, I'll show you.”

Maddie was right—the lilies did smell like Heaven to Gunnar. But probably not for the same reason as they did for her. Their scent evoked painful, unsettling memories that washed over him as he peered through the gate while she unlocked it.

He'd seen the blooms—a unique blend of pink, red, and white—and smelled their distinct scent once before...in a place he never cared to visit—ever again. His gut twisted into a painful knot.

Maddie threw open the gate and turned to him. The delightful anticipation froze on her face. “Gunnar, what is it? What's wrong?”

“The Stargazers…I've seen them before, smelled them.”

“Really? Where?”

“At my mom's funeral.”

She drew a sharp intake of breath. “I'm so sorry, Gunnar.” Her eyes glistened like blue gems in the sunlight. “You mean recently?”

“No. It's been a long time now.” He counted mentally. “Eight years…almost nine. There were events leading up to it. Things happened...”

“What kinds of things?”

“Home wasn't exactly peaches and cream. My stepfather liked to drink, and when he did, he had a mean streak worse than any you can imagine. He used to lay into my mom and sometimes even my younger brother…Morgan.”

“I didn't know you had a brother.”

“I haven't seen him in years.” Gunnar gulped hard. “One night we were separated, and I haven't seen him since. It's been…a long time, way too long. It happened before Mom died.”

“Why? What happened, Gunnar?” Maddie brushed her fingers along the length of his arm. “Does this scar have something to do with it?”

“Yes.” Her touch sent a surge of heat through him. “I cut it on window glass, trying to protect Mom…and Morgan. But all it did was make things worse.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don't know if I can. The flowers, they just bring back memories. Mom's casket was draped in them, and the scent…it was everywhere. For days afterward, it followed me. It was so hard. Even in my sleep…in my dreams. I had never seen the Stargazers before, haven't smelled them since.”

“Do you know why they're called Stargazers?” Maddie's gentle voice was a murmur on the breeze.

“No.”

“Because they face toward the sun.” Maddie reached for his hand once more as she lifted her gaze skyward. Sunlight danced over her fair skin, and her hair shimmered like copper. “That's what you need to do now, Gunnar…face toward the Son.”

“I was mad at God for so long, mad about everything that had happened in my past—all that had brought Morgan and me and my sister—to the pit where we'd fallen so far. I didn't understand why, and the logical part of me wanted answers.”

“Sometimes there just aren't any answers to be had, at least not in this lifetime.” Maddie squeezed his fingers. “It hurts, Gunnar, I know. Believe me, I do.”

“I was lost for a while, did things I'm not proud of. It was a long, winding and tough road back but I made it home somehow. At least I have that. I'm not sure how, but I found my faith through the tragedy.”

“Bad things happened when you were in high school…you were so young, Gunnar.”

“I was a month shy of eighteen—old enough to know better.” He shook his head. “I should have protected Morgan. He was so much younger than me, only eleven, and he looked up to me. But I was mired in trouble back then, Maddie, and I'm still paying for it today. Like I said, I did things…”

“Don't.” Maddie pressed a finger to his lips. “They're in the past, and surely forgiven. That is one of the answers you have, Gunnar…the answer of God's all-encompassing grace. You don't need to dwell on what you've done or where you've been, think only of where you're going.”

“Kyle asks questions about my arm—about what happened before and after. He knows I have a brother that I don't ever see…that I don't even know how to find if I wanted to. You would think with technology today, it would be simple to find anyone. But maybe Morgan doesn't want to be found…maybe he's just still too angry over all that happened—angry with me. How do I explain that to Kyle?”

“Your sister never spoke of it?”

“No. She was older than me, and not even living at home then. She left the week she turned nineteen, already pregnant with Kyle. She was married two weeks later, and my stepfather disowned her. It had to be tough, traveling down that road alone. But she just wanted out. We all did, back then. A happy home life was something we'd only seen on TV. It was…rough, to say the least. One night it all came to a head and things got really, really ugly.”

“I…don't know what to say.” Maddie's voice thickened and tears filled her eyes.

“A neighbor called the police, and that set the ball rolling. My stepfather took off soon after Child Services came sniffing around. But by then the damage had already been done. I went to a group home, and Morgan…he was taken into protective custody and fostered out. If I'd been a little older, just a few months, I might have been able to take care of him myself. But I'd been in some trouble at school…nothing major but enough to give me a black mark. That certainly didn't help.

“Not long after, Mom got sick. I think all the years…losing Morgan…losing all of us. Well, they were hard on her. And I wasn't the best son during that time, not one any mother would be proud of. I was so angry about everything. I never got the chance to reconcile with her.”

“I can't even begin to imagine…” Maddie's tears spilled over, a punch to Gunnar's gut. Her sympathy was the last thing he'd expected.

“Please don't cry for me, Maddie. It's better now, much better. I have a new life here, one I'm content with, happy. It's just…what am I supposed to tell Kyle?”

“The truth, that's all.” Her blue eyes, swimming in tears, captured his. “Honesty is a powerful thing, Gunnar. If you're honest, then everything else will surely fall into place.”

 

 

 

 

6

 

A few days later Maddie crossed the boulevard and headed toward the entrance to Pappy's pizzeria, carrying a small shopping bag in one hand. Through the glass she saw Wyatt sitting opposite Kami at a booth, sharing a slice of pie and coffee. They leaned toward one another, smiling, and Maddie grinned as Wyatt reached across the table to capture his wife's hand. The two were so happy together, and they were sure to make great parents, as well.

Maddie hoped they wouldn't mind her interruption of their intimate interlude—well, as intimate an interlude as two people could have at a place such as Pappy's—but she had a gift for Kami and a thing or two to share with Wyatt.

Maddie double-stepped to the entrance and pulled open one of the glass-paned double doors. Immediately, she was engulfed in the heady aroma of spicy Italian food. Her mouth watered, though she'd had lunch only an hour ago. Maybe she'd linger long enough to sample a little taste of linguini or a few sausage-stuffed ravioli…just an appetizer, nothing more. What would it hurt? Besides, it was hard to say no to Pappy—AKA Anthony Moretto.

Kami caught sight of Maddie, waved, and she wound her way over to the booth. Slipping in beside her sister-in-law, Maddie motioned for Jada to bring over a cup of coffee. The bubbly, red-haired server chomped a wad of gum as she gave a nod and a thumbs-up in response.

“To what do we owe this pleasure?” Wyatt's gaze settled on Maddie over the rim of his cup. “It's your day off from the nursery, yet you're still hanging around the boulevard. Don't you have some shopping to do or something?”

“Yes, and I have been.” Maddie set the bag on the table. “Here's a little something I picked up for the expectant mom.”

“Me?” Kami's eyes lit up. “You shouldn't have. But, I'm glad you did. This is such a treat!” She reached for the bag, and paper rustled as she pulled out a flat, rectangular item wrapped in tulip-yellow tissue. “What is it?”

“I was window-shopping at Berry's Boutique, saw this, and thought of you.”

Kami parted the tissue and folded it carefully back. “Oh, it's beautiful.” The journal was leather-bound in a soft, floral print and just the right size to be slipped into a diaper bag. “It has pockets for pictures and little mementos.”

“I know how much you like to write and sketch. I thought it might be a nice way to capture your thoughts as you and Wyatt and your baby-to-be tackle adventures. You can jot them into memories and pass them along to the little guy—or girl—or both”—she winked conspiratorially—“one day.”

“Oh…” Kami waved her hand in front of her face as a hint of blush bloomed across her cheeks and tears set in. “We had an ultrasound today—rather,
I
had an ultrasound—and we were going to tell you later but, since you're here…”

“What?” Maddie practically climbed over the table with unbridled anticipation as she waited for Kami to answer. “Is it a boy?”

Kami nodded, adding, “And…”

“And what? There's more?”

Another nod, which elicited a squeal from Maddie.

“Two?”

“Yes.” Kami held up a pair of fingers as her tears spilled over. “A boy and—”

“A girl? You're gonna have a boy
and
a girl?” Another squeal of delight, and Maddie threw her arms around Kami's neck. “I'm going to be an aunt…and an
aunt
. Wow.”

“What about me?” Wyatt tapped Maddie's shoulder, his lips curved into a grin. “Don't I get a squeal or a hug…a smoke signal, anything? I had a part in this, too, you know.”

“Don't you dare make me cry.” Maddie shook a finger at him. “No tears until I've said my piece.” She leaned across the table and planted a kiss on Wyatt's scruffy cheek. “I love you, big brother.”