Love Is Patient and A Heart's Refuge (16 page)

Alex thankfully didn’t acknowledge the vague comment but put his book down, his attention focused completely on his son. “Do you want to tell me what is wrong, Dylan?”

Dylan blew his breath out and looked over at his father. Saw again the lines that bracketed his mouth. The weariness he’d noticed this afternoon. The same weariness he felt himself.

“I just found out that Lisa is Gabe Haskell’s sister.” As he spoke the words aloud Dylan felt again the twist of betrayal.

“How do you know that?”

“Dara phoned me this evening. Told me that she suspected there was a connection between Lisa and Gabe. So I followed Lisa this evening and found her at Gabe Haskell’s apartment.” Dylan pushed himself off the couch. He paced around the room, his agitation and frustration needing an outlet. “She never told me who she was when she applied for the job. Never said anything about her brother. And all she could say now was that family takes care of family. Like it’s some kind of creed she lives by.”

“It’s not a bad one.”

“And that takes precedence over truth and what is right?” Dylan stopped behind a chair, grasping the back of it with his hands. “He stole from us, Dad. He took money that didn’t belong to him. And his sister spent time with us as a family pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She didn’t just lie to me. She lied to all of you. So don’t stand up for her.”

“I’m not so sure Gabe stole from us.”

His softly spoken words caught Dylan’s full attention. “What?”

“I never truly believed he did. And if he did, he didn’t do it alone.”

Don’t know if I can keep doing this. Ted needs to know.

The words of the memo sifted back into his memory. The memo that Lisa had hidden from him. The memo that had been attached to an invoice they couldn’t trace.

Dylan pulled his hands over his face, wishing he had a few moments to think. To figure out what was really going on. “Can you please explain what you’re talking about?” he asked tiredly.

“Sit down, Dylan. We need to have that talk we were supposed to have this afternoon. And you’re leaving tomorrow. So now is the only time we have.”

Dylan lowered himself onto the couch again and laid his head back. “First tell me—if you think Gabe didn’t do it, why did you ask me to come here?”

Alex leaned forward, his hands clasped. “I wasn’t sure enough about Gabe’s guilt or innocence. But I couldn’t allow him to stay with the company as long as there was any shadow hanging over his name.” Alex
sighed lightly. “I had suspected for a while that if Gabe had done it, Dara was involved. And if Dara was involved, I suspected Ted was, as well.”

“What do you mean?” Dylan frowned, trying to grasp this new information. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

“I didn’t allow Ted complete free rein over the company when I let him take over.” Alex tilted Dylan a wry smile. “In spite of what you think, I wasn’t entirely sure of Ted’s abilities, either.”

“Which makes me wonder again and again why you put him in charge.”

“I know that’s a sore point with you, Dylan. And I know I did wrong by you.” Alex got up slowly. Walked over to the window and stared out, as if trying to find answers there. “Like I told you this afternoon, I am well aware of Ted’s failings. I am also well aware of your abilities. I guess I was hoping, in some foolish way, that the older brother would take on some of the characteristics of his younger brother given the right circumstances.”

“You told me it was because he was married.”

“That was a very important reason. Ted had extra responsibilities when he and Dara married.”

“Married very quickly, I might add,” Dylan said.

Alex turned to Dylan. “I doubt Dara ever told you why she broke up with you and married Ted so quickly?”

Dylan shook his head. What he had just lost seemed infinitely more precious than the shallow relationship he and Dara had had those many years ago. It no longer mattered.

“Dara told us she was expecting Ted’s child. Her father insisted they get married. Ted felt the same way. He loved Dara. So they got married.” Alex opened his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I could have given Ted the Toronto job instead of you, but I wanted him closer to home where we could give them some guidance and direction.”

Dylan stared at his father as his words swirled around, a chaos of ideas and sounds. “But they don’t have…” His voice trailed off.

“It turned out that Dara wasn’t pregnant after all,” Alex said softly.

Dylan lost his breath as the conversation shifted into unknown territory. Anger followed close behind.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he cried, hurt pushing the words out as he faced down his father. “Ted is my brother. I care what happens to him.”

Alex smiled a gentle smile. “I’m sorry, Dylan. We wanted to tell you, but Ted was adamant that we keep it quiet. Especially from you.”

“Why?” Dylan could only stare at his father, trying to comprehend what his brother had gone through.

“Because of your history with Dara. And, I suspect, because he thought that Dara had come to him on the rebound from you.”

“But I’m his brother. This is my family. Surely I had a right to know.”

“In hindsight, yes, we should have told you. I wanted to a number of times, but I think Ted felt a mixture of guilt and shame over what had happened.”

Dylan’s perceptions shifted as he tried to keep up. All
his previous knowledge of his brother took on a different hue. One idea pushed to the surface, startling in its clarity.

They weren’t so different after all.

Ted had been duped by his girlfriend, too.

“I wish I had known.” Dylan pulled his hands over his face. “I would have been here for him.” He closed his eyes as he thought of Ted, caught in events that pulled him along to places he didn’t want to go. Thought of himself and Lisa.

“We thought that Dara and Ted loved each other. But I’m worried about their relationship now.”

“Was Dara involved with the accountant? With Gabe?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I keep coming back to the question—why did you want me to come? Why didn’t you hire an outside auditor?”

“Because Ted had gone through enough with Dara. I was hoping that if you came, if Dara knew that you would be looking around, she would cave in and let me know what was really going on. And if Ted was involved, I wanted to find out from him.”

“I don’t think he was, or is. Lisa showed me a memo that Gabe had written to Dara. In it he said he didn’t know if he could keep doing this and that Ted needed to know. To me it implicates Gabe and, at the same time, Dara.”

“Do you have a copy of this memo?”

Dylan nodded, feeling again the sting of humiliation when he thought of Lisa and what she had done to him.

“I want to show it to Dara. To see what she will say.”

“I think you’ve given Dara enough chances, Dad. I think it’s time you do what I’ve been asking you to do for a while now. Bring in an outside auditor.”

“I will, but not right away. I am still hoping that if Dara knows what we know, she’ll come clean. It would save your brother further humiliation.”

Dylan acknowledged this small concession with a curt nod. His father’s defense of Ted made more sense, but he still didn’t like it.

“I sense you’re not happy with that.” Alex sat on the coffee table across from Dylan, leaning toward him, his elbows resting on his knees. “I’m not, either. But it would be freeing for Dara to have a chance to confess. To realize that in spite of what we know we are still giving her a chance. God gives us many, many chances, too, Dylan. I think it would be unwise and uncaring of me not to do the same for Dara.”

Dylan remembered his mother’s comment about secrets. “Does Mom know about all this?”

“She knows about Ted and Dara, of course. But I haven’t told her about my suspicions about Dara. I didn’t want to worry her. She’s had enough on her mind about them as it is.”

“I think you should tell her what’s happening. Sometimes the things we dream up can be worse than the reality.”

Alex looked up and held Dylan’s gaze. “I’m hoping the same can be said for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have something to ask of you, Dylan. I didn’t do what I promised and I know it’s caused a lot of bitter
ness for you. My only feeble excuse is that I felt trapped and caught by my concern for Ted. It wasn’t that I loved him more. It was just that I knew he needed me more. I want to ask your forgiveness for not giving you the job I promised. For not being the father to you that I should have. I don’t deserve it, but I have to ask.”

Dylan looked up at his father. Saw again the shadow of sorrow in his father’s eyes. Thought of the burden he had been carrying all this time. Thought of the sorrow that could have been averted if only Alex had told him everything.

But would he have listened?

“I think you need to know that I love you, Dylan,” Alex continued quietly. “And that I want to make things right between us. My pride has caused problems. Pride in my family. In my company. But I think God has brought me to a place where I’ve learned to let go of that.” He pushed himself to his feet and walked away. “I’m sorry, Dylan,” he said, standing by the window again. “Sorry for wasting your time this past week and sorry for wasting those years of your life.”

“But my years weren’t wasted, Dad,” Dylan said, the truth coming to him in a flash of insight. “I learned to work on my own. To stop seeking your approval and to appreciate my strengths. And as for the past week…” He stopped there.

“This past week,” his father prompted, “you had time to spend with your girlfriend. A girl, I must say, we have been very pleased with in spite of what you’ve just told me about her.”

His father’s approval of Lisa was bittersweet.

And suddenly truth washed over Dylan. He wasn’t innocent, either.

“I also have a confession to make, Dad,” he said softly, cringing at his own pride. His own duplicity. “When we first came here Lisa and I weren’t really dating. Yes, she’s my secretary, but I asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend. To keep Mom and the girls off my back.”

“I don’t blame you,” Alex said with a smile.

In spite of the intensity of the moment, Dylan had to laugh.

“And what is your relationship now?” Alex asked.

Dylan sighed. “It changed, grew. But now I don’t know what to think about her anymore.”

“Do you love her?”

“I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Sounds to me pretty close to love.”

“So what do I do?”

“Give her a chance. Like I was willing to give Dara a chance. Like God gives us a chance every minute of every day.”

“But how can I carry on a relationship that was built on deceit?”

Alex laid his hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “Yours or hers?”

That was it. Dylan knew he had no right to be angry with Lisa.

“Lisa has been on her own for years,” Alex continued. “Gabe is her only family member. Give her credit for taking care of him in the only way she knew how. God works in mysterious ways, Dylan. Maybe everything came together for a purpose.”

T
he early-morning breeze brushed over Dylan as he hunched over the Bible he had taken out on the deck. He had hardly slept all night, reliving again and again the words he had thrown at Lisa in anger.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Dylan read and reread the passage he and Lisa had shared just yesterday. Remembered what she had told him. Family takes care of family. As his father had taken care of Ted.

He continued.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth.

The reality he had to face was that he had no more right to get angry with Lisa over her deception than his family did over his.

But their relationship that had started with deception had become truth. She had become special to him. He loved her.

The words settled quietly into his mind and stayed. He loved her.

He had never been able to say that about anyone else before, but he knew for a certainty that this was real.

Dylan closed the Bible and looked out over the bay, past the office buildings. Somewhere out there was the dingy apartment block where Lisa had spent the night.

He shouldn’t have walked out on her, he thought with a pang of shame. But the hurt and pride had been too great. But how could he go back?

What do I do, Lord? How can I fix this?

He thought of what his father had told him last night, heard once again the faintly whispered words Lisa had spoken last night, just before she had gone upstairs. Before she left for Gabe’s.
I love you.

Help me, Lord, to overcome my own pride. Love is not proud.

“Good morning, Dylan.”

He glanced up to see Amber standing in the doorway, her hair artfully arranged in a style reminiscent of Lisa’s funky hairdos.

“Hey, there. How come you’re all dressed up?”

Amber frowned at him. “How come you’re not? You were going to drop me off downtown on your way to the airport this morning.”

His flight to Toronto. His important meeting with his future business partners. He had forgotten about both.

“What time is it?”

“Seven o’clock. I need to be downtown at eight, and your flight leaves at nine-thirty.”

Panic tightened his midsection. How could he have forgotten?

But he had to talk to Lisa before he left. Try to salvage something from yesterday’s mess.

If he rushed, he might be able to squeeze a few more minutes out of his schedule. It wasn’t enough time to fix what had gone wrong, but he couldn’t leave Vancouver without one last try.

Maybe he could convince her to at least listen.

“Can you be a bit earlier?” he asked, jumping up from his chair. “I’ll meet you at the car in five.”

“But Mom, Dad and Erika want to say goodbye. They’re just getting up.”

“Don’t have time. I’ll call them from the airport.”

Upstairs, he threw his clothes into the suitcase, not even bothering to fold or hang up. He didn’t shave—he could do that once he landed in Toronto. He threw into his carry-on what he needed for the meeting and ran downstairs.

“Get in the car,” he called to Amber as he tossed his suitcase into the trunk. “Let’s go.”

“Where’s Lisa?” Amber asked as Dylan spun out of the driveway. “Isn’t she coming along? I wanted to say goodbye to her.”

“She’s staying at a friend’s. I’ll be seeing her after I drop you off.” He accelerated down the hill and ran a yellow light to get onto the main avenue leading downtown. “I have something very important to talk to her about.”

“What is that?” Amber twisted in her seat, grinning at her brother in expectation.

“Pride and deceit and love.”

Amber pulled a face as she sank back in her seat. “That’s pretty heavy, but it doesn’t sound like a proposal to me.”

“No, it doesn’t. But it’s a start,” Dylan said, swerving into an opening in traffic. He ignored the sudden blaring of the truck’s horn and scooted into another opening.

“You’re driving like a crazy man, Dylan. What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Everything.”

Please, Lord, just let me get to the apartment in time. Give me a chance to talk to her.

Ten minutes later he rocked to a halt in front of the Convention Centre downtown. He returned Amber’s hug with a perfunctory one. “Gotta go, kiddo. You take care.”

“Dylan, what is going on?”

“I’ll call you—”

“From the airport,” Amber interrupted. “Go, already. If you don’t have time to properly say goodbye to your family, then forget it.” She flounced out of the car and didn’t look back.

Dylan didn’t have time to feel guilty. He had more important things on his mind.

By the time he pulled up in front of Gabe’s apartment, his heart was pumping. He had one hour. One hour to convince Lisa that he was wrong. To ask her to forgive him. To tell Gabe that his father had his doubts about his guilt.

He just hoped Lisa was still here. As he jogged down the sidewalk to the front door, he wondered how he was going to get in. Lisa or Gabe would hardly buzz
him up when he announced himself. Thankfully, someone was leaving just as he got there and he caught the door before it closed.

Hurry. Hurry. He charged up the stairs two at a time and skidded to a halt in front of Gabe’s apartment.

He took a moment to catch his breath. To send up a quick prayer.

Just as he raised his hand to knock, he heard voices from inside. Gabe’s, raised in anger. Lisa’s softer one, and another woman’s voice.

Dara.

Dylan rapped on the door sharply, even as doubts crept into his thoughts. What was Dara doing here?

Footsteps sounded, approaching the door. It swung open and Lisa stood highlighted by the early-morning light coming through the living-room window. She wore loose pants and a T-shirt. Her hair framed her face in a tangled halo, but her eyes were hard. Even so, his heart skittered at the sight of her.

“What do you want?” she asked, both her hands holding the door like a shield. “I thought you had to leave today.”

“My plane leaves in an hour. I have to talk to you.”

“Dylan. What are you doing here?” Dara spun around, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright. “I thought you were gone.” In contrast to Lisa’s casual wear, Dara wore a tailored suit, and even this early in the morning her hair was immaculately groomed.

“I’ve come to talk to Lisa and Gabe,” Dylan said.

Gabe motioned for him to come in, netting him an irritated look from his sister-in-law. As Dylan walked
past Lisa she glanced up at him, and for a heartbeat Dylan saw sorrow in the depths of her eyes. Then like a cloud sifting over the sun, it was gone. But it gave him hope.

“It’s probably just as well you’re here, Dylan,” Dara said smoothly, suddenly in charge. She came to stand beside Dylan. “I’ve come on behalf of the company to tell Gabe that we are going to formally press charges of theft against him.”

“You have no proof,” Gabe exclaimed. “You know I didn’t do it.”

“Money in a numbered bank account put there by you.” Dara shrugged, glancing at Dylan. “Dummy invoices signed by you for less than the actual amount. I can build a very strong case against you. And now that Dylan is here I know I finally have the support I need.” Dara flashed him a bright smile. She touched him lightly, as if establishing a connection between them.

Dylan shook his head at Dara’s obvious machinations, stepping away from her. Closer to Lisa. “Sorry, Dara. I’m not part of this. And we both know you don’t really have a case.”

“I have proof, Dylan,” Dara said coldly.

“It won’t stand up in a court of law,” Dylan said. “And I won’t let it get that far.”

Lisa blinked then. Bit her lip and looked down. Dylan took a chance and reached out to her. Cupped her shoulder with his hand. He felt the ragged edges of his day slowly becoming whole as she reached up and laid her hand over his. Maybe it was all going to work out after all.

“You are going to take these people’s side against me?” Dara cried out. “Against us?”

Dylan, still holding Lisa’s shoulder, turned to her. “Yes, Dara. If it comes to that I will.” Dylan pushed down the lingering panic over his flight. The appointment, the future job didn’t matter as much anymore. What was happening here was far more important.

“Your father will side with Ted and me. You know that. He always has. And where your father goes, your mother will.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Dylan said quietly. “I believe Gabe didn’t do it. And I’m going to support him and Lisa through whatever you decide to do.”

“I guess we’ll have to see about that,” Dara snapped. “I’ll be talking to your father next.”

“Go ahead, Dara,” Dylan said, holding her angry gaze. “You might be surprised to hear what he has to say.”

He felt Lisa lean closer to him. Clutch his hand tighter. He turned to her, and as their eyes met Dylan was surprised to see the shimmer of tears in hers. He gave her a tentative smile, a small overture.

His entire attention was on Lisa as Dara stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

“Thanks for coming,” Lisa said softly. She sniffed, then wiped her eyes. Dylan touched one silvery tear as it slid down her cheek, wonderment and joy singing through him.

“I’m sorry I was so angry yesterday,” he said softly, stroking her cheek with his knuckle.

“No. Please don’t apologize. I’m the one who has to apologize. You were right. I had lied to you.” Lisa palmed
away some more tears. “I’m so sorry. I was going to tell you sometime. I felt so bad about deceiving you.”

Gabe’s discreet cough caught their attention. Suddenly self-conscious, Dylan lowered his hand.

“Sorry to break in on this very touching scene,” Gabe said dryly, “but right now I’m sure Dara is heading right over to your parents’ place, Dylan, or possibly even the police station.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about Dara,” Dylan said. “She doesn’t have the proof she thinks she does, nor the support.”

Gabe frowned. “What do you mean?”

“My father had an inkling of what was going on. He won’t allow her to pursue this.”

“What are you saying?” Lisa asked, catching him by the arm.

“It’s a long story. Why don’t you and Gabe come with me to my parents’ place? I’ll fill you in on the way over.”

“But you can’t miss your flight,” Lisa said. “You kept telling me how important that appointment was. For your future.”

Dylan smiled at the concern in her voice. Concern for him. “Right now there are other parts of my future I’m more concerned with.”

Lisa smiled as a faint flush crept up her cheeks. “But your job…”

“I think you had better be worrying about your own job.” Dylan touched a finger to her lips, then caught her hand. “Now, enough arguing. Let’s go.”

But Lisa held back. “I don’t need to come. Why don’t you and Gabe go alone?”

“I want you along,” Dylan said.

Lisa shook her head. “I can’t, Dylan. I’m too ashamed.”

Dylan glanced at Gabe. “Do you mind giving us a few moments?”

“I’ll be waiting in the lobby.” Gabe gave him a careful smile as if still unsure of how to read this new situation, and left the apartment.

Dylan waited until he heard Gabe’s footsteps hitting the stairs, then turned back to Lisa. “You don’t have to be afraid of my family,” Dylan said softly, cupping her chin, pleased that he could.

“I’m more ashamed than anything. I lied to them about my brother,” Lisa said, still not meeting his eyes. “And we both lied to them about us.”

“Only in the beginning,” Dylan said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “The evening we had supper with my family, I wanted it to be real.”

Lisa’s faint smile gave him hope.

“Last night you told me that you’d found something you didn’t want to let go. Is that still true?”

“Truer,” she whispered, pressing her hand against his. “I love you.”

A sharp fragment of happiness pierced his heart and his response was to draw her close. To tilt her head toward him and touch his lips gently to hers. “I love you, too,” he whispered against her mouth.

She clung to him then, pressed her head against his chest as he held her close.

Dylan willed time to stand still. He felt as if he had waited all his life for this moment and he didn’t want to return to everyday life.

“I thought you hated me,” she said, her voice muffled against his shirt. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Dylan stroked his chin over her head, marveling at his right to do so. To simply hold her close with no secrets between them anymore. “I missed you too much,” he whispered, brushing a kiss across her temple. “I couldn’t stay away.”

“I’m sorry, Dylan.”

“Stop now. You’ve done nothing worse than I have.”

She drew back, a faint frown creasing her forehead. “Do you think God can bless a relationship that started out in deceit?”

Dylan smiled at her concern. “I think God used our situation to bring us to Him. I think if we put our trust in Him, put our lives in His hands, He will use us and our relationship to praise Him.”

Lisa smiled. “You are a blessing to me, Dylan.”

“And you to me, Lisa.” He stroked her hair back from her face, dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “And I hate to bring reality into this moment, but your brother is waiting and I want to finish what we came here to do.”

“Welcome to our home, Gabe.” Stephanie held out her hand to Lisa’s brother. “Alex is waiting for you on the deck.” Gabe shook Stephanie’s hand, then glanced at Lisa, as if for support.

His unconscious gesture made Lisa’s heart contract with old memories of meetings with other authorities when Gabe had gotten into trouble. How he always looked to her for help.

And she’d always been there. Just as she was now. She was about to reassure him.

“It’s okay, Gabe,” Dylan said suddenly. “We’re here to sort things out.”

Gabe nodded, smoothed his hair back from his face and walked out the large glass doors. As they slid shut behind him, Lisa glanced at Dylan, pleased at his support. And then it struck her with a wave of pleasure. She wasn’t doing this alone anymore.