Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 (14 page)

This was logic that Becca couldn
’
t argue.
“
I suppose.
It would make things easier.
” She hesitated. “It’s like at Adric’s.
With what we
’
re do
ing…”
Becca paused.
Maybe taking about her situation wasn
’
t appropriate.
After all, what she thought of how her month was going was not just about her.

Compassion flooded Willow
’
s face.
“
I think you
’
re very brave.
To move into a man
’
s home, trust him with your safety and your heart
—
that takes courage that I don
’
t have
.”

“
I
—”
surprise stopped her.
Courage.
It wasn
’
t a word Becca would have chosen but described as Willow did, it had taken courage.
“
I guess I can see that.
But then, Adric turned out to be such a wonderful man
.”

“
From what I could tell, he seems like exactly the kind of man I would have looked for had I gone looking
.”

Willow
’
s words swirled in Becca
’
s mind as she tried to process them.
Adric seemed nothing like Chad
,
and yet Willow was right.
Adric was exactly the kind of man she
’
d prayed for since her unfortunate
“
marriage
”
failed.
The thought confused her.
“
Isn
’
t it odd that you made a friend and married him without worrying about love
,
and I
’
m spending a month with a man I don
’
t know trying to find love without a friendship?
”

“
I think it
’
s two roads to the same destination.
I imagine both have smooth spots and both have ruts like my driveway gets sometimes
,
but it works
.”
Willow smiled.
“
Tell me, what are the chances you would marry Adric if everything continued going as it is going today?
”

“
Honestly, after talking to you today, if he asked me to marry him tonight, I
’
d probably say yes.
He
’
s growing fond of me
—
I can tell.
I know he
’
d be good to me and he is the kind of man I could be happy trying to help.
Yesterday I would have said,
‘
I hope I fall in love with him or someone like him
,
but you
’
ve really changed how I think
.”

“
I didn
’
t mean to
.”
A panicked tone grew in Willow
’
s voice.

“
Well, I
’
m glad you did.
I might have given up on a great guy
,
because I assumed I needed something that I don
’
t.
Look how happy you are!
Look how in love Chad is
—
If it can work for you, why not me?
”

“
I didn
’
t know what to say,
”
Willow said sleepily.
A year before, Willow would never have imagined talking to Chad about their love life at two in the morning as he crawled in from work.
“
I told her it wasn
’
t like that
—
that neither of us are in love like that—but she didn’t understand.”

Chad led his wife out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
“
Aw
,
l
ass, but your friend is right,
”
he assured her as he pulled the light summer blankets over her as she crawled into bed.

By the time he returned from his shower, Willow was fast asleep.
He leaned against the dresser and watched her as the moonlight shone across her face.
The light reflected the peace in her expression
,
and yet there was the slightest wrinkle in her brow as though there were questions unanswered in her mind that troubled her.

“
You have no idea,
l
ass.
You have no idea
.”

At ten o
’
clock Chad crawled from the covers disoriented.
The room was darker than he thought it should be
,
until he realized that she
’
d made new shades that blocked out the light entirely.
Chad spent a few minutes trying to discover how to raise them until the obvious answer made him chuckle.
“
Only Willow would make shades that you
hand roll up and hook onto the top of the window,
”
he muttered to himself.

In the bathroom, he was tempted to ignore the dark stubble that turned his jaw line into sandpaper
,
but remembering Willow
’
s involuntary grimace one morning the previous week, he grabbed his cordless razor and carried it into their bedroom.
As
he retrieved jeans and a t-shirt
, he removed his recent growth
.
Who knew what she
’
d have them doing that day?

Becca
’
s laughter greeted him as he entered the kitchen.
“
I can
’
t believe it worked!
”
Becca blushed.
“
Hey
,
Chad.
She let me stir and look!
”

Chad obediently looked in the large enamel pot and nodded as if he understood what he saw.
“
Excellent.
You having fun?
”

“
This is the most fun I
’
ve ever had in my life.
I can
’
t believe how at home I feel doing all this stuff that I didn
’
t know anyone did anymore
.”

Willow handed Chad a cup of coffee and a muffin.
“
She
’
s good.
I could leave her the recipe and go work out in the garden and come back to a perfect set
.”

“
Then, can I steal you for a minute or two?
”

Outside,
Willow leaned against the porch, staring up at Chad. He leaned one arm over hear head on the same post, playing with her hair.
“I’ve got bad news, Willow.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Probably not,” Chad admitted, “but you should know anyway. Lynne Solari’s trial…”

She nodded.
“
So
what you’re trying to tell me is that
the trial is going to start soon?
”

“
Next month.
She has the best lawyers
,
but the evidence is undeniable.
According to the D.A., s
he is not allowing her lawyers to call you to the stand
.”

Willow
’
s eyes widened.
“
Wow.
I didn
’
t know that was an option
.”