“I know.” Subdued, Charity stood, too. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, sis, because I can’t forgive myself.” She swiped at her eyes impatiently. “Damn it, I’ve been so emotional since getting pregnant.” After a deep breath that she let out slowly, she faced Hope. “I’m not married. The second I got pregnant, Will took off. He wanted no part of it, so I’ll be raising the baby alone, and I’m okay with that. But you know, that’s two major strikes against me. First, my fiancé turned into the worst sort of—”
“Don’t say it,” Hope whispered with feeling. Don’t say molester.
Nodding, Charity went silent. Finally, with feeling, she said, “That was clearly a huge mistake on my part. He’s a bastard and I hope he comes to a very bad end.”
“That’s two of us.”
“So, loser number one. Then I hook up with Will, and he bails on me because we’re having a baby. It’s not like I planned it. He’s the one who didn’t...” She broke off again. “Sorry. It’s all so dumb, but honestly, I’m as responsible as Will. You’d think I was old enough to know better.”
Reeling, Hope asked, “He’s out of the picture for good?”
“God, yes. Mom and Dad are annoyed that, the way they put it, they have to tolerate another wayward daughter.” She swallowed heavily. “It really drove home the fact that you weren’t wayward at all. You had the guts that the rest of us didn’t. You stood up for yourself, and we were all... We were awful. You’re the best of us, Hope. I want you in my daughter’s life. Hate me if you want, but please.” More tears spilled over. A damn river of them. “Please. Love my little girl.”
There wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. With a sob, Hope reached out and grabbed her sister in a tight hug that was so long overdue. “I will,” she promised. “I already do.” In that moment, she knew that no matter what her sister had done, how she’d turned her back on her, how badly she’d crushed her spirit, Charity was still her sister.
Now and always.
“I don’t deserve you,” Charity whispered.
“Maybe not, but you’re stuck with me anyway.” Getting her arms around Charity wasn’t easy. Her sister had doubled in size. With a small laugh, Hope held her back. “Are you sure you aren’t carrying twins?”
Wiping her eyes yet again and totally ruining her carefully applied makeup, Charity sniffled. “Don’t even joke. I’m going to have my hands full with one.” She smiled. “Oh, Hope. I’m sorry. I’m so damned sorry.”
All Hope could manage was a nod.
Charity stroked a hand over her stomach, staring down at where the baby grew. “I laid awake one night, feeling her move and thinking about you, about what you’d been through. And...and I made myself think about my daughter. If something that awful happened to her.”
“Shh. Don’t.”
“But it could, because it happened to you.” Charity grabbed Hope in for another choking hug. “That means it could happen to anyone. I swear to you, I’ll take better care of her, though. I’ll protect her the way we didn’t protect you. I’ll do better. For you and the baby.”
So much emotion had worn Hope out. She realized Lang was quiet and when she glanced around, she found him standing at the window, his back to them as he looked out at the woods. He’d given them as much privacy as he could—without leaving her.
God love the man.
She certainly did. The realization made her laugh. She loved him so very much. Not because he was the first guy she’d been involved with since her assault, but because he was special, to his brother, his nephew...and especially to her heart.
“Lang?” She held out a hand.
Troubled, he looked at her, his gaze probing as if to be certain she was all right. “It kills me to hear you cry.”
That made her smile. “I’m okay,” she promised.
And she was. A year ago, she wouldn’t have been. Even a few months ago. But now, after having him in her life? She felt like she could do anything. And even if their relationship ended tomorrow, she knew she wouldn’t retreat back to that protective shell where she feared everyone and everything except her closest friend, Ivey. She would never again be that person.
Immediately Lang came back to her, folding her hand gently in his, tugging her close to his side. “Where are you staying?” he asked Charity.
“I have a motel room. It’s not far from here and if Hope is willing, I’d like to visit with her over the next few days.”
“I’d like that,” Hope assured her. “You’re on vacation or something?”
“Actually, I’ve relocated. It was time to get away from Mom and Dad. Not for good.” She gave a wry twist of her mouth. “For better or worse, they’re our parents, and they’ll soon be Marley’s grandparents.”
“Marley? That’s what you plan to name her?”
“Marley Mage. It has a ring to it, don’t you think? I’m still stuck on middle names, though.” She shot Hope a look. “Mom hates it.”
The grin took her by surprise. “I think it’s beautiful.” Marley Mage, her niece. She couldn’t get used to that—but she wanted to.
“I needed some distance from Mom and Dad, you know? When I see them, and I will, it needs to be a planned visit, not a day-to-day thing.” She chewed her lower lip. “I’ll actually be closer to you, now.”
“You moved here?” One surprise after another.
In a rush, Charity explained, “Don’t be mad, Hope, please. I’m not going to impose or anything like that, but I figured even if you hated me, you wouldn’t feel that way about Marley.”
“Of course not.”
“I meant what I said. You’ll be such a good influence on her, and no child can have too much love.”
Hope smiled at Lang, since he and Corbin had often said the same about Justin. “I agree.”
“I want you in our lives, but at least in her life.” She didn’t give Hope a chance to reply to all that. “I’m looking at a place only fifteen minutes outside of Sunset. I’ve started my own business. I’m a social media consultant for big firms. I help them get organized, show them where to put their advertising dollars and all that. I won’t be rich, but I’ll get by and I’ll have time with Marley.”
Hope looked from Charity to Lang and back again. For some reason, her sister’s uncertainty struck her as hilarious. It was such a comical look for her confident sister. “I know you, Charity. You’ll do great, I’m sure.”