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“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Cassidy said ruefully. “Jenna doesn’t seem interested in reunions. She’s
kind of a lone wolf now from what I hear.”
“Don’t give up on her, Cassidy. Sometimes people go through things that the rest of us can’t understand. I know what it’s like to be in so much pain that you think distancing yourself from the world is the answer.” She shook her head, regret stamped all over her face. “All it does is make you lonely.”
“I’m not giving up on her, but we’re all adults now. If she doesn’t want to play in the sandbox with the rest of us, we can’t really make her.” The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to pull them back in. She hadn’t meant to be rude to Maggie, but it had been a long night and she was bone tired. If Jenna wanted to be standoffish and cold—if keeping her distance truly made her happy—there was nothing Cassidy could do about it. She was done feeling guilty about everything under the sun.
Cassidy tossed the bag into the Dumpster, then wiped her gritty hands on her jeans. “I’m sorry, Maggie. That came out wrong...I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”
Maggie cleared her throat. “No worries. Actually I’m the one who owes you an apology for what happened that day out at the stables.” She looked down at the ground, her face miserable. “I had no idea you’d already seen Holly, that the two of you had a private meeting at church. Forgive me for opening up old wounds. After all this time nothing can be served by doing that.”
She held up her hands to ward off an apology. “You don’t have to apologize. Believe me, I understand where you were coming from.” Cassidy paused, filled with uncertainty. She knew it was important to tread lightly with Maggie. “And I just want to let you know, I don’t blame you for not giving my letters to Holly.”
Maggie’s eyes went wide and she began to stammer. “W-what are you talking about?”
“That day at the stables you gave yourself away. When you lit into me you said I’d never called. You never said a word about writing Holly, because you knew I did. Am I right?”
Maggie’s jaw trembled. She slowly nodded. Her voice came out as a croak. “Does Holly know?”
“No, although I’m sure she suspects. She thought it was Tate, but I talked her down from that theory. I knew he wouldn’t have kept my letters from Holly.”
“What you must think of me.” Maggie’s hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes began to tear up.
Cassidy walked toward Maggie, quickly bridging the distance between the two of them. “I learned a long time ago not to judge people too harshly. It’s not fair to measure you by one bad decision. You’re a good woman, Maggie and an even better mother. I know you were only trying to protect Holly.” She pulled Maggie’s hand away from her mouth and entwined it with her own.
Maggie let out a harsh laugh. “I thought by keeping your letters from her I was saving her from more heartache, but the only thing I did was add to her pain.” She sniffed back the tears.
Cassidy squeezed her hand. “You have to forgive yourself. Take it from me, you can get wrapped up in the guilt instead of moving forward. What purpose would that serve?”
“There’s only one way I can move forward,” Maggie asserted. “I need to tell her what I’ve done and give her the letters.” She let out a tortured sigh. “It won’t be easy, but I’ve got to fess up.”
Righting wrongs was never easy. But in the end, as Cassidy was certain Maggie would come to understand, it was the only way she’d be able to look herself in the mirror. If she knew Holly the way she thought she did, she’d be furious at first over the deception, but after all was said and done, she’d show her mother compassion.
Cassidy began to pray. She prayed for Maggie and Holly and the entire Lynch family. And she prayed for herself. Because she knew now that she had to tell Tate the truth about the accident. If Maggie could come clean after all these years, then so could she. Maybe not tonight. But soon. Not telling him the truth was tantamount to a lie. And didn’t Tate deserve the truth? She’d come so far in the past few months, way too far not to complete the journey. With a sinking heart she realized that in telling him about the accident she might lose him forever.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” She hadn’t realized she’d been praying aloud until she heard Maggie’s melodious voice joining her in prayer.
* * *
Hours later when all the guests were gone, the band had broken down their set, the volunteers had helped to clean up the grounds and pack up the tables, Tate and Cassidy were sitting on the front veranda relaxing in the porch swing. Tate had invited her to stay at the ranch for a while so they could both unwind from the exhausting day and evening. With a shy smile, she had agreed.
The weather had cooled down a bit, to the point where Cassidy was shivering in the night air. Without saying a word he removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She wrapped the jacket around herself, snuggling into the fabric.
“I can’t believe how quiet it is,” she marveled. “Listen. You can hear the crickets chirping. Yet less than a few hours ago this place was jam-packed with people partying for a cause.”
“The quiet is nice, isn’t it?” He placed his arm around her shoulder, giving in to the desire he’d been fighting against all night. He wanted to hold her, to be near her, to make up for all the time they’d lost. Rather than worry about her leaving, he wanted to focus on the fact that for this one moment in time she was still here beside him.
“It’s so peaceful out here,” she murmured. “Your family is so blessed to have this ranch. Acres and acres of wide open spaces.”
Tate couldn’t agree with Cassidy more. In his life he’d been graced with so many blessings. A wonderful family, Horseshoe Bend Ranch, a career in law enforcement...and Cassidy.
“That’s for sure. And we’re very thankful to my grandfather. He’s the one who took a chance and left his home state of Kentucky based on nothing more than gumption and faith.” Tate rocked the swing ever so gently with his legs, enjoying the back and forth motion.
“Sounds like someone else I know,” she teased, nudging him in the side with her elbow.
“Who, me?” he scoffed, not making the connection between his grandfather and himself.
“Yeah, you. It takes a lot of gumption to be Sheriff of West Falls. And you’ve always had a lot of faith, not just in God, but in people. I’ve always loved that about you, Tate.”
