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From the vehement way she spoke, Hope tended to believe her.
“You must think me a terrible mother,” Sara said, and dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. “I have failed Cade in so many ways. It isn’t any wonder he wants nothing to do with us.”
“I don’t believe that’s the case.” As much as she wanted to comfort and reassure Sara, she had to believe Cade would be willing to mend fences with his family under the right circumstances. Cade had said so little about his parents. What she did know had been painful for him to discuss. From what she’d learned, the real disagreement was between him and his father.
“His father and I realize we were wrong. We want our son back in our lives. He’s our only child…perhaps if I’d been able to have more children, things might not have gone so wrong. You see, my husband pinned all his hopes on Cade. He never once considered that our son wouldn’t want to follow in his footsteps. When he learned Cade had no intention of becoming an attorney, it nearly destroyed John.”
“I’m so sorry,” Hope said, in a comforting tone.
Sara sipped her tea and took that time to gather her composure.
“Does your husband know you’re here?”
Sara shook her head. “His pride is standing in the way. He wants Cade to make the first move toward reconciliation. I disagree and hoped there was some way I could bring our son back into our lives.”
“Are you telling me your husband would disapprove of you being here?”
She hesitated, studying her tea, and for a moment Hope wasn’t sure she intended to answer the question. “I can’t rightly say,” she whispered tightly, as if she found it difficult to speak the words aloud. “I believe he’d be disappointed in me, but frankly I don’t care what I have to do to reach Cade.”
The picture Cade had given her of his father took shape in Hope’s mind. He appeared to be a stubborn, unyielding man, too full of pride for his own good.
“John isn’t a bad person,” Sara was quick to add. “He loves our son; I know he does. Cade’s decision not to follow in his footsteps has been hard on him. All the Lincoln men, as far back as his great-great-grandfather, have chosen the law. It’s tradition. It was expected. I knew it, and so did Cade.”
“But Cade doesn’t want that.” Hope felt the need to defend him.
“I guessed as much early on and tried to prepare John. When Cade finally made it clear he had no intention of attending law school, John took it as a personal rejection of him, Cade’s heritage, and our family. He was convinced Cade did it out of spite.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No. Never. Cade was not cut out to practice law.”
Her voice wobbled with this last bit as she struggled to hold back the tears.
Seeing how difficult this was for Sara, Hope gave the other woman’s hand a gentle squeeze.
“The sad part is that Cade and John are alike in so many ways. They’re both stubborn and full of pride.”
“And reserved in their feelings,” Hope added, seeing how hard it was for Cade to open to her.
“Yes, oh yes,” Sara agreed. “They both tend to keep everything bottled up inside and refuse to show any weakness.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Hope knew Cade’s mother hadn’t come to pour her heart out. She’d made the drive because she wanted something from Hope. Something she was nervous to ask.
“You want my help,” Hope said, broaching the subject before Sara had a chance.
“Yes…please. I know I have no right to put this on you. I wouldn’t ask if I felt there was any other way. I’d like, if possible, for you to speak to Cade on my behalf.”
Hope swallowed hard, unable to respond.
Sara’s eyes were wide with appeal. They were so like Cade’s that Hope found it difficult to look away.
“Would you tell him how much his father and I love and miss him? Would you ask him if he’d be willing to forgive us?”
Oh dear, that was something Hope didn’t feel she could do. Automatically she shook her head while she struggled to find a way to explain. She had been seeing Cade only briefly. Their relationship was in its infancy. “I can’t get in the middle of this, Sara. That would sabotage every bit of trust between us. Cade would view it as a breach in our relationship, and I can’t and won’t do that.”
“But he likes you and…”
“Why don’t you talk to him yourself,” she advised.
