“I think it was a very sweet gesture,” Becky told him. “My gran used to tell Molly and me to look at how a man treats his mom and gran. If he treasures them, he will treat his wife the same way.”
Sean wondered how he stacked up against such high expectations.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “You’ve done just fine.”
“Can you always read my mind?”
“Only when it counts. So, tell me, Liam. What do you do in Vancouver?”
“I’m a lawyer for a non-profit organization.”
Sean had always admired what his brother was doing, even if it had cost him each relationship he’d stumbled into. “Some of his clients’ stories are heartbreaking.”
“They’re lucky they have you,” Becky told Liam. “I occasionally volunteer at the church. A lot of people come to see us when they have nowhere else to go. It makes me thankful for all I’ve been given. Would you ever consider moving back to Bozeman?”
“Maybe in a few years. There are a lot more people who need my help.”
Sean had a feeling there always would be.
When Mary came and sat in Becky’s lap, something inside of his chest moved and expanded. Becky was giving Mary a chance at a better life. She loved her unconditionally and only wanted the best for her.
A sense of rightness, the need to nurture what Becky had already started, filled him with determination.
Regardless of what any judge said, Becky and Mary belonged together. And, one day, he hoped they’d feel the same way about him.
Chapter14
Becky leaned against the red-brick exterior of Osborne and Sons. Her meeting with Adam had been a lot worse than she expected.
“Are you all right?” Molly asked.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again. How do people become so mean that they refuse to see anything from someone else’s perspective?”
“Addictions can take the sting out of anyone’s conscience. Edith only cares about herself.”
“But Mary’s only six years old. She deserves more from her grandma than being forced to live with her.”
“Edith doesn’t see it that way and she never will. I don’t know about you, but I need a cup of tea.”
“That sounds perfect. Would you mind if we go to Angel Wings Café? I have a message for Tess.”
“Angel Wings Café it is.” Molly linked her hand around Becky’s arm and started walking. “Someone once told me there’s nowt so queer as folk. They could have been talking about Edith.”
“It’s more than that.” While Adam was warning them about Edith’s increasingly erratic behavior, Becky was recalling the warnings Jamie had given her about his mom. “I’m worried Edith might do something foolish.”
“Like move to Bozeman?”
Becky’s head spun toward her sister. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“She has a warped and twisted mind. And what’s worse, a selective memory. Moving here would make perfect sense to her.”
As they crossed Main Street, the sense of dread in her stomach grew heavier. “I can’t sit around and wait for a judge to tell me if Mary’s staying or leaving.”
Molly’s arm tightened in warning. “You don’t have a choice. Adam told you how long it could take. His advice was sound. Forget about Edith and live your life to the fullest. At the moment, she can’t take Mary anywhere without your permission.”
“Edith has never done anything anyone expected of her.”
Molly stopped outside the café. “What would you be saying?”
