“I checked in on you earlier, but you were asleep. How are you feeling otherwise?”
He wrapped an arm around her, tucking her into his side. “Better every minute.”
She dropped her cheek to his shoulder. She reveled in his warmth, in the masculine smell of him, in the solid feel of him against her.
Love could be scary, that was for sure. But with a little faith it could be wonderful too. She’d focus on that part and trust God with the rest.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked.
She gave a wry smile. “It’s reeling, that’s what. So much has happened over the last forty-eight hours, Connor. I haven’t even had time to process it all.”
“Tell me,” he said in that deep, rich voice she loved so much.
And so she did. She filled him in on everything she’d learned from her grandmother. Everything she’d found out about her father and her grandfather. Everything she’d learned about her sisters’ lives. She finished with the latest news—Emma’s pregnancy and the reunion between her and Ethan.
Connor listened intently and patiently.
“I’m sorry,” she said at last. “I shouldn’t have thrown all this at you tonight.” She looked up at him, finding his face closer than she expected. “You’re supposed to be resting your brain, and I’m dumping our family’s dirty secrets on you.”
“I want to know what’s happening in your life.” His finger whispered along her cheek, and his eyes smoldered with heat. “I want to be part of your life, Maddy. All of it. The good and the bad.”
“I want that too,” she said softly.
“You really scared me the other night when you said—”
She put a finger over his lips. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean any of it. I was just running scared.”
He took her hand. “After everything you just told me it’s no wonder. It’s a lot to digest.”
“I may need therapy,” she said on a laugh. Though it was no joke.
Finding out her dad had had another life had been a hard blow. She was angry with him for doing that to her mother, to them. And he was no longer here to untangle the mess he’d made. Still, she’d have to find it in her heart to forgive him. They all would.
Connor looked deeply into her eyes, seeming to see beneath the brave surface. “It’s a good idea, actually. And you’re a strong woman, Maddy. You’ll get through this.”
Hard to believe that only two months ago she’d been working at Pirouette, dating Nick, and—if she were honest—lacking in joy. Lacking in peace. So much had changed in such a short time.
She shook her head in wonder. “Weeks ago when you called and I rushed to Seahaven, I never could’ve dreamed everything that would happen. The family history coming out, my sisters coming back together, Emma’s pregnancy and reunited marriage—it’s downright crazy.”
“It’s a straight-up miracle,” he said, wonder in his voice.
“You’re right about that. So many secrets have come out. But I’m learning that once secrets are exposed... they lose their power.”
“The truth will set you free.”
“Exactly.”
She’d been held in fear’s grip and hadn’t fully understood why. She was beginning to see what she’d come from and how it had affected her. She’d only just scratched the surface, she knew, but it was a start. And now that the secrets were out in the light... they didn’t seem so scary anymore.
“Maddy...,” he said. “Have you thought about what’s next? For you? For us?”
She straightened a bit so she could see his face. “Actually, that’s just what I was thinking about when you came out here.”
His lips slanted in a grin. “Good thing I got out here in time to weigh in.”
“Oh, you want a vote, do you?” she asked saucily.
“If you’ll let me have one.” He gave her a lingering look, then brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I love you, Maddy Monroe. With all my heart.”
