Betting on Hope (31 page)

“Right,” her dad said, his eyes going to slits. “But, the minute you do that I’m going to tell everyone who she really is. I’m going to ruin her. So you better think hard about what you’re about to do. She owes me for raising—”

Maggie heard it all and that did it. She broke him off, “I don’t owe you anything. You’re my father and you’ll always be my father and that’s just the way it is. But owe you—ha. For what? A lousy childhood?”

Tru growled and his grip grew tighter. “Seems to me you’re the one that owes her a decent childhood. A life where she didn’t have to run away in order to stay safe. Maybe now would be a good time to apologize for being a rotten dad, a failed human being, and a lowlife for the way you’re treating her right now.”

Her dad didn’t say anything. Instead he struggled against Tru’s grasp, only to have Tru lift him higher on the wall. “Say it. Or I’m going to lose my patience.”

She wanted to turn and run and not have to look at this. Not have the reality of where she’d come from made so clear once more. But she didn’t.

The sirens could be heard now, and she knew that this was going to be the talk of the town. It would become public. No matter what—the world was about to know who she really was.

Maggie Hope and all the good she’d tried to do was about to become the lead joke for many. And the object of sympathy for others.

Her life as an ambassador of hope and encouragement was about to end.

26

Sirens blaring, the sheriff arrived. Jake Morgan took his job seriously. The rugged cowboy was also a friend of Tru’s. It was obvious as he climbed from his SUV that he knew Tru had things under control. Maggie realized he was also giving Tru the benefit of the doubt by not pulling him off of her dad.

“Looks like there’s a bit of a problem here,” he drawled, with the easy tone of a man who’d seen plenty of brawls before. “Tru, you want to speak first, seeing as you’ve got the upper hand?”

“Hey, he’s the one manhandling me. Get me down from here,” her dad yelled.

“Well, see, fact is, I know Tru here. And contrary to what you may believe, he’s a pretty levelheaded individual. So, I got to ask myself. Why does he have you dangling with your back up there on that wall?”

There was nothing funny about this, but Maggie had to suddenly bite back the need to laugh. Thank goodness there were no photographers around. Her column had been picking up some national attention, as the network had been advertising the upcoming feature on a regular basis.

In the end her dad was carried away to the sheriff’s office and Tru followed them. Maggie could barely face Pebble in her embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. The sweet lady wrapped her arm around Maggie and gave her a hug. “It would be nice if we could handpick who we’re related to. But for some reason the good Lord didn’t give us that option. This is not your fault.”

Maggie’s eyes burned and she nodded. “I know. But that doesn’t make it any easier.” It hit Maggie that Jenna had handpicked her baby’s parents. And she’d picked them carefully. Thoughtfully. Lovingly.

Pebble smiled. “And that still doesn’t make it your fault.”

After that Maggie went straight to the barn and saddled Stardust. She realized that the place she felt the most peace these days was on her horse’s back.

Tru spotted Maggie’s car at the barn and saw Stardust was missing. He saddled up a colt and headed out to find her. All he could think about was comforting her. How had she lived with this all these years? And to be the positive, hopeful person that she was, to have risen above what the world had thrown at her. She deserved the best and he knew he wasn’t right for her. But right now he couldn’t think of anything but being the one who made her life easier. The one who protected her. Supported her. Reassured her. Loved her.

He followed the fresh tracks toward the pond and, sure enough, there he found her. She had tied Stardust to a tree and stood beside the pond. Her long blonde hair glistened in the soft morning sunlight as she stared into the distance.

It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet and they’d already had a full day.

“So, busy morning, huh?”

She spun. “Tru.” She came to him, and he folded her in his arms. It was getting harder and harder not to hold her.

“I was worried you were going to get into trouble. And that it would be my fault. I should have known that a person’s past always catches up to them.”

He lifted her chin with his finger, and the worry for him that he saw in those marvelous green eyes of hers almost undid him. “If a man can’t take care of his girl, then he’s not much of a man. That goes for a dad too. If a dad can’t be there for his family, then he’s not much of a dad. I’m sorry for you on that front. But not sorry that I got to be the one who helped fix the situation for you.” It had hit him that she’d trusted him enough to come ask for his help.

It was an honor he wouldn’t ever forget.

She looked up at him and he kissed her gently. There was no hesitation in her response—sweet torture like nothing he’d ever experienced.

“What did the sheriff say?” she asked, pulling away and placing a few feet of space between them.

“They found a billfold of stolen credit cards and are looking into them. He’s in trouble and it’s out of your hands.” Even if she didn’t press charges, her dad was going back to prison for breaking his parole and the new charges that would be brought against him. “And he said he’ll want to get some information from you about the robbery you told me about, but that he doesn’t see you having any legal problems with that—the statute of limitations being what it is and you not being aware of what was happening—he’ll still need you to come in and make a statement.”

She nodded, relief rushing her like a linebacker, but not wiping away all the emotions she was feeling. “Whatever he needs.”

Tru hated the pain he saw in her eyes.

“Maggie, I can’t believe you’ve lived with this secret all these years. With your attitude and what you’ve accomplished—you are an inspiration. This story is going to come out, you won’t be able to stop it. But I believe
you
should break it. Talk to Amanda about it. She’ll know how to help you do that. And I can almost guarantee it’s going to have the complete opposite effect on people than the one you’ve been fearing. People—the ones who count—are going to find you more of an inspiration. More of a voice of hope than ever before and rather than expose what you consider your lack of credentials it’s going to give you credibility.”

“I don’t know. I wish. I love my column. If I didn’t love it so much, I would never have agreed to come here. But I couldn’t just sit back and watch it die without trying to keep it alive.”

He believed that. Without hesitating, he made a decision to let Maggie in on his story. “We both agreed to this because we wanted to keep something we love alive.”

“What do you mean?”

“You trusted me with your secret, I think I should trust you with mine.”

Maggie needed this, and he did too, but he was doing it for her.

He picked up a handful of small rocks and threw one into the pond, thinking. He glanced at her. She had to be overwhelmed from the emotional experience with Jenna yesterday. And then her dad today.

“I think you need to know your dad isn’t the only one who sold out to the worthless side. My dad was a piece of work too.” He was harsh, but that was just the way it was. He told her then of the deceit and of how his father had signed away everything Pops had worked for.

“So you’re saying if your dad hadn’t died in that plane crash, y’all would have lost the ranch and not even known it until it was over?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. He’d taken loans out we had no idea about and first liens, second liens—they came from everywhere. If we hadn’t had a great lawyer, we would have lost it all. Everything Pops worked his whole life to build up.”

She looked stunned as she processed what he’d confided in her. “I’m so sorry that happened to you and your brothers. And poor Pops. I’m so glad he had y’all to step in for him.”

“You know, as bad as I hate the dementia, I can be thankful that he didn’t have to know that his last living son had signed away the ranch he loved.”

“Sadly, I understand what you’re saying.”

He tossed another rock then turned to her. “Listen. It’s been an intense couple of days. We’re taking the day off from practice. If you want to ride, then do it, but just relax and enjoy it. Or go do whatever you want but I think you’ve been through an emotional roller coaster and need a break. I don’t know if you were planning to go see Jenna, but this will give you time for whatever you need to do. I’ll go with you to see Jake tomorrow if you want. And then we’ll get down to some hard work. I’ve got you entered in an amateur competition in two weeks.”

“Two weeks?”

“You’ve got this,” Tru assured her.

“Right now I don’t feel like I have anything.”

It took everything he had not to tell her that she had him. He’d kissed her earlier, and he knew that wasn’t right. He had nothing to offer her except his love and support. And he knew that wasn’t enough.

He completely understood why Jenna had made the choice she’d made. If he was as strong as the kid, then he’d keep his heart locked away and he’d let Maggie go.

Jenna stared out the window feeling numb. Empty.

She’d crept down the hall earlier and watched as her baby had been taken from the hospital by her new family. They’d come by and thanked her and told her she was welcome to be a part of Hope’s life, but Jenna was torn. Could she handle seeing Hope and leaving her over and over and over again? And was that fair to anyone?

Now, Jenna wasn’t sure what her next step was. Where would she go?

Maybe she could find a job in Wishing Springs.

A tap sounded on her door and Maggie came in. Jenna hadn’t been sure Maggie would ever speak to her again. Her aching heart jumped in her chest seeing Maggie’s smile.

Jenna hated to admit how badly she needed a smile. Would she ever be able to smile again?

“Can I come in?”

Jenna nodded.

“I hear you’re going back to the home today?”

“For a little while. Until I move to a women’s shelter they’ve helped me find.”

“Well, I came to offer you a ride, if that’s okay.”

Jenna nodded.

“And I wanted to talk to you about some options on the way.”

“What options?”

“Well, I have a small apartment in the Houston area. And there’s a second bedroom. I would love it if you’d come and stay there. You can go back to school and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Rent free. I want my home to be your home.”

Jenna blinked back tears. “Why would you do that for me?”

Maggie sat down on the chair across from the one Jenna was sitting in. “Because I’m your friend, Jenna. And friends help friends out. My friend Amanda helped me in this way.”

“But I know you think I made the wrong decision about my baby.”

Maggie looked sad. “I realized I couldn’t make that choice for you. But I could support your choice. It was a choice of life for your baby and that’s what matters. You did good, Jenna. And I want to help you start a new life. That’s what Amanda did for me once and I want to do that for you. Please, at least consider it.”

Jenna took a shuddering breath. “I thought you might not want to be my friend after what I did.”

“You and I need to have a long talk, sometime. What do you say?”

Jenna nodded. It was all she could do.