Secretly Smitten (33 page)

“So glad you could come over for dinner, Mom,” Anna said as they settled in the family room with tea after dinner.

“It was nice of you to have me.” Rose stirred some sugar into her tea.

Anna watched her and noticed the dark circles that underlined her eyes. A true indication that something bothered her. Anna knew it was that whole fiasco with Aunt Violet. Should she bring it up? Now that Aunt Violet had revealed the secret after all these years, Anna thought maybe if
she
had told her mother it might not have been such a shock.

“Are you all right, Mother? I mean, you seem like something’s bothering you.”

“I don’t need to bring you into my problems.”

“You’re my mother. I care about you and your problems.”

Rose’s gaze lingered on Anna’s face. “You know what Violet did, don’t you? How long have you known?”

No sense pretending now.

“A few weeks. The girls wanted to find out what happened to David for you.”

“You should’ve told me.”

“It was Aunt Vi’s secret to reveal. Not mine.”

Her mother’s eyes filled with tears. “My own sister betrayed me and kept it secret for years. Oh, she’s apologized, but sometimes ‘I’m sorry’ just doesn’t fix it. Not when the hurt goes this deep. I just don’t know how I can work through it.” Rose’s mouth looked pinched and her eyes were full of pain.

“Whatever she’s done, I’m sure you’ll work it out. You always do.”

“I don’t think so,” Rose said. “Not this time.”

By the look on her mother’s face, Anna believed her.

“I told her I was sorry,” Aunt Violet said, her voice breaking. She sat on Anna’s sofa and dabbed her eyes. “I’ve tried everything to make amends, but she won’t hear of it.” She sniffled, then blew her nose loudly. “Well, I’m through.”

An uncomfortable churning began in Anna’s stomach. “Give it time, Aunt Vi.”

“What’s done is done. I can’t undo it. I messed up. I’m sorry. But now it’s time to move on—with or without my sister.” Her tone took on a steely quality.

Anna gasped. “You don’t mean that, Aunt Vi.”

“I most certainly do.” She stood up and gathered her purse. “I’ve done all that I can. If she won’t receive my apology, so be it. There’s nothing more I can say.”

Anna saw her aunt to the door and shut it behind her. She’d known it was a mistake for Aunt Vi to tell her mom. They should’ve made a pact to let sleeping dogs lie. The churning in her stomach gathered momentum.

Lord, I can’t fix this without you. Please find a way to save our family.

Anna hadn’t seen Michael in days. She told herself it was the way she wanted it, but the hollow place in her stomach told her otherwise. She busied herself with inventory checks behind the counter at Sit ’n Knit.

Zoe had dropped by and poured herself a cup of coffee. She glanced at the patrons and then spoke to Anna in a hushed voice. “Mom, are you and Michael all right?”

“This is not the place, Zoe.” She made a note to buy more size thirteen wooden needles.

Zoe pressed her lips together. “I knew it. You haven’t been going out like usual. Are you still going to the dance?”

“Yes, we’re still going, but—”

“No buts, Mom. You have to go. It’s the biggest dance of the year, and Sawyer and his wife will be there. Imagine,” she said with stars in her eyes, “they’ll celebrate their first anniversary in the town where they married. Isn’t that romantic?”

“I suppose so.”

“Anyway, Sawyer will be singing at the dance. How could you miss it?”

Anna sighed and glanced around to make sure no one was listening. The other ladies, fingers working skillfully through yarn, appeared engrossed in their own conversation.

“I don’t know, Zoe. I’ll most likely be there because I told him I would go, but I’m not sure I want to.”

Zoe leaned farther into her mother’s shoulder. “What is it, Mom? What did he do?”

“Just not sure about things, that’s all.” She couldn’t admit her jealousy. She was the mom and Zoe was her daughter. Anna had to be strong. The very idea, at that precise moment, gave her the courage she needed. When she got to the dance, she would confront Michael about Heather and hear the truth. He might be all right with not dating exclusively, but she wasn’t comfortable with it and would prefer not to date at all. She never should’ve gotten mixed up with him in the first place.

“Mom, did you hear me?”

“What? No.”

“I said, he’s a good man. Make sure you have a good reason to call it off.”

Hearing the words
call
it
off
brought a p ain t o Anna’s midsection. No, the ball would be in his court. This time she would confront him, no matter how much she hated confrontation, and she would hear the hard truth one way or the other.

Braving the cold winds, Anna got out of her car and headed for the barn. She could hear the sheep bleating, no doubt complaining about the cold. Inside the barn was warm in comparison to the elements outside.

“Sorry I’m late, kids.” Anna was scooping food into their trough when she heard a car pull up. Though Smitten had very little crime, she didn’t like the idea of being out in a barn on an isolated property alone. She peeked through the window and relief washed over her. Michael.

He stepped inside and stomped his boots free of snow. “Hi,” he said, the endearing grin in place. “They told me you were here, and I thought I’d pop in to help.”

“Thanks.” She glanced at him, taking in the warmth of his gaze.

“Looks like they’re getting along okay out here,” he said.

“Yes, it does. Thanks for letting them stay in your barn, Michael.”

“Forget it. I’m enjoying them too. In fact, I’ve been thinking about something.”

“What?”

“I was thinking that maybe come spring I’d look into starting a petting zoo out here.”

“A petting zoo?”

“Yeah, kids love that sort of thing. Don’t know if I’d need special permits and all that, so I’ll have to check it out.”

“That’s nice.” He was always thinking of others. That was one of the things she loved about him.

Loved. About. Him.

So there it was. She knew she cared about Michael, but love? She hadn’t considered that until that very moment. There it was, tucked behind a corner of her heart that she hadn’t dared explore. His actions toward her said he cared about her too, but what about Heather?

Would Michael’s heart ever totally belong to Anna?

CHAPTER NINE

T
oday was the big day. Once Anna got home from the shop, she took a long bath and tried to relax from all the hustle and bustle of the day. Tonight would be a great night or a horrible one, depending on Michael’s reaction to Anna’s question about Heather.

After Anna slipped the black dress over her head, she put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. She smiled at her reflection. It was good to feel at her best, regardless of Michael’s answer. She’d come so far since the divorce. That assurance alone was worth something.

The doorbell rang, and she took a deep breath. As her dainty slippers hit the hardwood floor on her way to the door, she couldn’t help feeling a bit like a princess. She couldn’t remember the last time she had dressed up like this for a special occasion. But the real payoff came when she opened the front door.

Michael’s eyes widened and sparkled at the sight of her. It made Anna’s stomach leap.

“You look absolutely amazing,” he said, his voice a little hoarse.

“Thank you. You look nice too,” she said, meaning it. The way he looked in the black tux made her heart skip.

“So, shall we go?”

She grabbed her handbag. “Yes, let’s.” Anna followed him out the door and to the car.

Once they arrived at the Timber Lake Lodge parking lot, people in lovely evening wear were spilling out of their cars. Light perfume wafted along the night air like a scented ribbon dancing on a summer breeze.

Michael took her hand and escorted her into the banquet room. Most of Smitten had turned out for the gala event. It seemed there were tourists there too, so the place was packed. Red and pink dresses colored the room. Sawyer had already started to croon a song while people mingled at round tables and the punch line.

After the song, Michael and Anna picked up some appetizers, then sat down at a candlelit table.

“This is really nice, Anna. You ladies did a fine job of decorating,” Michael said.

“It was fun.” Anna looked across the room. Her friends were laughing and enjoying the enchanted evening as much as she was. But behind them rose a commotion. Anna was pretty sure she heard Aunt Violet’s voice.

“I’ve suffered enough with this through the years. I said I was sorry. What do you want from me, my dentures?”

“Oh dear, I’d better check on them,” Anna said.

“Betrayed by my own sister!” Rose’s voice jumped above the crowd.

By the time Anna got there, she could see fire in her mother’s and aunt’s eyes.

“Mother, Aunt Vi, could I talk to you for a minute?”

“No, you cannot,” they said simultaneously.

“Obviously family means nothing anymore,” Aunt Vi said, stomping across the floor in her flat shoes and long dress. She flew toward the door.

“What’s a family without trust?” Rose called after her.