Susannah's Garden (Blossom Street #3)(95)

Susannah nodded. “Dad and I will finish the packing, and we’ll hire Martha to do the cleaning. I’ll go home with him, and you can drive my car back if you want.”

“I do. Then everything’s better between you and Dad?”

“Yes, much better. He was upset with me and rightly so. We all make foolish mistakes, Chrissie. The thing is, we need to learn from those mistakes and move forward.”

“I’m going to,” she vowed.

Susannah hugged her again. “Like mother, like daughter.”

Chrissie’s attempt to laugh sounded more like a cough. “That’s not funny.”

Susannah hadn’t meant it to be.

Sniffling, Chrissie retreated into her bedroom. A short while later, Susannah heard her talking on her cell phone and was half afraid Chrissie had contacted Troy. She needn’t have worried. Within a few minutes, she realized her daughter had called a girlfriend in Seattle.

At ten Susannah noticed the light was off in the bedroom and a quick check assured her Chrissie was asleep.

Susannah stayed up and waited for Joe to arrive, which he did at two-thirty in the morning. As soon as she heard his car pull up, she opened the door, clutching her housecoat around her.

Joe got out of the car and Susannah couldn’t wait a moment longer. She raced barefoot down the steps, throwing herself into her husband’s arms. As soon as she was safe in Joe’s grasp, she spread kisses over his face, letting him know without words how grateful she was to see him, to be married to him, to love him.

Joe’s arms tightened around her waist. “To what do I owe this warm welcome?” he asked, chuckling.

“I love you, Joe Nelson.”

“I should hope so. We’ve been married for nearly twenty-five years.”

“I mean, I really love you. I didn’t even know how much until these last few weeks. Oh, Joe, I have so many things to tell you.” Not all of them would please him, but Susannah vowed she’d hold nothing back.

Because he was keyed up from the long drive, they sat side by side on the sofa with a glass of wine and talked for another hour. Joe had been able to reach a retired dentist friend, who’d agreed to step in while he helped settle everything in Colville.

Susannah began to relate the events of the past weeks.

“You didn’t!” Joe moaned when she told him about paying Troy the blackmail money he’d demanded.

“He’s going to be looking for the extra twenty-five hundred in the morning.”

Joe’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not getting it.”

“But I—”

Her husband shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. I have a few things to say to him, and if I have to bring in the sheriff, I will. Once I’m through with Troy Nance, he won’t be bothering Chrissie or anyone in this family again.”

The relief Susannah felt was instantaneous. It was a joy to rest on his support and his love. She should never have tried to deal with this on her own. They were a team and she shouldn’t have forgotten that.

Joe wasn’t finished. “First thing in the morning, return the rest of the money to Carolyn and give her a check for the other twenty-five hundred. I’ll have the bank transfer the funds.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Joe put his arm around her shoulders. “I wish I’d come with you.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Susannah bit her lip. “There’s more.”

“More?” He sounded worried and Susannah couldn’t blame him.

“Perhaps I should save this for another time?” she suggested.

“Does it have to do with the P.I.?”

Susannah shook her head. “With Jake.”

Joe leaned back on the sofa and slowly exhaled. “Ah, yes, Jake, the love of your life.” There was a hint of irony in his voice, and she couldn’t blame him for that, either.

“No,” she insisted, holding her hands against his cheeks, “the love of my life is you. It’s always been you and only you. For a while, I’d forgotten that.” Tucking her legs beneath her, she laid her head on his shoulder.

“You’d better tell me.”

For her, it really was the end as far as Jake was concerned. “Sharon Nance, Troy’s mother, told me Jake is his father.”

Her husband gave a low whistle.

“She seems to have been in regular contact with him. I don’t think I can believe everything she says, but she knew about the medal I’d given Jake years ago, so I tend to believe her on this.”

Joe frowned. “I’m sure she was trying to upset you.”

“Yes, but I don’t care anymore. I have you, and that’s all that matters to me.” And Susannah meant it.

“Are you ready for bed?” he asked, yawning.

Susannah nodded. “More than ready. I’ve been without my husband for a long time.”

Joe chuckled and helped her off the sofa. With their arms around each other’s waists, they walked to her bedroom, next door to where Chrissie slept.

Their daughter must have heard them talking, because the bedroom door opened and Chrissie appeared in the hallway. “Daddy?”

“Hello, sugar bear.”

Chrissie hugged her father close and Susannah noticed that her eyes were red and swollen.