Deep Dixie (46 page)

“
Then when you
’
re ready you come to see her, and we
’
ll all work through it, and she
’
ll know differently.
”
Riley knew everyone had a point where they must act on their deepest convictions or confess themselves as frauds. Marcia had just come to that point.
“
If you truly love Wendy, Marcia, then you have to put your own fears and feelings aside and do what
’
s best for her. Please, for your little girl
’
s sake, relinquish your rights so she can have a real family.
”

Chapter Eighteen

“
I am overwhelmed. Absolutely overwhelmed.
”
Riley spread his hands out over the legal documents on Fulton
’
s desk like a man admiring a stockpile of pure gold.

Dixie couldn
’
t help herself. She hugged him.
“
Who can blame you? I think anyone would feel that way if they suddenly had everything they wanted given to them.
”

“
Not
everything
, Dixie.
”

“
Well, no, of course, you didn
’
t get your sister to agree to make contact with your mother or even get a very firm commitment that she
’
d so much as send Wendy a birthday card, but she did sign over her parental rights. Now you
’
ll be recognized legally for what you
’
ve always been: Wendy
’
s Daddy.
”

“
Wendy
’
s Daddy...
”
The dampness in his eyes was offset by the sheer, delightful, goofiness of his grin.

Dixie
’
s heart soared to see that blend of humility and joy in the man she loved.
The man with whom you can
’
t share your love. Yes, he
’
s just had a tremendous personal breakthrough, but that doesn
’
t change the things that stand between us.

She sighed. It was true. She and Riley could not jeopardize their professional relationship for something as unpredictable as romance. So she
’
d just have to pray for a different rowboat to come along and rescue her from her loneliness and answer her longing for children and marriage.

She brushed her fingers through the thick black waves of Riley
’
s hair and smiled to hide her sadness, even though she knew he could not see it.
“
Sometimes the answers we want in life come in ways we can
’
t fully comprehend. Sometimes the answers come a little at a time.
”

“
Or not at all,
”
Fulton added as he straightened a picture of his late wife on the wall.
“
But that doesn
’
t mean we shouldn
’
t celebrate the good stuff.
”
He touched the narrow, gold frame on his daughter
’
s soccer photo.
“
In fact, it means we
’
ve got to grab onto the goodness with both hands and shout out our gratitude.
”

“
Light a candle, don
’
t curse the darkness, right?
”
Dixie caught Riley
’
s eye and winked. Talk about a perfect opening to deal with Fulton and Lettie!

“
Got to do that.
”
Fulton turned away from the photographs.
“
Otherwise it
’
s awfully easy to lose yourself in that darkness until it gets to be so comfortable for you there that you
’
re actually a little afraid of the light.
”

Dixie took a deep breath and plunged in.
“
Is that how it is with you and Miss Lettie?
”

A scowl passed over his face. His mouth opened then shut. He adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. He huffed out a sigh.
“
My, but you are direct, aren
’
t you?
”

“
I learned it from my daddy.
”
She held her hands up as if to imply she held no liability in the matter.
“
In fact, I fired my last lawyer for not dealing with me in kind.
”

“
You saying you
’
re going to fire me if I don
’
t make up with my grandmother?
”

“
Oh, lands sake, no!
”
She folded her arms and raised her chin.
“
But I might just employ that legal tactic you warned Riley about earlier.
”

“
What legal tactic?
”

“
I believe you called it a...kick in the pants?
”

“
Don
’
t turn your back on her, man, she
’
ll do it.
”
Riley swiveled the chair around and shot her a cocky grin, his eyes dark and appreciative.
“
Now that our worries over Wendy are under
control, you know our Dixie is going to turn her full attention to getting you to reconcile with Miss Lettie. Trust me, as a man with some experience in dealing with this woman when she
’
s got her mind set on something, you have only got two choices.
”

“
And those are?
”
Fulton
’
s suspicion sounded remarkably good-natured.

“
Do it now or do it later.
”
Riley held his hands up.

“
Except we don
’
t
have
a later, Fulton.
”
Dixie ignored the smart-aleck shading this conversation had taken on and went straight for her point.
“
Miss Lettie will be one hundred in June, if she lives
that
long. She is old and frail and at the end of a very long and faithful life. Now, you
’
ve had more than twenty years to make up your mind to try to repair this rift between you. That
’
s enough time. You have got to do this now.
”

“
Are you speaking as my highest paying client or as Miss

Lettie
’
s little lamb, Dixie?
”
The soft quality of his voice had such a powerful, aching sincerity that it drove any hint of harshness from the question.

Dixie moved toward the man then stopped, her breath caught in the back of her throat. Fulton had her mother
’
s eyes. She had not noticed it before, or if she did it had not registered completely. But his eyes were so like those that had looked on her with unconditional love and acceptance when she was little, and so like the eyes she
’
d seen in even the sternest photos of her great-grandfather. Those eyes confirmed to her that this man deserved to know his heritage even while her heart told her that news could only come from one source.
“
I am talking to you as someone who loves Miss Lettie as if she were my own grandmother and has come to think of you as a trusted friend.
”

He set his jaw then put his hand to his forehead.
“
I just...
she
’
s
the one who said never to come back.
”

“
Right or wrong, and for what it
’
s worth, she tells me that was meant only for your father. And there
’
s no sense in either of us pretending we don
’
t have some idea why that was.
”

“
Yes, granted. There were a lot of reasons why she might turn my dad away, but she knew doing that would turn my mother and me away, too. Why would she do that?
”

“
You
’
re asking the wrong person, Fulton.
”
She shut her eyes.
“
Why don
’
t you come over to the house and put that question to your grandmother in person?
”

“
Do it now or do it later,
”
Riley mumbled, making great pretense of organizing the papers on Fulton
’
s desk.

Dixie nodded.
“
And please bring your daughter. Out of respect for your feelings I haven
’
t told Miss Lettie that she has a great-grandchild, but do you know how much it would mean to her to find that out? To see your little girl?
”

“
If she wanted to know how my life has gone, if I have children or not, she could have made more of an effort to find out from me personally.
”

“
Fulton, hon.
”
Dixie did go to him now and touched his arm lightly.

He glanced down at her pale hand.

She could feel the tension working through him, but she did not back away.
“
Miss Lettie is one hundred years old, Fulton. I don
’
t know how better to get that point across to you. The last time you saw her she was already, what? Eighty? She spends most of her days in bed either sleeping or watching her stories on TV. Or she sits in a rocker in the front parlor keeping time to hymns neither you nor I can hear. Her biggest exertion comes from commenting on the eccentricities of my family—which does, I admit, tend to keep her quite occupied.
”

“
Your point is?
”
He did not remove her hand, but his back stayed as rigid as his attitude toward his grandmother.

“
My point is, what exactly did you expect that ancient, little old lady to do to put things right with you again? She can
’
t
drive
over here, or even ride over here. Just taking her to the doctor is an all-day, three-ring circus.
”

“
With clowns.
”
Riley
’
s grin was evident even as he kept his head bowed over the files.
“
Lots and lots of clowns.
”

Dixie ignored him.
“
Miss Lettie can
’
t hold a pen to write a letter, and has no means of finding what address to send it to if she could. She cannot send an email, or a text. Fulton, as long as I have been alive I don
’
t think she
’
s heard well enough to use the telephone, even if she decided she wanted to try it.
”

“
She could have asked someone else to write or phone. She could have sent someone to find me.
”

“
Hello?
”
Dixie did raise her hand now and gave a quick wave.
“
We
’
re heeere!
”

“
Gee, I guess that means I
am
a rowboat.
”
Riley looked up at no one particular.

“
A what?
”
Fulton pushed up his glasses.

“
It
’
s that story about the man on the roof who prays for help and God sends a rowboat—
”
Dixie made a circular motion with one hand to imply that the story went on in that vein rather than rehash the whole thing.

“
Oh, yes, sure. I
’
ve heard that one.
”
Fulton nodded.

“
Miss Lettie thinks Riley came as a rowboat in answer to my prayer for help, and I think you
’
ve been one, too. For me.
”

“
And for me.
”
The chair creaked as Riley leaned back slowly in it.

“
Seems the least we can do is return the favor.
”
Dixie made the assertion as firm as she could manage.