“No.” She shook her head. “I never regretted putting my career on the back burner to raise Carrie, but I know the dedication it takes.”

  “And you don’t think I have the dedication to care for these kids?”

  Lynn took in a deep breath and shook her head. “No more drunken nights out with your friends.”

  Maggie narrowed her eyes. “You know that’s not an issue for me.”

  “Do I?” She raised an eyebrow. “Not too long ago you were getting IV-hydrated at the hospital.”

  “That was because of you.” She pointed a finger at Lynn. “If you’d been truthful with me from the beginning, it would’ve never happened.”

  “Don’t count on these children being truthful with you all the time, because kids hide things, and they get into trouble, intentional or not. Parents can’t slip up. You can’t drink or disappear on them.”

  The jab indicated that Lynn was upset that Maggie hadn’t responded to her calls or texts until today. “You don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

  “No. That will be up to social services to monitor.” Lynn rolled her lips in. “You want to be a doctor, Maggie. You have ever since you were a kid. You can’t become one and raise kids successfully all on your own. Look at the mess you’re in now.”

  “Is that what you’re calling them? A mess?”

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” She let out a sigh. “Not them. The situation. Chase is going to need someone who can take him through this full-time, and you can’t do that. Plus, you’d be taking on not just Chase and Tiffany, but Ariel as well. You essentially have three children to care for, because Ariel is nowhere near not needing a mother. Can you fill that role for all of them? Alone?”

  Maggie held back her tears and swallowed the lump in her throat. She wanted all of it, but she’d fully expected to have it with Lynn someday, and that wasn’t going to happen. She had to let go of that dream of her fairy-tale life. “You know what? You’re right. If you think that little of me, you and I will never work. I’m not a child. I’ve pretty much been on my own since I was eighteen. I’m not Beth either, but you keep comparing me to her, and I can’t be with someone who doesn’t believe in me.” Her phone chimed, and a text from Ariel popped up, asking if she had any catsup. She brushed past Lynn and went to the door.

  “Is it the kids?”

  “No. I have to go,” she lied and rushed out the door. Was it true, what Lynn had said? Did she have no clue about the commitment it took to raise kids? Her mother hadn’t been much of a parent, but Maggie wanted to be so much more than her mother ever was. Even so, she’d turned out okay, hadn’t she?

  She took out her phone and texted Ariel, telling her the location of the catsup and that she’d be home later, to call if she needed her. After that, she went straight to Heather’s office. What if Lynn was right? What if she was doing the worst thing for all of them?

  * * *

  Heather relaxed into her chair. “You’re a very strong woman, that’s not in question here, but let me ask you something,” she said, and waited for Maggie to look at her. “How old were you when your father died?”

  “I’d just turned sixteen.” Her stomach twisted as the memory flashed in her head. She’d been at a friend’s house spending the night after they’d had a fantastic day at the lake with her and her family. She felt so guilty for even remembering the fun, like her father’s death was some sort of interruption. From then on her life had become about her mother.

  “Would you have taken a different path if you hadn’t had to care for your mother?”

  “I’d still be a doctor, if that’s what you’re asking. Probably a better one. I didn’t have as much time to prepare.” Her choices had disappeared, and her days had changed from ones of freedom and fun to including more responsibility than she’d ever imagined. “Oh, my God,” she whispered as she bolted out of her chair. “I’ve done the same thing to Ariel, haven’t I?”

  Heather pressed her lips together. “It’s okay, honey.” She stood, crossed the room, and took her into her arms.

  Everything she’d said to Ariel flashed through her head as she sobbed into Heather’s shoulder. “It kills me that I can’t do anything to help then. Raising children shouldn’t be so hard.”

  “It can be ridiculously hard at times, but it can also be wonderful at others. You’ll be a great mentor to Ariel, but Tiffany and Chase need support that neither Ariel nor you can provide right now.” Heather released her, lifted her chin with her fingers, and stared into her eyes. “Do you agree?”

  She nodded. “But I don’t want them to be separated.”

  “I don’t want that either.” Heather took in a deep breath. “Maybe Pam and I can help. We’ve been trying to have a baby for so long, but life hasn’t given us that gift. Maybe this is where we’re needed more.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Well, I have to talk to Pam first.” She smiled and nodded. “But, yes, I think she’ll agree.”

  “Oh my God, that would be so wonderful.” She hugged Heather hard. “Then Ariel could go back to school and still see Tiffany and Chase on breaks.”

  “We’ll have to get a bigger house, but I think we can handle it.”

  “You and Pam will be much better parents than I would be.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “She’ll be okay. They’ll all be okay.”

  Maggie felt like a monstrous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she could envision a brightness in the future for the children. If only she could see that same brightness in hers.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  The kids had seemed happy earlier this morning when Maggie had dropped them off at school. Heather and Pam had engaged an attorney to assist them in gaining custody of Tiffany and Chase, and it didn’t appear to be an issue as long as Ariel was willing. In the meantime, Ariel had returned to college in Boston, and Tiffany and Chase were still living with Maggie. The past week had been an adjustment for them all. They hadn’t had to change school districts, which was fortunate, but late arrivals, switched lunches, and unexpected meltdowns were just a few of the obstacles they’d had to overcome. Somehow, this morning had been uneventful, and they’d gotten it all right.

  Now she sat in the coffee shop across from the hospital waiting for Carrie to arrive. The text message Maggie had received from her had been unexpected, the invitation to still be her maid of honor in her wedding even more of a surprise. Carrie had always been unpredictable, and Maggie had learned that surviving their friendship meant rolling with her moods. Although this controversy had created a huge wedge between them, it wasn’t the first time she’d been on the outs with Carrie.

  Maggie had been sure she wanted to be included when Carrie first asked her to be part of her wedding party, but that was before she and Lynn had become involved. Just like her, Scott was a guy who knew who and what he wanted for his future, so that made him okay in her book. It would be a shame if Carrie couldn’t get past Maggie’s feelings for Lynn and let them both be happy. They still hadn’t resolved the argument she’d had with Lynn when Carrie discovered their relationship, but even with the anger Carrie had felt, Maggie hoped they might still be a family.

  Air whooshed past her as Carrie rushed in and took the seat across from her. “Are you still mad at me?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You’re not being serious, are you?”

  Carrie frowned like a seven-year-old that had just been scolded. “You are.”

  “You blew up my whole life. Lynn won’t even talk to me.”

  “I can’t help you with that.” Carrie threaded her fingers together and clasped her hands.

  “So you’re sticking with your ultimatum?” She shook her head. “I thought maybe you’d grown up since college.”

  Carrie narrowed her eyes. “Lynn and Beth would probably still be together if it wasn’t for you.”

  “No. You can’t put that on me.” She leaned forward. “I did everything you asked. I stayed away from Lynn the whole time I was in Boston. I didn’t contact her once, and when I came back to Baltimore, I did my best to avoid her.” Her stomach knotted as she remembered the first time she’d revealed her feelings to Lynn.

  “Seems you completely failed at that.”

  “It’s a hospital, Carrie. I was never going to be able to avoid her entirely.” She didn’t want to tell her the whole story, how she couldn’t stay away and how Lynn had asked her to stay away too, but then relented. A jolt shot through her as she thought about the moment she’d seen her again. They couldn’t avoid their attraction.

  “It doesn’t really matter now anyway.” She shrugged and took in a breath. “Beth is going to take the admin job she was offered, and she’ll be able to cut back her hours to spend more time with Lynn. Life will be better for them.”

  “They’re getting back together?” The back of her neck heated as crazy thoughts spilled in her brain. Was that true? Had she totally missed some interaction between them? Chosen to blindly ignore it? She took in a breath and gathered her thoughts. No. She hadn’t missed anything. No way would Lynn go back to Beth, whether or not Maggie was involved. Carrie was holding out for something that was never going to happen.

  “Possibly. Beth is willing,” Carrie said, her voice lilting with optimism.

  “Beth has never been good for Lynn. She never paid a bit of attention to her, and she was miserable because of it. Who raised you, Carrie? Not Beth. Think about it. Every time you fell, who picked you up? Lynn. Every big event in your life, who was there? Lynn. Have you ever seen her as happy with Beth as she’s been for the past four years without her?”

  “That’s not true. They were happy.” Carrie seemed thoughtful.

  “You don’t see it because Lynn never let you. She kept all the bad from you.”

  Carrie looked away, staring out the window. “So you’re just going to abandon me for the wedding?”

  “I’m going to abandon you?” She shook her head as she realized Carrie’s avoidance ran deeper than she could ever reach. “You’re a real piece of work. You know that?” She launched out of her chair. “You’re my best friend, and I love you like a sister, but you are so fucking selfish.”

  Carrie’s eyes went wide, as though she’d never heard that accusation before, but Maggie knew better. “Do you want Lynn to be alone for the rest of her life? Because that’s where you’re pushing her. Beth hasn’t changed at all. She’s manipulating you the same way she manipulated Lynn all those years.” She held her forehead as she paced in front of the table and then sat again. “Do you ever remember her being there for either of you when things got tough, or even when things were good? I don’t. You complained about it all the time.” Little pieces of her heart had been torn away each time Carrie told her about another instance of Beth’s neglect.

  Carrie shook her head. “That’s not true. She always supported us and paid for everything.”

  “Oh, and money solves everything, right?” She leaned across the table and narrowed her eyes. “If you met someone richer and cuter than Scott, would you marry him instead because he could pay for everything you need?”

  “Of course not. I love Scott.”

  “Whether you like it or not, I love Lynn, and she’s happy with me.” She stood, reached into her pocket, pulled out some folded bills, peeled off a few, and dropped them on the table. “Grow up, Carrie. She’s not going back to Beth.”

  She took off to the door, and when she got outside and down the sidewalk, she stopped and reached out to the building for balance. She had intended to go straight to Lynn and pour out everything in her heart, tell her she couldn’t live without her, but that wouldn’t make a bit of difference until Lynn felt that way too. Besides, she had lives at home to worry about. It was the first time since her father died that she’d had any doubts about whether she could really do something. She’d tried her best, but caring for the kids had been too much for her, both physically and emotionally, which had her seriously questioning her parenting abilities. Maybe Lynn was right and she wasn’t cut out to be a parent. Would her work with children at the hospital be enough to make her happy? She shook the thoughts from her head. She didn’t have time for doubts right now.

  * * *

  It was going to be another busy weekend with Carrie in town planning her wedding, but it would be just her and Carrie this time, and Lynn was missing Maggie more than she cared to admit. It had been a miserable week since they’d argued, and she longed to have her to talk to, to hold, to be held by. On more than one occasion she’d wanted to run downstairs and apologize, tell Maggie she’d made a mistake, that she loved her with all her heart, and she’d help her with Tiffany and Chase. She just needed time to get Carrie through the wedding. Then Carrie would be back in Boston and everything would be okay. Wouldn’t it?

  She cracked a couple of eggs and beat them before pouring them into the heated pan on the stovetop. “You’d better hurry. The eggs will be done in a few minutes,” she shouted into the living room.

  Carrie began typing into her phone as she came into the kitchen. “I thought I might invite Beth to come along. She can keep you company while I’m in the dressing room.”

  “No. You will not.” She snatched the phone from Carrie’s hands and slid it into her back pocket. Even thinking Beth would come was a delusion Carrie never seemed to recognize. “I don’t want or need Beth’s company today, at the wedding, or any other time. I certainly hope you haven’t bought into her whole story of wanting to get back together with me, because that’s not going to happen.”

  Carrie’s look of surprise wasn’t unexpected. “Would that be so bad?”

  “Yes. It would be miserable. I cannot go back to that one-sided relationship. She’s a narcissist at her best, and I’ve already spent too many years in a lonely world catering to her needs.” She’d tried to shield Carrie from that side of Beth, but it had become more difficult as Carrie grew older. Beth had missed so many school events, prom, and almost all her graduations because her career came first. Somehow, in the last few years, Carrie had either forgotten or chosen to ignore those absences.

  “You were happy once, right? Why can’t you get to that place again?” Carrie’s voice rose with the question.

  She stopped stirring the scrambled eggs and dropped the spatula on the counter. “Listen to me, Carrie. I’m not getting back together with Beth, and if that’s why you’re objecting to Maggie being in my life, then you’d better rethink my future and your involvement in it.”

  “Funny. Maggie said the same thing.”

  “You talked to Maggie?” she asked, her hand shaking as she reached for the spatula to stir the eggs.

  Carrie nodded. “I don’t know if she’s still going to be my maid of honor, and I’m not sure I want her to be.”

  The pan rattled as she pushed it to the back burner. “You need to stop being so selfish. She’s done nothing but support you in everything you do, including this whirlwind of a wedding.” Her lip quivered as she spoke. She could barely keep it together, sure she’d alienated Maggie for good the last time they’d spoken. “Do you know she’s been taking care of three children all on her own because their parents died?” She had no idea how Maggie was handling such a load and hated herself for criticizing her.

  “I saw, but that won’t last. She’s never committed to anyone. I’m still pissed that she took advantage of our friendship to get to you.”

  “That’s absolutely not true. I started the whole thing and then let it happen. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was excited to see Maggie again. She brings me a happiness I never had with Beth. I knew how you’d feel about it, yet I still got involved with her. So you need to stop blaming her for my feelings and for something I did.” Lynn was surprised at herself. She’d never really yelled at Carrie for anything. “Beth was a horrible wife, and if I hadn’t met Maggie back then, I would’ve never known any other kind of love was possible for me.”

  Carrie seemed startled at her response as she rolled her lips in and attempted to gather her words. “What if she breaks your heart?”

  “Well, you know what? I’m thirty-eight years old. I don’t need you to protect me. I think I’ve done a pretty damn good job of taking care of myself for the past four years.”

  Carrie’s expression was blank. “Auntie, you really love her, don’t you?”

  Tears sprang from her eyes and she wiped them away. “Does that really matter to you?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how you felt. I thought this was just a fling and she was going to hurt you.” Carrie embraced her and held her close. “And now that’s exactly what I’ve done. I need to fix this.”

  “You can’t. I’m afraid I’ve burned that bridge from end to end.”

  “If she loves you as much as I think she does, she’ll let me grovel.”

  Lynn had no words. All she could do was squeeze Carrie as hard as she could and hope she was right.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Maggie hadn’t expected to see two cars in the driveway when she pulled up to the cabin. Pam and Heather must have driven solo because one of them had to handle an emergency. If Heather had let her know, she would’ve been glad to pick up either of them. She glanced at Tiffany sitting next to her and then at Chase, sprawled out in the back seat. Not that she had the room, but they would have managed somehow.

  Tiffany’s eyes widened when she saw the golf cart parked in front as they pulled in. “Can I drive that?”

  “Do you have a license?”

  “No, but you can teach me,” Tiffany said excitedly.

  “We’ll see.” Maggie chuckled.

  She helped Chase out of the car and handed him his crutches before she retrieved the bags from the trunk. “Hey, Tiff. You going to help me with these?”

  Tiffany was already checking out the golf cart. “I’ll get it in a minute.”