CHAPTER TWO
"Miss Collingsworth?"
Lily woke to the sound of her name, quickly realizing she'd fallen asleep in mid-thought. Straightening, she looked out the front window to see the town of Collingsworth looming ahead.
"You can just continue on this road through town and then turn right when we get to the highway."
Pressing a hand to her stomach, Lily took several deep breaths.
Nerves fluttered in her belly. She’d taken another page from Cami's book and planned to show up unannounced.
Doing it that way had given her an out. If she decided to change her plans, no one was expecting her.
Because even though Lily knew coming home was the right decision, a lot of difficult conversations lay ahead.
It didn't take long for the car to pass through the town and reach the highway. "You can take a right just up there."
Melissa slowed the car and turned onto the driveway which led to the manor. Lily found herself leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her home. A blanket of relief settled over her as they followed the final bend in the driveway, bringing the manor into view.
"What a beautiful house," Melissa said as she brought the car to a stop in front of the steps.
"Yes, it is," Lily agreed. She grabbed her purse from the seat beside her and opened the door. "If you want to just hang on a minute, I'm sure there are some men here who will help carry my bags in."
Without waiting for the woman to respond, Lily headed for the front door.
She grasped the door handle and paused for a second before opening it and stepping into the foyer.
Immediately the savory scent of dinner greeted her.
Something along the lines of a pot roast, if her senses were still accurate.
She heard the murmur of conversation coming from the kitchen and moved in that direction.
"Lily!"
Before she could even respond, Lily found herself in the middle of a tight hug. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she sagged against the arms that held her.
Home at last.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Laurel's voice was laced with concern. "Here, come sit down."
Lily allowed herself to be led to an empty seat at the table. Through damp eyes, she took in those present. Everyone but Jessa, and there was a woman she didn't recognize with a mass of curly blonde hair and a curious expression on her face.
"You got luggage, sis?" Will asked.
Lily looked at him and nodded. "Outside with the driver."
All the men left the table and headed out of the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming home?" Violet asked. Her expression turned dark. "And, for that matter, why haven't you been in better contact with us? We've been worried."
Lily reached out to touch her sister's arm. "I'm sorry. I needed to work through some things."
"And it took you three years?" This time it was Cami that asked. "Although I guess I'm one to talk, eh?"
"True," Laurel agreed.
Lily smiled. She'd missed them more than she’d realized.
"Your timing is great though, since Cami and Josh are still here.” The blonde woman gave her a friendly smile.
There was an increase in noise as the men came back in with the luggage, but they bypassed the kitchen and went right upstairs.
"Where's Jessa?" Her oldest sister’s absence, when everyone else including her husband was present, concerned Lily.
"She's on bed rest," Laurel said.
"Bed rest?" Lily asked. "When did that happen?"
"She's been on bed rest for several weeks because of some bleeding, contractions and blood pressure issues," Violet explained. "Amy came to help out until the baby is born."
"And then Will fell in love with her, and the rest is history," Laurel added with a grin.
The blonde woman—Amy—blushed. "Yeah, guess I'll be sticking around for a bit longer."
"I'm sure Will's hoping it's for longer than just a bit," Cami said. "And I'm hoping you're around for longer than a bit, too, Lily."
Lily nodded. "I'm home for good."
The men came back into the kitchen before Lily could say anything more. Lance came over and gave her a hug. "You need to go upstairs and see Jessa. She's almost ready to come down here, but I can't let that happen."
Lily needed to see Jessa, too. She just hoped her legs would cooperate. When she stood, her legs shook a little. She glanced at Lance. "Will you come up with me?"
Lance nodded. "Sure."
Lily waited for Lance to join her. As they approached the bottom of the stairs, she reached for his arm with one hand as she grasped the banister with the other. Lance immediately stilled and looked down at her.
"What's wrong, Lily?" Concern was evident on his face.
"It's a long story. I plan to share it, but not right now. Most days I'm fine, but my body is reacting to the very long day it has just had. I need a little help."
His brow furrowed but even though he looked like he wanted to ask more questions, he just covered her hand with his and began to slowly climb the stairs.
Lily was thankful for his understanding and patience.
Once they reached the door of his and Jessa's bedroom, she eased her grasp on his arm, determined to make the steps to Jessa's bed on her own.
"Lily!" Jessa held out her arms as soon as she spotted her.
As quickly as she could, Lily moved toward her oldest sister and sank into her embrace, mindful of the mound of her belly. Lily’s tears flowed as she hugged the woman who had been as close to a mother as she’d had.
"I've prayed every day for you to come home." As she sat back from their embrace, Jessa took Lily's face in her hands, her thumbs grazing the wetness on her cheeks. "I've missed you so much."
"I have a lot to tell you, but not right now," Lily said. "I just want to enjoy being home."
"Come sit up here with me." Jessa patted the bed on the other side of her.
Lily settled down on the bed and placed her hand lightly on Jessa's stomach. "Another baby!"
"It took long enough, but we're finally going to get our boy."
Lily rested her head on Jessa's shoulder. "I'm so happy for you." It seemed like life had been good for her siblings. Will had found love. Jessa was pregnant. Part of her didn't want to share what had been happening with her, she really didn't want to bring them down.
Once again, Lily felt tiredness tugging at her and tried to stifle a yawn.
She pushed herself to a sitting position.
"It's been a super long day, and if I stay here on this bed much longer, Lance will have to find someplace else to sleep.
I've been up since about two o'clock in the morning your time. "
Jessa brushed a hand over her hair. "We'll talk later. I'm not going anywhere. Come find me when you're up and about tomorrow."
"I will." Lily pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Love you."
Lily spotted Lance as she walked out of the bedroom. He sat on a chair in their sitting room, arms propped on his thighs, head bent down.
He looked up and smiled. "Ready to go back downstairs?"
"Yes, for a few minutes. To say goodnight."
Lance once again supported her as they slowly walked down to the main floor. As they moved off the last step, he turned toward her. His gaze was serious as he looked down at her. "It's MS, isn't it?"
Though his voice was low, the words were clear. Lily stared at him in shock. "How did you know?"
Lance's head tipped as sadness spread across his face. "I had a friend in high school whose mom had it. Something about how you moved threw me back in time."
"It's usually not this bad. I've been busy preparing for the move back, and the long day has just made it worse than it normally would be. A good night's sleep and some low activity days will help me out."
Lance nodded. "Well, most of us will be off to church in the morning, but don't feel you need to come. Jessa stays home, and I usually stay with her. Tomorrow night Cami and Josh will be giving a concert at the church, so you're back in time for that."
"I'd love to go." Lily moved toward the kitchen with Lance. The other family members were still gathered there in deep conversation, but they all looked up as Lily and Lance walked in. "I hate to show up and then crash, but it's been one very long day, and I'm beat."
She quickly gave hugs to everyone before heading back upstairs. Lance went with her once again, promising that he wouldn't say anything about her diagnosis until she had a chance to share it herself.
"We're here for you," Lance assured her. "Don't go running off again."
Lily gave him a tired smile. "No chance of that. I'm home for good now."
Knowing she probably wouldn't have the energy to unpack her suitcases when she arrived, Lily had packed the things she needed for the night in her carry-on. It didn't take long to get ready for bed, and this time no thoughts were strong enough to keep her awake.
~*~*~
Nate pulled to a stop in front of the manor.
He was very grateful for the Collingsworths’ generous offer of a place to stay given the current condition of his home.
The sheriff, who also happened to be Violet’s husband, had extended the invitation to stay at the manor after he'd gotten back to Collingsworth the day after the fires.
He could have gone to a motel, but he was certain the isolation would have done a number on his mind.
Instead, he was surrounded by people sympathetic to his situation, but who still gave him the space he needed.
He took the front steps two at a time, eager to put the day behind him.
He'd had to go back to Sanford to meet with the man who was leading the investigation into the fire.
After that meeting, he'd stayed to have dinner with Marty and his family.
He was concerned about his employees. He didn't want them to be out of work, but there was no way he could continue to pay them without the garage there being functional.
It weighed heavily on him even though Marty had assured him that God's got this.
Nate wished he shared his employee's confidence.