Page 133 of Deception

“Didn’t say it was. But I found forgiveness freed me. Anger and resentment no longer hold me prisoner.”

“But Judith Winslow not only sold us, she separated us. And sold other babies too. To fund a pregnancy center of all things.”

“I’m not saying you gloss over what she did, but you don’t have to focus on it until it makes you bitter.”

“Just how do I keep from focusing on it?”

He chewed the inside of his cheek. Explaining how he’d gotten to the place where he could forgive when someone hurt him was hard. “Let’s say you have two puppies from a litter. Both born at the same time, both the same size, but one grows to be much bigger than the other. How could that happen?”

She thought a minute. “Maybe he was fed more.”

“Bingo.” Then he smiled at her. “You can focus on the bad things like what Judith did, or you can focus on the good things—you have a twin sister and you’ve found your birth mother. But you have to make a choice.”

Minutes passed as Madison turned and stared down at the Mississippi. Then she looked around at him. “I’ll think about what you’ve said.” She took his hand. “Thank you for caring.”

Madison didn’t know the half of it. He held her gaze, losing himself in her intense blue eyes. More than anything, he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her hurts away.

She touched his jaw, setting off a fire inside him. “How’s that vow of restraint holding up?”

“At this minute, not very well,” he said, his voice husky.

Madison’s cell phone rang, jarring the air, and she dropped her hand. With a sigh, she looked at the caller ID and frowned. “Dani.”

“You better answer it.”

She slid the button. “Is everything okay?” Then her face flushed and she checked her watch. “I totally forgot. I’ll be home soon.”

When she disconnected, he queried her with raised eyebrows.

“When Vivian Hawkins stopped by the house to pick up her platter, she offered to give me a tour of the Old Jail after five—Paul Davidson had told her I’d expressed an interest in seeing it. She called this morning with a tour all arranged, even invited Dani, who’s really excited.”

He remembered Madison expressing an interest in exploring the historic building. “Is Terri going?”

“No. She’s not into history, said it sounded gruesome to her.”

Clayton agreed with Terri. “Guess I better get you home.”

He held her hand as they descended the steps.

“Thank you for this, Clayton. And I promise, I’ll think about what you said.”

72

Madison hurried in through the back door of her grandfather’s house. Clayton had given her a lot to think about. He’d taken her by the lawyer’s office and then brought her home after he’d gotten a phone call from his brother-in-law in a panic because he couldn’t get ahold of his sponsor. Evidently, he was in danger of relapsing.

If Clayton was half as good with Jake as he’d been with her today, everything would be all right. She blushed at the memory of touching his face. She’d never thought it possible to be drawn to another man after what Chad had done. But Clayton had proven he was not Chad.

A box of files sat on the floor near the door. She’d set them there after they decided to take Vivian up on her offer of showing them the Old Jail. “I’m back,” she yelled.

“Oh, good.” Dani walked slowly into the kitchen.

Her sister still wasn’t 100 percent healed. “Are you sure you’re up to walking the stairs at the jail?”

“I’ll make it—may be slow, though.”

“Let me grab these boxes and we’ll head out.” She and Hugh were trying to wrap up the case that had brought her to Natchez, and she was returning some of the files to the supervisor’s office.

Madison picked up the box of files, and the body armor that Clayton and Hugh insisted she still wear pinched her side. Noone had threatened them in over a week, and she was tempted to remove it, but a quick check of her watch let her know it was almost five. As soon as she returned home, though, it was coming off and not going back on without good reason.

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