Page 89 of Driven to Love

Addison shook her head. “He didn’t have to.”

Betty rubbed a glittery nail across her chin. “Last I checked, Nash Steele was a grown man making his own decisions for a while now. So, what makes you think you know what’s best for him?”

Addison stayed quiet.

“Unless, he’s not right for you?”

A snort slipped from Addison’s lips. “You’ve met him. He’s perfect.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

The last thing she wanted was to tell Betty, the town gossip, about her problems.

“Is it about your kidnapping?”

“Of course, you know about that.”

“Girl, the whole town knew the minute you went missing. Nash was on a tear to find you.”

Addison tipped her head back. A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Maybe it’s about the wife of your last lover?”

Addison jerked up. “I didn’t sleep with him.”

“Don’t be lyin’ in church now.”

With her right hand, she made an X over her heart. “Swear.”

Betty bobbed her head. “Okay. So what’s the problem? Don’t you like his boy?”

“Davey’s wonderful.”

“You aren’t making a lick of sense, you know that?”

The older woman wasn’t wrong. Addison knew it and dropped her chin to her chest. “I can’t put them in danger.”

“You got more stalkers you ain’t telling us about?”

“Not that I know of. But I didn’t know about these two.”

Betty patted Addison’s knee. “Let me tell you about my Earl. He’s the sweetest man, but he did some stupid stuff in his youth. And I mean stupid. I think a box of rocks are smarter than my Earl most days. But anyway, he didn’t want to marry me because he spent some time in prison. I didn’t care about that. I knew he had found the Lord and was in a good twelve-step program. So finally, I talked him into it.”

Addison wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but she listened.

“We’ve been married forty years next month. Sure, we had some rocky times. He fell off the wagon a time or two. A couple of old associates of his from his incarceration days popped up, but you know what, we made it through. From what I know of Nash Steele, he wouldn’t let anything get between you and him. So, why are you?”

Betty left her to think. Ten minutes later, Addison realized the woman had a point, but could she live with herself if something happened to Nash or Davey because of her?

Sitting in the pew, Addison felt the presence of someone at her side a moment before her mother sat beside her. Tears welled in her throat, and the words wouldn’t pass her lips, all resolve flowing away. She leaned into her mother’s embrace, taking in the scent that was uniquely her mom, and tears flowed over her lashes.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m here. Let it out.”

Addison lost track of how long she sat there cradled in her mom’s arms, crying till her eyes were void of any more moisture before she sat up, wiped her face on the edge of her collar, and asked, “Mom? What are you doing here?”

“Betty called me.”

The piano melody from Here I Am, Lord flowed from the choir loft. Betty. Addison shook her head. She should’ve known. The woman was everywhere. Saw everything, heard everything, and shared everything.