Page 52 of The Promise in Poppies
“About that…” Luke trailed off then cleared his throat. “Your mother made a nomination, and there was a unanimous vote in favor of her recommendation.”
“Who was it?” Cassie asked, racking her brain.
“Who do you think?” The way Luke looked at her—with a meaningful twinkle in his hazel eyes—momentarily stole her breath.
“Me?” She blinked, completely taken aback.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” He chuckled softly. “You’re the obvious choice. No one loves this town more than you. You care about its history and its future. And more than that, you care about the people.”
“But—” Every word vanished from her vocabulary, leaving her too stunned to speak. They’d all voted to make her Poppy Creek’s new mayor? It didn’t seem real. Even as her mind tried to make sense of the outlandish proposition, other thoughts crowded her subconscious. Her thoughts filled with ideas she could implement as mayor… like an annual coffee festival.
Before her excitement took over, she tugged her daydreams back to reality. “Luke, how can I be mayor? We’re having a baby. I own a business. Even if I wanted to accept, I don’t see how it’s possible.”
“I know. It’s a lot. But we can make it happen. Together.” He glanced at the door, adding softly, “And there’s someone else who would love to help.”
Cassie knew who she’d find before she ever followed his gaze. But there was one thing she didn’t know… Was she ready to forgive her?
CHAPTER32
DONNA
As Luke slipped out of the office, leaving them alone, Donna’s heart warmed with gratitude. Her daughter had married a good man. He’d known exactly where to find her, and every decision he made—even in supporting the repair of their fractured relationship—he prioritized Cassie’s needs and best interests. While she wanted to make peace with her daughter more than anything, at least she could take comfort knowing that no matter what happened between them, Cassie couldn’t have a better teammate than Luke.
Gathering every ounce of courage, she settled on the window seat beside her daughter, whose gaze remained fixed on her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Tension strained between them, but Cassie remained seated, which Donna took as an encouraging sign.
“I should have told you the truth.” Donna spoke above the knot in her throat, knowing her words would never be enough. “I’m so deeply sorry I kept it from you.”
There was so much more she wanted to say, to try to explain. But as she sat there beside her daughter, watching her knuckles turn white as she pressed her palms tighter together, all justification and reasoning fell away, leaving only sincere, soul-searing contrition. Her apology needed to speak for itself. No excuses to smooth the rough edges of what she’d done.
She held her breath as if letting the air settle would give Cassie space to process her emotions.
After an interminable silence, her daughter’s hands relaxed on the smooth cotton folds of her sundress, and she slowly lifted her gaze. “I think I understand why you didn’t.”
Donna exhaled, supremely thankful for the olive branch. “No more secrets. If there’s anything you want to know—anything—all you have to do is ask.”
“Did you love him?” Cassie’s question floated from her lips, faint and ephemeral, like a whisper’s shadow.
She hesitated, resisting the urge to sugarcoat or spin the truth, answering with a simple but honest “No.”
“Then why…him?” The word escaped with a wince, as if Cassie couldn’t bring herself to say his name.
“Honestly…” She released a slow, ragged sigh, pained by her admission. “Because he was there, during a moment when I so badly wanted to escape my own heartache, I completely shut down. At that moment, nothing mattered.”
“Do you regret it?” Implicit in her daughter’s question was something deeper and more profound. Did she regrether?
“No,” Donna said again, this time without hesitation. Tears pooled, collecting in her lashes as she fought for control of her emotions. How could she explain the depths of her love when her actions over the years seemed to be in direct contradiction? “I know it didn’t always seem like it,” she said, her voice trembling, “but I’ve always loved you. I’ve always wanted you. You are the best thing in my life, and I’m so sorry I didn’t make that obvious every second of every day.”
Her own eyes glistening, Cassie gathered a shaky breath, as if preparing to unburden a weight she’d carried for years. “The day I checked you into the Snyder Sobriety Center, I thought you genuinely wanted to get better. But you didn’t even stay forty-eight hours. I never understood why you left.”
Donna slumped into the cushions, no longer able to fight gravity. The night she left rehab had been one of her lowest points, and an enormous source of shame, but Cassie deserved to know the truth—every ugly, unpleasant part of it. “Because I was scared.”
“That it wouldn’t work?”
“That it would.”
“I don’t understand.”
Donna swallowed, her voice raw and raspy as she confessed, “When I drink, I become someone I despise. Selfish. Cold. Unkind. It’s as if too much alcohol taints my soul. And I was afraid—” She closed her eyes. “I was afraid my heart would be just as repulsive sober. That nothing would change beyond my blood alcohol content.” When she opened her eyes, a tear spilled down her cheek. “I realized it was about more than getting sober. My soul needed healing first. And I wasn’t sure I was ready.”
