qualms about the wisdom of this move.
“The truth is, I don’t have much in the way of options,” she muttered.
She squared her shoulders and walked through the front doors. The uniform-clad guard on duty was one who knew her on sight. He nodded in her direction, then went back to reading the paper. The Observer, she noticed, not her family’s paper, the Dispatch. Even burly security guards liked a little scandal, it seemed.
She took the elevator to the fourth floor and quickly found Amy’s apartment. Standing in front of her sister’s door, a dozen doubts flew through Melissa’s mind. What if Amy wouldn’t let her stay? What if she insisted on telling Mom and Dad about the baby? What if none of the family wanted her back?
“One small step at a time, Melissa. That’s all you have to do,” she whispered, remembering Richard’s words.
Taking a deep breath to quell the butterflies in her stomach, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
Chapter Two
Melissa rapped on the door again, then waited, fighting down the urge to run. She was the bad penny, returning to bring more trouble to her already overburdened family. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea. She took a step back, but the door opened before she could vanish.
Amy stood framed in the doorway, looking at first startled, then genuinely pleased. She grinned and Melissa knew she had made the right decision after all. She took a step toward Amy and found herself enveloped in a warm and welcoming hug. She cherished the feeling as she returned her sister’s embrace.
A second later, Amy drew away but kept her hands on Melissa’s shoulders. Her hug was immediately followed by a firm shake. “It’s about time. Where have you been? When you didn’t show up after I sent you money, I thought you’d changed your mind.”
“I did change my mind. About a dozen times, and then I changed it back again. I wasn’t sure anyone would want to see me after the way I took off.”
“Of course we want you home. Everyone has been worried sick about you, Mom most of all.”
“How is she?”
“Holding up. You know Mom. She’s the Rock of Gibraltar in our family.”
“She is that.” Melissa’s voice dropped to a whisper. “And Daddy, how is he?”
“He’s had a hard time of it. He’s lost weight and he’s pale but he’s as stubborn and determined as ever. It hurt him when you ran off with Dean.”
“You don’t have to tell me that Daddy doesn’t like Dean. I think that was partly the reason I started going out with him.”
“Now that you’re back, you should go see Dad.”
Shaking her head, Melissa looked away. “I can’t. Not yet.”
Amy took Melissa’s hand. “Look at me, standing here scolding you instead of inviting you in. Come on, I have some people I want you to meet.”
Melissa hesitated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. I should have called first. I’m not feeling up to meeting strangers.”
“These people aren’t strangers. They’re going to be part of your family, too.”
Amy pulled Melissa inside and steered her toward the condo’s spacious kitchen. A man and a young boy rose to their feet beside the table strewn with pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
“Bryan, Dylan, I’d like you to meet my sister Melissa. Melissa, this is Bryan Healey and his son Dylan.”
Melissa was bewildered to hear both love and pride in her sister’s voice as she introduced the pair. The man’s name sounded familiar. She searched her memory and then asked in surprise, “The same Bryan Healey you dated in high school?”
“The very same,” he admitted with an engaging grin.
Taking a closer look at Bryan, Melissa saw a man of about thirty with thick auburn hair. His deep brown eyes assessed her in return and she had the sinking feeling that he knew all about her.
“Hello, Melissa. I’m pleased to meet you.” He held out his hand and she took it. His handshake was firm and his voice was definitely friendly, no matter what he was thinking.
The boy with tousled auburn hair, glasses and freckles across his nose wormed his way in front of his dad and held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Dylan. I’m five. Amy is going to marry my daddy and be my mother ’cause my real mom is in heaven. Do you wanna help put our puzzle together?”
Melissa turned her startled gaze to Amy. “What?”
Amy blushed but nodded. “That wasn’t exactly how I intended to tell you, but yes, it’s true. Bryan and I are engaged.”
Melissa fought down a stab of jealousy. She loved her big sister and wanted her to be happy, but this news coming so soon on the heels of her own unhappiness was bittersweet. She gave Amy a quick hug. “Congratulations. Wow, both you and Heather have gotten engaged.”
Amy took a deep breath. “And someone else.”
Puzzled, Melissa waited for more of an explanation.
Bryan laid a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “I think Dylan and I will take off. You and your sister have a lot of catching up to do. Come on, son.”
“Aw, do we have to?”
“Yes,” he said. “Melissa has been out of the loop for a while and it’s going to take some time to get her up to speed.”
“What’s a loop? Do we got a loop, Dad?”
“Never mind. Go get your jacket.” Bryan bent to place a quick kiss on Amy’s cheek. “Call me later.”
“I will, and thank you.”
After he and Dylan left, Melissa sank onto Amy’s plush cream-colored damask sofa. “Okay, sis, bring me up to speed.”
Amy swept her chin-length blond hair back behind her ears. “The news about the rest of the family can wait. How are you? You sounded so distraught when you called.”
“I was, but I’m better now. We can talk about me later. Tell me what the others have been up to.”
“My sister, Melissa, doesn’t want to talk about herself. That’s a first. All right, but I’m not exactly sure where to start.”
“Start with Jeremy. How is he? Where is he?”
“He called not long ago. I think I told you he left to go looking for his biological father’s family. He has located his grandparents in Florida.”
“This is so totally strange. Out of all of us, Jeremy is the most like Dad.”
“I know. I was as stunned as everyone else, but truthfully, it hasn’t changed the way I feel about him one bit. He’s still our brother.”
“You’re
