“Maybe the reporters did us a favor.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Are you ready to greet the world? Thorndyke has already called twice this morning to ask if you’re all right.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“That you’re with me so of course you’re the b
est you can be.”
Terri laughed, but she made no move toward getting out of bed. “Everything has changed, hasn’t it?”
“More than you know.”
“What does that mean?”
“I sort of blackmailed Della. I told her that if she wanted to stay my deputy, she had to change the gossip about you.”
“Gossip?” Terri was pushing him to elaborate.
“First of all, your mother running off with another man. She’s the one who fanned those flames so she had to change it. Turn it all around.”
“She agreed?”
Nate swallowed. “Della said... No, I shouldn’t tell that.”
“What?” Her question was a command.
Nate rolled his eyes. “Della ordered a dozen DNA kits. She said that if anyone ever again said something bad about Leslie Rayburn, she’d collect samples from cups, tissues, whatever, and she’d publicly announce who fathered what kid.”
“That’s terrible and probably illegal.” Terri tried to suppress a laugh but couldn’t.
“Remember Ryan Murphy?”
“How could I forget?” Terri said.
“Della found him and she’s paying for him and his family to fly here for a three-day vacation at beautiful Lake Kissel with the stipulation that he confess the truth of what he and Hector said to you back in high school. What caused you to strike out.”
“He won’t like doing that.”
“I’m happy to say that you’re wrong about that. He is now the father of two little girls and has a better understanding of what happened that day. He said he looks forward to setting the record straight.”
When Terri didn’t reply, he pulled back to look at her. “You okay?”
She nodded, then whispered, “Billy?”
“He and Kris Lennon are going to tell everyone the truth.”
Terry drew in her breath. “He might lose his job. If he isn’t the pastor of St. Anne’s, people will blame me.”
“Remember Mr. Cresnor? Seems that he made some calls—and I think some donations. Your yo-yo boy’s job is safe. I think the official stance is that only a sinner can truly understand the sins of others.”
“Poor Billy. That will hurt him.”
Nate kissed her. “That you think of others before yourself is only one of the reasons I love you.”
She moved her leg over his.
“Oh no!” he said. “The temptation of your legs is too much for me to resist.”