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“Caleb will be here in twenty minutes,” Theresa told her boys. “He and I are going to work for a few hours … without interruption.” She flashed them both the mother-look and pointed to each of them. “Then, we’ll take Sully to an off-leash park by the ocean. After that, we’ll come home, clean up a little, and go out for dinner. So, what do you feel like eating tonight?”
“Cheeseburger! Cheeseburger!” Jeremey jumped up and down. Sully got into the act and nearly knocked Jeremy off his feet in his enthusiasm.
“Yeah, burgers and fries,” Charlie said, putting in his vote.
“How about you, Elli? We could go to that retro diner in town. I hear the food there is really good.”
Elli put her hands on Jeremy’s shoulders, supporting him against Sully’s exuberant bouncing. “I’m fine with whatever you choose.”
“Great. The diner it is. John is doing a perimeter check, and once he says it’s okay, you can go outside to play,” she said just as John entered.
The bodyguard scratched Sully behind the ears. “All clear.”
Just then, Theresa’s phone began to chime. “Go outside and play,” she said, waving the group out the door. She grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter and checked the caller ID. Her stomach flipped at the sight of her private investigator’s name, and she hit accept. “Hello, Shelly. Do you have news?”
“Hey, Theresa. Yes. I have great news. Do you have a pen and paper to take down some information? Everything will be included in the report I’ll send, but I figured you might not want to wait.”
Adrenaline flooded her system. “Give me a sec.” She hurried to the junk drawer where she kept pens and a small pad of paper for writing grocery lists. “Okay,” she said, setting the pad on the counter. “Let me put you on speaker so I can write.” Her hands were shaking so badly it took two tries before she managed to hit the speaker icon. “I’m ready.”
“All right. Dr. Vanessa L. Allard is an assistant principal at an elementary school located within the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state.”
“Oh, wow. She has her doctorate?” Her mother, like her, had chosen a career in education. “She’s working on a reservation?”
“Yep. She’s an enrolled member of the Nez Perce tribe, which is part of the confederation.”
Theresa had to sit down before her knees betrayed her. She slid into one of the chairs at the kitchen island. “I had no idea. Are you certain you have the right Vanessa Allard? I mean, are you sure she took back her maiden name after she and my dad divorced?”
“Uhm, yeah. Your dad’s address appeared in the history search I did for her, but there isn’t any record that she and your father ever married.”
“Oh. Good thing I’m already sitting down.” Her mind reeled at that news. Was that possible she and her dad had never married?
“Are you ready to take down her contact information?”
“I am.” Theresa wrote it all down: her mother’s office phone number, her email address at the school, her landline phone number, and her home address. “Thanks, Shelly. This is great news.”
“I’ll email you my report and the final bill early next week.”
“I’ll look for the email.” Theresa thanked her again and ended the call. Stunned, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She stared off at nothing, trying to take it all in. She had a way to reach out to her mother. She and her children were part Nez Perce? “Who knew?” she muttered. Now all she had to do was make the next move.
Her doorbell rang, bringing her out of her stunned state. She hurried to the door and yanked it open. “You’ll never guess what just happened, and I mean just happened,” she said as she let Caleb in.
He canted his head and scrutinized her. “I have no idea, but judging by the way you’re all lit up, I’m guessing something good? Have you been nominated for a Grammy?”
“Ha, no. I have good news, or at least I hope so. I know where my mother is, and I have her contact information.” Her cheeks hurt from grinning so hard. “She’s an assistant principal at an elementary school in Washington.”
“That’s great, Theresa. When and how are you planning to reach out to her?”
Theresa headed for her piano, Caleb beside her. “I haven’t decided. It’s one thing to know where she is and what she’s doing. It’s another matter altogether whether or not she wants to hear from me.”
She picked up the folder she’d set on the piano and took out the second song. “Besides, it’s going to take a while before I come up with the courage.” She handed him the song. “Anyway, we should get to work. My mind is buzzing like crazy, and music will help me get centered. Do you want coffee or anything?”
“Nope. I’m good. Let’s see what you’ve got here,” he said, taking the sheet of paper and reading through her latest verses.
She’d poured her heart into the lyrics of this piece, trying to ease—or at least come to grips with—the pain of breaking up her family. At the same time, she’d attempted to inject a note of optimism and hint at the possibility that she could rebuild her life on a healthier foundation. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s beautiful, moving, and I know your fans will connect with what you’re going through.”
“But?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
