“I haven’t a clue.”She forced herself to smile.“Maybe we should wing it.”
He nodded.“Nine.My kitchen.”
“I’ll be there.”
She stood in front of her house until he walked through the hedges that separated their properties.Her mind raced.Thoughts of Billie and what her daughter would say competed with those eight simple words.“You scared the hell out of me, Jane.”
Had he been frightened of losing her?Had he cared?Had she destroyed three lives to get away from a demon that didn’t even exist?
* * *
Adam stepped quickly through the dark night.He’d grown up on this land, he knew every inch of the path from his house to Charlene’s.Even without the moon to guide him, he made his way through the trees and up the brick-lined walkway to her backdoor.He knocked softly and waited.She’d still be up.They had a lot to talk about.
“Come in,” she called.
He opened the door and stepped into her kitchen.Charlene stood at the stove stirring a pot.Long red hair tumbled around her shoulders.Her full-length burgundy robe clashed with her hair color.Usually he teased her about the combination.Not tonight.
“Is Billie asleep?”he asked.
“Yes.”
She didn’t turn around to look at him.The silence between them lengthened.“You knew,” he said at last.
“Yes.”
“She told you?”
“I guessed.”
“When?”
With a sigh she tapped the spoon on the edge of the pot, then placed it on the counter.Turning slowly, she raised her chin and looked up at him.“The day she arrived.”
He cursed.All the emotion of the past few hours had left him feeling drained, as if someone had pulled the plug on his energy.He didn’t have enough in him to sustain anger.He could only feel disappointment and hurt.
Charlene continued to watch him.Her blue eyes, less vivid without any makeup to accentuate the color, didn’t show remorse.“I didn’t tell you,” she said as she leaned against the counter.“Because that wasn’t my decision to make.I warned Jane she didn’t have much time.If she didn’t say something you’d figure it out.”
God, he was tired.“You betrayed me.”
“How?”
“You’re my aunt.You should have been looking out for me.How dare you keep Billie a secret?”
“Adam, I understand your pain.Believe me, this was not an easy thing to keep quiet about.Yes, you’re family.But by virtue of having Billie, so is Jane.It wasn’t my secret to share or not.It was hers.”She picked up the spoon and began stirring the pot again.“Do you want some cocoa?”
“You can’t fix this problem that easily,” he said, moving into the kitchen and pulling out one of the chairs in front of the window.“I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You haven’t been for much too long.But cocoa can still make you feel better.Trust me.”
He looked at her.
“Adam, I love you.I also love Jane and Billie.Please don’t trap me in the middle.”
He wanted to hate her, but he couldn’t.There was too much at stake.“I don’t know what to do.”
“About Billie?”
“About all of it.What am I supposed to say when she finds out I’m her father?”
