AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A future with Addie?” Jude asked. “You’ve been different ever since she came into your life. Happier. More grounded.”
Caleb shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure. It’s still early days, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I thought I was in love—especially with Felicity—but now I think it was more infatuation. I wasn’t focused on the right things with her. I always noticed her outward beauty, yet I ignored all the signs about her soul and what kind of person she was deep down. She burned me so badly I’ve avoided loving anyone ever since.”
The corners of Penelope’s mouth turned upward into a smile. “And it’s different with Addie? She seems like a wonderful young woman.”
“She is,” Caleb said. He felt like shouting it from the rooftops. He was certain he had a goofy grin on his face, but he didn’t really care at the moment. “Addie was the one who has been encouraging me to get closure regarding my birth mother. She really cares about me.”
Penelope began sniffling. Tears coursed down her beautiful face.
Caleb got up from his chair and placed his arms around his mother. “Mom, please don’t cry. Everything is going to work out just fine.”
Penelope brushed away her tears. “These are happy tears, Caleb. My dream for each and every one of my children is for them to be happy, healthy, God fearing and loved in abundance. Knowing that you may have found your other half is so wonderful. It puts my soul at ease.”
“Don’t book the church just yet, Mom,” Caleb teased. “I’m falling in love with Addie, but we still have miles to go on our journey.”
“It sounds like you have a great partner to walk down the road with,” Jude said. He darted a glance at his wife. “That’s truly all you’ll ever need in this lifetime.”
“So it sounds like I have your blessing to meet with Rayna Johnson?” Caleb asked.
“You never needed our blessing, but you have our wholehearted support,” Jude said, reaching across the table and squeezing his son’s arm. “No matter what happens, we’ll always be your forever family.”
Forever family. That’s what the Donahue clan was to him. They had nurtured and protected and loved him for all these years. Tracking down his birth mother would never change that fact. He wasn’t sure what he was even hoping for in meeting with Rayna. Did he dare to dream of finding another mother who might have loved him ever since the day he came into the world?
**
Addie let out a frustrated sigh as she drove up to the Blue Bayou. Even though the bistro wasn’t open for business today, she still had to swing by in order to pick up a folder she needed to look over. She was in the middle of booking a taste of Pelican Bay event at the bistro and she needed to look over some forms before she could seal the deal. A feeling of euphoria rose up inside of her. Even though she was annoyed at herself for leaving the file behind, she was excited about increasing revenue for the bistro. The tasting event would allow people to try out the bistro for the first time and give the Blue Bayou exposure.
She parked her car in the lot and made her way to the entrance. About twenty feet in front of the restaurant stood a man taking pictures of the Blue Bayou and the area surrounding it. He was concentrating so much on the task at hand that he didn’t even notice her walking toward the entrance.
She did a double-take when she recognized the tall, broad shouldered man with wavy dark hair. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his three-piece suit. His name was Ricardo Sansa. He had been in her father’s employ for at least a decade or more.
“Ricardo. What are you doing here?” she asked as she reached his side.
Ricardo’s eyes widened. He fumbled with his camera. “A-Addie. It’s good to see you.”
She skipped the pleasantries. “Why are you taking pictures outside of my restaurant?”
“Your restaurant? I-I didn’t know it was yours.” Ricardo began to stammer. “I-I’m just doing what your father told me to
do. I really can’t discuss it.”
“You can’t discuss it?” she asked, her suspicions rising by the second.
Ricardo shook his head and said, “I’ve got to go, Addie. I’m sorry I can’t stick around and talk.” Before she knew it, Ricardo had walked away at a furious pace. She called out to him, but he didn’t slow down or even turn around to face her. He turned the corner and vanished from view.
Addie frowned. Something was up. She could feel it all the way down to her toes. Why had her father sent his employee down here to take pictures of the exterior street view of the Blue Bayou?
She let herself in to the restaurant and then proceeded to dig around in her purse for her cell phone. She quickly dialed her father’s number, muttering as the call went to voice mail. “Daddy. It’s Addie. I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.” She ended the call, then went in search of her file, all the while praying Ricardo’s presence outside the bistro wasn’t as troubling as she feared.
“We think we know everything about the people we love. But that’s not true. Everyone harbors secrets. Some are big, while others are small and inconsequential. The true test is what happens when we peel back the layers.”
Nash Donahue
Chapter Nine
“Are you nervous?” Addie turned toward Caleb as they drove down the highway toward Tampa. Four days ago she had contacted Chandra about arranging a meeting between Rayna and Caleb. Chandra had acted as the intermediary and she had called Addie right back to tell her that Rayna eagerly wanted to reconnect with her son. She would make herself available anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Caleb had wanted to set up the meeting for as soon as possible. Addie wondered if he had been worried he might change his mind.
“A little bit,” Caleb acknowledged. “I just don’t know what to expect. And I’m still having a hard time remembering things. The mind is a funny thing. I suppose on some level it’s still protecting me.”
