AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know I love you, Bella. That hasn’t changed. And I don’t believe it ever will.” Heath reached out and ran his fingers across her cheek. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time.” Heath looked down at her, his blue eyes flickering with emotion. He let out a sigh and lowered his head, capturing her lips in a tender, soaring kiss. The moment was electric! Heath tasted like apples and cinnamon. His kiss was so familiar. She felt as if she was soaring, flying high up in the sky. This feeling was euphoric! She kissed Heath back with equal measure. It had been so long since they’d shared a kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, they gazed into each other’s eyes for a few moments. Bella felt as if she could see everything she was feeling reflected in Heath’s eyes. Love. Devotion. Faith. Friendship. It was all there in his eyes.
“I feel like everything is coming together. Is it too much to hope that we’re back together?” Heath asked. “For good?”
Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Yes, if I have any say in the matter. We never should have broken up in the first place.” She frowned at him. “It was so pointless.”
Heath leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her lips. “Never again. From this point forward we’re stuck like glue.”
“I like the sound of that. This baby needs all the love we can give him or her. We need to be a united front.”
“Absolutely. And I want you to know I’m trying to get some information on my family members. Parker is looking into my background. Although I knew my birth mother’s name I don’t have any information about my father or any other family members. That’s why Parker recommended we try the DNA route. He left me a message that he found something through my ancestry DNA test that I took.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness. I’ve been hearing a lot about ancestry tests and how they can really help track down relatives. It’s pretty unbelievable.”
“I just have some questions that need to be answered. I’ve waited a long time to get closure.”
“I know you have. Even though you were so young when your mother died, it traumatized you. Getting those answers will be important for you.”
“Well. It seems as if I’ll be getting them, according to Parker.”
Bella’s felt her jaw drop. “W-what do you mean?” she sputtered.
The corners of Heath’s mouth twitched. “Parker called me right before you arrived. It seems he found a blood relative. My mother’s sister.” He ran his hand over his jaw. A dazed expression was etched on his face. “I can’t believe it. She wants to come here to meet me.”
“Oh, Heath,” Bella said. “That’s truly amazing. After all these years, you’ve found a tie to your birth mother.”
“You’re not going to believe this, but she lives thirty miles south of here.” He shook his head. “It’s all so incredible. I don’t even know what to make of it all.”
“It’s a blessing. You’ve been incredibly fortunate with your Donahue family, but your birth mother is important to you as well, as are your roots. If you have an aunt out there who wants to meet you, it’s something to celebrate.” She wrinkled her nose. “Here. Let me throw some imaginary confetti at you.”
Heath chuckled, which made his handsome features stand out even more prominently. She couldn’t describe how wonderful it felt to see him so light-hearted. Was it too much to hope that he’d turned a corner with his PTSD? She knew he might still have lingering issues and she had every intention of helping him conquer them. It had been so frustrating to not be a part of the process and to be blocked at every turn by Heath. Now, at least, she knew they were going to be on this journey of recovery together. By telling her about his past, Heath had shown her that he wanted to let her in. He wasn’t hiding anymore.
“Well, if you’re not working at the shop, would you like to meet my Aunt? Her name is Mara Delgado. She’s a nurse. And she’s driving to Pelican Bay tomorrow so we can meet up again after all these years.”
Bella nodded. Excitement coursed through her. “I’d love to meet her. Just tell me what time and where.”
“We’re still fine-tuning the details, but I’ll let you know as soon as it’s figured out.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “Before I forget, I did a little digging into that new bait and tackle shop in town. It seems they are badmouthing Fish Tails all over town.”
“What?” Bella snapped. “What are they saying about us?”
Heath held up his hands. “I heard a range of things. Inferior products. Damaged merchandise. Dangerous charter tours.”
“Of all the dirty tricks! Fish Tails is an institution in this town. I can’t believe they put negative stories out there and customers actually listened to them as if they were true.”
Heath made a face. “Well, I corralled my siblings and my parents to do a PR campaign for Fish Tails.” He smiled at her. “Between the eight of us, we’re going to hype up Fish Tails so that this new competitor is going to be shaking in their boots. And I’m going to help your dad give Fish Tails a makeover. We’re going to bring it up to date and perhaps add some square footage to the place.”
“Oh Heath, thank you.” She stood on tippy toes and pressed a kiss on his lips. “I can’t tell you what it means to me. And Daddy as well.”
“I’d do just about anything for you, Bella. Don’t you realize that by now?”
Bella nodded. “I do, Heath. I really, truly do. And it makes me feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”
He placed his arms around her waist and drew her closer toward him. When he looked down at her, Bella could see so much shining forth in his eyes. She let out a sigh of contentment. They had made it successfully through the storms. And now, they were surrounded by vibrant rainbows. She was going to savor this moment for as long as she possibly could. And pray that if future storms brewed, they would be able to handle it without falling apart at the seams.
“Who we are is shaped in the first few years of our lives. It creates our identity. It makes us who we are.”
Jude Donahue
