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Mara knit her eyebrows together. “I didn’t know him very well. And frankly, I didn’t like him. He was possessive of your mother. He didn’t treat her well. And he ran around with other woman. He put your mother through hell. It may not be right for me to say, but I think her issues with substance abuse started after he walked out on the two of you.”
“Were they ever married?” Heath pressed. “I always thought it was odd his name wasn’t on the birth certificate. And I have such fleeting memories of him I wasn’t sure that I ever knew my birth father.”
“No, they never married. Your last name was Delgado. His name is Keith Pressley and I have no idea why he wasn’t on the birth certificate. I think your mother was afraid of him. Most likely she didn’t want him to have any ownership of you. He wasn’t around long enough for you to call him daddy. He sure didn’t deserve the title.”
“Wow.” Heath felt a sagging sense of disappointment. He had been interested in finding his birth father, but from the sounds of it, he wasn’t a man worth locating.
Bella leaned in and pressed her hand against his own. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said, pressing a kiss against her temple. “It’s the oddest sensation. I’m remembering things I had stuffed way down in a deep dark hole. I remember a man with light hair screaming at my mother. He would grab her and shake her. It terrified me. I would always run to help her and he would do things like shove me and push me. But I don’t remember thinking he was my father or calling him that. Mama was always there to rescue me. She never let him hurt me, even though I lived in fear he might hurt both of us.”
“That sounds like him,” Mara said, her lips twisted with anger. “He was always filled with anger and bitterness. So even though you may not have called him daddy, he was your father.”
“What a shame,” Bella said.
> “I’m so happy Parker found me, Heath. I’ve wondered often over the years what happened to you. I tried a few times to look for you, but I was never able to find anything. Is there anything else you want to know?” Mara asked. She patted her bag. “I brought some photos of you and your mother. I hope it’s okay.”
“I’d love to see them. I don’t have many pictures of myself before I was adopted. May I call you Aunt Mara?” Heath asked, wondering if he was overstepping by asking.
Mara’s eyes widened. “Of course you can. It would mean the world to me. You were always my little buddy. I’ve missed having you in my life.”
“Family is everything to me,” Heath said, reaching across the table for his aunt’s hand. “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with you. We’re family. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Mara stood up and held out her arms. Heath jumped up from his seat and fell into his aunt’s arms. They embraced for a few moments, holding on for dear life. When they pulled apart, Jude was standing there with a tray of food and drinks.
“Why don’t we all sit down for a meal so we can get to know Mara,” Jude suggested. “We have a new hire, Stephanie, who can man the counter for us.” He jerked his head in the direction of the counter.
Heath looked over toward the counter. The blonde woman standing there was the same woman Heath had seen his father with in the parking lot.
“Stephanie was looking for a position after losing everything in a house fire. We weren’t really looking to hire anyone else, but your mother and I couldn’t turn our backs on her need. She’s doing a great job so far.” Jude was grinning from ear to ear.
Shame pierced Heath’s insides. His father had been offering Stephanie a job at the Silver Spoon, not romancing her. He should have known better. His father was one of the most honorable men on the planet.
“Are you okay? You have a strange expression on your face.” Bella spoke to him in a low voice so no one else could hear.
“I feel happier than I’ve felt in a very long time. Mara gave me all the answers I’ll ever need. I don’t want to track down my birth father. There’s no need. I already have the best father anyone could ever wish for. And I was blessed to have two incredibly loving mothers. That’s enough for me.”
“You really are blessed,” Bella said as Heath placed his hand on her stomach.
Although Pelican Bay had always felt like home and Heath had found a soft place to fall with his Donahue family, Aunt Mara represented a part of him he couldn’t ignore. She was a part of his past. A huge piece of his mother. He wanted to build a relationship with her.
“We’re blessed,” Heath said, pulling Bella against him so he could dip his head down and place a kiss on her lips. Bella reached up and laced her arms around his neck. “I love you, Bella Vincente.”
“I love you back, Donahue,” she murmured. “Always have. Always will.”
Heath felt incredibly thankful. He had everything a man could ever want and more. Bella. His parents. All of his siblings. His newly discovered Aunt Mara. His job at DeNunzio construction. His church family.
He had so many blessings. And he didn’t feel broken the way he had a few months ago. Although he was still a work in progress, God was by his side guiding him. He didn’t have any more questions hanging over his head. He no longer felt empty.
And with Bella at his side, all was right with his world.
EPILOGUE
“I feel completely ridiculous!” Heath looked down at his elaborate Prince Charming costume and heaved a ragged sigh. “How in the world did I agree to this? Who bamboozled me into wearing this thing?”
Parker, Jason and Caleb couldn’t manage to keep straight faces as they looked at him. They were grinning and chortling with laughter. They weren’t even trying to spare his feelings.
Heath held up his hands. “That’s it. I can’t do this. I want Bella to marry me, not split a rib laughing at me.”
