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The back door was open, and he saw Annie and Kylie through the screen as he stepped onto the stoop. A large apron covered Annie’s white shorts and navy top, and her blonde hair was up in a messy bun. The aroma of lasagna made his mouth water. He’d barely managed a bite or two of lunch before meeting with Mike, and he was ravenous.
He let his gaze linger on his daughter for a long moment. She was a replica of her beautiful mother, but maybe she had his hairline. Or was he being stupid to look for bits of himself in the little girl?
He rapped his knuckles on the wooden screen door. “Knock knock.”
Annie turned toward him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She’d never been able to hide anything from him, and his elation dimmed. He suspected it had to do with her confrontation with Taylor. He’d shot her a text asking what had happened, but she’d put him off until tonight.
Her bad news might overshadow his good news. He’d bide his time and see what she needed from him.
“Come on in. You can butter the garlic bread. Kylie is crazy about the Sami’s bread you got her.”
Kylie lifted slim shoulders. “It’s okay.” She didn’t glance his way as he entered the kitchen.
He exchanged a long look with Annie, who shrugged and handed him the loaf of bread, then gestured to the kitchen table where the butter dish sat. He washed his hands, then grabbed a knife from the drawer on his way and settled down to coat the bread for the broiler. Everything he needed was on the table, including garlic salt and a baking sheet.
The puppy scrambled over to greet him. “Hey, Milo,” hesaid. The little guy was growing fast, and his curly tail swished frantically when he pounced at Jon’s shoe. He was a brown-and-black mirror of Samson with his mix of German shepherd and chow.
“Kylie, you can have your iPad until dinner,” Annie said.
Kylie shot from her chair like an arrow released from a bow. “Thanks, Mom,” she called over her shoulder as she went. Moments later, the music fromPokémon Gowafted behind her as she crossed through the kitchen to the yard.
At least she was out of earshot. Jon waited for Annie to spill what was bugging her before he gave her his news.
Annie’s blue eyes studied him when he handed her the bread for the broiler. “You look happy.”
“And you don’t. What happened with Taylor? You didn’t seem to want to talk about it.”
She took the baking sheet and put it under the broiler, then set the timer. “Tell me your news first. I need some good news, and I can see it on your face. You got the job?”
“I anticipate an offer later in the week.”
“That’s wonderful!” She moved into an embrace and rested her cheek on his chest for a long moment. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”
He smoothed the stray wisps of blonde hair falling from her bun, then brushed his lips across her sweet-smelling hair. His love for her had never wavered in the nine years he’d been gone. It had just gone underground and erupted the moment he saw her face again. “Me neither. Now what’s wrong?”
She lifted her head and moved back a step. “Taylor claims to be Sarah. And she knew things only Sarah would know. Mason took DNA, and we should know the truth in a week or so.”
“I didn’t expect that shadow on your face. Aren’t you happy you might have answers after all this time?”
She stared up at him. The trepidation in her eyes deepened. “She hates me, Jon. She blames me for not saving her.”
“You were a child! That’s not fair.” His voice had risen, and he took his agitation down a notch. “What were you supposed to do?” He touched the scar on her neck. “The woman who took her nearly killed you. She knifed you and left you for dead. There was nothing you could have done.”
“I think Taylor had a terrible life with that woman. I want to make it up to her, but I don’t know how.”
He palmed her face in his hands. “It’s going to take time, love. You can’t expect to pick up where you left off. Do you really believe she is Sarah?”
She pressed her lips together before nodding. “It’s possible. If she isn’t Sarah, she somehow found out a lot about her. What would be the point? And she didn’t hesitate about getting a DNA test. Mason texted me after he interrogated her. Sean’s dad was her mother’s brother, and he was the only family she had. She says she found that necklace she planted in his car when he was helping her settle the estate.”
“Where is she now?”
“Probably in Bree and Kade’s guesthouse. Mason was going to turn her loose after finding out what she knew about that necklace. Kade wanted a chance to keep an eye on her.”
“Better not to have her around Kylie until you know for sure.”
The timer went off, and she backed away to get the bread out of the oven. “There are so many things I’ll have to explain to Kylie.”
“One thing at a time,” he said.
