AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The silence on the other side was deafening, but Jon held his peace and waited for Lars to think it through. They had a long history together. Nate had been like a brother to Jon, and both of his parents knew it.
“Why did we have to find out this way? It was a shock.”
“How do you think I felt? I had no idea I had a daughter. I missed out on eight years of her life, but you know what? I’m glad Nate had her in his arms. I’m glad Nate died knowing Kylie loved him with all her heart. He never had to know the truth. And you saw Annie and Nate together. You know they loved each other. She was a good wife to him. They had a great marriage.”
No one would ever know how much it cost Jon to admit all that aloud, but he owed Nate. Nate had stepped in when Jon left Annie to face the future without him. Nate had picked up the pieces and loved her well. Jon could face that now after Annie’s reassurances yesterday. He might not have been able to say all that so easily without that comfort.
“I appreciate you saying that,” Lars said in a gruff voice. “I’ll see what I can do with Maryanne. She’s been on a tear about it all.”
Jon didn’t doubt it. He’d seen Maryanne in a state before. “I appreciate it, Lars. I mostly called to reassure you that I want you both to be part of Kylie’s life. My dad wants that too. Remember, we missed out on her early years.
“You’ve never seen her excitement when you guys call or when she gets a card or gift from you. She’s over-the-moon excited. She adores you guys, and you’re also her link to her daddy. I don’twant that to change. There’s room for all of us. Love is like that. It doesn’t matter how many people you love, there is always room for more.”
And when he spoke those words, he felt the truth of it in his gut. He might wish Annie had never had another husband in her life, but there was room for Jon in her heart. He knew she loved him. Knew she wanted to be with him. Nate had never taken Jon’s place—he’d had his own place in Annie’s heart, a place he’d always occupy. And Jon’s place was secure. He’d been her first love, the love of her life, and he had come back into that same spot. Their love would only grow from here.
He hoped he could keep that knowledge firmly in mind as they created a life together.
Lars heaved a sigh on the other end of the phone. “It helps you said that. I’ll drop the suit. Maryanne will buck me at first, but I’ll make her see reason. We don’t want to hurt Kylie. Nate’s death hurt her enough. Can we have her for a week this summer?”
“I’m sure Annie will be thrilled that you want her. You want her in California or are you coming back up here?”
“In California. There is a lot we’d like to show her. I’ll fly up to get her, and one of us will bring her back.”
Jon could hear her squeals of excitement in his head. “I don’t think she’s flown before. That will be an exciting journey for her, but most of her joy will be coming to see the two of you. When do you want her?”
“I’ll talk to Maryanne and see when we want to arrange it. When does school start?”
“The last week of August, so we’ve got time to get it on the schedule.”
“Thanks for calling to sort this out, Jon. I don’t think anyonewants us to be estranged. And honestly, what would we do with a child to raise? I tried to tell Maryanne, but she was hysterical.”
“Do you think she’ll go along with this?”
“I’m calling the attorney before I tell her. It’s a done deal. She’ll be all right. Thanks again.”
Jon put down his phone and got up. “I think we both need a cherry Popsicle after that torture, Dad. But he’s dropping the suit, and I didn’t even have to pull out the big gun of the DNA test.”
His dad rose and clapped him on the back. “I think there’s a whole box of Popsicles in the freezer. Martha might even let us raid the gluten-free brownies. After our reward, I’ll help you draft the offer for the house.”
Jon couldn’t wait to tell Annie the news. One more thing out of the way.
***
The wind began to die down as the sun sank toward the horizon. Sarah licked her dry lips. She’d give about anything for a sip of water. She glanced at her watch. Just after five.
Exiting the shelter, she studied the waves. They were not as violent as they had been, and the sun had begun to peek through the storm clouds. The air smelled fresh and clean after the violent storm. With the sunshine, she didn’t need her jacket, so she peeled it off and left it in the shelter to go closer to the shore.
After a stretch and a yawn, Scout followed her. He went straight to the water and slurped from the waves. Maybe Sarah should do the same, but she wasn’t ready to go that far yet. If the breakers continued to die down, she might make it to the mainland in a few more hours. Though the thought of rowing in thedark felt daunting, maybe there would be lights to guide her to Rock Harbor or even a house along the shore.
The dog’s ears stiffened, and he turned to stare to Sarah’s left. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and his tail pointed straight out. Sarah tensed and turned to see what had upset him. At first she saw nothing, but she thought she heard a motor. Then she saw the bow of a boat slicing through the waves toward her.
She called the dog to her and ran for the sparse trees inland where she’d left the shelter. She quickly took down the tarp and stuffed it under the branches. But where could she hide with the dog?
Her gaze fell on a rocky outcropping. Flat on her belly, she might not be seen. She sprinted for it with the dog and threw herself onto the ground. She looped her arm around Scout’s neck and pulled him below the rocks with her. As the sound of the engine grew louder, she remembered the kayak.
She dared a peek above the rocks and saw the boat idling offshore. One of the men from last night had binoculars to his eyes, and she ducked back down. Maybe he wouldn’t spot the kayak, but its bright color was hard to miss. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited to find out her fate.
There was no doubt in her mind they were searching for her.
