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Crap. I don’t want to hurt her but I’m not ready to talk about how I found my dad and discovered my half-brothers live in Winter Falls.
She stands and my chest tightens. I don’t want her to walk away mad at me. I shackle her wrist before she can retreat. “Don’t go.”
“Why should I stay?”
I scan the diner. No one bothers to pretend they aren’t following every word of our conversation. “Not here. Let’s go for a walk.”
“Boo!”
I ignore the boos and throw a few bills down on the table before leading Indigo outside. She shivers when the wind hits us and I use the excuse to wrap an arm around her shoulders. I consider it a victory when she doesn’t brush me off.
“Time’s up,” she says when we reach the end of Main Street and turn left.
I’m not ready to discuss my family, but if there’s one person who will understand it’s Indigo. “I found my dad.”
She gasps. “You did? How? Your mom never gave you a clue who he was.”
“I did one of those DNA tests. When a possible match came up, I hired a lawyer to do some research.”
Her smile stretches from ear to ear. “I’m happy for you. You always wanted to find your family.”
I clear my throat. “There’s more.”
“Okay.”
“My dad was married when he was with my mom.” Her eyes widen but she doesn’t speak. “And he had five other children. Actually six,” I correct when I remember what the little girl said.
“You have six brothers?”
“Half-brothers,” I correct.
“Whatever. This is amazing. A family! It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
What I wanted was to make a family with her. But I screwed up and walked away from her.
“Hold on. You said had.” She bites her lip. “Is your dad gone?”
“He died a few years before I found him.”
She clutches my hands. “I’m sorry.”
I clear my throat. “They’re here.”
“Here?” Her brow wrinkles. “Your brothers are here? As in Winter Falls?”
“Yeah.”
She bounces on her toes. “Have you met them? What are they like?”
“I haven’t met them yet.” I pause. I don’t want to admit my fears, but if there’s anyone who won’t judge me it’s this woman. “What if they don’t like me?”
She squeezes my hands. “They’d be stupid not to like you. You’re awesome.”
My chest warms at her words. “Maybe, but I’m not ready.”
“There’s no rush. You’ve waited this long. You can wait a little longer. If you need time to come to grips with the situation, take it.”
This is why I love this woman. She understands me. She supports me. She doesn’t push me. She stands by my side and gives me what I need.
