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“Charli? What’s wrong?” Bently’s voice was groggy and panicked like he’d just woken.
Shit. She pulled the phone away from her ear to check the time. It was after midnight. Sometimes it was hard to remember not everyone kept the same late-night hours as she did. “Nothing. So sorry. I didn’t look at the clock before I called.”
“It’s fine. Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. I just . . . I wanted to check and make sure Phillip Feller was still in jail?” Her voice trembled as fear cinched her chest, making it hard to take a full breath.
“Yeah, Feller’s still in custody. Waiting on DNA results, and then we can go through the next steps . . . You’re safe, Charli. We got him,” Bently assured her.
She let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders falling. “Thank you. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“No problem. Call me anytime, night or day. You know I’m here if you need me.”
“Good night,” she said.
“Night.”
She switched off the call and set her phone on the counter by the bath. Maybe it had been a wrong number after all . . . Or maybe it was secrets from the past catching up to her.
23
Finn
Finn pulled out the worn, brown leather journal from between the stack of engine manuals. His thumb pressed over the soft material. Are my answers in here? Only one way to find out. He sat on the metal stool and flipped open to where he’d left off last time.
He’s gone. I drove Damon myself. He won’t be coming back anytime soon. I made the decision for Charli, because she needed me to. But if I tell her, she’ll be swallowed by the guilt of her broken promises. So, I’m confessing my secret the only place I can, here in these pages. I hope she’ll forgive me if she ever finds out. But even if she doesn’t, I’d do it again. I’d do anything for her to not to have to feel like she’s being torn in two different ways. She shouldn’t have to choose between him and me. I understand we are two parts of her heart, and to ask her to make that decision would be asking her which limb to remove. I did this for us. So we could have the life she always dreamed of. I can give it to her. And I will.
Finn turned the page, his eyes unfocused. The back of his neck pinched and tingled. Who is Damon? Did Charli love him? How could the old Finn just overlook that? On his quest for answers, he only seemed to have more questions. He took a deep breath, ignoring the growing headache, and continued on the next page.
I surprised Charli by taking her to a bed-and-breakfast in the mountains for the weekend. It was just what we needed. We spent most of the time christening every sturdy surface, both indoors and out. I asked her what she thought of starting a family. She was terrified. I hate that her mother did this to her. That Charli questions herself because of that bitch. I promised her we could wait until she was ready, and once I got out of the Army, I’d be with her every step of the way. Someday, Charli will see what she’s truly capable of. And I’m gonna be right by her side to tell her how proud I am of her.
Finn’s brows drew together as he closed the book. The pieces to this puzzle didn’t make sense. He should ask Charli about it, but if she didn’t know the secret Finn had kept from her, it might do more harm than good to their already fragile relationship. He’d just begun mending things from the last time he assumed things. He had two choices: trust that the old Finn knew what he was doing and follow his lead, or ask Charli and risk this blowing up in his face. He had responsibilities to Charli and his son. If only I could remember.
A memory unfurled in his mind’s eye, like a wisp of smoke. He closed his eyes, reaching for the clue to his past. Pain pulsed in his skull as drops of sweat beaded on his brow. It was right there, just a puff of a recall. His head spun, dizziness melding with the violent alarm blaring in his head.
Finn sucked in a breath, his hand darting out to steady himself on the worktable. No. It might be better if he just let it go and trust these memories would come back to him eventually. He couldn’t afford to have an emotional storm like last time and end up hurting Charli again. The doctor said to take his time and process each new piece of information. So that’s what he’d do. For now.
“Finn?”
He jumped to his feet, hiding the journal in a drawer with tools and shutting it just before Charli entered the garage. He spun around, hands slipping into his pockets.
Charli eyed him suspiciously, one eyebrow cocked upwards. “Hey.”
“What’s up?” His voice rose an octave and he cringed.
She surveyed the area around him. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just going through some things.”
She nodded. Her hand splayed over her belly while she bit her lip—an action he’d come to know as her nervous tic. “I wondered if you wanted to go into the city with me? I need to get some things for the baby.”
“Yeah. Maybe we can stop for a late lunch?” He stepped closer, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her soft cheek.
She closed her eyes and shivered before she smiled, meeting his gaze. “That sounds perfect.”
* * *
An hour later, Finn pushed a cart filled with contraptions he’d never heard of, and more diapers than he’d ever thought they’d need.
