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"No. I checked my phone when I was getting dressed. He hasn't gotten back to me yet. I also called the hospital. My mom is still asleep, so I'll check in with her after we see Professor Holden."
"Okay. Do you want coffee and something to eat before we go?"
"Yes. And Kade, I want to say one thing…"
He met my gaze. "Then say it."
"Whatever happens in the future, I don't have any regrets."
"Me, either."
* * *
We arrived at UC Berkeley a few minutes after ten and managed to slip into the back of the auditorium where Ian Holden was teaching. The room was packed with over a hundred students and within minutes, it was clear to see why the professor was so popular. Ian Holden was a charismatic and entertaining speaker. He was also a handsome older man, who looked younger than his age. His brown hair was thick, and wavy. He was fit and dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt. He had an engaging smile and a way of looking around the class that made it feel like he was looking right at you. I could only imagine how handsome and interesting he must have been twenty-seven plus years ago.
"He was good," I murmured to Kade as Ian finished the lecture.
"Was he?" Kade asked, stifling a yawn.
I laughed. "Were you bored?"
"I told you last night I was never much of a student. Also, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
His wicked smile sent a tingle down my spine. "Maybe we can take a nap later."
"I like the way you think."
"But right now, we need to talk to the professor."
We got up and made our way down the steps to the stage. The line of students wanting to talk to Ian was ten deep, so we waited off to the side.
I was impressed with how interested he appeared to be in each student's question. He gave all his attention to the person he was talking to. It was very charming.
Finally, the last of the students walked away, and he turned to look at us. His jaw dropped when he saw me, an audible gasp coming through his parted lips.
"My God," he murmured. "Who are you?"
"Brynn Landry," I said. "This is Kade Beckham."
Ian barely gave Kade more than a cursory look before his gaze swept my face once more. "You look just like someone I used to know."
"What was her name?"
"It was Kim," he said. "Kim Larimer."
I made a mental note of the last name. I had no idea if it was her real name, or one she'd bought, but it would help us track down her past. "Kim is my mother," I said.
He shook his head in bemusement. "I can't believe it. Your mother? I always wondered what happened to her. I had no idea she had a child. How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven." I stiffened when I realized he was adding something up in his head.Was he trying to figure out if I was his daughter? Was he my biological father?That thought shook me. Aside from his dark hair, I didn't feel like we looked very much alike, but then I had clearly gotten my mother's genes. "Did you and my mother have a relationship?" I asked. "When she was a student at NYU, and you were her professor?"
"Is that what you came here to ask me?" Ian challenged.
"It's one question, and you didn't answer it."
"Why are you here?" he countered.
"My mother was shot last Thursday," I replied. "Did you know that? It happened outside her house in San Francisco in the middle of the afternoon."
