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Janet nodded. "Yes. Ellie felt so guilty when Ryan and your mother showed up scared and pregnant. She urged Hank to help Ryan, but Hank wasn't interested. He thought Ryan needed to take responsibility for his actions, so he turned him away."
"Everyone turned my parents away," he muttered. "They were kids, and no one wanted to support them."
"Ellie did," Janet said. "She sent your father money on the side. Hank didn't know about it. And after your mom died, she tried to help even more, but she knew she couldn't do much without Hank's approval, because he managed the money. She convinced Ryan to bring you to Whisper Lake. I think you were about six. She wanted you all to be a family."
Suddenly, all the pieces were falling into place. "But that didn't work out."
"No. Eleanor said she just couldn't get Hank and your dad on the same page, and your dad left. She kept reaching out to Ryan, hoping to get him to come back. She wanted to have a relationship with him and with you, even if Hank and Ryan couldn't be father and son. She bought presents for your birthday and Christmas, always hoping that one day she'd get to give them to you."
"All the toys in the house," he murmured. "You're saying they were for me?"
Janet nodded. "Eleanor gave up after a while, but she couldn't bear to get rid of anything. I offered to help her clean up. She always said maybe someday, but that day never came." Janet took a breath. "It's such a strange coincidence that you came here knowing nothing."
"I remember being here when I was a kid," he said. "It was a place I loved and when my friend Joel said he was here and I had time to visit, I made the trip back. I had no idea that Whisper Lake had been more than just a vacation spot for my dad and I."
"How is your father doing?" Janet asked.
He started at the question. "My father died twelve years ago."
Dismay entered Janet's eyes. "I had no idea. I'm sorry. I don't think Eleanor knew that. Even as recently as last Christmas, she talked about hoping she could reunite with you and your father."
"Well, that's never going to happen," he said tightly, feeling so many emotions he didn't know what to do with them all. He was confused, hurt, and angry. He couldn't hear anymore. "I need to go to the donation center before they close. Thanks for filling me in, Janet." He hurried to the truck, hopping behind the wheel, and pulling out before Chloe or Janet could say another word.
As he drove down the street, he didn't know what to think. His father had not felt the need to tell him anything about his grandfather. Maybe that was understandable, considering their relationship. But all of his dad's talk about moving on, living in the moment, looking to the future was really just a way to avoid everyone in the past. But what about him? Hadn't he had the right to know his grandfather? To understand where he came from?
He felt betrayed by the one person he'd always trusted. His father had kept an enormous secret about his past, about their family. And the worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it now. He couldn't ask his dad or Hank or Eleanor about anything. He couldn't meet them or know them. Everyone was gone. The truth had come too late.
He pulled over to the side of the road, too distracted by the past to keep driving. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His dad's image appeared in his mind.
"We don't have a big family, Decker," his dad said. "It's just me and you. But I'm going to make it up to you. We're going to have so much fun. We won't need anyone but each other. I love you, Decker. And I won't let anyone take you away from me."
His eyes flew open at that unexpected memory.Had his father been afraid that someone would take him away?Who would have done that?The only person he could think of was Hank.Was that why they'd traveled the world? Had they been having an adventure, or had they been running away?
ChapterNineteen
"Maybe I shouldn't have saidanything," Janet said, as Chloe led her into the house. "Eleanor trusted me with her secret. I was just so shocked to see Decker. He looked like Hank."
"I don't remember Hank," Chloe said. "But I think it's good that you shared what you knew. Decker has had some memories of his trip here when he was a little boy, but none of it was making sense to him."
"It always felt like a sad story to me."
"I'll say. Hank cheated on his wife, disavowed his biological son, and when that son needed him, he turned his back. Frankly, he sounds like a jerk to me."
Janet gave her a weary smile. "Well, when you put it like that…yes. But I only heard one side. Maybe Hank would have told a different story."
"We'll never know, but I'm glad you told Decker the truth about his father, his family."
"I'm not sure he's glad. He looked angry."
"He needs to process." She blew out a breath, feeling like she needed to process, too, but first she had had to find Janet's quilts. "Shall we go inside? You can tell me about the quilts you're looking for."
As they entered the house, Janet's gaze swept the messy living room, which wasn't nearly as cluttered as it had once been, but there was still a lot to be done.
"This place is a mess," Janet commented. "I haven't been here in a long time. After a while, Eleanor just stopped opening the door."
"I don't remember seeing any quilts in the bags I've filled, but Decker may have donated them. He's been cleaning up, too."
"Well, it's not the end of the world. I just thought if they were here, I'd get them back." She paused. "I wouldn't even know where to look."
