Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“You’ll let me know if you change your mind?”
“Yes. I’m going to need help after the birth. I want you with me then, okay?”
“Absolutely.”
“Great.” Penny looked at me. “Are you okay, Daddy? You look wiped.”
“It’s been hard, but I’m fine.”
“Gracie will stop being angry. Don’t worry.”
I smiled. “I hope so.”
“She will. She adores you beyond reason. She’ll get her head out of her ass and come see you. She knows she’s your favorite,” she teased. “She won’t want to lose that spot.”
All my kids teased us over our close relationship, but it was done without malice or anger. I loved all my children, but Gracie and I had a bond that was unexplainable.
“I hope so.”
I changed the subject back to Penny and the baby. She held her phone so we could see the movement under her skin and listened to her excitement about the upcoming birth. Philip came in and we said hello, and I had to grin as she told him the news.
“I have another sister, Philip! Can you imagine? Gavin and Matthew are even more outnumbered now. Another auntie for our little one to love.”
Her words and acceptance made me smile, even after we ended the call. It helped ease the sting from Gracie’s reaction. I knew there would be other conversations between us, some difficult, but at least they weren’t furious with me.
Four down, one to go.
How Heather was going to react was a mystery. I only hoped I got to tell her before she saw Gracie.
That wouldn’t go over well.
It was late and, unable to sleep, I rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Katy. I doubted she was asleep, but her eyes were shut, and I knew that meant she didn’t want to engage. I had to allow her that, even though I was desperate to talk more. I knew she was exhausted. We both were.
I slipped on my robe and headed downstairs. I wandered the house a little, memories flooding my head. When the kids were younger, they loved coming here. The openness, the freedom this compound gave them. They were able to wander and explore. There was always someone to play with, someone to talk to. At times, this place felt more like home than BC did, simply because of the people and the closeness of the group.
I poured a splash of scotch into a glass, frowning as a thought occurred to me, unbidden.
Ashley had never experienced anything like this. A big family. Safety.
I shut my eyes as the conversations from earlier today drifted through my head. Gracie’s anger, Gavin’s support, Penny’s and Matthew’s acceptance. Gracie was the only one to vocalize it, but I knew the others were shocked, and perhaps even angry, although they had handled their emotions better than Gracie. A rueful smile pulled at my lips. She got that trait from me. It would appear, from the few interactions I’d had with Ashley so far, she did as well.
I walked onto the deck, inhaling the fresh air, hearing the waves that rolled over the sand not far from the house. It was peaceful and warm. One of my favorite spots to sit and relax with Katy.
I sighed and scrubbed my face, staring out at the darkness that surrounded me. I stood and headed to my office, shutting the door and sitting at the desk. Checking the clock, I slid my cell out of my pocket and dialed a number I knew by heart.
It was just past two in the morning here, which meant it was eleven in BC. I hoped Graham was still awake. I needed to hear his voice and seek his sage advice.
He answered on the second ring. “Richard,” he greeted me in his deep tenor. “Bored already? Wanting to come back?”
“Graham,” I replied. “How I wish. The past while has been anything but boring.”
“Jenna says you handled those meetings with your usual aplomb and all went well. Something else going on?”
I took in a deep breath, suddenly unable to speak.
“Richard?” he prompted. “What is it, my boy?”
Hearing his concern, his affection in those simple words, unlocked the floodgates. The whole story poured out. Meeting Ashley, her confrontation, the shock of her accusations, the discovery of the truth that, yes, I was her father. The fight with Katy. The kids’ reactions. All of it.
He never stopped me, not interrupting once. I talked and raged, even wept. I held nothing back.
Then, exhausted, I fell silent. I lifted my glass of scotch and drained it. “That’s about it,” I mumbled.
For a moment, the line was quiet aside from the slight hum of the connection. Then he spoke.
“So, retirement isn’t the endless golf games you pictured,” he stated dryly. “Apparently you’re busy dealing with where your other balls have been.”
His comment shocked me so much I was stunned, then I burst out laughing. He joined me, his chuckles low and dry. “Sorry,” he said. “I thought we needed to lift ourselves from the maudlin.”