Breeze swallowed and shook her head. "You think... you think I'm this Kimber Statton?"
Instead of answering, Cruz handed her another paper. On it, a couple stood in front of a bank of microphones. The man had dark hair and a mustache. He held a petite woman in his arms as she clutched a baby blanket in her hands. Tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes were puffy from crying. Long pale hair was pulled back from her face. Underneath, the caption said "Patty and Marcus Statton plead for the return of their infant daughter, Kimber."
Breeze slammed her fingers over her mouth. Even though the picture was in black and white, the remarkable resemblance to Breeze was striking. Other than Patty's jaw being a bit smaller, Breeze was a carbon copy of the woman.
"We'll need to run a DNA test, but I'd say that the chances are pretty good."
Solidifying her resolve, she took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. "What am I supposed to do?"
Chapter 24
Breeze braced her back against the exterior wall next to the balcony window and stared up at the moon hovering above the trees behind the hotel. Propping her elbows on her knees, she sought the calming presence of nature, but it eluded her. Instead, her insides were churning in a never ceasing bundle of nervous uncertainty. Everything she thought she knew and understood was gone now, washed away by a newspaper clipping and a few words from Cruz and TJ.
It had taken only a few moments to give them a swab from the inside of her cheek for testing. Once they returned to the hotel room, she asked Finch to help her search online for any information regarding the Stattons and their missing child. Within minutes, he found a video of the press conference that the newspaper still photograph had originated from. As she watched the heart-wrenching plea from the distraught couple, her stomach twisted into a knot until she fled into the bathroom and heaved into the toilet for several minutes. It couldn't be denied - Breeze looked exactly like Patty Statton except for the jaw and eyes - those belonged to Marcus. By the time the video was finished, Finch had an email from a friend named Digger who had forwarded a mass of articles, notices and news clips surrounding the disappearance of Kimber Statton. She had been able to handle each piece until the last one - the one she had gotten Finch to print out and now rested on the concrete next to her hip on the balcony.
Picking up the paper, she read over the three-year-old article once again, her lips ghosting over the words.
On the anniversary of their daughter's disappearance, Patty and Marcus Statton along with their sixteen-year-old daughter, Shelly and twelve-year-old son, Marcus, Jr. pose with legislators as Kimber's Plea is signed into law. The new law will make it mandatory that anyone with access to infants in nurseries undergoes rigorous background checks.
It was twenty years ago this month Kimber Statton, newborn infant daughter of the Stattons was kidnapped from the nursery of the hospital where she was born less than ten hours before. The perpetrator, Nancy Washington, was wanted at the time in connection to another attempted infant kidnapping from a grocery store just one year previously. Through the quick thinking of a store employee, Jacob Young, the attempt was foiled, and Ms. Washington fled the scene, leaving her purse and identity behind.
Marcus Statton, in a statement released to the press at the event, said he believed had a detailed background check been performed, Ms. Washington would not have been employed by the hospital and their daughter would not have been taken. Kimber's Plea is a monumental step in ensuring other families do not go through the heartache his family had endured since Kimber's disappearance. The hospital was sued for neglect, and an undisclosed amount was settled out of court. The Stattons funneled that money into the drive to make Kimber's Plea a reality.
When asked if they retained hope Kimber was still alive, Patty Statton said that hope was all they had and that they prayed that one day, they would see her again either in this life or the next.
Laying the paper on the balcony again, she inhaled the crisp night air and let it out slowly before closing her eyes. Her emotions were all over the place.
She felt the door open and smiled to herself. Without opening her eyes, she felt Finch's warmth as he slid down the wall and settled beside her. They sat quietly for several moments before he reached over and took her fingers in his.
"It's almost six in the morning. Can't sleep?"
She shook her head. "My mind won't stop going in circles. Just when I think I have a handle on things, it all gets mixed up crazy again."
He let her fingers go, and she missed the warmth until he gently tugged her over and into his lap until she was sitting sideways and leaning against his chest. Inhaling his scent, she couldn't help but burrow deeper into his neck and wrap her arms around his torso. She felt his fingers in her hair, tenderly combing through it, punctuating every few strokes with a sweet kiss to the top of her head.
"What should I do," she whispered against his warm skin.
He didn't hesitate but continued to sift her silky strands through his fingers. "What does your heart tell you?"
"A part of me wants to hide and never come out."
"Hiding never solves anything, sweetheart."
She sighed heavily. "I know. I'm just not good with confrontations."
His fingers stopped, and he gently pushed her back until he could look into her eyes. "What confrontation are you talking about?"
She picked up the paper and waved it before letting it flutter to the balcony. "I feel bad for them, Asher. I know they are hurting and have been for twenty-three years, but they are strangers to me. I don't know them. What if they don't like me? What if I'm completely different - too different?"
"Aww, honey, if they are your parents, they're going to love you regardless. You are a beautiful, sweet soul who always puts others first. Your heart is huge and full of love for others."
She listened to his words, then laid her head back on his shoulder, absorbing his strength. "I know I asked Cruz to not tell them about me, yet. Was that a mistake?"
He didn't say anything for a few moments, obviously choosing his words with care before speaking. "He understands why you asked. You don't want to raise their hopes and have them dashed. In your heart, you want to protect the Stattons." He hesitated before he added, "But, you know..."
"I know they're my real parents." She whispered the words. "I look just like her except for the eyes and those are his. Their daughter looks just like I did when I was her age except her hair is a little darker. Mother, I mean Nancy..." She swallowed.
"Nancy Washington damaged a lot of lives that night, Breeze. Yours, Patty and Marcus Statton, the nursing staff at the hospital. However, not one bit of that is your fault. You didn't do anything to deserve that. You weren't even a day old yet, honey. You need to let it go. The blame isn't yours - it's all on her."
"I know. But how I react to the situation is all on me. I want to hide and pretend it didn't happen, but I can't. I've known about who I am for less than a day. The Stattons have been hurt for more than twenty years. I think it's time to end the pain for everyone."
"That's my girl," Finch told her proudly. "And think of it this way - now you have a birth date and soon will have a family including a baby brother and a little sister. There are aunts, uncles, and cousins. You're leaving one family and taking on a new one - bigger and better." He lifted her face with a finger under her chin. "And once you get all the legalities straightened out, we can start working on that happily ever after I promised you."
His eyes consumed her, promising her things she couldn't name, but every one sure to make her heart skip beats and her body melt. There was fire, hot and needy in his eyes that only shone for her, alone. Even without the aforementioned promise, she knew there was no other for her. He had ruined her for anyone else and she was proud of it. She loved him --utterly, completely and without any reserves. She was his and he was hers. As long as she had Finch and Lolly in her life, she could do anything. She nodded and smiled. "No matter what my name is, you and Lolly will always
be my family."
He kissed her sweetly, drinking from her lips for a few moments before he whispered against them.
"Always, my sweet girl."
At twenty minutes after nine that morning, Breeze and Finch sat in the small conference room on the first floor of the hotel. The rest of the team had gathered, along with Cruz and TJ. The two officers had offered to do this for her, but she declined. She needed to do this. Reaching over, Cruz dialed a number and handed the telephone to Breeze. She swallowed the elephant-sized butterflies in her stomach as the phone rang.
On the third one, it was answered.
"Hello?"
The man's voice was strong and somehow familiar to Breeze, as if some part of her on a genetic level recognized him. She swallowed again. "H-h-hello. Uhm, is this Marcus Statton?"
"Speaking. How can I help you?"
She looked at Finch. He gave her a warm smile and a nod. His big hand on her back rubbed small circles of comfort.
"Hi, Mr. Statton... My name is Breeze. Well, it kind of is."
"Breeze? I'm sorry, do I know you?"
She took another deep breath and let it out in a slow stream, calming herself in the process. "Not exactly. I don't know how to say this without just saying this. I just found out I'm not who I thought I was. I've been raised by a woman who said she was my mother, but she's not. Her name is Nancy Washington."
There was absolute silence on the other end followed by, "Kimber?"
Something inside her broke and tears rolled down her cheeks. She sniffled and nodded before finally finding her voice again. "The DNA test isn't back yet, but I think so. I saw a picture, and I'm about twenty-three and..." she broke down and sobbed. "I'm so sorry you were hurt. I didn't know."
"Oh, my God. Patty! PATTY!! It's Kimber. It's our baby on the telephone."
A voice in the background asked, "What do you mean 'it's Kimber'?"
"Kimber. Our daughter Kimber is on the phone. Baby? Are you still there? Are you all right? Where are you? Tell us, and we'll get you. Oh, thank you, Jesus!"
"I'm fine. I'm here in Spokane with friends and an FBI agent." Huge fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she babbled on. "I'm okay. I swear I am."
"Tell them we're going to put you on speaker phone so that we can talk with them too," Cruz whispered.
"Cruz, the FBI agent, wants to talk, too. He's putting me on a speaker."
With a push of the button, the excited sounds of people talking too fast on the other end filled the room. Cruz tried to get them to calm down so he could explain what had happened but they were too busy firing off questions. Beside Breeze, Finch chuckled and kissed her temple. "See honey; everything is going to be just fine."
Epilogue
It was so good to be home again.
Instead of coming straight to California from Spokane, they had flown out to Illinois to meet the Stattons. The resulting three days had been emotionally exhausting. Patty and Marcus welcomed Breeze, Finch, and Lolly into their homes with open arms and immediately made them feel welcome. At first, Breeze had been cautious of getting her hopes up too high. However, Cruz called Finch within two hours to tell them the DNA tests confirmed what she already knew in her heart. She was Kimber Statton.
With the confirmation, Breeze could finally relax and get to know her family. By the time they left two days later, Lolly was calling Patty "Me-me", and the Stattons were making plans to come out to California for a vacation before school started back this fall.
Finch relaxed on his sofa and looked around his condo, realizing it was decidedly male. He chuckled, knowing it wouldn't stay that way for long. It would take a word whispered into Annabeth's ear, and she would whisk Breeze off on a house makeover tour of San Diego's shopping districts.
Finch heard the door close to the little bedroom Lolly used when she had stayed with him before. He was glad she had something familiar to hang onto during this turbulent time. He had no doubts she would acclimate in time. Already she had wrapped the entire SEAL team around her tiny fingers with Toad being the tightest of them all. It had taken one Lolly splurburt to his cheek for him to announce she was not dating until she was at least thirty-five and even then, each boyfriend would be given careful scrutiny. Given Toad's propensity to date around, his declaration netted more than a few laughs. He replied that was exactly why - who was better equipped to recognize a player than a player?
Breeze folded herself up against him on the sofa and laid her head on his shoulder. Kissing her temple, he asked her, "Everything all right?"
She nodded and relaxed into his arms. "She went straight to sleep. I think the last few days have been rough on her."
"Kids are resilient. I'm not as worried about her as I am you. How are you doing?"
"Okay. It's a lot to take in. I've been thinking about things. I know they are my parents and already I love them, but I don't know how to be Kimber. I've just been Breeze for so long; I don't know how to be anyone else."
He chuckled as his thumb drew figure eights on her arm. "Kimber isn't a separate person, honey. She's you, and you're her. Just because the name is different doesn't mean you're different. It's just another part of you. You're Breeze, and you're Kimber. You're my lady and will be my wife as soon as I get around to getting a ring and proposing properly. You're Lolly's Bees. You're Patty and Marcus's daughter and Shelly and Junior's sister. None of that negates the other parts - it's all you. Just like I'm Asher Finchly and Finch. I'm a brother, a son and a father. I'm also a Navy SEAL and one day, it'll be my greatest joy to add husband to the list."
She thought for a moment. "So, Breeze can be a sort of a nickname. Do you think it's okay if I keep it? It's what I've always used."
"What you went through doesn't define who you are. It does, however, make up a portion of who you have become. Your experiences helped shape you, and a change of name will never negate the person you are inside. You're always going to be my Breeze, honey. You're my other half, and I love you from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. You're going to be mine forever."
She pondered his words for several moments then grinned. "Okay, then I accept."
He drew back and wrinkled his brow. "You accept? What do you mean?"
"Your proposal just now. You said you wanted to be my husband. That means you proposed and I want to be yours forever, Asher. So, yes, I'll marry you."
His mouth fell open in shock. Slowly he closed it. "Well, okay then. I was going to give you some time to get used to the idea before I just threw it on you." He sighed heavily. "I guess we need to go ring shopping soon."
She shook her head. "No, we don't need to do that. I already have one."
He wrinkled his brow. "What do you mean you already have one?"
She jumped up from the sofa and ran into the bedroom. Returning a few minutes later with a small box, she handed it to him and sat back down. Finch opened the box and stared in shock.
"Breeze, why do you have my grandmother's ring?"
She grinned at him and hugged herself tightly. "Your mother gave it to me right before they flew home. She apologized for being mean to me - her words not mine - and said that she wanted me to have it. She said she was saving it for the woman you married one day and was afraid that you would run off with me before she got a chance to give it to us." She reached over and touched the antique white gold, diamond and sapphire ring reverently. "It's so beautiful."
Instead of trying to figure out two of the three most important women in his life, Finch pulled the ring out and placed it on her left ring finger. "It even fits. If that isn't a sign you are perfect for me, nothing is." Lifting her chin gently, he pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. "And nothing is as beautiful as you."
The thick fog rolled over the landscape in white puffs that pulled visibility to almost zero. Turning the headlights of his pickup on low, Railroad peered into the dense haze, watching the yellow center lines slide slowly by. While Finch took his little family to Illinois, Railroad and the rest o
f the team returned to California. Today was the first day back to duty after being out for so long. He made sure to exercise daily to stay in shape, but PT this morning had sucked. That had been followed by a long day of catching up on paperwork, drills, and training. By the time they stumbled into the parking lot, the sun had gone down, and the blanket of mist had descended, obliterating everything.
The lamps did little to illuminate the street, and he had to concentrate to keep the truck on the road. The vehicle ahead of him slowed marginally to go around a curve, and he followed suit, keeping his speed well below the limit. As they entered another straightway on the mostly empty street, the car accelerated slightly.
Lights in his rearview mirror caught his attention. Glancing up, he saw a vehicle barrel around the curve and pull up on his bumper. Frowning, Railroad wondered what kind of idiot drove like a bat out of hell on a night like tonight. It looked like the kind that drove a dark larger automobile like an SUV or full-size pickup.
Glancing forward again, he saw the car in front of him slow, and the red brake lights lit as another curve became barely visible before them. Tapping on his brakes, he blinked in shock when the vehicle behind him suddenly swung out and roared past him, passing in the curve. Railroad gritted his teeth, hoping that whatever deity that favored the mortally stupid was keeping an eye on the driver as he sped up next to the car in front of him.
There was a flash between the two vehicles, followed by a second and the rear left side of the car suddenly erupted in sparks. As he watched, the SUV sped away as the driver in the car fought to keep the now injured car on the road. Tapping his brakes to put a little distance between them, he watched in horror as the car fishtailed right then left before sliding off the road and rolling over several times and coming to rest on the left side of the road, upside down with the lights facing him.
Justice for Breeze Page 18