Finding Family...and Forever?

by Southwick, Teresa

  “Yes.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  “Busted.” When had he come to know her so well? “But I’ll never be ready for this, so at least I can be punctual for the party.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  “Do you think Kyle is all right with Maggie?” They had just dropped the little guy off at the Potters’ house. She touched the handle but didn’t pull it to open the car door.

  “I’m sure he’s fine. He has excellent taste in friends, by the way. Danielle is very cute.”

  “She takes after her mom.”

  At play group that week Emma had mentioned the upcoming party and Maggie had offered to take Kyle for a couple of hours so the two little ones could play together. She wasn’t going to the party but knew about it because her mother was a friend of the Crawfords and would be there along with town business owners, professionals and longtime friends. The staff from Mercy Medical Clinic were all planning to attend.

  “Don’t worry, Emma. Maggie has both of our cell-phone numbers. If she needs us, she’ll call.”

  “I know. You’re right. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve left him.”

  “Now you know how I feel every day.” The interior light revealed his wry expression. “And you, Miss Robbins, are procrastinating.”

  “I was kind of hoping you hadn’t noticed.”

  “Nothing gets by me.” He grinned. “Mostly. Come on. Whatever happens, I’m right there with you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  When he slid out and shut the door, the SUV interior went dark, letting the night back in. She suddenly felt cold, alone and anxious. A single word of gratitude seemed totally inadequate when the truth was that she wouldn’t have gotten this far without Justin Flint. It wasn’t only the job that had made it possible for her to stay, but also the favor of a shoulder to lean on and someone to talk to. The dark was a reminder of how alone she was going to be when she had to quit her job.

  But that wasn’t happening tonight.

  She opened the car door and slid to the ground. Justin was there and rested his hand at the small of her back as they moved down the street toward the house, then stepped up on the curb and walked along the curved sidewalk to the Crawfords’ front door. The path was lined with vividly colored fall flowers and there was grass on either side. Her parents lived in a neat, two-story white clapboard house with hunter-green trim and a matching front door. There was a wraparound front porch with white Adirondack chairs where they could sit and greet neighbors who walked by or watch their children playing on the lawn.

  Emma realized she had no idea how the woman she’d thought was her mother had managed to abduct her and get away with it. Suddenly she wanted to know how it all went down, and these people had the answer.

  The sound of voices drifted to the porch from inside the house. Quite a few guests were already here. Justin rang the bell and a few moments later the door was opened by Alan Crawford.

  He grinned. “Glad you could make it, Justin.”

  “Me, too. Thanks for the invitation. You know Emma.”

  “Hi.” When did her throat get so dry?

  “I’ve seen you in the diner. Nice to finally meet you.”

  “Same here,” she managed to say.

  He closed the door, then looked at Justin. “You should know that Michelle wasn’t surprised. She figured out what I was up to a couple days ago. Still don’t know how I tipped her off. Fair warning, Justin. She said men aren’t subtle. Whatever that means.”

  “When you figure it out, let me know.”

  “Take a number,” he said ruefully.

  Emma smiled at the banter as she nervously looked around the inside of the house where her parents lived. One thing she’d learned in her time as a nanny is that a person’s surroundings contained clues about their character. Michelle and Alan Crawford had a warm and spotless environment, if the entryway was anything to go by. The two-story entry had a dark wood floor and brass coat rack by the front door where jackets, hats and scarves were hanging. A chandelier hung from the high ceiling and was shining on the dark maple banister and railing, Framed pictures of lakes and mountains hung on the expanse of wall that joined the two floors and there was a wooden bench at the bottom.

  “Hang your coats on the rack,” Alan said. “Or you can put them on the bench there.”

  “How’s the arm?” Justin asked, taking off his jacket and holding his hand out for hers.

  The other man made a fist and flexed his forearm. He was wearing a sweater over his checked cotton shirt and the bandage was hidden. “It’s healing nicely. No pain anymore.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He hung up their coats.

  “The birthday girl is in the living room,” he said. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “Beer for me,” Justin said. He looked at her and his expression said he was wondering how she was doing.

  “Do you have a chardonnay?” she asked.

  “It’s Michelle’s favorite. Coming right up. I’m pretty sure you know a lot of people here. Go on in and make yourselves at home.” Alan moved down a hall that presumably led to the kitchen.

  “You okay?” Concern darkened Justin’s eyes.

  “As well as can be expected.” She glanced at the place where the man disappeared. It would take a while to think of him as her father, if she ever could. “He seems nice.”

  “He is. Shall we go say happy birthday?”

  There was no getting out of it now. Again he put his hand on her lower back. It was touches like this that contributed to her “moments of weakness.” but right this minute she was very grateful to have him there.

  His fingers were warm, his smile encouraging. Her heart skipped a beat and she was almost certain that would never change. She could and would have taken this step alone, but his steady presence helped her put one foot in front of the other. And when it was all over, she knew he would be there with a shoulder to cry on or as someone simply to talk to.

  They turned left into a large room where the wood floor continued. An area rug contained a grouping of furniture that included two hunter-green floral-covered love seats and a couple of club chairs. The conversation area had a coffee table in the center. Ben McKnight and Camille Halliday sat on one love seat with Adam Stone and his wife, Jill, on the other. All of them waved a greeting.

  Emma recognized Mayor Goodson, an attractive brunette who could be anywhere from thirty to fifty. She was leading Blackwater Lake’s robust development, a strategy that included a summer and winter resort that would break ground soon.

  “Who’s that man standing by the love seat with the attractive brunette? The couple talking to Ben?” Emma looked up at Justin.

  “Ben’s brother, Alex, and his fiancée, Ellie Hart.”

  “Looks like they’re having fun.” And she wasn’t just referring to the fact that all three women had varying sizes of baby bump. Love? Or something in Blackwater Lake’s water? She wouldn’t put her money on magic. If it existed, Justin might have been tempted to take another chance on love.

  “That looks like a couples area.” His tone said it was a place he didn’t want to go. “And we’re on a mission. Remember? Mingle with your family.”

  “Right.” Knowing them a little better might make it easier to tell them who she was after the party was over. In a day or two.

  As they walked farther into the room, people greeted Justin. It seemed practically everyone had been to Mercy Medical Clinic. More impressive, he remembered all the names and introduced her. Unfortunately, the detour just fed the tension growing inside her. Eventually they made it to where Michelle was standing with another woman beside the large fireplace, which had an impressive oak mantel. A roaring fire was going there. The two were obviously friends and as
they moved closer, she extended her good wishes to the birthday girl and moved away.

  Michelle smiled warmly. “I’m so glad you both could come.”

  “Me, too,” Justin said. “I believe you’ve met Emma.”

  “Yes. How are you?”

  “Good,” she lied. “Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you.”

  Emma hesitated a moment, trying to think of something to say. Then she recalled what Alan had told them.

  “How did you find out about the surprise party?”

  Michelle’s eyes twinkled. “When you’ve known someone as long as I’ve known Alan, it’s pretty tough to get away with anything.”

  “How long have you known each other?” she asked.

  “We were high school sweethearts.”

  “That’s a while—” Emma realized what she’d said and stopped. “I mean—” She shook her head. “There’s no recovery from that. Let me just say you look fantastic.”

  “For my age.” The woman grinned good-naturedly.

  “For any age,” Emma said sincerely.

  It wasn’t like looking in the mirror. More a preview of how she might weather the years. Awfully darn well if she’d inherited this woman’s DNA. The lovely skin was relatively unlined and her trim shape showed that she took good care of herself.

  “Life does march on and leaves footprints on a face,” she said honestly. “There’s a reason it’s called a time line.”

  And life had thrown her a major curve, Emma thought. She’d been knocked around but hadn’t gone down. That was impressive.

  “So, you met your husband in high school. When did you two get married?”

  “Right after graduation,” she said.

  “Your parents didn’t have a problem with both of you being so young?” Emma asked.

  “They just knew we were determined to be together and bowed to the pressure. And I’m glad to say they never regretted supporting our decision.” She smiled, remembering. “I had the first of three boys about a year later.” She glanced at the mantel beside her with lots of framed photographs sitting there.

  Emma followed her gaze and realized the pictures were all family, individual and group. Dead center of all the frames was a photograph of an infant dressed all in pink.

  It was a baby picture, a child roughly six weeks old. That had to be Emma and it was the only one. She couldn’t seem to stop looking at it. Had she been stolen shortly after the photo was taken? Or like the average family who thinks they have all the time in the world, did they just get too busy to take more?

  “That’s Sarah Elizabeth.”

  Emma’s gaze snapped back to the woman and there were tears in her eyes. From newspaper articles about the kidnapping she’d known the name she was given at birth. But hearing it from her mother’s lips... What was she supposed to say?

  “I’m sure you heard that she was kidnapped. It was a long time ago, but people remember. We’ll always be the couple who own the diner and lost their little girl.”

  Profound pain brimmed in her mother’s eyes and broke Emma’s heart. “You don’t have to talk about it. This is a happy occasion. It’s your birthday.”

  “Mostly I don’t say anything, but sometimes I find myself thinking about her and the words just come out.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

  Emma touched her arm, a gesture of comfort. “It’s all right.”

  “I didn’t mean to do that.” The other woman’s mouth trembled when she tried to smile. “It’s just that every once in a while I can’t hold back the thoughts. Where is my child? How is she? Is she happy? Is she all right?”

  This was the moment Emma had come to Blackwater Lake for and instantly her uncertainty disappeared. There was no question in her mind about the right thing to do. Her parents were in conflict every single day because of not knowing what happened to their child.

  To her.

  If Kyle disappeared, the not knowing would be hell. Justin was right. She looked up at him now and he nodded slightly, encouraging her. It was way past time to end her family’s nightmare. Party or not, she had to tell them and knew now how wrong she’d been to wait so long.

  She was about to say something when Alan walked over with drinks in his hand. He gave the beer to Justin. “Here you go. And I have a glass of white wine for you.”

  A cold drink would feel good on her dry throat, maybe dislodge the lump there, but Emma’s hand was trembling too badly to take it.

  She shook her head, then looked at each of her parents. After taking a deep breath, she said, “You might want to sit down because I have something to tell you both.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Emma hadn’t let herself have any expectations about her family, let alone prepare for this moment if it ever came. She usually didn’t have trouble speaking her mind, but she was at a loss for words now. The sound of conversation around them disappeared as if some mysterious force had dropped a cone of silence.

  Michelle’s expression went from curious to just this side of anxious. “What is it, Emma?”

  “Why do we have to sit down?” Alan asked.

  Justin cleared his throat. “Is there somewhere we can go that’s quiet? With no people around?”

  “They’re everywhere,” Michelle answered. “Kitchen, family room, dining room. Even the backyard. I don’t understand— Why do we have to go somewhere private? It’s never a good thing when someone says that.”

  “No one’s in the garage,” her husband said.

  “Let’s go there,” Justin quickly said before either of them could ask more questions. He put his hand on Emma’s elbow, a small bit of contact that was both encouraging and reassuring. “Trust me, you’re going to want privacy for this conversation.”

  “You know what this is about?” Michelle’s expression was even more apprehensive when she looked at him. “Now you’re starting to scare me. Please, just say it.”

  “Justin’s right. Let’s go in the garage,” Emma said.

  Again, not the setting she’d pictured, but there probably wasn’t a chapter in any etiquette book to cover this situation. She looked at her father. “Lead the way.”

  He nodded grimly and offered the white wine he was still holding to his wife. When she shook her head, he set the glass on an end table then took her hand and led her through the house. They filed past the family room, where guests milled around, and finally turned down a hall. They walked through a door in the laundry room and into the cold, dark garage.

  Alan flipped a switch on the wall and a dim bulb overhead flashed on. As garages went, it was average except for one thing. There was a place for everything and everything in its place. Overhead suspension storage held bins of what looked like Christmas decorations. Tall white cabinets lined the walls and there was a workbench with Peg-Board above it for tools. Two vehicles were parked side by side, one a truck, the other a compact car.

  “There’s nowhere to sit unless we pull out the folding chairs.” Alan put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “So, whatever it is, just say it. We’ve had more than our share of bad and we’re still standing.”

  Emma could see him bracing for something awful. “Well, I hope this isn’t bad. I don’t think it is after what you said about wanting to know where your daughter is.”

  “You know something about our little girl?” Michelle’s voice broke.

  Emma met her gaze and saw fear and hope in the other woman’s eyes. No more dragging this out. It must be excruciating for them. “I am your daughter.”

  There was complete silence for several moments as they stared at her. Probably she should have taken her father up on the offer to get out folding chairs.

  Emma felt compelled to fill the hushed quiet. “I found out because my—” She couldn’t call th
e woman “mother.” That woman had turned their lives upside down and let Emma grow up living a lie. She was looking at her mother, the one who’d brought her into this world, and saw tragedy and pain on her face. With all her heart she wanted to erase it.

  “The woman who took me only confessed the truth when she was dying. She gave me your names and told me where to find you.”

  Then she stopped, letting them absorb the information and steeled herself for skepticism and anger. They’d probably want a DNA test.

  “You look just like your mother did in high school.” Alan’s voice was soft and cracked with emotion. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”

  “You weren’t looking,” Justin said.

  “Maggie Potter saw.” Michelle reached up and clutched the hand her husband had put on her shoulder. “At lunch that day when she had Danielle and you brought Kyle in with you. She noticed our eyes were the same color and the shape of our faces is similar. But I never thought—”

  “I remember.”

  The other woman stared at her as if she couldn’t look hard enough. As if she might disappear. “Does Maggie know who you really are?”

  “No.”

  “But Justin obviously does,” the woman continued.

  “I felt it was necessary to tell him. Whatever happened would affect him and his son. I hate lies and should have been completely honest at the initial interview, but I wasn’t sure what to do if I didn’t get the job.” Instead of firing her, he’d been nothing but caring and sympathetic in letting her find her way.

  “Let me get this straight.” Michelle blinked as if everything was slowly sinking in. “You’ve been here in Blackwater Lake all this time? Right here in town and didn’t tell us that you’re alive and well?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.” And she felt incredible guilt. “I just knew everything would change. It was such a shock to me, finding out. I can’t explain—”

  “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman.”

  Her mother didn’t sound angry, but Emma wondered how she couldn’t be. “I didn’t want to cause you more pain, or upset you. It sounds so silly now, but—”