Adored (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 2)

by Belle Calhoune

  “Thanks. I learned to make those when I did a college internship in Paris. It’s a very popular specialty in France.”

  “I can see why,” Addie said, taking another bite of her sandwich.

  Caleb watched Addie as a feeling of satisfaction flowed through him. He loved feeding the people he cared about. Addie was no exception. He loved her reaction to good food. She appreciated the smells and flavors like a true connoisseur. They settled in to their meal, enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful vista stretched out before them. There was nothing but blue skies and a vast ocean stretched out for miles.

  “And the piece de resistance,” Caleb said in a triumphant tone. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a two glass jars.

  Addie wrinkled her nose. “What is it?”

  “Key lime pie with blueberries on top.”

  “Be still my heart,” Addie gushed. “How did you know key lime is my favorite?”

  “Everybody loves key lime pie, Addie,” Caleb said with a chuckle. He handed her a glass jar and a spoon. Addie dug in with gusto. Caleb smiled at the sight of her.

  Addie looked up from her dessert and caught him staring at her. “What’s wrong? Do I have key lime all over my face?”

  “No,” Caleb said. “I’m just enjoying your enthusiasm. There’s no greater compliment for a chef than to see someone devouring his creation with gusto.”

  Addie’s eyes widened. “Devouring? Yikes. Not sure I’m being very ladylike.”

  Caleb grimaced. “Forgive my poor choice of words. As a chef, the word devouring is a good thing. Please don’t be embarrassed.”

  She began to laugh. “Don’t worry. I love food way too much to feel badly about it. Thank goodness I have a reasonably good metabolism.”

  Caleb chuckled along with her. As a chef, there was nothing more he appreciated than a woman who loved food.

  Once Addie had polished off her key lime dessert, she leaned toward him with a serious expression stamped on her face. “Caleb. There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened. “Uh oh. This sounds ominous.”

  “No. It’s not. I promise.” She bit her lip. “I’m just worried about your reaction to what I have to say.”

  He leaned forward toward Addie. His pulse quickened. Was she ending things between them? The very thought of it made him sick to his stomach.

  “Go ahead, Addie. You can tell me anything.” And he meant it. Whatever she had to tell him, Caleb would be supportive.

  “It’s about your birth mother. Rayna Johnson.” The words came out of Addie’s mouth in a halting manner.

  He frowned at her. “What? Do you know something I don’t?”

  She ran a hand through her long strands of hair. “The other night I couldn’t sleep after we met with Chandra. I kept thinking about the things she said. So, in the wee hours of the morning I got up and started doing some research on my computer.”

  Caleb listened without uttering a word.

  “I came upon an article from a Tampa newspaper. It was about your biological mother.” She began fiddling with her hands, twisting her fingers around. “She’s been through a lot in her life. It seems she was a brilliant student, Caleb. She went to college on scholarship after a really tough upbringing. That’s where she met your father.”

  Caleb’s eyes widened. He let out a slight noise. She kept talking so she didn’t lose her nerve. “She struggled after your father died in an accident. She suffered from depression and drug abuse. Although she didn’t call you out by name, the article referenced a child she gave up to the foster care system after an apartment fire. It sounds like she relinquished custody so you could have a better life.”

  He let out a groan. “Addie, what’s the point in telling me all of this? It’s just opening up old wounds.” His voice was sharp. He didn’t even sound like himself. But she knew instinctively what he was doing. He was protecting himself from further hurts. Addie scooted over on the blanket so she was right next to Caleb. She reached out and placed his face between her palms.

  “Caleb. This is your history. No matter how much you try to hide from it, it’s out there. And it may not be my place to say it, but I think you should meet your birth mother. I think you should hear her story so you can fill in all the blanks.”

  Caleb glared at her. “I’m not hiding from it. I’ve made a choice to put the past to rest.”

  Addie shook her head at him. “The past isn’t at rest, Caleb. It’s lurking inside you. You’re a wonderful, amazing man. And I care about you deeply. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be saying all of this. I think not knowing the answers to a host of questions is hindering you.” Her voice softened and became more tender. “I don’t want that for you.”

  For a moment their eyes locked. Addie could see all the anger fade away from Caleb’s eyes. “You’re right,” he said. “I’ve been stuffing a lot of this down for a very long time. When I was at one of the foster care agencies I overheard some workers talking about my birth mother.” He shuddered. “They were saying terrible things about her. They said she was a prostitute.” He shuddered. “They said she left me to die in the apartment. I haven’t wanted to think about it all this time.”

  “It might not be true,” Addie said. “And if it is, at least you’ll get answers. Closure.”

  “So you think it’s the right thing to do by meeting her?”

  “If you don’t mind my saying it, I think God is pointing you in this direction. It gave me goosebumps when Chandra recognized you. What are the odds of something like that happening? A college friend of mine remembering you from childhood? That was a God moment.”

  “It is pretty astounding. Maybe God is nudging me in the right direction. No matter what happens or what I find out, I won’t let it break me. I’m stronger than that.”

  “You are strong, Caleb. Your past has allowed you to be resilient. I’ll be with you every step of the way. If you’ll let me,” Addie said. She meant it. She wanted to be with Caleb to support him as he delved into his past with his biological mother. And if he fell, she would be there to catch him.

  “Of course I’ll let you, Addie. Don’t you know that you make me a better man? Your support means everything to me.” His head lowered and he placed his lips on hers. He kissed her with a tenderness that made her soul ache. She felt his hand on the back of her head. His lips tasted like the sweet tang of the lemonade they’d been drinking.

  She had no idea where this romance with Caleb was headed, but in her heart she hoped it was for keeps.

  **

  Caleb was grateful to Addie for pushing him in the direction of his birth mother. He didn’t have any expectations for their meeting, but he knew it had to happen so he could move forward. He needed clarity. He needed to brush away all the cobwebs from his early years. Rayna Johnson was the only one who could provide answers to the questions that plagued him.

  Although he’d told Addie to reach out to Chandra about meeting Rayna face to face, there was one thing he needed to do first. He needed to speak to his parents and let them know what he was about to do.

  Caleb headed over to the Donahue house after attending Sunday service with Addie. They had prayed together over his meeting with Rayna and his impending conversation with his folks. They had decided it was best he speak to Jude and Penelope on his own.

  As he let himself in to the house, he called out to them. It gave him a feeling of comfort to know that things hadn’t gotten so bad between his parents that they couldn’t still share a home. He prayed they were finding their way back to one another, one day at a time.

  “We’re in the kitchen,” Penelope answered. Caleb headed down the hallway toward the sound of his mother’s voice. He sniffed the air. As usual, there was something heavenly wafting in the air. As soon as he crossed the threshold, his parents turned toward him with effusive greetings. His mother reached his side in seconds. She took his face between her pot-holder encased hands and placed a kiss on his chee
k. His father came over and gave him a hearty clap on the back.

  “Hey, Caleb. Thanks for stopping by. We know how busy you are.”

  “Our son the restaurant owner,” Penelope said, beaming at him. “You’re a regular chip off the old block.”

  “Come sit down. We just made some clam chowder and baked bread.” Jude winked at him. “It’s pretty good if I do say so myself.”

  Sunday was a day of worship and cooking for his parents. It always had been. Although the Silver Spoon was open for business, neither one ever went in to work on a Sunday.

  He sank down into a chair as his parents bustled around getting bowls and plates. Before he knew it, there was a steaming hot bowl of clam chowder sitting in front of him. Seconds later, there was a huge slice of his favorite bread laid out before him. His parents both sat down on either side of him at the table with their own bowls and slices of bread.

  Jude reached out and grabbed Caleb’s hand. “Let’s pray over the food.” Caleb reached out for his mother’s hand and closed his eyes. “Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with this food and our wonderful Donahue family. May we never lose sight of Your continued blessings.”

  “Amen,” Caleb said, lifting his head up and reaching for his bread before taking a huge bite.

  Both of his parents chuckled. “You haven’t changed a bit since you were a kid. Do you know that?” Jude asked. “From the moment we brought you home, you had the appetite of a lion. It tickled us beyond measure. Here you were this little tyke with the appetite of a grown man. It was very reassuring.”

  “And you were always so curious about the ins and outs of the kitchen,” Penelope added. “You used to love to come to the Silver Spoon so you could watch what went down in the kitchen. All of your siblings wanted to eat cheeseburgers, but you wanted to discover how to make them.”

  Caleb grinned. He had fond memories of those days. His parents had shown him how to make food. In the process, they had given him a vocation. He would always be grateful to them for it, along with a million other things.

  He began to eat his chowder before it cooled off too much. There was nothing in this world like steaming, fresh clam chowder. He had been introduced to it as a child during one of their family visits to their Donahue cousins in Cape Cod. Ever since that visit, Caleb had been a huge fan of the fish soup.

  “So, you said you had something to discuss with us,” Penelope said, her voice laced with curiosity. “I have to admit, I’m dying of curiosity.”

  Caleb darted a glance between his parents. He didn’t want to place them under any additional stress, but he needed to talk to them about his plans. He owed them that much after a lifetime of love and care.

  “I’ve made a decision about something. I didn’t tell you when it happened, but I recently ran into someone who knew me from my early childhood.” He swallowed past the huge lump in his throat. For a moment he looked down, not wanting to see the expressions on their faces when he dropped his bomb. A startled sound crept out of Penelope’s mouth.

  “My birth mother—Rayna Johnson—is still living in Tampa where I grew up. I know it might shock you to hear it, but I want to meet her.” He shook his head. “I need to meet her.”

  When he finally looked up, Caleb let out a sigh of relief. All he saw in his parents’ eyes was love and understanding. Penelope reached out and clasped his hand. “Of course you should, Caleb. It’s the most natural thing in the world to want to know where you came from. We’ve always been limited with regards to the information passed down to us about your origins. I’ve always felt so helpless. And we told ourselves that if you ever came to us wanting those answers, we would move heaven and earth to get them for you.”

  “That hasn’t changed one bit, son,” Jude said in a raspy, emotion-filled voice.

  “I-I’ve blocked out a lot of things. The fire. My early life. But I need to know what happened to me. God blessed me by placing me in your hands. I couldn’t have asked for a better, more loving family unit. But if I don’t get these answers, it might get in the way of my future.”

  “A future with Addie?” Jude asked. “You’ve been different ever since she came into your life. Happier. More grounded.”

  Caleb shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not sure. It’s still early days, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I thought I was in love—especially with Felicity—but now I think it was more infatuation. I wasn’t focused on the right things with her. I always noticed her outward beauty, yet I ignored all the signs about her soul and what kind of person she was deep down. She burned me so badly I’ve avoided loving anyone ever since.”

  The corners of Penelope’s mouth turned upward into a smile. “And it’s different with Addie? She seems like a wonderful young woman.”

  “She is,” Caleb said. He felt like shouting it from the rooftops. He was certain he had a goofy grin on his face, but he didn’t really care at the moment. “Addie was the one who has been encouraging me to get closure regarding my birth mother. She really cares about me.”

  Penelope began sniffling. Tears coursed down her beautiful face.

  Caleb got up from his chair and placed his arms around his mother. “Mom, please don’t cry. Everything is going to work out just fine.”

  Penelope brushed away her tears. “These are happy tears, Caleb. My dream for each and every one of my children is for them to be happy, healthy, God fearing and loved in abundance. Knowing that you may have found your other half is so wonderful. It puts my soul at ease.”

  “Don’t book the church just yet, Mom,” Caleb teased. “I’m falling in love with Addie, but we still have miles to go on our journey.”

  “It sounds like you have a great partner to walk down the road with,” Jude said. He darted a glance at his wife. “That’s truly all you’ll ever need in this lifetime.”

  “So it sounds like I have your blessing to meet with Rayna Johnson?” Caleb asked.

  “You never needed our blessing, but you have our wholehearted support,” Jude said, reaching across the table and squeezing his son’s arm. “No matter what happens, we’ll always be your forever family.”

  Forever family. That’s what the Donahue clan was to him. They had nurtured and protected and loved him for all these years. Tracking down his birth mother would never change that fact. He wasn’t sure what he was even hoping for in meeting with Rayna. Did he dare to dream of finding another mother who might have loved him ever since the day he came into the world?

  **

  Addie let out a frustrated sigh as she drove up to the Blue Bayou. Even though the bistro wasn’t open for business today, she still had to swing by in order to pick up a folder she needed to look over. She was in the middle of booking a taste of Pelican Bay event at the bistro and she needed to look over some forms before she could seal the deal. A feeling of euphoria rose up inside of her. Even though she was annoyed at herself for leaving the file behind, she was excited about increasing revenue for the bistro. The tasting event would allow people to try out the bistro for the first time and give the Blue Bayou exposure.

  She parked her car in the lot and made her way to the entrance. About twenty feet in front of the restaurant stood a man taking pictures of the Blue Bayou and the area surrounding it. He was concentrating so much on the task at hand that he didn’t even notice her walking toward the entrance.

  She did a double-take when she recognized the tall, broad shouldered man with wavy dark hair. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his three-piece suit. His name was Ricardo Sansa. He had been in her father’s employ for at least a decade or more.

  “Ricardo. What are you doing here?” she asked as she reached his side.

  Ricardo’s eyes widened. He fumbled with his camera. “A-Addie. It’s good to see you.”

  She skipped the pleasantries. “Why are you taking pictures outside of my restaurant?”

  “Your restaurant? I-I didn’t know it was yours.” Ricardo began to stammer. “I-I’m just doing what your father told me to
do. I really can’t discuss it.”

  “You can’t discuss it?” she asked, her suspicions rising by the second.

  Ricardo shook his head and said, “I’ve got to go, Addie. I’m sorry I can’t stick around and talk.” Before she knew it, Ricardo had walked away at a furious pace. She called out to him, but he didn’t slow down or even turn around to face her. He turned the corner and vanished from view.

  Addie frowned. Something was up. She could feel it all the way down to her toes. Why had her father sent his employee down here to take pictures of the exterior street view of the Blue Bayou?

  She let herself in to the restaurant and then proceeded to dig around in her purse for her cell phone. She quickly dialed her father’s number, muttering as the call went to voice mail. “Daddy. It’s Addie. I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.” She ended the call, then went in search of her file, all the while praying Ricardo’s presence outside the bistro wasn’t as troubling as she feared.

  “We think we know everything about the people we love. But that’s not true. Everyone harbors secrets. Some are big, while others are small and inconsequential. The true test is what happens when we peel back the layers.”

  Nash Donahue

  Chapter Nine

  “Are you nervous?” Addie turned toward Caleb as they drove down the highway toward Tampa. Four days ago she had contacted Chandra about arranging a meeting between Rayna and Caleb. Chandra had acted as the intermediary and she had called Addie right back to tell her that Rayna eagerly wanted to reconnect with her son. She would make herself available anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Caleb had wanted to set up the meeting for as soon as possible. Addie wondered if he had been worried he might change his mind.

  “A little bit,” Caleb acknowledged. “I just don’t know what to expect. And I’m still having a hard time remembering things. The mind is a funny thing. I suppose on some level it’s still protecting me.”