Say You Love Me (Welcome To Redemption #9)

by Donna Marie Rogers

  At least, she assumed they were dating. Guess they’d need to have a conversation to clarify things real soon.

  “Oh, please. You’re making me feel ancient. Call me Bev.”

  “Sorry,” she said, her smile sheepish. “Thank you, Bev.”

  The older woman’s gaze landed on her son, and a huge smile lit up her face. She glanced at Noah, who stood beside him, and her smile froze. Bernie’s pulse sped up as Bev eyed their son with obvious curiosity. Could she possibly suspect the truth? No…no, that was impossible.

  Before she could overthink it, the older woman smiled in welcome and propped her hands on her hips. “Noah, right? I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. I sure hope you’re enjoying Redemption, that it’s starting to feel like home.”

  “Thank you,” Noah replied. “And yeah, it’s a pretty cool place.”

  Bev nodded, held his gaze a moment longer, then grabbed Maddie’s free hand. “I think it’s time for you to meet Delilah. I’ve been telling her all about you.”

  So, had he lied for Bev’s sake, or was her son truly starting to appreciate his new home?

  They followed her to the windowed display where several adorable kittens lounged, played, and ate from a dish of kibble. Maddie pressed her face to the glass and cooed at them, while Noah eyeballed them in contemplative silence.

  Bev retrieved the fluffy, gray and white one from the back of the display and brought her out to meet her new mommy. Maddie took the gorgeous little furball from her grandmother’s arms with a squeal of excitement.

  Mike stood back and watched as his mom chatted with Bernie and Noah, and Maddie played with her new feline buddy.

  Gina’s death, he realized as he watched their daughter cuddle her gift from heaven, had hit him harder than he’d imagined. Not because he had any residual feelings for her, but a huge sense of regret had washed over him with the realization that Maddie would never get to meet her mother, and Gina would never get the chance to turn her life around.

  And speaking of mothers, his had looked as if she’d seen a ghost when her gaze landed on Noah. Though he couldn’t think of any reason she’d have such a visceral reaction to him. She’d seen him at the barbecue and hadn’t said anything. He was probably just worried about her reaction once he told her he and Bernie were seeing each other again. Not that his mother would disapprove. She’d always loved Bernie. But she would be worried about him, especially in light of Gina’s death.

  The door opened, and Mike smiled as June Dolinski walked in, her granddaughter, Joy, and Logan Walsh right behind her. He and Logan had been friends back in grade school, though Walsh was a couple years older, so they hadn’t hung out as much once the guy started high school.

  But they’d caught up over a beer one night at Rowdy’s a few months ago. Logan had moved out of state after high school, but returned to take over the family farm after his father’s death four or five years ago. He’d also mentioned working for the Dolinskis, and it appeared he’d become pretty close with the family if he was driving June and Joy around town.

  Logan nodded a hello, Joy smiled in his direction, and her grandmother strode up to the counter and smiled brightly at his mom. “Hello, Bev. I got your call, and I’m here to pick up Sweet Pea’s new bed.”

  His mother’s brow creased with confusion. “You picked it up yesterday, June. With your husband. Don’t you remember?”

  “No, I did not,” Mrs. Dolinski insisted with a mutinous scowl. “Did Joy tell you to say that?”

  Joy hurried to the counter. “Gram—”

  “Of course not.” His mother’s frown deepened. “We spoke for a good ten minutes. You told me about Joy’s engagement, and how you were so excited to help plan the wedding.”

  Wedding plans? Logan hadn’t even mentioned he and Joy were dating, let alone engaged.

  “Yes, I remember that,” she snapped. “But my princess still needs her bed.”

  His own curiosity grew as his mother turned her dumbfounded gaze toward Joy, who offered a pleading smile in return. “Maybe we could go check in the back while Gram stays here with Logan?” She looked at Walsh. “Do you mind, honey?”

  “Not at all.” He reached out to touch June’s shoulder. “I bet Sweet Pea would love a new leash. Why don’t we go look?”

  “I suppose I could look,” the older woman grudgingly agreed.

  Mike smiled as they walked past, heading for the center aisle. Logan angled toward him as he followed Joy’s grandma.

  “Hey, Mike, what’s up?”

  “Nothing much.” After a quick glance at Maddie, who was still busy snuggling her new kitten, Mike walked with them, curious about the conversation he’d just overheard.

  As Mrs. Dolinski perused the leashes, he stood next to Logan a few feet away. “I didn’t know you and Joy were even seeing each other, let alone planning a wedding.”

  The guy cast a sidelong glance at June while gesturing Mike back a few more steps. “We’re not, and we’re definitely not,” he responded in a low tone. “Not for real anyway.”

  “O-kay…?”

  Walsh frowned as he glanced toward the front of the store. “I’m helping Joy, that’s all. I’m guessing your mom and Bernie can fill you in when we leave.”

  June turned then, holding out two identical leashes. “Which of these two do you like best?”

  Logan pointed to the one on the right. When she looked at Mike, he nodded agreement. Seemingly pleased, she turned back to the display.

  “So, it looks like things are working out for you and Bernie.”

  That’s right, he’d mentioned her over that beer. “Yeah. We’re taking it slow, but I’ve definitely made some progress.” He considered explaining about Gina and why they were at the shop, but decided to save it for another time.

  “Hope it works out for you, man.”

  “Thanks. Me, too.”

  “I’m all set, Logan.” June held up a leash completely opposite of the ones she’d asked advice on. “Let’s go see if Bev has that bed ready.”

  They walked back up the aisle and joined the women at the counter.

  Once June was checked out and goodbyes said, Noah waved his sister over to the reptile section, where he’d been busy admiring some kind of snake. Curious, Mike joined them.

  “This is a milk snake,” he enthusiastically explained. “Isn’t it pretty?”

  “It’s a snake,” Bernie needlessly pointed out. “I’m not so sure I’m comfortable having one of those things in the house. And what about feeding it, taking care of it? Because I’m telling you right now, I’m not going to get stuck feeding a snake.”

  Mike chuckled.

  Noah shot him a look as if looking for support.

  Bernie crossed her arms and did that lippy pout thing as if expecting him to side with her.

  He cleared his throat and bent over to peer into the glass tank. The black, red, and gold striped snake in question slithered across the tank, pressing its little face against the glass as if desperate for attention. The little boy in Mike came out, and he waved to his mother.

  When she walked over and saw what they were all looking at, her smile widened. “Isn’t he a cutie? I got him in about a month ago. He’s a mellow little guy, a good eater, too.” She opened the lid and picked the slithery little creature up. “Are you thinking about buying him?”

  Noah nodded, his gaze glued to the playful snake his mother was enjoying way too much. How did he not know she was so comfortable with reptiles?

  “A birthday present?” she asked him.

  “No. My birthday was July twenty-first. Just a pet…if Bernie lets me get him.”

  “I’m still thinking about it,” she informed him, her nose crinkled with distaste as she warily eyed the creature.

  Mike almost laughed.

  “Would you like to hold him?” His mother asked Noah as the little snake stretched toward her face, as if trying to kiss her.

  “Can I?”

  “Of course.” She gently pa
ssed him over, showing Noah just how to handle him.

  “Will he bite me?” he asked, his tone reverent as the snake slithered from one hand to the other.

  “He hasn’t bitten me, yet, and I handle him a couple times a day. He certainly could, if he gets scared, or you don’t wash your hands after you eat, then pick him up. He’d think you were food. But it doesn’t hurt as much as you’d think, and they’re not poisonous, of course. They reach around three to four feet at maturity, so you’d probably need a larger tank in a few years.”

  Noah’s smile widened. He glanced at Bernie and asked, “Can I get him? I’ll do anything. Anything.”

  She hesitated, not that Mike blamed her. He’d never admit it aloud, but he wasn’t exactly a huge fan of snakes, though there was a story behind that—mainly running one over with the lawn mower and being peppered with bloody snake chunks. Now, lizards? Yeah. He’d always wanted an iguana, but his dad had been deathly afraid of anything with scales. Come to think of it, he thought with an inner chuckle, it was his mom who had cleaned up the minced snake.

  “It’s a huge commitment,” Bernie pointed out. “And not exactly an inexpensive one. If I agree to this, you will start doing all those chores you gripe about without one word of complaint.”

  “I promise!”

  She sighed, but a smile lifted the corner of her lips. “Fine. But let’s pick him up tomorrow, give Bev a chance to get everything together you’ll need, and you can figure out the best place to put his tank.” She glanced at his mom. “If that’s all right, of course?”

  “Oh, that’s perfect, actually. I close in about fifteen minutes, so we’d have to rush. This way, I can have him all ready to move to his new home by the time you get here tomorrow after school.”

  Noah’s disappointment was evident in the crook of his mouth, but he reluctantly agreed and turned to his sister. “We’re going to come right after school? You’ll even pick me up?”

  Bernie laughed. “Yes and yes. I’ll pick you up, and we’ll come straight here.”

  Pure joy transformed the kid’s face as he gazed at his sister with adoration. “Cool.” He handed his new pet back to Bev and told it, “See you tomorrow, boy. I’ll have a good name picked out for you, too.”

  Once his mom had them both rung up, they headed outside, Maddie with her kitten clutched in her arms while he carried the litter box, litter, and a bag with food, bowls, a collar, and a few toys.

  “Well, that was fun,” he said to Bernie, hating to have to cut their time together short. “But we’d better get Delilah home and settled in. Call you later?”

  “Sounds good. We’re going to grab dinner at Nino’s, then head home so Noah can get started on his laundry.”

  A groan of disappointment was her response.

  Mike grinned. He wanted to lean in and kiss her, give her a proper goodbye, but she was sending some pretty strong ‘not in front of the kids’ vibes, so he nodded instead. “Have a cannoli for me.”

  “Bye!” Maddie called after them.

  Once he had Maddie buckled into her seat, he handed her furry new friend over, and headed home.

  He made fish sticks and macaroni and cheese for supper, and was just about finished washing the dishes when his back door opened and in walked his mother.

  “Michael, we need to talk.”

  Curious and a little surprised by her grim tone, he finished rinsing the pot he’d just scrubbed, dried his hands, and turned to face her. “What’s up?”

  She turned on his Keurig maker and retrieved a clean mug from the dish drainer. When she avoided eye contact, his pulse kicked into overdrive.

  “Mom?” He strode forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What is it? You’ve got me a little worried here.”

  She turned, her face taut with determination, and announced without preamble, “I think Noah might be your son.”

  His breath froze in his chest. “What? That’s…crazy.”

  “Hear me out,” she insisted as she stirred a spoonful of powdered cream into her coffee. She took a seat at the kitchen table and gestured for him to do the same.

  “Mom, Bernie lost the baby, you know that.”

  “Did she? Mike, think about it. She told you about the baby right after Christmas, said she was a couple months along. The baby would’ve been due in late July. Noah said his birthday is July twenty-first.”

  Mike’s head swam as he mentally traveled back in time to that night. He and Bernie had fooled around plenty, but they’d only made love twice. The first time had been the weekend before Halloween. Her parents had gone to a party, so he and Bernie had watched a couple of horror movies, and ended up having sex for the first time. It was one of the most amazing nights of his life.

  Okay, so, doing the math, yes, it was certainly possible. But…no way. There was just no way Bernie could have lied to him about something so important.

  “It’s a coincidence, it has to be.”

  “He’s big for his age, just like you were.”

  He laughed that off. “And just like Bernie’s dad was.”

  She heaved an exasperated sigh before shooting to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  He watched her slip out the back door, only to return with an old photo album held against her breast. Apparently, she’d stopped at home for it before heading here. She set it on the table and flipped it open. He’d seen the black and white photos before, many years ago. His dad’s side of the family. She pressed her finger to the page below a picture he was pretty sure was his father.

  Only, it just as easily could’ve been Noah.

  “Jesus.” His hands shook. He fisted them together and stared at the picture of his father so hard it was a miracle he didn’t burn a hole through the page.

  “I only saw Noah for a few minutes at the barbecue, and I guess I wasn’t paying much attention with so much going on. But when I saw him standing next to you in the shop, my God…” She gave her head a slow, disbelieving shake. “I’ve looked at this picture of your father a million times, Michael. I mean…Noah was even standing the same way—arms crossed, legs spread wide, hips tilted forward. I started thinking about it. Bernadette left to live with her father and stepmother shortly after she told you she’d had a miscarriage, and she was gone almost a year. Noah would have been born during that time.”

  He stared at her, the truth seeping into his bones with sickening dread. Could Noah really be his son? His and Bernie’s child? All the pieces fit, and the more he thought about it, the more the notion had merit. But if it was true…that meant Bernie had conspired to keep his kid from him all these years.

  “Hey, can you stay here with Maddie for a little while?” He stood and dug his keys from his front pocket.

  “Of course, but—wait, where are you going?”

  “To find the truth.”

  Chapter 19

  “Mom, I have to tell them.”

  Bernie white-knuckled the phone as she waited for her mother’s response. She’d come to the realization at dinner while watching Noah’s face light up as he talked about Mike. Though she had no idea how the hell she was going to do it, she had to tell them. They both deserved to know the truth. Mike would hate her, or, at the very least, he’d never be able to forgive her. And Noah…my God, just imagining his reaction was enough to steal her breath.

  She was supposed to be his big sister. He looked up to her, trusted her.

  And pretty soon he’d despise her.

  But she hadn’t been able to think about anything else since the moment she’d seen them on that Jet Ski together. Mike and Noah, having a great time, bonding…but as friends, not as father and son, as they should be. And the fault for that lay solely at her feet. Not that she’d made the decision maliciously. She’d made the best decision she could for herself and her infant son at the time.

  But that inexplicable look on Bev’s face as she gazed at Noah brought the truth home like a punch to the gut. She suspected. Bernie was almost positive. And somehow, so
meway, the truth would come out. It always did.

  “Oh, honey, I know why you feel that way, but…are you sure? I agree they both have a right to know. There’s just so much involved in outing a secret like this. Most importantly, what will it do to Noah? He’ll be devastated.”

  “I know, Mom. Believe me, it’s all I’ve been thinking about. Noah is dealing with so much already. But, how can we all move forward and build a life together as a family with something like this hanging over our heads?”

  “Mike will understand,” her mother stated, as if trying to convince herself as well as Bernie. “Of course, he’ll be angry at first. But he’s just as much to blame for this as anyone. He’s not a kid anymore, he’s a man, and he’ll realize that his own words were the catalyst for…everything that happened.”

  “I hope you’re right. But it’s not really Mike’s reaction I’m worried about. I’m a grown woman, I can deal with whatever he throws at me. I’m just so afraid I’m going to ruin Noah’s memory of Dad and Natalie. I never in a million years thought I’d be put in this position. But life rarely goes as planned, does it?”

  Sorrow, bitter and strong, gripped her as she thought about her father and step-mother.

  “I’m afraid not, sweetheart.”

  Startled by a sharp rapping on the front door, she glanced at the clock—five to eight. A little late for a visit. She knew Noah was playing video games upstairs with his headphones in, so she got up to answer the door, the phone clutched in her hand. A quick peek through the curtains had her breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of Mike.

  Then again, he stood on her porch, arms crossed in a defensive gesture, his face mostly in shadow, so she couldn’t be sure of his mood. Or his reason for dropping by so late unannounced. Relief faded to unease.

  “Bernie, you still there?”

  “Yep, sorry, Mom. Mike’s at the front door.”

  “Really? Talk about perfect timing.”