“That’s all right, we’ve both been working way too hard. Our bodies obviously needed a break. But, today is a whole new day —”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to figure out what that means,” Kendall answers with panic in her eyes.
“Oh, come on now, you said you trusted me,” I tease.
Kendall shrugs. “You’re right. Momentary setback. Lead on.”
As I pull the motorcycle up to the entrance of Hendrick’s Park, Kendall exclaims, “Look at all those rhododendrons. I’ve never seen so many flowers in one spot! No wonder you told me to bring the camera.”
“We’re going to have plenty of time to take pictures because this is our hiking destination for the day. I love this park. It’s so peaceful. There are so many different varieties of flowers, you can’t possibly see them all — but it’s fun to try. The paths meander everywhere, and it’s perfect for private conversation, especially this time of year. It’s a little early for full bloom, but the flowers are already stunning.”
“A few years ago, Will got me an uber-fancy digital camera to take macro pictures. I’m so intimidated by all the bells and whistles, I’ve never learned how to use it correctly. I kind of wish I would’ve brought it because it would take some amazing pictures. Unfortunately, all I have with me is my cell phone and a little cheap camera from Walmart. I didn’t know I was going to be presented with a world-class picture taking opportunity. Next time, I’ll know better.”
“You have a good eye for artistic things, so I’m sure your pictures will be magnificent either way,” I comment as I zip Kendall’s hood up a little tighter. I drop a light kiss on her lips as I pull away. “Let’s get this show on the road. I have more things planned for today.”
“More than this?” Kendall asks with a stunned look.
“Absolutely. Prepare to have more of your fantasies come true.” I slide one arm around her waist and cuddle her closer as we choose a path and start to walk. Her wide eyes and gasps of appreciation are all I need to know to affirm my choice of outing. This is going to be a very good day.
“I thought these boots were comfortable when I put them on, but I was wrong,” Kendall wheezes as we sit down at a picnic table.
Her eyes widen as I remove boxed-lunches from my backpack. “How did you score these? When I asked him about it last night, the chef said he only makes these for special catering jobs.”
“I doubt I had much to do with it. I've got a hunch that the chef is sweet on you — especially after you wrote him a handwritten thank you note for dinner yesterday. He seemed confused and a tad smitten.”
“I was just being nice. It was fabulous food. You have to give me that.”
“Oh, I’m not arguing. I’m just saying you’ve earned another fan.”
Kendall flexes her ankles and rolls her shoulders. “I definitely earned something. I’m not going to be able to move for a week. I’ve been working at a sedentary job for too long. I forgot how much of a workout a simple hike can be.”
“Don’t worry. I’m in the business of taking away all your pain this weekend. I’ve got you covered.” I promise with a mischievous grin.
CHAPTER 19
KENDALL
“WHAT’S WRONG? DID YOU LOSE your Polly Pocket dolls again?” Will asks when he finds me on my hands and knees under my desk. I hit the back of my head on the bottom of my desk drawer when I raise it in total shock. As far as I know, Will should be in Nebraska.
Rubbing my head, I look up at him. “What are you doing here?”
Will reaches out a hand to help me up. “I think the better question is: why are you down there?”
Brushing off the back of my pants suit, I explain, “Jameson got me a new surge protector and my charger is stuck. I’ve got a meeting on the road, and I need to take my computer.”
“Where is your Prince Charming today?”
I smile to myself. “He is pretty princely. Sadly, all fairytales must come to an end, and we both had to go back to work after our fabulous weekend together.”
Will grins and winks at me. “Had a good weekend, did you?”
“One of the best I’ve ever had. I didn’t know Jameson had such a tender, nurturing side. You should’ve seen all the things he did for me. We had the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten and then we went on a beautiful nature hike. Jameson was thoughtful enough to know I would get sore and scheduled a his-n-her spa treatment at a massage salon. I was more pampered than I’ve ever been in my whole life. After that, we went back to our room and ate in front of the fireplace and danced. It was beyond anything I could have thought up in my most indulgent fantasies of what a perfect romantic weekend would be like.”
My brother’s face softens as he takes in my joy. “Sis, I’m am happy to see you so content. You’ve been alone a long time. For a while I wondered if you would be sad forever.”
I roll my shoulder. “I don’t know what all this means in the grand scheme of things. There will always be a part of my soul that never lights up again. It died when Quinn died. Jameson makes me happy and hopeful in ways I haven’t been. I’m realistic enough to understand we have giant obstacles in front of us and I don’t know how we will tackle those. I am trying to just take it one day at a time and capture all the bliss out of each and every one. I’ll just deal with anything else as it comes.”
Will moves my desk a few inches from the wall, reaches down to unplug my cord, and hands it to me. “That’s the best you can do. If there’s anything I’ve learned, sometimes biding your time and being flexible can work out in the end.”
“Yeah, I suppose they did for you. You didn’t answer my question — why are you back in Oregon?”
“Turns out, I like it here. Besides, if I can’t hang out with my twin sister, who can I hang out with? You’re the only person who isn’t weird around me now that I have money.”
“Let me text the client and see if she minds if you tag along. It might be less awkward for this meeting if I have someone with me. Everything you might see or overhear in this meeting is confidential. You have to promise to stay in the background though, okay?"
“Don’t I always?” Will counters.
I choke back a guffaw of laughter. “Umm … like never. You must be terribly jet-lagged and confused.”
“Bethany is more of a bad-ass than I expected her to be, based on her TV interviews,” Will comments as he takes a bite of his loaded mashed potato skin. “What she is doing today is beyond gutsy.”
I stare across the restaurant at the two women sitting at a table several yards away. “Both women are stunning examples of courage. I don’t know if I could do the same thing.”
“Why are we here? It feels kind of like we’re chaperones on a blind date.”
“We’re here for moral support. Bethany is afraid she might freeze up like she does in front of the television cameras. She just wanted to make sure that if things got weird, I could provide an out. I think she’ll probably handle it fine. Even so, I want to make sure she feels as comfortable as she possibly can in such a bizarre situation.”
“You’re right. This is about as strange as it gets.”
“On the drive up here, Bethany explained what this meeting was for. I was flabbergasted. If something like that happened within my family, I think I would want to disappear to the core of the earth and never reemerge. So, it takes a big person to try to right all the wrongs with that kidnapping.”
“I agree. I hope everything goes smoothly with the meeting,” I comment. Just as I add those words, I hear a sob from Bethany’s table.
“Uh-oh, that can’t be good,” Will mutters under his breath.
Will stands up to go toward Bethany’s table. I lay a hand on his forearm as I whisper, “Wait! She hasn’t given the signal.”
My brother glares at me. “The woman is sobbing. I think that’s signal enough. I’m going to go check.”
After a moment of indecision, I concede, “I guess I could use a trip to the little girl’s room.” I
have to scoop up my computer and dump it in my bag and run to keep up with my brother.
I try to slow down and nonchalantly walk by Bethany and Naomi’s table. Bethany catches me out of the corner of her eye. She motions me over to the table. Will and I stop in our tracks. Instinctively, Will steps back. “You too. We need your opinions,” Bethany says.
“Both of our opinions?” Will asks skeptically. “You don’t know me."
Naomi nods. “That’s what makes your opinions so valuable. You don’t have any preconceptions about what’s going on.”
“I know about your case because I saw it in the news,” Will cautions.
Bethany rolls her eyes. “Hasn’t everyone?”
“Yeah, viral media has changed everything. Everybody has an opinion even if they don’t know all the facts.” I reply sympathetically.
“You’re telling me. I’ve never seen anything like this. People hate me. I didn’t have anything to do with Aunt Latrice’s craziness. But, I’ll never convince anyone of that,” Naomi replies tearfully.
“That’s not true. You convinced me, and that’s all that really counts. The rest of those people can take a flying leap. Opinions are like belly buttons. Everybody’s got one, but they don’t really matter much,” Bethany replies.
Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I was afraid that the meeting had broken down beyond repair and turned into Bethany’s every nightmare. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening here. The women appear to be developing some sort of friendship.
Will and I borrow chairs from the next table and sit down with Naomi and Bethany.
I barely have a chance to place my computer back at my feet before Will speaks up. “I know I’m supposed to be hiding in the background, but I can’t help being the curious little brother in this situation. Why were you all crying?”
“Oh my, we did create quite a scene, didn’t we?” Naomi says as she blushes.
“It’s okay, I wasn’t paying attention to our surroundings either. I was crying as much as you were,” Bethany admits.
“About?” Will presses.
“Well, every day I look at Asher, and I think how lucky I am to be blessed with him. It makes me sad to think that Naomi and Seth don’t get to have that same joy. So, I started thinking about ways I could help with that. I decided that God must’ve put Naomi in my life for a reason, even if it started out in the craziest of ways. I offered to be a surrogate mother for her. I want her to have the same feelings of happiness from motherhood I get to experience.”
The incredible generosity at that statement takes my breath away. I gasp. “No wonder you guys were bawling in the middle of a restaurant. I feel like crying right now. Are you guys sure about this? Both of you have been through an incredibly emotional few months. This is a huge decision, even under the best of circumstances.”
“Yeah, we know. We know it’s crazy, and people will think it’s weird. Some people are going to believe it’s some sort of strange publicity stunt but to us, it feels right — like it’s our destiny. If it hadn’t been for my aunt’s weird fixation with making my life perfect, Bethany and I would’ve never met.”
“I hate to be a pessimist here, but that surrogacy stuff is brutal — not to mention expensive,” Will says quietly.
Bethany’s shoulders slump. “There’s the weakness in our plan. All of our women’s intuition and our heart’s bonding over this idea isn’t going to fix our realities. That’s the first thing my husband is going to say.”
“Mine too — right after he has me undergo a thorough psychological exam. If he thought that my flying out here for this meeting was the definition of stark raving mad, this idea is going to blow his mind.” Naomi adds.
I smiled wryly as I comment, “You have to admit that this approach is a little unorthodox. It’s going to make people scratch their heads. Bethany, your offer is incredibly generous, but you don’t need to feel guilty that you have a baby and Naomi doesn’t. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. I lost a son too. Eventually, you build a new life that’s different from the one you expected, but life does go on.”
“But what if the life Naomi was intended to have includes a baby I helped her create? I know it sounds weird, but I have a real sense of peace about it. What if I’m the one to help her move on from her loss?”
“Is that what your gut is telling you? Are you sure it’s not just a knee-jerk reaction to the kidnapping? You really don’t blame Naomi?” Will asks with a contemplative expression on his face.
“No! This was never Naomi’s fault.”
Will pulls out a business card from his wallet. “I have a charitable foundation set up with my financial advisor. If you decide to do this, and you need some help with your medical bills or anything else to make this happen — call him. We’ll call this ‘Project Whole Hearts'.”
I look at Will with wide-eyed astonishment. I am rendered speechless.
“Wait? What? Did you just offer to pay for the whole procedure? You don’t even know how much it’s going to cost,” stammers Bethany. “Why would you do that?”
“Because my twin sister lost her child and no one can make her heart whole. If I can help heal yours, I’d like to help.”
“Just like that?” Naomi pushes. “We don’t have to prove anything to you?”
“Why should you have to prove that you and your husband would love and provide for a child?” Will counters.
“That's funny! I kept asking that question the whole time we were going through the adoption process the first time. It would’ve been so much easier if we could’ve just done it the old-fashioned way,” Naomi answers with a low laugh.
Bethany reaches out and squeezes Naomi’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why things are easier for some people than others. But, now it seems we might be in this fight together. The next battle is to convince our husbands we are not two certifiably insane women. That may be the toughest battle of all.”
Tears gather in the corner of my eyes as Will drives me back to Locate My Heart. “I’m sorry I ever prejudged the way that you might spend all of your money. That was the most generous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“I’m so glad that I’ve finally made you proud.”
“I’ve always been proud of you, but this goes above and beyond. I hope those two can work something out. It would be a beautiful outcome to what could’ve been a very tragic event.”
“That’s why I came on board. I think they really mean it. I believe somehow, on a soul level, the trauma bonded them in a way that they can’t separate from each other.”
“I’m just blown away that you care enough about strangers to get involved.”
"I remember when we were eating tomato and mayo sandwiches, and I was mowing lawns to keep the electricity on. I swore that if I ever got any money, I was going to make sure that people could afford not only the necessities, but things their hearts could only wish for.”
“I’d say you’re well on your way to accomplishing that.”
Will parks his car in Locate My Heart’s lot. He looks over at me. “If I am the grantor of wishes, what do you wish for?”
“Pie-in-the-sky? I want no more missing children. I want to be able to sleep at night knowing every child is safe in their bed.”
“Well, that’s a no-brainer,” he answers with a dismissive shake of his head. “I meant personally. What does your heart wish for?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just want normal. I want to be happy. I want to love again with my whole heart. Watching Naomi and Bethany try to patch together something beautiful out of something so ugly makes me wonder if maybe I could have something more. My heart wish is to believe in love again. I want Jameson.”
“You know I’m just a heartbeat away if you need my help, right?”
“I do,” I answer as I give him a hug.
“Remember, you’re the strong, logical one. If I can make a miracle happen, so can you. I’m proof that heart wishes do come true. Go g
et yours.”
CHAPTER 20
JAMESON
THE SHRILL RING OF MY phone interrupts my concentration, and my fingers slip from the hand-hold as I’m two grips from the top of the wall. “You all right?” Aidan asks as he glances over to make sure I’ve caught myself. “I think you should grab that. I know that ringtone. That’s the one Tyler had us set up to receive updates on Logan’s shooting case involving Katelyn. He’s calling on official business.”
Before I can process those words, an incoming call arrives from Tristan. That’s enough to spur Kendall off the wall. She is the first to reach the ground. Even out of the corner of my eye, I can see she has turned deathly pale. I quickly reverse direction and rappel down the wall.
Kendall says nothing, but places her arm around my waist and briefly rests her cheek against my chest before we job over to my duffel bag and retrieve my phone.
Tyler has left a stark text message. “Meet me at the station ASAP. This is it.”
Kendall draws in a quick breath as she reads the message. “Oh my God! Toby?”
“I can only assume. Let me call Tristan back. Isaac probably has inside information,” I say, as all the oxygen seems to leave my body.
I don’t even get a chance to say hello when I reach Identity Bank. “Don’t argue. There is a chartered plane waiting for you at the Salem airport. It will fly you where you need to go.”
“I’m not arguing. What’s going on, Tristan?”
“I don’t have very many details, but your brother has been located in West Virginia. He is understandably traumatized and only wants to meet with you. He is too frightened to meet with anyone else. At the moment, he is refusing any medical treatment — although he is accepting food — which is a positive.”
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