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Traded

Page 21

by Tess Thompson


  “He’s had a good life,” Flora said.

  “I’d say,” Mike said. “The guy’s loaded from what I can tell. Anyway, I’ve got phone numbers and an address for you. If you want them.”

  “And what about my son?” Flora asked.

  “He was harder to track down, which is why it took me a couple weeks, but I found him. He was adopted by Francine and Marty Post and named Cameron Ryan Post. His adoptive parents were in their early forties and unable to have children. He was their only child. They passed away a few years back. Here’s the strange thing. Cam lives just up the coast. About an hour north of Cliffside Bay.”

  “An hour away?” Flora asked.

  “He lives in a little town called Stowaway on a working farm. Twenty-five hundred residents, give or take. His family raises strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. He grew up there with the Posts, but moved to the Bay Area after attending Stanford and had a very successful career in high tech. He didn’t say exactly, but I got the idea he made enough money to retire early. One of those high tech stock deals. When his parents passed away a little over two years ago, he inherited the house and property. About that same time, he got divorced and moved back to the farm. Since then, he’s been in Stowaway. No children. And Flora, he’s been looking for you. I was able to locate him fairly easily because he’d put his name on the registry of children looking for their birth parents. I called him to tell him you were looking for him too. He was overjoyed.”

  “He was looking for me?” Flora’s eyes had filled with tears. She grabbed onto Kara’s hand. “Does he want to see me?”

  “He’d like that very much,” Mike said. “He asked that I give you his phone number and email address. He said he’d leave it up to you about when to reach out. He doesn’t want you to feel pressured.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Flora said.

  “I didn’t tell him about his father,” Mike said. “I figured that’s your decision.”

  Would Dax want to see Flora? What would his reaction be that he has a son? Kara’s head swam with all the possibilities.

  “Regarding Dax Hansen—one bit of advice before I hang up,” Mike said. “Call first. Don’t just show up. Make sure he wants to see you. Sometimes people don’t want to be found.”

  Flora sat for a good minute after they’d hung up with the detective, staring at her hands. Finally, she spoke. “I don’t know what to do now.”

  “Do you want to call Cameron?” Kara asked. “Maybe talk for a bit?”

  “I want to, but I’m scared,” she said.

  “I’ll dial for you,” Kara said.

  Flora nodded. Yes, please.”

  Kara punched the number into Flora’s phone and handed it to her. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  A HALF HOUR LATER, Flora appeared in the kitchen, her face streaked with mascara. “He wants me to come see him at the farm. Today.”

  “Today?”

  “I know it seems too fast, but if I don’t do it now, I’m afraid I’ll lose my nerve. Plus, Brody isn’t here to talk me out of it.”

  Kara nodded. “Let me get my purse and car keys.”

  An hour later they were headed north on the coastal highway with the address loaded into the navigation system. They reached the sign for the town of Stowaway around noon. The GPS directed them to bypass town and take a road slightly east. They traveled for several miles and then turned down a narrow two-lane country road until they saw a sign that read POST FARM.

  “This is it,” Flora said. “I can’t decide if I’m going to be sick or start crying.”

  Kara squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be fine. You can do this.”

  They bounced along the gravel road for about a quarter mile until they came upon an open iron gate decorated with the letter P. Assuming he’d left it open for them, Kara drove through. Birch trees with newly sprouted green leaves lined the driveway. Fields of strawberry plants stretched for acres to their left. Horses and cattle munched grass in the meadow on the other side of the driveway. Beyond, there was a white farmhouse surrounded by maples, and a red barn.

  Kara continued to drive until they reached the farmhouse. She pulled up next to a black truck. A silver-haired man dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt stood on the wrap-around porch and waved. Kara stole a glance at Flora. Her face had bleached of color. “That’s him,” Flora said.

  “Shall we say hello?” Kara asked.

  Her question seemed to wake Flora from her trance. “Yes, yes.” She got out of the car and walked slowly across the yard as Cameron came down the steps.

  Kara, feeling self-conscious and unsure of what to do, hung back by the car.

  Flora and Cameron fell into an embrace. “I can’t believe it’s you,” Flora said.

  Kara studied his face to see if she could find a trace of Flora. They favored one another around the mouth, but his eyes were dark, as was his complexion. His silver hair did nothing to take from his youthful aura. Tall and slender with sinewy muscles, he moved with graceful athleticism.

  He introduced himself to Kara. “I’m Cameron. But everyone calls me Cam.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Kara. I work for the Mullens.” Firm handshake with distinct calluses. He did more than work in an office.

  “Yes, Flora explained that to me over the phone. Would you like to come inside?”

  She declined, knowing the two of them needed time alone, and asked Flora to call her when she was ready.

  KARA DROVE FLORA HOME in the last light of day. Flora shared how she and Cameron had talked and talked, filling each other in on the past forty-five years. “He wanted to know every detail that I could remember. It was like he had a checklist in his brain. I’m not sure he thought we’d see each other again after today. He wanted to know about my parents and whether there was any family besides the two of us. That’s when I told him about his father—how in love we’d been and how my father had kept us apart. I also told him how much I’d wanted to keep him, but that I wasn’t given an option. I told him that his father never even knew about his existence.”

  “Was he angry?” Kara asked.

  “No. He’s a gentle person—understanding and sympathetic. There’s so much of his father in him. Dax was like that too, quiet and methodical and forgiving of others, even when he shouldn’t have been. You know he never said one word against my father, despite how he was treated.”

  Flora gazed out the passenger window, quiet. Kara kept her eyes on the road. After about ten minutes, Flora spoke. “I want to go see Dax,” Flora said. “It’s time that I tell him everything. I promised Cameron I would. They deserve the chance to know one another.”

  “When do you want to go?” Kara asked.

  “As soon as possible. Do you know where Brody is this week?”

  “No idea.” Away from me.

  “He needs to come home, so we can make arrangements,” Flora said. “We should fly.”

  “Brody will take you,” Kara said. “It’s not necessary for both of us to go.” He won’t want to go with me.

  Flora turned to look at her. The sharp look in her eyes startled Kara, as did her pointed tone.

  “Let me tell you something, Kara Eaton. I spent my life missing the only man I ever loved. I lost the opportunity to be part of my child’s life. You and Brody need to stop this nonsense.”

  Nonsense? “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “I see the way you two look at each other,” Flora said.

  That’s what Honor had said.

  “When we get back, I’m calling him and telling him to get his stubborn butt home. You two better work this thing out before it’s too late.”

  “Flora, it’s complicated.”

  “Only because you two are making it complicated. Answer me this. Do you have feelings for him?”

  “Yes. But he doesn’t want to get involved. His game, you know,” Kara said.

  “Sometimes that boy is an idiot, I swear. Listen up. You be his game, his everything. Put yours
elf out there and he won’t be able to resist.”

  FLORA TOLD KARA SHE’D tried to reach Brody all the next day with no luck. He’d apparently forgotten Janet’s appointment to get her cast removed, which he’d promised he’d take her to. By the time Kara drove Janet to Doc’s office, there was still no word from him. Kara was actually starting to get worried when, on their way home, Janet received a text from him. “He says he forgot my appointment and that he’s headed back tonight,” Janet said. “It’s not like him to forget.”

  “He’s probably busy with work things,” Kara said. That was a lie. He was avoiding her.

  Janet dropped her phone into her bag and sighed. “I think he’s mad at me about Jon. We talked about it the morning he left. He apologized for being selfish before and said that he wanted me to be happy, but then he disappeared for a week. You don’t think this will drive a wedge between us, do you?”

  Kara shook her head. “No, he means it. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy for him to accept.” She told Janet about her own father and the two wives.

  “I hope that’s all it is. Jon and I have deep feelings for each other,” Janet said. “More so than either of us thought.”

  “When you know, you know,” Kara said. I know about Brody.

  “We’re taking it slow, though, for the boys’ sake. But now that my cast is off, who knows what could happen. I didn’t think I could feel desire again. I honestly thought it died with Simon. That said, I don’t know if I can actually go through with it. I need to get my leg back in shape. Right now it’s half the size of the other one.”

  Kara flushed with heat and kept her eyes forward as she turned into the driveway. Please, Brody, don’t wreck this for her. “You want to come to Zumba with me sometime?”

  “I was thinking about a walk. Would you want to go with me?”

  “Anytime.” Kara pulled into her usual spot and turned off the car.

  “Kara, before we go inside, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “I don’t know what arrangement you made with Brody, but I figure you’ll be looking for something more permanent soon since my cast is off and Flora’s doing so well.”

  “I took the medical exam this week and passed,” Kara said. “I hadn’t studied much, so I was surprised.” She hadn’t shared it with anyone. Not even Honor. She was afraid if she did, it would become too real.

  “That’s great news. Here’s the thing. Jon and I talked, and we both want you to stay in town. We have our own reasons for this. Before you say anything, hear me out. Jon has a spot for you in the clinic. He wants to retire for good and he believes you and Jackson would be a robust team, especially given your emergency room experience.”

  “Really?” To stay here would be a dream come true. Was it possible? No, she had to leave Brody’s house and his town. She had to get away from the intense feelings he evoked. If she couldn’t have him, it was too painful to be in his orbit.

  “Yes, and Jon and Jackson will take you out to lunch to talk more, but I thought it would be best if you and I talked through a few things first.”

  “I would love to stay, Janet, but I don’t know if I can find a decent place to live. I’d like to buy a house of my own and there’s not much here.”

  “Both Flora and I’ve become so attached to you and we want you to stay, not only in town, but here at the house. Just until you can find a place of your own, of course. That way you won’t have to rush into anything.”

  “What? No. I couldn’t possibly. That’s not a good idea.”

  “Why in heaven’s name not?” Janet asked.

  Her breath caught. She must tell the truth, so Janet would understand. “I’ve developed feelings for Brody.” The moment it was out of her mouth, she felt the tears coming. “Unreciprocated feelings. Staying here at the house would only make it worse.”

  “I see.”

  “I’ll think about Jon’s offer, but I don’t know if I can stay, as much as I love Cliffside Bay and you and Flora, not to mention Honor. I’m not sure I can stay in the same town where Brody lives, let alone in his house.”

  THE NEXT MORNING, KARA woke with puffy eyes. After her confession to Janet the night before, there was no denying her feelings. She was in love with Brody. It was time to go. One way or the other, she must run and run fast.

  She showered and dressed and went down to the kitchen, expecting Flora would already be up and making breakfast. But it wasn’t Flora.

  Brody munched an apple at the counter and read from his tablet. He hadn’t heard her come in. She took advantage of the moment to soak in the sight of him. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t rip her eyes from him.

  “You’re back,” she said, finally.

  He looked up at her with a grim smile. “Surprise.”

  “How are you?”

  “Fantastic.” He looked terrible. Dark circles and bags under his eyes told the story. Either he hadn’t been sleeping or he’d been partying too much. Maybe both?

  “You missed Janet’s appointment yesterday.” She said it even though she knew he already knew. Passive aggressive. Not nice.

  “I know. I forgot. I’ve been staying with Kyle. We were at an epic party the past few days.”

  “That explains it, then.” His words were a punch in the chest. She knew Kyle meant drinking and women.

  “You were fine without me, I take it?”

  “Sure, other than your mother was hurt,” she said.

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m truly sorry about yesterday. Honestly, I just spaced it. Honor texted me, and I forgot to look at messages. I was out with Kyle and well, one thing led to another.”

  “I can only imagine. Drunk women everywhere. Throwing themselves at you.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I was here to take care of things,” she said.

  “You’re the one that told me we should stay away from each other,” he said. “I was just doing what you suggested.”

  She didn’t know what to say. It was true. If only it were as uncomplicated in her own mind. “Well, anyway, the detective called. He found Flora’s son and Dax. I took Flora out to see her son yesterday. She wants to tell you about it.”

  “Wow. I guess I did miss a lot. Was it all right? Was he all right? Is she all right?”

  “You can ask her yourself, but the main thing I need to tell you is that she wants us to take her up to see Dax. In Oregon. She wants both of us. So, your partying might have to be put on hold for a few days.”

  “Why both of us?”

  Because she’s meddling. Because all the women in your life think we should be together. “I don’t know, but it’s not a bad idea, given that she’s still recovering. Although, she insisted on making breakfast and dinner yesterday.”

  He smiled. “Back to her old tricks.”

  “Yes, she is. But it makes her happy, so who am I to argue?”

  “Are you going to be okay with us traveling together?” he asked.

  “If you are.”

  “Sure. I have no problem.”

  “Great then. Have Honor make the arrangements,” Kara said.

  “Great. I will.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Brody

  The sky dumped sideways rain as Brody drove west on the two-lane highway from Portland, Oregon to the seaside town of Cannon Beach. Kara hadn’t spoken much since they’d left home that morning and didn’t appear to want to meet his eyes anytime soon. Her face bleached of color, Flora fidgeted in the passenger seat and fiddled with the radio dial.

  He could kick himself for leaving town when he did. It was wrong to have left Kara to deal with everything. The idea had been to get her off his mind, but that had been a dismal failure. All he did the entire time he was gone was think about her. He missed her. Physically missed her, which had left him baffled. He didn’t know what to do. Seeing her just now, his feelings rushed to the surface. No amount of booze
or time with Kyle erased one iota of his feelings. He wanted her. He still had no idea what he should do about it.

  An hour later, they reached Cannon Beach. They took the second exit into town and followed the directions to a cluster of houses built near the beach. Dax Hansen’s was the smallest of the homes, but built right on the beach with the traditional gray shingles of most of the other beach houses. Brody parked just outside of the white fence and turned off the car. Pristine and manicured, the plants at the front of the house drooped under the falling rain. Empty flower pots lined the steps up to the front door.

  Flora had her hands clasped on her lap. From the back, Kara poked her head between the seats. “You ready, Flora?”

  “Now that I’m here, I’m not so sure,” she said.

  It was too late for doubt. A slim man dressed in jeans and a white fisherman’s sweater that matched his hair had come out onto the porch. He opened an umbrella and started toward them.

  “That’s him,” Flora whispered. “He’s so old.”

  “It’s been a long time,” Brody said.

  “It just occurred to me how I’m going to look to him,” Flora said.

  “You’re beautiful,” Kara said.

  “Do you see how much Cameron looks like him?” Flora asked.

  “I do,” Kara said.

  “Flora, get out of the car,” Brody said.

  She did so, just as Dax swept over with the open umbrella. He ushered her under it before pulling her into his arms. Brody glanced back at Kara. Her eyes had filled. “What do we do?” he asked. “Just stay in here?”

  “Give them a few seconds, and then we’ll join them,” she said.

  He couldn’t hear what they were saying but Dax wiped his eyes before gesturing toward the car.

  “That’s our cue,” Kara said.

  Brody opened the umbrella he’d brought and gestured for Kara to join him. Reluctantly, it seemed, she slid next to him.

 

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