“Yes. Declan was quite a bit older than me, and we agreed that one miracle was enough. She’s sixteen and staying with her half sister in New York.”
“Does she know about all this?”
“About the fact that I have six other children? Yes, I told her after her father died.” She paused. “He asked me not to tell her until then because he thought she might go haring across the country to try and meet you all. That’s one of the reasons why it’s taken me so long to get back in contact with your father.”
“She already sounds like one of us,” Adam commented.
“She looks most like Ben, and has auburn hair like me and my mother. She’s very strong-willed.”
“Does Dad know?” Adam wasn’t normally one to pry, but he couldn’t help himself.
“We’ve discussed it. I sent him pictures when she was born. He met Declan once as well.”
Yet again Adam marveled at all the stuff his father had never mentioned. “He didn’t tell us anything. As far as we knew, you were dead.”
“I know.” She sighed. “He probably thought it was for the best.”
“Maybe the best for him,” Adam agreed. “Less emotion to deal with.”
For the first time, anger stirred in his gut against his father. They could’ve seen Leanne, met her new husband and daughter. It might have been hard to deal with, but at least they would’ve known she was alive and doing okay.
“Don’t be too hard on your father,” Leanne said softly.
“I’m not sure how you can say that after how he behaved toward you.” Adam slowed down as they turned toward Morgantown.
“I had to let go of all my anger. If I hadn’t have done so I would’ve become a very bitter person. I was also lucky because I had my brother supporting me. He helped me find a new job, paid for me to go to college in my spare time, and stuck by me.” She chuckled. “He even introduced me to Declan, although I don’t think he quite anticipated the effect that would have.”
Adam considered her words as he approached the Hayes Hotel. He feared he was more like his dad than his mother, closing himself off after a tragedy rather than letting it go and moving on. He pulled into the parking lot behind the hotel and turned off the engine.
“I’m glad you had your brother and found Declan,” he said gruffly. “You deserved to be happy.”
Leanne reached for his hand. “What a lovely thing to say.” She choked up. “I never expected you, of all people to understand, and . . . forgive me.”
She grabbed her purse and got out of the truck. “Don’t worry about coming in with me. I’m fine. Tell your father to call me tomorrow.”
She slammed the door and left him sitting there in the darkness.
Did he forgive her? Could he?
He could call Lizzie and see if she wanted to see him. . . .
He stared at the lighted windows of the hotel. Lizzie didn’t need to hear him going on about his mother and father. She had enough problems of her own. And to be honest, the way he was currently feeling about his past actions was a raw wound he wasn’t ready to share with anyone yet. He didn’t like himself, his certainties and stubbornness no longer a feature, but a hulking roadblock. How on earth could he burden Lizzie with all that?
Chapter Sixteen
“Come on, Ro. This will just take a minute.”
If Lizzie hadn’t been so worried about the results of Roman’s DNA test and busy helping Yvonne get the catering done for Nate and Della’s wedding she might have noticed Adam’s weekly absence far more. He texted her regularly to check in, and had apologized about not seeing them the previous weekend because of some problem up at the ranch.
As she was expecting her parents to turn up any day, she’d also been busy cleaning her apartment, and making sure Roman had all the necessary clothes washed and packed for his trip to Disneyland. He was so excited about going that he’d been exhausting to deal with all week. After he left, she suspected she’d need a week off just to sleep and recover.
“Look! It’s Adam!” Roman tugged on her hand as the man of her dreams came out of the medical center. He wore his usual Stetson, jeans, boots, and shirt over T-shirt combo. “Adam! It’s me!”