Ms Cummings shuffled some papers. ‘Finn’s been in temporary foster care in Birmingham.’
Panic started to fill Riley. ‘My son is in foster care?’ He’d heard about these things. Wasn’t foster care bad for kids?
Ms Cummings nodded. ‘We have a few things to sort out. As your name isn’t on the birth certificate, you may want to arrange a DNA test. However, Ms Porter named you as her son’s guardian in her will. Pending a few checks, I’ll be happy to release Finn into your custody. You will, of course, be allocated a local social worker to help you with any queries.’ She lifted something from her bag. ‘As you’ll know, in England we have a number of legal procedures. Isabel left everything in trust—via you—for Finn. But probate takes some time. I can only let you have these keys to the house for a day or so—to pick some things up for Finn. Although ultimately it will come to you, the keys have to be returned to the lawyer in the meantime.’
‘When do I pick up Finn?’
‘Do you have somewhere suitable for him to stay?’
His thoughts went immediately to his temporary army lodgings. He was only supposed to be here four weeks. ‘I’m supposed to leave for Sierra Leone on Monday.’ The words came out of nowhere.
The Colonel interjected quickly. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that. You have a family emergency. Your son obviously takes priority here. Do you want me to arrange some other accommodation for you?’
He nodded automatically. He didn’t own a property. He had money in the bank but had never got around to buying a place as he’d no idea where he’d eventually end up.
His eyes caught sight of a box in the corner of the room. Red tinsel. It was stuffed full of Christmas decorations. Christmas. It was only six weeks away. His son had lost his mother, six weeks before Christmas.
‘I’ll give you an address. I can meet you at the foster parents’ house tomorrow if that suits.’
‘It suits.’ The words were automatic.
Ms Cummings gave a nod. ‘There’s one other thing.’
‘What’s that?’
She licked her lips. ‘As Ms Porter had no other next of kin and you’re the only person named in the will, it will be up to you to organise the funeral.’
‘What?’
Ms Cummings’s eyes narrowed. ‘Will that be a problem?’
He shook his head. ‘No. Of course not.’
Ms Cummings pushed some papers towards him. ‘Here’s a copy of the will. A note of Ms Porter’s address and her lawyer’s address to drop the keys back. And a copy of the address for the foster family tomorrow. Let’s say eleven o’clock?’
Business obviously concluded, she gathered her papers and stood up. Riley glanced at the clock. In the space of ten minutes his life had just turned on its head.
‘Do you have a picture?’
She looked startled. ‘Of Finn?’
He nodded. Of course of Finn. Who did she think he wanted to see a picture of?
She reopened her file and slid out a small photograph. His mouth dried instantly. It was like a blast from the past. That small innocent face. Thirty years ago that had been him. A whole world he didn’t even know existed.
He didn’t even speak as the Colonel showed Ms Cummings out.
* * *
April had an ache deep inside her belly. This was a whole new Riley Callaghan in front of her right now.
He looked almost broken. She’d spent the last four weeks secretly watching his cheeky grin, positive interactions and boundless energy. There had been a few emergencies on the ward and Riley thought and moved quicker than anyone. He was a great doctor. Happy to help others. And always itching to get on to the next thing.
It was the first time she’d ever seen him slumped. He just seemed stunned.
His hand reached up and crumpled the letter on the table in front of him. She moved instinctively, brushing her fingers against his, pulling the paper from his and smoothing the paper back down.
‘Don’t. In a few years’ time you might want to show that to Finn.’
He stood up so quickly the chair flew back and hit the floor. ‘She didn’t tell me. She didn’t tell me about him.’ He flung his hands up. ‘How could she do that to me? How could she do that to him?’
April’s mouth dried. She didn’t know what to say. How on earth could she answer that question?
He started pacing, running his hands through his thick dark hair. ‘What do I do? I don’t know the first thing about children. I don’t know how to be a father. What if he doesn’t like me? What if I suck at being a dad?’ He threw his hands out again. ‘I don’t have a house. What do I buy for a five-year-old? What does a five-year-old boy need? And what about my job? Will I still work here? What about school? Does Finn even go to school yet? I move about, all over the place. How can that be good for a kid?’
April took a deep breath. It was clear that every thought in his brain was just tumbling straight out of his mouth. She shook her head and stood in front of him. ‘Riley, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. But there’s a foster mother. She’ll probably be able to help. You have keys to the house. Everything that a five-year-old boy needs will be there. And it will probably help Finn if you take his own things to help him settle.’
The light in the office was dimmer than the rest of the hospital. But Riley’s hurt green eyes were the thing she could see clearest. She was standing right in front of him. Closer than she’d ever wanted to get.
He closed his eyes for a second then nodded. ‘You’re right. I know you’re right. But my son...Finn...he’s been in foster care. Isn’t that supposed to be terrible?’
She gave a soft smile. ‘I think those days are long gone. Foster carers have to go through a mountain of checks these days. Finn will have been well looked after. But the last few days will probably have been a blur.’
He reached out and took her hand in his. It made her catch her breath. It was so unexpected. And more. He just didn’t let it go.
She could almost feel his pain. It was palpable. It was right there in the air between them. Riley Callaghan had just had the legs swept from clean under him. And, to his credit, he was still standing. Just the way she would have expected of him.
‘Will you help me, April?’ He squeezed her hand.
Fear swept through her. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t know anything. Will you help me?’
Help. What did that mean? She was all for supporting a colleague in a difficult situation. But this one was probably bigger than anyone could have expected.
‘Please? I’m out of my depth, April. I know that already.’ His green eyes
were pleading with her. Twisting her insides this way and that.
A child. A little boy had just lost a parent. Finn must be feeling lost. He must feel as if his whole world had just ended.
She met Riley’s gaze. ‘I’ll help where I can,’ she said cautiously. ‘I can help you with the funeral.’
He frowned. ‘You will?’
Mallory. She’d organised every tiny detail of the funeral, even though it had ripped her heart out. Who else knew her twin better than her?
She nodded. ‘Let’s just say I’m good at funerals.’
And she squeezed his hand back.
CHAPTER TWO
WHAT ON EARTH am I doing?
April spent the whole time on the motorway questioning herself. Riley’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. He’d looked pale this morning. As if he hadn’t slept a wink.
By the time the satnav took them into the Birmingham street, the tension was so high she felt as if it could propel the car into the sky. As he killed the engine she leaned over and put one of her hands over his. She really didn’t want to touch him. Touching Riley did strange things to her senses, but this wasn’t about her. This was about a little boy.
‘Stop.’
‘What?’
‘Just...stop.’
He pulled back his hands and sat back in the seat. ‘What are you talking about?’
She could see the tension across his shoulders, reaching up into his jaw.
‘You can’t go in there like this.’
‘What?’ The anger that had been simmering beneath the surface was threatening to crack through.
‘This is the first time Finn will see you. None of this is his fault. He’s about to meet his dad—someone he’s only seen in a photograph before.’
She lifted up her hand as Riley opened his mouth to speak. ‘I thought about this last night. I told you I don’t have any experience with kids, but what do I think this little boy needs to hear?’ She leaned a little closer to him. ‘I think he needs to hear his dad loves him. His dad is going to look after him and stay with him. His dad is his family and you’ll always be together.’