Just One Night (The Kingston Family 1)

He pulled around the circular drive, parking in front. Then, steeling himself, he climbed out of the SUV and strode to the front door.

To his surprise, his mother answered in person instead of her latest housekeeper. Her dark hair pulled back with a clip on one side, her face made up as always, she looked well. Although she was mourning her husband’s death, they hadn’t been close nor had they slept in the same bedroom for years. Linc doubted she was truly devastated over his sudden death.

“Linc!” She pulled him into a hug, the scent of her familiar perfume washing over him.

“Hi, Mom.” He stepped back and walked inside.

She shut the door behind him and, once in the marble-floored entryway, waited for her to direct him to whichever room she wanted to go.

“Let’s sit in the study,” she said. “Come.” She led him to the room comprised of floor-to-ceiling dark wood bookshelves, a ladder against one wall for show, although he supposed the housekeeper did have to climb it in order to dust the volumes of books.

His mother sat on the delicate sofa with a dark floral pattern, and he settled in beside her.

“So what brings you by? I love to see you, but I could tell from your tone of voice you have something on your mind.”

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “I do. But before I forget to tell you, I’m going out of town tomorrow. If you need anything, Xander and Chloe are here.”

“Oh? Business?” she asked.

“No. It’s personal.” Dammit, this was hard. Harder than he’d thought it would be. He decided to lay things out the way he’d discovered them.

“I was going through Dad’s papers and found checks he’d written monthly for the last nineteen years.”

Her gaze flew to his. “Go on.”

There was no good way to say it. “Dad had a child with a woman named Tiffany Michaels.”

She gasped and raised her hands to cover her open mouth. “She was his secretary,” his mother said at last, lowering her hand. “Okay, okay. I can handle this. I shouldn’t be surprised, after all. I knew he was having affairs.” She pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“There’s more,” Linc said. “So I’m just going to tell you. Dad sent money to Tiffany, but a few years after she had the baby, she gave the child to her mother to raise. Unfortunately, her mother passed away, and the little girl ended up in foster care.”

Silence followed his pronouncement, so he continued. “She’s in Florida. Miami Beach, to be exact, and I’m going to meet her.”

His mother twisted her hands in her lap. “Foster care. Did your father know?”

“According to the private investigator who tracked down her mother, he did.” As always, nausea filled him at the thought.

“And they both left her there?” she asked, horrified.

He nodded, glad his mother was upset on Aurora’s behalf.

She pressed her hands on her thighs and rose to her feet. “That’s awful. Is she okay? The girl?”

“Her name is Aurora,” he said. “And I don’t know. I instructed the PI not to talk to her directly. I needed to think about how to handle things before doing something rash.”

“Like going to meet her?” His mother, who’d been pacing, turned to face him. “You’re planning on meeting with a young girl you know nothing about. What if she finds out she’s from a wealthy family and decides she wants something from you?”

Linc stood to face his mother. “Well, I already considered the possibility, and I plan to preempt her asking by giving her what she deserves.”

She gasped. “You can’t! You don’t know this girl!”

“I know she’s my half-sister. I know because Dad would never have paid monthly to keep her a secret if otherwise. I also know she grew up in a completely tragic way considering her father had enough money to take care of her. And even when he discovered she’d never seen a dime and had been in the system, he didn’t give a damn. Someone in this family has to make up for what Dad did, and I intend to be the person who helps her.”

His mother folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “You’re right. I just…” She shook her head. “I know he was your father, but I hate that bastard.”

Stepping close, he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her against him. “I know. And for good reason. But are you going to punish a young girl for his transgressions?”

He knew his mother better than she knew herself. Her initial response had been in frustrated anger at her late husband. Not Aurora.

“So you’re okay with all this? Because I’m talking to Xander, Dash, and Chloe tonight and leaving first thing in the morning.”

She nodded and stepped away, straightening her shoulders. “I agree. You’re a good man and I’m proud of you, Linc.” She touched his cheek with her hand. “Call me and let me know how it goes.”