The Moment of Truth

Filled with horror, Dana remembered that day in the clinic’s reception area in slow motion. Josh had told Cassie that he needed a few minutes of her time.

To discuss a personal matter? Because they were related?

Other things fell into place—Josh’s business acumen, her sense that he’d played in much larger business fields than she had. His promotion the first week of his job.

The fact that he was a grown man who hadn’t known the first thing about menial, everyday tasks. Like how to heat up leftovers in a microwave.

What bachelor didn’t use a microwave?

Obviously he’d done something to fall out of grace with the family or he wouldn’t be working in a college business office, or living on a budget. Or maybe he was fulfilling some familial obligation, doing his time, so to speak.

She stared at his kitchen table—she’d noticed the exquisite beauty of the wood the first time she’d seen it. Everything he owned was nicer than the high-end stuff they sold in their stores in Richmond. She just hadn’t put two and two together.

She’d accepted him as he’d presented himself. A working man on a budget.

The quality of these linens. A family monogram...

And Cassie’s response when Dana had told her she was pregnant. Her hug. And invitation to call...

Reaching up to grab her cell phone off the counter above her, Dana scrolled through her contacts until she found the private cell phone number Cassie had given her.

Barely managing to get past hello, Dana dove right in as soon as the vet answered her line.

“Is Josh Redmond related to you?”

The pause on the other end of the line told her all she needed to know.

“Wait, Dana, please. Let me explain.”

She couldn’t wait. Josh would be back soon.

She had to get out of there.

* * *

SAM MONTFORD’S CALLER ID appeared on Josh’s phone when he was still five minutes from the new home he now shared with Dana. It was as if the family was determined to ruin his life before it had really begun.

One night. Couldn’t they give him just one night in the same house with her?

Pulling to the curb, he answered the other man’s ring.

“What?”

“Cassie just had a call from Dana. I assume you told her?”

“No.” Dread filled him. And continued to grow. “Why?”

“She knows who you are. And sounded upset. Do you need us to come over?”

“I’m not even there,” Josh said, pulling back onto the vacant street. “I’m five minutes away.”

“If we don’t hear from you in thirty, we’ll head over.”

Josh had missed being part of a world where there was always someone else to show up in times of trouble.

Thank God he had family close by.

CHAPTER THIRTY

WITH LITTLE GUY and Lindy Lu sharing the seat beside her, Dana barely waited for the automatic garage door to open before she tore out of the garage and down the driveway.

Dana had no idea where she was going. Or what she was going to do. Had no destination in mind.

She just had to go. Turning the volume off on her cell phone, she tucked it away in her bag and just left.

Driving aimlessly away from town, she made one turn and then another. She took roads that seemingly went on forever and went nowhere. Entered an Indian reservation and kept driving. Came to a dirt road and took that, too.

Eventually she stopped driving and pulled over to the side of the road. She took out her smartphone. Her screen showed four missed calls. Three from Josh and one from Cassie Tate Montford.

Clearing them all, she touched the internet search button and typed in the name Redmond, pairing it with the other names etched on her mind’s eye from the sheet of paper she’d held in her hand earlier. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. The Redmonds of Boston were all over the internet if one knew what to search. And if she’d still been trying to pretend to herself that she was wrong, that Josh hadn’t been playing her, that chance was dashed, too, as soon as a picture of him, with a beautiful woman on his arm, popped up on the screen.

The caption read “Heir and Heiress to Wed.”

No wonder Josh hadn’t wanted to have a relationship with Dana. He already had a woman. An untouchable, perfect in every way, rich and beautiful woman.

She’d found life hard when she hadn’t been good enough for Daniel. There was no way, by any stretch of the imagination, she’d ever be good enough for Josh.

He didn’t even live in the same world she occupied.

And she’d thought, just four short days before, that he’d been about to propose to her?

She cringed just thinking about that. She started driving again, trying to convince herself she was numb. Trying not to think about the afternoon after Josh had shown her the house and the time and effort she’d taken to make herself look glamorous.