Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“He did his best,” Cara assured the woman.
As if by silent agreement, she and Mike edged toward the door, knowing their visit had come to an end.
“Would you mind letting yourselves out? I don’t want to leave him alone,” his wife asked.
“Of course. We’ll be fine,” Cara said.
She followed Mike through to the entryway, out the front door, and back to his truck. He didn’t say a word as he started the engine, nor did she ask him to. She knew he needed to process what he’d heard and come to his own conclusions.
“Can you take me home to get my car? I need to head over to Havensbridge.” She knew Mike wouldn’t be coming with her now.
He turned to face her. “You don’t want to talk about what we just heard?”
“Not until you’re ready.” Clearly, the judge had known Rex Bransom thirty years ago, and they obviously shared a secret they hadn’t wanted Simon to know. Whatever Mike’s next step, he deserved space to figure it out on his own time.
* * *
Mike blinked in surprise but remained silent. He didn’t miss the irony. Unlike most women, Cara seemed to know he needed time to wrap his head around this mess, and instead of talking nonstop or pressing him for his feelings, she was letting him be.
“Take me to my car?” she asked again.
Yeah, she was unique all right. No wonder she’d gotten to him. And there was the irony again. She made him want to open up. “I’ve always done my best not to think about him.” Mike heard himself say.
“Rex?” she whispered.
“Yeah.” He rubbed his burning eyes with the back of one hand and thought about the judge’s words. “I can’t say I’m shocked that the guy who abandoned my mother and me was into something shady. At least he’s stayed out of our lives, and I’ve been grateful for that.”
Though sometimes, when he was younger, Mike had wished his real dad would come back and say he’d made a mistake, he’d never meant to leave, and Mike would have both Simon and Rex in his life. But then he’d grown up and realized that only a coward ran off on his commitments—like he’d run from Tiffany. He’d hurt her, but she hadn’t been pregnant, and he’d made his escape before things got any more out of hand.
By getting Ella pregnant, Rex had an obligation he’d ignored. Mike had vowed never to be like him, and after coming too damned close, he’d kept his promise by keeping women at arm’s length. He was better off without Rex Bransom anywhere in his life.
“But he’s got the answers you need,” Cara said, getting to the crux of the issue.
“Yeah.” And the thought of tracking Rex down after all these years turned Mike’s stomach.
“You could try talking to Simon again.”
He nodded. “I thought of that. But he already clammed up on Sam, and that means he must know something about the money in the evidence locker, or Rex, that he wants to keep to himself. And I don’t want him overstressed during his treatment.”
“You love him,” Cara said softly.
Mike couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. He put up with me.” To Mike, that meant everything. “So what are my choices? Track down my wayward real father or harass a sick man for answers.” He blew out a breath in disgust.
Cara reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You aren’t in this alone.”
“I appreciate that, but yeah, I am.” He’d always been alone or felt that way.
“No, that’s in here.” She tapped his head. “You’ve got a family that loves you. They don’t consider you adopted or not one of them. Do you understand how lucky you are to have siblings? A mother you can go to? A father you love who will get through this?” Her voice cracked.
And he realized it was because she had none of those things. As shitty as his life felt at the moment, she was right. He had a support system, even if he didn’t always feel like he deserved them.
He lifted one long curl of her hair and twisted it around his hand. “You’re a pretty wise woman.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I just think I’m an honest one.”
He grinned. “Well, what you said about family? That’s given me an idea. Before I have to face looking for my old man, maybe I’ll ask my mother what she remembers about that time.”
Cara blinked, startled. “Your mother? Why?”
Mike narrowed his gaze. “Because she was around, she knew Rex and Simon, and maybe she can shed some light on things. I know she can handle talking about the past. She’s tough.” But Cara’s wide-eyed stare made him uneasy. “Any reason I shouldn’t ask?”
Cara looked out the window at the empty residential street ahead of them. “No. Of course not. You should talk to your mom. You’re right. She may remember things.”