Her Secret Daughter Read online

  He settled Addie into the back seat of the SUV, watched while she adjusted her shoulder strap, and when she snapped it to show him she’d tightened it correctly, he high-fived her. He’d just climbed into his seat when she surprised him from her perch. “Why was that lady mad at you?”

  He could pretend that Josie Gallagher wasn’t mad, but he’d be lying, and he never lied. “My company is buying her land and she has to move and she didn’t want to move.”

  “You’re making her move?” Surprise hiked Addie’s gaze to his.

  “Well...” He backed up, turned the car around and aimed for the two-lane road. “I’m not. But she has to move, yes.”

  “But you’re building the new big place,” she said reasonably. “So it’s like you’re making her move.”

  It was kind of like that, so he nodded, but wasn’t happy to do it.

  “And I get to go to big-kid school soon!”

  Not much fazed Addie, and he loved that about her. They’d moved twice as he followed huge projects up the East Coast, and Addie seemed to find happiness wherever they landed, although now it was different. She was different. She was older and in need of schooling, and he was pushed to make some hard decisions about life and career. She needed roots, and after running projects on the fly for a dozen years, he might need some, too.

  A boat horn sounded across the water as the Canandaigua Lady completed a lunchtime cruise. Bits of color tipped the trees, hinting new leaves. Daffodils and tulips brightened the landscapes surrounding the water, and the grass had gone from dull sage to kelly green in the past week. Spring was surging, and he had three months left on the Eastern Shore Inn project. By mid-July the project would be complete, and then what?

  He wasn’t tired of building. He loved putting jobs together, and he loved being a dad, two things he’d have never predicted as a younger man.

  But since Addie came to him, he’d grown tired of pulling up stakes every few seasons.

  He turned onto the road, and glanced back at the two women.

  The taller one had moved forward and put an arm around Josie Gallagher, but Josie Gallagher wasn’t looking at her friend.

  She was watching him pull away, and the sorrowed look on her face made him want to pause. Turn back. Find out what was really wrong, what put that deepened sadness in her gaze.

  He did no such thing. He had a business to run for the next few months, and she was facing changes she didn’t want or need, but they weren’t his fault.

  “She looks sad, doesn’t she, Daddy?”

  Right now he wished his beautiful daughter wasn’t so intuitive. “Everybody gets sad sometimes, Addie-cakes.”

  “A little sad,” she agreed, but when he glanced back, his daughter’s troubled gaze was on the beautiful woman standing outside her soon-to-be-demolished restaurant. “But I think she’s not just a little sad, Daddy. I think her heart hurts, like mine does sometimes.”

  What could he say to that? To have a father walk out because parenthood dragged him down, and then lose a mother to a tragic accident within months of Addie being declared cancer-free?

  Addie had known heartache, and when foolish people reassured him she was too young to remember those early life tragedies, he bit his tongue to keep from lashing out.

  He’d seen the grief in her little face and the naked sadness in her eyes. Time had eased much of that, but if Addie thought the Gallagher woman had a sore heart, he was inclined to believe it, because Addie had had way more experience with sadness than any six-year-old should ever have to face. No matter what he did, or what choices he made, from this point on he was totally invested in making sure her life was as trouble-free as it could be. She’d been dumped by a drug-using birth mother, abandoned by an adoptive father, fought cancer and won, only to lose her mother in a commuter train crash.

  Now she had him. And he had her. And with God on their side, they’d make everything work out. Despite Addie’s funny attempts to gain him a wife, they were doing okay. And that was all right by him.

  Chapter Two

  “Josie.”

  Josie didn’t want to make eye contact with Kimberly, but her cousin’s proximity left her little choice. “Yes?”

  “What’s going on?”

  Josie moved toward the restaurant side of the building. “Change is in the air, it seems. I need to make a list.”

  Kimberly’s hand on her arm made her pause, but not because she wanted to. With Kimberly’s due date so close, she didn’t want to be a jerk, but seeing Addie had rattled her entire being.

  Her restaurant gone, her beautiful daughter climbing out of a strange man’s car and the secret she’d buried seven long years ago yawning widely... “It’s just a lot to handle, Kimberly. I was hoping we’d win, that it wouldn’t come to this.” She splayed her hands in the direction of the barbecue joint. “And yet it did.”

  Kimberly studied her. She started to say something, then stopped herself. “We’ve been friends and cousins since we were born, Josie.”

  Josie nodded. They’d grown up hand in hand, then lost touch for a while, and now here they were, back in Grace Haven. Kimberly had found the love of her life. She had a great job, a lovely new home and a second baby on the way.

  Josie had nothing, and that reality didn’t sit well.

  “Whatever it is, it might be easier to talk about it.”

  “There’s nothing, Kimberly. Except losing all these years of work and effort, watching it get the wrecking ball and bury my hopes and dreams with it. Other than that, it’s nothing much at all.”

  She wanted Kimberly to buy that story and let things go, but Kimberly arched one brow and then made a little face of regret. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

  Josie waved her off deliberately.

  She had no intention of being ready, ever. She’d shoved that horrible night and the ensuing time into a deep, dark closet of her consciousness, and she kept it there, locked up tight. She’d moved through life making decisions in Addie’s best interests...

  But were those decisions still in her daughter’s best interests? Because seeing her with a stranger and calling him “Dad” sparked too many mental red flags. She couldn’t research any of this with Kimberly around, so she kept her emotions at bay and her hands steady. “I just need time, Kimberly. That’s all. Time to get used to this.”

  Unconvinced, Kimberly moved to her car. Josie followed, and when Kimberly turned and hugged her goodbye, Josie longed to spill her guts, but didn’t. She’d kept the secret for so long already. What use would revealing it do? But could she keep it to herself with Addie living so close?

  The thought of her daughter nearby sobered her more.

  What would that mean? Would she have to move away from the family and friends who’d helped build her business and her self-esteem over the years she’d spent here? How long would the Weatherly man be in Grace Haven?

  The host of questions with no answers would hound her until she had time to do more research, and as Kimberly released her, a big part of Josie wanted to tell her everything.

  But she’d promised herself and her baby daughter that no one would ever know about the crime associated with Addie’s conception. What child should ever have to grow up knowing that?

  None.

  She waited for Kimberly to pull away, and moved back to the apartment. She retrieved her laptop from a dusty shelf, opened it, typed in her password and then began a search. One way or another she was going to find out what had happened to her beautiful child in the past few years, and Josie Gallagher was pretty sure she wasn’t going to like any of it.

  * * *

  Josie stared at the Peachtree City obituary for Ginger O’Neill and fought the rise of emotion. Addie’s adoptive mother had died in an accident involving a commuter train. That was tragic enough, but there was no husband listed in the obituary, and no
father for Addie. Ginger was survived by her parents and one brother, Jacob Weatherly.

  Addie was being raised by her adoptive uncle.

  Where was the father who signed all the paperwork to legally adopt her? Where was Adam O’Neill? And how could Josie find out without looking like a stalker? Regret grabbed hold and wouldn’t let go.

  When she’d arrived in Georgia to be a living donor transplant for Addie, she’d seen Ginger. Not Adam. Was he already out of the picture at that time? When Ginger said Adam was too emotional to meet with Josie, she’d believed her. But maybe that wasn’t the truth?

  She lifted her phone and dialed Drew Slade, Kimberly’s husband and the chief of police for Grace Haven. He answered quickly and she dived right in. “I need advice, Drew.”

  “Mine to give,” he answered. “What’s up?”

  “I can’t talk over the phone. Can I come by? Or can you stop out here?”

  “I’m heading home around four, so how about I swing over there first?”

  “Yes. Thank you. And, Drew...” He waited at the other end until she continued. “I can’t talk about this to anyone else right now. It’s got to be private. Okay?”

  “Meaning don’t tell Kimberly because you know she’ll go ballistic?”

  The thought of her family knowing how stupid she’d been...after she’d vowed to never be stupid again...

  Her heart ached at the thought of disappointing people she loved, but worse, how could she mess up the innocence of a child who’d already gone through so much? “I’ll explain in person, but I might need your help looking into someone, making sure he’s a good person.”

  “I’ll be there at four. And Josie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Whatever is bothering you, we’ll make it right. I promise. Okay?”

  He had no idea what he was saying because as good and strong as Drew was, no one could ever make this okay, and she’d known that from the beginning. “See you later.”

  She hung up the phone, grabbed her keys and drove a quarter mile south. The construction road leading to the new waterfront hotel was blocked. Jacob Weatherly had mentioned a three o’clock meeting. It was two thirty-five right now. She crossed through the construction tape, ignored the shouts of a couple of guys in hard hats and circled the newly finished concrete sidewalk rimming the stately hotel base. She pulled out her cell phone to call Jacob Weatherly, then nearly ran into him as she rounded the corner of the hotel.

  “Hi!” Addie jumped up on the sculpted concrete edge of a raised garden and waved. “You came to find us!”

  Addie looked excited to see Josie. Jacob Weatherly’s expression was more guarded. “Did you just walk through a hard hat area without permission?”

  “I needed to see you.” She held his gaze, almost daring him to read more into the situation. “You said you had ideas on my relocation. I’d like to hear more about them, and I’m right up the beach, as you know.” She glanced north to emphasize the proximity. “But the beach is blocked off and the only way into this complex right now is by the road.”

  “And permission.” He assessed her with a thoughtful look. “You had my number.”

  She held up her phone. “I was just about to call you.”

  “I see.” He breathed deeply, as if thinking, then took Addie’s hand. “I’ve got a meeting in a few minutes, so I can’t discuss this now, but if you’d like, I can come by tomorrow morning. How does nine o’clock sound?”

  “Like breakfast time, and I make a marvelous French toast with fresh fruit and whipped cream.” She smiled down at Addie when she said it, and should have felt ashamed for enticing the girl, but she didn’t. Not even a little bit. Seeing Addie well and healthy after fighting cancer gave Josie a lift to her spirits, but deepened her concerns.

  Had the O’Neills lied in their adoption application? What happened to Adam? Her preliminary internet search turned up nothing, so wherever he was, and whatever he was doing, it wasn’t out there for public viewing.

  “We can have breakfast before we come over.” The project manager lifted his watch to show his diminishing time frame.

  “But I love strawberries and French toast so much, Dad.” Addie tipped back her head and implored him with a beseeching look while thick copper curls spilled across the shoulders of her long-sleeved T-shirt. “And I’ll be so good!”

  “There is a reason why my restaurant was voted number one in Southern fare and barbecue for two years running,” Josie noted. “And I’ve got a few supplies I need to use up before the move.” She left the offer sensible. If she pushed too hard, he might get suspicious. Clearly he had no idea about her relationship to the child clutching his hand. For now, she’d keep it that way.

  “She does love French toast.”

  Addie wrung his hand, grinning.

  “All right, nine o’clock for breakfast. Although...” He turned her way again with a questioning expression. “I’m surprised, Miss Gallagher. And surprises raise questions in my head. I’m sure you can understand that, especially when your relationship with my employer has been adversarial.” He held her gaze, and Josie refused to blink or quiver. “But let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

  “Perfect.” She turned to go, and he caught her hand.

  Instant panic set in.

  Her heart rate soared. Her hands went cold and her feet refused to move.

  He didn’t seem to notice as he directed her to the small parking area alongside the finished portion of the hotel. “Let me drive you to your car so the outdoor crew doesn’t go ballistic on you. They’d catch the boss’s fury if he thought you were walking in dangerous areas without proper gear. You might not like too much about Carrington Hotels right now, but there’s a reason they’ve been voted one of the top ten construction companies in the country, and that’s because they care about quality and safety. That’s part of the reason I’ve been with them for a dozen years,” he added. He released her hand to open both doors on the passenger side. “Quality and safety are top on my radar, too.”

  She shelved the bits of information he was giving her. She’d give them to Drew when he came by, but as she climbed into the front seat of Jacob Weatherly’s car, their hands touched again, briefly.

  This touch spurred no panic. Was that because she read the gentleness in his gaze? The humor he slanted back, toward Addie, as she made a big show about getting her seat belt buckled? Or was it the honesty she discerned in his face?

  You’ve been fooled before. Don’t let it happen again.

  She took the mental warning to heart because she’d made a grievous mistake once. She’d fallen for the winning smile and trusted the wrong man.

  Right now, with Addie living there in her neighborhood, she couldn’t afford to make a mistake again. She’d entrusted two people with her most precious possession, her newborn child. What happened after that was anyone’s guess, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it, because Addie deserved what Josie had promised her: a nice, normal life, unblemished by scandal. Josie had every intention of making sure her daughter got exactly that.

  * * *

  Strong, yet scared. Or maybe scarred was a better word, Jacob mused as he pulled up next to Josie’s aging SUV a few moments later. He’d noticed the two catering trucks in her side parking lot, brilliantly bright and absolutely clean. Her restaurant had a similar appearance, while rugged enough to be a classic dive. She’d captured the retro look outside. Tomorrow morning would give him a look inside the Bayou Barbecue. The legal battle had kept him from stopping by before now. Carrington lawyers didn’t want anything muddying the waters of eminent domain. Now he’d get to see the internal workings of the east shore go-to spot for great food.

  Josie swung her door open and got out of the car quickly. “Thanks for the ride.” The look she gave him was pleasant but probably insincere. Understandable after his company had seized her la
nd.

  Then she looked toward Addie, and it was nothing but pure warmth and joy. “I’m going to go get the berries right now, so we’re all ready for tomorrow morning. Okay?”

  Addie clasped her hands together. “Okay!”

  She stepped back and shut the door. Jacob pulled away and headed for the work trailer offices behind the chain-link fencing. He glanced back, through the rearview mirror.

  Josie had gotten into her car and was backing out of the space. He found that reassuring for some reason. Her surprise arrival concerned him. She’d shown up, out of the blue. She’d crossed a construction zone. She—he paused and his thoughts took a different route, a more personal one.

  She was downright beautiful, and clearly worried. Who wouldn’t be in her situation?

  As he pulled up to the double-wide work trailer, Addie leaped out of her seat and waved toward the road.

  Josie Gallagher was driving by. She spotted the girl and gave a quick wave back, nothing over the top, but it seemed to make Addie happy. “I like her, Daddy!”

  She clutched his hand and skipped alongside as he approached the work trailer. “You do?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She bobbed her head and her curls bounced. “She has really pretty hair.”

  He couldn’t fault her six-year-old reasoning because he’d noticed Josie’s hair, too. Dark brown, with copper-red highlights, but not enough to be called auburn. And those smoke-toned eyes with a hint of green. He’d noticed their odd shade as she turned the corner of the concrete walk and their eyes met.

  “I would love a dolly with hair like that,” Addie confessed. “All of my dolls have hair like mine.” She sighed as if hair made a difference. It didn’t, of course. “I might be really, really tired of yellow hair.”

  “Strawberry blond,” he reminded her and laid a hand over her head. “Really pretty strawberry blond hair, and I think you’re exactly the way God wanted you to be, Addie-cakes.”