“Fine. I promise.”
“Better.” Gemma took hold of Frankie’s hands. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen next. I cleared the rest of this week’s schedule. In the morning, after you’ve had a shower and coffee, you and Mr. T will go off and have a private chat while I get to know your boyfriend a little better. When we get back, you can go for a walk with one or both of us and we’ll help you sort out your thoughts.”
Frankie sucked in air. “Charlie’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my partner.”
“You can call it whatever you want. You can’t fool your bestie. The puppy-dog looks you two were giving one another say otherwise.”
“Gemma . . .” she whined again.
“After you ran out of here, do you know what your man did? He filled a glass of water and made sure your dad was taken care of first. He said that as much as he wanted to rush off and find you, you once told him your priority would always be your father. He wanted to make sure that when he found you, he’d be able to look you squarely in the eyes and tell you your dad was in good hands.”
She let the words soak in. Charlie had really said and done that? He’d remembered one of the first conversations they’d had months ago. Her heart swelled.
“If that isn’t some form of love, I don’t know what is. You better not do anything to muck this up, because a bloke like that doesn’t come around often.Mybest friend deserves nothing but the best.”
“Gem, have I ever told you that you’re one of my favorite humans?”
They hugged.
“Likewise. Now, do you think you’ll be able to get a few hours of rest?”
Frankie hid a yawn with her hand. “Maybe?”
They both lay down. Frankie closed her eyes. Thinking about Charlie helped calm her.
“If you can’t sleep, try listening to an audiobook, like you used to do on tour. Nora Bennet’s new book,The Scandal of the Season, is brilliant,” Gemma suggested, but Frankie barely heard her. Her breathing had evened out and she’d fully surrendered to the world of sleep.
* * *
Everyone slept in late the next morning. It was after one when Frankie and her father finally sat down for their much-anticipated talk in the cottage’s sunroom. The glass doors were propped open, and a gentle breeze tickled her face. Mature pine trees provided a barrier of natural shade. A symphony of birds chirped.
“From here, Lake Wakahanra looks like something you’d see on a tourist postcard,” she said.
Her dad agreed.
She felt like a speed skater waiting for the starting gun to fire. It was the first set of words they’d exchanged in the ten minutes since Gemma had brought them a tea service. Charlie had volunteered to take Gemma on a tour of the area, promising he’d drop her off at their apartment in time for dinner.
Frankie reached for the teapot and poured herself a cup with shaking hands. “Would you like one too?” Her father shook his head, stood, and walked outside.
Gemma said drinking tea would help calm my nerves, but all I’ve managed to do is spill half of it.She put the cup on the side table and joined her dad outside.
The outdoor patio was enclosed by a black iron gate. Beyond it, a dirt pathway led down to the cottage’s private boat dock.
Her dad leaned against the railing, staring out at the water. “What do you want to know first?” he asked.
She’d spent all morning thinking about it. “Were you ever told why I was put up for adoption? Why didn’t you take both my sister and me? What do you know about her?”
Dad took a deep breath. “As you know, I left the Navy for civilian life when I was forty-seven years old. I’d always wanted to be a father, yet I knew by that point in my life that I probably would never marry again.” A thin smile tugged at his lips. “Based on my research, I decided I’d look into adoption.”
Frankie knew this part of the story well. Dad had been told that even with his stellar character references, as a single male, it would be challenging for him to prove to the adoption agency that he was a suitable candidate to raise a child. He spent two years as a foster parent to gain experience caring for children before approaching any agencies to strengthen his case.
“I was matched with you by the adoption agency about seven months after I’d first filed my paperwork. At the time, you were just shy of seven months old. I drove from Grizzly Springs to Los Angeles to meet you. It was love at first sight.” Dad locked eyes with her. He smiled widely. “I’d never seen such an angelic baby. I took you in my arms and I just knew we were meant to be together. I thought it was especially fitting that you’d been born right when I started looking for you.”
Frankie took a step closer to him. He kissed her cheek.
“It took about three months to finalize the paperwork before I was able to bring you home. About a week before that big day, I received a call from your case agent. She informed me that you had a full-blooded older sister. The family that had wanted to adopt her had withdrawn their application. She wanted to see if it might be a possibility to try and keep both siblings together.”
Her eyes widened.My sister is older. I have a big sister.
