Her father’s voice suddenly grew hoarse. “I agonized over the decision. I wanted more than anything to be able to say yes to the case worker, but at the time, I didn’t think I could handle more than one child. That week turned into one of the longest of my life. I didn’t sleep. I didn’t eat. All I could think about was that if fate decided to keep you and your sister together, I didn’t want to be responsible for breaking you two up.” He ran a hand through his hair. “When I finally managed to phone the agency back six days later, I was told they’d found another family for her in Seattle. I urged them to let me know if anything changed, but that was the last I heard about her.”
Frankie let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Her pulse was racing. Her dad had only been given a couple of days to figure things out. If she were in the same situation, would she have been ready to take on two children instead of one?It would’ve come as a shock, that’s for certain. I don’t know what I would’ve done.
“Dad, what happened next?”
“I brought you home and you became my daughter, Francesca Tomlinson.” His eyes glistened with moisture.
“And my biological parents?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know much. Your adoption was a closed one. All I can tell you is that you were born in the city of Alisio Viejo in Southern California.”
A closed adoption meant that her biological parents hadn’t wanted any further contact with their children. The records were sealed and information about their identities withheld. She’d never know who they were.
Frankie’s mind spun. Her father had always been open to discussing her adoption, but she’d never had the courage to ask. After all these years, she had her answer. It was as if she’d taken a sucker punch to the gut. Thereweren’tany answers. Her case was a cold one. There were no more clues to uncover.
Those weren’t my parents. They are merely people I’m biologically related to.
“You can look over your official file anytime. It’s in the fireproof safe,” her father told her in a low tone.
Her throat constricted. “Dad, I’d only be interested in maybe finding my sister. As far as I’m concerned, the only person worthy of the title of parent is you. What I really want right now is for you to just hold me.” She buried her head into the stiff white cotton of his dress shirt and cried softly. “You’re all I need. I love you so much.
CHAPTER 20
Monday, Frankie and Charlie were back at the rink at four in the morning. She needed normalcy to stay sane. The ice was her refuge, the sole place she could escape the outside world and pretend she was living in a little bubble.
“Why do you two insist on keeping such insanely early hours? Charlie’s family owns the rink! Isn’t there a way he can arrange it so it opens late or closes early? It can’t be all that difficult to get private ice time at a morereasonablehour,” Gemma murmured.
“Gem, itisn’tthat easy. We can’t just push aside our students, the skating academy, the curling club, the hockey league, and all the other groups that pay for ice time.”
“I know. I’m just complaining. It’s early and I’m grumpy.” She hid a yawn with her hand. “You know I don’t like to wake up before eight unless I have a good reason to. I kissed any practices before nine in the morning goodbye when I turned pro.” Gemma followed Frankie out of the lobby and onto the ice. “You used to be like me.Nota morning person.”
They skated a few laps around the ice. “Spending time around Charlie has changed me.”
“I can see that.”
“I didn’t get a chance to ask you yesterday, but how did the two of you get on?”
“He was nervous around me at first, and kept forgetting my name, but once I got him started on his favorite topic, which is you, the conversation flowed.”
“What did you end up doing?”
“We spent most of the time walking through the Sequoia Valley farmers’ market. I told him all your darkest secrets.”
Frankie’s face paled. “Gemma! I have to skate with the man! What did you tell him?”
“Relax. It wasn’t anything that bad.” Gemma rolled her eyes. “I only mentioned things like how you have a ridiculous magnet collection and how you always have to have your lucky stuffed Peter Rabbit in your skating bag.”
She breathed a little easier. Those were both things Charlie already knew about her. He’d seen the beat-up stuffed toy their first week as partners and wondered why it lived in her bag. She’d explained it was one of her first gifts from her father. It was her way of always carrying a piece of him with her wherever she was.
“Thank you? I think.”
Gemma laughed. “He struck me as a genuinely good bloke. He passed the best friend test with flying colors. He knows if he doesn’t treat you well, he’ll have to answer to me.” She made a show of rolling up her jacket sleeves and flexing her arm muscles.
“Good to know.”
“I always have your back, bestie.”
They skated over to the boards. Frankie did some light stretching and Gemma tied her hair into a low ponytail.
