“That’s hard to get over.”
“Three years ago, Mom finally told mewhyhe left. It just took her sixteen years to get around to it. I was twenty-six. For the first ten years of my life, she’d let Dale believe that he was my biological father, and he left when he found out the truth. She hadn’t cheated on him, so she says, but she was already pregnant when they met. They had a whirlwind romance and married in just two months.”
Jo dragged in a long breath, then continued. “And that’s when she dropped another bomb. She told me that if anything happened to her, I needed to leave and to hide. That she’d left instructions for me in our bank safety-deposit box. Her hands were shaking, so I could tell that she was upset. Scared, even. Can you imagine how that freaked me out? Mom had been angry and hurt by his actions too, that much was clear. She’d kept that from me, to keep from hurting me. But something had triggered her—I realized after the fact, of course—to finally tell me the truth. She tells me the truth about my father and warns me something bad might happen all in the same breath.”
“And your biological father?”
“She left me hanging. I don’t know if she just didn’t know who he was. Or she wasn’t willing to tell me. But she died before we could talk it out.”
“What happened after she told you the truth?”
“I was so stunned—so furious with her—that I stormed out. I took a long walk in the park near my apartment. Worked through things. Prayed. Finally, I blew off enough steam that I went to her house to talk to her, but she wasn’t there. I had a key. Still had a room there. I made cookies while I waited. Thought we would talk. Everything would be fine again. I loved Mom. I fell asleep on the couch waiting. She never made it home. I learned about the accident hours later.”
Her heart had been utterly shattered.
It wouldn’t be the first time, and as she looked at Cole’s profile . . . she knew it would definitely not be the last.
4
“I’m so sorry.” He hadn’t meant to bring back the painful memories, especially not here. There was more to the story, but they could talk about her mother after they learned more about what her father was doing here today and why he’d left the cryptic message.
Since they were here in Seattle, they might as well finish this business and find out what she came to find out. The traffic slowed them down, and he got stuck at yet another light. They’d gotten off track, so he shifted the conversation.
“So, back to your father and the present. You came after him, leaving Hidden Bay when he warned you away. Why?”
“He didn’t warn me away.”
“It kind of sounds like he’s in some trouble,” Cole said, “and didn’t want you involved. He was afraid he might have led danger your way.”
Jo’s features were drawn. “You don’t have to be here with me, you know, challenging my decisions. I need to find Pop safe and sound. Let him explain to me in person. That’s why. Are you satisfied now?”
He suspected that her reaction—needing to have herfather explain everything to her face—had everything to do with her stepfather, Dale, leaving her when she was ten. What more could there be tohisstory? Cole couldn’t see anyone leaving his child, even after learning he wasn’t the biological father. But people reacted differently.
He looked out the raindrop-studded window. For Jo’s sake, he hoped she would find her father and all would be well. But this kind of start to a day never ended well.
“If it wasyourfather—someone you cared about—what wouldyoudo?” she asked. “Call the police?”
“I don’t know. Did you tell the WSP detective about what brought you to Seattle?”
“Not in so many words,” she said.
“And why not?”
“What would I say?”
“I hear you.” He hated saying his next words. “You know for sure this guy is your real father?” The question sounded ridiculous. There was a resemblance, but that didn’t always mean a blood relation. Yeah. Dumb question.
Jo’s face scrunched into a deep frown. “I’m not an idiot.”
He’d said the wrong thing. “Of course you’re not. I didn’t mean to imply you were. But people want something bad enough, sometimes they see something that isn’t real. Isn’t there.” He was digging a deeper hole. He should shut up already.
“Just please explain to me how you met your biological father.” Her mother dies, and then this man claiming he’s her father shows up. Cole believed that he probably was. But how does that happen?
“You don’t understand,” she said.
“That’s right.” Cole braked to keep from rear-ending someone. “I don’t. Please, help me to understand.”
Then he circled the block so he could find a parking spot right on the street, and that was going to be tough, butit would give them more time for this conversation. She sighed. Closed her eyes. Was he pressing her too much? Still, he needed the truth so he could better understand what he was dealing with.
