She hit Enter and a new search popped up.
Why was he so caught off guard by the call? She’d told him she was ready to date again. That’s why he’d decided it was time to tell her how he felt. Ask for a chance. If he didn’t do it soon, some other guy would swoop in and win her heart—and no way was he going through that again. He’d wanted to put all this stuff with Will to rest first, but he wouldn’t risk losing Maggie for good.
Either he’d get a chance with her or he’d sell his business and take that job at the Charleston Yacht Club. The manager had given him till August 1 to decide. Big D would be happy to take over Island Tours and he could keep his crew intact. The new job was good money and would put plenty of distance between him and Maggie. It would also put more miles between him and his family. It wasn’t the option he was rooting for.
He watched her in his peripheral vision, his heart thumping in his chest as he tried to form the words. He’d planned a million times what he’d say, but he couldn’t seem to pull up a thing at the moment. He just had to say it. Get it out there.
He placed a hand over hers on the keyboard.
She looked at him, a question in her eyes.
“Maggie, there’s something I—”
“Mommy!” Zoey called from her bedroom. “I don’t feel good!”
Maggie smiled at him. “Hold that thought.”
His breath escaped in a huff as Maggie went to check on her daughter.
He used the distraction to construct a few meaningful sentences. He wouldn’t tell her he’d been in love with her for years. It made him seem pathetic and the shame of it still ate at him. Besides, there was no sense in scaring her off. She’d likely be distressed enough at the thought of dating her former brother-in-law. Of what his parents might think. One thing at a time. He’d just ask if she was open to the idea of giving them a chance.
But a few minutes later the unmistakable sound of retching came up the hall, putting all thoughts of the conversation on hold.
Chapter 21
“His parents are divorced,” Josh said on the phone a week later.
Maggie had just finished a swim lesson in Erin’s pool and stood dripping on the deck. Olivia, Mia’s church friend, had turned out to be a great encouragement for Mia. She seemed to forget her fear of the water with her brave little friend cheering her on.
Maggie wrapped a towel around her waist and perched on the low brick wall. “He said his ‘parents’?”
“He said his ‘mom and dad.’ I didn’t even have to ask the question. We were hanging around today after the tour, making small talk, and Big D asked him about his family.”
“That’s good. But just because he mentioned his ‘dad’ doesn’t necessarily mean it’s his biological father. He could simply view the man as his father if he raised Will. Or he could be unaware. Parents don’t always tell their kids the truth about their biological parents.”
“I know. It gets tricky from here. How are we supposed to find out if Will is my dad’s kid?”
“If he is, there are two people who know.”
“Only one person for sure. It’s possible Robyn never told my dad.”
“So what... We show up on her doorstep and ask point-blank?”
A pause sounded over the distance. “I’m reluctant to do anything that might blow up his family. What if Will’s father doesn’t know thetruth? If this comes out, it could devastate Will. He doesn’t deserve that.”
“He could already know his dad isn’t his biological father.”
“Or he might not. We need to find out when they got married.”
“Even if we found out they didn’t marry till after Will was born, that doesn’t prove he and Robyn weren’t in a relationship at the time of conception.”
“That’s true,” he said.
Maggie understood his reservations. Josh was a compassionate person. But could he let this mystery go? Could he just write off the idea that he might have another brother—one he now employed?
The afternoon sun beat down on her skin and she slid over into the shade of a palm tree. “So what do you want to do? The ball’s in your court.”
“Even if we confronted Robyn, she could simply lie. If she’s been hiding the truth from Will or her ex-husband, she’d likely do just that. We need to do more research. See if we can find a common workplace. We know Dad’s work history. If we find a clinic or hospital that puts them in the same place at the same time, that’ll have to be more than coincidence. Right?”
