“No,” I said. “But I might not handle it well in the beginning.”
“That’s okay. Give him some grace if he doesn’t, but like you, he’s media trained. We’ll talk about your mother when we get to the house.” He pulled his hand away and gestured toward my plate. “Now, stop worrying until there’s something to worry about. I need you to eat.”
“Yes, sir.” My face heated at what he might reply with. “Don’t say it.”
He smothered a grin and went back to eating.
Our vacation rental was located on a quiet street, nestled among picturesque family homes. On the thirty-minute ride from the airport, I marveled at the vast number of pubs and quaint places to shop. I had no idea what neighborhood or part of the city we were in. All I knew was I wanted to explore all of it.
“How long are we staying?” I asked as he unlocked the door.
“I’ve booked it for ten days, with the option to leave early.”
My eyes bugged out. “We have that long?” I looked around the two-story home with big windows and open living spaces. It was more modern than I expected, but I loved it immediately.
Thomas set his bag down, then turned to me. “In case we need more time. If you’re ready to go before then, we’ll go.”
“When do we contact them?” I asked nervously.
“As soon as you’re ready. Do you want to rest?”
I shook my head, suddenly wide awake. “No. My brain thinks it’s four p.m. at home. But I’d like to shower and change. Give me half an hour?”
“Perfect. That will give me time to finalize some things.”
We took the stairs and found the bedrooms. Both had ensuite bathrooms and king-sized beds that I was sure to appreciate later. Gathering what I needed, I headed into the lavish bathroom and showered.
When I got back downstairs, Thomas was working at the dining table. I ventured toward the refrigerator, looking for water. When I opened the door, I was surprised to find it stocked with a variety of things. “Did you order food?”
“Yes. Just a few things. We’ll need to go to the market. I thought you might want to get out and walk later.”
I smiled at how well he knew me. “Sounds good,” I said, grabbing two bottles from the fridge. Placing one in front of him, I sat down and waited. Cracking the bottle open, I tipped it back and drank the contents, only to find Thomas looking at me when I finished.
“Ready for what I found?” he asked.
My anxiety peaked, but this was the moment I’d been waiting for. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Thomas got up from his seat and took the chair beside me. Opening his laptop, he brought up a split photo. On the left, a beautiful woman with light brown hair and familiar eyes I saw every time I looked in the mirror, smiled at me. And next to her,the man I now knew to be my older brother. Seeing them side by side created an ache in my chest. Rubbing at the spot with my hand, Thomas leaned into my shoulder. “My contact in Ireland was able to do a quick records search for her. When I initially saw her photo, I was shocked at how much the two of you look like her. Don’t believe we need DNA to confirm anything, but we’ll ask if you want.”
I reached out and touched the screen as if I could touch her. “What’s her name?”
“Shannon Jones. She was Shannon Hughes when she met your father.”
“She’s married?” Staring at her, I suddenly wanted to hear everything he knew about her.
“Yes. She’s from London. She has no siblings, and her parents are deceased. She went to Uni and graduated at twenty-one with a degree in International Business.” Thomas paused and wiped at his lips. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather hear the rest from her?”
I turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“How she met your father. I don’t have every detail,” he sighed, “and it’s her story to tell, Mason.”
I sat blinking at him, unsure what to feel. But the first thing that came to mind was that my father was not the man I thought he was. I propped my elbows on the table and threaded my fingers through my hair. “What kind of an animal gets a woman pregnant, then leaves her, only to take one of her children from her? That’s heartless.”
Thomas clamped his hand on my shoulder. “That’s why you need the story from her.”
I laughed manically. “All my life, I thought my father was this fantastic person. And now I find out he is not the man I thought he was. Not even close.”
Thomas took my hand. “It’s difficult to say this, but you need to get the story before passing judgment. You don’t know what happened between them. At least not until you talk to her or your brother. And he may not know either. You’ve got to prepare yourself for that. You both may have been in the dark.”
