I reach into my pocket, pulling my phone out.
‘Hold her?’ But I pause to blow a raspberry on Felicity’s tummy before handing her to Cora. I take a few steps away, lifting the phone to my ear.
‘Holden Hart.’
‘Holden? It’s Dominic.’
I frown, for a moment, forgetting that I even know someone called Dominic. How long has it been since I thought about the investigator I engaged for ever ago to find out about my birth father? But my blood runs cold now because I cancelled his contract almost a year ago, and so for him to be calling...
‘What is it?’
I move further away, throwing a look over my shoulder. Cora is talking to Jagger and Grace. My family. I grip the phone more tightly, unsure how I’m going to take the news I’m sure I’m about to receive.
‘I’ve had something come across my desk just now.’ His accent is thick Cockney. ‘Something I wanted to let you know about.’
It’s my father. He’s found him.
‘Go on.’
‘Still no luck on your dad.’
I close my eyes, surprised by the flash of disappointment that overtakes me.
‘Have you heard of a woman called Savannah Maxwell?’
I frown, and now when I look at Cora it’s with a blade of worry. How many women was I with before her? What if this Savannah is one of them? What if there’s something from my past about to reach into my future and grip it by the throat?
But Cora looks at me and smiles at that exact moment, so I relax, because I know how she loves me—just like I love her. There’s nothing from my past that could hurt us. She accepts me—all of my past pitfalls, everything.
‘No.’
‘I’m not surprised. She died about fifteen years ago.’
‘So why are you telling me this?’
‘The thing is, she left behind a little girl. A fourteen-year-old called Avery Maxwell. Holden, there’s no easy way to tell you this. She’s Ryan Hart’s daughter.’
All my breath leaves my body. My brain explodes against the inside of my skull. ‘What did you say?’
‘It’s a long story. She submitted to DNA testing for a little girl who needed a bone marrow transplant. I have access to the database. The results pinged—I had an alert set up from when I was working on your case. I did a bit of digging and it’s true, beyond a shadow of a doubt. She’s Ryan’s daughter.’
‘Jesus Christ. Does she know?’
My heart is slamming into my ribs. I turn around. All my family are together now. Theo and Asha, Jagger, Grace, Felicity and my reason for being, Cora.
‘I don’t know. The father’s not listed on her birth certificate, and she grew up pretty broke, then went into foster care after Savannah died. I’d have to think if she knew about your family she’d have made contact. Or that someone would have.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ I repeat, dragging a hand through my hair. I’m aware of Theo’s eyes on me and wonder if I look as shocked as I feel. I must, because he says something and they start to walk towards me, all the people I love most in the world.
‘Can
you email me everything you’ve got?’
‘Already done.’
‘Thanks, Dominic. I appreciate it.’
I disconnect the call just as Theo reaches me. ‘What is it?’ No preamble, no bullshit.