“A few days after I went home,” I admitted, twisting my fingers together in my lap.
“This can’t be real. Kidnapping? I don’t want to believe it.” But I could see in his eyes that he knew Angie was capable of such a crime. She found a way to get what she wanted by any means necessary, including breaking the law, if that was the only way.
“I confronted Angie. She admitted everything, including that she never told you.”
His shoulders slumped, and his eyes glazed over. “I don’t know what to say.” He glanced up, meeting my stare, and I held my breath. “I need to talk to your mother, to Angie,” he quickly corrected. “Oh, God.” He raked a hand through his dark hair. The truth was sinking in.
My breath came out in a long release. “I know. It’s pretty fucked up.”
“You’re….” He swallowed what I thought might have been a lump of emotion. It was so damn difficult to see him struggle with his feelings. I knew how wild and out of control they could spin. “You met them?”
Was it an appropriate time to tell him I was living there? I didn’t want to lie, but I also didn’t want to hurt him more. There had been too many lies already. I couldn’t add another, regardless of how much it might cause him pain. Gripping the tops of my knees, I nodded. “I’ve been staying there. Grayson, one of the guys that came to visit me when I was hurt, he’s my brother.”
“You have a brother?”
I nodded. “And a sister.”
“Triplets,” he said, as if testing out the word.
“Yeah. Triplets,” I echoed, not knowing what else to say.
He fell silent as he dropped his head into his hands. His shoulders trembled as he shook his head, the shock and disbelief of it all finally settling in. I could count on one hand the number of times I’d seen my dad cry over the years. He was a tough guy who always put on a strong front, so seeing him show such deep emotion, it gutted me.
I just sat in the chair, unsure of what I could do to ease the pain and confusion he was probably feeling. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do or say. Not right now. Not when it was so fresh.
My eyes welled with hot tears as I remembered what it had been like to realize that Easton wasn’t my dad. The slow understanding that Easton wasn’t my father had cut through the initial surprise that I was unrelated to Angie. It hurt to breathe, so much pressure clamped down on my chest. I forced myself to stand up and walk around the desk on less than steady legs. I put a hand on his shoulder. “Dad?”
His body gave a long heave, rising and falling under my hand. “Josie,” he breathed, standing swiftly up and pulling me into his arms. He held me for a long moment, without saying a word, and when he finally did speak, his voice was raspy. “You’re still mine. I don’t care what a damn test says. I still want to be your dad.”
I smiled and glanced up at him through clouded, watery eyes. “Good, because I still want you to be my dad.”
A laugh choked out of him. “Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you. You’ll always be mine.”
Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He cleared his throat. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. I’m just sorry for all the crap you’ve had to put with, that you had to be the one to come here. It should have been Angie. She owed it to me to tell me to my face.”
“I agree.”
“Do you know what they plan to do?”
“The Edwards? Their names are Chandler and Liana Edwards,” I informed. “And they only want to protect me. They won’t press charges if I don’t want them to. I don’t see the point since I’ll be eighteen next month.”
Wiping the back of his forearm over his glossy eyes, he said, “She never deserved you.”
“She never deserved us,” I corrected.
He ruffled the top of my head, messing up my hair, which usually irritated me, but today, I didn’t give a shit. “I know this was difficult for you, but I appreciate you telling me the truth. You are my everything, and I can’t believe—” He got all choked up again.
And I gave him another hug. I didn’t know which was harder. Having to leave him like this, or actually telling him that I wasn’t his biological daughter? I didn’t want things to become awkward or distant between us, and I told myself I wouldn’t let that happen. That no matter how busy my life got, I would make the time to call him or text him at least.
I hung around the door, knowing the time had come for me to leave. “Don’t be a stranger,” Easton said, opening his office door for me.
I gave him a sad smile. “Never.”
I made a quick exit out of the building, waving at Tank as I left. He could see that something heavy went down between us, and I knew he would watch over Easton. Tank was a good, loyal friend.
Sitting in the Jeep, I took one long last glance at James Auto Repair, wondering if I would ever step foot in there again. I had to believe that I would—that it would always be a part of my life. I refused to let Angie take that from him.