Love in Catalina Cove

by Brenda Jackson

He lifted a brow. “You didn’t do what?”

  She shrugged. “Whatever has you looking so serious, Dad.”

  A smile curved his lips. He truly did love this child of his, and she was his. “I love you, Jade,” he couldn’t hold back saying at that moment.

  She smiled back at him. “I know you do. If this is where you tell me that you love Ms. Vashti, too, then I already know that you do.”

  He stared at her. No, that hadn’t been what he was going to tell her, but he was curious how she knew that. “Yes, I’ve fallen in love with Vashti,” he admitted. “How do you know that?” he asked her.

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Dad, I read romance novels, remember? You always look at her all dreamy-eyed.”

  “Dreamy-eyed?”

  “Yes, like you really like her a lot and can’t wait to get her alone. And before you have any spasms from what I said, remember I am a teenager and know about the boy-girl stuff.”

  Too much to suit him.

  “I hope Ms. Vashti knows how you feel,” Jade said.

  “She knows. At least she used to know.”

  His daughter’s eyes widened. “Did the two of you have a fight or something? Is that why you came back earlier than planned?”

  “I guess you can say that.”

  “Then you need to fix it. I like her, Dad. I like her a lot. In fact, I think you should add her to our family.”

  “You wouldn’t have a problem with that?”

  “Heck no. Ms. Vashti is awesome, and I want you to be happy and she makes you happy. I see how you smile around her and I know you make her happy, too.”

  He hoped so.

  “So you need to fix whatever problems the two of you are having.” Now it was Jade’s face that was all serious.

  He shook his head thinking if his daughter ever joined the military she would make a good general. “Trust me, I will try fixing it and I intend to keep Vashti a part of our lives.” He wouldn’t go so far as to say he would add her to the family, because as far as he was concerned, as Jade’s biological mother, she was already part of the family. He knew his daughter was referring to marriage. Once he fixed this problem between them, he would definitely ask her to marry him and he hoped she would say yes.

  “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about, Jade.”

  She lifted a brow as she took a sip of her milk. “It’s not?”

  “No.”

  “Then what?”

  Drawing in a deep breath he began telling his daughter what he thought she needed to know.

  * * *

  SAWYER WATCHED HIS daughter’s facial features as she absorbed what he was telling her. So far, he had covered only a third of what he needed to tell her, which was about the adoption. He hadn’t told her Vashti’s involvement or the fact Jade was a twin. When the first tear fell from her eye he held his breath, wondering how she would handle what came next. She got out of her seat to come over to give him a big hug.

  With her arms wrapped around his neck, she said, “I’m sorry, Daddy, that Mommy lied to you. I’m sorry that she lost the baby. I’m so sorry you are unhappy today. But I am not sorry I am your daughter and that you are my dad.”

  The words his daughter had spoken meant everything to him. She was comforting him, and the fact she was adopted didn’t seem to faze her and he knew why. She felt secure in his love. But he did have more to tell her.

  “Thanks, sweetheart, and I’m glad you’re my daughter and that I’m your dad. So glad. But there is more.”

  “Okay,” she said, wiping a tear from her face and giving him a kiss on the cheek before returning to her chair. She sat down and looked at him expectantly.

  “It’s about your birth mother.”

  “What about her? She didn’t want me, right?”

  “Wrong. She did want you, but her parents didn’t think she was ready to raise a baby so they lied and told her that her baby had died at birth.”

  Jade shook her head sadly. “I hate to say it, but adults tend to lie a lot.”

  Sawyer quickly picked up his coffee cup to take a sip to keep from grinning. Unfortunately, she was right. Some of them did. Placing his cup back down, he cleared his throat. “Yes, there are some who do.”

  “I’m glad you aren’t one of them.”

  He was glad, too. “Your biological mother found out the truth that you are alive.”

  Jade rolled her eyes. “Please don’t tell me she’s coming here to make trouble for us. I’m no longer a child, you know. I am a teenager and old enough to tell a judge who I want to be with.”

  “That’s not the issue.”

  “Oh? What is the issue then?”

  “I think you should know who she is.”

  Jade nodded. “Okay, who is she?”

  He hesitated a moment. “Vashti Alcindor.”

  She stared at him for a minute like she was trying to let what he said penetrate her brain. He knew it had when a huge smile touched her lips. “My Ms. Vashti? Your Vashti?”

  He nodded, watching her closely.

  “OMG! I’m the baby she had at sixteen? The one she wouldn’t tell anyone who her baby’s daddy was?”

  He wondered how she knew all that, certain Vashti never told her. He figured she’d heard from one of her gossipy friends who’d heard it from their gossipy mothers. “Yes.”

  “All righty now.” Her smile then faded. “She knows?”

  “Yes, she knows now.”

  Jade nodded. “And is she okay with it?”

  He smiled. “It was a shock. Learning what her parents had done hurt her, but learning you were alive made her so happy, so yes, she’s okay with it. But there is more.”

  “More?”

  “Yes.” Deciding not to keep her in suspense any longer, he said, “Vashti discovered there were two babies instead of one. Two girls. That means you have a twin.”

  “A twin?” she asked, leaning over the table to stare at him as if to make sure he was serious.

  “Yes, a twin. An identical twin and her name is Kia.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  “COME ON, DAD, we’re going to miss our plane.”

  Sawyer shook his head. If his daughter had any idea how many flights he’d been on over the last seventy-two hours, she wouldn’t be rushing him. But it was okay because more than anything he wanted to see Vashti, apologize and hope like hell she forgave him for not believing what she’d tried telling him.

  After telling Jade about her twin, she’d had a lot of questions that he couldn’t fully answer since he hadn’t met Kia. And when Jade discovered that Kia was the person in the hospital who Vashti had gone to see and why, she immediately decided that they needed to pack and go to Sacramento because “my sister might need me.” Those had been Jade’s exact words. He doubted he could have been any prouder to be her father than at that minute.

  The only part of the information that hadn’t made her smile was when he revealed the identity of her paternal grandfather. She did admit she was willing to give Lacroix a chance, but that he had to put forth an effort as well. He honestly didn’t think Reid would have a problem doing that.

  Five hours later after a layover in Houston, their plane landed at the Sacramento Airport. He rented a car and upon Jade’s insistence, they headed straight to the hospital. “Do you think Kia will like me, Dad?”

  He glanced over at Jade when he brought the car to a stop at the traffic light and smiled. “Of course, she will.”

  “And Ms. Vashti?”

  He reached out and playfully tweaked her nose. “I think you already know how she feels about you.”

  Jade nodded, smiling. “Yes, she loves me,” she said confidently.

  As Sawyer pulled into the hospital’s parking lot, he wished he had the same level of confidence regarding Vashti’s feelings for
him. When he had walked out on her two days ago, he had done the same thing the other two men in her life had done. He had let her down.

  * * *

  “DR. TELFAIR SAID I can go home this weekend if my fever stays down. That means the infection is cleared up,” Kia said happily as she looked at the five people in the room who were standing around her hospital bed. Her parents, grandmother, biological mother and biological paternal grandfather.

  “That’s wonderful,” Percelli said. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back.”

  “And while we’re all here together, we have something to tell you,” Alma said, smiling.

  “What?”

  Vashti took a step closer to the bed. “When I found out about you, I found out something else.”

  “What?”

  “That you are a twin.”

  Kia’s mouth literarily dropped open. “A twin?”

  “Yes. You have a twin sister. Right now there’s not a lot I can tell you about her, but—”

  “Hello, everyone. Look who I ran into on the elevator,” Dr. Telfair cut in to say. He moved away from the door to let two people enter the room. Sawyer and Jade.

  The moment Jade and Kia saw each other, they released loud screams. First from shock, then excitement and elation.

  * * *

  DR. TELFAIR TOOK it all in while smiling broadly. Sawyer, who stood frozen in place, stared at the girl in the hospital bed who was an absolute replica of Jade...or vice versa. The Harrises had the same reaction as Sawyer. It was evident that Reid was astounded. Tears formed in Vashti’s eyes.

  The reason Dr. Telfair had come to see Kia and her family was to deliver the not-so-good news that Reid Lacroix’s lab results indicated he would not be an eligible donor for Kia. But there was more than an eighty percent chance her identical twin sister would be.

  Dr. Telfair had the good sense to move out of the way when Jade finally rushed past him to give her sister a hug. He had to admit it was a touching moment with the two girls meeting for the first time, and the biological mother seeing both her babies together. They weren’t babies anymore, but two sixteen-year-olds. From the look of things, they had a lot more in common than just the mother who was trying real hard not to get too emotional.

  Dr. Telfair watched with keen interest as the man who just moments ago had introduced himself as Sawyer Grisham, moved past him to walk over to Vashti Alcindor to hand her a tissue. He was certain there was a story with those two. You didn’t have to be a romantic to figure that out. Right now Dr. Telfair’s main concern was his patient who seemed to be in very good spirits and surrounded by people who cared about her.

  He eased out the door, deciding he would return to check on Kia Harris later.

  * * *

  AFTER HE HAD showered and shaved, Sawyer caught the hotel’s elevator down to Vashti’s floor. It was almost ten at night and he hoped she hadn’t gone to bed yet. He didn’t get the chance to talk to her at the hospital. Jade and Kia had taken center stage and refused to relinquish it one iota. Introductions were made and then Jade and Kia decided, and quite determinedly, that they needed to spend more time together to get to know each other. They announced the only way that could be accomplished was for Jade to spend the night. Dr. Telfair was all for it and a few minutes before visiting hours ended a cot was wheeled in for Jade to use. Sawyer had left to get Jade’s things out of the car and when he returned Vashti had left with Reid to return to the hotel.

  He still had the passkey to Vashti’s hotel room in his wallet but had enough sense not to use it. There was a strong chance she was still upset with him. For her not to wait around for him to offer her a ride to the hotel instead of leaving with Reid had been a pretty good indication.

  He knocked on her hotel room door and knew the exact moment she stood on the other side looking out the peephole. He could actually feel her body’s heat through the metal door. He could inhale her seductive scent.

  Sawyer knew at that moment that he would do whatever it took to get her back. Grovel if he had to, and at this stage, he would even beg.

  * * *

  VASHTI DREW IN a deep breath after looking through the peephole. It was Sawyer. Taking the chain off the door, she opened it, trying not to stare. He had that just-showered look and he smelled good. Like aftershave and cologne. He’d changed clothes and was wearing a pair of jeans and a polo shirt and as usual, both looked good on him. Hot + denim = Sawyer.

  She had showered and put on a shorts set. The California weather was beautiful this time of the year and she’d intended to take full advantage of it.

  She wished her gaze hadn’t automatically roamed over him, and she wished he wasn’t aware it had done so. But then he was checking her out as well. Her heart began beating very fast like it did whenever he looked at her that way, with male interest that he alone could take to an unprecedented level.

  “Vashti.”

  She refused to allow the deep, throaty sound of his voice to weaken her defense. But Lordy it was difficult. The moment he’d said her name thrills of desire raced all the way down to her toes. “Sawyer. Any reason you’re here?” Other than to get me all turned on from the sight of you? It had been bad enough at the hospital and now here he stood at her hotel room door.

  Then he had the nerve to shove his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. Whether he’d wanted to or not, doing so tightened the denim on a pair of masculine thighs. Thighs she remembered all too well.

  “I’d like to talk to you.”

  Hadn’t he said enough the last time before telling her goodbye? Yet she was giving in to his request and stepping aside to let him in. At some point he’d discovered she was telling the truth. Otherwise he would not have brought Jade.

  Closing the door behind him she moved to the loveseat in the room and sat down. “Okay, you can talk.”

  He moved to sit in a chair opposite her. Then as if he wasn’t satisfied with that, he stood and walked over to her, which made her tilt her head all the way back to stare up at him. “I’m sorry, Vashti. I did the one thing I said I would not do. And that was to let you down. I proved to be no better than the last two men in your life.”

  Vashti wouldn’t go that far, but he was right, when he’d walked out that door he had let her down.

  “I’m truly sorry.”

  Vashti didn’t say anything. She scooted around him and walked over to the door. Before opening it she turned to him and said, “Apology accepted. You can leave now.”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets again. “I love you, Vashti. Will you give us another chance?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t. A lot is going on in my life right now, Sawyer, and I don’t need a man who doesn’t believe in me. A man who thinks I would stoop so low as to accuse his deceased wife of things just for the hell of it. I gave you my heart, my soul and my body. I gave you my love.”

  “And I gave you mine. You’re going to end things because of one screwup on my part?”

  “I didn’t end things—you did, when you thought I had slandered your wife’s name. You’re the one who said goodbye.”

  “And I’m admitting I made a mistake.”

  She couldn’t handle the riot of emotions inside her so she changed the subject. “How did you confirm I was telling the truth?”

  “When I was at the airport on standby, I was able to think rationally, and the more I thought about it, there were too many coincidences to suit me. I knew I had to find out the truth.”

  Vashti recalled that both Bryce and Reid had said he would eventually do that.

  “Instead of flying back to Catalina Cove,” he continued, “I caught a flight to Waco to see Johanna’s best friend, Erin. When I questioned her about it, she told me the truth.”

  Vashti leaned against the door. “And what is the truth?”

  He told her of his conversation wi
th Jade’s godmother.

  “Your wife lost your son?” she asked, her stomach tightening in sorrow.

  “Yes. At five months.”

  To be honest, Vashti had begun wondering if his wife had been pregnant at all, although he had said he’d been with her until her fourth month. “And with the Smithfields’ help she replaced your baby with mine?”

  “Yes.”

  Vashti could only imagine how he must have felt finding out the depth of his wife’s betrayal. Even while telling her she’d seen the pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” And she was. For years Vashti had thought she was the one who’d lost a son, when it had been him.

  “Johanna had no right to do what she did,” he said. “When I returned from my tour of duty I had no idea Jade wasn’t my biological child.”

  “Did Erin say why she did it?”

  “Yes. Johanna didn’t believe I would stay married to her without the baby.”

  “Why would she think such a thing?”

  He inhaled deeply before saying, “I married her because of the pregnancy, and whenever I called or wrote to her, I would ask about the baby before her.”

  Vashti moved away from the door to go back to the loveseat. His wife hadn’t believed he loved her?

  “Erin said Johanna knew I had grown to love her. However, by then she didn’t want to tell me the truth and risk losing me anyway.”

  He paused a moment and then added, “I didn’t get to mourn my son. She took that chance away from me. I’m not sure I can ever forgive her for that.”

  “You’re going to have to.”

  He lifted a brow and stared at her. “Why?”

  “Because I was told that anger, bitterness and animosity are too much baggage for anyone to carry around. At some point you have to let it go. Otherwise it will destroy you.”

  He remembered giving her that advice. “It’s hard when you love someone and find out they aren’t perfect like you thought, isn’t it?”

  She looked away and thought about what he’d asked her. She’d never thought he was perfect. She’d just expected... What? That he would be different from Julius and Scott. But then, hadn’t he been different? Unlike Julius, he’d publicly acknowledged their relationship; and unlike Scott, he hadn’t been unfaithful to her.