The Secret Son

by Joan Kilby

  “Are you kidding?” Jodi broke into a grin. “Finally Will has competition for big brother status. He doesn’t get to act so high and mighty all the time.” She came forward and hugged Alex around the waist. “Welcome to the family.”

  “I have no idea what’s going on. And we haven’t known you long but I feel the same.” Taylor gave him a quick hug.

  Will shook his head, still in shock and disbelief. “I knew there was a reason you were such a hard worker and great guy. You’re a Jackson.” He gave Alex a hearty handshake that turned into a bro hug. Grinning, he punched him in the shoulder. “Always wanted a little brother to beat up on.”

  “Yeah, just try it.” Alex put up his fists and feinted a punch at Will’s jaw. Then he turned away and used his fist to blot the embarrassing moisture from his eyes. Never in a million years had he expected his half-siblings to be so accepting.

  “Alex.” Linda’s hand rested on his shoulder. He turned and she smiled at him, her face filled with warmth, compassion and understanding. “I’ve had time to think these past few hours. Nothing like the threat of imminent death to focus your thoughts.”

  Alex waited, his heart in his mouth.

  “Life is too short to waste on regrets or recriminations,” she went on. “The past is the past. What Robert and I have had for thirty years is solid and real and can’t be undone, not by anything. I don’t know what he’s said to you but I want you to know that to me, we have more than enough space in our lives for you.” She held out her open arms. “Welcome to the family.”

  “Thank you.” Alex hugged her hard, his tears seeping beneath his lashes. “This means so much to me. You have no idea.”

  Chapter Twelve

  ‡

  Emma sat in her car out front of her grandparents’ house. It was hers. If she wanted it. Suddenly she wasn’t sure anymore. Why, because she wanted to go to Seattle with Alex? As she’d said to him, that was crazy. He’d only asked her to ease the blow of his departure and because he knew she would never actually do it. Her mom was right. Men, the handsome, charming ones, always left. She’d thought she’d been prepared for that, but faced with the reality, it hurt. Hurt bad. More than she’d expected.

  What if she did go to Seattle? She thought about that for a moment. It wasn’t what she’d always thought she wanted. But Robert’s heart attack had made her think. Life turned on a dime. It was a cliché but that’s because it was true. What if she needed to get out of her rut? She never thought she’d fall for a handsome charmer either but this past week had been the most exciting time of her life.

  Alex wasn’t just some hot guy in fancy clothes. He was a real person with real problems, doubts and fears. He might have an expensive car and a high-paying job but that wasn’t what counted. He knew that, too. His arrogance and cocky attitude early on had been a front, to cover how out of his element he felt in Cherry Lake. Down deep, where it counted, he was strong and caring and honorable. He was giving up any claim on his father so the family as a whole could benefit.

  A familiar-sounding engine in the street made her look in the rear view mirror. Alex’s sports car pulled up behind her. His dark hair was windblown and his eyes were obscured by dark glasses. He was coming to say goodbye in person. She blinked rapidly. She had to be strong, for him. And for her own pride.

  He got out of his car and got in her passenger seat, filling her little car with his large frame and his tangy aftershave. Pushing his sunglasses on top of his head, he grinned. “Congratulations, homeowner.”

  “I don’t own it yet.” She drank in his handsome face, those dark beautiful eyes and strong jaw. A mouth made for kissing. And laughing. And teasing. “I suspect Robert won’t be working for a while. He may change his mind about co-signing. Or by the time he is well enough to talk about it, I might have lost my option.”

  “I saw Robert at the hospital. He’s going to be okay. I suspect Linda’s going to read him the riot act unless he takes his diet and exercise more seriously.”

  She jabbed him in the chest. “You should do the same. You’ve got his DNA.”

  “Believe me, I intend to. I’ve been thinking a lot about my life this past week.” He tilted his head and gazed at her curiously. “So you’re just going to give up and let the house go?”

  “I’m not sure. When you arrived I was asking myself why I wanted it.” She twisted in her seat to face him. “I do love this house because it reminds me of my grandparents and because I was happy here as a child. But I think what I really want from it is not a roof and four walls but security. I felt safe here as a kid.”

  An odd expression crossed his face and then was gone. “We all want security. And to feel loved.”

  “What I’ve figured out in the past hour is that there’s no such thing in life as being safe. Look at Robert. Maybe Linda knew differently but until recently the rest of us thought he was healthy and strong. Next thing he’s having a heart attack. You have to be enough in yourself, not rely on other people. That’s what my mom found out. Maybe I just need to be stronger. I don’t want to buy this house for the wrong reason.”

  “You’re plenty strong.” Alex reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to her. “It’s yours already. I paid the deposit. You just have to go into the office and sign the papers.”

  “What? Why would you do that?” She stared at the receipt. Her name was written in as owner, co-signed by Alex Chernoff. “I mean, thank you, that’s incredibly generous. But what if I can’t pay you back?”

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “You forget, I know where you live.”

  She struggled to keep a straight face. “Seriously, Alex, why?”

  His smile faded and his dark eyes grew intense. “I meant what I said on the phone earlier. I want you to come to Seattle with me. But I know that ultimately you want to be in Cherry Lake. I like it here, too. I love it, in fact.” He paused and what he said next held wonder and gratitude. “I have family here.”

  Overwhelmed, she couldn’t speak. “I-I don’t know what to say except I still don’t get it. I’m not your type.”

  “You’re exactly my type.” He took her hand and tilted her jaw so she was looking straight into his eyes. His were serious and sincere. “I’m sick of the life I was leading, the people I associated with. But I can’t just up and quit my job. I signed a contract and I need to honor that. I also need to work out a plan for what I can do in Cherry Lake. I have a few ideas but I want to make sure they’ll work before I leap. I’m not impulsive.”

  She smiled indulgently. “Oh, no, you’re not impulsive. You’ve thought about this for all of three hours or so.”

  “As you say, a near-death experience focuses the mind. And the heart.” He kissed her palm. “I want to marry you someday when we’re ready. You don’t have to say yes right now. Just promise you’ll think about it.”

  “Okay, I’ll think about it.” And, oh boy was she going to enjoy that.

  “Awesome.”

  “Something else I figured out,” she said. “Once you have that inner strength and make your own security you can do something risky. Like go live in Seattle. I’m willing to put my dreams on hold to find out where this is going between us.”

  “You won’t be putting your dreams on hold,” he promised. “We’ll be creating new ones. The first step is to buy this house so it doesn’t go out of your family. Then we’ll work out how to transition from Seattle to Cherry Lake. One thing you could do is look for a job in Washington. Take courses or do whatever you need to do to help you start up in sustainable agriculture.”

  She liked this vision of the future. “Where would I live?”

  “With me, of course. We can get married right away. Or wait. I’m entirely at your disposal.” Despite his confident words his eyes held a tiny note of doubt as if to say, ‘just don’t send me away.’

  “Come here.” She leaned over the console and put her arms around his neck. “I don’t know this minute exactly wh
at I’ll do, or when. Whatever that is, though, I want to be with you.”

  “I think I love you,” he whispered and rubbed noses with her.

  “This is crazy, but I’m pretty sure I love you, too.”

  He pressed tiny kisses on her mouth, her eyes, her nose. “I have the key to the house. And a blanket in the trunk of my car. We could go inside and get more comfortable. Christen our new home, so to speak.”

  “You’re bad.” She grinned widely. “Very, very bad.” She got out of the car and met him at the gate. Then walked up to the front porch with him, hand in hand. “I believe this is what’s known as leading me up the garden path.”

  “You know your fairy tales,” he said. “So you know something else.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We’re going to live happily ever after.” Alex lifted her up and swung her around.

  Emma’s laugh rang out in the late summer afternoon.

  *

  Epilogue

  ‡

  One year later….

  “Hey, anybody home?” Robert called through the open front door.

  Alex came out of the kitchen wearing a barbecue apron over shorts and a T-shirt. He gave his dad a man hug and Robert pretended to wrestle him to the ground just to prove he was as strong and healthy as ever. And he was, thanks to embracing a healthier life style. “Come on in.”

  “How are you doing, son? It’s good to have you back.” Robert gripped Alex’s arms. “You’re looking real good.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Alex gave him an extra hug. “You, too.”

  “I’ve lost a few pounds. I’m sticking to the diet and exercising regularly. Plus I’ve cut back my hours at the realty office.”

  “Is he talking health again?” Linda entered, carrying a salad bowl, followed by Taylor, Jodi and Will. She smiled at Robert indulgently. “None so evangelical as a convert.”

  “Hey, Alex.” Taylor handed him a jar of cherry preserves.

  “Like your apron,” Jodi teased. “Where’s Emma?”

  “In the back yard. The cousins are here already. Head on out. Beer and wine in the coolers, so help yourself.”

  Robert, Taylor and Jodi walked through to the kitchen and the back door.

  “Happy housewarming,” Linda said, kissing Alex on the cheek. “I’m so glad you two have finally moved back here. And just in time for the cherry festival next weekend.”

  “Are you kidding? Emma was not going to miss the festival. Our whole life has been scheduled around it.”

  “Hey, bro.” Will set a six pack of beer on the counter.

  Alex clapped him on the back. “How’s that new marketing scheme I drew up working out?”

  “Terrific. I can’t believe we cracked the Chinese market. Okay, one province in China but it’s a start. And it’s all thanks to you.” Will looked around. “The old place is looking good. You and Emma have done a great job on renovating.”

  They walked through the house, past the spacious home office that Alex and his new marketing company shared with Emma’s fledgling sustainable agriculture consultancy.

  “How do you find it, working side by side?” Will asked.

  “Distracting at times but good.” The bedroom was just upstairs for when she really distracted him.

  They went through the kitchen, which he and Emma had renovated to look old-fashioned, but was, in fact, brand new with up-to-the-minute technology. If she was going to learn to cook, she said, she wanted it to be as easy as possible. And yes, he’d picked out the paint color and the tiles. And he’d put carpet on the staircase.

  “Wow,” Will said as they came out on the back deck. “That’s some garden. I haven’t seen it since everything’s come up.”

  Emma had planted half the back yard in rare and heritage food plants. She was collecting seeds and selling seedlings to nurseries. “It’s all part of Emma’s master plan to feed people sustainably. Today Cherry Lake. Tomorrow the world.”

  “Where is she?” Will said. “I don’t see her.”

  “She’s up in the tree. What else?” His wife, in her element surrounded by branches, leaves and fruit, handed down ripe apples to ten-year-old Darcy. She must have felt his gaze on her because she looked over and beamed. His hunch had proved to be right. Their infatuation had grown into a deep and meaningful love. He didn’t know what he’d have done if he hadn’t found her.

  Alex got himself a beer and started to barbecue chicken pieces. His back yard was filled with family all laughing and squabbling and talking over each other. Gazing around at his tribe, his family, he felt a huge lump in his throat. He wasn’t an impulsive guy but every day he thanked his lucky stars that he’d jumped off the freeway on a whim.

  The End

  If you enjoyed Her Secret Son, you’ll love the other Secrets of Cherry Lake stories!

  The Secrets of Cherry Lake Series

  Small Town Secrets by Roxanne Snopek

  The Secret Son by Joan Kilby

  Her Secret Love by Paula Altenburg

  Her Secret Protector by Roxanne Snopek

  The Secret Bride by Jeannie Watt

  About the Author

  Award-winning author Joan Kilby writes sweet, sexy contemporary romance with a touch of humor. When she’s not working on a new book Joan can often be found at her local gym doing yoga, or being dragged around the neighborhood by her Jack “Rascal” terrier. Her hobbies are growing vegetables, cooking, traveling and reading—not necessarily in that order. Happily married with three children, Joan lives in Melbourne, Australia. She loves to hear from readers so feel free to drop her a line.

  For more from Joan:

  Visit her website at www.joankilby.com.

  Join her mailing list

  Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @JoanKilby

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