The Daughter's Return

by Unknown

  “Thank you, Kamila. Here’s Jake again.”

  She passed the phone to him before breaking down in sobs of joy. In a minute Jake reached across to hold her.

  “It’s over, Jake,” she cried, burying her face against his shoulder. “The hellish nightmare is over. This is going to transform my parents’ lives. I saw what happened to the Talbots when they found out Kit was alive.

  “My brothers—they’re going to feel let out of prison. It’s too incredible. I can hardly believe this day is here. What if you hadn’t been working at the genealogical firm? None of this would have been possible.”

  He kissed the side of her face. “Have you forgotten the part you played in all this? It was no coincidence you came to Wendell’s firm. I believe the time had come for you to find your sister. Someone else would have helped you if I hadn’t.”

  “Not the way you have!” As she lifted her head to look at him, she saw a car and truck pull up next to them. “They’re here! Oh Jake, I’m so excited, I’m sick.”

  “The best kind of sickness,” he whispered against her lips before they both got out of the car. He came around and gripped her hand.

  Three teens jumped down from the truck bed and went into the house. The mom and dad got out of their vehicles and walked over to Maggie and Jake. “Hello. Can we help you?” the man asked.

  Maggie felt them studying her, the same way everyone had been doing all day.

  Jake squeezed her fingers. “Are you Josef and Milena?” They nodded. “I’m Jake Halsey, a genealogist hired by this woman, Maggie McFarland. We’re both from Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ve been looking for Maggie’s sister, Kathryn, who was a one-month-old baby when she was kidnapped from their home twenty-six years ago.”

  Milena gasped.

  “Our search has brought us to Skwars Farm. While we were picking apples a little while ago, we learned a woman named Anna Buric has been living with you. We have reason to believe she’s Kathryn.”

  The couple smiled at Maggie. Josef said, “You and Anna have to be sisters. There couldn’t be another explanation for the remarkable likeness. I wish we could tell you she was here.”

  Maggie was ready to jump out of her skin. “Viktor and Lida told us you know where she is.”

  Milena nodded. “At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. We drove her there almost two weeks ago. She’s living in student housing. We don’t know which building or room number. I thought we might have heard from her by now to let us know, but maybe she’s been too busy and hasn’t purchased a cell phone yet.”

  “There’s a lot we could tell you,” Josef inserted, “but it might be better explained if you spoke with Mr. Markham, an immigration attorney in Racine. He’s been working with the FBI to help Anna get legal.”

  Maggie and Jake exchanged glances before she said, “What do you mean?”

  “There were no papers on Anna when she came to the farm with her great-grandmother. Everyone always understood she was the daughter of Marie’s grandson Antonin. The family waited for him and his wife to show up, but they never did. Which meant there was no birth certificate on Anna, therefore no social-security number.

  “Marie died, so her brother’s daughter Olga saw to Anna’s care. When she passed away unexpectedly, the family took turns looking after Anna. She was with us for the last two years, but she’s been unhappy.”

  “She really has,” Milena concurred. “No child can bear to think they were abandoned by their parents. But it’s more than that. Anna didn’t want to stay on the farm. She has a wonderful mind and craves a higher education, but she couldn’t do anything else without having the documentation.”

  Josef nodded. “My sister Julia put her in touch with Mr. Markham. His first name is Charles. He contacted the FBI who found out Antonin had a police record, and no record of marriage. That raised the possibility that Anna might have been kidnapped. A couple of agents are working on that possibility as we speak.

  “If you want to know the truth, I think Anna has been hoping she was abducted because it would mean she has birth parents who love her and have been looking for her.”

  “They have been!” Maggie cried. “All their lives!”

  Milena reached out to hug her. “Josef and I love her, but we realize it’s not the same as having your own parents. She and our Nelly roomed together, but Nelly got married a few weeks ago.

  “At that point Anna came to Josef and said she wanted to leave. That’s when Julia put her on to an attorney who could help her get her life sorted out.”

  “Thank heaven for you.” Maggie hugged Milena, then Josef. “Thank you for taking such wonderful care of her. My parents will be indebted to you forever.”

  Jake slid his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go find her.” They got in the car.

  “Our family will be in touch with you shortly,” Maggie said through the open window. She wrote both her cell-phone number and Jake’s on one of the foundation brochures she always carried with her and handed it to Josef.

  He handed her a business card with their number on it, then looked at the brochure. “Your family set up the Kathryn McFarland Foundation because of her? It will thrill Anna’s heart to know she was loved so much.”

  Copious tears started flowing down Maggie’s face once more.

  Josef patted her arm. “We’ll call Mr. Markham right now and tell him what’s happened. He’ll probably phone you before the night is over.”

  “Here.” Jake handed her his cell phone as they drove away. “Make that call to your parents. It’s the most important one they’ll ever receive.”

  “If I can even talk. Thank you,” she cried softly before pressing the digits. “It’s five o’clock in Salt Lake. They should both be home.”

  On the third ring her brother answered. “Hello?”

  “Cord?”

  “Maggie?”

  “I didn’t expect you to answer.”

  “Some wedding gifts came to the house, so Kit and I came over to open them with the folks.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  “Hey—what’s wrong? Your voice sounds strange.”

  “Maybe it’s the connection. Could I speak to Mom for a minute?”

  “You don’t want to talk to me?” he teased.

  “Of course I do, but—”

  “I’ll get her. Hang on.”

  Jake found her free hand and held it tight.

  After a minute, her mother came to the phone. “Darling? I’m so glad you called. Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you at the condo so you could come over and be with us.”

  “Jake came across a lead he wanted to check out, so I flew him to Wisconsin. We’re outside Racine right now.”

  “Racine?”

  “Yes. Mom? We’ve got an important question to ask you and Dad. Why don’t you put him on another extension?”

  “Just a minute.”

  Within seconds Maggie’s father spoke into the phone. “Hi, honey. Your mom and I are both on. What did you want to ask us?”

  She fought to compose herself. “Are you ready to hear that the greatest wish of your hearts has come true at last?”

  The immediate silence on their end was so eloquent, so poignant, she turned to Jake. “They can’t talk,” she mouthed the words to him.

  “That’s how I felt when you announced we were flying to Prague to find Kamila. It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” Jake said.

  She bowed her head. “Kathryn’s alive and well. Jake and I haven’t seen or talked to her yet. She has no idea we know who she is. We’ve just come from the people who’ve helped raise her. They know where she is. Kathryn’s your angel baby.” Maggie choked up. “You should be the ones to see her first.”

  It was a humbling experience to hear her parents weep with the kind of joy she’d never heard in their voices before.

  “Jake found her.”

  “Bless him forever,” her mother cried.

  If Maggie had her way, Jake would be in her
life forever.

  “Bless you forever, darling.”

  “Mom—” Maggie’s voice caught.

  “Amen,” her father muttered hoarsely.

  She tried to clear her throat without success. “We’re headed to Milwaukee. That’s where she is, attending the University of Wisconsin.”

  “Your mother and I will get the rest of the family and fly out on the company plane tonight.”

  Maggie knew that’s what he would say. “We’ll be there before you, so we’ll book rooms for all of us at a hotel with airport limousine service. As soon as I know which one, I’ll call you.”

  Before they hung up, she could hear her mother telling her father they needed to call Ben quick. The happiness in her voice was a revelation. Combined with her dad’s yelp of excitement, they both sounded younger.

  It was as if some shroud enveloping them had been cast off so they could breathe again.

  She turned to Jake. “Mom and Dad said ‘bless you forever.’ I echo their sentiment.”

  THE DESK CLERK of the Milwaukee Inn handed Jake the key cards for their two rooms on the fifth floor. The rest of the family’s rooms were two floors down. “Enjoy your stay.”

  “Thank you.”

  He carried their overnight bags with one arm, and escorted Maggie to the elevator with the other.

  If these were different circumstances, he’d have arranged for one room. But not tonight. Not on this red-letter night. Kathryn McFarland had been found alive. The news had already transformed her family.

  Right now Maggie was in another world. She still wouldn’t be able to see Jake clearly until the long-awaited reunion had taken place. Jake didn’t mind. Maggie’s happiness was his, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

  When they entered her room, she pulled out her cell phone. “Before we call the university, I’ve got to reach Scott and ask him to go to court for me tomorrow afternoon. I need to call Steve, too.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll be next door taking a shower, then I’ll join you.”

  “Okay. Hurry.”

  He liked the sound of that, even if she was already dialing.

  After he went to his room, he phoned for room service and ordered dinner to be brought to hers. They hadn’t had anything to eat since those kolaches.

  Ten minutes later, dressed in a polo shirt and trousers, he let himself back in her room. She’d showered and changed into denims and a creamy yellow blouse, looking casual yet stylish as only Maggie could pull off without trying.

  He found her poring over the phone directory. She lifted her head when she saw him. “Wouldn’t you know it’s Sunday night?”

  “It’s always the weekend when you need something vital.”

  “I phoned the student-housing department, but got a recording. There won’t be a live voice until tomorrow morning at eight.”

  Just as he was about to make another suggestion, there was a knock on the door.

  Maggie looked surprise. “Mom and Dad couldn’t be here yet. It’s not ten o’clock.”

  “That will be our dinner.”

  “Oh. Thank you for ordering it. What would I do without you?”

  Jake smiled, having no intention of her ever finding out. “I’ll let him in.”

  The waiter put their trays on the table. Jake tipped him and saw him to the door.

  “Come on over here and eat with me. We’ll try reaching her through the general-information number.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Maggie got up from the bed and carried the directory to the table. While they ate their club sandwiches, she dialed it and a conversation ensued. By the time Maggie hung up, he knew something was wrong.

  “The university operator said there’s no listing for Anna.”

  “Maybe she asked not to be put on,” he reasoned. “She’s only just enrolled. It’s possible they haven’t had time to update the system.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  “Try the Wisconsin operator.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that?” But a little research proved there was no listing for Anna there, either.

  “Under the circumstances, why don’t you phone Mr. Markham in Racine? He’ll have her phone number without fail.”

  Her eyes flashed him a heartfelt thank you. “You’re a genius.”

  Jake tipped his chair back and drank his cola while he waited for her to get the attorney’s number from the operator.

  “She’s connecting me now,” Maggie gave him a blow-by-blow account.

  He loved it. He loved her. Dear Lord, how he loved her.

  No one had a more expressive face than Maggie. He could read it like a book. The sudden fierce frown was not a good sign. She left her name and phone number. After telling him it was an emergency, she clicked off.

  “He wasn’t there.”

  “So I gathered.”

  “We could take a taxi over to the student-housing area and start making inquiries.”

  “We could, but what if you should run into her? I thought you wanted your parents to be the first.”

  “I do. Of course I do. I know I’m being impatient.”

  “Give yourself a break, Maggie. It isn’t every day you find your sister who’s been missing for twenty-six years.”

  He got up from the chair and pulled her out of hers. “Come on. You need to relax. After all my therapy, I know how to give a great back rub.” He drew her to one of the queen-sized beds. “Lie down on your stomach.”

  Like a child, she obeyed him without remonstration.

  “Close your eyes and think of all the things you’re going to say to Kathryn when you have a chance to really talk. The kinds of secrets sisters tell each other.”

  Jake perched next to her and ran his hands up and down her back, pressing, kneading, massaging those places knotted with tension.

  “That feels fantastic. Don’t stop,” she murmured.

  “I had no intention.”

  This was progress. They were in her hotel room. She was letting him give her a back massage. When he’d first met Maggie, he didn’t know if she would ever allow him this much intimacy.

  Just when he thought she’d gone to sleep, she raised up. Her eyes were half-veiled as she gazed at him. “Now it’s your turn. Lie down on the other bed.”

  He wasn’t going to say no to that.

  Afraid to break the enchantment, he did her bidding.

  At the first touch of her hands, he didn’t think he could refrain from turning over and pulling her into his arms. He’d been burning up with fire for her since they’d met.

  But he wanted their first time to be when she didn’t have one other thing on her mind or in her heart but him. That day was coming. He could feel it.

  Exercising the kind of self-control he didn’t know he possessed, he lay there and soaked in the pleasure her fingers gave him as they worked their magic. His mind began to drift. He thought of the years and years of joy ahead of them. Love. Babies.

  Their babies would grow up playing with his baby brother. Jared would be an uncle. A very young uncle. Jake smiled as oblivion took over. He knew nothing else until the ringing of a phone brought him awake.

  Disoriented, he turned over, surprised to realize he’d been asleep. There was no Maggie. He reached for the hotel-room phone and put the receiver to his ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Jake? The family’s arrived. We’re all in Mom and Dad’s suite. Come on down as fast as you can.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  CORD STOOD NEXT TO MAGGIE. “Is Jake coming?”

  “In a minute.”

  “I want to shake that man’s hand. He’s given Mom and Dad back their life.”

  If the family’s elation could be converted to electricity, it would light up a major city. Katy and Brock were acting crazy, running around giggling.

  Kit and Julie were seated on one of the beds across from Maggie’s mom. The three of them were talking a mile a minute. A light radiated from Ellen’s face. She looked mor
e beautiful than Maggie had ever seen her.

  Ben and her father had their heads together laughing animatedly like neither of them had done in their lives. The body language of both men was different. Her dad seemed as energized and youthful as his first-born son.

  Cord slid his arm around her shoulders. “That’s quite a sight isn’t it?” he murmured. His voice was full of emotion.

  Maggie turned to him and they hugged. “It’s too wonderful. I just wish Mr. Markham would call back.”

  “He will. Even if he doesn’t, we’ll find her first thing in the morning.” Cord rocked her back and forth. “You’re the heroine in this family, Maggie. Deny it all you want, but once my wedding was over, you didn’t let anything stop you.

  “That great brain of yours came up with the idea to hire a genealogist. Without your drive—well, I don’t even want to think about it. Your phone call to Mom and Dad changed our lives in an instant. We never have to go back to that dark place again.”

  “It was dark,” she cried softly. “I just didn’t realize to what degree until now.”

  Her brother’s body shook with silent sobs. She patted his back. “Let all that guilt go now, Cord. Live the life you were meant to live. Hire someone to run Renaissance House. Become the rancher you always wanted to be. Kit’s so in love with you, she would follow you anywhere.”

  “I know she would, but to tell you the truth, I’m so happy I can’t think yet.”

  “I know what you— Oh, I heard a knock. I’ll get it.”

  She eased away and hurried to the door. It didn’t matter how many times she saw Jake’s rugged face, that powerful physique, her reaction was the same. When their eyes met, her heart melted.

  “Come in, Jake.”

  The whole family must have realized he’d arrived because they all converged on him at the same time, even the children. Maggie stood apart, watching a group of people trying to convey their gratitude to this extraordinary man responsible for restoring Kathryn to them.

  Her mom held on to him, consumed once more in joyous tears. She looked so cute and little compared to the tall men surrounding her, all of whom were broken up, even Jake.