Sugar Springs (39 page)

“She sold me?” That made zero sense. “To the foster care system?”

“No. Apparently to some woman who planned to adopt you.”

“Then how in the hell did I end up a ward of the state?” Anger colored his vision as he fought through the new information. His mother had given him away to another woman who, in the end, hadn’t wanted him, either? Jesus, his life was fucked up.

Nick’s shoulders moved in a shrug. “I’ve no idea, man, I didn’t chase that rabbit. I was only interested in finding you.”

Cody’s breath slowed as he fought through his anger, then something else dawned on him that Nick had said. “Wait.” He held up a hand in a stopping motion. “I wasn’t the only one she sold?”

Nick raised his gaze and once again locked it on Cody’s. “We have another brother.”

The can slipped from Cody’s fingers, but he caught it before it spilled across the table. He had two brothers? That hadn’t been in the paperwork he’d seen, either. But if Nick had seen it...“Three of us?”

Nick gave a single nod.

“Have you found him yet?”

“No.” His brother stood and paced. “After she died, I started with you. Figured being a twin, maybe there would be some great connection that would pull us together. I didn’t even have to hire a PI. I found you on the Internet the first time I searched. As for our brother, though, he’s
proving more difficult. I’ve discovered he was adopted, and therefore likely had his name changed. Locating him hasn’t been going well.”

Two brothers. He had a family. “He the same as us, too? Identical?”

Nick shook his head. “He’s a year older, almost to the day. From the people I’ve talked to, she sold him before our father knew anything about it. They weren’t together at the time. Then they hooked back up for whatever reason, and next thing she knew it was her lucky day again. A chance to make another buck.”

A family. Cody had a family. And then he realized he wanted to keep Nick in his life as well as help find the other brother. He was tired of being alone. He wanted this.

Reality hit with a thud. He’d already had a family. They’d been here waiting for him all this time. He’d finally found them, too, and then he’d shoved them away.

He had to fix it. He needed them. He needed their forgiveness.

Without them, nothing else mattered.

Snow from the limbs overhead landed softly on Lee Ann’s camera as she stretched out on the bough of the tree, the massive branch dipping low to run parallel with the ground. She framed the scene before her. She’d heard scurrying above and was thankful snow was the only thing tumbling down.

“It’s beautiful,” Candy whispered in awe as she squatted on the ground beside her.

Thanks to a light snowfall the night before, the stream she and the girls had visited the previous three afternoons now glistened, as purples and blues painted the sky beyond. Lee Ann clicked off more shots and agreed with her daughter.

“Do you think it’ll be good enough for the show you just signed to do?”

Pride swelled as Lee Ann recalled the e-mail she’d gotten two days earlier. Cody had apparently contacted the gallery in Nashville he’d told her about. The e-mail had ticked her off at first, but then she’d taken her emotions out of it and looked at it from a business perspective. If she really wanted to make a go of it, she had to do that now. And since she’d quit the diner, she needed to make a go of it.

The manager at the gallery had wanted to see some of her work. After she’d sent the woman a sample, she’d been very interested in doing a show. They’d agreed to a small one to start. Come the end of January, her world would officially take a new turn. She nodded and reached out to stroke Candy’s silky hair. “I think it’ll be perfect.”

Kendra had not crouched with them, as she wasn’t as drawn to the artistic sight. She preferred searching for wildlife. And thanks to the hours they’d had in the Smoky Mountains the last few days, she’d been able to point out multiple animals, which Lee Ann had caught with her camera.

“Mom,” Kendra whispered, her voice coming from directly behind Lee Ann.

“Yeah?” Click. Click. Lee Ann shifted and positioned the camera in front of Candy, allowing her to work the controls.

Kendra sat on the tree trunk and leaned close as she pointed to the other side of the stream. “I think I see something.”

Lee Ann scanned the bank until she saw what her daughter had spotted. She couldn’t make out what was hidden in the snow and leaves, but there was definite movement. She slipped an arm around Kendra. “Good catch. Let’s wait a few minutes and see if anything comes out.”

Candy rose from her position and followed their line of sight with the camera. Being the less patient of the twins, she whispered to her mother and sister. “It’ll get dark soon. What if it doesn’t come out in time? Let’s cross and see if we can find it.”

Kendra scowled at her sister. “You are so immature. Mom already taught us about disturbing nature years ago.” She focused on the moving leaves and lost her condescending tone. “Anything we do could potentially harm the wildlife in any number of ways.”

Lee Ann retrieved her camera in hopes of catching a nice shot, but she concentrated more on what having time alone with her daughters had done for them all. After the pain of having Cody not show up for the party, they’d all been too heartbroken to hang around for a lame apology. Together they’d made the decision that he’d messed up big-time, and none of them had wanted to stick around to see what happened next. All the girls knew at this point was that he’d skipped out on the party. She’d wanted to keep the Holly situation away from them as long as possible so as not to impact their decision about how they wanted to move forward with him.

With school out for the holidays, they’d packed enough clothes and essentials to keep them away from Sugar Springs until the first of the new year. This year they would do something different and celebrate the holidays in the Smokies. Just them and their grandmother, who was coming out today.

They’d spent the first night in a hotel on the main strip, but the following day Lee Ann had been able to secure a cabin that would be theirs for ten days. It cost more than she would normally be willing to pay, but these were trying circumstances. After checking in with her mother to remind her to mind the business messages and return any calls that couldn’t wait, then texting Holly that she wouldn’t be back to work at the diner, Lee Ann had turned off her cell phone and spent the days totally alone with her girls. She hadn’t wanted to be made aware of any gossip or risk getting any calls she didn’t want to take.

Along with spending each day scouring the woods together, they’d also shopped and enjoyed the holiday festivities along the strip. Come New Year’s Eve there would be a huge fireworks show visible from the enormous deck of their cabin. Fireworks showering over the trees would make good portraits as well.

“Mom,” Candy whispered, louder this time as she checked her watch. “We need to get back. Grandma should already be here.”

Lee Ann’s mom had resisted the idea of their leaving town and even suggested she come, too, but Lee Ann had known they needed time to lick their wounds. Lee Ann and the girls had talked about Cody and his actions during their daily hikes, and although no major decisions had been made, the wounds were already healing. At least they were for the girls. They were more resilient.

Although she’d refused to let Reba come, Lee Ann had promised to leave the key on the deck for her on Christmas Eve. Her mother planned to arrive while the three of them were out for their daily walk, bringing a fully cooked turkey along with her. They would make the side dishes together, and then they’d have their normal Christmas Eve dinner.

Her mother would spend the night so they could all be together the next day before she headed back home. She had to be at work the day after Christmas. City offices didn’t close down just because some people needed to escape and hide in the woods.

Lee Ann glanced at her watch. They did need to head back. Not only did her mom need help with dinner, but also the sun was rapidly disappearing. She patted the log beside her. “Come sit with us a minute.”

After Candy scooted in close, Lee Ann wrapped her arms around both her girls. The pain in her heart was still there, as strong as it had been Saturday night when she’d learned Cody had chosen Holly over them. She squeezed the girls to her, sorry she’d let him hurt them the same way. Each rested her head on Lee Ann’s shoulder, and they released a sigh in unison. Lee Ann
smiled. They were so similar. She wished she’d been closer to her sister and had some times like this, but some things just weren’t meant to be. Like her and Cody, apparently. “We need to talk before we go back and see Grandma.”

“Yeah, we know—” Kendra mumbled, and Candy finished for her, “we need to talk about how we’re going to handle this issue with Dad.”

Lee Ann’s heart lurched. They were both so grown-up. “You know Grandma will ask how you’re doing?”

Kendra tugged against the weight of Lee Ann’s arm, so she loosened her grip but didn’t let go. Both girls straightened and focused on a spot on the other side of the stream. Candy spoke first. “We’ve been talking about it, and we think we should give him another chance.”

Lee Ann sucked in a quick burst of air. She was tired of giving the man chances. “But he might—”

Kendra nodded. “He might hurt us again. We know. But he’s still really just learning this fatherhood stuff. He hasn’t really messed up with us until now, so it’s pretty much his real second chance with us.”

“We owe him the chance,” Candy added.

Lee Ann closed her eyes. Her girls were good, considerate young ladies. And they wanted to believe the best in everyone. But Lee Ann worried their hearts would be crushed over and over with this one. “Are you sure?”

They both nodded, then grew silent, but Lee Ann knew they had more to say. While she waited, she tried to discern how to handle Cody visiting sporadically for the next five years, maybe more. She was finished with second chances. As soon as she figured out how to get him out of her heart once and for all, she would move on herself.

Candy gripped Lee Ann’s hand and held on. “We think you should give him another chance, too.”

“No.” She couldn’t.

“Please, Mom, we know he loves you.” Candy turned her pleading gaze to Lee Ann, and the irony struck her that this was the daughter who’d been so hesitant to open herself to him in the first place. “And we know he broke your heart a long time ago, so we totally get it if you can’t. But we were thinking...maybe if you forgive him just this one more time, he’ll stay in Sugar Springs with us.”

Lee Ann’s heart deflated at the sight of the hope on her daughters’ faces. She cupped both of them on the cheek. “Sweethearts, he isn’t staying. That’s not an option.”

“But...” Moisture deepened the brown of Candy’s eyes. “But if you tell him you love him, and he already knows we love him, maybe he’ll quit running.”

Lee Ann’s throat thickened. They recognized he was running? “Cody has...” How did she explain it? She licked her lips and tried again. “Cody has some issues that have nothing to do with any of us. I don’t think he knows how to quit running.”

“Then we just teach him.” Candy stood before them, determination covering her face. “That’s all we have to do. Give him some more time, but teach him he doesn’t have to run anymore. He has a family here.”

Sounded so easy. But Lee Ann knew differently. Kendra rose to mimic her sister’s stance. “We can do it, Mom, but it would be easier if you would give him that chance, too. You do love him, don’t you?”

Lee Ann thought about him choosing Stephanie over her, choosing Holly over her. Then she thought about him never
choosing her again, and her heart bled. She nodded. “Of course I love him, but that’s not enough.”

Hesitant hope pulled at the edges of the girls’ mouths. “Love has to be enough.”

Adolescence was such a wonderful thing. Lee Ann gave a sad smile to her girls and wished she could keep them from ever losing their belief in love. “I’m afraid it isn’t always that easy.”

Kendra flipped her long hair over her shoulder. “Maybe if you just tell him you love him.”

“I did,” Lee Ann said, her voice cracking. She hated what she was about to do, but they had to know. He hadn’t just skipped out on them, he’d skipped out on her as well. “Then we talked about the future Friday night, and I told him again. I begged him to quit running then.” She took in a deep gulp of air. “But he went out with another woman instead.”

Kendra’s eyes bulged, while anger heated Candy’s.

“He wouldn’t do that to you.” Kendra shook her head, not believing, but Candy glowered, fire brewing in the depths. “Who was it? There has to be some mistake.”

“It’s hard to mistake something like that when it happens in public.”

“Did you see it with your own eyes?”

Lee Ann couldn’t help the little smile, which lifted her spirits. Her girls would always be there to take care of her, but they wouldn’t let her take the easy way out. “No, I was at the party all night with you. Joanie talked to Gina Gregory, who saw him.”

Candy’s shoulders slumped, and a little of the anger left her posture. “Gina Gregory? Even we know she’s after Dad. Maybe she just made it up.”