Baby Love (Baby #2)(102)

"How did you know that they were in there?"

(He obviously has snooped in my closet at some point in time!)

"What did you find?" he asked anxious to change the subject.

"One of those blue velvet jewelry boxes had a false bottom I discovered when I knocked it over. There were diary notes in it that my mother had written."

"Really?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"Yeah - it was kind of surreal reading them. They're about when she and my father had their night together; about being pregnant and about me being born."

"I'd like to read them," he said.

"I want you to read them. Hey, have you ever heard about babies being born under a veil?"

"That's a new one to me," he replied.

"Well apparently I was according to my mother's notes. At least that's what the mid-wife or witchdoctor told her at the time," I chuckled.

"I think I will look it up online."

"Okay baby. I will see you this evening then. What's for dinner?"

"Turkey croquets," I replied.

"Tylar next year can we please get a smaller turkey?"



CHAPTER 39



I had scanned my mother's handwritten notes and saved them as a .pdf file. I attached the file to an email and sent it to my father. I texted him that he had an email from me with an attachment that he needed to read. I asked him to call me after he had read it.

Our landline rang at 8:30 that evening. It was Dad.

"Tylar," he said his voice full of emotion. "Where did you find those notes?"

"There was a false bottom in one of those blue jewelry boxes you gave to Mom. I found it by accident the other day when I was cleaning my closet. I had no idea those were in there. They look to be particular pages she had torn out of a notebook."

I wondered if the notebook they originated from was still in existence. Perhaps she had always kept a diary. For some reason she may have wanted to hide those pages since they were rather explicit. Speaking of which -

"Dad it seems as if you left something out when you were relaying to me what happened the night that you met my mother."

He cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable that I had brought that up.

"Tylar," he said with a heavy sigh, "I just didn't want you to think that your mother was anything but a sweet and innocent girl who I violated that night. It was my fault."

"I don't think my mother felt violated for very long, Dad," I smiled. "You had to find some comfort in that right?"

"I did," he replied. "I also found comfort in the fact that she loved me. I am in despair however knowing this now and wondering why she wouldn't have come to me for help and protection. It's my fault she's gone," he said his voice breaking. "I'm the reason for everything bad that has ever happened to you my darling daughter."

"Dad - please."

It was upsetting to me to hear his self-loathing.

"I'm sorry Tylar," he said his composure having returned, "Is Trey home?"

"Yes he's right here why?"

"I need to speak with him about some matters. Can you put him on the phone?"

(What the hell could he tell Trey that he couldn't tell me?)

"Trey," I said taking the phone into the living room.

"It's Judge Tylar for you."

Trey gave me a strange look and took the phone.

"Your Honor?"

Trey was listening intently to everything my father was telling him. He occasionally nodded and gave an 'I see' or an 'I agree.' The conversation then shifted to something different. My father wanted me to visit him and bring Preston if Trey had no issues with it before Christmas.

"That is perfectly fine with me, sir," he said. "I will make their flight arrangements. There is a matter of accommodating the baby though."

My father must have said something in response.

"Yes that is wonderful. I'll have Tylar get back to you just as soon as the arrangements have been made. I will tell her sir. Good night."

I was glaring at Trey wanting him to spill the gist of the conversation.

"Don't give me the hateful look Tylar. Your dad wanted to talk to me. Must be a kind of old-fashioned guy who still thinks the man rules the roost."

"Don't worry. I will set him straight about our roost when I'm down there now what did he say."

"He has certainly moved quickly on all of this. Of course being a federal judge has its perks you know."

"Anyway search warrants are being served as we speak by federal authorities to search Matthew Renaud's home, vehicles, phone records, confiscate his hard drive and any other software communication device in his possession or in his name. Along with that, a search is being done on the vehicle that Maggie had and ditched which was impounded to find any traces of Matthew's involvement in Preston's abduction."

"Why couldn't Dad just tell me that?"

"Honey I think he also wanted to see if I had a real issue with parting with you and the baby for a few days to come and see him. It's actually kind of sweet. When I asked him about accommodating the baby he said that he had already had a room furnished as a nursery for her and his housekeeper would serve as a nanny at your whim."