The Newcomer (Thunder Point #2)(81)

“Or we could wait a year and a half, when our girls go to college,” she said.

“I don’t think I can wait that long.” He pulled her into his arms. “The best place in my life is when I’m near you, when I’m holding you, when I’m spooning you in bed. That’s my peace. That’s my anchor. And you know what? I don’t think it’s going to be hard. I think it’s going to feel like a huge relief.”

“This is not going to solve all your problems, Mac.”

“It’s going to solve at least one. I need to be with you.”

Sixteen

Gina was sitting on the front porch with her newspaper opened in front of her when Ashley came up the walk after school, her backpack slung over one shoulder. “My last big test,” she said. “Done!”

“How do you think you did?”

“I think I did great, as a matter of fact. The only major thing left for me is a book report—mega book thesis—for English. And I did it already. I hate to brag but it’s the smartest paper I’ve ever written. School’s out in a week and I’d like to work this summer. As much as possible. I have to save some money. So, who do you think will hire me? You or Gram?”

Surprised, Gina answered, “Well, do you want to wait tables, or cook and do dishes?”

“I might have time to do both over summer—two part-time jobs. What do you think?”

“I’ll ask Stu at the diner and you can talk to Gram.”

“If I can manage to work and cheer in my senior year, I might want to do that, too.”

“Suddenly very ambitious, aren’t we?” Gina said with a smile.

“Well, I am. I’ve been thinking college is getting close. I used to think of Downy when I thought of college without even considering all the other things it could mean. I had no idea all the things I was interested in until I started listening to Frank talk about everything he’d like to study and I thought—hmm, I kind of like the idea of psychology. And how about physical therapy? Or education? Or biology? Or—”

Gina laughed. “How about all those things?” she echoed. “What brought this on?”

“I’m sick of hearing about the wonderful Downy and his atomic arm. Good for him, but I have a life, too, and I just am not about to waste it on some jerk.”

“God,” Gina said. “Why didn’t I have your brains when I was your age? Sit down with me a minute. There’s something I’ve been planning to talk to you about and with all you’ve had going on, I didn’t want to overburden you. But—it’s kind of because of all you’ve had going on. When I checked you into the hospital and filled out all the forms I realized that since you were born the ‘paternal’ side of the health history was always unknown. If we ever had a real issue—like if there was something hereditary we should know about, then... The thing is, Ash, I searched out your biological father specifically to ask those questions. And I found him. Not very far away.”

The look on her face was one of sheer shock. “Holy crap.”

“Yes, I found him, I talked with him, I asked him medical questions. And I found that he hadn’t even been certain whether I was definitely pregnant, whether I’d gone through with the pregnancy, had you adopted, whatever.”

Ashley leaned back on the porch post. “Wow. That’s almost creepy. Especially at the same time Eve’s long-lost mother shows up unannounced.”

“Pure coincidence and entirely different circumstances. It turns out your father didn’t exactly run out on you. He did run, though, and I think we can all agree that worked out a lot better for us than it did for him.”

Gina told her the whole story, including the fact that Eric had gotten in trouble, served time in prison and then seemed to have turned his life around. She had had Mac check him out and learned that he had not only been a model prisoner, determined to get out as early as possible, but was now a model citizen.

“Is he nice?”

Gina nodded. “Seems to be. In fact, lots nicer than he was at eighteen. He seems to be responsible and kind of successful with his own little business.”

“Do you like him?”

“I like him more now than I had.”

“Am I going to meet him?” Ashley asked.

“Do you want to?” Gina responded. “Because you shouldn’t have any fantasies about him—he’s no knight in shining armor. He’s just a man—he does auto body work. He’s got a girlfriend but no family and, he and I?” She shook her head. “Never. I think we’re both pretty relieved he didn’t step up seventeen years ago—it would’ve been a disaster. For that matter, I don’t know that you can expect him to be a father, Ash. I think that time has surely passed. You might not even like him.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing his face. Finding out what kind of person he is. I already know what kind of person he was.”

“I can probably arrange that, but I want you to think it over for a couple of days and be sure that’s what you want. He gave me his word he won’t push himself on you.”

“Couple of days?”

“I think it’s reasonable to think it over first. Don’t you?”

“Sure. Yes. Wow—I always thought if I ever ran into him, he’d be a horrible person.”