50 Harbor Street - Debbie Macomber [80]
“I was wrong not to tell you everything I found out.”
“You mean there’s more?” she snapped. She felt angry that Roy had gone about this investigation and left her out. Yes, she was guilty of the same thing. But she had a good reason. Roy had claimed he didn’t want to know; he’d refused to discuss the subject, so she’d had to learn what she could on her own.
“No. I couldn’t find anything else. I’ve hit a brick wall with the California records. Only Alabama, Alaska, Kansas and Oregon are ‘open records states.’ The reason I was able to find out as much as I did was through an old friend who works for the California state government.” Looking at Corrie, he narrowed his eyes. “How did you discover we had a daughter?”
She gazed down at her folded hands. “My mother’s diaries. I have them and I looked up the year and month. She knew. She never said a word to me, but she knew we’d had a daughter.”
“We’ll find her, sweetheart, and when we do we’ll explain everything.”
Corrie just hoped it was enough for this child to know she was loved and always had been, despite the fact that she’d sent her out of their lives.
Thirty-Two
Allison Cox marched into the living room and sat down across from her father, who was in his recliner reading the paper. She waited patiently for him to lower it, which he did after a few minutes.
“Is there something you want to say?” he asked.
She nodded, and looked down at her hands, struggling to find a way to broach the subject of Anson. He wasn’t her first boyfriend, but he was special, and she needed, somehow, to convey that to her father.
“Does this have anything to do with Anson?”
“Yes.” She wondered how he’d figured that out. Or maybe she was more obvious than she thought.
Her father frowned darkly. “He hasn’t broken his word, has he?”
“No…”
Her mother stepped out from the kitchen and her parents exchanged glances. They did that a lot lately. Maybe it’d been going on a long time and Allison hadn’t noticed. She did now, because she and Anson communicated in the same way. He hadn’t talked to her since his court date, not even once, but they spoke with their eyes each and every day in French class.
His gaze told her he loved her, and Allison wanted him to know she shared his feelings. Not that she’d ever let her parents find out. They’d say she was too young and insist Anson wasn’t right for her. They’d be wrong, but it was a waste of breath to argue. She knew she loved Anson and would for the rest of her life.
“Do you want me in here, too?” her mother asked.
Allison had never intended this to be such a big deal. “Ah, sure.”
At least her little brother was in his bedroom. Eddie was mostly a pest, but he had his uses.
Rosie sat on the arm of the recliner and placed her hand on Zach’s shoulder. “You were saying?” her mother gestured toward Allison.
“I hadn’t really started,” she explained. “Dad asked if Anson’s been talking to me.” Righteously, she added, “He hasn’t.”
“Good.”
“It hasn’t been easy, you know.” Both her parents seemed to take it for granted that she’d kept her promise. She had, but it’d been the hardest thing she’d ever done. The temptation was so strong because she loved Anson so much. He was the resolute one, not her, and she wanted her parents to appreciate him.
The next part was important. “Dad, I know you helped him get the job at The Lighthouse and I’d like to thank you.”
Her father shrugged, as if it was a small thing. “I checked with Seth Gunderson, and Anson appears to be a good employee.”
“Really?” Allison was sure this was true. She felt it in her heart, but having her father verify it made everything seem better.
“Yes.” Her dad smiled slightly. “According to Seth, Anson shows up early and works hard. He doesn’t drive, so he walks to the restaurant after school and pitches in until his shift starts. The only problem Anson had was with another kid who works there named Tony.”
Allison bit her lower lip. “What kind of problem?”
Her father shrugged. “Seth didn’t really say, but I got the impression