Don't Say a Word - Barbara Freethy [100]
"Are you talking about Rick Sanders or us?"
"Both. I don't have a good feeling about this, Alex."
"I haven't had a good feeling since you knocked on my door last Friday."
For a while they drove along a rural frontage road dotted by farms, horses, a couple of cows, and small homes. Julia breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass. It was a beautiful day, with a royal blue sky and a bright sun, the kind of day that reminded her summer was not far behind them and winter was still a ways off. It was also the kind of day that seemed too bright for anything bad to happen. She hoped that would be the case.
Alex asked her to check the map. She told him to turn right at the next intersection. Gradually the landscape grew more crowded with homes, businesses, gas stations, and strip malls. Rick Sanders lived on a street called Caribbean Court. Julia didn't think the area at all resembled the Caribbean. The address they were seeking matched a modest one-story, ranch-style home. There was a beat-up Chevy, at least twenty years old, in the driveway. The grass in the front yard was sparse, dry, with big areas of dirt. The flowers were wilted, weeds growing between rosebushes planted along the front of the house.
Julia's nervousness intensified as they parked the car and got out.
Was she actually going to meet her father? On this day? At this moment?
Would she know instinctively when she saw him? Or would he seem like a stranger?
She put her hand on Alex's arm as he started down the walk. "Wait. I don't think I'm ready."
"You don't have to say or do anything, Julia. I'll handle it. I'll mention your mother's name. We'll see how he responds. You can just watch, listen."
"What if he says something to me when he sees me? What if he recognizes me? What if I don't want him to be my father?" He smiled at her, and she knew she was flipping out. "Too many questions?"
"One step at a time."
"I like to be prepared for any possibility."
"Sometimes the best things come when you least expect them."
"Or the worst."
"Who's the pessimist now?"
"All right." She drew in a deep breath. "Let's go. I hope he's home."
As soon as Alex rang the bell, they heard the sound of a dog barking and a man's voice, telling the dog to quiet down. A moment later the door opened. Julia blinked. The sun streaming in behind them put the man in shadow. All she could see was his blue shirt and white shorts. His features were completely indistinguishable.
Alex grabbed her arm and squeezed tight.
"Ow," she said, but he didn't appear to hear her. He was staring at the man with shock and horror.
The man stepped onto the porch, and finally Julia could see him. His hair was dark, his eyes a light green.
"Rick Sanders?" she queried.
Silence met her question. Then the man drew in a deep breath and said, "Not exactly. Do you want to tell her, Alex?"
"You know him?" Julia asked in amazement.
Alex's mouth tightened. "Goddammit, Julia. He's my father."
Chapter 16
Alex couldn't believe what he was seeing. The man in front of him could not possibly be his father. His father was dead!
But the brown hair, the green eyes, the long, thin face looked so familiar.
Alex blinked once, twice, three times. The image in front of him didn't change. He still saw his father's face. He was older, definitely. There were lines around his eyes, some gray in his hair, slack in his skin. But he hadn't changed that much. He was still the man who'd supposedly died twenty-five years ago. The man who had driven his car off the edge of a cliff. The man who Alex believed had been murdered.
How could this be? It was impossible. It was unbelievable.
His father-Charles Manning-was alive.
Alex put a hand on his gut, feeling like he was about to throw up. His breath came fast, his heart pounding against his chest. He couldn't think.
"Alex." Charles held out a tentative hand.
Alex jumped back, knocking his hand away. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?"
"You know who I am. You