He stared at the message. She was flying home? From the Congo? He clicked Google open to find out how many miles separated them. Eight thousand four hundred and fifty? He tried to wrap his head around that. She’d been home a subtotal of twice in the last couple of years, and now she was flying over eight thousand miles to get to Dare Valley, without a specific holiday or event to bring her there.
Something was wrong. He could feel it. First, she hadn’t called him Andy Cakes—which he pretended annoyed him, but he actually kind of liked—and second, she hadn’t told him a joke or sent him a picture of her trip like she usually did.
He glanced at the clock, wishing he could call Mrs. O’Brien to ask her what she knew, but it was after eleven, and he didn’t want to alarm her. She was probably as shaken as the rest of them after his mother’s scare. And maybe he was reading too much into Lucy’s email.
He settled back into his chair, his skin crawling with the same fear he’d felt with Kim’s illness. God.
He scrubbed his eyes and reached for the picture of them sitting in the corner of his desk. Kim was already glowing in the photo. He’d dragged her to the nearest photographer the day they’d found out she was pregnant to capture the newness of the miracle growing inside her. His hands were caressing her belly, like he was the only other person in the universe who knew the secret. He’d never imagined he could love her more, but he’d felt his heart grow bigger that day, like a kid growing out of a shirt size.
Pressing the photo to his chest, he closed his eyes.
Oh, babe. God, babe. It was so close with Mom.
He wasn’t sure he could have taken it, and from the look in her eyes, he could tell his mother had thought it too.
Now he was worried about Lucy, and he slumped in his seat.
Would he ever stop fearing he was going to lose someone else he loved?
Chapter 40
The party Natalie had thrown for Blake’s new career was going strong—even if Blake hadn’t made the announcement yet. As she wound around clusters of the Hale clan, the old and the adopted, she spotted her sisters talking to Uncle Arthur.
Slipping her hands around their waists, she nudged her way between them. “Hey, there. You girls need a refill?”
The rims of their margaritas were mostly devoid of salt now.
“Yes, please. These margaritas are incredible.” Moira thrust out her glass, signaling she was already a bit tipsy. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a better one.”
“Me either,” Caroline said, extending her glass too. “What’s the secret?”
Blake appeared next to Uncle Arthur and put his arm around the old man, who elbowed him.
“Don’t put your giant mitts around me, you big lug,” he told Blake. “You might crush my bones. I have osteoporosis.”
She and her sisters snickered at his indignant tone.
“Big lug?” Natalie said. “Oh, Uncle Arthur, you have such a way with words. I’ll have to remember that one.”
“When are you planning on making your announcement?” Uncle Arthur asked, tapping his cane on the floor. “I go to bed early since I’m an old man.”
She kissed him on the cheek and gave Blake a wink. “He’s probably hoping he can get the story in before the Sunday paper is printed.”
Her uncle winked at her. “Are you sure you don’t have black ink in your veins, my dear? That’s a canny reporter talking.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m doing what I love, Uncle Arthur, but I’ll let you know if that ever changes.”
Blake whistled shrilly beside her. “Everyone. Can I have your attention for a moment? Uncle Arthur needs to get to bed early, so I’m going to share my big news now.”
“You didn’t have to pierce an old man’s ear drum,” her uncle muttered. “I’m charging you if my doctor prescribes me a new hearing aid on my next visit.”
The crowd laughed. Blake reached for her hand, rubbing her wedding ring.
“As you probably know, Natalie and I will be renewing our vows soon, so this isn’t the end of the partying. However, the love of my life has insisted that we celebrate my new career. And yes, Uncle Arthur, you can consider this an exclusive story since you’re family.”
“Take heed, Meredith and Tanner,” her uncle boomed out. “You’ll be coming back to the office with me tonight.”
They both gave him a thumbs up.
“When I came back to Dare Valley after retiring, I knew only two things for certain: I wanted Natalie back, and I wanted to run a football camp for kids with intellectual disabilities as a tribute to my brother, who—as all of you know—passed away recently.”
She clenched his hand and scooted closer to his side as the emotion welled up in his eyes.