Ava stood. “Ryder, getting mad about it is not going to make you understand anymore. Your sister was in love with Jackson; they made love in this house more than once and they were going to have a child. The only person who can really answer your questions is Jackson himself.”
I shot my head in her direction as my heart sank. “What? Have you talked to him?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “No! Of course not.”
I walked back and forth not knowing how I should be feeling. My sister was pregnant. Oh my God. Why did you take them from us?
My throat was burning from the tears I was trying to hold back. I’d never really allowed myself to cry over my sister’s death.
Jumping when I felt Ava’s hand on my arm, I pulled her to me and wrapped her up in my arms. Not being able to hold back my emotions, I let my tears fall as I whispered, “Why did he take them from us, Ava? Why?”
I SAT ON the sofa in the little stone house and stared down at Ryder. He had completely lost it. I’d never seen him so emotional before, and a part of me wondered if I had made a mistake in telling him about Kate’s baby.
Then I realized what was happening. Ryder was finally allowing himself the chance to cry. It was as if the reality of his sister’s death hit him in that moment and he decided to stop pretending Kate had gone away, and accepted the fact that she was gone forever.
My phone buzzed. Picking it up, it was from an unknown number.
Swiping it, I softly said, “Hello?”
“Ms. Moore?”
“Yes, this is Ava Moore.”
“This is Parker, the caretaker of the house in Helena.”
This was strange. Why was he calling me?
“Yes, hello. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing well. Ms. Moore, I know the last time you were at the house we chatted about its history. You had asked me if Kate ever came to the house alone and I couldn’t remember.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “Yes. I was wondering that. You know she was so intrigued by Lizzy and Robert’s love story as am I.”
Ryder moved about some, but didn’t wake up.
“Yes, she was. Well, I remembered something. I’m not sure why I had forgotten it, maybe because Kate’s death was just a couple days after.”
“What!” I practically screamed.
Parker cleared his throat. “Kate had come to the house. She called and said she was doing a family research paper and would be staying the night in the house. I remember thinking nothing of it. I didn’t normally call Mrs. Montgomery to ask if the kids could stay, because they often did. They are such good kids, you know.”
I tried to keep my voice steady. “Yes I know they are. So, Kate came and stayed at the house. Was she alone?”
“To the best of my memory, yes. She was alone. I do know that was the first time young Kate had stayed at the house alone, but she mentioned her beau would be stopping by later for dinner.”
Why would Kate and Jackson stay the night at the house in Helena? It’s not like they needed a place to be together.
“One more question, Parker. Do you remember what room she stayed in?”
“Oh yes, the master bedroom. Why?”
Lizzy and Robert’s.
“Just curious. Thank you so much, Parker.”
“Your welcome. Did you and Mrs. Montgomery enjoy the old letters from Lizzy and Robert?”
My mind was spinning. There was something missing to all of this. I had felt like there was something Kate was hiding the moment I started reading her diary. At first I thought it was a long-lost secret of Lizzy’s. When I found out she was pregnant, I thought that was it, but it wasn’t. There was something else and I could tell by how conflicted her words were in her diary. I needed to find out what it was.
“Um … oh yes, the letters. They are amazing! We have a few left to read. Did you say that Kate had come to the house before? Was it with her sisters or brothers?”
“Yes, they would come together. Young Kate loved exploring the old house.”
That much I had figured out. Kate must have stumbled upon the letters while exploring. She wrote about some of the things that were in the letters in her own diary.
“Well, it’s an amazing house to say the least. The letters have helped a lot in getting to know Lizzy and Robert.”
“Wonderful! Wonderful. Okay, well that was all I needed to say. Just let me know when you’ll be coming to the house again.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
I bumped Ryder to wake him up. “Yes, Ryder and I will be heading there tomorrow. He has a business meeting in town, so I think we’ll stay the night.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be sure the heat is turned up for you then.”
Ryder sat up and looked at me with a dazed look. “Thanks, Parker. Have a nice night.”
I hung up the phone and stood. “I think there was something else Kate was hiding. I’ve felt it from the very moment I found her diary. I thought the pregnancy was it, but I can’t shake this feeling there was something else.”
“Oh God,” Ryder moaned. “I don’t know if I can take anymore secrets being found out.”
“I’m going with y’all tomorrow to Helena. Can we stay the night at the house?”
Ryder lifted his eyebrow. “Yes. Why?”
My face curved with a smile. “We’re going exploring.”
“DON’T EXPLORE WITHOUT me.”