Page 102 of The Secrets She Keeps

“We have some questions, Bonnie. The man who we think is responsible for what happened, for creating OPJ, said some things. That make us think…well, we believe we know who he is. DNA tests are conclusive, and it brought up some more questions. But we need to talk to Heather—and you and some of your family—first,” Gunnar said, lead forming in his gut at what he was about to tell them.

The last thing he wanted to do was cause this family more pain.

“I see. Well, actually, I don’t see. But at this point in life, I’m almost convinced nothing can really shock me. Come inside.”

“We will, Bonnie. As soon as we finish this,” Miguel said pointedly. He looked at Daniel and Gunnar and the three Barratt men, Murdoch and Jarrod and Rafe. “With so much help just showing up, we can get this finished in about ten minutes.”

“I will have fresh drinks waiting on everyone. Powell, Haldyn, Zoey, please come inside. Excuse the mess. We have a lot of littles running around everywhere at the moment. Like we do at almost every moment, actually. Colesons, well, we got used to the chaos long ago.”

“Chaos is my Zo-Zo’s middle name, Auntie Bonnie,” Murdoch said, hefting a box. “I’m sure she’ll fit right in with you Coleson goddesses. For some reason…not like she has a look-alike aunt amongst you or anything like that…”

69

Powell had never beengreat at big dramatic scenes. Arguing with her father and brothers to get a ride over here was about the extent of it. Now, she needed to regroup. She walked with Bonnie into the Colesons’ house. It was the same general floorplan as her own place but about five thousand or so square feet smaller. The Colesons’ house was one of the smaller in the division. But the instant she walked in, it felt welcoming. Like ahome.

She wanted that same warm atmosphere for her own place. She was just going to have to work at it. Before the baby was born.

Powell wanted to massivelynest.As soon as she possibly could.

“So, what exactly are the guys doing out there?” Powell asked as she followed Bonnie into the music room. There was the old piano Hope had told her and some of her friends about before. Guitars lined one wall. Older ones, well-loved. And probably well-used. There was even a banjo in one corner. And violins. An electric keyboard occupied another space, with an oldercomputer next to it. There was a drum set that looked older than Powell.

There were several older couches and chairs around the room, but they were clean and covered with knit blankets and throws. A big basket of colored yarn sat by one chair, a half finished project waiting. There was a shelf in one corner filled with children’s board games and books and puzzles. It just felt so welcoming, with the faint scent of apple and cinnamon in the air, that Powell started to relax a little. People could be comfortable here.

There were playpens in the room, as well. With two beautiful baby girls sound asleep, so infinitely precious. As she watched, the older girl, the toddler she thought belonged to Commander Rodriguez, stirred. The baby sat up, looked around, and called for her daddy. And then her mama. Hope stood.

Samia scooped the toddler up. “Hi, baby. Daddy is outside, and Mama Hope can’t lift you. Hope, sit down now, or I’ll borrow Miguel’s cuffs myself. I have her.”

The baby girl babbled something in response. Followed by mama-mama-mama. She was precious and sweet and made Powell’s eyes well up. Her own baby would call her mama someday. Powell couldn’t wait.

“Her…mama?” Haldyn asked pointedly. “That’s Miguel’s daughter, right? Did I miss the wedding? I mean, Ididn’tmiss the handcuffs part of things, but the wedding? When did that happen? And I think you are supposed to save the cuffs for the honeymoon, Hope. Or so I have recently been promised.”

“She’s a bit confused right now. She definitely thinks Hope is her mama,” Samia said seriously. “We haven’t been able to convince Emilia otherwise just yet. We’re just going with it for now. Miguel seems to be in no hurry, strangely enough, to convince Emilia that Hopeisn’ther mama.”

“That dude is really weird or something. Like really weird. I kept her with me after Miguel was shot and before I was. I took care of her by myself for a few days then. I think she just got attached to me. She hears the older kids saying mama to Joy, Marcia, and Heather and she wants a mama too, I think,” Hope said from the couch. “I see we’re having peoples? Hey, Hal. How are you feeling?”

“Better. You?”

“Feelin’ the healin’. Mostly. So what’s going on now? We having a Heather’s home party already? Doesn’t she get cake like I did?”

“I’ll bake one tonight,” Summer said. “Sit, Hope. Sit.”

“I’m sitting. Sheesh.”

“Gunnar and Daniel were here before we were,” Powell said, taking the chair Bonnie ushered her to, as a little four-pack of dark-haired preschool girls, including Frankie, ran into the room in pursuit of each other. “They said they had questions about the DNA they found on Heather’s clothes. I wasn’t going to let them question her without me here. I was there too. I’m not going to let Heather deal with them alone.”

Someone came in the room after the four little girls. It was Cara. She took one look at Powell and started crying a little. “You are okay? For real?”

Powell hugged Cara quickly and from the side, then stepped back. Cara didn’t really like it when people got in her space that much. “I am okay. I promise.”

“Sit, Powell, you and Haldyn both. Cara Joelle, go help your sisters in the kitchen with drinks for the people who somehow got put to work cleaning out our garage. But why does our garage suddenly need cleaned out in the first place, I ask? Can someone explain? What are you girls up to this time?” Bonnie asked, sending her daughters a significant look.

“It’s a surprise for Aunt Heather, Mom,” Crispin said, eyeing Zoey warily. Then she took off toward the rear of their house.

“I’m not sure what Cashlyn was making them do. I stayed inside. I didn’t want to see Commander Butthead McKellen again,” Cara said. “He’s a real butthead.”

“Please don’t call our guests buttheads, it’s not how I raised you. Especially since Cashlyn seems to be orchestrating them cleaning out our garage. Which it does seem to be going very efficiently, but are these gentlemen actually willing to clean out our garage and everything? Or did Cashlyn just…Cashlynthem? We have talked about this…” Bonnie asked, watching from the window for a moment.

“Efficiency is key in a family this big. Cashie is just being efficient and everything,” Hope said. “Did any of them take their shirts off? The men in Finley Creek are very pretty. Well, Rafe can leave his on, considering, but the others…? Sorry, Zo, Murdoch is very drool-worthy. We’d have at least looked.”

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