Page 55 of Reunion at Mistletoe Lodge
“It’s okay,” Barb said. “Enjoy your day.”
Their eyes met and held, and Barb’s heart accelerated some more.
“Thank you, Barb.” Zac’s voice was deep and hoarse with emotion when he finally broke eye contact as Oscar tugged on his hand.
Barb watched them walk down the path, but the cold was too much, and she didn’t want to expose Charlotte, so she ducked inside, closed, and locked the door. Noting the time, Barb saw it was Charlotte’s nap time, and she went to put her down. It wasn’t until Charlotte was asleep that Barb took some more headachepills, curled up in a blanket on the carpet beside the fire, and let herself have a good cry.
Confusion whirled around her aching brain while a mix of emotions flooded through her, overwhelming her. As she let the tears she’d kept at bay for too long fall, Barb made plans to call her lawyer later that day to find out where the divorce papers were and what she proposed as the best option for the kids. While Barb still loved Zac with all her heart, she was sure she could never trust him again. But she did know that she couldn’t keep him from the kids.
CHAPTER 15
Zac
“I’m sorry, big brother,” Paige apologized as he and Oscar slid into the limo. He gave Oscar a tablet with headphones to watch his favorite cartoon. “I shouldn’t have gone over to Barb’s place without you.”
“It’s okay,” Zac assured her. “Where are Liam and Courtney?”
“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Paige said. “They’ve gone to Montana. Liam said they should find out what happened from him rather than someone else when the press becomes aware of three high-profile people about to be arrested.”
“We should be with them,” Zac said.
“No!” Paige shook her head. “You need to be here, and I’m staying with you.”
“I should be the one to tell Mom and Dad about my family,” Zac pointed out.
“Yeah, they’re going to be mad that you kept that from them,” Paige warned. “But not to worry, they’ll understand why you didn’t.”
“What’s one more person being mad at me?” Zac sighed, his mind flashing to the storm that he saw raging in Barb’s eyes. “I don’t think Barb will ever let me into her life again.”
“Since when have you been a quitter?” Paige poked him in the ribs with her finger. “You just need to keep trying no matter how many times you get knocked back. Barb is just hurt, and with good reason.”
“My name isn’t on Charlotte’s birth certificate.” Zac’s voice lowered.
“What?” Paige said, flabbergasted. “Why?”
“Barb didn’t think I was interested,” Zac told her. “She left and sent messages throughout her pregnancy and on the day of Charlotte's birth.”
“And you verified this?” Paige asked, sticking up for him. “Cause you know she could just be saying that.”
“Thanks for trying to be on my side,” Zac told her with a smile. “But she did. Herschel got my old phone back. They’re all on there.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d played the messages over and over again when he’d gone to bed the previous night.
“Oh!” Paige said, nodding and pulling an uh-oh face. “That is bad for you, big brother.”
“She’s right, you know,” Zac said, glancing out the window. “I cut her and Oscar out as soon as I heard Liam had been shot. It was the day after Jason Pook was murdered in jail.”
“You did what you had to do in order to protect Barb and Oscar,” Paige said, her voice also low. “With Liam thinking he was you when he woke up from the trauma, you didn’t have any other choice. It was best that no one knew your connection to Barb and Oscar, or they could’ve hunted them down again.”
“I should’ve tried to get word to Barb,” Zac said. “Barb was right about that. There were ways.”
“No, Zac, there were not!” Paige supported his decision. “The whole reason Barb and Oscar went to Africa was to hide from her criminal family.” She raised her brows. “You made a decision, and she needs to know what a sacrificeyoumade. Barb’s not the only one who suffered!”
“She went through a nine-month pregnancy and gave birth, all while being a single mother to Oscar and running the Clean Water project,” Zac pointed out. “I should’ve been there to support her or at least have acknowledged the little life we brought into this world.”
“You’ll just have to try and make it up to her,” Paigesuggested.
“How do I make up for something like that?” Zac asked, and his eyes rested on Oscar, making him smile. “I missed Oscar so much that I didn’t even think about the consequences of wanting him with me for the day.” He looked at his sister and smiled. “It’s so worth it.”
