Page 31 of Someone Like You
Ashley reached out and took hold of Brooke’s hand. “The news won’t change anything.” She winced. “I do wish you would’ve told her sooner.”
“Yeah.” Brooke was terrified of Maddie’s reaction. “Me, too.”
“But she’s still yours. Your daughter.” Ashley still had hold of Brooke’s hand. “I really think Maddie is going to be okay.”
They both turned their attention to Brooke’s oldest. She was up to kick and she waved at the outfield. “Back it up!” Her laugh filled the air. “You know how we Baxters kick!”
Ashley slid closer and put her arm around Brooke’s shoulders. “Hear that, girl? Brooke, she’s going to be fine.”
Maddie’s singsong laugh was one of Brooke’s favorite sounds. But what about after she learned the truth? They watched Maddie kick the ball straight up in the air. Tommy had no trouble catching it, but after he threw the ball to the pitcher, he clapped for his cousin. “Still a good old-fashioned Baxter kick!”
Brooke closed her eyes for a long moment. All she could hear were Maddie’s words.We Baxters.Maddie had never doubted for one day that she was a Baxter.
Sure, she was a West, too. But Peter’s parents lived far away and his only brother never came around. So these daysPeter thought of himself as a Baxter. And of course that’s how Maddie felt. She was proud of the fact. Which meant no matter what Ashley said, Brooke’s greatest fears were about to be realized.
Maddie was going to hate them.
11
He had found her.
Dawson had found London’s sister. He was sure about it. Maddie West was a breathtaking blond replica of London. She moved like her and stood like her. Dawson could only imagine how the girl might talk like her. Even laugh like her.
All of which raised a handful of urgent questions. What was he supposed to do next? How could he approach her about something that happened before she was born? What if she didn’t want to know about her biological parents? And the biggest question, of course.
Why was he really here?
The answers evaded him. For his second day at the Indianapolis Zoo, Dawson set up camp at the rhinos. Far enough away from the lions and kangaroos that Maddie wouldn’t see him. Because he was pretty sure she’d be looking. At least twice yesterday she had caught him watching her and by the end of the day when she turned and practically sprinted the other direction, one thing was clear.
Maddie was afraid of him.
So today he had to be careful. Dawson found an empty bench, pulled the sketchbook from his bag, and stared at his giraffe drawing from the day before. Hechuckled. The animal had squatty legs and a too-thick neck. Huge eyes. Sort of a squashed giraffe. This was why his dad hired architects to handle their blueprints.Come on, Dawson, what are you doing? No drawing rhinos today.He had to make a plan.
A family with six kids walked past him and up to the front of the rhino area. “Mommy!” The littlest girl was maybe five years old. She looked up. “I want to work at the zoo when I’m older.”
And suddenly the words didn’t belong to the child. They belonged to London, the year after they graduated from high school. She had already made it clear to him that she didn’t want to date, didn’t want him falling in love with her. But nothing could stop their friendship. That July morning had been chilly, and the outing, London’s idea. A day at the zoo.
Dawson had been a few times with his mom, back when he was just a kid. But not for a long time. Where London was concerned, it didn’t matter what she suggested, the day ended up unforgettable.
That Tuesday at the Oregon Zoo was no exception.
They wore sweatshirts and jeans and from the moment they walked through the front gates, London was giddy. They saw monkeys first that day, three of them swinging through the trees, chasing each other.
“Those are spider monkeys.” London stopped at the railing—as close as she could get. She turned to him, those amber eyes. “Did I ever tell you, Dawson? My dream growing up?”
Even now he remembered the way his heart pounded in his chest from the closeness of her. He smiled. “Which one?”
“The zoo!” She looked at the monkeys again. “I always wanted to work at the zoo!”
Her exuberance had been childlike and all Dawson could think was there never would have been a more beautiful zoo worker. But he kept his thoughts to himself, the way he usually did.
Instead he had grinned, playing along. “It’s not too late.”
“It is.” Her shoulders slumped a little. “I have a plan now. It’s fine.” She sighed and found his eyes again. “I dance … and I help at the coffee shop. But I would’ve been good at zoo work, Dawson. You know that.”
“Yes.” He had laughed. “You would’ve been the best.”
Dawson blinked and the memory vanished like April snow. Every shared moment with London was a treasure now, locked away deep in his heart like so many diamonds. Every now and then when he wanted London more than his next breath, Dawson would lift up one of those gems and marvel at it, turn it around in his mind and relive it.
