Almost a Family Read Free Page B

mouth.
    She felt the tears coming on and closed her eyes. "It's just the shock—it's been a very long day, and I doubt if I'll get much sleep tonight."
    "I'll follow you home," he offered, waving for the check.
    "It's all the way across town," she protested.
    "But it's on the way to Rita's, so I'll drive over to her place and spend the night there, and meet you at the airport in the morning."
    "But—"
    "It'll give us more time to talk."
    She wanted to inject that talking had never been a strong aspect of their marriage, but she stopped short, afraid the conversation would lead to what had been. Relenting with a nod, she followed him out onto the sidewalk, noting his familiar old-fashioned manners as he stepped to place himself between her and the curb as they walked.
    Bright streetlamps broke the intermittent darkness into slices of near daylight. The heels of Bailey's black leather boots scraped against the cement, punctuating the quick light tap of her high heels. Bailey was one of few men who made her feel small in her five-foot-seven-inch body. Although only five inches taller, his dark looks and broad shoulders were so imposing, she'd seen him dwarf larger men when he entered a room.
    "What time is your flight tomorrow?" he asked. "I'll try to book the same one, or an earlier one if I have to."
    "Ten-thirty. I reserved a seat for you in case you wanted to go, just to be sure we all arrived together."
    "Great. I'll write you a check—"
    "That's not necessary—"
    "Yes, it is."
    His voice brooked no argument, and Virginia retreated gracefully. Bailey had never suffered from a shortage of pride. She gave him the airline and flight number.
    "How are your folks?" he asked, his tone cautious.
    Virginia smiled. "Ecstatic."
    He nodded. "I'm sure they are. Do they know I'm going too?"
    She hesitated. There hadn't been a great deal of love lost between her parents and Bailey when she'd divorced him. "They know I planned to ask you, but even I wasn't sure what your reaction would be."
    He pursed his lips and anger flickered in his expression. "They decided to go in case I bailed so you wouldn't be alone."
    She slowed her step, then stopped, tilting her head back to look at him. "They've always been there for me."
    He chewed on the inside of his jaw, then said, "And I haven't, right, Ginny?"
    Typical defensive Bailey behavior, she thought, checking her own anger. "Bailey, I wasn't even sure I would find you in time. Mom and Dad would have gone regardless. Don't you think it's best for our son to meet his grandparents and know how eager we all are to be with him?"
    He sighed, bobbing his head in concession. "You're right, of course. I would want my parents to be there if they were still living."
    "I didn't mean to exclude Rita and her family."
    He resumed walking. "That's all right, it would be hard for her to get away on short notice anyway. But I'm sure she'll want to meet us at the airport when we get back." He turned to her, frowning slightly. "When are we returning?"
    "The following day. Detective Lance is going too. He said we should expect to spend some of tomorrow talking with social workers and other authorities."
    "Has Bailey, Jr., been told?"
    "He was told this evening."
    "Can we call him?"
    "I wanted to, but Detective Lance said it was best to wait and let the news sink in for all of us. He said Bailey, Jr., would be told we're coming tomorrow."
    Bailey grunted. "Poor kid. In a matter of weeks his mother dies, then he finds out he really belongs to someone else."
    Her defenses reared and she stopped again. "I'm his mother. That woman who took him—"
    "Hey," he said quietly, placing a hand on each shoulder. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
    She felt penned in by his arms, and pinned down by his troubled gaze. Her breathing became shallow and she was thankful the darkness cloaked her warring emotions. "I know. And you're right—even if he can't remember it all, he's been through a lot."
    He murmured agreement