Chapter 21
Logan, Skylar, and Dante
Although the woman sitting at the desk had told Logan to go on in, as a doctor, he was a stickler for protocol, which deemed that he knock first, regardless.
“Come in.”
After drawing in a deep breath, he entered and glanced at the two men who stood waiting for him. One he figured was around his age of forty-one, and the other was younger. That had to be Skylar. He was proven right when the younger man stepped forward and extended his hand.
Logan took it and at that moment, an emotion he hadn’t expected ripped through him.
He stared at the man who, except for his coloring, looked nothing like him.
They both had Edwina’s almond-colored skin tone; whereas Lyle and Lance had inherited Pop’s darker one.
Carrie was a blend of the two. The man standing before him had a mass of straight black hair that fell past his shoulders and dark eyes.
The plastic surgeon in Logan saw the pronounced mandibular angle, distinguished chin, prominent nasal bridge, heavy brows, and angular face.
However, the bottom line was that, regardless of Skylar Kingston’s striking Italian facial features, Logan knew this was still his brother.
A brother who Logan immediately noticed had that same Lyle Montgomery dimpled smile.
“Hello, Logan. I’m Skylar,” the younger man said, still displaying that dimpled smile. “And this is my godbrother, Dante Avera.”
After shaking Skylar’s hand, Logan then shook Dante’s. “Nice meeting you both. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.”
“Considering the circumstances, there was no way I could not,” Skylar said.
“The subject of my birth mother is one that I only heard the full story about from my father during his final days. Up until then, I assumed my parents had divorced soon after I was born, and that my mother left, never to be heard from again.”
He then motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
“Please, Logan, have a seat.” Skylar glanced at Dante, motioned to the other chair, and grinned.
“You, too.” Dante nodded, then took the seat beside Logan.
It was only when the two men had sat down that Skylar went behind his desk to sit as well.
Logan hadn’t known what to expect from Skylar, but a feeling of sincere warmth when they shook hands had not been it.
Nor the friendly smile. He knew immediately that whatever Silas Kingston had told his son about Edwina had not unsettled him at all.
Sitting behind that desk was an extremely successful businessman who had undoubtedly been raised to embrace his mixed heritage, was confident with who he was, and, unlike Lance, this particular brother could mask his thoughts whenever he wanted to.
The man sitting beside him, Dante, was another matter.
Although Skylar had introduced him as his godbrother, Logan had a feeling he was more than that.
The man came across as someone who could handle any situation, regardless of how threatening, and remain unfazed.
There was an air of danger and intrigue about him.
He had sized Logan up the moment he had walked into Skylar’s office.
He thought Dante better fit the role of Skylar’s protector than godbrother. Then again, he was probably both.
Knowing the reason he was there, Logan pulled the envelope out of his jacket and handed it to Skylar, who placed it in the middle of his desk.
“Thanks for delivering this. I will take time to read it tonight.” Skylar paused and then asked, “What kind of relationship do you, your siblings, and your father have with Edwina?”
Logan saw no reason not to give him a truthful answer.
“We don’t have any kind of relationship with her.
” Not sure how much Skylar’s father had told him, he continued.
“Over the years, she has done several horrible things ─ things we found offensive and hard to stomach. Luckily, my two brothers and I were spared most of it, as our father raised us. Our sister Carrie was another story. Edwina took Carrie with her when she ran off with another man. She was barely six weeks old at the time. We didn’t see Carrie again until she was sixteen, after we hired a private investigator to find her. ”
Logan felt that now was not the time to tell Skylar that they’d found Carrie living on the streets of LA, a runaway who had survived the type of life no child should have to endure.
“When did you and your siblings discover I existed?” Skylar asked.
“Not until the letters arrived two weeks ago. Edwina addressed the packet to my father. There were six letters inside. One for Dad, and his four offspring. The sixth letter was for your father. That was the first time we had ever heard his name. We asked my father who he was, and he told us. Edwina had revealed his identity in her letter to my father. Until then, we hadn’t known we had another brother. ”
There, he had said it. Regardless of whether Skylar Kingston ever acknowledged it, they were brothers.
“Is delivering the letter your only reason for coming to San Francisco?” Skylar asked.
“No, but it’s one of them. Personally, I’d like to get to know you, Skylar. And I don’t speak just for myself, but my other siblings as well. The Montgomerys are big on family. However, the decision to have a relationship with us is yours. We’re extending the offer and hope you will accept.”
Skylar didn’t say anything for a moment, then asked, “How long will you be in town?”
“Until Friday morning.”
“Is there a way for me to reach you while you’re here?”
“Yes.” Logan thought about giving him his business card, but that seemed so impersonal, so he stood and pulled out his cell phone. “We can exchange numbers. What’s yours?”
Skylar rattled off his phone number, and when his cell phone, which was sitting on his desk, rang, Skylar said, “I’ve got it.”
Skylar stood. So did Dante. “Thanks for delivering the letter to me, Logan. I will contact you before you leave San Francisco,” he said.
“Sounds good. And in case you don’t, for whatever reason, it was nice meeting you, Skylar. Just remember that you do have family out there.” He then turned to Dante. “Nice meeting you as well, Dante.”
“You too, Logan.”
Logan met the man’s gaze. Although Dante had not spoken during the meeting, for some reason, he felt the man’s words were sincere. Nodding, he then turned and walked out of the office.
After taking a shower, Skylar stretched across the bed and glanced at the nightstand where he had placed the letter he’d received today ─ a letter addressed to his father that he intended to read.
Obviously, Edwina Montgomery had no idea Silas had passed.
However, before he opened that letter, he wanted to talk to Haven.
He needed to hear her voice before digging into his past.
Retrieving his cell phone from the nightstand beside the letter, he called her.
“Hello, Skylar.”
He loved hearing her voice. The sound of it relaxed him, just as he’d hoped it would. “Hello, sweetheart, how was your day?”
He listened to her describe the advanced technology covered that day and how excited she was to be part of the training session, and that she couldn’t wait to return to her job to share the skill with others.
“Sorry, I’ve talked your ear off. How was your day, Skylar?”
He paused a moment and then said, “I met my brother today.”
“Your brother? I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“Same mother, different father. Dad told me that my mother had another family before he died.”
“Another family, older or younger?”
“Older.”
“So, your father wasn’t your mother’s first husband.”
It was a statement more so than a question. And since he wasn’t in the mood to explain all the sordid details of the Edwina Montgomery affair, he simply said, “He wants us to establish a relationship.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“I’m not sure. His reaching out to me was unexpected.”
“Gramma Dora gave me some advice just before she died, and I’m going to pass it along to you. She said that when someone special enters your life unexpectedly, you shouldn’t let them go, because they were probably brought into your life for a reason.”
“Hmm, sounds like pretty good advice,” he said.
“I thought so.”
He doubted she was aware of it, but their conversations often gave him food for thought.
Although they might have come from different worlds, they complemented each other.
Whenever he was with her, he could let his guard down and think of something other than making millions.
He and Haven had talked about continuing what they’d started in Sedona Valley when she left the hotel, but he wanted her to fully understand what that entailed.
He wasn’t looking for a temporary affair but a permanent relationship.
She was the one woman who fit him perfectly.
He thought about her grandmother’s words. Logan wasn’t the only unexpected person who had appeared in his life. So had she. Had she been brought into his life for a reason? He damn well hoped so, because he had no intention of letting her go.
“I have something I need to read before going to bed,” he said.
“Me too. A booklet that’s required reading for tomorrow’s class.”
“I miss you, but I’m looking forward to this weekend,” he said, regretting they needed to end the call.
“I miss you, too. But this weekend will be fun.”
“I will see that it is,” he said, then sighed. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend that gala with you on Friday night, but I have a late meeting with someone on Friday.”
“It’s no problem. I understand.”
“Thanks. Goodnight, my golden girl.”
“Good night, Skylar.”
A short while later, he reached for the envelope off the nightstand and began reading.
Later that night, Logan called his wife to let her know how much he missed her.
Honestly, he wished she could have come with him.
However, months ago, she and Asia had planned a week-long ‘sisters trip’ to Jamaica and had left Tampa the day before he had.
She told him she missed him, too, but was having a lot of fun.
Earlier, he had spoken to his brothers and Connor.
Surprisingly, Carrie was also on the call.
He gave them a recap of the meeting, then said, that although he felt good about it, the ball was now in Skylar’s court, and Logan honestly wasn’t sure how he would play it.
Regardless, there had been good vibes between them.
Logan gave his father a recap of the meeting as well.
With all the calls made, he was about to take a shower when his cell phone rang.
He picked it up and saw the call was from Skylar. Was he calling because he had read the letter and had questions? “Yes, Skylar?”
“I read the letters.”
Logan raised a brow. “Letters? More than one?”
“Yes. There were two. Edwina had included mine in the same envelope as Dad’s.”
“I see.”
“Are you free to join me for dinner tomorrow, Logan? Around five?”
“I can be there.”
“Good. The restaurant I have in mind offers a diverse selection of dishes. I think you’ll like it,” Skylar said.
“I’m sure that I will.”
“Do you need me to send a car to pick you up?” Skylar asked.
“No, I have a rental. I just need the address.”
“I’ll text it to you. Goodnight, Logan.”
“Good night, Skylar.” After he ended the call, a glow of hope filled him. Tomorrow, he would be dining with his brother. And with any luck, it wouldn’t be the last time.