Chapter Three #2
Before today, Grant Carter had been a story—a collection of photographs.
A name attached to old memories, their mother occasionally shared.
But now Tyler could hear his voice and remember the sound of his laugh.
He knew how tall he was and how he carried himself.
But most importantly, he knew the man was real.
Tyler wasn’t sure what he felt—excited, nervous, curious, or maybe a chaotic mix of all three.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
Trevor leaned back. “I don’t know, but we can’t just ignore this. We literally found Dad in Switzerland.”
“When you say it out loud, it sounds even crazier,” Tyler said with a slight laugh.
Because it really did.
“You don’t think mom knows, do you?” Trevor asked.
“No way. If she knew Dad was here, she would be acting weird.”
“Should we tell mom?”
Tyler thought about it for a minute. “No. Not yet.”
“You want to talk to him, don’t you?” Trevor asked.
Tyler didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah.”
Trevor nodded slowly. “Me too.”
Silence settled between them for a moment.
Then Tyler asked the question that had been bothering him ever since the hallway.
“Do you think he’s married?”
Trevor shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“What if he has another family?” Tyler asked.
“I don’t know, Ty.”
Tyler looked down at the photograph still resting in his hands.
“Do you ever notice how Mom talks about him?”
Trevor snorted. “You mean how she tries not to talk about him?”
“Exactly.”
“You know, now that I think about it, Mom doesn’t even date or talk about other guys. And not including us, there is only one man I’ve ever heard her say that she loved.”
The twins shared a look.
“Dad,” Tyler said, looking down at the picture.
Movement at the far end of the hallway immediately caught Trevor’s attention as his eyes widened.
“It’s mom. Hurry, put it back.”
Tyler nearly dropped the photograph.
The next few seconds became a blur of motion as the picture disappeared back into the wallet, the wallet returned to the purse, and the purse was placed exactly where it had been hanging moments earlier.
By the time Amelie reached the table, both boys were sitting normally. Or at least they hoped they looked normal.
“So, I was thinking. How about tomorrow, you boys do your snowboarding thing while I check out some shops, then meet with my client. Then we can meet for dinner. How does that sound?”
Tyler met Trevor’s eyes across the table, and he knew exactly what his brother was thinking.
“Sure, Mom. That sounds great,” Tyler said as he scooped up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.
Tyler exchanged a look with his brother. They would talk later tonight and figure out their next move. After twelve years of wondering about the man in the photograph, they weren't about to let the opportunity to meet their dad slip away.
◆◆◆
Grant stepped out of the restaurant alongside Mac, Jessie, and the rest of their group, feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.
Dinner had been exactly what he needed. There had been no talk of business stuff.
Instead, the evening had been filled with old stories, bad jokes, and enough friendly insults between former teammates to remind him why he missed the Teams as much as he did.
Even years after leaving active duty, there was something comforting about being around people who understood that part of his life without an explanation.
The hotel lobby had quieted considerably since earlier in the evening.
Most guests had either retired to their rooms or settled into one of the lounges scattered throughout the property.
Soft Christmas music drifted through the air while the enormous tree dominating the center of the lobby sparkled beneath thousands of white lights.
As the group approached the elevators, Grant’s attention was immediately drawn toward two familiar figures standing nearby.
The twins from earlier were waiting for an elevator with a woman he assumed was their mother.
The boys appeared deep in conversation about something, occasionally glancing at one another as only brothers could, and despite having spoken to them for only a few minutes earlier, Grant found himself smiling.
There had been something oddly likable about them.
Maybe it was their sense of humor. Maybe it was the way they constantly played off each other.
Or maybe it was those bright, distinctive eyes.
His gaze shifted beyond the boys to the woman standing beside them.
She had her back to him, one hand resting lightly on the strap of her purse as she listened to whatever story the twins were telling her.
Her long chestnut hair fell in soft waves over a red sweater, and she wore fitted jeans paired with heels that somehow looked completely at home in a luxury Swiss resort.
There was nothing unusual about the scene or anything that should have captured his attention. Yet it did.
The feeling hit so suddenly that Grant actually slowed his steps.
He couldn’t see her face or her profile.
Yet there was something very familiar about her.
Something in the way she stood with one hip cocked slightly to the side in a posture he had seen a thousand times growing up.
The way she tilted her head while listening to the boys.
The longer he looked, the more details began to stand out.
Like the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, or the slight shift of her shoulders when she laughed.