Chapter 21
“His parents are divorced,” Josh said on the phone a week later.
Maggie had just finished a swim lesson in Erin’s pool and stood dripping on the deck. Olivia, Mia’s church friend, had turned
out to be a great encouragement for Mia. She seemed to forget her fear of the water with her brave little friend cheering
her on.
Maggie wrapped a towel around her waist and perched on the low brick wall. “He said his ‘parents’?”
“He said his ‘mom and dad.’ I didn’t even have to ask the question. We were hanging around today after the tour, making small
talk, and Big D asked him about his family.”
“That’s good. But just because he mentioned his ‘dad’ doesn’t necessarily mean it’s his biological father. He could simply
view the man as his father if he raised Will. Or he could be unaware. Parents don’t always tell their kids the truth about
their biological parents.”
“I know. It gets tricky from here. How are we supposed to find out if Will is my dad’s kid?”
“If he is, there are two people who know.”
“Only one person for sure. It’s possible Robyn never told my dad.”
“So what... We show up on her doorstep and ask point-blank?”
A pause sounded over the distance. “I’m reluctant to do anything that might blow up his family. What if Will’s father doesn’t know the truth? If this comes out, it could devastate Will. He doesn’t deserve that.”
“He could already know his dad isn’t his biological father.”
“Or he might not. We need to find out when they got married.”
“Even if we found out they didn’t marry till after Will was born, that doesn’t prove he and Robyn weren’t in a relationship
at the time of conception.”
“That’s true,” he said.
Maggie understood his reservations. Josh was a compassionate person. But could he let this mystery go? Could he just write
off the idea that he might have another brother—one he now employed?
The afternoon sun beat down on her skin and she slid over into the shade of a palm tree. “So what do you want to do? The ball’s
in your court.”
“Even if we confronted Robyn, she could simply lie. If she’s been hiding the truth from Will or her ex-husband, she’d likely
do just that. We need to do more research. See if we can find a common workplace. We know Dad’s work history. If we find a
clinic or hospital that puts them in the same place at the same time, that’ll have to be more than coincidence. Right?”
“That’s still not definitive proof.”
“It would be enough to confront my dad, though.”
“Is that what you’re planning to do? Confront your dad?”
Josh’s sigh sounded over the phone. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Of course, it was possible his parents already knew—but Maggie doubted it. She couldn’t imagine either of them being okay
with Brad not acknowledging a son.
If Will was his son, that knowledge put Josh in an untenable situation. “I’m sorry this is happening, Josh. When we started looking for Ethan’s look-alike, I never dreamed we’d end up going down this road. I feel responsible.”
“It’s not your fault, Mags. And I’m trying to hang on to the positive here. It’s possible I have a brother again—and he seems
like a pretty great kid.”
“He really does.” Another thought had been on Maggie’s mind this week. “Have you considered doing a DNA test?”
“I’d have to get DNA from both Will and my dad, wouldn’t I?”
“I’m sure there’d be something of your dad’s at the house we could use. And as for Will...”
“What? Should I yank a hair out by the root as he passes by?”
She laughed at the absurdity, the bit of levity relaxing the tight muscles at the base of her neck. “I was thinking more like
a utensil or used glass.”
“That’s no fun.” A long pause drew out between them before Josh continued. “I think we should go the research route for now.
I don’t want to do anything that invasive or... sneaky.”
“Fair enough.” Maggie glanced at the house. She needed to get Zoey home. Ever since that twenty-four-hour bug she’d had last
week, she needed an afternoon nap. “Well, I should—”
“Maggie, can we meet up sometime? Just you and me?”
Maggie blinked. What could Josh want to talk about that they couldn’t address on the phone—or with Zoey present? “Uh, sure.
Yeah. Text me and we’ll set it up.”
“All right. Will do.”
They ended the call. But as Maggie said good-bye to Erin and her kids, as she put Zoey in her car seat, and all the way home,
a sense of nervous anticipation fueled a release of adrenaline.