Chapter 21
Blake watched Drew pace the brick patio. Blake didn’t blame him for the agitation. He took a glance at his watch. Three o’clock.
Hez and Savannah were due to meet them at Lighthouse Park in two hours. Maybe he hadn’t thought this engagement idea through
as well as he should have. He hadn’t expected an entire family meeting to open up to them. Hez would wait though. This was
important.
Paradise linked her fingers through his. “Think I should try to calm him?” she whispered.
“No. He needs some time to process what he’s learned.” Blake had already figured out his soon-to-be brother-in-law was a deep
thinker, which was why he was such a successful detective. Another person’s thoughts were just noise when he was trying to
sort things out.
Blake studied the yard to distract himself. Tiki lights lined the oyster walkway, and a small monument stood off to the right
side. One dedicated to Ben? Way on the back side of the acreage he spotted a large building. He assumed it was the garage
that housed the car collection.
Fifteen minutes ticked by before Taylor returned with her grandparents.
Barely five-two, the older woman was as slim as a girl and her grayish-blonde hair was in a sleek bob.
She wore yoga clothes and there was a slight sheen on her forehead as if she’d been caught exercising.
She had the money to keep herself up and looked as if she always worked at it.
Her husband was just as stylish in khaki pants and a light blue shirt.
His white hair was as thick as Blake’s but neatly styled.
The tiny woman behind Taylor didn’t wait to be introduced but came barreling past her granddaughter. Her inquisitive green
eyes flashed from Drew to Blake, then back to Drew. She held out her hand. “You must be Drew. Your nose is like my Ben’s.”
Drew’s only indication of emotion was the way his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. “I’m glad to hear that. I never met
him.”
“I knew about you, of course. Benny told me everything after he reconnected with Becky and heard about your birth. He didn’t
know she was pregnant when they broke up. She’d found out he was married and ended it. They never spoke until they happened
to run into each other at a charity function at TGU, of all things. I sometimes wondered if he secretly hoped to find her
there. I was supposed to make an appearance, but I got the flu at the last minute, and he quickly volunteered.”
Drew blinked as the torrent of information poured out of her. “I wasn’t sure what had happened. I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Victoria, but the grandchildren call me Pippy.” She turned and gestured to her husband. “This is your grandfather, Percy,
but you may call him Duke like the other grandchildren. Percy tried to find you after Ben died but didn’t have much luck.”
Drew shoved his hands in his pockets as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Pleased to meet you.”
Blake hadn’t thought things would go this well. It helped that they already knew about Drew’s existence. He watched them all shake hands, but he noted the way Victoria checked the impulse to hug him. She would be easier to win over than Taylor.
She and her husband settled on a love seat, and she folded her hands in her lap. “We’re happy to answer any questions. Taylor
says you suspect Pamela’s fall was murder. Do you have any proof?”
Drew perched on the edge of a chair. “Only the fact that it’s way too coincidental that she had hired someone to find me and
then died around the same time as my father and Paradise’s parents.”
Victoria spared a sympathetic glance in Paradise’s direction. “Taylor didn’t mention that part, but then, we got a very abbreviated
summary of the situation. That’s all very peculiar.” Her glance settled on Fletch. “Pamela hired you to find Drew?”
“Yes, ma’am. Becky refused to give up his new family’s name though.”
Drew leaned forward. “I know these will be upsetting questions, but I have to ask. What can you tell me about my father’s
death?”
Percy placed his hand on his wife’s clasped hands. “I’ll answer that.” His voice was like an orator’s, deep and resonant.
“Victoria usually cries when she talks about it. She found him in the backyard, right over there by the path to the large
garage at the back of the property. January 25th, 2005. A day I’ll never forget.”
Drew glanced at the garage in the distance. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard. Could you tell what weapon was used?”
“A golf club. It was beside his body. A putting green used to be there, but Victoria couldn’t bear to see it after he died, so we had the backyard redone.
The club belonged to him, and he’d likely had it in his hand when he was attacked.
Blood spatter was found near his golf cart parked out here and trailed across the grass when he tried to run. He didn’t get far.”
“Did he have any enemies?”
Percy shrugged. “All politicians have enemies, but they usually don’t kill the opponent.”
“Is there anyone who would have been furious that he was leaving his wife?”
“We all were, but we loved Ben. Pamela wasn’t an easy woman to live with.” Percy glanced over at Taylor. “I’m sorry, sweet
girl.”
“It’s okay, Duke. I lived with her too,” Taylor said. “She was manipulative. When she was being sweet and kind, you always
knew she wanted something from you.”
Percy sighed. “For all her faults I believe Pamela loved Ben.”
Drew took a sip of his tea. “Pamela didn’t want the divorce. It would have been motive for her to kill the Aldens, but she
died before they did so we’re back to square one.”
Blake ran through the possible suspects now. The list was small. Ben’s parents clearly doted on him. Neither of them would
have wanted to see him dead. Someone else in the family?
Drew set his glass down. “How many siblings did my father have?”
“Just one brother, Arthur. We call him Bear. He lives in Texas, but I can give you his phone number. He wasn’t in town when
Ben died, but he came immediately when his mother called.” Percy cleared his throat. “I expect you’ll want to meet your two
half brothers. They don’t know about you, so we will need to inform them. They live in Texas near Bear. Gray and Parker run
the business Bear founded, but they will all be here next week for Victoria’s birthday party. It would be a good time to meet
the family. All of them.”
Drew’s gaze sought out Paradise’s, and her fingers tightened on Blake’s. She nodded at him. Blake was proud of the way she was handling this. She’d only just found her brother and now had to share him, but she was doing it with class.
Paradise walked with Blake toward the gazebo at Lighthouse Park. They’d dropped Fletch off at his car, then stopped to pick
up the rest of the family before heading to the park to take some family pictures with good light. They probably should have
done it before because the boys had beach hair and pink faces, but they would still be fun memories to go over when they were
older.
The round lighthouse had been decommissioned and moved to the mainland, and it stood tall and proud against the backdrop of
green lawn and trees. She imagined the cute pictures with the boys mugging it up for the camera. Blake had brought his camera
with the high-powered lens. She’d have to see if Drew or Jenna could take a picture of her with Blake. She didn’t have a photo
of just the two of them.
She swerved closer to Blake and slid her arm around his waist to walk in lockstep with him. “What a day.” She smiled at Isaac
atop Drew’s shoulders with his small hands tightly gripping her brother’s hair. He was going to make a good dad someday.
Blake squeezed her fingers. “You okay with how today turned out? Drew’s grandparents seemed to welcome him with open arms.”
“I loved that. Taylor will warm up to him. Everyone does.” Blake always knew how she felt inside, so his real question was about fear.
“I admit there’s a twinge of jealousy to think he has a whole other family when I’ve just found him, but we already have a strong bond.
We love each other, and there’s never too much love. ”
“You’re so right. The bond between you is unbreakable.” Blake scanned the area around the gazebo as if he was looking for
something.
She turned to look too. “Did you see someone?”
“Just getting the lay of the land for good pictures.”
She stopped. “You forgot your camera.”
“You’re right. I’ll grab it and meet you at the lighthouse.” He turned and jogged back toward the van.
She hurried to catch up with Drew and fell into step beside him and Jenna. Levi had already reached the lighthouse and had
his head tipped back to stare up the stairs. Seagulls pecked around his feet searching for food, and the air carried the scent
of cut grass. When they reached the lighthouse, she dug in her purse for her hairbrush and tried to tame the boys’ hair.
Levi jerked his head away. “Aw, Paradise, I don’t want it brushed. I’m hungry.”
“We’ll do family pictures and then get our food out.” When Drew set Isaac’s feet on the ground, she took care of his windblown
hair as well, but he held his tongue with his face set in determination.
When she looked up, the family had stepped away and left her alone in front of the lighthouse as Blake approached. His blue
eyes held tenderness, and a slight smile of trepidation lifted his lips. Her gaze fell to his hands. “You didn’t get the camera?”
“I passed it off to get a picture with you.”
It was exactly what she wanted, but some other statement seemed to be hovering in the air, as if everyone was holding their breath to hear it.
She spotted Savannah, then saw Hez with the camera to his face snapping photos.
She couldn’t look away from Blake, and he dropped to his knees when he reached her and pulled out a black velvet box.
She forgot to breathe as the love in his eyes swallowed her whole.
“Blake?” she whispered past the boulder in her throat.
He opened the lid of the velvet box to reveal the most beautiful emerald ring she’d ever seen. “Paradise, I’ve loved you for
most of my life. Even when we were apart, the memory of you held me in its grip and I never got over longing for you. Your
love is as necessary to me as oxygen. Being with you has made me better, strong and whole.”
His other hand gestured toward where the rest of the family stood. “You’ve had a huge effect, not just on me, but on my family
as well. Our family. Will you be my wife? Will you be a sister to Isaac and Levi and a daughter to my mother? Will you take us all as
one?”
Her vision blurred, and she blinked quickly so she didn’t lose sight of his eyes so filled with adoration and strength. These
past months had been the happiest of her life. “I’m only whole when I’m with you,” she whispered. “How could I say anything
but yes?”
He took her left hand and slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit. His grip stayed firm on her hand, and he rose to take
her in his arms. She nestled against his chest, safe in his arms. His firm lips came down on hers, and she lost herself in
the passion of his kiss.
In that moment she knew she was where she was supposed to be, as if God had ordained it just this way.