Page 96 of Just One Kiss

"If I'd stayed, I would have told her your secret, because I told her everything. I couldn't have kept it from her. I had to leave."

"But now you want to tell her," his father said heavily. "You want to get back together, isn't that right?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Hannah knows I've been holding something back all this time. And she can't trust me if I don't open up to her. I'm not going to tell Mom; I'm just going to tell Hannah. But I won't ask her to keep it a secret. I don't know if she'll tell Mom or if she'll want to protect you. I suspect she'll probably choose the latter, because you're her mentor, and she has tremendous respect and loyalty for you."

"I doubt that will continue after she hears what you have to say."

"Maybe not, but I've kept your secret long enough. If you've truly rebuilt your marriage with Mom, then you should tell her. And you should tell Paul."

"It would destroy them."

"I guess it's always been easier just to destroy me."

His father sucked in a quick breath as the knife went deep. "It has never been easy. You probably don't believe that, but it's true. I am sorry, Jake."

"Are you? I've never seen any evidence of that."

"I didn't know how to fix it. You were gone before I could figure that out, and you stayed away for a long time. I kept thinking one day we'd talk it out, but the days and the years kept passing."

"Wasn't it easier for you that I was gone? The only person who knew your dirty little secret wasn't around to blow your life up."

"It wasn't easy. I missed my son. And your mother missed you even more. She'd cry when you didn't come home for the holidays. That's when we started opening up our Christmas dinners to extended family and friends. It helped her get through the day without you. When you came back, she was unbelievably happy, but she still hates that you and I don't get along."

"And does she ask you why?"

"She's asked me many times, and I always tell her the same thing—that I let you down, I wasn't there for you, and you can't forgive me."

"You've never thought about telling her the truth?"

"I've thought about it a thousand times, but I'm afraid I'll lose her if I do. I love her, Jake. I always have. What we went through with Paul tested us in ways you don't understand, because you weren't a parent. You saw it through the eyes of a sibling. It was different for you than for us. And I'm sad to say that I failed the test. But I did try to do better after that. I've tried to make your mom and Paul as happy as I can. And I'd like the opportunity to make things up to you."

It hurt to know that his dad was willing to put everyone else in the family over him, but at least he was being honest for the first time in a long time. And he could be honest, too.

"I've never wanted to tell Mom or Paul," he admitted. "I hated that you asked me to keep the secret, but the real reason I kept it was because they were fragile, especially right when it happened. I thought about coming clean later, but everyone had moved on, and you and Mom seemed happy enough. I thought Hannah was gone forever, but that's changed. I have a second chance with her, and I have to take it. I have to, Dad. She's the one. She's always been the one."

"And she can forgive you for cheating on her?"

"I'm very aware of the irony," he admitted.

"What if I asked you for a second chance?"

"It's not the same."

"It's not, but it is. It's about forgiveness. It's about accepting that people can be weak. They can make mistakes, but that's not their entire story."

His dad made a good point. "You're right. A mistake is not the whole story. But I've never thought you wanted my forgiveness, only my silence."

"I've wanted both."

"Well, I'm glad you can admit that." Jake paused as his phone began to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, his body tensing as he saw a stream of texts coming in from Hannah. "Damn," he muttered. Her texts were all short and panicked.

With Kelly at cabin. She's in labor with complications. Call Adam and get an ambulance up here. Tell him Kelly is being stalked by a cop—Tom Washburn. She didn't kill Russ; Tom did. I'm trying to deliver her baby, so I can't talk, and she doesn't want me to call 911 to dispatch ambulance to this address. She thinks Washburn will use it to get to her first. He can't know where we are.

His mind raced with questions, but he quickly texted her back:Done. On my way.

"What's wrong?" his father asked.

"I have to go. Hannah is with her sister at their cabin in Wicker Bay. She's in trouble. I don't know what's going on. But she needs an ambulance at her cabin, and she can't call 911."

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