Page 63 of Since the Day We Kissed

Kara inhaled deeply, her heart aching as she braced for the words that had weighed on her for years. “There’s something I need to tell you ...”

22

Ethan

“Ethan,Charlotteisyourdaughter.”

Ethan’s body went rigid.

His chest tightened.

A cold shock coursed through him, as if he’d been doused with icy water.

Of all the things Kara could have said, this hadn’t even crossed his mind.

She watched him, as if waiting for something—anything—from him. But the words were stuck in his throat.

“Ethan, did you hear me?”

He wanted to speak, but—

A sharp jolt pulled him from the fog as his phone rang. The shrill sound cut through the silence, grounding him in the present. His eyes flicked down to the screen.

“It’s Clyde,” Ethan muttered, almost numb.

Without thinking, he hit accept and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hey.”

“Ethan, sorry to bother you,” Clyde said. “Just wanted to call and let you know your dog’s gotten into my yard, and he’s digging up the garden.”

“Clyde, I’m so sorry! He’s never done this before. I’ll cover anything Hero damaged.”

After he hung up, he pushed himself off of the bench and looked down at Kara. “I have to go. Hero got into the neighbor’s garden. I’ll come back, so we can talk about this. Okay?”

Kara’s voice was small. “But you will come back?”

Ethan nodded. “I will.”

He turned, leaving the rescue and heading straight to his truck. His mind was racing as he turned the key and started the drive back to the house.

Charlotte’s my daughter?

His fingers clenched around the steering wheel.

How is that even possible?

Wait.

He did a quick mental calculation,as he tried to recall if Kara had ever mentioned Charlotte’s exact age.

She had to be around twenty, right?

Their last night together over twenty years ago ... That magical evening on the beach before he left town. The memory rushed back with startling clarity. They hadn’t been careful, but—

Definitely possible.

His heart thundered.

A storm of emotion swirled in his chest as the pieces fell into place—the timing lining up perfectly.

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