Page 51 of There Are No Words

Dad stood, standing what seemed uncomfortably erect as he swallowed hard. “It’s a bit stuffy in here. Let’s go outside,” he suggested and walked to the door of his office, waiting for me to follow. When I did, he went on, saying, “Your mother was insistent it was for the best. The not knowing, I mean. I offered to help her find the girl many times, but she never accepted my help.”

“Do you know where this girl is now?” Even as I asked, sayingthis girldidn’t seem right. It seemed wrong, almostheinous, to not acknowledge her for who she was to me. “My sister,” I clarified. Well, technically, that wasn’t right, either. I corrected myself, “Half sister.”

Stepping out into the backyard, Dad shook his head. “No, I don’t know where she is.”

“Was Mom ever going to tell us?” It was hard to imagine he could answer this, but I had to ask.

Again, he shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”

“What should I do?” That felt like the million-dollar question here. I mean, I knew what I wanted to do, but it didn’t seem to jive with what everyone else thought should be done in this situation.

“You can talk about it with your sisters,” Dad offered and sat down in a chair by the pool. “They should know, too.”

I didn’t disagree, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t help me any. Bringing a hand to rest on my lower back, I sat down next to him and rubbed my belly. This was a lot of information to process, and I didn’t know where to begin. Looking up at the warm sun, I closed my eyes.

“How are you doing with the baby?” Dad asked finally. It was the first time he’d really addressed my pregnancy and the baby I had growing inside me. I knew he had a hard time accepting that I was pregnant—I mean, not that hard of a time, but still.

I leaned back in the chair and never took my hand off my belly. “Good. I think Mom’s secret is part of my journey,” I confessed, leaving out the part about my psychic because I knew Dad wasn’t into all thatmumbo-jumboas he put it. And I didn’t feel like getting into it with him about that right now.

“Then you should find her. You should find your half sister.”

That was exactly what I was thinking. Mostly because all I could hear in my head was Mom saying,family is the most important thing. They were words she’d lived by and instilledin us, and this girl—whoever she was, wherever she was—was family.

“Will you help me?” The truth was, I had no idea where to begin when it came to finding someone who wasn’t exactly missing.

“Of course.”

Chapter Seventeen

Brady

Ever since Allegrahad come back from her dad’s she’d been unusually stressed and absorbed in finding her half sister. It was starting to concern me.

There was no way that was good for her or our baby. So I took the night off and was staying home with her. I’d cooked dinner, and after dinner, I cleaned up so she didn’t have to be on her feet while she went to her bedroom to get some work done.

Or so she’d said.

But I knew Allegra and the crease on her forehead suggested she wasn’t thinking about work. She was thinking about her sisters and half sister.

So I poured water into the same glass she’d been keeping by her bedside for weeks. Something about her always waking up thirsty. Although thanks to my handy book, I happened to know that it was a good practice anyway for when she got further along in the pregnancy. I wouldn’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say drinking plenty of water had something to do with preventing preterm contractions.

I knocked on her door, but it was ajar, so it swung open.

Allegra was leaning against a couple of pillows against the headboard, her legs sprawled out in front of her, crossed at the ankles with her laptop in her lap. She was wearing her pajamas and couldn’t have looked sexier if she’d tried.

I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. Peeling her away from that screen lately had been more difficult thanyou’d think. “I come bearing water,” I said, feeling awkward and raising the glass in my hand.

She looked up. Finally. Her eyes glistened, and I knew she was tired. That was only confirmed when her mouth opened, and she yawned, a yelp coming from deep in her throat. She waved a hand in front of her mouth as she finished yawning. “Sorry about that. Thanks for the water.”

I nodded and walked over to the nightstand, placing it there. “You really should get some sleep. Whatever you’re doing can keep until morning.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not a toddler, Brady. I think I know when I’m ready to go to sleep.” Then she directed her attention back to her laptop.

I didn’t leave, instead choosing to sit down on the edge of her bed.

“I’m serious. I don’t need you to tuck me in. I’ll be fine to do it by myself.”

Why did she have to make everything so damn hard? She had a knack for that. Not that I was complaining when she made me hard, but instead of jacking off in the shower like a teenager, I would’ve preferred emptying myself inside her.

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