Page 102 of Stone
“I could never hate you, but no more secrets.”
“Trust me,” I told him. “I don’t have anything left. What now? What are we going to do?”
“Now, we learn the truth about our fathers and the connection with Matis.”
“If there is one.”
“Trust me. There is.”
I believed him. Whatever was going on was ebbing and flowing all around us. Maybe I couldn’t think as clearly as I should be doing, but I knew one thing. My father was out of my life completely.
“Are you alright?” I asked him. If he felt anything like what I did then the answer was easy yet painful.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer that, Dani. How could anyone be alright with having the entire world as theyknow it turned upside down? He’s our son, yet he’s someone else’s son. Do I hope we’ll be graced with getting to know him? Of course. But it’s his choice.”
“Remember, he found us.”
Stone nodded and I could tell by the look on his face he was concerned the reason Tyler had been led to us wasn’t about family bonding.
I thought about my father’s voice, the urgency in his tone. If I knew my father, he’d realized his dark secret was about to be outed and he’d wanted the opportunity to provide some crazy excuse that he had no idea Tyler had been alive. Maybe he’d blame the doctors or pretend like he’d been conned. Whatever the man had to say I didn’t want to hear.
“I know, but right now, I don’t know what I can offer him.”
“You. Your knowledge. Your instinct. Your love of the island. Your love of family. Just be you.”
“Maybe the problem is that I don’t know who I am any longer.”
“Maybe the problem is that you’re too hard on yourself.”
“You’ve spent way too much time around Kekoa.”
I laughed. “Or not nearly enough.”
Hearing a rustling sound, I glanced over my shoulder. Tyler had walked down the stairs. His hands were shoved into his pockets and he approached tentatively.
“We have a son, Stone. He’s just like you. Strong and handsome. Just like I knew he’d be.”
“Yeah, he is, but he’s much better looking because of your blood. I know this might be too difficult for you, but did you pick out a name for him?”
“I did. Stone junior.”
He laughed. “Well, maybe it’s good he wasn’t saddled with being in my shadow.”
“He’ll always be in your shadow because he’s your son. Nothing can change that. Not my father. Not Matis. Nothing. Maybe now we’ll have the opportunity of getting to know him.”
Stone lifted his head toward Tyler.
“You surf?” Tyler asked.
“Yeah, I do. What about you?” Stone was doing a good job of controlling his emotions.
“Nah. Other than right now, I’ve been to a beach twice. Just Virginia Beach.”
I glanced at Stone. Virginia Beach. The night we’d spent when I’d realized I was madly in love with him.
“Well, I’d be happy to teach you,” Stone told him.
“I’d like that.” Tyler sat down facing the waves. His jaw was clenched just like Stone always did when he was uncertain or tense. “I heard you were a hero Navy SEAL.”
