Page 62 of Preying Heart
I glance at the closed office door, and there is no movement. If Heath saw me earlier, he would conclude I was playing with the dog. Besides, after what I overheard, I’m sure he will be avoiding me—at least until Lucy realizes she left her laptop.
With no time to lose, I retire to my room. Lucy’s password works, and I’m easily on the internet. I do remember to enable a VPN tunnel so they can’t trace my location.
I check my email first, quickly going over the subject titles. There’s nothing from Slade. I click on one from my foster mother.
Dear Remi, where are you? Gavin and I are so worried about you. Whatever caused you to leave is all forgiven. You are welcome back with open arms. We are grieving, as you know, for your dad, and we wish you can grieve with us as a family.
Love, Deanna
I wonder how Deanna is doing and my heart aches that she’s grieving. While I didn’t get along with Stan, no one deserves to be nailed to a headboard and executed. I reread the part about all being forgiven. What does she mean? Does she know I’m pregnant and has decided she wants me back? After all, I’m carrying her only grandchild.
Gavin is a closed book. Does he truly miss me? Maybe he regrets demanding me to get an abortion. Now that his dad has passed, he might be thinking about his legacy.
I should reply, but first, I need to contact my brother.
I double-check the VPN connection is still up and open another browser window to be safe. I type a quick email to Slade.
Hey, bro. Let me know you’re okay. If you see Mom, tell her I forgive her.
There’s no need to sign it. He knows who I am.
I clear all cookies and browser history and close all windows, exposing the background photo. Three people are sitting on the tailgate of an old pickup truck. They each have a large fish in their hands or dangling from the hooks. It’s a dad and two children. An older boy and a younger girl. I figure the girl is Lucy. Even back then, she wore her signature bandana headband over her mass of black curls. She’s smiling but the teenage boy is not. The shadow of the baseball cap covers his eyes, but his jawline and lush lips are unmistakably Heath’s.
They knew each other that long ago? The older man has his arms around both kids, and he’s smiling proudly—just like a dad. But that would mean …
Alarm bells jangle inside me as I study the older man’s face. He has the same coloring, straight eyebrows and strong jaw and chin Heath has. Could he be Heath’s father?
I click on a folder titled Photos and scroll through it quickly. Most of them are of Lucy and her friends. But Heath is in some of them, and he’s not standing with his arm around her. He’s on the other side of the older man who always has his arms around both of them. In some pictures, there’s a woman who stands on Lucy’s side, but this woman never stands near Heath.
My heart is jumpy as I quickly scan more pictures. There’s a folder entitled Wedding. I open it and I gasp. Heath is the groom, but the bride isn’t Lucy. She’s standing on the side as a bridesmaid. All my attention is on the blonde in the bridal gown holding Heath’s hand. Who is she, and where did she go?
The rumble of car tires on gravel alerts me that Lucy is back. I close all windows and shove the laptop back into the bag. Opening the guest room door, I check that the coast is clear and return the laptop bag to its place.
I’m sitting in the kitchen, heating up leftovers when Lucy steps in. She hefts the laptop bag over her shoulder and gestures with her chin toward the closed office door.
“Has he been hiding there all afternoon?”
“Pretty much.”
Instead of leaving, she shuts the front door, walks around Glock, and comes into the kitchen. “I might as well have whatever you’re having.”
“It’s that gruesome broccoli and egg casserole he made.”
“You don’t like his cooking? I left him instructions for your special diet.” She opens the refrigerator. “I approve. He’s not even cheating for himself.”
“You did provide the groceries.” I realize I sound ungrateful, so I add, “Thanks. I’m sure it’s hard for Heath to go into town without rousing suspicion.”
“They do talk about him. They think he’s one of those tech millionaires who retired and wants to be left alone. You know, Tristan Summer sounds so hip, doesn’t it?”
“I guess.” I’m dying to find out why they’re not telling me they’re brother and sister. “Where did you two meet?”
“Here and there.” She serves herself the casserole leftovers and eats it cold. “He set up those accounts for you?”
I shrug, not really wanting to share everything with her. If she and Heath can lie to me about their relationship, what else are they deceiving me with? Here I spent all this angst worrying about them sleeping together. What I really want to know is what happened to the blond bride.
“He does try his best to control people. Not letting them use the internet. Isolated out here with no telephone and television.”
“You really want to leave, don’t you?” She touches my arm with a surprisingly gentle caress. “I want you to know you have other options.”
