Page 10 of Dangerous Secrets
Which, when she had a moment to giveher grandmother’s plans serious thought, ratcheted up Delaney’sanxiety enough to add fear for the farm to her list of worries.“Iknow you added them to your will.But what I don’t get is whyyou’re so willing to trust these women won’t band together anddecide they’re going to sell the farm to a developer.They couldoutvote me and I wouldn’t have the power to stop them.”
“If you want to keep thefarm, you’ll have to convince them not to sell.There’s more toliving than Cider Mill Farm, Delaney.It will take over your lifeif you let it.”Clara’s direct gaze threatened to drill a holethrough her.“And to clarify, I contacted your sister, but have yetto hear from her.”Her tone softened a degree.“I want to do what’sright, and that means finding the other children my son fathered.As I have no intention of dying any time soon, there’s nothing toworry about on that front.”
Six months ago, they hadn’t expectedJames to die.Delaney didn’t know how she’d continue on if hergrandmother left her too.Already she felt like the bindings that’dkept her anchored in place throughout her life were slowly beingfrayed.
“There’s more.”
Delaney braced herself.She wasn’tsure how much more she could take before the anchor came completelyloose and she was set adrift.
“I’m retiring from activework at the farm and will be turning over all operations of CiderMill Farm to you.”
Delaney felt her jaw drop.“What?Youcan’t do that.This place is your life.”
“It has been, and theresponsibilities here have kept me from doing some things I’vealways wanted to do.It was fine while James was alive because godknows that man was perfectly satisfied to stay on this farm untilhis dying day.”She lifted thin shoulders.“I wanted to be with himso I was happy staying here.But he’s gone and I want newexperiences before I’m too old to enjoy them.Besides, you and Iboth know you’ve already taken on the lion’s share of the workhere.”
Delaney held up her hand.“Just wait adamn minute.James hasn’t been dead twenty-four hours.You’remaking big decisions while dealing with grief.”
Clara was already shaking her head.“James and I talked about this.He encouraged me to book a worldcruise I’d always wanted to take, and that’s exactly what I did.Myfriend DeeDee Fowler is going with me.We leave in six weeks andwill be gone for five months.”Her tone softened.“I need this,Delaney.I don’t want to sit in this house and spend my days beingsad and missing the man I loved so much.Getting ready for a worldcruise will keep me busy, but until I leave, I’ll keep up with mysearch for your sisters.I want to meet them.I want them to knowme, if they wish, but most of all, I want you to have afamily.”
Delaney’s life was becoming awhirlwind.With everything changing so fast, she worried her headwould spin right off her shoulders.“Jesus.Okay, one thing at atime.First, if going on a world cruise is something you’ve alwayswanted to do, then I’m all for it.But second, I do have a family.You’re my family.So are Keeley and Sawyer and our circle offriends.James was my family.Sharing DNA won’t make my dad’s otherdaughters family.”
“You don’t mention Walker.He’s family too.”
“Leave Walker out of this.He chose not to be part of our family.”
“You know that’s not true.That man dealt with a horrible thing in the way he needed to.Butyou’re right about the rest.We’ve brought people into our liveswho we’ve made our family.It doesn’t take anything away from ourchosen family for your father’s other children to be a part ofit.”
She didn’t need strangers to be partof her family.Delaney shoved up from her seat to pace to the edgeof the patio.Dark clouds now ringed the top of Payback Mountain,which she thought were a fitting omen.A late spring storm would begood for the farm and suit her mood perfectly.
“Sit down, Delaney.I wantto tell you what the private investigator reported.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Delaney returned to her seat, nolonger hungry for the muffin.With her legs crossed, she poked at arip in the knee of her jeans.She didn’t want to hear aboutsiblings who were probably as messed up as she was because of theirerrant father.Apparently, Delaney’s mother had given birth, thenwalked out of the hospital in San Antonio in the middle of thenight, leaving her newborn daughter and husband of six monthsbehind.Delaney had been only days old when her father haddeposited her on Clara’s doorstep, clearly not willing to limit hisrising career to raise a daughter.
Throughout her childhood, thebrilliant Gideon Bryant, internationally famed nature photographer,had been like a meteor streaking into Delaney’s life for shortbursts of time.During those visits she’d tried everything shecould think of to make him love her enough to stay.But invariablyhe’d disappear again for months, sometimes a year at a time, withonly an occasional colorful seashell or interesting stone sent inlittle packages from places as disparate as Tristan da Cunha andMacquarie Island.She’d kept every one of those treasures in awooden box James had made for her.
Then fifteen months ago, a packet hadcome from the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Indonesia, explainingthat Gideon Bryant had died after contracting dengue, which haddeveloped into a hemorrhagic fever.She’d looked up the disease andlearned enough to know her father had died a miserable death.She’dmourned his passing, but it hadn’t hit her with the tsunami forceJames’s death had brought.
Clara had paid to have Gideon’spersonal effects and cremated remains sent home, and among hisbelongings had been books of field notes written in his scrawlingscript and spanning most of his adult life.
He’d been sporadic about journaling,sometimes going months between entries.It’d been from the pages ofthose journals Delaney had read to try to know her father, tounderstand him, that she’d learned how truly self-absorbed he’dbeen.She’d also found mention of his other twodaughters.
It hadn’t been any surprise to learnthey’d had even less contact with Gideon than he’d bestowed uponher.She supposed he’d only stayed in touch with her because he’dleft her with his mother.If he wanted to see his mom, he’d had tosee his kid too.
Delaney had shared what she’d foundwith her grandmother and was doubly confounded when Clara insistedon searching for the women who were her granddaughters.Gideon’sother children were born to different mothers within a few years ofDelaney’s birth, one younger than her by a year and a half, theother younger by over two years.Which meant the youngest had beenfathered when the mother of his second daughter had beenpregnant.
Her father had been a promiscuousjerk.
Gideon’s field notes had offeredlittle information, not even their names, but Clara wasn’tdeterred.
Pulling back at the mix of anger anddespair that always accompanied thoughts of her father, Delaneysaid, “Okay, tell me what the investigator reported.”
“He found the older of thetwo girls.Her name is Cameron and she lives in Oklahoma City,Oklahoma.She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree inanthropology.Her mother met Gideon when she was doing aneducational program in New Guinea through her college, apparentlyreturning to Oklahoma when she learned she was pregnant.WhenCameron was eight, her mother married a wealthy man in the Oklahomaoil business and he formally adopted her.She’s engaged to bemarried to a man whose net worth is well over ten million dollars.I don’t think you need to worry about her wanting to sell the farmfor cash.”
“Huh.So she’s living herlife and doesn’t need us.”Delaney caught the gleam in Clara’seyes.“You’re plotting something.”
“Not plotting because I’vealready done it.The investigator was able to find her currentaddress and I sent Cameron a letter introducing myself.I told herabout you and invited her for a visit.”
