Page 51 of Cinderella's Secret Baby

She’d been so hurt after their fight, and now it seemed like a huge waste of her energy to be angry. If this was Hunter’s version of caring, his unfettered love might be too strong to withstand. She was having trouble bearing the emotions swamping her as it was.

Just then, Tobias blew his nose with the goose honk that had been a mainstay of her childhood. It was such a familiar sound of home, it didn’t even alarm Peyton and busted Amelia and Jasper into laughing so hard, they doubled over, breathless and crying. It was too strong a reaction for such a silly thing, but it broke the tension and allowed her to draw Jasper the rest of the way into the apartment.

“You must be Hunter,” Jasper said, offering his hand.

“Good to meet you. And this is your niece. Peyton.”

Peyton was a sturdy little bundle these days, keeping her head up and her attention alert. She fixed her eyes on Jasper, fist in her mouth.

As if she recognized one of her own, she pointed her wet hand at Jasper and smiled, showing off the glint of white on her gums.

“Hey,” he said shakily. “We have the same name.” As he took her, Jasper glanced at Amelia with a gentle scold for being so sentimental as to give her daughter his middle name and for bringing fresh tears to his eyes.

“I was going to come to Chile and look for you myself, but I found out I was carrying her—”

“I was doing my best to stay lost. You wouldn’t have—Ouch. That’s quite a grip, kid.” He pried her fist loose from his beard and shifted her against his shoulder, letting her curl her hand around his finger instead.

“Why did you have to hide?” Tobias demanded, easing into a chair.

“Sit,” Hunter invited with a wave.

“Thanks. I’m exhausted.”

Jasper sank onto the sofa, and Amelia perched right beside him.

“I amsosorry I let you believe I was dead.” Jasper included both her and Tobias in his remorseful look. “I can’t explain it all. Not yet. I can’t even stay. The man Hunter sent—I won’t give you his name. Hunter has arranged for him to take me to an undisclosed location. Thanks for the lawyer, by the way,” Jasper said to Hunter. “I’ll swear some statements into evidence before I go public that I’m alive. It’s easier to leave a man for dead in remote mountains a continent away than it will be once there are charges pending. It’ll be dangerous for me at first, and ugly for all of you for a while. That’s why I want you at arm’s length. Hunter knows how to reach me if something happens, but until I go public, I’m still dead. Got it?”

“I guess.” Amelia’s lips wouldn’t stay steady enough to speak. “I really missed you, though. I don’t want you to go away again.”

“I won’t go far. I missed you, too.” He looped his free arm across her shoulders and hugged her into his side. Then he let her take Peyton. “But it has to be this way.”

“Okay,” Amelia hiccuped, recognizing his stubborn look. Arguing would be futile.

“Dad?” Jasper asked, moving toward Tobias.

“You’re alive, son. That’s all that matters to me.” Tobias stood and hugged him. “Come home as soon as you can.”

“I will.” With a final pet of Peyton’s hair and a kiss on Amelia’s cheek, Jasper left.

“Was that even real? It feels like a dream.” Amelia sank back onto the sofa, still holding Peyton, face pale, but with a light behind her eyes that Hunter hadn’t seen since he’d met her.

He squeezed her shoulder.

“Can I get you a drink, Tobias?” he asked as the older man slumped back into an armchair as though he’d run a marathon today.

Tobias rubbed his face.

“I’m trying to decide if I’m sleeping here or catching a lift home so I can sleep in my own bed.”

“I’ll take you in the morning,” Amelia said. “Peyton and I will come stay for, um...” She glanced uncertainly at Hunter, then down at their daughter.

Hunter’s heart swerved in his chest. The morning after she had told him she loved him, he’d gotten the first inkling that Jasper might have been found. Hunter had wanted to tell her, but after disappointing her so badly that night, he couldn’t bring himself to raise her hopes if they were about to be dashed again.

With Peyton so fussy, Amelia had had her hands full without his toying further with her emotions. He had focused on relaying what information he could to convince Jasper to trust his emissary and come home.

Hunter was glad, so glad that he’d been able to find Jasper, but he was aware that Jasper’s brief visit didn’t undo the hurt he’d caused Amelia.

“You’ll be heading back to Vancouver, won’t you?” Tobias was saying.

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