Page 133 of Eight Years Gone

“You’re not holding me back,” he repeated, settling his forehead against hers.

She hesitantly rested her hands on his waist. “I was going to tell you everything when you got home, but you had a job to do. I understand that.”

“There’s nothing more important to me than you. Nothing. If there’s even a chance that your dad has another kid… Jesus, we’re actually having this conversation.”

She nodded. “I know. It’s nuts.”

He held her tighter. “Please don’t keep stuff from me, Gracie. Not the big things. Not the little things.”

She nodded again. “I’m sorry that I lied. That was never my intention. I trust you, Jagger. There’s no one I trust more. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She pressed her lips to his. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” His mouth came back to hers. “It was a misunderstanding.”

“Please don’t walk away like that again. You’ve never walked out when we’ve had a disagreement.”

He hugged her. “I’m sorry.”

She closed her eyes as she settled her head against his chest, relieved that everything was okay again. “Can we get back to our evening?”

“I’d like that. You can fill me in on what’s been going on.”

Thirty-Two

Jagger snuggled Grace on the couch as she sat nestled in the V of his legs—the spot where they’d chosen to eat their soggy restaurant sandwiches after they got back to her place.

Dirty dishes had been set aside, and a blanket kept them cozy as Grace rested her back against his chest while she laced her fingers with his.

“I wrote down the dates when Jessica was in our lives and where there appeared to be any overlapping issues between my parents. There was a block of time around Thanksgiving when Mom and Dad hadn’t seen each other much. Things had seemed a little strained between them.”

Jagger nuzzled his cheek against her temple, still surprised by what Grace had been up to over the past couple of days. It was insane that they were talking about this—Steve potentially having a secret child. “Just because they were having a rough patch doesn’t mean he was cheating on her.”

“I know.” She moved, adjusting to face him, sitting cross-legged between his thighs. “But Mom said the little boy looked so much like Logan. And Logan looked just like Dad. Plus, Dad apologized when Mom went to the office. Why would he apologize if there was nothing to be sorry for?”

Jagger bobbed his head from side to side. “These are all good points, but we’re missing a lot in this story. Your mom never got the chance to write anything further. It doesn’t seem like she got an actual explanation from your dad. Nothing was ever confirmed one way or the other.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s true.”

“We have a lot of coincidences that could add up to something suspicious because that’s the lens we’re using to look at them. I bet there are a lot of blond two-year-olds who resemble Logan.”

But as Grace had told him about her discoveries, several things were adding up to Grace having another brother.

“So, it’s probably nothing.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I think we need to continue gathering information.”

She sighed. “We need to find Jessica Sawyer.”

“Definitely. I also think we should discreetly talk to more of the people who knew your dad best. Bea didn’t seem to have much to say when you mentioned Jessica’s name. Certainly nothing negative. Not Asa, either.”

Grace nodded. “I can reach out to Paul, but they had more of a professional relationship.”

He tucked the loose strands escaping her messy bun behind her ear. “What about Colonel Hinders?”

Grace’s back snapped straight.

---