Barely Breathing (The Breathing #2)(116)

I knew this warm and sunny weather was a fluke in early April―they were already predicting cooler temperatures and rain by the end of the weekend. But today the heat from the sun felt good blowing against my face as I drove home.

There was a man standing on my doorstep when I pulled into the driveway. First impression, his dark suit and brief case―he was a salesman. He even wore a fedora on his head. But when I stepped out of the car, I realized his tailored suit was much too nice to belong to a door-to-door salesman. Besides, I didn't think anyone did that anymore.

"Can I help you?" I questioned as I approached him. 

"Are you Emily Thomas?" the tall older man confirmed, removing his hat to reveal thick white hair, brushed back to expose a receding hairline.

"Yes," I answered cautiously, still standing on the walkway, hesitant to get closer.

"My name is Charles Stanley," he explained. He stood erect on the porch, his perfect posture making him appear to tower a mile above me. "I'm the lawyer for the Thomas family. I am your father's executor."

"My father?" I questioned, unable to move.

"Yes, Derek Thomas," he answered patiently. "Is there somewhere private we can talk? Do you expect Rachel home any time soon?"

"No, she's working late today," I told him, ungluing my feet and tentatively walking towards the door. "Do you have a card or something?"

"Of course," he replied, pulling out a silver card holder from his pocket. He opened it and extended a card to me, confirming who he was. I didn't have any real reason to doubt him.

I unlocked the door and held the screen open for him. "We can sit in the kitchen."

"Wonderful." He followed me into the kitchen and set his hat on the table. I kept my eyes on him, fearing that if I blinked he was going to disappear.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," he replied, sitting in the chair and unbuckling his briefcase to remove a file. I lowered in the chair across from him, my hands shaking slightly. "I'm sure you're wondering who I am and what I'm doing here, so let's begin. As I said, my name is Charles Stanley. I have represented the Thomas family most of my career, focusing mainly on estate matters and preparing their trusts and other financial concerns."

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, already confused. "You keep saying the family. I don't understand. Who does that include?"

Charles nodded and began again. "Your father gave me permission for full disclosure, so I may reveal to you everything I know that pertains to him. Derek Anders Thomas was born to Laura and Nicolas Thomas. They lived in Lincoln, Massachusetts most of his life. His brother George Samuel Thomas was born three years later.

"Derek attended private schools through high school and went on to Cornell where he studied Architectural Engineering and eventually graduated with a master's."

"Cornell?" I questioned in surprise, wondering why I'd never known this.

"Yes," Charles replied calmly, his smooth deep voice devoid of emotion. Then he continued, "He decided to return to Massachusetts to be near his family, and took a position with the top engineering firm in Boston. This is where he met Rachel Walace." He paused. I swore I saw sympathy flash across his dark blue eyes for a moment before he returned to his emotionless report.

"She was a temporary replacement for their receptionist who was out on leave for a short time. From this point forward, the facts that can easily be researched are combined with your father's firsthand account and his own opinions. So unfortunately, I cannot substantiate much of what I'm about to tell you.

"Derek was under the impression that Rachel was older than she was when they first met. She indicated that she was twenty-six, and he at that time was thirty-two. They went out on several occasions, and he really enjoyed her company. She was different than most of the women in his social circle, and he described her as a 'breath of fresh air.'"

My insides were already chilled, because I knew how old my mother was when I was born.

"In time, he discovered her true age of twenty and broke off the relationship immediately. Your father believed in integrity and trust above all else, and she'd lied to him. She was distraught over the break-up, and made multiple attempts to regain his favor. Just when he thought she'd given up, she appeared by his car after work with the news that she was pregnant."



       
         
       
        

I exhaled and closed my eyes, my stomach turning to ice. I wasn't planned. They weren't married. They weren't even technically dating.