“This isn’t just about Jon. I’ve always wondered what my child looks like. You know that. What sort of person they are. I’d like to meet him or her.”
“Oh honey, you know that wouldn’t be a good thing. Think of how upsetting it would be for you. For them too after all this time.”
“I’d like to take my chances. And I’ve made a promise to Jon.”
“I think it best that you forget about what you promised him.”
“He’s left items for our child. He’s left money in his will for its college education. So I think it only fair I deliver them in person.”
Her mother turned to look at her. “Jon Nelson funding a college education! I always said the boy was nothing but a dreamer.”
Natalie tried to get her temper under control. She wanted to slap her mother’s face for such a nasty remark.
“Now if Jon hadn’t decided to ask about the baby, you wouldn’t have thought about it.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. I’ve thought about the baby every day since I gave birth and you took it from me. I’ve wanted to find out, but because I respected you and dad’s wishes, I’ve never pursued it. However, if Jon’s death has taught me one thing it’s that life’s short, so it’s about time I started thinking about what I want and not you.”
Kym chose that moment to walk in with the tea. She coughed and winked at Natalie. Kym had been with them long before Natalie had gotten pregnant and in a way been more of a support to her than her own mother.
“Thank you,” said Natalie taking it from her.
Natalie waited until Kym had left to continue with their conversation.
“I want the name and address of the couple who adopted the baby,” said Natalie.
Her mother gave one of her false laughs “You expect me to remember that after all this time?”
She pulled on her mother’s arm. “You arranged it. You took the baby to them. You must remember something.”
She pulled on her necklace again. “I really don’t, other than they were a charming young couple from South Dakota who I know gave the baby a loving home. Now don’t go prying or upsetting them or the child.”
Natalie turned to look at her father. He’d been the weak link in all this. Hell, he’d even worked on her mother every day in hopes that she’d see some sense and let Natalie keep the baby. But no, her mother won every single time.
“Moira, help our daughter out. I think she has a right to know the truth,” said her father.
Her mother turned around to look at her father and then back at Natalie.
“I can’t remember, and that’s my final word on the topic,” she said.
“Okay, if you won’t tell me I’ll have to find out on my own.”
“Oh honey, please don’t. Just let the past be exactly that or you’re going to be in for a terrible shock.”
Chapter Two
“Ms. White, Mr. Finesby is here to see you.”
Natalie looked up from the brief she was working on to see the receptionist, Jane, standing in the doorway of her office.
“Could you show him back here for me?”
She nodded and then left. Natalie quickly finished the paragraph she was in the middle of writing and looked up to see Jane returning with Mark Finesby, who she often turned to when she needed a private investigator to help with some of her cases.
“Come in and have a seat. Thanks Jane.”
Jane left, and Mark pulled up a chair and dug out a folder from his case.
“I hope you have some good news for me.”
He placed the folder on her desk and opened it. “Let’s just say this wasn’t an easy task. Your mother and her attorney went to lots of trouble to hide the information.”
“But you have found something?”
“Oh yes. The baby’s formal adoption papers were filed in Missoula, Montana.”
He slid the paperwork over the desk to Natalie.
“That’s strange because my mother said she’d given the baby to a couple in South Dakota.”
He shook his head. “No records there.”
Natalie looked at the papers in more detail.
She’d given birth to a girl. She’d hadn’t been allowed to know even that much.
She and Jon had a daughter.
She felt a tear welling up in her eye. What did she look like? What were the color of her hair and eyes?
“I see there’s just a man’s name on here,” said Natalie reading more.
“That’s right, Flynn Malone.”
“But it was supposed to be a couple.”
“I did find records of a divorce for him, filed a few months before this paperwork was officially filed so maybe he wanted sole custody.”