When A Man Loves A Woman(43)

“Hey, Mac. Are you all right?” Parker asked.

All of a sudden Delilah was standing there beside them, her gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Mac, it’s okay,” she was saying in a soothing voice. “Just take some breaths. It’s all right. It’s all right.”

A powerful wave of emotion washed over him, leaving him feeling unsteady. What in the world was wrong with him? Why was this hitting him so hard?

He looked back and forth between Delilah and Parker. “I didn’t expect to feel such a powerful tidal wave of loss. I kept thinking I would feel such joy when I saw this photo…but we lost so much. And for what?”

Delilah slid into the seat next to him. “It’s a tremendous void, Mac. And honestly, you never grieved that loss. You stuffed it down into a black hole. I think maybe everything is bubbling to the surface and it’s painful.”

Parker bit his lip. “In case I haven’t told you, Mac, I think you’re incredibly brave to do this. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Jason wants to track down some of his siblings due to your quest to find Callie. He’s really inspired by you.”

Mac’s cousin Jason—Parker’s younger brother—had been adopted as a baby by his Uncle Jude and his wife, Aunt Penelope. Inspired by his brother Alec, Uncle Jude had adopted three sons in all to add to his own brood of four biological sons and one daughter, Shay. Parker’s family was as diverse and rowdy as his own Donahue clan—only slighter bigger with eight children. The family was going through a hard time at the moment with Aunt Penelope’s terminal illness.

Mac looked over at Delilah. “I think you’re right. It feels as if I’m grieving something that has been bottled up inside of me.” He thumped his chest with his hand then swung his gaze to Parker. “Thanks, man. It means a lot to me to know that Jason is walking the same path as I am. If he wants to talk about it, I’m only a phone call away.” Like Parker, Jason lived in Pelican Bay, Florida, in the area where they had been raised.

Mac tapped the photo. Callie’s green eyes were staring back at him. Her button nose now looked almost refined. A few freckles were scattered across her nose and the dark red hair was long and lustrous. “How accurate is this photo?”

“They’re pretty darn accurate, Mac. The technology for age progression has really intensified in the last few years. The center for missing and exploited children has seen a lot of success with this cutting edge technology,” Parker explained. “It has led to many children being reunited with their families.”

“So what happens next?” Delilah asked. She reached out and clasped Mac’s hand under the table. He immediately felt buoyed by her presence and the way she was showing her support with her quiet grace and humble attitude. She had appeared at the coffee shop just when he’d needed her most. He had mentioned earlier that he was meeting up with Parker on his lunch break, and instinctively, she had known that he needed her. It floored him that Delilah was so in tune with him and his needs. So much so that she clearly cared about him enough to pop by the Red Rooster to check on his welfare. Happiness rose up inside him at the reality of what he was building with Delilah. It wasn’t something trivial. Not to him. And judging by her actions, she felt the same way as he did.

“I’m going to be doing some searches online by putting this photo into the search engine,” Parker explained. “If we get lucky something might come up. I’m also going to do some digging on social media and put this picture out there with a few contacts I have around the country.” Parker’s gaze narrowed. “I’m going to be following that Southern angle as well.”

Mac nodded. “Sounds good.”

Parker got up and pushed his chair in. “I’m going to be heading to the airport soon to go back home. I’m going to be doing my follow-up work in Pelican Bay.”

Mac stood up and clasped his cousin’s hand, then pulled him into a hug. He thumped Parker on the back. “I can’t thank you enough for all the work you’re doing for me. Our reunion   with Mrs. Worther was stellar. I know this is a tough time considering what Aunt Penny is going through.”

Parker nodded. “Anything for family. Isn’t that the Donahue motto?”

Mac grinned. “If it isn’t it should be.”

Delilah stood up and pressed a kiss on Parker’s cheek. “Great work, Parker. If I ever need any PI work done, I’m definitely calling you.”

Mac hated the way his back tensed up at the sight of Delilah innocently kissing Parker. Was this what happened when you fell for someone? Did your insides clench up at the slightest provocation? Did you suddenly become jealous of anyone who got close to the woman you were falling in love with?