Read Online A Dad At Last by Marie Ferrarella - Free Book Online Page A

finally out and I can stop worrying about letting it slip accidentally.”
    â€œYou knew?” Beth asked, stunned.
    â€œI wasn’t supposed to. I overheard,” Ellie admitted to her twin before looking at Connor again. “I guess it’s goodbye cousin, hello brother.” She grinned broadly at his slightly bemused expression. “Welcome to the family, Connor.”
    He wasn’t certain how he was supposed to react to that. Or to any of them. This was all very new to him.
    Suddenly, they were on their feet, surrounding him, pulling him up and shaking his hand, or in Abby’s case, embracing him. Their voices blended into one another until all Connor was aware of was a din buzzing about his ears.
    And his mother smiling at all of them.
    At him.
    It felt so strange to him. He’d lost one mother, a mother he cared about a great deal, almost two years ago, only to discover that she had lied to him. She hadn’t been his mother at all, and he had another mother, his real mother, who was still alive.
    Would he be able to trust anyone again? Connorhad no answer for that. He knew what his heart said, but his heart was still too raw to listen to.
    And then Megan was beside him, her arm threaded through his, a wide, almost beatific smile on her lips. Maybe, in time, it would work itself all out, he thought. Until then, he’d just let things ride and be an observer.
    Megan’s eyes were smarting as she watched her other children open their arms and their hearts to this man who was in fact a stranger to them, all embracing him because he was part of her. Her heart swelled within her mother’s breast. They were a good bunch, these children of hers.
    Abby leaned in to her until her cheek was touching Megan’s. “Are you crying, Mother?”
    Overhearing, Jake didn’t wait for her answer. He dug into his pocket and slipped his mother a handkerchief.
    Nodding her gratitude, Megan dabbed at her eyes. “We did a good job, your father and I, raising all of you.” She folded the handkerchief and handed it back to Jake. “You’ve done me proud tonight.”
    â€œNothing less than you deserve, Mom,” Beth assured her quietly.
    Jake slipped his arm around his mother’s waist, pulling her closer. When she looked at him in surprise, he asked in a stage whisper, “So, Mom, is there anything else we should know?”
    â€œA secret life as an international jewel thief, perhaps?” Abby asked, suppressing a grin.
    â€œNo secret life,” Megan swore, crossing her heart. “And no other secrets—among any of us.”
    â€œWell, I for one am relieved everything’s out in the open,” Jake declared, pressing a kiss to her temple.
    Standing on the sidelines, Lacy watched Connor’s reaction to this emotional outpouring. Anyone else might have looked overjoyed, but not Connor. If anything, he seemed uncomfortable at the attention his newfound family was giving him. If he had his druthers, she knew he would have preferred to vanish.
    That made them different, she thought. If she had just discovered that she had a big, loving family willing to welcome her with open arms, she would have felt like singing. He looked as if he felt like fleeing.
    But then, Connor had always been a loner. Clarise had seen to that. He’d been so loyal to her, he hadn’t realized that she’d given him a twisted sense of what was important in life. Lacy had a feeling that Clarise had never taught Connor to take pleasure in the simple joy that being around people who loved you brought.
    Looking at the people around him now, she could only think that Connor didn’t realize how lucky he was.
    Their eyes met across the table.
    Having caught her attention, he nodded toward the side, indicating that he wanted to talk to her.
    Probably to upbraid her for going to talk to Janelle after everything that had happened, Lacy thought. She knew he considered the