Read Online Alaska Twilight by Colleen Coble - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Colleen Coble
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upset her.”
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
Libby smiled and patted Haley’s hand. “Forgive me. It’s been so long since I had someone to talk to, I’m running off at the mouth.”
Haley pulled her hand away. “I’m glad to give you an afternoon of diversion.” She studied Libby’s face. Maybe Libby would know something about Joy. “I saw the burned cabin. Did you know the family that lived there?”
“I sure did. The Walshes.” Her eyes widened. “Your family?”
Haley nodded. “My parents.” She had to force the words out.
Libby looked stricken. “I’m so sorry. Here I am babbling on. Is that the real reason you’ve come? No wonder you were upset when I found you at the pier.”
She nodded. “My shrink thought it was time I faced the past. When this job came along, my grandmother convinced me to take it. Augusta can be opinionated and pigheaded at times. She was like a pit bull, and I got tired of fighting her.”
Libby snapped her fingers. “I just remembered. Your grandmother is Augusta Walsh, isn’t she?
“You’ve read her books?”
“Read them! I own every travel book she’s ever written. Her memoirs of her adventures in Africa are masterful. Had you ever visited your parents here?”
Haley shook her head. “I hadn’t seen them for ten years, and it was almost twenty years ago when I was last here.” A painful, awkward meeting that she’d vowed not to repeat if she could help it.
“Ten years! You never wanted to visit? Why didn’t they go back to the Lower Forty-eight?”
“That’s where I last saw them. Tank mentioned another daughter.”
Libby studied her face. “You say that like you don’t know her.”
Haley looked away. “I don’t. I had no idea I had a half sister until Tank told me a little while ago. What can you tell me about Joy?”
Libby sat back in her chair and exhaled. “I hope I don’t offend you, but you have one strange family.”
“I know. About Joy?”
Libby shrugged. “She was the light of their lives. I’d met your mom a few times before Joy came. She was always polite, but rather distant and dour. When Joy came, she bloomed. Kind of weird if you ask me. I wouldn’t be blooming if my husband presented me with a love child. But Maggie seemed to dote on Joy. And she is a darling girl.”
Haley winced. She couldn’t help it. That was a position she’d longed for. And it was the place that had belonged to Chloe. “How old is she?”
“Twelve, almost thirteen now. They never told you?”
Not only had they never told her, but not even Augusta had mentioned it. “Where does she live?”
“In Stalwart with a relation of her mother’s. She wants to finish school and go into archeology like her—er, your parents.”
“Why wasn’t she sent to my grandmother?” Augusta must have known. She couldn’t imagine her father would keep it a secret from his own mother.
“You’re going to have to ask your grandmother about that.”
“I’d like to talk to Joy.”
“I’m sure she’d love to see you. Your mom had an old album with pictures of the family in it. I never saw it, but Maggie said Joy loved to look at it.”
“I wonder why she never wrote me?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
“I’ll do that.” She had to learn all she could. Maybe her mother or father talked about her or mentioned Chloe. Maybe she could finally find closure.
Haley’s grandmother sat at the table with a pile of leaves in front of her. She was pressing them in a book she’d brought for that purpose. She looked up when Haley entered the cabin. “There you are. I was worried when I got back and you were gone.”
Haley shut the door behind her. “I went to the cabin.”
“Haley, I told you to wait for me.” Irritation flashed over Augusta’s face. She didn’t like to be disobeyed.
Haley watched Augusta carefully flatten the leaves in the pages. How should she bring up the subject of Joy? Augusta had to know about this. She wet
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
Libby smiled and patted Haley’s hand. “Forgive me. It’s been so long since I had someone to talk to, I’m running off at the mouth.”
Haley pulled her hand away. “I’m glad to give you an afternoon of diversion.” She studied Libby’s face. Maybe Libby would know something about Joy. “I saw the burned cabin. Did you know the family that lived there?”
“I sure did. The Walshes.” Her eyes widened. “Your family?”
Haley nodded. “My parents.” She had to force the words out.
Libby looked stricken. “I’m so sorry. Here I am babbling on. Is that the real reason you’ve come? No wonder you were upset when I found you at the pier.”
She nodded. “My shrink thought it was time I faced the past. When this job came along, my grandmother convinced me to take it. Augusta can be opinionated and pigheaded at times. She was like a pit bull, and I got tired of fighting her.”
Libby snapped her fingers. “I just remembered. Your grandmother is Augusta Walsh, isn’t she?
“You’ve read her books?”
“Read them! I own every travel book she’s ever written. Her memoirs of her adventures in Africa are masterful. Had you ever visited your parents here?”
Haley shook her head. “I hadn’t seen them for ten years, and it was almost twenty years ago when I was last here.” A painful, awkward meeting that she’d vowed not to repeat if she could help it.
“Ten years! You never wanted to visit? Why didn’t they go back to the Lower Forty-eight?”
“That’s where I last saw them. Tank mentioned another daughter.”
Libby studied her face. “You say that like you don’t know her.”
Haley looked away. “I don’t. I had no idea I had a half sister until Tank told me a little while ago. What can you tell me about Joy?”
Libby sat back in her chair and exhaled. “I hope I don’t offend you, but you have one strange family.”
“I know. About Joy?”
Libby shrugged. “She was the light of their lives. I’d met your mom a few times before Joy came. She was always polite, but rather distant and dour. When Joy came, she bloomed. Kind of weird if you ask me. I wouldn’t be blooming if my husband presented me with a love child. But Maggie seemed to dote on Joy. And she is a darling girl.”
Haley winced. She couldn’t help it. That was a position she’d longed for. And it was the place that had belonged to Chloe. “How old is she?”
“Twelve, almost thirteen now. They never told you?”
Not only had they never told her, but not even Augusta had mentioned it. “Where does she live?”
“In Stalwart with a relation of her mother’s. She wants to finish school and go into archeology like her—er, your parents.”
“Why wasn’t she sent to my grandmother?” Augusta must have known. She couldn’t imagine her father would keep it a secret from his own mother.
“You’re going to have to ask your grandmother about that.”
“I’d like to talk to Joy.”
“I’m sure she’d love to see you. Your mom had an old album with pictures of the family in it. I never saw it, but Maggie said Joy loved to look at it.”
“I wonder why she never wrote me?”
“You’ll have to ask her.”
“I’ll do that.” She had to learn all she could. Maybe her mother or father talked about her or mentioned Chloe. Maybe she could finally find closure.
Haley’s grandmother sat at the table with a pile of leaves in front of her. She was pressing them in a book she’d brought for that purpose. She looked up when Haley entered the cabin. “There you are. I was worried when I got back and you were gone.”
Haley shut the door behind her. “I went to the cabin.”
“Haley, I told you to wait for me.” Irritation flashed over Augusta’s face. She didn’t like to be disobeyed.
Haley watched Augusta carefully flatten the leaves in the pages. How should she bring up the subject of Joy? Augusta had to know about this. She wet
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