Page 77 of The Addendum

“You tired?” I asked Heather.

She lifted one eyebrow at me—a trick she’d perfected from her mother. “Dad, you pick us up instead of Luc, Mom isn’t with you, and you don’t think I know something’s going on?” She searched my eyes, suddenly anxious. “Is Mom okay?”

“She’s fine. She’ll come over if you want.”

Reed flung himself on the sofa. “Man, home feels good. Spill, Richard. When Luc called to say you were coming to get us not him, I figured something was cooking. He refused to say, but I know him.”

I had texted Luc twice since the meeting at Halton’s. Once to check in on Ashley, hoping he could tell me more than what Halton had to tell me, which was nothing, and then again to tell him I would pick up Heather and Reed. Neither text got much of a response other than short replies.

She is okay. She’ll be in touch when and if she is ready, Richard. Give her time.

Then to the second one. No problem. I’ll let Reed know.

I still had no idea what was going on in Ashley’s head or how she was feeling. Part of me was comforted knowing how loyal Luc was to her, while another part of me wanted more information. It was exhausting.

Heather joined him on the sofa, and they linked hands. I sat across from them, both hating the risk of upsetting Heather, while also simply wanting this over so the chips could fall where they may.

“So, I have some news.”

“We figured that, Dad. What’s going on? You look…worn.”

Keeping eye contact with my daughter, I told her the shortened version of the story. Her gaze widened several times, but she never interrupted me. Reed leaned forward, his interest apparent, looking both incredulous and surprised.

“Ashley is my—our—half sister?” Heather repeated. “Luc’s Ashley?”

“Yes.”

“Holy shit,” Reed breathed.

Heather was silent for a moment, and I braced myself.

“Is Mom all right?”

I wasn’t surprised her first question was about Katy. She and her mom shared a special bond, much the same as Gracie’s and mine. “Your mom is fine. Amazing. She’s been my rock. She’ll come over, or you can go see her.”

“How does Ashley feel about this?”

I lifted one shoulder. “She’s upset and confused.”

“Because she thinks you ignored her.”

“Yes.”

“You’d never do that, Daddy.”

I smiled at her defense. I loved the way she still referred to me as Daddy after all these years. “Not the man you know.”

She shook her head. “Even the man you were. You would have helped at least.”

“I like to think so, but I didn’t know.”

“You would have. Mom brought out the good in you, but it was obviously there. You would have done something.”

Her assessment of my character warmed my heart, and I relaxed a little. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

Heather frowned. “She must want a relationship or something. Why else start anything? She could have figured out you were her father and left it. She never had to see you again if she hated you so much.”

“You’re forgetting her relationship with Luc, babe,” Reed said gently. “She’d run into your dad a lot. She couldn’t keep it a secret.”