Page 104 of Lost Lake
Gabe dropped down next to her and jerked the journal from her hands. “It can’t be Patrick Sloan. The guy’s a weasel. I can’t let a man like that raise Lucy.”
He clenched and unclenched his fists, looking like he wanted to punch the nearest object.
She tried to take his hand, but he held it away from her. “You don’t know that he even wants her. He might not have any interest in her at all. Maybe this really is about the organization’s finances, and he’s involved. After all, he has access to the money.”
“Yeah, let’s focus on that. We need to get Hayden’s deep dive, concentrate on any large deposits made to his bank account.”
“I agree, but as much as you want to get after this, we need far more information from Hayden about the financial fraud and potential missing children to really do anything.”
“You’re right. He could discover that Sloan was in the thick of things and would end up in prison with no ability to get rights to Lucy.” Gabe released an aching breath. “Wouldn’t it be ironic that he abducted Lucy due to the financial fraud, all the while not knowing she was his daughter?”
“If Kenna’s murder is about the finances, then that’s a very realistic scenario.”
He fired off a text, then set his phone on the table. “There, Hayden’s alerted.”
She picked up the journal. “Let’s keep reading the letter.”
“What if she drops even a bigger bombshell?”
El wished she could get rid of the pain causing his tortured tone, but all she could do was support him by taking his hand, and this time he let her. “You have to know her wishes. I’m right here.”
He went silent, a finger tracing the page. She started reading at the beginning again in case she missed something.
My dearest Gabe,
If you’re reading this letter, you found my journal, and I’m in heaven with my savior. My only concerns are for leaving you and Lucy behind, and I have important information I need to tell you.
First, I want to say how very much I love you and how much you mean to me. You’re the best friend any person could ever ask for and a terrific friend to Lucy too. My life has been so much richer for knowing you and being in your life. I pray that you have the most wonderful life filled with love and laughter and friendship. That you’ll put your family’s illegal activities behind you and realize you’re nothing like them—nothing—and their baggage doesn’t carry over to you. You are so far from who they are that no one would believe you came from that family. Also, I pray that you finally admit how deeply you care for El and tell her.
“She’s right, you know,” Gabe said, his words sounding strangled. “She knew me.”
El intertwined her fingers with his and held on tightly. She had no idea he’d told Kenna about her, but that wasn’t important now. Helping him heal was the main thing.
She continued reading.
“Now, about Lucy. When you said yes to taking her if I was unable to care for her, I think you were just trying to appease me, but I’m taking you at your word, which I know you will uphold. I’d only pressure you to do this because I know you’ll be an excellent father. You’re caring, patient, and loving with Lucy, and yet you know when to discipline her and aren’t afraid to do it. Everything she needs in a father.
“You’ll find Lucy’s birth certificate in my safe deposit box where I named Patrick Sloan as her birth father. Lucy deserves to know who her dad is and receive information from him on family health histories. You can find him at the New Tide Foundation office. I hadn’t seen him in years, but I ran into him there last week. He’s their accountant. Can you believe that? A man I’d only ever seen one time and suddenly he’s in my life again. I think that was a God moment, because he behaved as self-serving and conceited as in the past. The real ladies’ man, trying to impress everyone around him.
What did I ever see in him? That’s a question I’ve never been able to answer, other than I was in a completely vulnerable state, and he was very attentive to me. Regardless, I have Lucy because of that one night, and I would never want to give her back for anything.
“Grr,” Gabe said. “I still don’t like this. Not one bit and I’ll do everything I can to make sure Sloan gets the prison sentence he deserves.”
“Is that the best thing for Lucy?” El asked.
“I don’t know, I just don’t know. I’ll have to give it some serious thought.” Gabe’s piercing intensity left no question as to how he felt about Sloan. “What if the murder isn’t really about Safe Harbor, but it’s about Lucy’s father killing Kenna to take his daughter away from her?”
“She wouldn’t give up custody easily, so it sounds like a possibility.” El would have to keep an eye on Gabe to be sure he didn’t take action against Sloan before they could prove his involvement in any of this.
He lowered his eyes back to the journal.
She read on.
I asked around about Patrick, and he’s still a real playboy and has no interest in getting married or settling down, much less having a child. Legally, it would be good if you got him to sign over Lucy’s custody to you, but my will should suffice to prove my wishes. Should you ever want to adopt her, he would need to sign over all rights to you. Both things I think he’ll do, and I pray that you’ll want to do that for my little sweetheart.
I also ask you to keep my memory alive so she doesn’t forget me. Tell her what I stood for and what kind of person I am. Be sure she knows that I love her above everything else and would never leave her unless I had to. In my safe deposit box, you’ll find a flash drive. I’ve recorded a birthday message for her for every year of her life until she reaches twenty-one. Please be sure no matter who gets custody of her, that these messages are played every year on her birthday so she knows how very much I love her and wish I could be there to celebrate the big day with her.
Thank you again for being my dearest friend and for taking on this huge responsibility for my child’s well-being. I’ve been blessed every day I’ve known you, and I praise God for that!
