little Emmy asked, but nobody paid any attention to her.
“That was weird,” one of the twins announced.
“Why did Grandma get so angry?” Anne's daughter Jody asked.
Kara looked around the table wondering why no one was talking about the things she thought Ron's father had said.
She looked at Ron again.
“Do you think we should go after them?” he asked.
Kara considered the question. There was no doubt that both of the elder Millers were very upset. Unless Kara had completely misunderstood what was happening, Howard Miller had come very close to spilling two closely held family secrets.
She looked at Ron again, noticing for the second time today how little he looked like his father. There really wasn't any feature on his face that made her think of Howard Miller. But that didn't have to mean anything, did it?
She examined Kitten and Anne. They were both dark haired like their parents but the roundness in Kitten's face was unlike either of the older Millers, and Anne's tiny nose and the freckles on her cheeks—she didn't really look like Hanna or Howard either.
“I want cake!” Emmy repeated.
“Shush!” Anne told her before turning her attention to her sister. “Kitten? Are you okay?”
Kitten began to cry harder.
“Hey,” her husband crooned over top of her. He slipped out of his chair so he could pull her closer against him. “Hey, it's all right.”
Kitten pushed him away and got to her feet.
“Kitten?” Anne asked.
“Now we know!” Kitten sobbed.
“Know what?” Anne asked. Her confusion did not appear to be feigned.
Mascara ran down Kitten's face, marking the path of her tears. “Now we know why they always loved Ron more!” Kitten said.
Anne's mouth gaped open. She really hadn't reached the conclusion Kara and Kitten already had.
“We're adopted, you idiot!” Kitten told her. “Only he's", she hooked a thumb in Ron's direction, “natural born.”
“Wait a minute!” Anne said.
But Kitten had already turned and rushed away from the table.
Her husband immediately hurried after her. The look of concern on his face would have been touching under less serious circumstances.
Anne turned to her husband. “Daddy didn't say we're adopted, did he?”
“Not in so many words,” Gene told her. It was obvious to Kara that he, too, thought adoption was the way to explain Howard's strange comment about inviting his daughters into their home. It also explained why Hanna got upset with him when he started his toast.
“This is wrong!” Ron said. “Anne, you and Kitten can't be adopted!”
“No, of course not,” Anne said.
The expression on her face suggested she wasn't actually so certain.
“So that's why you guys don't look alike,” Kitten's son said.
“ Brett! ” Gene snapped, glaring at the boy. “This isn't a good time.”
Anne stood up. “It's okay,” she said. “I know who I am. I—”
She took a step away from the table and staggered, almost losing her balance.
Gene leapt to his feet to steady her, but she didn't want his help. “Would you watch Emmy?” she asked. “I need to be by myself for a while.”
Gene actually looked more devastated than his wife did. He clearly wanted to follow her, but the kids were all sitting around the table. He turned to Ron and Kara.
“Could you?”
“I'm sorry, Gene,” Ron said. He pushed back his chair and stood up. “I need to find my parents and figure out what the hell is going on.”
He walked in the direction his father had taken.
Kara wanted to help Gene, but she needed to be with Ron more. She leapt to her feet and hurried after him.
* * * *
* * * *
Kara caught up to Ron on the front steps of the lodge. She had to run to do so because he was walking so quickly and he didn't turn to face her until she grabbed his arm and demanded his attention. “Ron!”
His normally fair face had turned beat red with emotion—a jumbled confusion of pain, anger and fear. He lifted his hand and shook his finger
“That was weird,” one of the twins announced.
“Why did Grandma get so angry?” Anne's daughter Jody asked.
Kara looked around the table wondering why no one was talking about the things she thought Ron's father had said.
She looked at Ron again.
“Do you think we should go after them?” he asked.
Kara considered the question. There was no doubt that both of the elder Millers were very upset. Unless Kara had completely misunderstood what was happening, Howard Miller had come very close to spilling two closely held family secrets.
She looked at Ron again, noticing for the second time today how little he looked like his father. There really wasn't any feature on his face that made her think of Howard Miller. But that didn't have to mean anything, did it?
She examined Kitten and Anne. They were both dark haired like their parents but the roundness in Kitten's face was unlike either of the older Millers, and Anne's tiny nose and the freckles on her cheeks—she didn't really look like Hanna or Howard either.
“I want cake!” Emmy repeated.
“Shush!” Anne told her before turning her attention to her sister. “Kitten? Are you okay?”
Kitten began to cry harder.
“Hey,” her husband crooned over top of her. He slipped out of his chair so he could pull her closer against him. “Hey, it's all right.”
Kitten pushed him away and got to her feet.
“Kitten?” Anne asked.
“Now we know!” Kitten sobbed.
“Know what?” Anne asked. Her confusion did not appear to be feigned.
Mascara ran down Kitten's face, marking the path of her tears. “Now we know why they always loved Ron more!” Kitten said.
Anne's mouth gaped open. She really hadn't reached the conclusion Kara and Kitten already had.
“We're adopted, you idiot!” Kitten told her. “Only he's", she hooked a thumb in Ron's direction, “natural born.”
“Wait a minute!” Anne said.
But Kitten had already turned and rushed away from the table.
Her husband immediately hurried after her. The look of concern on his face would have been touching under less serious circumstances.
Anne turned to her husband. “Daddy didn't say we're adopted, did he?”
“Not in so many words,” Gene told her. It was obvious to Kara that he, too, thought adoption was the way to explain Howard's strange comment about inviting his daughters into their home. It also explained why Hanna got upset with him when he started his toast.
“This is wrong!” Ron said. “Anne, you and Kitten can't be adopted!”
“No, of course not,” Anne said.
The expression on her face suggested she wasn't actually so certain.
“So that's why you guys don't look alike,” Kitten's son said.
“ Brett! ” Gene snapped, glaring at the boy. “This isn't a good time.”
Anne stood up. “It's okay,” she said. “I know who I am. I—”
She took a step away from the table and staggered, almost losing her balance.
Gene leapt to his feet to steady her, but she didn't want his help. “Would you watch Emmy?” she asked. “I need to be by myself for a while.”
Gene actually looked more devastated than his wife did. He clearly wanted to follow her, but the kids were all sitting around the table. He turned to Ron and Kara.
“Could you?”
“I'm sorry, Gene,” Ron said. He pushed back his chair and stood up. “I need to find my parents and figure out what the hell is going on.”
He walked in the direction his father had taken.
Kara wanted to help Gene, but she needed to be with Ron more. She leapt to her feet and hurried after him.
* * * *
* * * *
Kara caught up to Ron on the front steps of the lodge. She had to run to do so because he was walking so quickly and he didn't turn to face her until she grabbed his arm and demanded his attention. “Ron!”
His normally fair face had turned beat red with emotion—a jumbled confusion of pain, anger and fear. He lifted his hand and shook his finger
Similar Books
