Chapter 10
“Hey Frankie, what’s up?” Kinsley Meyers called out as she waddled into the coffee shop. At seven months’ pregnant, Kinsley was big and glowing as she carried her herbal tea over to the table and sat down.
“You look great!” Frankie said, smiling at her friend. “How are you feeling?”
Kinsley sighed, resting her hand on her belly. “Yeah. I’m doing okay. It’s a bit much right now. When this little guy,” she patted her belly, “gets the hiccups, he prefers to have them at night.”
Frankie blinked, surprised and…a touch horrified. “The baby gets the hiccups?”
Kinsley nodded emphatically. “Oh yeah! I know that sounds like a science fiction novel, but yes. Babies in utero get the hiccups, and I feel them happening.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Lincoln gets jealous when it happens. He’s such a goofball.”
Frankie’s eyes widened upon hearing the terrifying Lincoln Meyers described as a goofball. Nope. No way could Frankie see that man as anything other than tall and intimidating. Plus, he was smart in a spooky kind of way. No, wait. He’s smart in a MacGyver kind of way. Lincoln Meyers was the guy who invented that thingamabob that car manufacturers now install in their cars to make them more fuel efficient. And he invented a doohickey for hospitals last year that warned doctors when a patient was struggling to breathe before the patient even realized it. That little contraption had saved so many lives! Every hospital emergency room and intensive care unit had ordered one as fast as the factories could make them. He’d invented several other things too. Some things, no one even knew about because they were top secret and for government use only.
How Frankie knew that was a secret that she’d take to her grave. But yeah, the guy was scary smart. And so nice too! Nice and ethical and just an all-around good guy. Frankie could sort of see why Kinsley said he was a goofball. But only to Kinsley. That man doted on his wife and it was obvious how much they loved each other.
“Okay, so tell me what’s up. Why do you have that look on your face? You look lost. Frankie Winward is never lost. She loses other people, never herself. So, what’s up?”
Frankie laughed, shaking her head at her friend. “How can you tell?” No one else could read Frankie quite as well as Kinsley.
“You have that line between your eyebrows that says you’re worried about something. And since you don’t worry about many things, I’m guessing this has to do with Edward Meyers?”
“Yep. I…” she hesitated, worried about privacy issues. “Okay, so here’s the deal. Edward did that DNA test in the hopes of finding his sons. He checked the box that said he’d like to be notified if familial matches turn up. A few days ago, he was notified that there had been a match. The other party also checked the box that they’d like to be notified.”
“Okay, so both people want to find family members. They are looking for the same thing. So, what’s the problem?”
Frankie swirled her coffee cup nervously. “It’s not his son that submitted his DNA.”
Kinsley leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. “What’s the problem, Frankie?” Kinsley urged gently.
Frankie bit her lip and glanced out the window. “The problem is that the DNA matches his grandchildren.”
There was a long silence as Kinsley processed that. “Plural?”
“Yeah.” Frankie sighed, bowing her head. “A son, an adult, could probably withstand Edward’s intimidation tactics. But grandkids?” She leaned back, shaking her head. “And their mother is really nice. She’s beautiful and kind and a freaking kindergarten teacher, Kins!” Frankie sighed. “I can’t ethically subject those two beautiful kids and a nice person to Edward’s intimidation tactics and threats. He’d make mincemeat out of them!”
“So, your dilemma is whether to tell Edward or not?”
“Exactly.”
Kinsley nodded thoughtfully, then a smile blossomed on her pretty features. “Wait! That means that I’m an aunt!”
Frankie blinked at her friend. “That’s true! You’re an aunt!”
“So is Linc! Well, an uncle. But wow! Our baby will have cousins!” She chuckled softly. “Lincoln is going to be thrilled. He wants a big family. But…” She paused, looking worried at the odd expression in Frankie’s expressive eyes. “Wait,” Kinsley frowned. “You can’t tell us either, can you?”
Frankie shook her head. “I don’t think it would be ethical to tell you and Lincoln about these kids until I’ve spoken with the mother. Or the father. And that’s the problem. If I ask this woman who the father is, and he’s dead or a jerk, who is going to protect them from Edward?”
Kinsley’s eyes widened, then narrowed with conviction. “Lincoln and I will protect our…” she stopped, blinking. “Can you tell me if they are boys or girls? Would that violate your ethics? I don’t want to ask you anything that would violate your code.”
Frankie smiled, grateful for Kinsley’s consideration. “It’s a boy and a girl. They are about four years old and look alarmingly like Edward, if that helps to form a picture.”
Kinsley smiled. “Goodness, Edward might be a bastard, but he is a good looking one. Well, he was. Cancer has certainly taken a toll on him.” She thought about that for a moment, a smile forming again. “So those kids are just as good looking?”
Frankie nodded. “Yeah. They’re adorable. But…I just can’t let Edward get his claws into them.”
Kinsley leaned forward, her eyes determined. “Talk to the mother. Maybe the father is still alive and can protect his children. But if he isn’t, then come to us. Heck, tell the mother to come to us. You know that Lincoln and I will protect those kids, no questions asked. If the mother ever needs anything, she should call us immediately.”
Frankie sighed with relief. “Thanks, Kins. You’re the best!”
For the next hour, the two women chatted happily before departing to get to work.
Frankie typed up a letter to Stevie Hunt, and dropped it off at her house. The letter simply explained her mission as well as Kinsley’s offer of kinship and protection, but no details. If the woman wanted information, Frankie would help her. Hopefully, Frankie could find out who the father of those cuties was as well. But if the guy was gone, for whatever reason, she felt good knowing that Kinsley and Lincoln could keep an eye on them.
Chapter 11
“Momma!” Halley called out. “Herbie is eating…!”
Stevie didn’t hesitate. She dropped the letter and ran. If that enormous dog was eating anything, it would come out the other end and Herbie wasn’t good about waiting until he went outside. The animal was sweet and lovable, but he tended to eat everything, and he had a sensitive stomach.
“…my bunny!”
Oh no! That was bad!
Stevie rushed into the family room and spotted the giant canine. Sure enough, the dog had the stuffed bunny’s ears in his mouth and was trying to tear off the head with his paw. “I’ve got him,” Stevie assured Halley, grabbing the bunny’s tail. Thankfully, the stuffed animal wasn’t Halley’s favorite. Stevie and the dog fought for possession of the bunny, which was complicated by Halley and Harrison clapping, each cheering for a side.