Chapter 18
Lucas followed from a discreet distance as if in a trance. He simply couldn’t believe it. For four years he
looked for her and now she was in front of him but she wasn’t alone.
There had been times he wondered what it would be like to find her and she had found someone else. After
four years she might have a boyfriend or even a fiancée, maybe even a husband. The thought made him run
cold but he really didn’t have license to complain. He was the one who drove her away.
Yet in all his wildest fantasies he hadn’t dreamed of this. A child? When? How?
Well…
He knew how. One night…
He recalled Alan’s assurances that the chances of a pregnancy after one night were nearly impossible.
But the truth was in front of him. Sarah’s miniature couldn’t be more than three years old which meant she
had to have been conceived on their one and only night together. But why wouldn’t Sarah tell him? There was
no mention of a child in the divorce papers and no request for child support. Did she not know she was
pregnant at the time? Was he wrong? Was she not his?
Lucas found himself shaking at the thought Sarah slept with another man after leaving him. A one-night
stand? Sarah didn’t strike him as the type. Maybe she was just that mad at him?
But he didn’t want it to be true. He wanted the little girl to be his. She had to be his. Did she know about him?
What had Sarah told her about her daddy? Did she say anything to her?
The unanswered questions were driving him crazy. Only one thing kept him from falling apart and that was watching his wife and daughter. His daughter was all giggles as she walked down the street and eventually reached the park. Surprisingly a carriage was waiting and she was excited about taking a ride. She showed
no fear of the rather large horse.
Lucas had to trot to keep up not wanting to lose sight of them for even a moment. He refused to listen as Alan tried to tell him the carriage would bring them right back to the start. When the carriage finally returned
Lucas was out of breath and rather irritated with Alan who had sat down on a bench to wait.
But there wasn’t time to argue with him as Sarah headed back into the park for a leisurely stroll. Their daughter was all giggles as she walked along wooden paths with her mother and canine. They paused at the Carousel and the meadow but continued on. Sarah seemed to have a particular destination in mind and the girl had energy to last hours though Lucas was hard pressed to keep up. He couldn’t remember the last time.
he walked this much.
They finally paused at a statue that for some reason had his daughter dancing with delight. Taking a selfie in front of it the pair headed back to the hotel. At first Lucas thought they were going back to the Book Fair but Sarah handed her keys to the valet before heading inside. He trailed her as far as the elevator before he
realized the truth. They were staying in the hotel!
Alan who had remained silent at his side headed to the front desk. He chatted amicably with the concierge
