A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) by Karolyn James Page B

asked.
    “ Look,
I ’ m sorry I said that. Whatever
you want to do, Annie, is fine by me. I just really want the kids to see their
grandfather one last time. I don ’ t
think that ’ s a lot to ask. ”
    “ For
you, ” Annie said.
    “ Annie,
I have something to tell you, ” Bobby said. “ I wanted you
to be here in person, but you ’ re
not understanding. ” Bobby
took a deep breath. “ I have
a brother. ”
    “ A
what? ”
    “ I
have a brother. Okay? ”
    “ What
do you mean you have a brother? ”
    “ Dad
admitted to me that he had another son, ” Bobby said. “ He asked me to
find him. That ’ s his last wish
right now. I found the guy. He ’ s
definitely Dad ’ s son. We
have different mothers. I talked to him this morning and he ’ s going to come to Ferry Creek.
I ’ m afraid that once Dad
meets him... ” Bobby
swallowed the emotion. “ I ’ m afraid he ’ s going to let go then. ”
    Annie was silent. For a long time.
Bobby could hear her breathing. Bobby closed his eyes and realized this was the
closest he ’ d ever be to
Annie. This was the closest he ’ d
get to compassion or even a hug from her.
    “ Bobby,
I ’ m so sorry, ” Annie said.
    Her voice was soft, soothing. It
made Bobby ’ s heart race a
little. Why couldn ’ t
Annie be like this all the time?
    “ I
would like you to bring the kids here, ” Bobby said. “ So they could
see Dad one more time. Okay? That ’ s
all. I have to deal with all this right now and I have a brother coming to meet
me. ”
    “ Wow, ” Annie said. “ So your father had an affair? ”
    “ I
don ’ t know what it was, ” Bobby said. “ I didn ’ t get that far into this yet. I don ’ t want to think about it. I ’ m trying really hard not to be
angry because I don ’ t want
that to be my last emotion toward him while he ’ s
alive. ”
    “ You ’ re too good of a man sometimes, ” Annie said. “ You know what I would do... ”
    “ I
know. ”
    Annie would raise hell. She would
bust into the hospital room and demand answers. That was her personality. Shoot
first, ask questions later. Bobby was more of an observer. He watched,
listened, learned, then reacted. The only person that really made him fly off
the handle was Annie.
    “ Can
you help me here? ” Bobby
asked. “ I ’ m begging you right now. ”
    “ Okay, ” Annie said. “ Okay. I ’ ll figure something out. I ’ ll bring the kids. I ’ ll
do whatever you want to do, okay? All I ask is that if I need you... if the
kids start asking questions... ”
    “ I ’ ll drive to your house, ” Bobby said. “ Mark my word. ”
    Bobby would. He could give the
diner to Jess and Peggie. In fact, he could be doing that right now while
finding something else to do with his life. But he couldn ’ t. He loved the diner too much
and he loved being in Ferry Creek.
    “ To
my house, ” Annie whispered. “ Hard to think of it that
way. ”
    “ That ’ s what you wanted, ” Bobby said.
    “ Yeah.
That ’ s right. What I
wanted... ”
    Bobby gritted his teeth. He managed
to end the call cordially.
    He put his face into his hands and
let out a long sigh.
    His ex-wife was coming to Ferry
Creek, with his kids.
    His brother, whom he never met before,
was coming to Ferry Creek.
    His life had just gotten very
exciting. The sound of crashing and breaking made Bobby jump up from his chair.
He stormed from the office and looked out into the diner.
    He saw Darryl leaning over the
counter, his eyes dazed, coffee spilled everywhere.
    Apparently, his morning was going
to keep getting exciting.
     
    Jess had heard the pounding on her
door and thought the small duplex was on fire. The house had been originally
built as a single home, but someone took the time to split it into two smaller
places, which Jess was thankful for, because without it, she ’ d had no place to live. Plus,
living next to Marie Hellinger came with perks. The woman was quiet, kept to
herself, and spent her weekends in