"And he's still single?"
"Yeah. I don't know if he'll ever be able to love anyone again."
"I hope he will be able to do that. It would be too sad otherwise." She paused. "Okay, who's next?"
"Aiden, former smoke jumper. He's married to Sara, who grew up next door to us and was friends with my sister Emma. They have a baby girl, Chloe, who has Aiden wrapped around her finger. She's a super cute kid, and my rebel of a brother is completely tamed."
She smiled. "It sounds like they're a happy family unit."
"Disgustingly so. Next in the lineup is Nicole. She's a teacher and married to her high school sweetheart, Ryan. Ryan is a commercial pilot. They have a seven-year-old son Brandon, who is autistic, and that has made for some rocky times in their relationship. They adopted Brandon and recently discovered that he has a twin brother who is not autistic. The boys have been reunited, and Brandon is finding a new connection to the world through his brother."
"That's cool. So does Brandon's twin live in San Francisco?"
"He does now, and his adoptive mom Jessica is actually involved with my brother Sean."
"The musician and the dancer," she said. "The ones who share the studio, right?"
"That's right. You've been paying attention."
"I love big families. As an only child, I yearned to be part of a family like yours. I used to make up stories in my head. I'd give myself brothers and sisters. It was fun."
"Maybe more fun than actually being in a big family."
Despite his cynical words, she didn't think he meant them. "You love it."
"It's all I've ever known, but I do love my family, at least most of the time."
"Okay, keep going," she said, sipping her wine.
"Let's see, Drew is next. He's a former Navy pilot turned Coast Guard pilot. He flies helicopters. He got married a few months ago to Ria who gives sailing lessons and runs charter tours in the bay. They're guardians to Ria's eighteen-year-old niece Megan, who is currently in college. After Drew is Emma, the fire investigator. She's married to Max, a homicide detective. I told you about Sean and Jessica, and then there's my twin sister Shayla."
"And your twin is a doctor."
"Finishing up her residency. Now your turn. Tell me about your mom."
"Her name is Elaine. She was a mom and a homemaker for twenty-five years, and then a few years after my dad died and I went to college, she returned to school. She had originally studied art and was a good illustrator, but she'd never done anything with it except to provide artwork for flyers for my school and that kind of thing. But now she is tech savvy and provides graphics for a web designer."
"Good for her."
"She's also dating my former algebra teacher, which is kind of weird. But I do want her to be happy, and I know she's been lonely with me living so far away."
"At least she's not alone. That should make you feel better."
"It does make me feel less guilty for staying on the other side of the country."
"Do you think you'd ever come back to California?"
"I don't know. That is not a question for a person who is trying to live in the moment."
"Point taken. Tell me more."
"That's really all the family I have."
"Then tell me about your friends."
"Why so curious?" she challenged.
He grinned. "I'm trying to distract myself from moving to the other side of this table."
"Maybe I should go back to my hotel."
"No, let's keep talking."
"Okay," she agreed, because she didn't really want to leave.
As they talked, the moon rose higher in the sky and the air grew cold. Just before midnight they moved their conversation back to Colton's apartment. He handed her a blanket, and she cozied up on the couch while he made popcorn.
And then they talked some more.
At some point, she mentioned going back to her hotel again, but Colton's car was at his grandmother's house, and he would need to collect that, and she would need to find her way across town, and in the end she stretched out on the couch, the length of the day finally catching up to her as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Colton watched Olivia's eyelids close. He smiled, realizing she'd fallen asleep in mid-sentence, but she was exhausted. He was tired but also wired. They'd been together for hours, but he hadn't wanted her to leave, hadn't wanted her to stop talking. He couldn't remember the last time he'd stayed up until—he checked his watch—two o'clock in the morning just talking to a woman.
He got up and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. She didn't stir. Her lips were parted slightly, her cheeks a soft pink, her lashes long and black. Her hair fell over her shoulders in beautiful waves, and he had to fight back the urge to run his hands through her hair, to wake her up and kiss her again.
He could still taste her mouth on his lips, and he wanted more. He liked her—a lot. But she was leaving in a few days, and that he didn't like. He'd always thought of sex as simple, but being with Olivia felt complicated.
He'd like to think that tomorrow might bring clarity to the situation, but he had a feeling once they returned to Olivia's book project, the complications were only going to multiply, and he still had his grandmother's interests to protect.
He got up and headed down the hall to his bedroom, hoping that there wasn't going to come a point when he would have to choose between Olivia and his grandmother. Hopefully, they would all stay on the same side…
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia woke up with a pain in her neck. She stretched and yawned, taking a sleepy minute to realize she was on the couch in Colton's apartment. The sun was shining brightly through the windows, and a glance at her watch told her it was almost nine.
She shot up into a sitting position. She hadn't slept this long in forever. She was usually up by seven. The long night of talking had taken its toll. Glancing down the hall, she saw that Colton's door was ajar, but she couldn't hear anyone moving. Was he also still asleep?
She got up and used the bathroom in the hall. She splashed cold water on her face and ran a brush through her hair, then made her way back into the living room just as Colton came through the front door.
He wore running shorts and a t-shirt that clung to his muscled chest and abs. His face was sweaty, his hair damp and curling from his run. Butterflies danced through her stomach. Was it possible that he actually looked more attractive after a workout than he had the night before? She swallowed back a knot in her throat.
"Hey," he said with a warm smile. "You're up."
"I slept in longer than I usually do."
"We were up late."
"Not too late for you, obviously. How far did you run?"
"Not far—three miles."
She smiled. "What do you consider far?"
"Ten or more."
"Seriously?"
"I have to keep in shape so I can do my job. And while I might be grounded for a week because of my hand, I can still run. You weren't taking off, were you?"
"I need to get back to work. Do you want me to give you a ride to pick up your car?"
"That would be great. Can you wait while I take a quick shower?"
"Sure. Do you have coffee? Or should I run out and find some?"
"Coffeemaker is in the kitchen with plenty of coffee in the cupboard. Help yourself."
"Thanks." She turned toward the kitchen, then paused. "Last night was fun, Colton."
His eyes sparkled at her words. "I thought so, too."
They looked at each other for a long moment, and then she forced herself to drop her gaze.
Coffee, she told herself. Coffee, then work. No more fooling around with Colton.
But as she made her way into the kitchen she couldn't help thinking that she'd let an opportunity slip through her fingers. She could have done a lot more than talk to Colton last night, but as usual she'd been unable to let her guard down.
Well, whatever happened, at least she wouldn't be going back to New York with a broken heart—at least she hoped not.
* * *
A half hour later, Olivia was back in the driver's seat, following Colton's directions to his grandmother's house. "Do you think I could speak to your grandmother this morning? I know I'm supposed to meet her and the other women at the senior center at noon, but I'd like to talk to her before then." She glanced over at Colton when he didn't immediately reply and saw indecision in his expression. "You're not thinking about trying to keep me from speaking to your grandmother, are you?"
"I am supposed to be keeping the two of you apart," he said with a sigh.
"Aren't we past that, Colton?"
"We are."
"Good, because I need to ask Eleanor about the birth certificate we found. I also want to find out what she knows about Francine's baby." She paused. "I realize I'm more concerned now about my personal ties to the Harpers, but I have to figure that out first so I can focus on the rest of the story."
"The abused women and the underground railroad."
She nodded. "Yes."
"I guess I should be happy that for now you're concentrating on the Harpers."
She smiled. "So we can talk to your grandmother before she goes to the senior center? Because I would like any discussion of Francine and her daughter to be done away from the rest of the group."
He nodded in understanding. "Okay, we'll see if Grandma is up and willing to talk."
"Great."
"Can I ask you something, Olivia?"
"What's that?"
"What do you want the answer to be? Do you want Molly to be your grandmother?"
That was a complicated question. "The truth is—I don't know. I guess part of me wants to know where I come from, and this is the first and only lead I've ever had as far as my biological parents are concerned. But another part of me isn't quite ready to go down that road."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not sure, but considering the way Molly contacted me, I can't help but feel a little wary. My gut tells me that there are minefields ahead, and I should be careful where I step." She paused and gave him a quick look. "You probably think I'm being overly dramatic."
"Actually, I don't. Hopefully, my grandmother can clear the path of some of those minefields. Turn left at the next corner."
As she drove slowly down a pretty tree-lined street of Victorian apartment buildings mixed in with what appeared to be single home residences, she said, "Have your grandparents lived here long?"
"At least fifteen years. They used to have a big three-story house in the Marina, but they downsized a while back. Looks like there's plenty of parking today. You got lucky."
"I hope my luck continues," she said as she parked the car.
A few minutes later, they rang Eleanor's bell. A middle-aged woman wearing what appeared to be a nurse's uniform opened the door.
"Hello, Donna," Colton said. "Is my grandmother awake and up to seeing me?"
"She's just finishing her breakfast, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," the nurse said with a smile. "She's been having some good days lately. Come on in."
Olivia followed Colton into the house. His grandparents' home was beautiful and tastefully decorated in warm, rich, vibrant colors. The rooms were quite a contrast to Colton's sparsely furnished apartment. "You should get your grandmother to help you decorate," she murmured.
"She's never been in my apartment. I think she would be horrified. She's always liked antiques and art."
"I can see that. She has excellent taste."
"My grandfather does, too—surprisingly, or maybe my grandmother just rubbed off on him after sixty years."
She couldn't imagine being married that long to anyone. Their relationship was certainly an amazing testament to their love.
Colton opened the door to the kitchen. Eleanor sat at a small round table. She'd pushed her empty plate to one side and was perusing a magazine while sipping a cup of tea. She looked up and gave them both a happy smile.
"Oh, my, isn't this a lovely surprise," she said.
Colton gave his grandmother a kiss on the cheek, and Olivia found the moment endearing. Every time she turned around, Colton seemed to show her another side, and each side was more appealing than the last.
"I hope you don't mind us interrupting your breakfast," Olivia said. "I wanted to ask you a few questions before we meet later with the rest of the group."
"Of course, please sit down. And, goodness, you're not interrupting anything. I love to have company."
Olivia sat down at the table across from Eleanor with Colton taking the seat next to his grandmother. She could see that Colton was giving her the lead, she just didn't know what to do with it. After a moment of indecision, she decided to just jump right in. "Colton and I went to Molly's house yesterday, and we found some interesting items."
"Really?" Eleanor asked, curiosity in her blue eyes. "What did you find?"
"A birth certificate for a baby girl born on June 7, 1988. The only name filled in was for the mother, Francine Harper."
"Molly's daughter," Eleanor said with a nod. "Francine was a troubled girl. Molly was very upset when Francine got pregnant, because Francine didn't have the means to raise a child, and even if money weren't an issue, Francine had a lot of emotional problems. In the end, Francine decided to give the child up for adoption. It was a very sad time."
Knots tightened in Olivia's stomach. "Do you know what happened to the child?"
"No. It was a closed adoption. I believe that's the right term." Eleanor paused. "Unfortunately, after she gave up her baby, Francine went into a downward spiral, and she ended up overdosing a year later. It was just as well the baby went to a loving family." Eleanor looked at Olivia with a question in her eyes. "What did I say, Olivia? You look a little upset."
"My birthday is June 7, 1988, Eleanor. And I was adopted. I'm wondering if there's a chance that I'm that baby girl—if I'm Francine's daughter and Molly's granddaughter."
Eleanor's eyes widened. "Oh, my goodness. That's really your birthday?"