We watch from behind the trees as Bernard is taken away in handcuffs. One of the officers who brings him out of the cottage reports that Bernard’s gun is unloaded. For the first time, I feel sorry for the old man, and I beg Kennedy to look out for him.
“Trust me,” Kennedy says, “he’ll be well taken care of. As soon as possible, we’ll commit him to a state facility for the mentally ill.”
With the exception of Brian, the other members of the search party take off for home. It’s late on a Sunday night, and everyone has to be at work early in the morning.
Jazz clings to me, arms choking my neck and legs gripping my waist, as Brian, Jack, and I make our way back to the carriage house. Naomi is waiting for us at the door. She murmurs apologies as she smothers Jazz with kisses, but Jazz keeps her face buried in my chest.
“She’ll spend the night with me,” I say matter-of-factly, and Naomi doesn’t dare argue. I’m no longer the stranger from New York. And I’m not just the older sister either. I’ve earned my stripes. I’ve proven myself reliable. I nursed her through her illness and took care of her while her mother was in rehab. And Jazz trusts me. For good reason, she doesn’t feel the same way about her mother.
Behind Naomi, I notice my mom and Brian standing three feet apart in the foyer. They’re not talking, and their eyes are bouncing around the room, as though looking for an escape. I’ve never seen my mother so vulnerable. I was wrong to suspect her of taking Jazz.
I whisper to Jazz, “Sweetheart, will you go to Jack for a minute while I talk to my mother?”
Nodding, she holds her tiny arms out to Jack.
As I approach my mom, Brian steps away to give us privacy. “Did you get rebooked on a flight for tomorrow?”
“A very early flight, departing at 5:20 a.m. Needless to say, you won’t see me again.”
“I hate for us to part on bad terms, Mom. The things I said earlier were uncalled for, and I’m sorry.”
She smiles. “You were right. It is time for me to go home. I need to get back to Marnie. She grounds me. I don’t do well when I’m away from her for too long.”
I think about reliable Marnie, how she’s always the one keeping everyone in line. “Maybe you can both come down for the grand reopening. Hopefully, Opal will be feeling better by then, and you can spend some time together.”
“That’s a nice idea.” Mom opens her arms, and I step into them. Her floral fragrance is familiar, reminding me of the times she comforted me through scraped knees, bad test grades, and friend problems. No matter where I live, she’ll always be my mother.
She pulls away. “This is a special place, Stella. I have no doubt but what you’ll be happy here.” Tears well in her eyes as she gestures for Brian to join us. “Take care of my girl. Thank you for giving her the opportunity to know her family. I was wrong in keeping her from you.”
Brian gives her a half hug. “What say we try to forget the past and focus on the future?”
“I would like that very much.” When she can no longer hold back the tears, she excuses herself and dashes up the stairs.
Brian removes a flash drive from his pocket and hands it to me. “Billy asked me to give you this. I probably should’ve given it to you weeks ago. I tried my best to do right by you, Stella.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek. “I know, Uncle Brian. And I appreciate it.”
“Billy worked hard on this video. He even ordered a fancy camera to tape it.”
I smile. “I was wondering about that camera.”
He hands me an adapter. “You’ll need this in order to watch it on your computer. You’ll undoubtedly have questions. Call me anytime day or night.”
Brian claps Jack on the back and kisses the top of Jazz’s head, but he doesn’t speak to Naomi on his way out.
“We should get this kiddo to bed,” I say to Jack, and to Naomi, “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
At the cottage, Jack offers to spend the night on the sofa, but I want to be alone when I watch my father’s video. Jazz is too exhausted to notice the tangled sheets. Jack straightens the bedcovers while I help Jazz, the limp rag doll, out of her dress and into one of my T-shirts.
When I walk Jack to the door, he says, “I’ll come back if you discover you don’t want to be alone.”
“We’ll be fine.” I give him a peck on the lips. “Thanks for everything, Jack. Having you to lean on means so much.”
As soon as he’s gone, I brew a cup of chamomile tea, change into my pajamas, and climb into bed with my laptop and earpods. I insert the flash drive into the computer. There’s only one file and I click on it. The man whose face fills the screen has aged twenty years from the photos I’ve seen of him around the farm. Based on the time stamp in the upper right corner, Billy recorded this video only six months ago, when he was nearing the end of his life. He’s gaunt and pale, his hair completely gray. But the golden-brown eyes are the same as Jazz’s. He starts off by saying how much he regrets not having the chance to know me. Then his eyes cloud over as he disappears into the past. For ten minutes, maybe longer, he relives the days of his youth on the farm with Hannah.
“Your mother was a spectacular being—the face of an angel with the soul of a temptress. I’ve never loved anyone like I loved Hannah.
“For you to fully understand why I brought you here, Stella, I need to tell you about Naomi. Ours was a relationship of convenience. At least on my part. Naomi wanted more from me than I was willing to give. I insisted we keep our affair secret. I wasn’t prepared to make that kind of commitment to her. But Naomi, as you may have discovered by now, has a mind of her own. She tried to trap me into marrying her by getting pregnant. When I refused, she quit her job and married the first guy who came along. She did everything in her power to make me jealous, including naming her daughter after the woman I talk about in my sleep. I’ve never told Naomi about Hannah or you. But I will before I die.”
Billy pauses to take a sip of water. I recognize the glass from my kitchen.
“Six months after Jazz was born, Naomi came to see me, begging for her job back. She admitted things weren’t going well in her marriage. How could I say no, when the arrangement gave me the opportunity to know my daughter?
“I’m grateful to Naomi for nursing me during my illness. But she is not mentally stable. Nor are her intentions honorable.
“I apologize for rambling. I easily lose my train of thought these days.
“I’ve used private investigators to keep tabs on you all these years, Stella. You’re the best of Hannah and me. You’re intelligent and independent. Your gusto for life and enthusiasm for the hospitality industry makes you the ideal person to run the inn. As for Jazz, I trust you’ve fallen in love with her by now. It’s easy to do. I have faith that you’ll take care of your baby sister in the event something happens to Naomi. Or in case Jazz needs you.”
After the video ends, I sit in the dark for nearly an hour, wondering again how my life might’ve been different if I’d had the chance to know my father.
I email the file to Jack with a message for him to please watch it, and I fall asleep wondering what Billy thought might happen to Naomi.
I wake on Monday morning with golden eyes staring at me from inches away.
“Are we really sisters?” Jazz asks.
I hug her close to me. “Apparently so. What do you think about that?” I don’t bother with the details. She’s too young to understand about us being only half sisters. And, as far as I know, she believes Derrick is her biological father.
“I think it’s way cool! Can I go to my dance lesson today?” She’s temporarily forgotten about last night’s incident. Ballet is far more important than Bernard. But I fully anticipate the aftereffects of the kidnapping to be dramatic.
“Sure! If you want to.” I toss back the covers. “But we need to get moving. We’ll have to get your clothes from the carriage house.”
“Do I have to see my mommy?” Jazz asks, sliding off the bed to her feet.
“We can’t get your ballet shoes and leotard without seeing her. You can’t hide from her, Jazz. She’s your mommy.”
“She’s a bad mommy. I want you to be my mommy.”
Hunching my shoulders, I hold my hands out by my sides, palms up. “How can I be your mommy when I’m your sister?”
Her chin quivers and eyes fill with tears. I kneel down in front of her. “Do you trust me, Jazzy?”
I’m relieved when she answers yes without hesitation. I would fully expect this kid to have trust issues.
“Then you’re gonna have to trust me to make things right.”
“But how?”
I touch the tip of my finger to the end of her nose. “I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I’ll come up with something.”
My mind is as clear as the cloudless sky outside my window. My father entrusted his daughter to me. And I won’t let him down.
We eat bowls of yogurt with fresh berries and granola for breakfast before heading over to the carriage house. Naomi is surprised to see us. “Jazz needs her ballet clothes,” I say. “She has a lesson this morning.”
Naomi stiffens. “I didn’t authorize any lessons.”
Jazz gives her mother a dirty look as she grabs the handle of her suitcase, which is parked in the same spot beside the door where she left it yesterday.
“I’m paying for the lessons, Naomi. You authorized me to make these decisions when you left Jazz in my care.” I take the suitcase from Jazz, and we hurry down the stairs.
My weekly staff meeting is already underway in the lounge. I poke my head in the room to make certain there are no crises that need my attention. Jack is at the head of the table, looking fresh and ever so handsome in a white polo shirt and jeans.
He gives me a thumbs-up. “We’ve got everything covered.”
I text Brian on the way to the car. I have some questions. I’m on the way to the ballet studio. Can you meet me there? I forward the studio’s address to him.
Through an observation window, I’m watching Jazz perform a stunning pirouette when he arrives fifteen minutes later. “Wow,” he says when he sees Jazz dance. “She’s really good.”
I smile. “Her instructor thinks she has real talent. Can you believe Naomi is against her taking lessons?”
“I’m afraid to ask. Why?”
“Because she wants Jazz to study biology, so she can become a doctor.” I angle my body away from the window toward my uncle. “I’m exploring my options, Brian. Do I have grounds to sue for custody?”
“Yes,” he says without hesitation, as though he’s already given this considerable thought. “And based on Naomi’s recent behavior, you might win. Is that what you want?”
“I want Jazz to feel safe and loved. She feels neither with Naomi. But a custody suit ruined this family once. I don’t want that to happen again.”
He rests a hand on my shoulder. “Whatever you decide, Stella, you have my full support.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” We’re both quiet for a minute while we watch Jazz. “I assume Billy provided for her in his will.”
“Yes, but not in the same way as he provided for you. Billy left a trust designated for Jazz’s care. She will be well taken care of for the rest of her life.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I say. “By the way, how’s Opal today?”
“Much better, thanks to you. She was in her backyard watering plants when I stopped by a few minutes ago.”
I let out a little whoop. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time. I’ll try to get by to see her tomorrow.”