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Ron sat back in his chair and looked long and hard at
Reese. “What is it you want to ask?”
The floodgates of curiosity opened for Reese. “What’s
he like? What are his hobbies? Is he a happy kid? Is he
good in school? What are his goals?”
Ron sighed. “Deborah, this part is up to you. You have
to feel comfortable with whatever you reveal. Do what
you think is right and fair.”
Abby sensed an undercurrent of animosity, as if Ron had
cautioned his wife not to feel bullied. Such a reaction was
justified. Surely the couple had discussed their options
well in advance of this meeting.
Deborah rose and went to a bookcase in the corner of
the room. After taking out a thick album, she returned to
the sofa. “These are our family photos. The album doesn’t
contain all the pictures we have of Jamie, but it does a
pretty fair job of chronicling his life.” She handed the book
to Reese. “If you have questions, I’ll try to answer them.”
CYNTHIA THOMASON
207
She resumed her seat next to her husband and folded her
hands in her lap. “But be aware, Mr. Burkett, I am apprais-
ing you as carefully as you’re obviously appraising us.
Our primary goal is to protect our son. A great deal of
research and consideration went into our decision before
we agreed to let Abby into Jamie’s life, even to this limited
extent. Just as much, if not more, will go into our decision
about you. And, of course, any relationship you might es-
tablish with Jamie in the future is dependent entirely on his
desire for that to happen.”
Reese nodded, with what appeared to be a grudging ad-
miration for Deborah Ingersoll, and opened the book.
An hour later, he had viewed all the pages. He’d asked
many questions. He’d smiled, frowned. His eyes had lit
with pride in the accomplishments of his son. He’d even
managed to drink two cups of coffee from Deborah Inger-
soll’s very breakable china. He’d suffered, yes. So hadAbby.
But the pain they both were feeling was a cleansing kind.
Abby was confident that her decision to bring Reese
here had been the right one. At least when they left, he
would know who Jamie Ingersoll was. He would be con-
vinced the child was safe and loved. And he would have
initiated the first step to perhaps someday being a part of
Jamie’s life. Reese’s emotional connection to the boy
showed in his face, in the light in his eyes. In the way his
fingertips brushed the plastic coating of the photographs.
The only thing Abby couldn’t determine was whether
Reese had started to forgive her.
He eventually handed the album back to Deborah.
“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate the time you’ve given me.”
He stood up. A peace seemed to have settled over him, over
the entire room.
208
CHRISTMAS IN KEY WEST
And then the front door opened, letting in the sound of
the relentless rain battering the stone entry. The door
slammed shut and seconds later Jamie Ingersoll appeared
in the entrance to the living room. Water dripped from his
ball cap, the stuffed duffel bag hanging from his shoulder
and the rolled-up sleeping bag under his arm.
“Hey,” he said. “Weather’s terrible out in the national
forest. They told us to go home. Pastor Bob dropped me off.”
Reese’s skin went ashen. And Abby’s heart nearly
jumped from her chest.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
REESE FROZE with what he figured was a dumbstruck
expression on his face. He tried to make his jaw muscles
do something, smile or speak. But his whole body seemed
unable to accept commands from his brain. If he’d en-
countered a two-hundred-pound criminal with a semiau-
tomatic aimed at his chest, he would have reacted
instinctively. Now, staring across an expensive Oriental
carpet at his son, he didn’t have a clue.
After long seconds, he forced himself to look at Abby.
She didn’t appear any more in control of her reactions than
he was. Her fingers gripped the arms of her chair. Her eyes
were rounded; her jaw had dropped. She’d told Reese she’d
seen their son twice, both times from a distance. But she
was no more prepared for this sudden meeting than he was.
Jamie, displaying the baggy-pants slouch of a typical
twelve-year-old, stood in the entrance to the living room
and stared at everyone.
Thankfully, Deborah filled the void with motherly con- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]