The Good Daughter

Chapter One

The room Paige Alexander sat in felt so strange; the quiet music playing somewhere near her; all of it seemed part of someone else's life. Yet, she had no choice but to be here, to perform her duty as a good daughter. She missed her mother; she especially missed the quiet evenings they’d shared these past few months, when they talked about her dad and her mother’s early years in the family home in Durham, North Carolina. Her mother had kept that house because she loved it, the house Paige still lived in today. It was during those evenings that her mom had confided her dream of playing professional tennis, a dream she'd left behind when she married Paige’s father. It was so like her mother to put her marriage first.

They’d been closer in those last months that her mother lived than at any time before, and Paige was so thankful for all of it. Today’s meeting with Marcus Oland, the family lawyer, about her mother’s will should be short and to the point. Other than a couple of bequests, she was the sole beneficiary.

Having given her name to his secretary, she muted her cell phone and took a seat in the reception area. She didn’t mind waiting for Ollie, as her parents had always called him. She had only an empty house to go back to, and pressure from a real-estate agent to sell the property.

She’d spent an hour this morning making a list of things she needed to have done should she decide to put the property up for sale. She’d learned the list-making habit from her mom. Her mother was a planner, someone who saw each day as an opportunity to accomplish something, and she loved making lists. She sighed at the memory. Why was she selling the house? It all felt too soon. There were so many good memories of her life in that house, memories she wasn’t prepared to abandon so quickly.

Her friends said that being an only child meant she was spoiled. They'd meant it as a teasing remark, but it was true. She had never wanted for anything, had lived an idyllic life under her parents' loving scrutiny, the envy of her friends. And deep in her heart, she knew that her ability to get her own way with her parents had influenced parts of her life in ways she recognized as being spoiled and strong willed.

Relieved to have a few quiet moments to herself, she glanced around the paneled walls, her gaze coming to rest on a group of photos showing Ollie’s achievements. Staring at a photo of her father and Ollie at a Chamber of Commerce awards dinner, Paige became aware of someone approaching the reception area. Shifting her gaze, she saw Tony Phillips standing there. The room dipped and swayed before it settled back, and still he stood there, his long black hair almost touching the neck of his dark leather jacket. Pain circled her heart, draining the air from her lungs. Attempting to hide her dismay, she stared at the man who'd walked out of her life five years ago. His dark eyes still held the same piercing quality, adding to the air of authority he carried so well.

Not wanting to go there, to revisit the memories of their life together, Paige fought to appear self-contained, in control while her heart hammered in her chest. She toyed with her purse strap and tried desperately to slow her racing pulse. She could not let him see how much it hurt to be reminded of her own role in the failure of their relationship—her refusal to agree to children, a refusal Tony could never accept.

Hello, Paige, Tony said, his rueful smile lighting his gray-green eyes as he stared across the room at her. Tony was a handsome man, and his good looks, combined with his self-assurance, made him every woman’s dream. Or nearly every woman's...

What're you doing here? she asked, fighting to keep the tremor out of her voice as memories tumbled around her mind, filling her heart with longing for the past they'd shared. Very often his evening shifts as a policeman and hers as a nurse had allowed them to meet at his apartment where they'd relax over a late supper. It was their special time together, and for months after their relationship had ended, she found herself wanting to call him, to try to connect with him. She'd even started having dinner by herself like they used to, trying to fill the void. But it had only made her miss him more.

She chastised herself back then, forced herself to turn away from the memories. Because there was no point in remembering or yearning for him. Their differences were too great. And neither could find a way to compromise. Despite the fluttering sensation in her stomach, the emotions flooding her, she squared her shoulders. and waited for his answer.

I’m here to meet with Ollie, he said, as he continued to look her over from his vantage point near the door.

Part of her wanted to bask in his appraising glance, but she couldn’t afford to succumb to his well-honed charms; she knew the emotional toll reliving the past would take. Five years ago she’d loved Tony and believed that he loved her, until the night he’d proposed at their favorite restaurant.

He'd announced that he loved her, that he wanted to marry her and have a family. He talked about the number of children he wanted. He'd never brought it up before, and she'd been angry that he'd ambushed her that way. She’d tried to explain that she wasn’t ready to have a family. He argued that marriage and family went together. They'd had a terrible argument right there in the middle of the restaurant. She'd taken a taxi home. He'd not called her again, convincing Paige she was better off without him. If their relationship was only about what he wanted, it was doomed to failure.

She’d heard he'd married very quickly after that. She'd seen Tony briefly at her father’s funeral two years ago, as well as once at the grocery store with his then-wife, Sara, and their little boy. After that, she hadn’t seen him again until last month at her mother’s funeral. He'd spoken to her after the funeral, something about maybe they could be friends, but she was over him, ready to find a new life.

But remembering her mother's insistence on good manners, she said, Thank you for coming to Mom’s funeral. I really appreciated it.

You're welcome.

The minutes stretched while Paige struggled to think of something to say to the man she'd once loved. So, you've become a P.I. I saw the ad in the paper for your firm. A year ago you left the police force, wasn’t it? she said to ease the awkwardness between them.

Leaning against the door frame near where she sat, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sizzling-tight jeans. Yeah, it’s been a pretty hectic year all-around.

How’s Sara?

His expression clouded over. You really want to know?

Why had she asked that? Thanks to Sara’s sister Melanie, who was also a nurse and worked at the hospital with her, Paige had heard that Tony’s marriage had ended after a year. She wasn’t interested in Tony’s ex-wife, and she definitely did not want him to think she was.

But she had always thought Sara and Tony made sense as a couple and deep down she believed they’d get back together. After all, they shared common interests like a love of rock music, motorcycles—and they shared a son, while she and Tony hadn’t been able to agree on something as fundamental as having children.

Melanie hasn’t mentioned Sara or her singing career for a while, she said, trying to explain the question to herself as well as him.

Tony shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes dark. Sara’s doing fine—

Hello, there, Ollie said, giving Tony a friendly smile as he cruised into the room. We'll just be a couple of minutes, Tony…if you want to wait here. Paige, if you’ll come with me. He beckoned her into his office and closed the door behind her.

She sat in one of the chairs facing Ollie’s desk, relieved that all this would soon be over.

Placing his briefcase beside his desk, he bent over and kissed Paige on the cheek, his goatee brushing her skin. How are you doing, dear? he asked, his kindly gaze searching her face as he took his own seat.

I'm okay. She settled farther into her chair as Ollie opened the file in front of him.

Paige, he began slowly, you’re aware that other than a couple of bequests to Duke University you're the sole beneficiary in your mother’s will. I've filed all the documents necessary to finalize the estate. Your mother’s stockbroker will be calling you in the next couple of days to go over your financial situation. You won't have any money worries.

She’d always known that her mom and dad had been careful investors, but money was the last thing on her mind. She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

Ollie cleared his throat as he took a sheet of paper out of the file. And of course you’re aware that you're adopted.

Adopted? Why would Ollie bring that up? He was the lawyer who'd arranged her adoption thirty years ago. She nodded again. My birth parents died in a car accident.

Ollie stared at the green banker’s lamp on the corner of his desk before meeting her questioning gaze. That’s not completely true, he said, passing her the paper. She glanced at the page and recognized her mother’s precise handwriting.

My Darling Paige,

I’ve loved you since the moment you were placed in my arms. I have something to confess, and I pray you can understand that we did it because we loved you. We thought it best not to tell you that Carolyn Lewis didn’t die in the car accident with your birth father, that she is still alive. A lawyer we know in Florida contacted us about a baby girl that needed a home. He said that because of the accident, your mother could no longer take care of you and had elected to put you up for adoption. After your dad passed away, I began to worry that you'd be left without any close family, and so I wanted to tell you about Carolyn Lewis.

But my biggest fear has always been that if I told you about your mother you'd be so upset that you’d never speak to me again. By the time you read this, it won't matter. I hope you can forgive what your father and I have done. We should’ve told you, let you have a life with your birth mother, but we couldn't bring ourselves to share you with anyone. We loved you with all our hearts, and you were everything we ever wanted in a child. I won’t dwell on our reasons, or why we did what we did, as it’s too late for regrets. Ollie is prepared to help you find your birth mother.

Trust him, darling—he’s a good man and a dear friend.

Love,

Mom

Shock and bewilderment made Paige’s heart pound against her ribs. Her throat tightened, warding off the sting of tears. I don’t understand. If my birth mother is still alive, why did they keep her from me? I had a right to know my mother, for heaven’s sake!

Paige, I’m sorry you had to learn about it this way, but your parents wouldn’t take my advice to tell you themselves. They were very private people who lived for each other—and you.

Feeling betrayed by the two people she'd loved most in the world, Paige turned on Ollie. What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to find my birth mother? And what if I have brothers and sisters and never had the chance to meet them? I don’t get it. Why did Mom wait until now to tell me? I deserved better than that. I've been a good daughter. Everything they ever wanted me to do, I did—

Your mother agonized over this for months after she was diagnosed with cancer. Alice tried to tell you, but in the end, she couldn’t do it. Finally, she asked that funds be set aside to see that Carolyn Lewis was found. If that’s what you want...

His words reminded her of all the times she’d imagined her birth parents and what they would've wanted for her; all the times she’d wished she could have met them.

And all the while, her mother had been alive.

What I want? I want my family...my mother, anyone who can tell me who I am. My whole life I believed there was some terrible secret buried in my past.

Was there a dark secret involving her birth parents? Had they been criminals? Were they fugitives when her father died in the car accident? Why had no one come looking for her?

If there wasn’t something to be ashamed of, why hadn’t her adoptive parents told her Carolyn Lewis was alive? Why had they let her grow up without knowing the truth? She’d often attempted to ask her mom and dad about her past, but each time they gave the same answer. There was no reason for her to concern herself with that sort of thing. This was always followed by their usual argument—they’d waited so long for her, they’d loved her before they’d even set eyes on her.

The desire to please her parents and to avert her mother’s onslaught of tears at the mention of her birth parents had stopped Paige from seeking answers. Their attitude had increasingly made her feel set apart, isolated in the midst of her parents’ love.

I can’t explain their decision, Paige, but I had to respect their wishes.

All my questions could have been answered so easily.

Yes, they probably could have, but the past can’t be changed, Ollie said gently.

Her voice thick with loss and longing for what might have been, she whispered, So, my dad—my birth father—died in a car accident, right?

Ollie nodded, Grant Lewis died in a collision, and your mother, Carolyn Lewis, is somewhere in Florida...we believe.

Does Carolyn—I mean, my mother—know where I live?

Ollie sat up straighter. I arranged your adoption, but I don’t have much information beyond the fact that your mother was in Florida at that time. I've taken the liberty of hiring Tony Phillips to find your mother.

Tony? she said, shocked at his words.

Tony does my investigative work, and he’s completely reliable, Ollie said, a sheepish look in his clear blue eyes.

There was no way in this world that Tony was going to be involved if she could help it. Is that why he's waiting in the reception area?

Ollie nodded.

You should have asked me about this first. Tony is not the right person to do this. He was a great cop; and I’m sure he’s a good PI...but this isn't right. He couldn't be in her life and she couldn’t care less about his credentials. She and Tony just didn’t fit together, as lovers or as friends.

Paige, Tony’s had a rough time with his old partner in the P.I. firm. He’s had to start at the bottom and rebuild the business. He’s worked hard.

Yes, I heard about Stewart taking off with company money.

Tony still has great contacts in the law-enforcement business. If you want to locate your mother as quickly as possible, he can do it for you. Trust me. I'll see to it that your interests are protected.

You spoke to him before talking to me about this? she asked, annoyed that she hadn’t been consulted first but remaining polite. Being polite and courteous was her mother’s legacy.

He nodded again.

I don’t want Tony involved in my personal business. There were a dozen reasons she didn’t want Tony around, beginning with the fact that he already knew too much about her.

Paige, I realize that you and Tony had your difficulties, but he will be discreet.

She sat there, the knowledge that her mother was still alive filtering through her mind. Hadn't she wanted this all along, to know her birth family, a wish that had been denied? Tony was good at his job, and she was over him. She was over him. The earlier shock was simply seeing someone she hadn't expected to see.

If working with Tony meant finding her birth mother as quickly as possible, she was willing to ignore the past. Besides, Tony was a very capable investigator. Better the devil you know, she mused. Are you sure Tony wants to do this?

"Tony has agreed to start immediately, and the sooner the search is under way,