One Little Lie by Colleen Coble

Author:Colleen Coble
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2020-03-03T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Three

A big frog croaked from the Bon Secour River to his left as Reid and Will waved good-bye to Jane and walked to the front porch. Mosquitoes and no-see-ums descended in a cloud, and Reid swatted at them as they ran the last few feet and reached the safety of the foyer.

Will started for the stairs, and Reid almost let him go since the boy’s lids were dropping, but that was the easy way out.

Reid touched his arm and stopped him. “I need to talk to you, son. It shouldn’t take too long.”

Will gave him a curious look and nodded. “It’s about that woman, isn’t it?”

Smart kid. Reid often didn’t give him enough credit. “Yes. Let’s go to the kitchen for a snack.”

Will followed him into the kitchen. Reid said nothing as he poured milk and got out the container of oatmeal cookies he’d bought from the bakery. He put the cookies in front of Will before he settled on a bar stool beside his son.

Will picked up a cookie. “Is she my mom? Is that why she seems familiar?”

Reid caught his breath at Will’s matter-of-fact tone. His boy was always full of surprises. “Yes, that’s Lauren.”

“If I’d known for sure, I would have told her to leave us alone. I’m not going to help her extort money from you. That sucks.”

Reid’s heart warmed. Will was solid gold, through and through. He cleared his throat. “It’s a little more complicated than I’ve told you, son. I-I’m afraid I have to ask you to forgive me.”

Will’s head came up, and his dark eyes sharpened with interest. “What is it?”

Reid wanted to look away, but he forced himself to let Will in—to let him see the anguish and remorse he was feeling. “Lauren’s biggest sword over my head is that s-she adopted you, Will. When we met, you were two. After we were married, I pushed her to adopt you. Unless I pay her, she plans to tell you the truth because she knew I hadn’t.”

The color receded from Will’s face. “Not my mother? You were married before her? Who’s my mother?”

Reid cringed at the barrage of questions. This was precisely why he hadn’t told Will. How did he even tell him all of it? And should he? Truth was important, but so was Will’s mental state. While logically he knew he couldn’t keep hurts from his boy, he hated being the one to inflict the wound.

“We were never legally married, and s-she left us when you were a newborn.”

Will’s shoulders slumped. “I must have been some kid to have two mothers desert me.”

Reid winced and he put his hand on his boy’s shoulder. “I was afraid you’d take it like that, which is why I didn’t want to tell you. Your real mother loved you, but there were circumstances that happened after you were born. It wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”

He’d bought into all the lies, all the deception. True faith didn’t live the way he’d been taught back then. He’d learned so much, but it was too late.

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