Boss On Notice

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“No, I’m good. Thanks,” Wyatt said. He set the laptop bag he was carrying on the table.

Josh found his full attention on that bag. His heart rate kicked up several notches. After all these years. Were his answers right there? A hand on his arm pulled his attention to Mickie’s ice-blue eyes. She looked both concerned and puzzled.

“Are you okay? You look...funny.”

“No, I’m fine. Thanks, Mick.”

After she left them, Wyatt sat and powered up the laptop. “She’s right. You looked a bit panicky there. You sure you want to know this?”

“Is it good?”

“Pretty much.”

Now his breathing joined in with his heart rate and both ran in hitching, erratic patterns. He felt his fingertips go numb and Wyatt’s voice dimmed. He shook his head and took in several deep, cleansing breaths. Focus. Calm. Quiet. He got his breath back under control, but his heart... He couldn’t contain his heart. So much sloshing around in there. Hope. Fear. Joy. Pain.

“I’ve got all this in a .ZIP file and I’ll email it to you so you can have it. Just thought it’d be best to go over it in person.”

“Okay.” Josh nodded, but his full concentration was on the file that Wyatt was opening. Just like that. After all his years of searching, Wyatt had found her in days. Was he really ready for this? He pushed down the doubts and sudden fears that were urging him to tell Wyatt to never mind, go back home.

“I’ll start with what I do know. Your sister’s birth name was Kimberly Sanders.”

“Kimmie,” Josh whispered.

Wyatt hesitated and turned to Josh. “You do know what happened to your parents, right?”

“Yes. Well. Mostly. As much as I remember. Read some old newspaper articles when I got older. There wasn’t much about them I didn’t know already. Poor, drunk.” He shrugged. “Barely a blip on the social radar.”

“Okay. It appears that the two of you were separated almost immediately. You both went into emergency protective custody. As you are probably more than aware, foster homes aren’t exactly plentiful and there didn’t seem to be a home available that could take you both. The foster parents who took Kimberly that night are the ones who adopted her.”

A lump rose up in Josh’s throat and tears stung at his eyes. He lowered his face to his hands. Wyatt’s hand came down on his shoulder.

“You okay, brother?”

“Yeah.” Josh cleared his throat against the thickness. “Yeah. I’m just relieved. Getting bounced around from home to home was the worst and to know she never went through that...it’s good. I’m okay. Keep going.”

“Adoptive family lived in Moncks Corner. Last name is Mixon. They kept her first name so she’s Kimberly Mixon now.”

He clicked on another file and two pictures came up. Josh leaned forward, eager to see his sister’s face. She had the same dark curls he remembered. He couldn’t tell what color her eyes were but they looked light. Blue like his?

“Wow. That’s her?”

“That’s her. First one here is a college graduation photo. This one is from the paper. It’s her engagement announcement.”

Josh reached out to touch the screen. His sister. Kimmie. She was fine. “She graduated from college?”

“Yes. Degree in elementary education. She’s a second grade teacher. Her fiancé is a software engineer. Seem pretty happy.”

Josh let that sink in. All his life, he’d worried about Kimmie. It had been his job to protect her, to watch out for her. That he’d never known what happened to her was a pain that never went away. Now he knew. Happy. Loved.

“You said there were some things you didn’t know?”

Wyatt closed down the files. “I’m going to send these to you now, yeah. I’m assuming that you are thinking about reaching out to her. I mean, Sadie and her brother must have put the idea in your mind. I’ll help you with that if you want.”

“But?”

“I don’t know if she knows anything. If she knows she was adopted. If she knows the truth about your parents or not.”

Josh watched Wyatt’s hands as they moved across the keyboard, sending the file and shutting down the laptop. He had been thinking about reaching out. A letter like Sadie’s half brother had sent to her. Leaning back in his chair, he covered his face with his hands. Damn. She was happy. Getting married. Did she know or would he be dropping a giant pile of pain and shame into her life?

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” Wyatt agreed.

Josh dropped his hands. “Still, thanks, man. At least now I know she’s okay. That was the most important thing. I appreciate it. More than you know.”

Wyatt’s hand clamped down on Josh’s shoulder and gently shook him. “Josh. Look at me. You are Sadie’s brother. Which in a couple of months makes you my brother. We’re all we got, man. You, Sadie, me and Jules. We’re a family.” He stood and pulled Josh into an embrace.

“Thank you. I mean it.”

“Talk to Sadie if you need to.”

“Yeah. I will. You want to grab some lunch or something?”

“Nah. I’ve got to get back to Charleston. Call us.”

As they walked to the front door, another old ghost from the past rose. “Hey,” Josh asked as they stepped out on the porch. “I hate to ask, but do you think you can get the original police reports on my parents?”

“Probably. Is that a wound you want to go digging in?”

“I don’t know. But I’m starting to think want isn’t the right word. Maybe I...need to.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Thanks. And, Wyatt?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell Sadie not to call me about this right now.”

Wyatt’s laugh made him smile. “I will relay your message.”

* * *

MICKIE LOOKED UP as she heard the front door close. She waited but Josh didn’t come back from the living room. “Josh?” She stood and moved to the opening between the kitchen and living room. He was standing facing the closed door, his arms on the frame, his forehead resting against the wooden surface. Unease prickled down her spine. “Are you okay?”