Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Sarah stood next to Luke in the dining room feeling exposed and anxious with everyone staring at them.

Margaret looked at her with concern and remorse. “Is everything okay?” Things had really changed between them if Margaret was concerned about her.

She remembered how overwhelmed Margaret had been when they spoke before and wasn’t sure now was the time to reveal another of Sean’s secrets.

Luke squeezed her hand to give her courage and remind her he was there, supporting her.

She left Luke’s side to walk around the table, place a hand on Margaret’s shoulder, and tell her the truth about her son. “That was Trish. She and Sean were together for a long time.” She glanced at Jack, who knew far more than he should, then focused on Margaret again. “She was in the car accident with Sean. To keep her quiet about their relationship so that investors and the board of directors didn’t lose confidence in me, I paid her to keep quiet and she went away.”

Margaret’s eyes went wide, then narrowed with suspicion. “And let me guess, she wants more.”

“No.”

“Then what?” Margaret persisted.

“Yesterday when Bridget came to the house so the kids could play and she and I could talk about everything, she revealed that she knew a lot about what Sean had been doing. Not everything, but she knew about his affairs.”

Margaret pressed her lips tight. “I see.”

“She also knew something I didn’t know, but that Luke had also discovered during his investigation into Sean.”

Margaret stared across the table at Luke. “And you didn’t tell me.”

“Truthfully, I didn’t know what to do with the information. I thought Sarah knew about it and wanted me to just let it be.”

Margaret sighed. “I don’t understand what we’re talking about.”

Sarah glanced at the two boys, then leaned down and whispered into Margaret’s ear. “Sean had a daughter with Trish.”

Margaret gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. Her eyes glassed over and she looked up at Sarah. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She glanced at the boys again. They watched her intently, wondering what she’d told Margaret. Luke’s family tried to appear uninterested, but she had all of their attention. “Now is not the time to discuss the details, but Trish has agreed to a visit.”

“Why didn’t she come to me?”

“I’m not sure, but I think in the end she was ashamed of what she’d done.”

“And what about—”

Sarah squeezed her shoulder to cut her off. “I’m asking you to give me a little time to reveal this to others in my own way.”

Margaret caught her meaning and nodded. “Yes. Of course. You’re right.”

Jack’s curiosity got the better of him and he asked, “What are you talking about?”

Luke put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Your mom found out something about your dad and she will talk to you about it later.”

Jack seemed appeased by that, and Luke’s tone that the discussion would have to wait.

Margaret glanced up at her. “Is that all you know?”

“Yes. Trish and I agreed to talk again soon about setting up a visit at my home.”

“Okay. Well, I guess I need to have a talk with Bridget about keeping secrets. I can’t believe she didn’t say anything to me.”

“She wasn’t sure,” Sarah defended. “Now we are and can move forward.”

Margaret took her hand. “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you.”

“I’m determined to do the right thing. Family is important.” That’s as close as she’d come to revealing the truth without the chance to talk to the boys about their sister. “It’s time to move on from the past and actually be a family.” Sarah squeezed Margaret’s shoulder, gave her a smile, then took her seat next to Luke.

Jack and Nick had finished eating.

Lila rubbed her hand over Sarah’s back. “You’ve had a lot to deal with since your husband passed.”

Sarah handed the salad bowl to Luke and turned to Lila. “All I ever wanted was a family. I thought I found that with Sean, but his focus was too often on Spencer Software rather than on us.”

Jason choked on a sip of wine and held up a hand. “Hold it. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together earlier. The Spencer in Spencer Software was Sean Spencer. So that makes you Sarah Anderson.”

Luke jumped in. “She’s Sarah Spencer.”

“Actually, I use Anderson. I never took Sean’s last name.”

Luke’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t? Why?”

“Anderson is the only link I have to my mother. She never gave me my father’s last name, which is why I didn’t know who he was until my uncle contacted him after the . . . incident.”

“You really are her.” Jason sat back in his chair and stared at her.

Sarah eyed him. “How do you know me?”

“I drew up the contract for you to revamp Griffin Worldwide Financial’s security systems. I represent them.” Jason smiled, then looked at Luke. “You’re dating the most-sought-after systems security programmer in all of Silicon Valley. And those video games you love, the one’s from Andy’s Antics,” Jason added. “She’s the sole owner and head software developer for that company, too.”

Luke’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? No wonder Jack and Nick kick a—my butt at those.”

She appreciated Luke filtering his comment in front of the boys. “I kind of thought it was funny that the only fantasy games you have are mine.”

“Because they’re the best.” Luke’s praise sent another warm wave of love through her. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”

“She doesn’t like the spotlight,” Jason interjected.

“My work speaks for itself.”

“Yes, it does.” Jason saluted her with his glass.

Luke reached over and squeezed her hand. “But you can’t keep working day and night the way you do.”

Lila leaned in to Sarah’s side. “Luke’s worried about you.”

Sarah glanced over and saw it plain in his eyes.

“When the men in this family love, they love deep.” Lila’s words hit her heart hard.

She brushed her hand up Luke’s forearm, leaned in, and looked him right in the eye. “I swear, now that the Knox Project is nearly done, I will take better care of myself.”

“And?” He held her gaze.

“I’ll let you take care of me.”

Luke closed the distance between them, his face inches from hers. “That’s all I want to do.” He sealed that promise with a soft, tame kiss because of their audience, but when he pulled back, she imagined the heat he’d unleash on her later. And she couldn’t wait.

Luke’s dad, James, studied her for a moment. “It’s impressive what you’ve built in such a short time. And with two energetic boys. I don’t know how you do it all.”

“She doesn’t sleep, that’s how,” Luke said irritably.

Sarah squeezed Luke’s arm to let him know she got the message. “It’s not easy. But I love being a mom and my work. I just need to find a better balance, because no, you can’t have it all. At least, not all at once.”

Michelle set her fork on her empty plate. “I wish I could find a work-at-home job. I quit to be home with Emma, but I sometimes wish I had a project or two to break up the monotony of being a stay-at-home mom and use my creativity and have a sense of accomplishment.”

Sarah understood Michelle’s dilemma. “I’m sure a lot of moms feel that way. What do you do?”

“I was in marketing. I did a lot of brochures, corporate documents, and product packaging design work. I can do the work at home, but finding a company that will allow you to is beyond impossible. I don’t want to start my own business. That would be way too much. I like being a mom to Emma too much to take that kind of time away from her.”

“I know what you mean. What’s your background?”

“I graduated from UC Berkeley and then went to work for a large marketing firm in San Jose for about six years. I miss the process of putting a project together.”

“Did you work on a team, or were you responsible for the project from start to finish?”

“I started out as support on projects, but by the time I left, I had my own clients and projects, and I led the team through the process.”

Sarah could use someone like Michelle. And working with her meant that if things with Luke became permanent, she’d be working with family. The idea of it appealed more than Michelle’s impressive credentials. “I outsource most of my marketing work for Andy’s Antics and the children’s toys. I have three major products coming out in the next few months. Two in particular need to have the package design and copy written for the product. I’ll also need sales materials written, social media posts, and some kind of product overview. I’m fine with you emailing me your ideas and documentation. We can talk on the phone to discuss concept. I have a lot of work, so you’ll be as busy as you want to be. If it’s too much, just say so, and I’ll outsource whatever you can’t handle. You decide how many projects you want to take on. I’m flexible. If you want the job, it’s yours. Name your hourly salary, or I can pay you per project.”

Michelle stared at her for a moment, the silence stretching before she found her voice again. “You can’t be serious. You haven’t even seen any of my work.”

“If I don’t like something, I’ll let you know. We’ll work together to fix it. I can give you some of the documentation and products that I’ve done in the past for you to use as a brand reference, but I’d love a fresh perspective and new ideas. I’m a hands-on boss, as most of what you’ll be working on is my work. I need someone to take some of the burden off of me. Luke seems to think I work too much.”

“You do.”

Jason sighed. “Great, now my wife is going to be too busy for me,” he lamented, though the smile said he didn’t really mind.

“Never,” Michelle assured him. “But I . . . I just can’t pass this up.”

“And you shouldn’t,” Jason assured her. “I want you to do whatever makes you happy.”

Sarah wished Sean had been more open and supportive when it came to her working and being a mom. He’d demanded she focus on one over the other instead of letting her find a balance that made her happy, fueling her resentment toward him.

“Take some time to think about it if you’d like. We can talk more about the details and your salary later.”

Jason put his hand over Michelle’s on the table, but addressed Sarah. “Are you sure about this? You don’t have to do this just because she’s Luke’s sister-in-law.”

“I’m not.” She made sure to look Michelle in the eye so she understood Sarah meant it. “I think stay-at-home moms get a bad rap. Most companies don’t believe they can contribute unless they spend eight hours a day in the office. Have you ever been to a dinner party and a woman says she’s a stay-at-home mom to a group of working men and women? Immediately, most of the people ignore her, or begin talking about inconsequential matters, because they automatically assume the woman can’t hold a conversation about business matters or anything of importance.”

“That’s happened to me at several functions Jason and I have attended over the past year. And that’s with people who know I worked before having Emma. They assume I gave birth and lost fifty IQ points at the same time.”

“Exactly. It’s an ignorant attitude.” She focused on Jason and reassured him her offer was genuine. “Michelle has a skill I need. Just because she wants to work from home doesn’t diminish her capacity to do the job. Her past experience will be an asset to my projects. She’s already established that she’s good at negotiating. She’s made it clear she won’t take on more than she can handle, because she doesn’t want to take away from being the kind of mother she wants to be. She’s probably a better candidate because having a child requires a great deal of patience, multitasking, and prioritizing. If I don’t stop soon, I’ll convince you that she’s completely overqualified. Then, she’ll up the salary amount she was going to ask me for by at least several thousand a year.”

Michelle laughed. “I swear I’ll be reasonable.”

“Don’t be. Ask Luke, nothing makes me happier than paying people for doing a good job.”

“She does. She paid one of her employees a huge bonus just so he could buy a house for his new wife. She set up a project for him to earn the bonus knowing he’d be able to complete it. It benefited her also, but she did it to help her employee.”

“That’s generous. Do you do this with all your employees?” Jason’s voice held some skepticism about her business sense.

“No. This particular employee has been working for me for a few years and he consistently goes above and beyond. It was his turn to be rewarded for his hard work. It was also a way to ensure he stays at my company. I don’t want anyone recruiting him away from me.”

Jason helped Emma with her sippy cup. “You’re going to be traveling all over the world soon to do the install for Griffin Worldwide Financial. What about the kids? Who watches them while you’re away?”

“I have a terrific nanny. I’ve made it a rule for myself to never be gone more than three nights in a row, even if that means I have to fly home from France and then back to England the next day.”

“You’re kidding, dear.” Lila looked shocked. “Why don’t you take the boys with you?”

“I try to make their lives as normal as possible. I didn’t go to school all the time as a child. It’s important they have a routine and stability. When they’re a little older, I’ll show them the world. Right now, I want them focused on school.”

“Why didn’t you go to school as a child? Were you sick?” Lila’s eyes held a mother’s concern and Sarah appreciated the heartfelt sentiment.

“When I was in foster care, I attended kindergarten to third grade. But when my uncle took me, he needed me to work on his horse ranch. I was sixteen when I escaped him.” She’d survived him and his treacherous betrayal. “My father came into my life and he hired a tutor, who I worked with for almost two years to catch up. I worked very hard to get my high school diploma. Then, with a little help from him getting in, I went to MIT, where I graduated top of my class.”

Margaret spoke for the first time since she’d learned about having another grandchild. “You’ve had a difficult and extraordinary life.”

“The people I thought would love and take care of me either failed me or used me, or couldn’t be what I needed them to be.”

Luke’s hand settled over hers on the table again. “Not anymore, sweetheart.”

Lila’s words came back to her. When the men in this family love, they love deeply.

She saw it in the way James looked at Lila, Jason supported Michelle, and Luke opened his heart to her.

Here she sat with her sons, the man she loved, surrounded by Luke’s family and Margaret, a woman she never thought would ever accept her, but now did, and she felt for the first time like she was part of the family. Loved. Cared about. Important.

She met Luke’s steady gaze.

Needed in the right way.