“I know, but at least I’ll know I’ve done what I can.”
“Yes.” His face softened. “You’re doing the right thing.”
“I’ve considered submitting DNA to one of those sites that try to match you with family, but Chief Harper suggested I try this first.”
Agent Sharpe’s eyes widened a little. “Ah, yeah, honestly, I’d wait to see how this test goes first. The problem with those sites is that you have to agree to let them share your results with anyone who might be a match. You’ll have no real protection if it’s someone who might not be”—he hesitated—“trustworthy. Do you know what I mean?”
“I think so,” Bailey said. “But I guess I’m not sure what the difference is between submitting here and submitting online.”
“When you submit to us, we’ll give you the option of making contact before sharing your information. Whoever you may possibly match with will have also completed this mountain of paperwork just like you did. We’ll know something about them. An online service doesn’t do that. You can usually opt in to share your information or opt out. There’s no in between.”
Ryan said, “I guess if you already have an idea where you come from, that’s not as scary of a concept. But when you have no idea, it’s a little more—”
“It can be dangerous,” Agent Sharpe said, pointing a finger at Ryan.
* * *
It had taken hours. Bailey didn’t expect to be there for so long. Between the interview and waiting at the lab, it had taken most of the day. Her energy level was at zero, and she was completely drained of emotion. She wanted to be home, in familiar surroundings. She wanted to erase the lost child stigma she’d worn over the last few hours. She needed her friends. She needed to be reminded that she belonged somewhere, with someone.
When the car peaked the climb over the mountains, and she got her first sight of the lake, she sighed in relief. Ryan hadn’t said much during the drive, but he had synced his iPhone and made sure the radio belted out all her favorite songs. It was a thoughtful gesture, more thoughtful than he could have realized.
When he parked at El Lago, she could have wept in relief. Seconds after sitting, and before she had time to order food, Lucas set down a plate of his best enchiladas, and Wade supplied her with a tall draft beer. What would she do without them?
Better than the food and beer was the light conversation. If all her friends were women, they’d all be asking her how she felt and pressing her for details, but these guys knew how to make a girl forget her problems.
For the first time in months, Bailey felt almost normal. More than that, she felt good. Dinner with these people, her friends, was one of her favorite things. She and Ryan had come clean about their relationship first thing Saturday morning, and their friends were very supportive. She feared they’d act weird, but they didn’t. Which was a good thing because she didn’t need that to worry about in addition to what she was going through trying to find her family. Now she—all of them—could breathe a sigh of relief and just get on with their lives.
After finishing her dinner and the beer, she felt full and satisfied. Mae had come in and took the stool on the other side of Bailey, leaving Ryan on her right. Ryan had remained quiet, eating his food and letting Wade and Lucas entertain her. Bailey thought maybe the day had been just as difficult for him as it had been for her. Sometimes being the support person wasn’t easy, and he’d been doing it a lot lately.
She was so thankful, though. If anything, at least this area of her life was right. She had him, and he wasn’t going anywhere. She had great friends, and they would always be here for her. If she never had a family, she could live with that.
But the thought of going through the rest of her life without knowing still bothered her. What if she never had a match?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ryan had spent his Friday morning at the club, updating the calendar with new music acts, and was now headed home. His mind swirled with so many thoughts, he wanted to sit down with a pen in hand and get some of them on paper before he got distracted. His life had changed so much; he couldn’t quite grasp this overwhelming happiness. It was ridiculous, really. The only change was his relationship with Bailey had become official, but that was all the change he needed to go from content to over-the-top happy. The last few days with her had changed everything.
He parked in the driveway and stared at the black car parked across the street. He turned to scan the house but stopped when his dad approached his window.
“They’ve been there for about twenty minutes. It looks like some sort of unmarked police car.”
Ryan nodded and got out of the car. At the same time, both doors on the black sedan opened, too. He immediately recognized Special Agent Sharp. His pulse increased at the sight of him.
“Mr. Walker,” Agent Sharp said, holding his hand out to Ryan. “It’s good to see you again. We’re here to see Ms. Morton. This is her address, correct?”
“This is her mother’s house. I rent it from her.” Ryan shook the agent’s hand and tried to smile.
“I need to speak to Bailey. Can you give me her address?”
Ryan nodded and realized he wasn’t going to get an answer without Bailey present. “She’s at work. Come inside. I’ll call her. She can be here in
