The Adoption Surprise Read online

  Mia loosened out of his grip to run over to where some girls stood playing with dolls. He searched for the little girl that looked like his daughter, but neither she nor her mother were in sight. If it weren’t for his legs, which still felt like caving, Zach would have thought he was in a weird dream.

  Then their absence was explained when he saw them come out of an office with another lady, whom he assumed was Sienna King, since she approached him with a hand outstretched. She was plus-size with a wide smile and deep dimples.

  “Hello, you must be Zachary Johnson.” Her voice was bubbly and light.

  He nodded. “Yes, we spoke over the phone. Thanks for allowing me to drop my daughter off and register her the same day.”

  “Oh, it’s not a problem. I’m glad you called when you did, because we’re almost at capacity. Here is the paperwork for you to sign, and you have to complete the emergency contact information.”

  “Thank you so much,” he said, taking the documents she offered. He noticed the other woman still clutched the little girl in her arms and seemed to be trying to get her to stay. He strained to focus on Sienna’s words, but his attention was on the little girl. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew that body, that frame, that hair. He knew it well.

  “Mr. Johnson?”

  He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I...” He pointed to where the woman stood. “Who is that?”

  Sienna whipped her head to follow his finger. “That’s my best friend, Kelsey.” She gave him a suggestive smile. “She’s single, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  He took a step back and held up a hand. “No, I’m not talking about her. I mean, who’s the little girl with her? She looks just like—”

  The woman lost her smile. “Like who?” she asked with a drawl in her tone that suggested she was ready to get on the defensive.

  He knew he must look dumbstruck, but Zach’s mind couldn’t process what he was seeing.

  Zach rushed to explain. “Let me introduce you to my daughter. I think when you see her, you’ll understand.” He called out to Mia, and when his daughter ran over, Sienna’s eyes widened.

  She sputtered. “This is your daughter?”

  “Her name is Mia.”

  “That can’t be,” she said, shaking her head. “This is Morgan.”

  He splayed his hands. “Exactly.”

  Sienna’s mouth hung open. “Oh, my.” She swung around and shouted, “Kelsey. Come over here. You’ve got to see this.”

  The woman approached, and Zach’s breath caught. His mind had been so occupied with the child in her arms that he hadn’t seen her mother. But he was seeing her now. For sure. From her bronze-colored skin to her pouty lips and the purposeful sway in her stride, this woman emitted confidence.

  Kelsey. The name suited her.

  Zach looked away to compose himself. He had no right noticing her radiant beauty. He swallowed. Now that he had seen her, there was no unseeing her.

  When she spotted Mia and he heard her harsh intake of breath, he said, “Our daughters have an uncanny resemblance.”

  “There’s nothing uncanny about it,” Sienna chimed in. “You can tell they are twins just by looking at them.”

  Twins. His insides twisted. No, it couldn’t be.

  Kelsey lifted a hand to her mouth. “How? How? They are like carbon copies.”

  A squeal and a scream quieted the entire room. The girls had discovered each other and had polar opposite reactions.

  “She looks like me,” Mia said, clapping her hands. The other little girl wasn’t as delighted. In fact, to Zach, there was only one way to describe her face.

  Terrified.

  Chapter Two

  Shivering, Morgan pulled on Kelsey’s blouse before pointing at the other little girl. There was genuine fear in her eyes.

  Kelsey willed her own rapidly beating heart to slow down as she looked Morgan in the eyes and said, “It’s okay. Don’t be alarmed, honey. We’ll figure this out.”

  “She looks like me,” Morgan whispered.

  “I know” was all Kelsey could say. She was too busy trying not to show her excitement at those four spoken words.

  Four amazing words that made Kelsey want to give a shout of praise. Her niece had spoken a sentence. But she knew Morgan was frightened. So was she. Questions raced through her mind, and she struggled to think. Now she understood the man’s reaction earlier.

  By this time, all the children had crowded around the room and stood with awed expressions on their faces. Sienna ushered the four of them into her office for some privacy, and Kelsey set Morgan on the ground.

  “My name’s Zach.” The man offered her his free hand, camp papers clutched in his other.

  Kelsey blinked, trying not to appear fascinated by his heterochromia, and held out a hand. “I’m Kelsey.” When their hands connected, she drew in a breath.

  He had a firm grip and a sturdy handshake. Plus, he was looking her in the eyes. Finally. Her father always said that was a sign a man had character. Well, if that was true, Zach had plenty of character and some to spare.

  Sienna left them on their own to go see about getting the camp started, her long box braids swaying behind her. Kelsey tuned in to the girls while Zach wandered the room, looking at the camp pictures Sienna had on display.

  “I’m Mia,” Morgan’s look-alike said, reaching for Morgan’s arm.

  Kelsey could feel Morgan tense beside her, but her niece didn’t pull her arm away. Which was a good sign. Morgan’s eyes were wide and fixed on Mia.

  “What’s your name?” Mia said.

  “Morgan,” her niece whispered.

  Zach returned, standing a few feet away, observing their interaction. He kept looking at both girls, shaking his head like he couldn’t process what was transpiring right before him.

  “Both our names start with M,” Mia said, giggling and clapping her hands. She pressed her lips together to make the M sound. Her eyes brightened with glee. “Ooh, look. Let’s go play together. We’re going to be best friends.”

  She tugged Morgan to the corner of the room, where there was an assortment of toys and books. Mia began asking a lot of questions, and Kelsey strained her ear to hear Morgan’s replies. Morgan spoke too softly for Kelsey to understand what she was saying.

  But her mouth was moving.

  She was talking. Having a conversation.

  Like normal.

  In six minutes, Mia had accomplished what Kelsey hadn’t been able to do in six months. Kelsey sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with the back of her index finger. She remembered her prayer that morning and felt awe at how God appeared to be answering her. She just hadn’t seen His answer coming in the form of a look-alike.

  It was all too much.

  Glancing at the clock, she could see it was close to 9:00 a.m. It was a good thing she had already called her client to reschedule for later that afternoon. She plopped into one of the two armchairs to watch the girls.

  “Mind if I sit here?” a deep baritone asked.

  Kelsey jumped. She had been so enthralled with the girls, she had almost forgotten she wasn’t the only adult in the room. Almost. There was no missing the tall, imposing man who smelled of...baby powder? Kelsey, who had been told she had a silver tongue, sat there in awkward silence, her words stuck in her throat, before giving a slight nod.

  Zach scooted the other armchair close to her and grinned, showing off a set of beautiful white teeth her dentist mother would have appreciated.

  “So, I’m going to tackle the elephant in the room and ask if your daughter is adopted, and if so, does she know?”

  Kelsey nodded, grateful he had broached the topic uppermost in both their minds. “Morgan’s actually my niece.” She wiped a hand on her pants, ignoring the curiosity in his eyes. “But yes, she’s adopted, and yes, she knows. Thankfully, my sister had the foresight to explain it to her, because this would have been too much for me to handle.”

  He put a hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes.

  “So, I’m assuming your daughter is adopted as well?” She posed her statement as a question in a gentle tone.

  Zach nodded, shifting his focus to somewhere across the room. “Yes, she is. Sandy—” He waved a hand. “That’s my, uh, wife. She was a breast cancer survivor and had been advised to wait to have children. But she wanted to be a mother so badly that we looked into adoption. We did some inquiries and were ecstatic to learn there was a newborn baby girl available. We jumped at the chance to welcome Mia into our lives.”

  He had a wife. Kelsey squelched her sudden disappointment and bit her lower lip to keep from asking about his wife’s whereabouts.

  Zach’s openness gave Kelsey the courage to share. “My sister, Kennedy, and her husband, Alex, decided to adopt when they found out he wasn’t able to have children. When they...passed, six months ago, I became Morgan’s guardian.” She tried to sound matter-of-fact, though fresh pain sliced her heart and tears threatened. “So just like that, both our lives changed,” she added, snapping her fingers. “I went from being Kelsey Harris the Realtor to Kelsey Harris, Morgan’s...caretaker.”

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, before he pointed at her. “Oh, snap. You’re that Kelsey? You’re the Realtor who sold me my house.”

  Thanks to the internet, she was able to work with clients remotely. About six weeks back, she had sold a five-bedroom house, two doors down from where she lived, all without ever meeting the owner or his agent.

  “Yes, I am. And you must be Zachary Johnson?” She leaned forward, feeling more comfortable in his presence. “It’s nice to put a face to the name.”

  She had conducted most of the transactions with his agent and hadn’t seen Zachary Johnson. What mattered was that his check had cleared the bank. The commission from that sale was already spent. Two words: Disney World. She couldn’t wait to see Morgan’s face at that news.

  “I just moved in a few days ago,” he said.

  Kelsey chuckled. “I know. I saw your moving truck.” He raised a brow, so she explained. “I live two doors away from you.”

  “Wow. I would say that’s a coincidence, but I know there’s no such thing with God. We were designed to meet. Of all the towns in the world, I end up here on the same block as you. That could only mean one thing.”

  What? What did it mean? Kelsey didn’t want to assume she understood his thought pattern. She gestured for him to continue.

  “God wanted the girls to meet. This was His divine ordinance. I would say He has a plan, and I can’t even venture to guess what it is.”

  Her eyes filled. “I think you’re right.” She lowered her voice. “If I seem emotional, it’s because up until today, my niece hasn’t spoken much... I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” She stopped and touched a hand to her chest. Why was she divulging so much to a stranger?

  Then his words settled in her mind, and her eyes widened. “You don’t talk like a regular person. You sound like a preacher. Like my daddy.” She cocked her head. “Are you a minister?” He gave a jerky nod and rubbed his head like her question made him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. It’s just that you reminded me of my father just now. Your tone. Your words. I am—I was a preacher’s kid. He was the pastor here at Millennial before August Reid took over.”

  “I used to be. I... I resigned.” He coughed. “I’m not a minister anymore.” He pulled on his slacks and fussed with his shirt before glancing around the room. Then he held up the papers in his hand as if they were a lifeline. “I’d better finish filling these out.” He stepped away to answer a call before returning to scoot his chair up to the edge of Sienna’s desk to complete the sign-up process.

  Oh, yes, he was definitely on edge about his resignation. There was a story there. But he wasn’t her man to read. She would leave that up to his wife. Kelsey waited until he was done before she changed the subject. “Look at them,” she said, pointing to the girls, who were huddled side by side. Mia had an arm around Morgan. “You’d think they had known each other forever. No one would believe they just met this morning. It’s unbelievable.”

  His face softened into a smile. “They must be twins, probably separated during the adoption.”

  Kelsey’s voice box squeezed closed. Hearing the words twins and separated in the same sentence made her chest tighten.

  Zach’s brows rose to his forehead. “They are exact replicas. We’ll need to take a—”

  Just then, the door cracked open and Sienna walked in, fanning her face. Kelsey smiled, glad for the interruption. She was pretty sure Zach had been about to suggest DNA testing. It was the next logical step.

  “It is too hot out there for words.” Sienna retrieved three small bottles of water from her minifridge and offered one to each of them.

  Kelsey declined but Zach accepted, downing his water in two swallows.

  “How are you two making out?” Sienna asked. “I imagine this must be a shock to both of you.” Then she addressed Kelsey. “You know who is going to have a field day with this?” Sienna rolled her eyes.

  Despite the bizarre events of the morning and even though she was still in shock, Kelsey laughed at Sienna’s exasperation. Sienna spoke of their town’s reporter and one of their childhood friends, Joel Armstrong. He was tenacious when he was after a story and had been determined to feature Sienna in the paper when she made Teacher of the Year. Her friend was equally determined to avoid being in his presence.

  Sienna came over to where they sat. “Joel’s going to have this on the front page. I guarantee it. I don’t know who he has for spies, but I’m certain he’s going to turn up here.”

  Kelsey laughed at Zach’s quizzical expression. “Possible twins in Swallow’s Creek is big news. The only other set of identical twins are in their sixties, and they are in the Journal on the regular.”

  “Welcome to small-town life. Are you ready to see your daughter in the paper? ’Cause he’s going to be at your door, begging for an exclusive.” Sienna tapped Kelsey on the shoulder. “I don’t think Morgan’s going to go for that.”

  Zach shrugged. “I was a minister of a large congregation back in Philly. The church has an active social media page, so I’m used to the spotlight, though I’m not personally on any social platforms. When my wife and I brought Mia home, Mia’s face was all over the page. The town paper will be a breeze for her. When she sees a camera, she goes into fierce mode.” He chuckled and then jutted his chin in Mia and Morgan’s direction. “They’re doing well,” he observed.

  Kelsey appreciated how he had maneuvered into a new topic of conversation. She was still upset with Joel for putting her sister’s accident and her and Morgan’s grieving faces on the front page. Once was enough.

  “Look at them. It’s like they have a special connection,” Sienna said. Her words brought Kelsey out of her musings.

  “A connection that time and distance has done nothing to thwart,” Zach murmured, like he’d already accepted they were twins.

  “Their relationship hasn’t been confirmed,” Kelsey felt the need to point out, touching her chest.

  Sienna continued like Kelsey hadn’t spoken. “I think they will be fine here together. Since Mia is new and, for obvious reasons, already attached to Morgan, I can put them in the same group. I can always call if they become agitated,” she suggested.

  When Morgan giggled at something Mia said, Kelsey faced them, and her heart constricted. Her ears welcomed the sweet sound of Morgan’s laughter. This time Kelsey couldn’t stop the tears from sliding down her face. She didn’t want Zach to become curious about her display of emotion, so she jumped to her feet.

  She wiped her palms on her pants leg. “I should go. Call me if Morgan gets upset. I only have one client to meet with later this afternoon.”

  Zach stood when she did. “I’d better get going, too.” He called out to Mia, who ran over to give him a hug.

  Kelsey walked over to Morgan and wrapped her arms around her niece. “Are you going to be okay?” she whispered close to Morgan’s ear.

  Morgan nodded and pointed. “Mia’s my friend.”

  She was more than a friend, it seemed. Kelsey knew she was going to have to get some questions answered. But in this moment, she reveled in the blessing of Morgan talking. Holding back more tears, Kelsey said, “Yes, she is. She’ll be in your group, so you can show her around so she knows what to do.”

  Morgan straightened and nodded with solemnity. Zach held open the door for Kelsey, and when she walked out of the office, her heart was light and filled with hope. And, if she were honest, disbelief.

  * * *

  Zach scurried after Kelsey. She had raced out of the center with the speed of a cougar chasing a rabbit. But she was no match for his longer strides. His brain and heart were on overload, and she was the one person who could understand what he was going through. This morning’s curveball had whacked him in the chest and disrupted his peace. He felt like he had left one tumultuous situation at his past church in Philadelphia and moved right into another. The quicker he got things settled, the better.

  He caught up to Kelsey just before she got into her car.

  “Are you free to talk?” he asked. “This morning’s events have thrown me off-kilter. I could use a processing partner, and we can get some questions answered.” He had gotten a phone call that Sandy’s car wouldn’t arrive until sometime after noon, so he had more than enough time to eat.

  She chewed on her lower lip before giving a hesitant nod. “That’s fine. I know we live down the block from each other, but I’m not comfortable having you into my home or going into yours.”