Read Johnson Family 1: Unforgettable for Free Online Page B

stab of jealousy passed through him. She used to say the same about his writing. He crouched in front of her daughter. “Guess what? I’m a writer, too.”
    Impressed, her eyes widened. “You are?”
    “Yes. Do you know what a blog is?”
    She nodded.
    “Well, I write a successful blog and I just had my first book published. That’s why I’m in Seattle. I’m on a tour to promote it.”
    “Congratulations on your book. That’s quite an accomplishment.” She sounded intelligent and way too mature for her age. He stifled a smile.
    “So what are you working on?” Lucas asked.
    “Well…it’s not a story or anything. It’s my feelings. Just things I’m thinking about.” Her voice and eyes lowered at the end and she suddenly became bashful. “But I write stories, too.”
    “What kind of stories?”
    “Fairy tales, about a princess and a handsome prince.”
    “And how do those stories end?” he asked.
    Her eyes lit up. “They get married and have lots of babies.”
    Lucas hid his amusement at her animated expression. “After they finish school, right?”
    “Of course,” she said solemnly.
    He rose from the crouched position and looked down at her upturned face. She was a cute little replica of her mother, with the same complexion and a pair of sparkling brown eyes. She’d only been briefly mentioned in an article he’d read online about Ivy about how she managed her career as an executive while being a mother. There hadn’t been a single photo of her daughter anywhere, though. Ivy had done a good job of keeping her out of the media spotlight.
    “It was nice talking to you,” Lucas said. He suddenly realized he didn’t know her name. “What’s your name, darlin’?”
    “Katie. Well, it’s actually Katherine, but everybody calls me Katie.”
    “That’s a pretty name. My mother’s name is Katherine, too.”
    “It is?”
    “Sure is. Well, it was nice to meet you, Katie.” He paused, struck by a random thought. Katherine? Why would Ivy give her daughter his mother’s name?
    Probably just a coincidence. After all, his mother and Ivy had been close during the time she and he were involved, and he could tell his mother had been disappointed when their relationship had ended. Maybe Ivy just liked the name Katherine.
    His brow furrowed. Surely it was also a coincidence that Katie happened to enjoy writing, like he did.
    Writing is my hobby, and I love it. My mom said I’m like my dad in that way.
    Mommy said his words were like magic.
    Holy shit.
    “Mister, are you okay?”
    Sweat broke out on his forehead and he swiped it away. He looked more closely at Katie and noticed things he hadn’t before. He couldn’t honestly say he saw a resemblance to him in her face. She resembled her mother, but where Ivy had a rounded tip to her nose, Katie’s was flatter and broader, similar to his. And her eyelashes reminded him of his own.
    No big deal. Lots of people had broad noses and long lashes, right?
    He swallowed. He couldn’t shake his crazy idea. It took root and germinated.
    Could she be his daughter? Was that why he felt inexplicably drawn to her?
    No, none of his musings made sense. He shook his head. Katie was too young, clearly only about six or seven years old. He and Ivy would have been broken up long before her conception. She would have been happily married to Winston Whats-His-Face during the time Katie was conceived.
    “Yes, I’m fine,” he said, his voice thick, his mind still racing. “How old are you, Katie?” he asked.
    “I turned eight in April, but I can’t wait until I turn nine, because my Uncle Cyrus said he’s going to buy me a gold-plated cell phone. Mommy says I’m too young, but Uncle Cyrus says all the kids have cell phones, so why shouldn’t I. My mom worries a lot.”
    He barely heard the last part of what she said. His brain quickly did the math. If her birthday was in April, that meant Ivy had probably gotten pregnant the summer they’d spent together.
    The