Read The One That Got Away for Free Online

aloud. He didn’t even know if what he was about to say was true, anyway. What would he have done if Lisette had told him she was pregnant? Would he have had the courage to stick around and be a father when what he’d really wanted to do was travel the world and be responsible only for himself?
    It was an impossible question to answer now.
    “I’d like to think that if I’d known about her, I’d have been a good father, but I don’t know.”
    “I’m sure you would have been, Marcus—I don’t have any doubt,” she said with far more certainty than he felt.
    “But Lisette and I were finished anyway. There’s no way we could have stayed together for the sake of a baby, and I’m sure that’s why she didn’t tell me, you know?”
    “I know, but it was still despicable not to say anything—not to give you the option of being a part of your daughter’s life.”
    “I guess she was scared. And angry. I got the Reader’s Digest version of events from a friend of hers who’s Izzy’s guardian now.”
    “Sure she was scared, but still…” Ginger’s voice sounded a little odd.
    If Marcus hadn’t known better, he’d have suspected she was uncomfortable with the subject.
    As she navigated through traffic, he studied her profile, still stunned at what a beautiful woman she’d become. And yet it was hard to put his finger on anything profoundly different. There were simply a lot of subtle changes that added up to a profound transformation.
    Forcing his gaze away from her so that he wouldn’t be caught staring, Marcus took in the sights of South San Francisco. This area north of the airport had never been known for great character or charm, but he felt a little tight in the chest to be here again. His parents were bohemian drifters, so he’d grown up never spending too long in one place, but cliché as it sounded, his heart had always called San Francisco home.
    And here he was again.
    Once Ginger was cruising on the highway and could divide her attention between driving and talking again, she cast a glance at Marcus.
    “So Lisette died of ovarian cancer?”
    “Yeah.” A new weight settled on Marcus’s chest.
    He no longer held any romantic feelings for the woman, but it hurt in an oddly distant way to know she was gone. What was more painful, though, was knowing he’d never be able to talk to her about Isabel. He couldn’t ask Lisette about their daughter’s childhood—what her first words were, or what she’d been like as a little girl, or whether she’d suffered not having a father around.
    That was all lost to him, but he wouldn’t lose any more time with his daughter. Somehow, he had to find a way to fit this child into his life.
    “I’m sorry,” Ginger said quietly.
    “It’s weird, you know. If I hadn’t been shot in London, I wouldn’t have found out that Isabel exists. She wouldn’t have contacted me if she hadn’t seen the news.”
    “I’m sure she would have. Maybe not now, but eventually.”
    “Who knows how many more years I’d have missed out on.”
    “So it’s kind of a weird blessing, what happened, huh?”
    “Yeah, I mean, I never would have thought being shot could be a good thing, but in some crazy ways it changed my life.”
    There was a moment’s pause, then Ginger said, “I guess I wouldn’t have gotten back in touch with you, either.”
    “I’m glad you did.” That was one thing Marcus had no doubts about. “It was scary, lying in that hospital in London and realizing I didn’t have any next of kin to call.”
    She said nothing, and an awkward silence grew between them. Ginger was too kind to point out the obvious—that it was Marcus’s own fault he was close to no one. He might not have had control over the fact that his blood family had dwindled over the years, but he had only himself to blame for not staying in touch with all of his friends.
    “Who did you call?” she finally asked.
    “My publisher—since the book tour had to be