She’d obviously dressed carefully for the occasion, wearing a black skirt, simple black sandals and a silvery top. Meanwhile, he was in jeans and a light denim shirt, sleeves rolled up. Oh, well. He hoped to make his impression based on character and conversation, not wardrobe.

“Cord?”

“Julie.” Too soon for a hug. He thrust the orchid he was carrying toward her and she placed it on a side table in the narrow hallway. Carly and Shallie held on to the other orchids. “Hi, you’re Shelley?”

“Shallie,” she and Cord said simultaneously.

“And I’m Carly. Um, a friend of theirs.”

They moved into the main room, where they deposited their orchids. Two people were waiting, a fit and very handsome black man with close-cropped hair and muscular arms, and a slight, lovely girl with shiny dark hair and huge brown eyes.

The man stood up, held out his hand and introduced himself. “Chris Daniels. And I know who you all are,” he said with a smile. “This is our daughter, Kathleen.”

The girl threw her arms around Carly. “I’m really excited to meet you! So, you’re a friend of Cord’s.”

After a heartbeat’s worth of silence, Carly nodded. “Well, it’s a complicated story, but…yeah.”

Chris offered everyone coffee—Cord figured he wanted to end an awkward moment—and Carly said emphatically that she’d have one “with lots of cream.”

Kathleen seemed surprised by that, but Chris grinned. “Coming right up.” He moved into the suite’s galley kitchen, complete with fridge, coffee maker, the works.

Julie invited them to sit at the table; their coffee was served—with plain milk for Kathleen—accompanied by a large platter of muffins and brownies. Good thing they hadn’t had much for breakfast. Afterward, the others acknowledged that he and Julie needed time alone.

Despite the importance of this private meeting, Cord felt nervous when they left for the front patio and sat in two of the Adirondack chairs in the shade.

Julie began with a deep, shaky breath. “You’re my son and I’m your mother. It’s not simply a biological connection, although it must feel that way to you.” She paused, eyes closed. “I loved your dad, and I loved—love you. I screwed up. I know it.” Her eyes opened wide at those last words.

“Wait,” Cord said. “You were very young and you’d just lost your husband to a senseless accident.”

“But I had a child.” Tears filled her eyes. “You.”

“My life’s turned out okay.”

“I can’t tell you how thankful I am for that.” She stared down at her hands as she spoke. “I’m a good wife to Chris and a good mom to Kathleen. You’re right, though, I wasn’t capable of that, or the mom part, anyway, all those years ago. And my grief at losing Toby… It made me insane. I had no control over myself anymore.”