Signs of Love by Kimberly Rae Jordan Read Free Book Online Page B

planned. I think Beth is scared to go back to the denial and anger stages that you’re likely experiencing.”
    Justin’s chest tightened. He knew all about the stages of grief. Though he hadn’t wanted to, he’d sat through counseling sessions with Beth after the death of their whole family. Was that really what he was going through once again? “Are you a shrink or something?”
    “No, I’m not. I’m just someone who has been through what you, Beth and Daniel are dealing with.”
    “Did your son lose his hearing like Genevieve?” Justin asked as he walked toward the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge and stared at its empty interior. Well, not quite empty. There was an egg carton—holding how many eggs, he had no idea—and a couple bottles of water. He grabbed one of them and quickly twisted the lid off.
    “No. Caden was born deaf.”
    “So do you know what caused his hearing loss?” Justin swallowed half the bottle as he waited for Alana to reply.
    “It was genetic. Apparently both his father and I carry a gene for it.”
    Justin wanted to ask where the boy’s father was now, still curious about the reason for the name change, but he sensed that this conversation needed to stay centered on the current situation. “So you don’t think you’ll have the same problem as Beth?”
    “No. I’m far enough removed from all of those feelings that I don’t get caught up in them like Beth might. Other things might trigger my emotions, but not helping someone else come to grips with the diagnosis of permanent hearing loss.”
    “And you think you’d be able to help me?” Justin sat down on a chair at the kitchen table and ran a hand through his damp hair.
    “Maybe. I can answer questions you might have about adapting to life with hearing loss. Over the years, I’ve met people of all ages who are deaf, and I can share their stories with you. It might help you to understand that life isn’t over for Genevieve. She can live a full and happy life even with hearing loss.”
    Justin sincerely doubted she’d be able to do that for him. If the psychologists couldn’t help him after his family’s death, there was no way this woman would be able to either. However, he saw in her offer the opportunity to find out more about Alana and the secrets she hid. He had to make sure that whatever was in her past wouldn’t end up hurting his family.
    And all the better that the suggestion came from her and Beth. He’d been trying to figure out the best way to draw her out but knew it wouldn’t be easy to ask her questions without raising red flags. Thankfully, she was offering of her own accord to talk about her experiences, opening the door to questions about her past. He might not be able to do anything about Genevieve’s diagnosis, but he could make sure Beth and Daniel were not taken advantage of in the midst of it all.
    “Maybe it would be helpful to hear about things like that,” Justin said, trying not to seem too eager. When there was silence on the other end of the line, he realized that in all likelihood she’d assumed he’d decline her offer. He could still picture the fear in her eyes on the two occasions he’d interacted with her. “When would be a good time for you?”
    “Uh… Maybe Saturday afternoon? Caden is going to a friend’s house for a couple of hours.”
    “Should I come by your place?”
    “No.” There was no hesitation before she responded that time, and the trace of alarm in her tone had Justin making a mental note to find out where she lived.
    “Why don’t you decide where to meet and then let me know,” Justin suggested.
    “Okay.” Her voice was more subdued now. “I’ll let you know by Friday.”
    “Sounds good.” When she didn’t reply, he added. “Guess I’ll see you on Saturday.”
    After she’d said goodbye and hung up, Justin sat staring at his phone for a bit. In truth, he wouldn’t have minded having someone to talk to about this. The problem was that he