The Fountain of Infinite Wishes (Dare River Book 5) by Ava Miles Read Free Book Online Page A

huge news if you ask me, and it’s horrible. It has me imagining the worst.”
    “After we talked to Vander, you told me you were doing okay,” Shelby said with a frown. “Why didn’t you get all this emotion out with me before coming to family dinner?”
    “It’s not like I can turn it off,” Sadie said. “I told you how I felt then, but I feel like a pressure cooker. All these feelings built up again.”
    “Sadie! You need to disguise what you’re going through better if we’re going to keep this to just us three. Tell her, J.P.”
    Their brother gave a heartfelt sigh and wrapped an arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “I’m not going to tell either of you how to act since I don’t have a clue how to deal with this myself. I haven’t slept much since you called me on Friday. I had to tell Tammy what was going on, and she’s fretting too.”
    Well, wasn’t that as terrific as key lime pie on a Wednesday? Shelby didn’t begrudge J.P. for telling his wife, but this meant there was yet another person who had to hold it together at family occasions. It wasn’t fair to Tammy somehow.
    “I don’t see how we’re going to keep this a secret,” Sadie said, her voice pitched a little higher than normal.
    “Keep what secret?” a familiar voice asked, causing them all to spin around.  
    Susannah narrowed her eyes at them. “I knew something was going on. Peach jam out of the blue for me and Mama, and quilt making for Shelby. You’d better spill, Sadie.”
    Well, shoot. Susannah wasn’t going to take this well, and then there was Mama to consider. “We’re talking about doing something special for all the new brides—and that includes you,” she said, hoping a fib would put a pin in it.
    Sadie shot her a look, and she shot her one right back.
    “I don’t believe you,” Susannah said in that definitive tone only big sisters could muster.
    J.P. shook his head. “I don’t think this is the way, Shelby.”
    Great. Their brother was going to be their moral compass again. Sometimes it was annoying.
    Shelby faced her sister. “Fine! You want to know why we’re flustered? We hired a P.I. to find Daddy. Since we know you are dead set against it, we didn’t mention it. You need to decide if you want to be informed of the findings—like J.P. agreed to be.”
    Her elder sister flinched as if she’d been struck.
    “I’m sorry, Susannah,” Shelby said, already regretting her hasty words. There could have been a gentler way to share the news. Her fingers itched to hug her sister and soothe her. “We couldn’t… We had to find out what happened to him.”
    “I’m really sorry, honey,” Sadie said, walking over to their sister and putting a hand on her arm.  
    “You should be,” Susannah told her, stepping back from her comfort. “What do you think this will do to Mama?”
    Sadie hung her head.
    J.P. strolled over to them, calm and steady as ever, and Shelby followed in his wake. Susannah had the right to get stirred up, but while Shelby didn’t blame her for that, she wasn’t sure where it would lead. Would she feel the need to spill the truth to Mama?
    “I don’t know how Mama will react if we end up telling her,” J.P. said, as if reading her mind. “But it’s not just Mama’s first husband we’re talking about. It’s our daddy. I’ve struggled mightily with this, but Shelby and Sadie have a right to find him if they want to.”
    Susannah’s eyes pretty much blazed fire. “I told y’all when it first came up that no good can come of it.”
    Shelby opened her mouth to respond, but J.P. put a soothing hand on her arm, stopping her. “No good has come from not knowing either. We’re just more used to it, is all. There’s already some news. Do you want to know what it is?”
    Susannah put her hand to her forehead. “I just got married,” she whispered. “I wanted to enjoy this bubble for a little while longer. I’ve been so happy.”
    “J.P. asked us to wait until after you were