A Father's Pledge

by Eleanor Jones

  “Like me with the fire?”

  “Yes, in a way. You thought you were doing the right thing, but it turned out not to be, and I thought I was doing the right thing when I left you with your mum and your grandparents.”

  “And that was wrong,” Ben said.

  “Yes, Ben, it was very wrong, and I want to make it up to you.”

  Suddenly Ben grinned, seizing the opportunity. “So can we go mudlarking?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  LUKE LOOKED DOWN at the top of Ben’s shining blond head as they walked hand in hand toward the shore. He was proud that his son had finally turned to him, but the satisfaction rang a little hollow. He missed Kat. She’d given up so much for him and Ben, and he had misjudged her. They needed to talk, to clear the air between them.

  “So can we go mudlarking, then?” Ben pleaded.

  Luke hesitated; the tide was on its way out, gently draining away, and the bay looked so serene. He needed to work on being less rigid if he wanted to build his relationship with Ben; he saw that now. What harm could there be in having some fun on the beach? He would be there to keep Ben safe, after all.

  “Okay,” he agreed, the rush of joy he felt when his son’s hand tightened around his overruling his doubts.

  “Yes! I’ll need a spade,” Ben cried, his tone high with excitement. “And a bag...and a towel to dry my feet if I have to take my shoes off.”

  “All right, we’ll just nip back to school.” Luke couldn’t see why Ben would need to take off his shoes, but he smiled; the boy’s excitement was infectious.

  * * *

  KAT REACHED NUMBER Three Cove Cottages, feeling hot and disheveled and discouraged after her meeting with Mike. She ran up the narrow staircase, throwing open her bedroom window to take in the glorious view that never failed to raise her spirits. A gentle, calming breeze wafted against her skin as she sank onto the window seat, and even the seagulls seemed quieter today, as they made lazy circles in the clear blue sky.

  Her mind went back to the happy couple on that summer’s evening, setting out in their boat across the bay, heading for an adventure that had surely ended in tragedy. Was life always so tough? Did fate always throw obstacles at you or did some people really just fall in love and stay together for all their lives? The young couple were certainly a reminder to seize love with both hands for as long as it lasted. With her and Luke it was different, though; there were way more important issues at stake than their own happiness.

  Kat tore her eyes away from the window, feeling restless. Perhaps a walk on the shore would clear her head.

  The tide was rushing out as she set off. A fierce danger lurked behind the beauty of the bay, she was well aware of that, but still she felt as if she belonged here. This place had become home to her, and the thought of leaving made her heart hurt.

  But it was time for her to focus on what else life had in store for her: new challenges, new mountains to climb. The trouble was, it didn’t feel as if she’d climbed the present mountain at all. In fact, she felt like a failure. The only good that could come out of this now was a proper bond between Luke and Ben.

  She sat on some rocks, watching the tide recede. The sea was magnificent yet scary and it pulled like a magnet, as if trying to draw her in to its murky depths. The water retreated, leaving behind the flotsam and jetsam that the children so loved to search in, and she felt a terrible sadness creep through her whole body. What of her sea sessions and the animal therapy she’d just been starting? What about her dream? Would she be able to carry it on somehow in her new role at the college? Knowing the answer, she started to walk again, following the edge of the tide as it rushed back out to sea.

  * * *

  BEN STARTED DIGGING as soon as he and Luke reached the sand, his face bright with anticipation at what he might find. “Here’s a crab,” he called. “It’s alive.”

  “Put the poor thing back,” Luke told him. “We’re looking for treasure, remember. Let’s go a bit farther along the shore—there’s a cove just beyond those rocks.”

  Ben ran ahead, waving his bucket, his small feet making imprints in the smooth, shining sand. On impulse, Luke followed them carefully, matching his steps, his huge feet covering the boy’s every footprint. He’d never thought he would come to this moment, when he and Ben would finally feel like father and son, and it was all thanks to Kat. She’d sacrificed a lot for the hope that Ben might make room for him in his heart. As much as he loved his son, though, without Kat there would be a void in Luke’s life. That was the price he had to pay.

  When he rounded the ledge of rock, he saw Ben, jumping from foot to foot. “Can I dig here?”

  Luke put his bag down on a flat rock. “Good a place as any,” he said.

  For over half an hour Ben dug, dropping to his knees to unearth any item that came to light: small pieces of pottery and plastic and a mass of seashells, but no real treasure. He sat back on his heels in despair. “Nothing,” he moaned. “I’ve found nothing.”

  “Don’t give up yet,” Luke said with a smile. “You have to be patient and keep on trying. You can’t find treasure every time.”

  Ben jumped to his feet. “Come on, then,” he called, grabbing his spade. “Let’s try around the next corner.”

  Luke shook his head. “It isn’t a corner—it’s a cliff edge that goes into the next little cove. Hey, wait for me—we have to clear away all these bits and pieces you found first.”

  “But we can just leave them where they are, can’t we?” Ben asked, already racing off. Luke shrugged, following in his son’s wake, but when he rounded the rocky outcrop there was no sign of Ben.

  “Ben!” he shouted, but all he could hear was the rush of the tide and the lonely cries of the gulls. He shaded his eyes, scouring the empty stretch of sand and stones, but of Ben there was no trace. Panic set in and he broke into a jog. Ben must have gone farther, into the next cove, perhaps; he was so keen to find treasure. As Luke headed into yet another cove, he fully expected to see Ben, enthusiastically digging. His panic rose when yet again the stretch of sand was empty...and then he saw something on a flat limestone shelf. “Ben,” he called, relieved. “What are you doing?”

  It wasn’t until he was closer that the truth dawned. It wasn’t Ben slumped on the rock. Bile rose in Luke’s throat and he retched. He had to find Ben...and he had to do what was right for this poor, unfortunate person whose life had ended in the merciless sea.

  * * *

  KAT WALKED SLOWLY along the shore, her bare feet sinking into the sand. It always lifted her mood, feeling the soft, golden sand squelch between her toes, and she certainly needed a lift right now.

  “Dad! Dad!”

  She heard the cry in the distance, high-pitched and panicky. It sounded like Ben... Or was that just her wishful thinking? Hurriedly, she headed around the end of the rocky ridge to the next stretch of sand. The coastline was made up of coves that had been battered out by the relentless tides wherever there were no limestone cliffs to hold back the sea.

  “Dad!” the voice came again. Now she was certain.

  “Ben!” she yelled. “Ben? Where are you?”

  “Here!”

  Following his voice, she ran behind a jumble of boulders and saw him at once. Where was Luke? “Ben, it’s me,” she called. “Over here.”

  He raced toward her and her heart turned over. “Are you okay? Where’s Luke?”

  Tears coursed down his cheeks as he threw himself into her arms, burying his face against her chest. “He’s gone. I’m all on my own and...and I haven’t found any treasure.”

  “I’m sure your dad wouldn’t leave you on purpose, Ben,” she said, hiding her fear. There was no way Luke would have left Ben alone unless he had no choice. “Let’s go and find him together,” she suggested.

  He flashed her a shaky b
ut grateful smile and they headed on along the shore. “We’ll find him,” she said. “You’ll see.”

  * * *

  LUKE HEARD THEIR voices on the breeze before he saw them. The two people he loved most in the world, together. The word circled inside his head. He did love Kat; he knew it with no shadow of doubt. With all his heart and soul and mind he loved Kat, but it wasn’t enough because Ben’s stability came first. The voices became louder, calling his name.

  Adrenaline surged through him. They mustn’t come here...mustn’t see... He started to run. “Ben! Kat!” he yelled. “Go back!”

  Kat was staring past Luke, and he saw the realization dawn on her face. He felt a jab of pain at her anguished expression. “Come on, Ben,” she urged, trying to draw him away, but he resisted, staying still until Luke reached them.

  “I thought you’d left me,” he said.

  Luke placed both hands on his son’s shoulders. “I will never leave you—I told you that. I’m sorry we got separated. It was an accident. But, Ben, something’s happened here, and—”

  Kat started crying, and Ben looked up at her. “What’s wrong, Miss?”

  Luke met Kat’s eyes and nodded grimly. “Do you remember when I told you about the couple on the boat, the ones who were lost at sea?” he asked Ben.

  The boy nodded.

  “Well, I’m afraid...I’m afraid...” He didn’t know how to go on. What was he supposed to say? How could he explain? Maybe he’d been right about himself all along. He wasn’t cut out to be a father.

  Kat wiped her eyes and crouched in front of Ben. “What Luke’s trying to say is that a very bad thing happened, but he’s going to help make sure the...the girl won’t be alone.”

  Ben looked between them, and a sad understanding crossed his face. Then his eyes flickered with pride. “And he protected us, too, didn’t he? Didn’t you...Dad.”

  Luke swallowed and managed a nod before sweeping Ben and Kat into his arms. They held each other like that for a moment, drawing on each other’s strength.

  Luke pulled away first, grabbing his phone from his pocket. “I’m going to call the police,” he said. “And then let’s go home.”

  Luke gave the dispatcher the details and without another word the three of them set off as one, heading back along the beach, their arms about each other and their thoughts on the poor young girl who could finally be laid to rest. “That’s why you wouldn’t let me go mudlarking, isn’t it?” Ben asked as the row of cottages came into view. “In case we found her.”

  Kat nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “I’m afraid so.”

  The police had said they’d stop by the cottage to speak with Luke, and while they waited for them to arrive Ben sat quite still, deep in thought, sipping the hot chocolate Kat had made him. “What if you two die?” he suddenly asked.

  Kat caught Luke’s eye, motioning for him to answer, and he placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Everyone dies eventually, Ben,” he said. “Flowers, plants and animals, as well as people. It’s natural—we are born, we grow up, we grow old and then we die. How we live our lives when we’re here is what really matters.”

  Kat placed her hand on Luke’s arm, a rush of emotion flooding over her. When had he become so...caring? Or maybe he’d just allowed what had always been inside to finally come out.

  Ben turned to look at her, his eyes as wide as saucers. “I’m sorry for being angry with you,” he said.

  “And I’m sorry to have to leave you and Flight,” Kat responded. “But I will always be your friend.”

  “Will you be my mum?”

  The question caught Kat totally off guard and she looked desperately at Luke, her eyes brimming with barely contained tears.

  “I think I can hear a police car,” Luke said. “Go and look out of the window, Ben. You might be able to see it.”

  Kat gathered up the mugs and went to wash them, staring into the soapy water. She’d always believed that marriage and kids weren’t for her, but now one small, lost boy was calling her whole life into question.

  Luke spoke to the police in the sitting room, explaining what had happened; after he left with them, to show them where the body was, Kat tried to talk to Ben. She knew this must have been a shock for him. She was just grateful that it wasn’t he who had come across the body. “You okay, Ben?” she asked.

  He nodded slowly. “It was sad, wasn’t it, Dad finding her there? But he did good, didn’t he?”

  “It was very sad and he did really good.”

  “Will I die one day?”

  “You’ve got your whole life to live first, so you don’t need to worry about that for years and years.”

  “And are you still going to leave?”

  “I have to, Ben. It’s for the best.”

  “But I’ll still be able to come and see you?”

  Kat bit her lip. “I hope you will sometimes, when I get settled. But what about your dad? Aren’t you afraid anymore that I might take him away from you?”

  “Dad’s okay. I think he loves me now.”

  “Of course he loves you, very much...and so do I.”

  “So if you’re not going to be my therapist anymore, why can’t you be my mum? You already love my dad—I know you do.”

  To Kat’s relief, Luke came back just then. She jumped up and walked toward him. “Did everything go okay?”

  “Yes, they’re getting on with proceedings. I need to get Ben back to school...and, Kat?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thanks...for finding Ben, I mean. I was so worried he’d think I’d let him down again.”

  Kat shrugged. “I’m just glad he was okay. He was a bit lost and scared, but I think he knows now that you won’t leave him.”

  Luke held her eyes in his for one endless moment. “He’s forgiven you, too... I’m sure of it.”

  Kat felt the pressure of tears and held them back determinedly. “It’s early days yet,” she said, afraid of the flicker of hope that rekindled suddenly inside her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  THE SUN WAS slipping down behind the far horizon, turning the sea to gold, when Luke came back from dropping Ben at school. He stepped in through the door, looking slightly awkward.

  “How is he?” Kat asked.

  “He’s amazing. He seems to have taken it all in stride.”

  “I think the little talk you gave him about death did the trick,” she said. “Perhaps you’re the one who should be a child counselor.”

  Luke came closer, stopping right in front of her, so close that she struggled to breathe. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Ben seems to be okay with both of us now, so...”

  “So...what?”

  “Maybe you could go and talk to Mike, make him see that you should keep your job at Flight.”

  “No, Luke.” She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “It’s too late for that. To be a good child therapist you have to be totally professional. I’m way too involved with both of you to make it work.”

  Suddenly he smiled. “Fair enough. But if you’re not Ben’s therapist, you don’t have to be professional around him...or me, for that matter. I’ve had a long talk with Ben—he’s sorry about the fire, and he knows now that it was a terrible thing to do. He trusts me, Kat, finally—he knows that I love him and he wants you to love him, too.”

  “You know I do. That’s why I can’t be his therapist anymore. It’s why I have to leave.”

  Luke took hold of both her hands, drawing her toward him. “But you could be my wife,” he murmured. “Marry me, Kat. I love you, I love your passion and your determination, and I love the way you smile and the way you wear your heart on your sleeve. Please, Kat...”

  Stepping into his a
rms, Kat placed her fingers across his lips. “But what about the things you don’t like about me, all the issues we’ve had...and what about Ben?”

  “I misjudged you,” he said. “I was stuck in my selfish ways, feeling sorry for myself. It took love to make me see how wrong I was, love for Ben and love for you. I want us to be a family, Kat—you, me and Ben. Please say you’ll marry me, Kat. We can take our time, give us a chance to really know each other. I’ll wait forever as long as I know that you’ll be my wife.”

  He closed his arms more tightly around her, looking deep into her eyes, his lips a delicious moment away from hers. Suddenly, everything became crystal clear. All she needed was to take a leap of faith. Love and happiness were so elusive and sometimes so short-lived...

  “Oh, Luke,” she said. “I love you, too. We’ll have to tread carefully, though, with Ben, before we can become a proper family.”

  “So you’re saying yes?”

  Taking the leap, she raised her lips to his. “Yes,” she said. As his mouth claimed hers she felt his heart beat against her chest.

  “And you’ll be a mum to Ben?” he asked.

  This time it was she who pulled away, smiling blissfully up at him. “Just try and stop me,” she said, threading her fingers through the thick curls on the back of his neck to draw his lips back down to hers. “Life is way too precious to waste one single moment of happiness.”

  * * * * *

  Read Elsa May Malone’s story in FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, Book One of SONGS OF THE SEA. And check out more Heartwarming titles by Eleanor Jones at Harlequin.com.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from FOR LOVE OF A DOG by Janice Carter.

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