The Daughter He Never Knew

by Linda Barrett

  He showered, then padded out to the back porch of Sea View House, delighting in the sunshine, in the breeze. Delighting in the sense of familiarity. The Atlantic loomed before him, vast and majestic, its waves rolling in and out as they had since the world began.

  Maybe Dorothy was right, and there really was “no place like home.” Of course, his own home would be a lot better with Lila in it. Instead she was with a guy for whom she’d always be second best. Good God, if positions had been reversed last night, he would have taken Fielding outside and made sure he’d never dance with Lila again! Shoot! What was he thinking? He was too old for fistfights now. Those belonged to yesterday, to him and Jared. They’d had some doozies.

  He went inside, put on running shoes and joined some early morning joggers along the shore. There were only a few now. The summer folks hadn’t shown up yet, but they’d be arriving soon. Memorial Day weekend was only two weeks away or so, and that was the start of the big onslaught of seasonal visitors.

  A familiar figure jogged toward him and waved.

  “Hi, Laura.” He turned around and headed back toward Sea View House with her. “How many miles do you do?”

  “Oh, anywhere between three and eight. Depends on how much time I have every morning.”

  “I can’t match that…yet!”

  She laughed. “Did Lila reach you earlier?”

  “Lila? I was in the shower. What’s up?”

  “She thought you might be having breakfast with us, so she called. The sellers made a counteroffer. They want another ten thousand.”

  “Then I guess I’d better get back to the keyboard and write!”

  She eyed him and didn’t speak for a moment. “How badly do you want to be hurt, Jason, by sticking around?”

  He understood what she meant. “She won’t marry him.” He spoke with conviction, but his teeth clenched, and he had to consciously relax his jaw. “They don’t look at each other the way you and Matt do.”

  She reached over and patted his arm. “But that doesn’t mean she’ll marry you, either, Jason.” As though to soften her words, she added, “You know Matt and I are rooting for you!”

  “Thanks, sis.”

  Laura dimpled at the term. Waved goodbye to him as they approached Sea View House. “Breakfast awaits me back home. Today is Mother’s Day—my first one as a mom—and the boys are cooking.” She turned to go back.

  “What did you say? Mother’s Day?” Jason looked around wildly.

  Laura was laughing. “No stores on the beach, I’m afraid. Go write her a song, and tuck it inside a card. You’re good at songs.”

  He shook his head. “She hates the other one. It’s all over the radio, and she’s never said a word to me—at least a complimentary one.”

  “It’s a gorgeous song, Jase. She’ll come around.” She took off.

  “Happy Mother’s Day, Laura!” he called. Sheesh, Mother’s Day!

  An hour later, he pulled up in front of Lila’s house on Bay Road, and Katie immediately ran out to greet him. Must have been watching for him. A warmth filled him. His daughter really liked him. Now all he had to do was win over her mother.

  Katie reached him, and he caught her up and tossed her a short way in the air. “I think you’re getting too big for tossing, but not for being carried right here against me.”

  She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He didn’t need a Father’s Day. He had it every day.

  “I’m in hot water, Lady Katie. I didn’t know it was Mother’s Day.”

  “Uh-oh. Papa Bart and I already got her favorite perfume. We get it every year.” She wrinkled her nose. “She don’t…doesn’t like to cook. So, no pots and pans. She says Grandma never let her do anything in the kitchen except clean it.”

  Jason could believe that. “How about a hobby like painting?” he asked.

  But Katie was shaking her head. “She doesn’t have time. She only works and takes me places like dancing school. And reads. She reads.”

  “All right, then! We can go to a bookstore,” he said as he slid Katie to the ground. “What does she like?”

  But Katie shrugged her shoulders. “Just books with no pictures. But…maybe they’re about magic. About disappearing. Yeah. How people disappear. That was one of ’em. Poof! They’re gone.”

  Jason swallowed hard. “You know what? A bouquet of flowers sounds good.” No red roses this time. Something lighter. Happier. Springtime.

  “I like flowers, Daddy.”

  “Good, you can help pick them out.”

  He approached the front door with his daughter just as Lila opened it. She wore a casual yellow suit today, slacks and jacket, hair tied loosely at her nape. Jason started to smile, until he looked closely at her face. Not good. Her makeup couldn’t hide the puffiness. Or the furrows on her brow. She seemed aware of them, too, with a pair of dark glasses dangling from her hand.

  He decided not to comment.

  “Did you get my message?” she asked, leading him inside toward the kitchen.

  “I didn’t check my machine. But I met Laura on the beach. We jogged a couple of miles.” He leaned casually against the table, watching her pour coffee into a cup for him. “Meet their terms, Lila. Offer the ten thou. I want the house.”

  The carafe wobbled, coffee splashed on the table, splashed on her. She quickly put the pot down, and turned away. “Excuse me, I have to change my blouse.”

  Jason grabbed a sponge from the sink and wiped up the mess. His daughter’s eyes followed his every movement.

  “Maybe I should give her my present now,” said Katie in a small voice. “Papa Bart won’t mind when I tell him.”

  Sad and scared. Everything Katie felt was written on her face. His daughter was still too young to hide her feelings, and he hoped she’d never hide them from him or Lila. He reached for a chair and scooped her onto his lap. “Mommy’s just a little mixed up now. She’s trying to figure out a problem.”

  “Oh. Problems like in math? I’m good in math. Maybe I could help her.”

  He held his child close, snuggled her. “You’re very good, Kathleen. In lots of ways. Just the best. But this math is full of equations you don’t know about.” Of course, it could also be very simple. How hard was one man plus one woman? And how complicated if the wrong man was substituted in the equation? He didn’t want to think about Fielding now, and refocused on Katie.

  “How would you like a special present today? It’s something that every kid in the world wants even though you can use it only at special times.”

  She turned in his lap, and put both her hands on his cheeks. “What? What?”

  He’d thought long and hard during the night about how to make his trip to L.A. easier on Katie. Short of taking her with him, he came up with one idea.

  “Cell phone.”

  As if he’d offered her the world, her eyes almost popped from her face. “A cell phone? Like the teenagers have?” She jumped from his lap and started running toward the back of the house calling for her mother, who was just returning.

  “A cell phone?” asked Lila, looking crisp and professional in a tailored white blouse. But her lips quivered, and she had to press them together.

  Jason’s heart went out to her—he recognized nerves wracked by indecision. Anxiety. Stress.

  He glanced at her hands. The ring was still on her finger. Damn it! Anyone could see Fielding wasn’t ready for a new wife. Lila would be shortchanged…unless, she didn’t want the skyrockets anymore.

  He thought of their kiss on the beach. The glow in her eyes every time she saw him. And felt marginally better. She wanted skyrockets. Just didn’t trust them.

  “When are we buying a cell phone?” asked Katie. She turned toward her mother. “Daddy said so.”

  “Come here, Lady Katie,” said Jason pulling out a chair for her. “You, too, Lila. She may need your help to understand.”

  Then he told Katie about his trip to California, and felt his heart shrivel when h
e saw her expression. “That’s why you’ll have your own phone. So you can call me anytime, day or night.”

  She turned to her mother. “Is he going to get lost again?”

  Lila shrugged, her expression bleak. But on whose behalf? Katie’s? Her own? “You’ll have to ask him.”

  Katie turned toward him, her heart in her eyes. “Do you have a map this time?” Literal child.

  He nodded. “My map takes me straight back to Pilgrim Cove and Sea View House. Then to Bay Road. And we’ll practice using your new phone before I leave. If you give me a piece of paper, I’ll write my number down for you.”

  That seemed to satisfy Katie. He pointed to the wall phone and asked Lila, “Can you call the Lindens now or their agent and get the offer down and accepted?”

  “Sure,” she replied, shrugging. “Money’s the easy part for you, isn’t it?”

  Her eyes challenged him before she put her hand on the phone. Was she asking about his personal finances? Or was she afraid that if money was no object, he’d be able to pick up and move whenever he felt like it? He decided to be completely open with her.

  “I’m not wealthy, Lila. But royalties are coming in regularly now, and my career is growing. Faster than I thought. However, it’s only about two years old.”

  “That’ll change when you get the royalties from that—that—water’s edge song that’s playing much too often if you ask me. Now, be quiet while I call.”

  She was right, but didn’t know how right. Jason listened with half an ear as Lila confirmed his offer for the house. His agent had told him last night that the first few days’ sales of the CD looked very promising. Luis Torres knew how to woo the ladies. And with Jason’s three songs on the album, earnings would roll in steadily for years to come.

  Lila hung up the phone. “The house is yours pending an inspection that we’ll arrange. Foundation, electrical, roof—all that. We can close June 15th. And then it’s yours for however long you want it.” She waited a moment. “Congratulations.” Not a smile.

  “Thank you.” He tried to match her lack of enthusiasm, but he couldn’t. “It’s my first house, Lila. Be happy for me.” He reached for her and whirled her around the floor while Katie cheered.

  “Oh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam…” he sang.

  She began to laugh. Her stiffness melted after one turn and her laughter turned to giggles. “That’s more like it,” he said.

  “Oh, Jase,” she said, leaning against him. “You always could make me laugh, and we always could laugh together.” The furrows had disappeared. Her eyes shone.

  He kissed her. Long and hard.

  Katie cheered again. “I’m telling Grandma.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  LILA HAD THREATENED their daughter with the loss of the cell phone, and Katie had immediately pantomimed zipping her lips.

  In that moment, Jason had understood the power of bribery.

  But now he and Katie were on their way to Quinn Real Estate and Property Management with gifts for Lila and with a new phone in Katie’s pocket. His child was beaming in all directions, even though she knew the restrictions.

  “But next year, I can use it for friends,” she said.

  “I didn’t say that.” He felt himself start to drown.

  “And next year’s almost here because summer’s almost here.”

  He didn’t quite follow her logic, but figured Lila would know how to handle this type of situation. He also understood the relief of having backup. How had she handled everything alone? Every decision. Even with input from her family and his, the final say had always been Lila’s.

  He glanced at the bouquet he held—a colorful mix—and decided he’d give her another one on Father’s Day. He put his free arm around Katie, delighted at how comfortable she acted with him. She seemed to believe that he’d be returning to Pilgrim Cove without a problem. He’d explained about business trips, and that he’d have to go to Los Angeles sometimes. “Or my songs won’t get on the radio.”

  Katie understood that.

  They bounded up the steps to Bart and Lila’s business and let themselves in. Jane Fisher greeted them from behind her computer.

  Katie raced over to her. “Hi, Aunt Jane. I got a cell phone just like Amy and April. Look!” She pulled the mobile from her pocket.

  “Pink! Oh, my. How beautiful!” She winked at Jason.

  “Two daughters, huh?” said Jason.

  “Twins. Graduating from high school this year.”

  Click. Click. Click. Jason’s mind went into action making connections. “Tell me about them.”

  “They’re good kids. My husband named one April because of their birth month, and one Amy because they were his ‘Little Women.’ He had sisters, you see, and knew all about that story.”

  The phone rang then, interrupting her recitation. Jason made a mental note to find out more while Katie led him toward Lila’s office across the hall.

  “Thought I heard you come in,” said a deep voice from the back of the building.

  “Bart! Good to see you.” Jason detoured to shake Bart’s hand. Katie showed off her phone.

  “Congratulations on the house. I can’t think of anyone I’d want more for a neighbor than you.”

  The man sounded sincere. No double meanings. No sarcasm.

  “Thanks, Bart. I appreciate it. And look forward to being on Bay Road.”

  “Me, too.” Katie had her say.

  Bart nodded at the flowers and the wrapped gift left on Jane’s desk. “You’ve been busy, it seems.”

  “That one’s from Katie,” said Jason, pointing at the package. “It’s special.”

  The old man twinkled. “Our Katie’s special, too. Let’s go spread the cheer.” He joined them as they walked into Lila’s office.

  She looked up from the notes on her desk and focused on Bart. In total business mode. “We’ve got electrical problems toward Land’s End. Can you call Ralph Bigelow and give him a heads-up? Do you think he’ll want the work, or should we call someone else?”

  “I’ll call him,” replied Bart. “He likes to be busy.”

  “A ROMEO thing?” asked Jason. Ralph was retired from the local utility company, and contracted his services now whenever he had the time. As he’d said more than once around the breakfast table at the Diner, “Retirement takes up a lot of time. Can’t remember being so busy.”

  Lila leaned back in her chair. “Yeah. A ROMEO thing. You should see them at breakfast, Jase. Figuring out how to solve all the problems of the town. Your dad, too.”

  He loved hearing her shorten his name like that, like his family often did. Meant she was starting to relax around him. “I’ve had breakfast with the boys already, sweetheart. I know.”

  And maybe he was too relaxed. He felt Bart’s eyes shoot toward him. Saw his smile start to grow.

  “Guess what, Papa Bart?” Katie chimed in. “Daddy kissed Mommy in the kitchen before. Ain’t that great?”

  And Jason learned that little girls couldn’t keep secrets, even with the loss of a cell phone hanging over their heads.

  “Kathleen!” said Lila.

  “But you only said not to tell Grandma, so Papa Bart doesn’t count.”

  He had to remember children thought in black-and-white terms. Everything had to be spelled out clearly.

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard in weeks,” said Bart, walking toward his great-granddaughter and giving her a hug. “You’re a fine lassie to share that.”

  “And it’s time for me to catch a ferry to Boston,” said Jason. He turned toward Bart. “Females are complicated.”

  “But you can’t live without ’em.”

  “Wouldn’t consider it.” He gave Katie a kiss. “Got my phone number?”

  She nodded. “But wait till Mommy opens my present.”

  Lila began ripping the paper fast. He got the message: leave! But then her hands stilled. Her mouth formed an O. “This is beautiful,” she whispered. “She can almost walk out
of the frame.”

  “Glad you like it,” said Jason, stepping behind her and looking once more at the picture of Katie he’d taken with his digital camera that morning. They’d gone to a one-hour development place, and after he purchased a silver frame, he’d set the photo inside and voilà—instant Mother’s Day gift. Perhaps better than the flowers.

  “I love it. It’s wonderful. Thank you. Thank you very much.” Her blue eyes shone, exuding a warmth he hadn’t seen directed at him lately.

  All right! Finally, a home run. He kissed Katie again, shook Bart’s hand and told Lila to stay well. Didn’t want to risk spoiling the mood with another kiss. “See you on Thursday afternoon when I get back from L.A.”

  As he left the office, he felt a pair of eyes burning into his retreating back. Just like the night before, except this time there was no veterinarian around. This time, the eyes belonged to Lila.

  WHAT TO DO. What to do. Lila paced her room that evening after dining with her family at the Lobster Pot, and after putting Katie to bed. Adam and Sara had been to New Hampshire again with his parents, and Lila realized she’d been granted a reprieve for the day.

  She looked at the ring she wore. A beautiful diamond symbolizing a pure love from the heart. But was that what she and Adam shared?

  Adam was a lovely man. And wise. Or at least, more experienced. But he was also a parent, and Lila knew like no one else did how much Sara meant to him. For Adam, his child would always come first. Heck, from their conversation last night, Eileen would also come first—at least for a while. What he’d said, however, made sense. They could have moved forward together with a fair start. And until Jason had reappeared, they’d had a fair start.

  She absently twisted the ring with her other hand as she paused in front of the window and looked out on the night. The quiet night. Suddenly, she needed to go outside. To see the moon and the familiar constellations of the northern sky. To hear the water gently lap against the rocks and the narrow shore of the bay. To smell the salt and the seaweed, the aromas she’d inhaled all her life. She walked quietly through the house, through the kitchen and onto the back screened porch. Grabbing an afghan and lifting the latch of the door, she made her way down to where the rock formations offered her a seat.