“I haven’t had time to do anything all week,” Josie said, placing some books on a shelf. “After being away for two weeks, those twelve-hour shifts at the hospital did me in!”
Natalie laughed and crossed the floor to help her. She opened a box beneath the window. “Where do you want the CDs?”
“You found them?” Josie ran to the door and called down the hall. “Brandon, Natalie found the CDs!”
“They were right here,” Natalie said when Brandon entered the room.
He shook his head and came to see for himself. “I thought all these boxes had books,” he said. “I didn’t even think to check in here.”
“Me neither,” Josie said. “Now if we can find the silverware, we’ll be all set.”
“You can’t find the silverware? What have you been eating with?”
“Plastic.”
Natalie laughed. “And I thought losing my favorite pair of jeans was bad.”
“Oh, I found them.” Josie rose from her spot and hurried out of the room.
Brandon took the box of CDs and headed for the family room. Natalie opened another one and took out some more books to place on the shelf, trying to remember if she had been the one to pack the silverware. She couldn’t recall.
Josie returned with her neatly folded jeans and also one of her sweaters. “I borrowed them, remember? I guess I put them in my laundry basket by mistake.”
“And your drawer too?”
“Well, I had a lot on my mind, you know.”
“Uh-huh. Like waiting to see if I would miss them!”
Natalie enjoyed the afternoon helping Josie get more settled into her new home and stayed for dinner and into the evening. Josie was still her sister, even if she was married, and she couldn’t ask for a better man to make her sister happy. Her depression began to lift. She didn’t feel as much like an outsider as she thought she might and knew they would welcome her into their home anytime.
She hadn’t mentioned anything about possibly returning to California sooner than planned, and she saw no need to say anything now. After her date with Michael last night, she knew staying to find out what might happen between them was a must. She ignored that little voice in her head saying, and if things do go well between you, what are you going to do when September rolls around?
She played Go Fish with Tommy and put him to bed at his request. She planned to leave soon after, but Josie asked her to stay and watch a movie with them, and she did.
“Are you coming to church tomorrow?” Josie asked when she walked her to the door.
“Yes. I’ll be there.” She gave her sister a hug. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You are always welcome. You know that, right?”
“I know,” she replied. “Oh, did I tell you Daddy’s coming?”
“No. When?”
“Sometime tomorrow. He’s going to be here all week.”
“Good. Maybe we could all get together one evening.”
On the drive home Natalie tried not to get her hopes up too much about her dad’s impending arrival. She didn’t know if he had work to do while he was here, or if he would have some time for her. She hoped to have a chance to show him some of her recent work and ask him about going backpacking with her sometime this summer.
A strange mixture of love, uncertainty, and fear swept through her concerning her relationship with him. Ten years ago she had felt the same. Is that how things would always remain between them, or could she finally have the chance to get beyond that? Would her father remain a mystery to her, or did she have any chance of getting to know him--really know him? If it didn’t happen now, she doubted it ever would.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Natalie climbed into bed at eleven-thirty on Sunday night, feeling disappointed Daddy had not arrived yet. He had called and left a message for her while she was at church that morning, letting her know his plane was arriving that evening. He didn’t give an exact time, so she had been waiting for his return since having a quiet dinner alone.
She hadn’t heard from Michael since Friday. He’d told her the band had a busy weekend, and he didn’t expect to get home until sometime late tonight. The void his absence left both amazed and scared her. She had never felt this way about any other guy, except Samuel. Michael had managed to get inside her heart even faster than him, but she couldn't figure out why. Others had been more charming and spontaneous, sweeping her off her feet with passionate kisses and intimate words. Samuel had been more subtle, but he was definitely a charmer.
Michael wasn’t exactly what she would call charming, but he had managed to make her feel special all the same. She wouldn’t see him for several more days, but he had promised to call, and she couldn’t wait to hear his voice again.
Taking the back stairs to the kitchen the following morning, she smelled breakfast cooking. Bacon and eggs--Daddy’s favorite. She quickened her pace, hoping to find him at the table.
“Good morning, baby,” he said, looking up from the newspaper in his hands.
“You made it! What time did you get in?”
“Not until this morning,” he said. “Big snow storm in Denver last night kept most of the flights grounded.”
“I’m glad I didn’t wait up,” she said, hugging him around the neck and giving him a light kiss on the cheek. “Did you get any sleep?”
“Enough,” he replied. “What are your plans for today?”
Natalie shrugged. “Nothing specific. I thought I might see if my dad had a few hours to spare,” she said, allowing hope to fill her voice.
Daddy smiled. “Believe it or not, I actually have the entire day free. What did you have in mind?”
Natalie began searching her memory for all the things she had thought about them doing together. One stood out above the others, but she didn’t know what he would think of the idea, so she hesitated to mention it.
“You know something I would like to do,” Daddy said before she had a chance to voice her own thoughts.
“What’s that?”
“I’d like to see some of your latest work. We had that planned last time and then I couldn’t stay as long as I wanted to.”
“And I had that assignment to go on,” Natalie added. “Which, by the way, turned out great. Did I tell you the editor gave me another big project?”
“No. Where to this time?”
She described the magazine’s plans for their special issue and her part in taking photos of Mount Hood and the surrounding area. Daddy’s eyes seemed to gleam with pride and envy.
“I was hoping you might be able to go with me for a few days,” she said. “I know I’m going to have to do at least one overnight trip to get some of the remote areas.”
Daddy smiled again. “You name the date, baby, and I’ll be there.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely,” he said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do this summer than go backpacking with my little girl.”
Natalie’s heart soared. She had expected a ‘maybe’, but not a definite yes. Still, she remained guarded. Daddy had made promises and broken them before.
They decided to wait until this evening to look at her slides from Europe and the local settings she had visited recently and spend the day touring some galleries around Portland as Natalie got up the nerve to suggest. They were about to head out the door when Daddy’s phone rang, halting him in his tracks.
Natalie froze in her spot. I knew it was too good to be true. It’s going to be important, and he’s going to bail on me--again. Why do I even try? Why do I set myself up to be disappointed?
“Hey, Josie. What’s up?” her dad said, halting her accusing thoughts.
He listened for a moment and then replied to Josie’s words. “Anytime is fine for me,” he said. “Let me put Natty on, and you can ask what’s good for her.”
He passed the phone over, and she said hello to her sister. Josie explained why she was calling. She wanted them both
to come over for dinner sometime this week.
“How about Thursday?” she said.
“Sounds good. What are you doing today?”
Natalie told her. “Do you want to come along?” she asked.
“No thanks,” she said with a mild laugh. “I know what your idea of spending the day at galleries is. You and Dad have fun though.”
“I’m sure we will,” she said. “I better go or half of it will be wasted.”
As predicted by her sister, the day did turn into a full day for the two of them, and Natalie couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed one more. Besides browsing the galleries, Daddy bought four works of art: an abstract painting for his office in Denver, a framed photo print of the Oregon High Desert for the house, and two of Silver Falls--one for himself and the other for her.
She protested at first, but his reminder of all the birthdays he had missed over the years erased any guilty conscience she had about Daddy spending money on her. And besides, she really loved the large print taken by the successful photographer whose work was featured in the large gallery. She hoped to be as good as that someday.
They had a leisurely late lunch at the Harborside Restaurant. Daddy surprised her with some news she wasn’t aware of. “I would love to take some of your work to my gallery in Boston. I think it would do well there.”
“I didn’t know you owned a gallery,” she said, placing her napkin over her empty plate. “When did you take that on?”
“Last year. I did it more as a favor to a friend who was in a financial slump and needed to sell, but it’s turned out to be a decent investment.”
“Do you think the buyer would agree?”
“He will if I tell him he will.”
“Daddy, I don’t want any special favors,” she wavered.
“Your work will speak for itself. I’m just helping you get your foot in the door. Do you think I got where I am today all on my own?”
“Thank you, Daddy. That would be great.”
“No problem, baby. You get some of your best stuff ready, and I’ll take them with me. I happen to be going to Boston next week.”
Natalie couldn’t stop thinking about her dad’s offer for the rest of the day. She felt a bit nervous about showing him her slides and updated portfolio that evening, thinking he may change his mind, but she didn’t need to worry. She didn’t know why his praise of her work surprised her. Maybe because she knew he was always honest when it came to constructive criticism. He had a few insights and suggestions of how she might improve, but she found his ideas helpful, not threatening.
Daddy seemed to sum up his critique with one final statement before they headed for bed. “You have a gift, baby. Don’t give up on it.”
Daddy kept busy the rest of the week and so did she. Mr. Trent called to offer her a small assignment for an upcoming fall segment and a larger one for a feature article on Silver Falls State Park. She spent Wednesday and Thursday morning on the campuses of some local colleges and got everything she needed with little effort. Photographing the Silver Falls area would require more research and time, however. But the deadline was two months away, so she could wait until next week to get started.
She also had a meeting on Wednesday afternoon with the rest of the team involved with the Mount Hood assignment. Most of the others had done previous work for the magazine, but they welcomed her without reservation. Apparently Mr. Trent had boasted about her already.
Natalie teamed up with the writers assigned to cover the areas she had been assigned to photograph, and they came up with some dates they could spend together in the wilderness, once in late May and again in July. Natalie was glad for the arrangement, knowing it would save her from having to seek out a guide on her own. With the two team excursions, some day-trips she would take alone, and a backpacking trip with her dad, she knew she would get sufficient coverage of the area.
On Thursday evening they went to Brandon and Josie’s for dinner. Brandon and Tommy gave them the complete tour of the fully restored turn-of-the-century Victorian home as Josie finished up with the dinner preparations. They hadn’t had time to unpack fully, and many boxes were piled in corners, but the rooms most used were functional and had been organized and decorated.
The formal living room had some new furniture she hadn’t seen yet. The family room was large enough for the two couches they already had, so they had gotten some new stuff for the more formal area.
Tommy’s bedroom looked similar to the way it had when she visited last weekend, but Josie had added a few more items. He had more space than at the apartment, and the room had much more charm with the slanted ceilings and large picture window overlooking the tree house in the backyard.
Josie and Brandon’s bedroom was breathtaking. White lace curtains hung elegantly from the turret windows overlooking the quiet street and the blooming apple tree in the side yard. A beautiful cherry four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room with a Battenburg lace covered down comforter. The Thomas Kinkade lighthouse painting Brandon had given her sister hung above the antique-style carved headboard.
The two other upstairs bedrooms only held stacks of boxes and miscellaneous items. Natalie knew her sister hoped to have the excuse to turn one of them into a nursery not too far in the future. Josie and Brandon had decided not to wait to try to add to their family.
Back downstairs a hallway led to Brandon’s office, a guest bedroom, a small den--mostly unfurnished and cluttered, and stairs that led to the attached garage and basement. The kitchen and dining room were functional but sparsely decorated as of yet. Josie said she’d never had any room to hang pictures, set trinkets, or hang curtains in the small apartment kitchen and was going to have to do some shopping to add some homeyness to those areas.
“I don’t care what’s on the walls,” Natalie teased. “All I want is some food.”
“Five more minutes,” she said, shuffling Tommy back into the dining room to finish setting the table. Apparently Josie had found the silverware. “Have a seat in the family room and watch that basketball game my husband can’t seem to take his eyes off of.”
Daddy followed Brandon into the room where she had watched a movie with Brandon and Josie last weekend, but Natalie stayed to talk with her sister.
“I love the bedroom,” she said. “Yours, I mean.”
Josie smiled. “I think I’d have to say that is my favorite room in the house.”
“Where did you find that bed? It’s gorgeous.”
“That was Brandon’s grandparents’,” she said opening the oven door and reaching for the hot dish inside. “They moved into a retirement community this year and gave us some of their antique furniture as a wedding gift. Jim and Sharon brought everything up for us on Sunday.”
Natalie helped put the food on the table. Once everything was ready and everyone was seated, they all held hands and Brandon thanked God with a sincere prayer before they dug into Josie’s famous lasagna. Corn, salad, and bread also pleased their taste buds as lively conversation danced around the table. Daddy seemed relaxed and appeared to enjoy the evening as if this was something they did all the time.
It was nice and yet Natalie didn’t feel entirely free to be herself in the “happy family” setting. It seemed genuine and fake at the same time. Happy, but almost too happy. Natalie envied the relationship Josie had with their father. Josie seemed comfortable around him, like she saw him every day instead of once every three months. He asked about her job as a nurse, and Josie had stories to share that captivated his interest. Then Brandon joined in, talking about his work as a computer programmer and website consultant. Her dad was fascinated. Even Brandon seemed more at ease having a conversation with him.
On the way home Daddy kept talking about Brandon and Josie’s work and new life together until Natalie began to get angry. Sure, he had seen her slides and complimented her work, but he hadn’t gone on and on about it at dinner. What did she have to do to get his attention? Win the Nobel Prize?
“Brandon seems like a great husband for your sister,” Daddy said. “It’s nice to see two people so happy together. Don’t see that much these days.”
“Mmm-huh,” Natalie murmured, biting the fingernail on her index finger.
“Is there anyone special in your life I should know about?”
Natalie stopped her nibbling and turned to face him. “What did Josie say?”
He smiled. “Oh, nothing much. Just something about Brandon’s cousin.”
Natalie couldn’t believe this. No one had talked about anything she was doing all night, except when she was out of the room apparently. “What did she tell you?” she repeated.
“Nothing,” he said. “That’s why I’m asking you. Josie asked if I’d met him, that’s all.”
Natalie wanted to shrug it off as nothing, but in her heart she knew it wasn’t. “His name is Michael. He’s the one that sang at Josie’s wedding, and that’s where I met him. We’ve been--seeing each other. But he’s very busy, and we’ve only been out a couple of times.”
“What does he do?”
Uh-oh. What will Daddy think of this?
“He’s a student,” she replied calmly.
“Is he the same age as you?”
“Yes. He worked for a few years and then decided to go back to school.”
“To do some graduate work?”
“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “He wants to be a youth pastor.”
Her dad remained silent for a moment. “I see,” he finally said. Nothing more was said on the subject.
Daddy announced he had some work to do when he got home and disappeared into his office. Natalie went to the kitchen and searched the refrigerator for something sweet. A pint of chocolate Häagen-Dazs ice cream was calling her name.
She retreated to her room and checked her cell phone for messages. Michael had replied to a message she had left for him earlier today. He said he would be home this evening if she wanted to try back anytime before eleven. It was 9:45 now, and she hesitated only a moment before accepting the invitation. He answered on the second ring, and they talked for two hours. He kept saying he needed to get some sleep, but then he would ask her something else and they’d talk for another fifteen minutes.
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