Mary Kate sank to her heels, so that she could look the child in the eye. “Come here, Jaime, please.”
The boy looked up at his mother for permission. Missy nodded affirmatively and gave the boy a firm, motherly shove.
“Jaime, do you have a favorite toy, something that you love a lot?” Mary Kate asked when Jaime stood before her.
The little boy nodded. “Yes.”
“What is it?”
“My teddy and my baseballs,” Jaime said. “My daddy gave me my baseball collection. His daddy started it for him.”
“How would you feel, Jaime, if someone went into your room, when you weren’t there, took a pair of scissors and tore apart your baseballs, leaving them in small pieces, then left a hate-filled note for you to read?” Mary Kate asked.
The little boy looked completely distressed as he realized the seriousness of what he had done. He began to cry soundlessly.
“Jaime, that’s how badly you’ve hurt me. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I only wanted you to go ‘way. Mommy and Unca Jason said you would cause trouble. I don’t want trouble,” the boy sobbed. “They said they couldn’t make you go ‘way.”
“You wanted to help Uncle Jason and Mommy?” Mary Kate asked, her voice gentle.
“I don’t want trouble,” the boy said once more strongly, almost defiantly. “I don’t want my gran’pa hurt. I don’t want bad people living in my house.”
Mary Kate smiled at the little boy. “Of course you don’t. No one does. I promise you that I have no intention of causing any trouble. And I’m not a bad person.”
“Mommy and Unca Jason don’t lie,” Jaime protested. “They said that you were going to hurt my gran’pa because you were a bad person. I don’t want my gran’pa hurt. I’m not gonna let my gran’pa get hurt. And I’m not gonna let bad people live here.”
“I don’t want to hurt your grandfather, Jaime. Harry is very important to me. I would never hurt him. Believe me.”
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The little boy’s tone became belligerent, as he repeated, “Mommy and Unca Jason don’t lie.” “Your mommy and Uncle Jason didn’t lie. They told the truth, as they saw it,” Mary Kate assured the
boy. Jaime looked puzzled. “Your mommy and Uncle Jason just didn’t really understand. Even grown-ups make mistakes
sometimes,” Mary Kate offered. “Even grownups sometimes are wrong about things, about people.” Jaime’s expression told her that this was a new concept to the child and that she had to tred lightly. “Really?” the boy asked in disbelief. Then he swung around to look at his mother. “Mommy? Do adults make mistakes, too?” The boy
demanded. Melissa nodded. “Even grownups make mistakes, Jaime,” she assured her son. “Sometimes, we make
serious mistakes.” The small boy’s face took on a very thoughtful expression. “You made a mistake, Unca Jason?” Jason looked at Mary Kate, then at his nephew. “I think that I may have, Jaime. Are you very
disappointed in me?” Jaime nodded negatively, then smiled slightly. “I’m not the only one who does bad things.” Mary Kate continued when the little boy twisted back around to face her, “Now, I want you to
understand this Jaime. Can you listen very carefully to me? It is very important that you try to understand this.
Will you try?” Jaime nodded seriously. “My mommy died a month ago. Harry is my daddy. I only came here to spend some time with my
daddy. Is that such a bad thing for me to want to do?” “Your mommy is dead?” Jaime asked. “My daddy is dead. I miss him. Do you miss your mommy?” Mary Kate nodded. “More than I can tell you, Jaime. It hurts so bad sometimes that…” her voice
trailed off. Jaime, with tears in his eyes, took the final steps to her, threw his arms around her neck, and whispered
to her, “Me, too. I miss my daddy. More than I can tell Mommy. She gets so sad, sometimes.” Mary Kate embraced the boy and let him cry on her shoulder. Her own tears flowed freely. Finally, Jaime seemed to cry himself out. “I’m so sorry. I was very bad,” he apologized through his
sniffles. “No. You weren’t bad. You did a bad thing. There’s no doubt about that. But, you are a good child,” Mary Kate replied. “It takes a good person, Jaime, to feel sorry for having hurt someone else. You have a lot
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of people who love you. You aren’t bad.” “I made you sad. I’m bad.”
She stroked the little boy’s hair. “No, Jaime. You’re not bad. You just did a bad thing. Everyone does bad things that hurt people from time to time. We just have to try not to do them, and to make it up to people when we fail. But everyone does bad things. And when we do, we have to say we’re sorry and try to make things right. But everyone does bad things from time to time.”
“Even you?” “Yeah, Jaime, especially me,” Mary Kate replied as she wiped the tears from his face. “I’m so sorry,” Jaime whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” “Are you ever going to do anything like this again?” Mary Kate demanded. “No,” the boy said, misery clear on his face. “Very well, Jaime. I accept your apology. But I want some help cleaning up the mess that you made on
the mirror. I’ll spare you the embarrassment of going to the store with me, when I take the pearls in to be restrung. No one but family has to know about this. Are we in agreement?” “Okay,” Jaime said. Then he turned and looked at his mother. “Mommy, can I pay to have the nec’lace fixed?” Missy nodded and smiled at her son. “I think that would be appropriate. And you have no television,
not even PBS or video tapes, for two weeks.” Jaime turned back to Mary Kate and pulled a face that his mother couldn’t see. Rascal! Mary Kate thought before she lightly kissed the little boy’s forehead. “We can be friends,
Jaime. Or we can be enemies. That’s your decision.” Mary Kate looked at Jason and Missy as she spoke. “All I want is to spend time with my father in peace. I would rather not have everyone angry at me about things that aren’t my fault. That isn’t so very much to ask. Is it?”
“If Gran’pa is your daddy, are you my mommy’s sister?” Missy’s face wore a strained expression. Jason looked upset. Mary Kate shook her head. “No, honey. Your grandfather was married to my mother before he married
your grandmother.” “Billy-Dean’s mommy and daddy are d’vorced. His mommy married anudder man. Billy-Dean never
sees his daddy. Is that what happened?” “Basically, but my mommy never remarried.” “Oh,” the little boy said. “Then why did you move away?” “That’s a very good question, Jaime. If I ever have the full answer to that question, I’ll let you know.”
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The boy stepped back from her a couple of paces. “Are you mad because you never saw your daddy when you were a litta girl?”
Mary Kate closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m just glad that I have the chance to know him now,” she said honestly looking at the boy. “Jaime, you don’t have to be worried about me. I’m not trying to take anyone’s place. All I want is a chance to be friends with my father. Can you understand that?”
Jaime nodded. “Do you have a litta boy?” “No, Jaime. I’m not married.” “Oh,” he said as he tried to process that information. “Nicky’s mother’s not married, and she has a litta
boy. Doya haveta be married to have babies?” Mary Kate felt her face grow warm. “Most people think so. But Jaime, I really think this is a
conversation that you need to have with your mother.” “Gee, thanks,” Missy replied dryly. Mary Kate looked at her and smiled. “I really don’t want to overstep,” she explained. “It’s not my
place to teach him values.” Missy smiled. “I appreciate that.” “Could I spend some time with Jaime?” Mary Kate asked. Missy questioned her, “Do you really want to?” “Very much. He’s precious, and precocious. I think that we’ll be fast friends, he and I.” Missy smiled broadly. “I have no objections, Mary Katherine.” “Mary Kate, to my friends,” she said. “That’s a dumb name. Who ever hearda
a girl with two first names?” Jaime complained. “Jaime!” his mother corrected. Mary Kate laughed. “You don’t think it’s so dumb that your friend Billy-Dean has two first names.” “That’s diff’rent. He’s a boy!”
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Chapter Nine Gil was on his way out of his door when the telephone rang. “Gil,” the woman said strongly, as soon as she heard the receiver picked up. “What’s happened?” “Jaime went into that girl’s room this morning and cut up her grandmother’s pearls.” “Oh?” “We shouldn’t underestimate the brat. She turned this all to her advantage without even raising her
voice. She got the kids both feeling guilty about how they’ve treated her. Missy’s now grudgingly willing to
admit that they have to give her a chance. Jase is close to there.” “Look, I’m supposed to be at the office in a half hour. I really don’t have time to talk now.” “I wish you would take this seriously, Gil. Jase’s offered her a job at Devlin. And she accepted. She
starts tomorrow. The brat is settling in for the long haul.” “Offered her a job? Doing what?” “Clerking in the accounting department. You know, as I do, that accounting is the last place that we
need her to be.”
“I see,” Gil replied. “If she gets out of line, we can use that to our advantage. She was engaged to a man who could have taught her all the fine points of the art of cooking books. It should be easy enough to create an appearance of her having implemented some of those techniques. Harry’s computer security is astonishingly lax, as we both well know. It is very easy to get money out of there. And even easier to hide the fact that you’ve done it.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. You’re so brilliant, my love.” “That’s one of the reasons that you keep me around, darling.” “It’s not the only reason,” she replied with a throaty laugh. “I have an appointment with a client in forty minutes.” “I’ll let you go, love.” “Please just don’t do anything rash. Let’s just sit back and see what happens.” “I’ve told you that I would,” the woman stated. “Why must you harp on me so?” “I really do have to go.” “Have a good day, love. I’ll see you at the cottage?” “I’ll be counting the minutes, Sweetheart. It’s been too long since we’ve been able to be together.” “Last week.” “A week away from you seems like an eternity,” Gil said, his voice smooth.
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“I wish we could come out in the open with our relationship. I wish there wasn’t the need to sneak around.”
“How many times have we been over this?” Gil replied his voice holding a hint of anger. “You know that we can’t come out of the shadows yet. Harry would never understand. You know that. Just be patient, love. You’ve got to work your end, while I work mine. In just a little while longer, we’ll be able to leave here and live a life of leisure. Only a few more things have to fall into place. Plans are proceeding nicely.”
“I know. My end is working fine. We’ll be ready to launch the next phase in a few weeks. But it worries me that the brat is going to add more complications to the plans.”
“Don’t worry about her. We’ll figure some way of reducing that threat,” Gil replied. “I’ve had some thoughts on the matter.”
“So have I. We need to talk in person.”
“Yes. At the cottage. I have to go. I can’t keep Amalie waiting.”
The female voice huffed, “Amalie! I wish you paid half as much attention to me as you do to your widows...”
“The widows are an essential component in our plan for retirement, love. I only do it for you, for us. They mean nothing to me.”
“Go to the office. I’ll be with you soon.”
“Goodbye, love.”
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Chapter Ten
Mary Kate and Harry went into town after the blood samples for the tests had been taken. Mary Kate had worn her one good summer weight skirted suit and her heels. She had dressed her hair into a soft, Victorian topnot. She knew she wasn’t going to embarrass her father with her appearance. She knew she looked perfectly acceptable.
Harry took her to one of the best jewelers in the area to have the pearls restrung. There were several very well dressed people in the store. Mary Kate felt their strong curiosity as she walked in on Harry’s arm.
The thirty-something handsome brown haired man who was the owner of the store greeted him by name and with great deference. “Mr. Devlin. This is an unexpected pleasure. How may I be of service to you, today?”
Mary Kate spoke up, as she handed the store owner a small box, “I need to have these restrung.”
The man looked at Harry then at Mary Kate, before he took the small box into which she had placed the pearls. He opened it and examined the pearls. “These are very fine. Old, but in excellent condition. There should be no problem restringing them for you. We’ll deliver them to you tomorrow.”
Mary Kate smiled. “Thank you.” “Where should I deliver them?” the shopkeeper asked. Harry smiled. “My house.” “Very good.” “Keith, as long as we’re here, I’d like to buy a homecoming present for my daughter,” Harry said. “You
haven’t met my daughter, Mary Katherine, have you? Mary Katherine, this is Keith Rogers.” Keith smiled, but Mary Kate could see the puzzlement in his eyes. “I haven’t had the pleasure. Miss Devlin?” “Mr. Rogers,” Mary Kate replied easily as he led them over to a display case. Then she turned her
attention back to her father. “I really don’t want you to buy me anything, Father. I don’t need anything.” Harry laughed. “M ary Katherine, pick out anything you want.” Mary Kate shook her head negatively. “I don’t want anything. Thank you, anyway.” Harry laughed. “Come on. Pick out some gorgeous bauble to adorn yourself with. How about that
diamond collar.” Keith brought the collar out for Mary Kate to see. “I’m really not a gorgeous bauble type of person,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I’ve always
been a bit too practical to carry it off properly. I feel ridiculous in heavy jewelry. However, this definitely
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qualifies as a gorgeous bauble. What is it, fifteen carats total weight?” Keith smiled at her genuinely as he handed it to her. “You certainly have an eye for jewelry. 15.25
carats in a platinum setting.” Mary Kate looked at the piece, carefully. “The workmanship is quite fine. And the stones are well cut.” Keith nodded. “It’s a fine piece.” She shook her head in agreement as she returned it to Keith. “It is beautiful,” she agreed. Then she
turned to her father. “But, it’s not my style, Father. I can’t imagine myself wearing it. I can see it on Audra, however. One almost needs to be as fair as she is to bring this piece off right. Why don’t you surprise her with the necklace? I’m sure she’d adore it.”
Harry smiled broadly. “I think you’re right, Mary Katherine. Audie would love that. Keith, wrap it up and put it on my account. Thank you, my dear. I was wondering what I would get her for our anniversary next week.”
Mary Kate laughed. “Glad to be of service, Father.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn. Pick out something more practical from Keith’s collection,” Harry suggested. “But we aren’t leaving here without getting you something to mark the occasion of your homecoming.”
“Pushy old man,” she stated with humor in her voice. “Unnatural child,” Harry told her with affection in his voice. Mary Kate laughed. She turned to Keith Rogers. “Fathers. By the way, you are to bill me, not my
father, for the restringing of my pearls.” “As long as you’re under my roof, you’ll let me pay your bills,” Harry told her in a tone which couldn’t be heard by anyone farther away than Keith. “That’s easy enough to remedy. I can find myself an apartment,” she replied, maintaining a similar volume. “Know this, Father. My bills are my own affair. I trust that you fully understand me?” Poor Keith looked like he had just swallowed a frog, whole. Harry smiled at her. “Completely.” He
turned his attention to Keith. “Bill her for the work.” “Very good. Now, w
hat can I show you, Miss Devlin?” Keith asked, with a smile. “Nothing. Thank you.” “Mary Katherine, I insist,” Harry replied. “And we’ve been through this already,” she replied. “I neither need nor want expensive gifts.” “You can pick something out, or I’ll surprise you.” Mary Kate rolled her eyes. “I see...” She walked around the displays. Keith kept up with her.
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“Those are very nice sapphires,” Mary Kate commented at one display.
Keith nodded. “Interested?”
“Don’t take this personally, Keith, but I really don’t wear much jewelry,” Mary Kate replied.
Keith smiled. “You really should. Beautiful women should be draped in sparkling gems and precious metals. You could show stunningly if you wore the right jewelry.”
Mary Kate laughed. “I’m sure you do think that, being in the business.”
Harry smiled. “Pick out something, Mary Katherine.”
Mary Kate turned to her father. “Jewelry just isn’t a great interest of mine, Father. I’m sorry.”
Harry sighed. “Very well. Jase and I have a meeting in about an hour. Drop me at the office, then you can have my car for the rest of your errands.”
“Thanks.”
* * *
Harry smiled at the animation and anticipation that had come into her eyes when he told her that she could drop him at the office. He now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only reason she was driving that ancient VW was because she couldn’t afford anything better. And he knew what the perfect gift for her would be. But he knew that he would have to time it just right, or she wouldn’t accept it. He tossed her his keys.
“Since you won’t let me buy you anything, then we won’t take up any more of Keith’s time. Thank you, Keith.”
“My pleasure, sir. Any time that I can be of service... Miss Devlin?”
“Mary Kate,” she told him.
“Mary Kate,” Keith replied with a smile. “Would you care to have dinner with me, sometime?”
Mary Kate smiled at the store owner and shook her head negatively. “Thank you, no. I’m not undertaking social engagements at this time since I remain in mourning for my mother.”
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