Their Surprise Daddy

by Ruth Logan Herne

The kids scrambled into the booth opposite the three old-timers while Sadie waved from behind the well-washed counter.

  “Say hey to the cutest bunch of early-mornin’ regulars I could possibly want! Mornin’, y’all! How are we today?”

  “Fine.” Rory beamed at Lily, then Sadie, as if everything was normal and nice. Cruz determined that he would follow her lead and they could discuss things later, away from little ears. “We’d love coffee if you’ve got some to spare, and chocolate milk for my friends.”

  “I’ll get that right away, and I hear congratulations are in order for the new chief of police and the Gallagher clan. A baby boy!” Sadie’s vibrant tone indicated she thought babies were the best things ever. “I can’t wait to see him, Rory.”

  “I should have known word would be out. The police force is worse than a bunch of old hens when it comes to gossip.” She started to sit as Cruz set his tablet onto the men’s table. He tapped a few things, then slid it toward the back of the table. “Here’s your Major League Baseball updates, gentlemen.”

  “You brung it?” Tyler Brown looked happy and surprised. “It’s a different thing, ain’t it? It looks different.”

  “Smaller, easier to carry.”

  “Hey, did you see that?” Badge poked Jim as a highlight touted a late-night catch by Mike Trout. “It ain’t half human for a body to leap that high, is it?”

  “It’s somethin’, sure ’nuff.” Tyler reached over and shook Cruz’s hand. “Thanks for totin’ it along. It makes the mornin’ real special.”

  “No problem.” He slid into the booth next to Javier. “Something smells wonderful, Sadie.”

  “Well, now.” Sadie rested the coffee carafe on the table and her other hand on her hip as she faced him. “I see we are beginnin’ to settle in if we’re startin’ to appreciate the smell of home cooking.” She poured his coffee and Rory’s, then hooked a thumb toward the kitchen. “Sal’s got a batch of well-done home fries, all mixed up with fresh chopped sweet onion, green peppers and parsley straight out of Tyler’s garden.”

  Tyler almost blushed for all his seventy-plus years.

  “No one grows sweet peppers or nicer critters than they do at Brown’s, just like no one used to be able to rival a spread like your mom and dad put on, Cruz, back in the day. They had a routine that bested just about every other place on the shore, do you remember that?”

  He did, and usually the memory was accompanied by a nasty stab to the gut, but when Sadie brought it up, it sounded nice. “I do.”

  “They made quite a team,” she went on as she pulled out her order pad. “When you worked at Casa Blanca, it was like a well-oiled machine from start to finish. At least it was back then,” she added, because it was pretty obvious the well-oiled machine had long since corroded.

  “Did you work there, Sadie?”

  She jutted her chin toward Lily and Javier. “I was waitstaff there when you and Elina jumped from hay bales to annoy goats and chickens. But then I got married and had a few kids, and those late nights for weddings were hard. Gus took over the diner from his daddy and they needed help. Still, it was a pleasure to see those fancy parties. I learned a lot, watching your mama, and I still use a lot of that knowledge today.”

  He didn’t remember Sadie, but he and Elina weren’t inside much in the early days. “Please tell me I was nice to you,” he said once they’d given their order, and she laughed.

  “You were a beautiful, busy little boy and your daddy doted on everything you did. There was many a time when your mama had to track him down because he went off playing with you kids. They were happy back then, but busy. Maybe too busy.”

  She went back to the kitchen.

  Cruz didn’t look at Rory. He knew she was studying him, analyzing Sadie’s words. He didn’t need analysis, but right now he wasn’t 100 percent sure what he did need.

  His phone signaled an incoming message. He lifted the phone, scanned Chen’s text and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

  Rory had set up tic-tac-toe boards on the back of the kids’ placemats. “We’ll be right here.”

  He walked outside and placed the call quickly. “Chen, what’s up?”

  “Problems in Asian markets. Our price for Hobaku just went up. Way up.”

  “Counter, Chen. You know what to do.”

  Chen sounded less certain. “They’re used to dealing with you. When I talk to them, they act insulted, as if they’re getting the junior varsity squad. And Rodney’s due back soon. He’s already all over me via text as if I’m a fresh-off-the-street know-nothing.”

  When Rodney Randolph got agitated, he spewed venom. It hadn’t happened in a while, partially because of the upmarket, but mostly because Cruz had been quite successful in setting up bundles and assets that made a rich man richer. “He’s mad at me, not you. You just happen to be in the line of fire, and I’m sorry about that. And with hedge fund values slipping, he’s on the rampage, although the man is richer than any group of ten would ever need to be.”

  “It’s making things tough here.” Chen wasn’t one to pretend. “But we’ll deal, Cruz. One way or another. Rodney’s threats just add a whole new level of discomfort to an already unpleasant situation.”

  Cruz paced the sidewalk, agitated. Rodney was using Cruz’s absence to be a jerk. He loved control, and didn’t like initiative unless it was to bank megabucks into the coffers, and while Chen was a Harvard Business School graduate, he didn’t have Cruz’s years of experience and Rodney wasn’t above feeding the younger man to the sharks.

  Breathe... Think... You’re upset by what Lily revealed. Don’t let it affect business. Separate the two.

  The reminder helped. “Play hardball. Walk away. Let them take the hit.”

  “And if we lose them?” Chen’s voice squeaked slightly, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d heard.

  “We gain the next one. Set the tone and the rules, Chen. Calm, cool and professional. They know there’s more fish in the sea. So do we. Report back later, but I’m tied up after three. On the personal side, were you able to cut the deal for the Belker offerings?”

  “Done. I contacted the local Realtor on the down low, offered fair value. She texted me acceptance. I contacted Washburn right away, and found out they’ve had Grace Haven on their priority list for years, but finding commercially zoned land big enough for development has been a problem. You’ve made them very happy, and you’ll get a significant profit.”

  “I appreciate you handling that.”

  “That’s what friends do, Cruz.”

  “Thanks, Chen.”

  “Glad to help. Who’s the p.m. conference with? Bennington Harvester?”

  “No.” He’d be contacting the international agricultural equipment company midmorning to talk about a potential takeover. “This afternoon I’m spending time with my mother. Like a normal person would.”

  “How’s she doing?”

  Funny. He and Chen never talked family at work. It was an unwritten rule to leave real life at the curb when you took that elevator ride. Because they dealt with sensitive matters and potentially stock-changing information, they couldn’t make calls or go online from the firm, except for chosen account avenues. For Chen to ask seemed nice—and out of place. “She’s dying.”

  “Cruz.” Chen paused and sighed. “I’m sorry, man.”

  So was Cruz. “I appreciate it. Keep me informed about Hobaku.”

  “Will do.”

  He walked back inside, torn.

  His colleagues were taking a mental and verbal smackdown because their boss was angry with him. It was a cowardly bullying tactic that shouldn’t be allowed.

  He slid back into the booth.

  Rory eyed him, concerned. He made a face and shrugged. He hadn’t realized how much two adults could say without words until he�
�d had to do it around kids.

  “I’m heading to the hospital from here. Steve’s going to be on hand when the medical equipment is dropped off at Casa Blanca later today. Mrs. Reichert has agreed to do the daytime shifts, and we’ve got a health-care aide coming in evenings. Once we have her back at the farm, I’d like the kids there as often as possible. I’ll be there with them the whole time,” he added, because Rosa was still under a court order to not be alone with the kids. “I think it would be good for everyone.”

  “I love being with my Mimi.” Javi slurped his chocolate milk through his straw. “Will she make me cookies with sprinkles? I wuv sprinkles so much, Cwuz!”

  “She doesn’t feel good, Javi.” Lily frowned at him. “She’s sick and you can’t make cookies when you’re sick.”

  “Well, maybe Cwuz can make them? I’ll help!” Ever the optimist, Javi turned innocent eyes his way.

  Rory chimed in. “I’m the cookie maker around here, and maybe we can make some when I’m done with school. I think Cruz is going to be busy trying to fix things at Mimi’s house, but summer preschool ends soon, and then there will be more time.”

  “Are fings broken?” Wide-eyed, Javi looked from her to Cruz. “I didn’t fink fings were bwoken, Cwuz.”

  “A few things,” he told the boy, frankly amazed at how endearing a little kid could be. Who knew? “Nothing I can’t fix.”

  “I bet you can fix everything, Cruz.” Lily’s look of confidence restored order to his frenetic, Manhattan-based world. “Mimi says you know everything.”

  Rory suddenly tapped her watch. “Guys, we’ve got to hit the road.”

  “I’ll drive you all to school.”

  She shook her head. “The walk does us good. We talk about things, we pray, we thank God for flowers...”

  “And sunshine!” Javi fist-pumped the air.

  “And squirrels and birds and candy.” Lily giggled when she added to the last. “Miss Rory loves candy so much.”

  Cruz stood. The children were trapped between them, but he was still close enough to catch the scents of sweet vanilla soap and coffee. They went well together, but he was beginning to realize that most things went well together when Rory was around. “Sweet tooth?”

  She frowned. “Terrible. Short women should be born with an allergy to carbs. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

  She made him smile.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this comfortable around a woman, not needing to impress them. With Rory, his wealth and standing were more likely to put her off than attract her, which was oddly refreshing. “Then I’ll walk you.”

  She looked up.

  He gazed down, and for the life of him, he didn’t want to break eye contact with her, but when Sadie handed him the check, he had to.

  Tyler lifted the electronic notebook. “Cruz, don’t forget your thing.”

  Cruz reached into his pocket and pulled out a charger, then handed it to Sadie. “Sadie, can we keep this one here for the guys to use in the mornings? I’m going to be busy at my mother’s for a while, and I’m not sure how often I’ll get in here first thing.”

  “I’d be happy to oblige.” She took the charger and tucked it behind the counter. “That way you boys will be ready to go every morning over coffee.”

  “That’s sure nice of you,” said Badge.

  “Real nice!” added Tyler. “Thanks, Cruz.”

  Their combined smiles helped dispel Rodney’s mean-spirited tactics, but Cruz knew he’d have to deal with his boss eventually, and probably sooner rather than later. “Glad to do it, boys.”

  As the group of them walked up Main Street toward the White Church, the urge to hold Rory’s hand seized him.

  He couldn’t, of course. Except it seemed like the right thing to do, and he almost did it when their fingers brushed, but they brushed because Rory was pointing to the opposite side of the road. “There’s my dream, right there, up for sale at the perfect time as long as I get my grant application written and approved.”

  He followed the direction of her hand and stopped in his tracks. “What?”

  “The Belker buildings. Not all of them, of course, but the old house in back there, facing Jackson Road. It’s the perfect location for a day school.”

  “What is a day school?”

  “A combined preschool and kindergarten. My goal is to begin one for disadvantaged kids. That way low-income families would have access to pre-K and start school totally prepared for success.”

  What were the chances that they’d both be looking at the very same piece of property in the town? “Why there?”

  “If they divide the parcel, I think I can get the house at a decent price. That way I can build equity while the school gets off the ground.”

  There had to be other locations for a preschool, but as he was thinking, they came to the hand-lettered sign pointing to the rear of the White Church and he realized maybe there weren’t a lot of other places. He also knew that a hotel or inn needed adequate parking, so cutting off a piece of the property wasn’t possible. With no parking square footage, the value of the property would nose-dive considerably. “Have you thought of building a school?”

  She made a crazy face. “If I get my grant written, and if they allow me the financing to start the school, I’ll be fortunate to be able to manage the down payment and upgrades on the Belker house. The grant doesn’t give the kind of money I’d need to build from the ground up. And besides, I like the idea of a quaint house, a yard, a more homelike feeling. No, that’s my dream, right there.” She looked back down the road and smiled, and her smile just about crushed his heart in his chest. “Miss Flora Belker is looking into things for me. I talked with her the other day. If it’s meant to happen, it will happen.”

  He didn’t know what to say. She already thought he was money-crazy. What would she think when she found out about him buying a chunk of land on the spot just to resell it to a higher bidder and walk away with a significant profit?

  He knew what she’d think, and it wasn’t anything good.

  “I’ll keep the kids today so you can stay with Rosa, and then tomorrow I’ll drop them off at the farm to stay with you. That way they keep up on their lessons, and you have time to get work done. Cruz, you know that fixing up Casa Blanca is a huge undertaking, don’t you?”

  Oh, he knew that, all right.

  Plus he realized he was quite possibly ruining her dream, her school for disadvantaged kids. What kind of person did that?

  Lily hugged him tight, then Javi jumped into his arms, wanting a hug, and when he set him down, what he wanted to do was to pull Rory into his arms, too, and hug her goodbye. To thank her for the example she set and the warmth she effused, and the black-and-yellow sundress wasn’t anything a smart man shrugged off, either.

  She smiled at the kids, then tipped that same smile up to him. “Give our love to Rosa, all right?”

  Keep it simple. Uninvolved. Because when she realizes what you’ve done, she’ll most likely kill you.

  He stepped back. “I will. I’ll call if there’s any change.”

  “Of course.”

  She took the kids’ hands and headed up the church driveway, unaware that he’d swept her property out from under her under a proxy name.

  She’d think he’d done it to hide, and he had, in a way, but only so the price wouldn’t go up. Which didn’t make him feel like any less of a scoundrel.

  He walked back to the Gallagher house, got into his car and headed north to the hospital just outside Rochester. He’d figure this out, somehow, but right now he had to do something he’d never done before. He had to swallow his pride and put his mother first. Then he’d tackle the rest.

  Chapter Nine

  When Rory made the turn into Casa Blanca that afternoon, Javi si
ghed out loud. “I just wuv this pwace so much.” His voice took on a dreamlike tone, which was partially because he did love the big grape farm, but also because he was a little boy who simply wanted to go home.

  “I know, little man, and that’s why we’re here. Cruz is meeting us and I do believe he’s bringing fried chicken.”

  “I don’t like bones!” Lily looked like she’d prefer death to bones, with little room for discussion.

  “Me eever,” declared her little brother. “Mimi never makes us eat chicken wif bones. Not ever ever.”

  She should have told Cruz to get nuggets. Didn’t most kids love chicken nuggets? Why didn’t she tell Cruz to get the boneless bites kids love?

  He pulled into the drive as Regina Reichert came through the front door with Uncle Steve. The kids dashed up to see Regina, their nearest neighbor before Brian Gallagher’s farm up the road, and Rory intercepted Cruz as he stepped out of the car. “Please say you got nuggets.”

  “What?” He stepped out, looking downright puzzled, then smiled when he understood the question. “I did, actually, because the gal at the window said most kids prefer nuggets and I’m all about making kids happy these days.”

  She grabbed his arm. “I’m so glad! The kids were about to mutiny over the thought of eating bones.”

  “How can there be anyone who doesn’t love fried chicken?”

  “I can’t even.”

  He laughed, and then he slung an arm around her shoulders as if it belonged there...or as if they were long-lost friends, which they weren’t. “I love the way you talk.”

  She paused and made him pause, too. “As opposed to the way Manhattan women talk?”

  He didn’t answer, and when he walked up the steps with her, he removed his arm from her shoulders to shake Regina’s hand. “Thank you for coming on board with this, Mrs. Reichert.”

  “I was happy to do it, but call me Regina, okay?” she told him. “Since I lost my husband, life’s been a circle of I-don’t-know-whats, spinning here and there, so taking care of your mother will help ease me back into a workforce I left a long time ago. She’ll get the best care I can give, Cruz.”