A Decent Proposal

by Teresa Southwick

  Burke figured he could take whatever the boy dished out, but Sydney didn’t need this. “Liam—”

  The child stood and headed for the door. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

  When he was gone Burke blew out a long breath. “What a charmer.”

  “He takes after you,” she teased.

  “Wow, feel the love.” He slid her a wry glance. “Seriously, Syd, I’m sorry about that. He has issues with me but normally he’s polite to strangers.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’d be willing to bet that giant chip on his shoulder is all about being a scared kid whose whole world just turned upside down.”

  “I’d be glad if you’re right because I pretty much decided it had more to do with him hating me.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” she said.

  Burke figured she was wrong about that. He’d gone through a phase of not liking his own father very much. After Burke let go of any expectations for the old man, he and Walker Holden had reached a state of benign coexistence. They tolerated each other when necessary. His expectations of the relationship with his own son were higher than that, but it looked as if that was doomed to failure.

  “Fingers crossed that you’re right and going to school will help. By the way, I had to put down an emergency contact number and I gave them yours. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not a problem. They probably won’t need it but I’m happy to help if necessary. It’s the way folks roll here in Blackwater Lake.” She actually looked as if she meant what she’d said.

  “Thanks.” He glanced out to his assistant’s desk. “Lydia’s back. She’s not going to like what I’m going to ask her to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I have a meeting this afternoon. It has to be canceled and rescheduled.”

  “Because of Liam. You can’t take him with you?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “A difficult eight-year-old would be a distraction. And I can’t really blame him. If I had to listen to a bunch of grown-ups talking for hours, I’d be difficult, too.”

  “See? You get where he’s coming from.” She smiled at him, then stood and walked closer. “Your instincts are spot-on. You, sir, are your own worst critic.”

  “No. I think Liam takes first place on that.”

  She sighed. “My father always said it’s in the rules and part of the job description that kids are going to give their parents a hard time.” She tapped her lip. “And speaking of Dad, I just had an idea.”

  “About what?”

  “How to not annoy your executive assistant.” She met his gaze. “Liam doesn’t want to be cooped up here. How about if I take him to the garage with me?”

  “But you have to work. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

  “You didn’t. I volunteered. And my dad won’t mind. He always brought me there when I was a little girl. He managed to work with a child around.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “We can find stuff to keep him busy, although, fair warning, he might get dirty.”

  “I don’t care about that,” he said.

  “Then it’s settled.” During the short silence her eyes narrowed. “Unless you don’t trust me.”

  “Of course I do. It just seems like an imposition.”

  “I would tell you if it was. Or I’d have kept my mouth shut and not offered in the first place.”

  Burke couldn’t fault that reasoning and finally said, “Okay. Thanks. I don’t know how I can repay you for this, but I really owe you.”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  The saucy, suggestive look in her eyes heated his blood and threatened to fry his brain. He had some ideas that brought to mind twisted sheets and tangled legs, and fervently hoped what she thought of as payback would be along those lines.

  * * *

  “And who do we have here? Is this your young apprentice?”

  Syd recognized her father’s voice and the veiled reference to Star Wars, but was surprised that he’d managed to approach without her hearing. Looking down at Liam, who moved a little closer beside her, she figured that it was because she had a thing or two on her mind.

  “Dad, this is Liam Holden, Burke’s son. Liam, this is my father, Tom McKnight.”

  The little boy held out his hand and solemnly said, “How do you do, Mr. McKnight. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I didn’t know Burke had a son.” Her dad leaned over and shook hands then gave her a look that said this level of good manners and courtesy wasn’t normal for a kid his age. “You’re very polite, son.”

  “My dad told me I have to be.”

  “He’s right.” Her father nodded approvingly. “It sure helps smooth the way with people you meet.”

  “I guess.” Liam lifted a thin shoulder.

  “Welcome to Blackwater Lake, Liam. How do you like it so far?”

  “Thank you, sir. And so far it’s boring.”

  “I guess your dad told you to be honest, too,” Tom said drily.

  “Yes, sir.” Liam glanced up at her. “But it’s a little better since Sydney came to see my dad.”

  Tom looked at her, then the boy. “Ah.”

  “I stopped by Burke’s office and offered to bring Liam over here. He’s been very helpful. Watching and handing me tools.” If the dirt stains on the front of his shirt and pants were anything to go by, the kid was having the time of his life.

  Her father’s eyebrows lifted. “You know only employees are allowed in the service bay.”

  “That’s why we’re not in the service bay.” The car was just outside with her rolling toolbox beside it. “It’s a beautiful day so I pulled it out here to do the tune-up.”

  “I see.”

  She met his gaze and felt a compulsion to defend her actions, not unlike when she’d been a teenager. “The housekeeper who cares for Liam has suddenly taken ill and Burke brought him back to Blackwater Lake. He was cooped up in his father’s office and bored to tears.”

  “I wasn’t crying,” Liam explained. “I’m not a crybaby.”

  “Of course you’re not and I didn’t mean to imply that. It’s just an expression to explain how bored you actually were.”

  “Really bored,” he said vehemently.

  “Burke had a meeting this afternoon and he was going to cancel it. I figured helping out would be...helpful. Isn’t that what folks here in Blackwater Lake do?”

  “You’re working, too,” her father pointed out, ignoring the question.

  “But my job is different. It’s more flexible. And fun.”

  “This is an awesome place, Mr. McKnight.”

  “Call me Tom.”

  “Yes, sir. I mean Tom,” Liam said.

  Syd knew her father and knew by the expression on his face that he was struggling with something. Part of it could be that she hadn’t told him Burke had a child.

  Finally he said to the boy, “Would you like a soda, Liam?”

  “Dad,” she interjected, “I don’t know if soda is the best drink—” The warning look in his eyes made her stop talking. Funny how he could still do that even though she was all grown up.

  “It won’t hurt him. You used to have one almost every day after school.”

  “Sydney got to come here when she was a kid?” Liam’s tone said that had to be on a par with going to an amusement park. When her father nodded, he said, “Cool.”

  “So, Liam, would you like something to drink?”

  “That would be awesome.”

  “Okay. Let’s go to my office.”

  After they left, she started a visual inspection beneath the hood of the car. She checked the drive and serpentine belts. They looked loose and would need adjustment so she turned her attention to the tens
ion pulleys.

  She could do this in her sleep and her mind wandered while she worked. Something about the little boy tugged at her heart. He was the spitting image of Burke—brown hair, blue eyes and a smile that would melt a woman’s heart. In about ten years he was going to be pretty hard for girls to resist.

  The fact that he favored his father gave her a sense of poetic justice on Burke’s behalf. It would have been so wrong for this boy to take after the woman who’d walked out and didn’t fight for custody.

  The same woman who had made Burke anti-marriage and children. That was just a darn shame because the man had a lot to offer a woman.

  In hindsight, she realized it probably wasn’t the smartest move to go see him, but her car kind of steered its way over. When it was time for the next service on her vehicle, she’d be sure to check that out. Curiosity was annoying and inconvenient, but also a powerful motivator. After not hearing from him, she just had to find out how things were going and it was a good thing she had. They’d barely walked out of Burke’s office and the kid’s hostile attitude disappeared. Maybe the two Holden men being stuck with each other for a while was a blessing in disguise, forcing them to work through their issues.

  Behind her she heard footsteps and voices. As the older man and young boy walked toward her, she smiled. Her dad had a way with kids and Liam looked completely comfortable, chatting away as if he’d known Tom McKnight for years instead of minutes. He had a soda in one hand and two small cars in the other.

  “Where’d you get those?” she asked, nodding at the toys.

  “One was Alex’s and the other Ben’s. The boys used to play with them here when your mother needed the afternoon for errands or just some time off to recharge her battery.” He smiled at the pun.

  “I’m surprised you still have them,” she said, a lump in her throat.

  Her dad shrugged. “I just found them in a drawer.”

  Right, and she was the princess of an exotic foreign country. The man didn’t like clutter and cleaned out on a regular basis. He’d kept these two toy cars for sentimental reasons and she loved him for it.

  “You’re a big softie.”

  Liam looked up at her. “Your dad said you didn’t like toy cars. You wanted to play with the real thing.”

  “That’s true,” she confirmed. “Do you like cars, Liam?”

  “Yeah.” He glanced up at her father, the beginnings of hero worship in his eyes. “Tom said he would let me look at an engine. And touch it.”

  “That old one out back that you used to practice on when you were a kid,” her dad clarified. “A little hands-on experience.”

  There was no reason to keep that old hunk of metal except as another sentimental gesture. With a heart that soft, no wonder he’d grieved the loss of his wife for so long.

  She crouched down in front of Liam. “Is that what you want to do?”

  “Yeah.” Blue eyes so like his father’s were bright with excitement.

  “Okay.” She should have thought of that. Rookie mistake. Pulling the rag from her back pocket, she started to wipe her hands. “I’ll take you back there—”

  “No need. Finish what you’re doing. I’ll take him.” His eyes twinkled. “I miss having a young apprentice.”

  She said it again. “You’re just a big softie.”

  “If that information gets around, I’ll know who spread the rumor,” he teased. “And I’ll deny everything.”

  “I’ve got a news flash for you, big guy.” Syd stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “It’s not a secret.”

  “Remind me to have a word with your brothers about that.” He dropped a big hand on the small shoulder. “Come along, Liam.”

  “Do we need tools or anything?” Liam’s expression was full of awe, with a dash of excitement mixed in for good measure. “Sydney has a whole bunch of them in that big red box with the wheels on it.”

  “No tools yet,” her dad explained. “At first you just have to look and learn the names of everything.”

  “Will you teach me?”

  “Sure.”

  The two walked around the service bay building and disappeared. The sight of her father taking the young boy under his wing brought back so many memories of hanging out here when she was little. Either school had been out and there was no child care. Or the babysitter got sick. Whatever the reason, when she had no place to go and no one to keep an eye on her she’d come to McKnight Automotive. Her father was her hero and she’d wanted to do what he did.

  Until now it had never occurred to her how complicated raising a little girl without a mother could be. When her brothers were little, her mother had been around. Losing her when his daughter was born had to have been so hard on her dad. Harder than Syd could even imagine. Bringing a new baby into the world should have been a happy event, but when you lost the love of your life that would leave a mark on the soul.

  The realization made her more determined than ever to make sure her dad got his second chance at happiness. If that required a little subterfuge then so be it.

  Whatever the circumstances, being a single parent was a lot harder than she’d ever thought and Burke was struggling with it. She’d been lucky to live in Blackwater Lake, where neighbors stepped in to lend a hand.

  He wasn’t staying, but he was here now. And she would help him.

  Chapter Nine

  A few days after meeting Liam and bringing him to work, Sydney got a call from Burke. The good news was the kid was finally in school. The bad news: there was an emergency. Burke was tied up in a permit meeting, an emergency of his own. He asked if there was any way she could pick up the boy, and promised to get away as soon as possible. Although she would have done it anyway, the worry and stress in his voice made her feel sorry for him and convinced her to help out.

  She let her dad know what was going on and headed over to Blackwater Lake Elementary, which was about ten minutes beyond the garage on the north side of town. After parking in the lot, she headed up the sidewalk, past the flagpole and into the office at the front of the school.

  It hadn’t changed much since she’d been a student there. Blue industrial-strength carpet, pale yellow walls and the tall information desk that didn’t seem quite as tall as it had when she’d been a student here.

  Liam was sitting on the orange plastic seat of a chair against the wall. Another boy was there, too, with a chair between them. He was about the same age and looked familiar.

  “May I help you?” There was a middle-aged woman standing behind the desk.

  “Yes. I’m Sydney McKnight. I’m the emergency contact for Liam Holden.”

  “I talked to his father.” The woman nodded. “There’s been an incident—”

  The office door opened behind her and Syd turned to see who it was. Violet walked in, looked at the boys, then noticed Syd standing there. She came over to the desk.

  “Hi, Cheryl. I got a call about Todd.”

  “Yes. I was just about to explain the situation to Sydney.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s the emergency contact for the other boy involved. Burke Holden is his father.”

  “The multibazillionaire who’s building the resort?”

  “That’s the one,” Cheryl confirmed. “Anyway, Todd and Liam were fighting at recess. Blackwater Lake Elementary has a zero-tolerance policy about that sort of thing.”

  “Did Todd start it?” Violet asked.

  Before the woman could answer Sydney said, “Doesn’t matter. They both get sent home.”

  “That’s right,” the woman confirmed.

  Violet looked surprised. “How did you know?”

  “Because I’m sure things haven’t changed and I have brothers. I bet your sisters never got sent home for fighting on the playground.”

  �
�You’d win that bet.” She turned to glance at her son. “This is a new experience for me.”

  “The boys can come back tomorrow,” Cheryl said. “And hopefully with the time to think about this, their attitudes will have improved.”

  “So we’re finished here?” Syd asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” She turned to Liam, who didn’t appear especially combative. He looked small, a little scared and a lot sorry. “Let’s go, kiddo.”

  Violet walked over to her blond, blue-eyed son. “Come on, Todd.”

  The boys picked up their backpacks and the four of them walked outside.

  When they got to the sidewalk beside the flagpole, Syd put her hand on Liam’s shoulder and stopped. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “No.”

  Violet coughed and Syd didn’t dare look at her because she knew that was an attempt to cover a laugh. Syd had walked right into that one. Of course he didn’t want to tell her what went on.

  “It’s almost lunchtime.” Violet was checking her watch. “What do you say we sort this out over burgers and fries at the diner? I have to tell my boss why I’ll be a little late for my shift anyway.”

  “Why?” Syd asked.

  The other woman looked at her son. “I didn’t plan on needing child care this early in the day. When I’m working, a high school girl comes over and is there to meet the kids when they get home from school. She gets them snacks and supervises homework until Charlie gets off work.”

  “I see.”

  She thought over the idea of lunch and remembered once asking her dad why he always took her brothers out to eat when they were in trouble. His answer: he had them for at least an hour and they had to talk. Usually he got useful information. The wisdom of it had never been clear to her until now.

  “Okay,” she said to Violet. “The diner it is.”

  They separated and took their respective vehicles into town and parked in the rear lot behind the Grizzly Bear Diner. After going inside Violet arranged for a table then talked to Michelle Crawford about her predicament. Syd texted Burke that she had Liam and let him know where they were. In a few minutes Violet joined them at a booth in the back and took the vacant seat beside her son.