A Father for Danny

by Janice Carter

  Sam wished he’d get on with it, but didn’t dare interrupt.

  “But suppose it did happen. I know some kids whose parents split up and they have stepmothers and fathers and all that. My friend Jeff tells me things are okay for him now, but he still misses the way his family used to be.” Danny raised his voice. “I know my mom is going to die. Nobody really talks about it, but I know, okay?” He shot her a defiant look.

  It was all she could do not to get up and go over to him. In spite of his expression, he fairly screamed pain. She couldn’t speak for a long moment. “We don’t talk about it, Danny, because—like you—no one wants to think about it. Maybe people do that, hoping the reality is never going to happen. All of this—knowing someone who’s dying—is all new to me, too.”

  He seemed to mull that over. “Yeah, I guess. But see, the point of looking for my father was so I’d have someone after Mom…and so I wouldn’t have to go into a foster home. If my…if Chase meets someone and falls in love and gets married and has kids…well, he may not want me around anymore. I’m not a cute little kid and I have problems at school and things on my mind and all that kind of stuff.”

  Sam knew right away what he was getting at. “You’re worried that your father may want to start a new life with someone and you won’t fit into it. Your mother will be gone and you’ll have no one,” she said softly.

  He looked up. His eyes were red. “Yeah,” he whispered.

  Sam fended off an overwhelming urge to cry. She took a deep breath and said, “Chase would never in a million years do that, Danny. And I’m not talking about just accepting responsibility for you. He wants to know you—as a person and as a son. You’re both still in the process of finding out about each other. It takes time. But believe me, if Chase didn’t care about you, he’d simply write a check and hand it to your mother. Why do you think he took you to Harbor House the other day to meet his mother?”

  Danny flushed. “I wasn’t very nice that day, not when we first got there. I didn’t know why he dragged me to an old people’s home. But then after I met Martha, I kinda figured it out.”

  “What did you figure out?”

  Another shrug. “That he wanted me to know something about him and his childhood.” He stopped for a minute. “It was weird how she thought I was him as a kid. Afterward I wondered if it made him feel bad.”

  “Maybe he felt sad for a few seconds, but then I think he felt really good about how nice you were to Martha. And how you didn’t correct her about the confusion. I think he was very proud of you.”

  “Really?”

  Sam nodded. She felt a lump in her throat at the hope in his voice. “And there’s another thing, Danny. You may have started out as my client—” she paused, smiling “—but you’ve ended up as a friend. Friends stick together, right?”

  “Yeah,” he whispered.

  After a moment, Sam said, “I have an idea and you can say no if you like. How about coming with me over to my mom’s place for the day? I’ll introduce you to my twin and we can all hang out.”

  When Danny agreed, she smiled. “Here,” she said, handing him the TV remote, “entertain yourself while I dress and call my mother.”

  On the drive to Nina’s, Sam filled Danny in on a few basic particulars of her life.

  “What’s it like being a twin?” he asked. “Do you dress the same?”

  Sam laughed. “Heavens no. I think our mother did that when we were babies, but she wanted us to develop our own personalities. We were always put in different classrooms at school, if possible, so we would focus on making our own friends and not rely on each other for companionship.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. Do you ever do stuff together?”

  “We used to, when we were younger and still living at home. But we went to different colleges and now Skye—that’s her name—lives and works in Washington, D.C.”

  “Yeah? Skye, that’s a neat name.”

  “She always said she got the best name because she was born first. She’s fifteen minutes older than me.”

  “Samantha’s a nice name, too,” Danny quickly said.

  “She’s an FBI agent.”

  “Cool!” Danny turned her way, his jaw dropping. “Does she have a gun and everything?”

  “Oh, yes, though I’ve never seen it. She may not have it here because she’s on holidays.” Supposedly. Sam wondered if Skye had made a decision yet about helping her and Chase get evidence against Trade Winds.

  She found out soon enough. “He’s cute,” Skye whispered as Danny headed farther into the foyer to meet Nina. “So are we babysitting today or what? Mom said our shopping expedition was on hold.”

  Sam turned to face her sister. “I think Danny would be very offended by that suggestion, Skye. He’s been looking after a terminally ill mother for the past six months.”

  “Sheesh, lighten up. But seriously, what’s happening? I thought you and Chase were all hot to track down Nancy Wicks.”

  Sam pulled her by the arm to an alcove at the end of the hall. “Are you going to help us with this or not?”

  “I don’t know. The thing is, I’m in a bit of trouble over the Trade Winds thing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I had a call from my section head this morning.”

  “This morning?”

  “Well, it was noon his time but still Saturday.”

  “What about?”

  “He had a call from the head of the field office here, who apparently had another call from some muckety-muck in the state government who just happened to be an old buddy of…”

  “Bryant Sullivan?”

  “You guessed it. Anyway, Sullivan has accused me of harassment and since the case hasn’t been officially opened, I was warned off.”

  “How?”

  “Keep away from the place and the people or risk suspension.”

  “Oh, Skye. That’s serious.”

  She looked away. “Especially since it would be my second suspension.”

  “Your second! When was the other time?”

  “Just before Christmas. Another reason for my bad behavior.”

  Sam narrowed her eyes. “I hope you’re not trying to justify what you did.”

  “No, I’m not,” Skye said angrily, turning toward her. “I’m only saying it was just one more problem I was dealing with at the time. Can we drop it now? Mom’s headed our way.”

  “I asked Danny if he’d like us to take him sightseeing,” Nina said as she came up to them. “He would. Can you believe he’s never been to Chinatown or up the Space Needle? So is that okay by you, Sam?”

  “Sounds great,” Sam said.

  “Wait a minute, Sam,” Skye said. “You and I were planning a little expedition, weren’t we?”

  “Shopping?” Nina asked.

  “Sort of. Just checking out something,” Skye said.

  Sam gnawed on her lip. She knew if she turned Skye down, her sister might not give her a second chance. “Do you mind taking Danny on your own, Mom?”

  “Not at all, but you’d better speak to Danny, Sam, because he thinks you’re spending time with him today.” She walked off to join Danny, who was wandering through the living room.

  “What kind of expedition are you talking about?” Sam asked Skye.

  “Going to see Nancy Wicks.”

  “But I did tell Danny we’d do something together.”

  “Come here.” Skye pulled Sam by the arm to the entrance to the living room. Sam could see Danny and Nina deep in conversation in the solarium at the end of the room. “I think Nina’s got you covered for part of the day, at least.”

  “What about that suspension thing?”

  “I’ll stay in the background. Besides, this Nancy doesn’t know me at all. We don’t even have to mention the FBI.”

  “You mean, I should ask the questions?”

  “Don’t sound so horrified. We’ll talk about what to ask on the way.”

  “I don’t even know wher
e she lives.”

  Skye rolled her eyes. “Really, Sam, you make a lousy P.I. She’s in the phone book.”

  “We have to see if Chase can come.”

  “Why? We can do this on our own.”

  “But he knows Nancy. And this concerns him most of all. He has to be there. Why the look? Do you have a problem with him coming?”

  Skye turned away, heading for her bedroom. “No, just that I’ll feel like a third wheel or something.”

  “What? Tell me you don’t mean what I think you do.” She marched after her sister.

  Skye stopped and turned away. “You know exactly what I mean. I was only with the two of you last night for an hour, tops, and it was like dodging blanks on a maneuvers course.”

  “Oh, come on.”

  “The looks, Sam. The checking each other out. Whatever you want to call it. I’m surprised our hair wasn’t standing on end with all the electricity zinging around the room.”

  Sam dropped her hand from Skye’s arm. “If I seemed to be looking at Chase a lot, it was because I wanted to see his reaction to what you were saying about the fraud scheme and all that.”

  Skye smirked. “Please, Sam, that’s real lame. If you haven’t figured out yet that you’re attracted to the man, there’s not much I can do for you. Except stay out of it.”

  “See, that comment is what bugs me. What do you mean by it?”

  “Been there, done that. I’m not going to be blamed for any more of your failed relationships.”

  It wasn’t anger that choked Sam’s reply, but pain. Pain at the realization that she and Skye had drifted so far apart that her twin could believe, much less utter, such a cruel remark. She stood still, taking slow, calming breaths to fend off a rebuttal that would only take them both down a path Sam knew she dared not go.

  Lowering her voice, she said, “I’m not going to respond to that now, Skye, but we will go back to this, trust me.” She started toward the solarium to tell Danny about the change in plans, then stopped and turned around. “Maybe you’ve given up on our relationship, but I haven’t.” Inwardly shaking, she spun on her heel before Skye could say another word.

  Danny was graceful about the change in plans. “Will you be seeing Chase? I thought he was busy this weekend.”

  Sam hesitated. It wasn’t her place to inform Danny about what was happening with his father and Trade Winds. On the other hand, she didn’t want him to think she’d lied when she denied being romantically involved with Chase. “Yes, he does have work to do, but we have some business to discuss that’s very important and he may decide to meet with us, after all. I know he’ll explain it all to you at some point. I can tell you it’s not about you or your mother, but about Chase and…uh…a legal matter Skye and I are helping him with. I’m sorry if that seems vague, but for now…”

  Danny’s dark eyes bored into hers, and Sam sensed he knew more than he was letting on. “Sure. If you’re talking to him, can you tell him my mother’s feeling much better, but she’d like to see him again—soon?”

  His message resonated. While she and Skye were carrying on with their petty arguing and plotting with Chase to rectify the past, Emily and Danny were clinging to their last times together. Sam placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I will, Danny, and tell your mom I’ll be in to see her, too, as soon as possible.” Impulsively she bent down to give him a quick kiss on the top of his head. “Bye then, see you later.”

  On her way to the kitchen to call Chase, she met Nina, carrying a tray of muffins and juice. “I talked to Danny, Mom, and he’s okay with my going off with Skye.”

  “What’s going on, Sam?”

  “Mom, I’ll tell you all about it soon, but not now. It’s something to do with Chase and his family’s business.”

  “You know that Danny is very fragile right now.” Nina’s stern face suggested nothing else mattered.

  Sam pursed her lips. “I do, Mom. And the matter that we’re trying to resolve will actually benefit Danny someday. So even though it may seem as if we’re not thinking of him, we are.”

  “Of course, dear, I wasn’t suggesting otherwise. I’m simply reminding you that he needs a lot of support. After we finish our sightseeing, I plan to go with him to the hospital and meet Emily.”

  Sam recalled her mother’s reaction to the Benson-family plight when she’d first told her about Danny’s office visit. How she’d advised her not to get emotionally entangled. “Thanks, Mom,” she said, thinking how many things had changed since that fateful day. She kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’ll give you a call later.”

  Skye was nowhere to be seen, so Sam went on to the kitchen to call Chase. He picked up right away.

  “I was wondering when you’d call,” he said. “I’ve rearranged my work plans so I can be free to go see Nancy Wicks. Still up for it?”

  Sam marveled how a voice that signalled trouble mere days ago could elicit such pleasure now. “Yes, but there’s a small glitch. I’m here at my mother’s with Danny, but he’s going to spend the day with her.”

  She heard a muffled curse. “What’s he doing there? I left a message at Minnie’s before I came over to your place last night that I’d meet him at the hospital on Sunday.”

  Reluctant to clarify the real reason for Danny’s impromptu visit, Sam said, “He just showed up at my place this morning. I think he needed some company. Anyway, I’ve been wanting to introduce him to Mom, so this works out okay. Why don’t you give me Nancy’s address and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Sure. I’m already in the city so I can be there in about half an hour.”

  After jotting down the address, Sam disconnected and went looking for Skye.

  She was in her old bedroom, working on her laptop. The room served as a den now, with a pull-out couch, but remnants of high-school days could still be seen. Yearbooks were lined up sequentially on the built-in shelves and, in one corner, a framed poster of the senior-year musical that both of them had performed in.

  “I called Chase and we’re meeting at Nancy Wicks’s place. Are you coming?” When Skye swung her chair around to face her, Sam tried not to show surprise at the redness in her sister’s eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Skye cry, and she wondered if the argument they’d just had was the cause. Although she still needed to tell Skye about her anger and sense of betrayal over the Todd business, she felt bad. “We’ll manage on our own if you’d rather not come.”

  “I’ll come. Last night, you asked me to find out if there have been any further inquiries about Trade Winds since the last investigation, but since I’m forbidden access to the files now, I won’t be able to do that. Maybe Nancy can add something to what we’ve got.” She paused to shut down the computer. “Is that okay with you?”

  Sam felt a rush of warmth for her sister. “Of course it is. I’ll wait for you at the front door.”

  When Skye joined her a few minutes later, Sam noticed that she’d washed her face and applied a touch of makeup. As Skye walked out the door, Sam patted her lightly in the center of her back—a reassuring touch they’d often used on each other as children. When all this is over, she thought, I’m going to do whatever it takes to get my sister back.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHASE WAS SURPRISED to see both sisters climb out of Sam’s car when he pulled up in front of Nancy’s place. He watched them walking toward the pickup, thinking that, in spite of the difference in their clothing styles, it was damn difficult to tell them apart. He knew that Skye had slightly deeper lines in her forehead, maybe from frowning at criminals the past few years, and Sam’s voice was gentler than her twin’s. But those subtleties aside, he understood how easily they could fool a person. Like the high-school romance Sam told him about last night.

  He smiled, thinking of the goodbye kiss for the umpteenth time since leaving her place. It had been impulsive and, initially, meant as a sign that he appreciated her confidence. But as soon as his lips touched hers, he knew it was no p
latonic gesture. He hadn’t experienced such desire in a long time. Far more than merely sexual, there was also warmth and comfort in the kiss, as if it had been the most natural thing in the world to do. As if he’d been kissing Samantha Sorrenti for years. When he woke up, her face was the first thing he saw in his mind’s eye and he could still taste her lips.

  He got out of the truck and met them on the sidewalk. “I called Nancy after I spoke to you, Sam, to give her a heads-up. She sounded mystified when I mentioned we wanted to talk to her about Trade Winds, but I reassured her I wasn’t here representing my uncle.”

  “Why would she think that?”

  “I don’t think she ever found out what happened after I returned to Seattle.” He looked at the wood-frame bungalow before them and headed for the front door. “I thought Skye was doing some other fact-finding today,” Chase said in a low voice as Sam caught up to him. Skye was a few feet behind her.

  She turned toward him, so close he could have leaned in an inch more and touched her skin with his lips. The thought made him feel almost light-headed.

  “Skye’s been warned off the case.” She glanced back at Skye. “I’ll fill you in later,” she whispered.

  Warned off the case. He had a gut feeling that Bryant was responsible for that, knowing his uncle had connections in local and state government. The futility of what they were attempting swept through him. His uncle had money and contacts, while he had a few scraps of paper that didn’t prove anything.

  He stopped on the doorstep. “Is there any point in going through with this?”

  “It’s worth a shot,” she answered immediately. “For Danny.”

  He wanted to kiss her on the spot, but rang the doorbell instead.

  When the door opened, he was transported back thirteen years. Nancy Wicks hadn’t changed a bit. Tiny as a sparrow and sporting a huge smile, she cried, “Chase!”

  He bent at the waist to receive her hug. “Hi, Nancy, it’s good to see you again. Let me introduce you to Samantha Sorrenti and her sister, Skye,” he said, gesturing first to Sam at his side and then to Skye, coming up behind them onto the porch.