The Daddy Secret

by Judy Duarte

  The subject hadn’t come up, and there’d been no reason to talk about it. She supposed she could ask—but there was no way she’d do that. He might think she was interested in him, and she certainly wasn’t.

  She was involved with someone herself—Brian Winslow, who loved her enough to make a big cross-country move to be near her. And thanks to what Lucas had told him a few weeks back, Brian also thought Rick was dead.

  Her stomach clenched, and her conscience turned inside out. Why hadn’t she corrected that comment, especially when she wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to Rick? She’d meant to. And she would correct it. She certainly couldn’t let Brian continue to think that now.

  Especially when Rick Martinez was very much alive and living just down the street in Brighton Valley.

  Chapter Four

  Rick’s clinic with his apartment in back was only a few blocks from Mallory’s house, not far enough for him to give their evening together too much thought on the short drive home. But after parking his truck and unlocking his front door, he had a lot more time to ponder all that had gone on—and the changes that Mallory’s move back to Brighton Valley would bring.

  Over the years, plenty of women had invited Rick over and cooked dinner for him. Most of them had turned on some romantic music and set the table with flickering candles, determined to set the mood for the night to come.

  But he’d never had one invite him to stay for a family-style meal. Of course, he’d made it a point never to date women who had children—or anyone who wanted more from him than an exclusive sexual relationship that would last as long as it remained mutually beneficial.

  As awkward as dinner at Mallory’s house had been at first, he had to admit that it had turned out okay.

  Like he’d told her, she was a good cook and a good mother. She’d also created a nice home for Lucas, certainly warmer and more loving than the ones in which Rick and his kid brother had grown up.

  At one time, when he’d loved Mallory, he’d actually believed that he stood a chance to finally have the kind of family he’d always wanted, although that hadn’t panned out. Once in a while, he still found himself wishing that, someday, somehow, he might be able to shake his past and create a decent home in which he could raise a family of his own. That same hope had once again crossed his mind this evening, especially whenever he’d glanced at Lucas.

  Could he set up a place where the boy would like to visit—not just a veterinary clinic with a menagerie of rescued animals, but an actual house with a TV and video games and the other things real families used to turn four walls into a home?

  Maybe.

  But each time he thought of a home like that, Mallory’s image would drift into the picture, and he’d have to blink it all away.

  What in the hell was wrong with him?

  She had a boyfriend, a guy who was going to move to Brighton Valley one day soon. A man who probably had money, a decent career and undoubtedly the class and social standing to match.

  Rick might have a respectable profession, but he still had a few financial concerns, thanks to one last student loan and the payments he made to Doc Grimes on the practice he’d purchased. But social connections and class? With Rick’s past, that was probably going to be an uphill battle until the day he died.

  After parking his truck, he checked on the animals, then let Buddy out of the pen and took him into the house.

  “Are you up for some television before we turn in for the night?” he asked the dog.

  Buddy barked, then took off to make a quick scan and sniff of the apartment, apparently checking to make sure everything was just as he’d left it this morning.

  Rick stopped by the answering machine, a relic left over from the days when Doc Grimes lived here. Since most people called him at the office or on his cell, he probably ought to eliminate that line altogether. But tonight, a blinking red light indicated he had a message.

  He pushed the play button and listened.

  “Hi, Rick. It’s Tia Rosa. I wondered if you’d like to come over for dinner on Saturday. If you’re busy, I understand. But either way, I’d like to talk to you.” She paused a moment before adding, “Your uncle has been calling me, hoping to get together for coffee or something. And I was... Well, I wanted to ask what you thought about that. I know you’ve been against it in the past, but this time I think he’s really changed. And I’d like to give him a chance. Anyway, call me when you can. You have my number.”

  Rick blew out a sigh, then deleted the message. He’d return her call, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. His aunt and uncle were a toxic combination, especially when they drank, so his advice to her wasn’t going to change.

  His aunt had joined Alcoholics Anonymous after his uncle’s conviction for assault, and she’d started working on her other issues, the ones that had led to her drinking in the first place. She’d gotten some counseling through a program for victims of domestic violence and had come a long way, especially in the past few years. He really hated to see her backslide, which he feared would happen if his uncle came back into the picture.

  And then where would that lead?

  To be honest, Rick was still embarrassed by the whole mess—and not just the assault that had landed his uncle in jail, his aunt in the hospital and he and his brother in foster care. It was the whole five years he’d spent living in their household, moving from town to town and school to school.

  He was still trying to shake the memories and to live down the embarrassment, the late night fights, the neighbors’ complaints....

  And all because of his uncle’s drinking, his anger issues and his inability to keep a job.

  Up until the time Rick was at Texas A & M, he’d avoided his aunt completely, although he hadn’t run away from home, like Joey had. But after a while, he’d realized that it hadn’t been Rosa’s fault. She’d been as much a victim as he and Joey had been. And when he finally went to visit her at the hair salon in Wexler, where she worked, he realized that she’d changed, just as he was trying to do. So he’d reconnected with her and had kept in contact, although he couldn’t say that they were especially close. He still had trust issues and kept her at arm’s distance.

  He’d visit her at her condominium in Wexler, but he was reluctant to bring her into the new life he’d created for himself. He’d worked too hard to shake the past, and he didn’t want to remind anyone in Brighton Valley of the way things used to be when he was a teenager.

  After fixing himself a glass of iced tea, he dialed her number. She picked up on the third ring.

  “Hi, Tia. It’s Rick.”

  “Thanks for calling me back. I see you got my message.”

  “So Ramon called you again?”

  “He’s been calling, and it sounds as if he’s really made a change in his life this time.”

  Rick knew how the cycle of violence worked. The abuser would be very sorry and make all kinds of pleas and promises, only to fall back into the same pattern as before. “I’ve told you how I feel about that, especially if he’s still drinking.”

  “He was sober all the while he was locked up, but there was that time after he got out that he went a little crazy. But he’s in AA now. And it’s been almost a year.”

  That probably sounded like a long time to Ramon, but Rick was skeptical, especially for a guy who had a problem as bad as his uncle’s.

  “Ramon also took anger management classes while in prison,” his aunt said. “He swears that he loves me and always has. He wants to reconcile, but I’m not so sure about that.”

  “You’re wise to doubt him.”

  “I know. But Ramon suggested that we just go out on a date. And I thought it might be nice to...you know, have dinner with him. I get kind of lonely these days. And I did love him once. When he’s not drinking, he’s a wonderful man. I could p
robably love him again.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Rick said.

  Rosa didn’t answer right away. Finally she said, “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

  “I lived with you back in the day. I remember the fights, the mean things he’d say to you. And don’t forget. The alcohol brought out the worst in you, too.”

  “You’re right. But if he’s changed...”

  “And if he hasn’t? Or if he can’t help himself from stopping by Finnegan’s Pub for just one drink on the way home someday?”

  “I know. You’re right. It’s just that...I really want to believe that he’s changed.”

  “Then maybe you should wait until he’s made it the full year.”

  “I suppose I could do that. I knew there was a good reason to call you.” She paused for a moment, then added, “What about dinner on Saturday?”

  “Actually, I already have plans. The Lazaros have invited me over for a barbecue.”

  “All right. Maybe another time.”

  They made small talk for a while, then ended the call.

  As Rick hung up the receiver, he blew out a sigh. What were the chances that Uncle Ramon had really gone on the wagon for good? Or that he’d managed to control his anger?

  All Rick needed was for a new family drama to draw him back into the past, especially now that Mallory had returned to town. He’d finally created a respectable life for himself. And he had a purpose, one that suited him.

  What more could he ask for?

  While finding his brother and having a family of his own would be nice, he’d pretty much given up on both.

  Rick had learned early on that some dreams would always be just beyond his reach.

  * * *

  By the time office hours rolled around the next day, Rick had decided to steer clear of Mallory and Lucas for a while. He might have given Mallory a week to tell Lucas the truth about his biological father—and who he really was—but he was no longer sure he should push her on the deadline. She wasn’t the only one who needed time to reconcile the past with the present and to figure out how it was going to play out in the future.

  Sure, he had every intention of having a relationship of some kind with his son, but the last thing he wanted or needed was to get emotionally drawn into a situation that was out of his comfort zone.

  Yet even though he’d decided to put some distance between him, Lucas and Mallory, apparently Lucas had other plans.

  “Dr. Martinez?” his receptionist called out from the doorway of his small office in the back of the clinic.

  Rick glanced up from the paperwork on his desk. “Yes, Kara?”

  “Lucas is out in the waiting room and wants to talk to you when you have a few minutes.”

  Again? What was Rick going to do about all these unexpected visits, especially if Mallory didn’t know about them?

  He had to admit, though, it was a little flattering.

  Lucas seemed to like him. At least, they had a shared interest in the animals. Would that continue once he learned the truth? Would he be happy to know that Rick was his biological father? Or would he be upset when he found out that Rick hadn’t agreed to be a part of his early years, as Mallory had been?

  Would he be angry when he found out she’d lied to him?

  Mallory feared he would be, and Rick wouldn’t blame him for that. What kid wouldn’t? Rick had been lied to enough times in the past to distrust most of the adults in his life.

  “Tell him I’ll be right there,” Rick said as he made a note in the file he’d been reading, then set it aside.

  After getting up from his seat, he followed Kara to the empty waiting room, where Lucas was studying the tropical fish in the tank.

  When the boy heard their footsteps, he turned and grinned. “Hi, Dr. Martinez. I hope you don’t mind that I came by. If you would have had a bunch of people here, I would have waited and come back later.”

  The boy, who looked so much like Joey had when he’d looked at Rick with bright, adoring eyes, offered him a heartwarming smile.

  Would his curiosity and interest in animals abate once he learned who Rick really was? Or would it escalate, causing him to stop by more often?

  Was that something Mallory pondered, too?

  Probably. And it no doubt concerned her.

  “Does your mother know you’re here?” Rick asked.

  “She knows that I’m riding my bike in the neighborhood.”

  Something told Rick that wasn’t going to be good enough. “All right, but why don’t you give her a call—just to let her know exactly where you are. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

  Rick didn’t want to be on the receiving end of her anger, either. She’d been so worried about Lucas yesterday that she’d lashed out at both of them.

  “Come with me. You can use this phone to call her.” Rick led the boy to Kara’s desk, then watched as he dialed Mallory’s number and waited until she’d answered.

  “Hi, Mom. I’m at the clinic with Dr. Martinez, and he made me call so you wouldn’t get mad at us.”

  The boy paused for a moment, listening to Mallory’s response.

  “Okay. I’ll tell him.” Lucas glanced at the waiting room. “I’m not bothering him. There isn’t anyone here except for his nurse and the animals that live with him.” The boy waited a beat, then nodded. “Okay.”

  After telling his mother that he loved her, he hung up the phone.

  “So what did she say?” Rick asked.

  “She said to thank you for having me call. And then she told me to make sure I’m not bothering you. Am I?”

  If Rick would have had patients waiting, it might have been inconvenient. But then again, if Lucas was willing to hang out until after office hours, it wouldn’t be that bad.

  “When does she want you home?” Rick asked.

  “Before dark. That’s when we eat. And we’re having tacos tonight. That’s my favorite food.”

  Rick didn’t blame him for wanting to be on time for supper—especially with tacos on the menu. He glanced at his wristwatch. That didn’t give the boy much time. “Why don’t we go and visit Buddy while you’re here.”

  “That would be cool. I was also hoping we could maybe take him to visit my mom someday. Maybe, if she could see him play with me, she’d realize he isn’t always naughty.”

  Or that he always ran amuck in the neighborhood after a rain.

  “Kara,” Rick said, “I need you to call a carpet cleaning company and tell them to set up an appointment to meet with Mallory Dickinson. She lives at 349 Bluebonnet Lane. Buddy tracked mud up her stairway and into one of the bedrooms the other day, and I owe her a cleaning. She told me not to worry about it, but I’m going to insist.”

  “Okay. My sister just had her carpets cleaned. I’ll ask who she used.”

  Rick thanked her. “Will you also reschedule that meeting I had with Stan Jeffries at the chamber of commerce? Let him know tomorrow would work better for me.”

  Kara told him she’d take care of it.

  “That was a super good idea, Dr. Martinez.”

  Rick turned to Lucas. “What was?”

  “Paying to get the carpet cleaned. My mom only thinks Buddy’s a bad dog because of that day he ran into the house with muddy feet. But if she can’t complain about his mess anymore, then she won’t be mad at him. And if we take him to visit while he’s on a leash and let him play in the backyard with me, she will see that he’d make a good pet.”

  Lucas had a point. And while Buddy was able to jump almost any fence, maybe he’d be content to stay put as long as Lucas was around.

  “Why don’t we take him to see your mom today?” Rick asked.

  “That would be way cool!”

  Well, Rick did
n’t know about way cool. The whole idea could certainly backfire, but Buddy needed a home with a family. And Lucas was certainly willing to take him in. Maybe, if adopting the dog would curtail Lucas’s visits to the clinic, Mallory would agree, too.

  Either way, if Rick showed up with the name and telephone number of the company that would clean her carpets, as well as the dog on a leash, how could she object to a playdate with a well-behaved Buddy this evening?

  And if things went the way Rick hoped they would, he might even get invited to stay for a taco dinner, which beat the canned chili he’d planned to have at home.

  It sounded like a win-win to him.

  What could possibly go wrong?

  * * *

  Mallory had no more than put a lid on the seasoned beef in the skillet when a knock sounded at the door, followed by the ring of the bell.

  Lucas was due home anytime, but he would have let himself in. So she turned down the flame, then, after rinsing her hands and drying them on the dishtowel on the counter, she went to see who’d stopped by at the dinner hour.

  She swung open the door, only to find Rick, Lucas and that darn dog of his standing on the stoop. To say she was surprised to see the three of them together, as if dropping in for tea, was an understatement.

  “Hey, Mom,” Lucas said, “Me and Dr. Martinez brought Buddy over to play in the backyard for a little while. You don’t mind, do you?”

  Of course she minded. The last tenants hadn’t kept up the yard the way they should have, and she’d promised the landlord she’d do a much better job of it. So she’d spent the entire afternoon mowing the lawn, pulling weeds and trimming shrubs. She’d just finished an hour ago, and all she needed was for that dog to track dirt across the patio she’d just washed down.

  “Dr. Martinez also brought you something,” Lucas added.

  Mallory glanced at Rick, and the moment she looked into those dazzling blue eyes, her heart rate spiked, just as it always used to do whenever their gazes met. And in spite of her apprehension at seeing him again—and at Buddy’s visit—a smile crept across her face. “You mean the good doctor brought something besides his dog?”