The Daddy Secret

by Judy Duarte

  “Who were you mad at?” the boy asked.

  “The world, it seemed.”

  “What happened to make you stop?” Lucas asked.

  I met your mom, Rick thought about saying. But in all honesty, after he and Mallory split, Rick had ended up in a worse place than when she’d found him.

  “One day I ran into Hank Lazaro,” Rick said. “He’s the guy who had the barbecue at his house last Saturday. And just like Tom Randall stepped up and offered a home and the promise of a new future to Jason and Ryan, Hank did the same thing for me.”

  “You mean Mr. Lazaro was your foster dad?”

  “No, I was practically grown up when I met Hank. But I do think of him as a father because he taught me important things like integrity, respect, self-control, responsibility and the value of a hard day’s work.” Rick’s gaze drifted from the boy to Mallory, who’d been staring at him.

  For a couple of heartbeats there seemed to be some kind of connection between them, something he could almost touch. Then she turned to their son.

  “So what do you think?” she asked him. “Can you trust the adults in your life to love you, care for you and offer sound advice, instead of getting into fights?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I guess so.”

  They sat like that, the three of them. Father. Mother. Son. They weren’t quite a family, but they weren’t strangers, either.

  As Rick relished the closeness, as fragile as it seemed, an idea sparked—something Hank had done for Rick. Something Rick could do for Lucas.

  “You once asked me if you could get a job working for me at the clinic,” Rick said to the boy. “And I was just thinking that I could probably use you a couple of days each week—when you get out of school. That is, if it’s okay with your mom.”

  Lucas brightened. “No kidding? That would be really cool.”

  “Don’t get too excited,” Rick said. “There’s one condition—a big one. You’d have to prove to your mom and me that you’re responsible. And you do that by doing three things, all of which you’d have to do before you can even ask your mom for her permission to work for me.”

  “What’s that?” Lucas asked.

  “You have to obey your mother at home and your teacher at school. And that means you’d have to do your chores, get your homework done and stay out of fights.”

  “I can do that,” Lucas said.

  Rick risked a glance at Mallory, whose eyes were watery. Rick didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. But when Mallory sent Lucas upstairs, he figured he’d find out soon enough.

  The boy got to his feet, but instead of going to his room, he padded over to the sofa, where Rick sat. Then he bent over and gave him a hug.

  The embrace had been so unexpected, so heartfelt, that Rick wasn’t quite sure how to respond at first. So he wrapped his arms loosely around the boy and patted him on the back.

  Next Lucas hugged Mallory, only this time, the boy fell into her embrace, and she seemed to know just what to do, how tight to squeeze and how long to hold him close.

  Moments later, Lucas headed up the stairs, leaving the adults alone. Mallory got to her feet, and Rick followed her lead.

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you coming over to talk to him,” she said, her eyes still misty. “It’s not easy relating to a growing boy, especially when handling all the day-to-day stuff is still so new to me.”

  “Thanks for calling me. I have to admit, this sort of thing is a little out of my league, but I tried to remember what it was like to be his age. And to imagine what Hank might have said to me.”

  “Well, your instincts were spot on. And everything you said to him was perfect.” She reached out her hand, although he wasn’t sure why.

  In appreciation? As a way of extending some sort of parental olive branch?

  Or was she giving him another hint that it was time for him to go?

  Either way, he took her hand in his. But the moment they touched, a jolt of heat shot right through him.

  When their gazes locked, her pretty green eyes widened, and her lips parted, letting him know that she’d felt the powerful jolt, too.

  For a moment, they were teenagers again, walking to the back of the library, where their feelings were so tender, so innocent, so sweet....

  So undeniably strong.

  He placed his left hand along her jaw and caressed her cheek with his thumb. Kissing her seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do right now. And while the guy he used to be might have considered doing just that, the man he’d become didn’t take something that didn’t belong to him.

  And as much as he’d begun to wish otherwise, Mallory belonged to someone else.

  Before he could withdraw his hand, she took a step back and said, “It’s time, Rick. I’m ready.”

  He cocked his head slightly, unsure of what she meant and afraid to make any false assumptions. “Ready for what?”

  “To level with Lucas. He needs to know the truth about you. Today’s been pretty emotional for all of us, so I’d rather wait until tomorrow. But when I sit down with him, I’d like you to be here.”

  “All right. Same time tomorrow afternoon?”

  She nodded.

  Okay. Rick could do that.

  But something told him stealing a kiss today and risking her rejection might have been easier than what he would have to face tomorrow after Lucas learned the truth.

  Because things were getting more and more complicated between him and his son’s mother with each passing day.

  Rick might have denied Marie’s words earlier, but there was no denying them now. Whatever he and Mallory had felt for each other before still burned bright, even if one or the other might claim otherwise.

  But he couldn’t see how that was going to change anything in the long run. It certainly hadn’t mattered ten years ago.

  And like before, a child still hung in the balance.

  Chapter Eight

  The next twenty-four hours passed agonizingly slow for Mallory as she pondered what she would say to her son.

  At one time she’d worried about the kind of father Rick would be—or if he’d even want to take on a parental role. But he’d stepped right up to the plate yesterday and had given their son some excellent advice.

  Lucas must have taken Rick’s words to heart. At least, he’d seemed to. And by the time she’d picked him up at school, the trouble with the bully seemed to have been resolved.

  She’d arrived early and had been tempted to walk to the classroom and escort him to the car, just to make sure there weren’t any more end-of-the-day scuffles. But she hadn’t wanted anyone to think that she was a helicopter mom, so she’d forced herself to wait patiently in the vehicle line with the other parents.

  After Lucas had climbed into the passenger seat, she’d tossed him a smile and asked, “How’d it go today?”

  “It was okay. But me and Dylan had to go to the office to talk to the principal.”

  Dylan Jessup was the boy she’d suspected he’d fought with yesterday. “Why did the principal want to see you? Did you tell her that Dylan was the other boy involved in the fight?”

  “I didn’t have to. When Dylan’s teacher saw his black eye this morning, she must have told on him.”

  “Did you both admit to fighting?” she asked.

  “Dylan didn’t, but I told Mrs. Privett that he was picking on my friend for a long time. And that when I told him to stop, he told me to shut up and pushed me away. So we got in a fight.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “Me and Dylan have to go to detention for five days, starting tomorrow. There’s a note in my backpack. I’ll show it to you when we get home.”

  “Did Dylan have anything to say about the punishment?”
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  “No. I think he likes detention.”

  “He does?”

  “Why else would he keep getting in trouble?”

  Mallory had smiled at his simple logic, then she’d asked about Jason and Ryan.

  “Dylan didn’t mess with them today.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Did you tell them what Dr. Martinez said?”

  “Yeah. I’m not sure if they’re going to talk to their foster dad about being scared he might kick them out. But they might.”

  That was a step in the right direction, she supposed.

  When they arrived at home, Mallory gave Lucas a snack, then had him do his homework, which was a page of math and a section in his social studies workbook. Afterward she let him play a video game in the den while she waited for Rick to arrive.

  She glanced at her wristwatch. Rick was a couple of minutes late, although she knew there had to be a good reason for it. But that didn’t make her any less nervous, any less eager to get her confession over with.

  Just thinking about having to admit her dishonesty had kept her up late last night. And it had her pacing the living room floor now.

  She’d felt this same way ten years ago, when she’d been seventeen, unwed and pregnant.

  Knowing how badly she was going to hurt and disappoint her grandparents had made her want to hide in her room and never come out. But she’d finally had no choice but to tell them. Then she’d watched their pained expressions, the shock, the disappointment.

  Telling them, hurting them, watching her grandmother cry, had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. At least, up until that day.

  The next hardest thing had been leaving Rick. But she hadn’t been able to stay in Brighton Valley. She’d had to leave before her pregnancy began to show, before she embarrassed her grandparents. So she’d gone to Boston, where she was to stay until after she’d given up the baby.

  And that had been the very hardest thing of all.

  Once at her aunt’s house, she’d cried every night for the baby she’d yet to meet, the child who’d been conceived in love and who would be given up in the very same manner.

  When she’d heard about open adoptions, she’d realized that was the only way she could possibly live with her decision. She’d be able to please her grandparents, continue her education and provide a baby for a childless couple without losing her son completely.

  However, when she’d broached the idea with Rick, he’d refused to even consider what had been a perfect solution for her. Instead, he’d signed the paperwork, giving up all parental rights.

  She’d been crushed. Hurt. And she’d never felt so alone in her life.

  A knock sounded, drawing her from the melancholy musing, and she blew out a sigh before answering.

  Rick entered the living room wearing a pair of worn jeans and a black T-shirt and looking so much like the adult version of the teenager rebel she’d once loved.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” he said, “but I had an emergency surgery this afternoon and couldn’t leave until the dog was out of recovery.”

  “That’s okay. I knew you’d be here when you could.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, wishing she could tuck away her scattered emotions just as easily.

  Would she ever get used to seeing Rick again, to having him in her house and in her life?

  She stepped aside, allowing him further entrance. But as she did so, he not only filled the living room with his musky scent, but his raw, masculine essence set off every atom and ion in the air, jumpstarting all the memories she had of the two of them and threatening to resurrect her old feelings for him.

  But she tamped it all down nearly as soon as it rose up.

  “Where’s Lucas?” Rick asked.

  “Upstairs. I’ll call him down.” Better yet, maybe she’d better go up and get him. She could use a couple of minutes to gather her thoughts.

  And then, after today, after she confessed to Lucas and the resulting conversation was behind her, she would take some time away from the local vet to let the dust—and the memories—settle.

  Brian would be flying in on Monday, and they had a commitment, an understanding. He was making a huge move halfway across the country for her—and he’d been so kind, so patient.

  She was tempted to call Brian and tell him that she needed more time before he came out to visit, but she couldn’t very well do that. She’d made the poor man wait long enough as it was. Even his family, at least his brother, was beginning to ask him what he saw in her. And one of these days he was going to question that himself—if he hadn’t already.

  Yet even with the couple of minutes it took to go after Lucas, especially after listening to him complain about pausing the game when he was just about to reach an especially high level of Utopia, she didn’t feel any better about what she was about to tell him.

  Still, he followed her downstairs.

  When Lucas spotted Rick, his footsteps slowed. “Uh-oh. Did something happen to Buddy?”

  “No,” Rick said. “He’s fine.”

  Lucas looked at Mallory, then back to Rick. “What’s everyone frowning about? Am I in trouble again?”

  “No,” Mallory said. “This time I’m the one who made a mistake. And I asked Dr. Martinez to be here when I told you about it.”

  Lucas scrunched his face, his left eye still puffy and a bit discolored from yesterday’s playground scuffle. “What did you do?”

  “When you were younger, you asked me a question, and I was afraid to tell you the truth. So I didn’t. And I need to set things straight now.”

  The furrow in his brow deepened, reminding her of her grandfather. And while it was nice to see that he’d actually inherited some traits from the Dickinson side of the family, she pressed on with her confession.

  “You asked me about your biological father. You wanted me to help you find him, and I told you that he died before you were born.”

  “You mean he’s not dead?” Disbelief chased the confusion from his face.

  “Let’s sit down,” Mallory said, gesturing for them all to take a seat.

  Lucas ambled toward the easy chair, which he’d taken yesterday, and plopped down. Rick chose the sofa, and she joined him, sitting just a cushion away.

  “When I moved to Boston,” Mallory began, “I lost touch with your father. And I never expected to see him again. Our breakup wasn’t easy on either of us, and there were some hard feelings. To be honest, I thought he’d probably left Brighton Valley a long time ago. He’d moved around a lot when he was younger, and I’d heard his brother had already left town.”

  Lucas crossed his arms. “You were so mad at him that you didn’t even want to look for him? So you told me that he died?”

  In a nutshell? Lucas had cut to the heart of the matter, but there’d been other considerations, although they didn’t seem to matter that much right now.

  “Yes,” she said, “I was angry with him. But it’s more complicated than that. Still, you need to understand something else. I loved your father very much. But we were both young back then, and we weren’t able to give you the kind of home and family you deserved.”

  “You told me that before.”

  Mallory glanced at Rick, saw him watching her, waiting, allowing her to do the talking, to give her reasons. And while she might have come up with an excuse or two to absolve her guilt in the past, she couldn’t seem to find one that worked any longer, especially since throwing Rick under the bus was no longer an option.

  “Your father offered to quit school and marry me,” she said. “But I knew he would need an education to get the kind of job that would support a wife and family, especially if I wanted to attend college, too.”

  “So you told him no,” Lucas said. “And then you gave me away and let the Dunlops adopt me.
”

  He’d never accused her of “giving him away” before, and the words sliced into her now. But she suspected that he’d meant them to hurt.

  Or maybe the decision she’d made back then had left her so raw, so vulnerable, that anything he might have said would have torn her wide-open.

  Either way, the story wasn’t new to him. Sue and Gary had always told him he’d been chosen, special. And that’s the part she would cling to now.

  “I knew that Sue and Gary would love you with all their hearts,” Mallory said. “They owned their own home, they had stable jobs and they were able to give you all the things that your father and I wanted you to have.”

  “Okay,” Lucas said. “I get that. But if my dad isn’t dead, then where is he?”

  Mallory glanced at Rick, then back at Lucas. “I didn’t realize this since I hadn’t talked to him in more than nine years, but your father isn’t the same guy I once knew. He went to college and became a respected member of the community.”

  “So when do I get to meet him?” Lucas asked.

  “You already have.”

  Lucas shot a glance at Rick, but didn’t crack a smile. “You’re my dad? And that’s why I look like you?”

  Rick nodded. “Yes.”

  “And you guys didn’t tell me until now?” The boy chuffed, then crossed his arms.

  “Don’t blame Rick for that,” Mallory said. “The minute he saw you, he knew you were his son. He wanted me to tell you right away, but I wasn’t ready. I felt badly about lying to you, but at the time you’d asked me about him, Gary had just died. You were a lot younger then, and I didn’t think you were ready to meet the Rick I used to know. But after meeting Rick again and realizing how wrong I’d been about him, I didn’t know how to go about correcting my mistake.”

  “When is a lie ever a good idea?” Lucas asked, sounding a whole lot like Gary Dunlop right now.

  As if sensing that Mallory was at a complete loss, Rick stepped in. “Your mom is one of the most honest people I’ve ever known, Lucas. She lied to you to protect me.”

  Lucas scrunched his face.