Her Homecoming Wish

by Jo McNally

  It had been replaced with a massive round pillar in the center of the lobby, carved to look like a tree trunk. An open wooden staircase wrapped around the pillar with a metal banister that was designed with leaves and scrollwork. Large copper leaves were scattered across the ceiling three stories above, hanging down in some places. The effect as a whole made her wonder if there was a wondrous tree house hiding up there. No wonder Chloe had wanted to climb the big tree stairs. Mack did, too.

  Dan noticed her gaping and gave her a nudge. “A little different than you remember?”

  “Uh, yeah. I feel underdressed.” She watched an older couple walk by, the woman in head-to-toe designer resort wear. The kind of stuff Mack used to wear every weekend at Glenfadden.

  Dan nodded toward the back wall, where a row of french doors opened to a spacious veranda. “We might not get into the main restaurant for Sunday brunch looking like this, but we’re fine for the outdoor grill.”

  Chloe was already headed outside. They sat at a bistro table overlooking the outdoor pool and enjoyed iced tea while sharing a tray of nachos. Chloe told Mack about the fashion show she was going to be part of in June, and how much she hoped for a purple outfit to wear. She even wanted purple hair. That announcement made Dan blanch a bit, but Mack assured him there were plenty of safe temporary hair colors Chloe could use.

  When the nachos were gone, so was Chloe. She was determined to see the water, and one of the resort’s employees, whom Dan introduced as Brad from Security, offered to take her down the expansive lawn to the lake. Dan watched closely as Chloe ran ahead of Brad, making Mack laugh.

  “Do you not trust your friend? The guy from security?”

  He finally dragged his eyes away from his daughter. “She’s my child, Mack. With the job I have... You don’t know what it’s like to have a child...”

  She took a sharp intake of breath and he rushed to backtrack.

  “I mean... I just meant that a parent doesn’t ever stop being a parent...”

  “Which I wouldn’t know because I’m not one?”

  His lips pressed together, and he looked everywhere but at her. His eyes flicked to the lakeshore, where Chloe was running back and forth as Brad watched closely.

  “Was that on purpose?” he asked, still not meeting her gaze. “That you and your husband didn’t have children?”

  From anyone else, the question would be way too personal. Offensive, even. But this was Danny, and she’d known him her whole life. He’d be fine if she told him to mind his own business. But she didn’t.

  “It wasn’t on purpose, but it turned out for the best, I guess. We didn’t have to worry about screwing up a child when we...” Her eyes closed. Now it was her turn to be embarrassed.

  “When you got divorced, like me and Chloe’s mom?” There was no accusation in his voice. If anything, he sounded amused. “One thing’s for sure—we’re not in high school anymore, Mackie. Let’s establish a judgment-free zone between us, okay?”

  She looked into his warm eyes and smiled. “Fair enough.” She watched him check on Chloe again. “What happened with you and Susanne?”

  His mouth twisted. “I don’t know if any one thing happened. It just ended, and we both knew it. Instead of hanging on so long that we’d end up hating each other, we worked out a split that kept things as easy for Chloe as possible.” He looked at her. “What about you? Did something happen, or...?”

  She huffed a small laugh. “You could say that. Remember how I was always the good girl?” He nodded. “Well, I never gave that up. Good student. Good college. Successful husband. And I spent every bit of my energy being the good wife.” They both stood as Chloe ran up the lawn toward them. This conversation was going to end quickly. “Until the day I learned he was cheating on me with a cocktail waitress at our country club. I was so busy being Patty Perfect, but my husband only wanted Patty Perfect as his respectable arm candy. He wanted a naughty girl in bed.”

  Dan’s eyes clouded, but Chloe was there before he could speak.

  “Dad! There were great big fish right next to the shore! Brad said they were carp. What are carp, Dad?”

  Dan looked straight at Mack.

  “They’re bottom-feeders, honey. Nothing but scummy, no-good bottom-feeders.”

  Mack tried and failed to hold back a smile. He wasn’t talking about fish.

  Chapter Eight

  Dan walked around his old Harley and whistled. “Damn, Wyatt. It looks brand-new.”

  He’d gone to school with Wyatt Henderson, and they’d both gotten married the same year. But Wyatt’s wife died of breast cancer before she reached thirty. Wyatt had poured his energy into building this classic car dealership and service shop just outside of town. It had always been his dream, and his wife made him promise to do it after she was gone.

  Wyatt nodded with a smile. “It basically is brand-new. These babies shouldn’t be left sitting in a garage without being run once in a while. She needed new tires, new brakes and a new carburetor. But she’s all inspected and ready to roll.” He handed Dan the keys. “What made you dust her off?”

  He mumbled something about it being the right time, but the truth was he couldn’t stop thinking about the gleam in the eyes of a sassy blonde who’d never ridden a motorcycle. The way Mack had talked about listening to the engine’s rumble made Dan think it was more than the bike she’d liked back then. Which was a complete shock, because he’d never looked at her that way when they were kids. Not that she wasn’t attractive to him, but she was his buddy’s kid sister. It felt like she was his kid sister with all the time he’d spent at the Wallace home. His brain just never went there, and then she was gone.

  Mack’s desire to take a walk on the wild side made a lot more sense after their chat on Sunday. Her ass-hat husband had cheated on her. With a younger, wilder woman—at least in Mack’s eyes. She wanted to see what she thought she’d been missing by being a good kid and a faithful wife.

  Before Dan’s shift started on Monday, he’d rolled the bike out of the garage and called Wyatt to pick it up and do whatever it took to get it roadworthy. When it was done, he had Asher drop him off at Wyatt’s. His pal made a few comments about a midlife crisis before he drove off. But this wasn’t about Dan. It was about Mack. It was about helping her find the kind of spirit that had her dancing in a mountain meadow a couple weeks ago.

  He realized Wyatt was saying something and followed where he was pointing—to the plywood covering a shattered window. He was asking about the investigation into the break-ins. Dan coughed and nodded as if he’d been listening all along.

  “Well...um... I don’t think there are any new leads, but Sam’s still working the case.” Sam Edgewood was the state trooper who’d answered the alarm call. He and Dan were friends, and both were on the new antidrug task force in the county. “He won’t let it go until he has something. He’s one of the best.”

  Wyatt shook his head. “I’m sure it was some kids looking for easy money. A pro never would have left all these vehicles and parts here. They went to the cash box and that was it.” They started walking up to the showroom so Dan could pay for the bike. “It’s probably a good thing I did what you suggested and left forty bucks in there every night when I cashed out to make the bank deposit.”

  Dan nodded. “Always a good idea to leave a little cash available. Sometimes it’s enough for them to snatch and run without trashing the place looking for more.”

  “My heart just about stopped when I got the call from the security service at three in the morning. I’m looking into installing a camera system along with the motion detectors.”

  Dan pulled out his wallet. “Talk to Blake Randall or his head of security, Nick West. They’ve got a primo system up there and might be able to recommend something that would work for you.” He’d been looking down as he walked, searching for his credit card. He looked up when Wyatt brought up hi
s least favorite subject.

  “I’ve been hearing stories about drugs in town. It’s hard to believe.” He printed a receipt and handed it to Dan to sign. “I mean, they’re everywhere, but why would they suddenly turn into such a big deal in our little town? Did some drug lord just move in or something?”

  Dan shoved the receipt in his pocket. It was a question he heard daily, and he was sick of it. But he also understood the frustration. And Wyatt was a trusted friend. Susanne had been his wife’s nurse during those awful final days.

  “I don’t know, man. We’ve got a whole freakin’ task force on it, and we still can’t figure it out. We think the town somehow got selected as a waypoint between the city and upstate, but they must have a local connection that’s helping them stay out of sight.” He looked Wyatt straight in the eye. “We’ll find them, Wyatt. I won’t let this happen to our town. I won’t give up until we have them.”

  “I believe you, Dan. And you know I wasn’t trying to pin it on you.” Wyatt walked outside with him. The air held the promise of summer today, warm with a hint of sultry. Wyatt must have thought the same thing. He clapped Dan’s shoulder. “I know you’re determined, but you still need to make time for yourself to rest and regroup. It’s a great day for a nice long bike ride to clear your head. You’ll be better for it, I promise.”

  Dan was off duty, but the task force was never off the clock. He could check in with Sam and Terry and see if there were any new developments. The sunlight glinted off the mirrors on the Harley. Or he could go cruise around town and see if he could find an adventurous blonde looking for her first motorcycle ride.

  He pulled out onto the highway with a wave, and it was even more fun than he’d anticipated to accelerate around the curve at the top of the hill and take in the countryside as he drove the bike back toward town. There was a little spot in his chest that woke up for the first time in years. The sense of freedom that the open road instilled was something he hadn’t exactly been nurturing in himself.

  He took a deep breath and smelled the damp, overturned earth of the farm he was passing. He smelled the freshness of new leaves on the trees. As he got closer to town, he could smell the clean, sharp scent of the lake itself. He might be doing this for Mack, but there was no arguing that he was enjoying this far more than he’d imagined he would.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I’m pretty sure my hearing is going. What did you just say?” Mack was surprised she was able to move her jaw enough to form words after the way it dropped at her father’s announcement. He leveled a gaze at her that made it clear she could quickly be on thin ice with him, but she didn’t care. “You’re moving in with Cathy Meadows? Wha...when did this decision get made? When were you going to tell me? Are you two...?”

  He sat on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, bags packed. If she hadn’t stopped by this morning, would he have even bothered telling her he was leaving the rehab center?

  “Lower your voice, Mackenzie.” His tone was even but brooked no argument. Her father wasn’t a big guy. He wasn’t a loud guy. He was the kind of guy who just plugged along, doing his job, being nice and respectful to everyone he met unless they gave him a reason not to be. He was not the kind of guy to hang out with an aging hippie like Cathy. He gestured to the chair near the bed. “Sit down and hear me out before you go gettin’ excited.”

  She never considered not obeying him. She’d never disobeyed her father, who’d been the one steady constant in her life. So she sat down and did her best to smooth the shock off her face, folding her hands in her lap. If her fingers were clutching at each other, that just couldn’t be helped. He gave a brief nod.

  “First, you know I’m ready to get out of this dang place. The food stinks and the bed’s uncomfortable and the lights are on in the hallway all night long. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since the accident, and I really need one. The only reason they haven’t released me is that I can’t get up the stairs to the apartment.” His gaze darted away from hers. “Cathy has a very nice double-wide with a floor plan that’ll be easy for me to maneuver that scooter thing around.” He gestured toward the tri-wheeled scooter he had to rest his right leg on for the next six weeks. “Cathy and I have been friends for years. She helped take care of your mother. She’s a lovely person, Mackenzie.”

  Her mouth opened and closed a few times. She had a sneaking suspicion there was more to this than Cathy being a generous friend.

  “So are you going to sleep in a guest room there, or...?”

  Dad’s cheeks went red, and his mouth thinned to a hard line.

  “Where I sleep is none of your damned business, young lady.”

  Mack straightened. Dad never swore—not even “damn”—in mixed company. She’d heard rumors that his language was a lot saltier when he was playing cards with the guys, but never if a woman was present. The fact that he’d just dropped a “damn” on her meant she’d ticked him off big-time.

  “Dad, you might be right, but...” He started to argue, but she held up her hand. “But I don’t think it’s an unreasonable question. I’m not judging...” She was, kind of, but she was really trying not to. “And if you have a...relationship...that makes you happy, then...good.” Fine. Wonderful. Great. “I just want to know what’s going on. I’m your daughter. I mean... I don’t need details, but are you and Cathy...an item? Because I sure as hell...heck...haven’t heard anything about it.”

  “He didn’t know how to tell you.” The voice came from the doorway behind Mack. “And he made me promise not to.” Cathy walked over and sat on the bed next to her father. Mack’s father. When Cathy took his hand, Dad gave the woman a soft, tender smile with a gleam in his eyes that Mack hadn’t seen in twenty years. Her breath came out in a whoosh that left her feeling dizzy.

  Her father was in love. How had she missed this? And how did she feel about it? He gave her a truly repentant look.

  “It started about the time you and Mason were...having problems. You were upset, and I started talking to Cathy over coffee, and then we started talking over dinner, and then we started having nightcaps at my place, and...” He shrugged, knowing he didn’t have to fill in the rest.

  “So you’re saying this...” She gestured between them. “Is my fault?”

  Her father shook his head. “No.”

  At the same time, Cathy was nodding. “Yes. And thank you.”

  A startled laugh bubbled up. “I’m glad my divorce made someone happy.”

  There was a beat of silence as the three of them stared at each other, then they all started laughing. Her dad was laughing so hard he had to wipe his eyes with his free hand, because he wouldn’t let go of Cathy’s hand with the other. Mack sat back in her chair, shaking her head in amazement.

  Cathy’s laughter faded. “Honey, you know I loved your mama. She was one of my dearest friends, and...”

  Mack waved her hand in the air, as much in surrender as anything else. “I’m sure Mom would approve. She’s been gone eighteen years now, and she loved you both. I...” She straightened, then stood. “I don’t object. I just need to wrap my head around it.” Her eyes narrowed on her dad, who glanced quickly away. “It would have helped if I’d known more than fifteen minutes before you move in together.”

  “It’s only temporary...” Dad started, then stopped when he saw Cathy’s face fall. “I mean...we were going to say it was temporary. But the truth is...it’s probably not...temporary. This way you can have the apartment to yourself. Do whatever you want to it. Cathy’s got a great little place, and it’s paid for, and if I start collecting Social Security...”

  Whoa. Was he retiring?

  “What about the liquor store?”

  He chewed his lip, and Cathy jumped in. “We were thinking maybe you’d take the store. It’s past time for Carl to retire. He could still come in and help, like I did after I sold the coffee shop to Nora. But the pressur
e would be off. He and I could...travel.”

  Since when did her father care about traveling? Mack put her hand over her eyes. This must be what it felt like when a person’s head was getting ready to explode. A little dizzy, a little fuzzy, losing the ability to speak coherently. Yup. Her head was going to explode any minute now. She held her hand out to stop Cathy from saying any more.

  “I need to go. I need...” She swallowed hard. “I need to go...think. Or something. Do you need any help getting to Cathy’s place?”

  Her father and his...his girlfriend...both shook their heads. “It’s all set. There’s only two steps up to the front door, and the railings are sturdy enough for him to be able to hop up there. Once he’s inside, there’s plenty of room. I took up the area rugs for now so he won’t get hung up on them. You should come. Well...” Cathy cleared her throat, her cheeks going pink. “Of course you need to come. Maybe for dinner? Tonight? Tomorrow? This weekend?”

  Her dad nodded. “Yes. And you could bring some of my clothes. I mean, I have some there now, but...”

  So her dad already had a stay-over drawer at Cathy’s. It would be cute if it wasn’t so mind-boggling.

  “Do you have enough clothes to get you through to the weekend? Tomorrow’s our first official wine tasting at the store. It’s just a test, with invited guests, but I still have a lot to do. And I should get started on all that work right now.” She really needed to get out of here. “Uh...let me know if you need anything, and um...have fun, I guess.”

  * * *

  She stopped at the store long enough to finish getting the tables and chairs in place and lined up the four wines and two craft whiskeys they’d be tasting. It would just be Nora and her cousins, plus Shelly and Kiara. Bert seemed to have everything else under control, which left Mack with little to do. So she changed into her sneakers and went for a walk, heading up the hill toward the resort, her head spinning.