A Father's Pledge

by Eleanor Jones

  He looked down at his hands, clasping his fingers together. “I wasn’t given the opportunity,” he said quietly. “And now that I have—”

  “Is there any more cake?” Tammy interrupted. She was standing right in front of them, a pleading expression in her huge blue eyes.

  “All right, just a small piece,” Kat agreed. “Anyone else want some more cake before we set off back to Flight?”

  Kat was glad of the distraction and she busied herself with the children, deliberately not looking at Luke. When they’d cleaned up their plates, she dropped them into the sink and announced that it was time to go. Ben had taken off his wet shoes and she could sense Luke’s disapproval when he realized what a state they were in.

  “He had fun,” she said pointedly. “I’ll lend him some clean socks and his shoes will dry overnight.”

  * * *

  IT WASN’T UNTIL they all set off along Cove Road, toward the path that led up the cliff to Flight, that Luke found his moment. The children were racing on ahead, and he took hold of Kat’s arm, pulling her back.

  “Now that I have the opportunity to be Ben’s dad...” he began. He wanted to say “I don’t think I’m up to the job,” but his pride wouldn’t let him. “Now that I have the opportunity,” he began again, “I want to make sure that Ben grows up knowing the difference between right and wrong. At the very least. He’s been spoiled all his life by his grandfather and grandmother, drowned in love, I guess. He needs to learn acceptable behavior or he’ll never succeed in the real world.”

  She glanced sideways at him. “Having fun is acceptable behavior,” she said. “And being loved too much doesn’t make anyone bad. He does have a lot to learn—I agree with that. My therapy sessions can teach him about caring for others, but I need to know what skeletons he has lurking in his past. Anyone can see that he’s confused.”

  “He just needs right and wrong to be black and white,” Luke insisted. “That will help his stability and build up his confidence.”

  At that point they caught up with the children.

  “Are you going to Wayne’s birthday bash?” Luke asked, wanting to change the subject.

  “I heard about it,” she said. “But I don’t know if I’m invited.”

  Luke laughed. “Everyone’s invited. Even the children are going to be allowed to come down for an hour or two. Wayne and Mel’s house backs right onto the sea and she’s planning a surprise barbecue for his fiftieth.”

  “I guess you must know them both well,” she said.

  Luke nodded. “They’re like family. I stayed with them when I first came to Flight, and it was Wayne who insisted on making me his assistant manager.”

  “And did they know you had a son?”

  For a moment, Luke was lost for words. It sounded so bad to admit that he’d even kept his son a secret from his friends...as if he didn’t care or was ashamed. “No, they didn’t,” he admitted. “And I’m not proud of it... To be honest, I have a lot of regrets, but what’s done is done, I guess.”

  Kat looked at him for a moment, really looked at him. “It’s what you do now that counts,” she said quietly, before turning to the children. “Come on, kids. We’re home.” Flight loomed up before them. Impressive and yet also homey, it seemed to call out a welcome. “Let’s get you kids inside. Gwen will be wondering where we’ve got to.”

  Luke reached out and touched her arm. “Thanks,” he whispered, and then he was gone. Kat watched until he disappeared from sight.

  * * *

  AFTER AN EVENING spent outside and all the excitement of moving into her new home, Kat expected to sleep like a log. She snuggled down beneath her duvet, breathing in the aromas of new bedding and the salty air blowing in through the open window. But she couldn’t stop herself from trying to make plans for her animal venture. Tomorrow, she decided, she’d ask Mike about using the old outbuildings in the garden to house the animals. Just rabbits and hamsters to start with, creatures that were easy for the children to handle and care for.

  Her mind wandered and her thoughts strayed to Luke. It seemed that he was just as much in need of some counseling as his son. He was even more difficult to understand than Ben. How could he have kept his own son a secret for all these years, even from his best friends?

  Who loved Luke Travis, anyway? He had Mel and Wayne, but he seemed...lonely. He’d had a wife, albeit briefly—Ben’s mother—but according to Gwen and Alice, he’d never had another girlfriend. At least not since he’d been at Flight. Kat wondered if his wife had broken his heart.

  And even now, with his son here, a boy obviously desperate to be loved, Luke was still struggling. It was as if he was all closed off inside, sharing himself with no one. The thought made Kat sad.

  Bringing her knees up to her chest, she closed her eyes. She’d been like that once. After her mother died, Kat had clung to the guilt, keeping herself to herself; it was only by being fortunate enough to have some brilliant counselors and carers that she’d found a way through it. That was what had motivated her to train as a child therapist herself, so that she could give something back and hopefully make a difference in other children’s lives. Here at Flight, she finally had the opportunity to make her dream come true by running her own courses, the nature-therapy sessions she’d been specializing in ever since she’d qualified.

  If Mike expected her to help Luke and Ben develop some kind of relationship, he needed to know her professional opinion of Luke, too. It seemed that it wasn’t just the children who needed therapy at Flight.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  KAT WOKE EARLY, confused, and then she remembered: she was in her new home by the sea and her life was looking good. Today she hoped to start planning her new course, and she’d decided to set out some rules about parents—one in particular—getting too involved in what she was doing.

  She had a couple of counseling sessions this morning. One was with Millie, the girl who’d been in her sea session the previous evening. Millie needed one-on-one counseling, as she was very withdrawn. That was one of the reasons Kat had wanted her in sea therapy—to pull her out of herself—and she was sure the animal therapy would be good for her, too. Animals had a way of getting through to even the most troubled children; she’d seen it again and again.

  The tide was in when Kat headed out of the cottage for a quick morning walk before she had to be at Flight. The water lapped right up to the edge of Cove Road, and she had to stay well up on the rocks above the tide line. The sky was a rumbling gray with slashes of deep purple hovering near the horizon as she set off along her rugged route. The sea, however, was calm, apart from the waves that gently buffeted the rocks, and the wind in her face was pleasantly warm. She gulped in the salty air, feeling thankful; never had she imagined that she might find somewhere as wonderful as this to live. Her landlady, Elsa, must really miss it.

  By the time she headed back to Cove Cottages, the tide was on the wane. Flotsam and jetsam lay in heaps, harboring no end of treasures—for the kids, at least. There was even a bright red football sitting on a pile of seaweed and a silver, heart-shaped necklace; surely it couldn’t be real silver. She picked it up, untangling it from the debris that had carried it here. It certainly hadn’t lost any of its luster, so perhaps it was real silver. It felt like a sign. This was a lucky place, and all she needed now was a dog to keep her company. Where did that idea come from? All her life, she’d wanted a dog, but it had never been practical. Perhaps it was time.

  Kat returned to her cottage for a light breakfast before walking up the path to Flight. Patches of blue sky were clearing out the gray, allowing the sun to peep through. Her first appointment wasn’t until nine thirty, so she had plenty of time to try to catch up with Ben before his lessons started—not for a therapy session, but just for a friendly chat. She had to get to know him, and it was important that he started to feel comfortable
about living here. She wanted to find out more about his granddad, too.

  As it happened, she was too late to catch Ben. Gwen had sent him to tidy up his room before lessons started.

  “There are some things we just have to insist on,” she told Kat. “All the children are taught to take responsibility for their own rooms, and it’s important he gets into good habits from the start. Ben seems to take a real delight in trashing his room. Rather than telling him off, I just make him sort it out himself. Yesterday he sulked and missed breakfast, but today he’s gone off to do it quite happily. He has gym class first thing, mind, and he does seem to love sport.”

  Kat went by the kitchen to get a coffee and, to her dismay, Luke was already there, doing the same. Short of rudely walking away, she had no choice but to say good morning. He was wearing faded blue jeans, she noted, and a pale blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. He looked cleaner cut than usual, as if he’d made a special effort.

  “You going somewhere fancy today?” she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

  “And are you?” he asked, looking at her outfit pointedly.

  When she was doing formal therapy sessions at school she always felt she should at least try to look professional. Today she was wearing a pencil skirt with a bright floral blouse and mid-height heels. “I only do casual for the nature-therapy courses,” she explained.

  He gave her a warm, slightly crooked smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “So this is you looking serious, is it?”

  “I can do serious, you know,” she retorted.

  “I’m sure you can,” he said. “Unfortunately, though, when I watch your sessions you are invariably wading around in the sea or losing control of my son.”

  She froze, forcing back an angry retort; she mustn’t let him get to her.

  “I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, taking her by surprise. “I’m sure your serious sessions are very professional. I just want what’s best for Ben, and I believe that children have to learn to stick to the rules.”

  “So were your parents strict?” she asked on a hunch.

  “Parent,” he replied. “My mum died when I was small. My dad was in the army, so yes, I guess you could say he was strict. Rules and regulations were his life.”

  “What about now?” she asked.

  “I haven’t seen him in years,” Luke said matter-of-factly.

  “That’s sad,” she said quietly.

  He shrugged, pouring boiling water into his mug. “You don’t know my dad.”

  “He’s still your dad, so you must have some regrets. Now you have the chance to make up for what you missed by making sure you and Ben get a proper father-son relationship going.”

  He held her gaze briefly, and then he thrust his broad hand forward. “Okay. Truce? You have your ways and I have mine, but the one thing we can agree on is that we both want what’s best for Ben.”

  Kat took hold of his hand; it was warm and strong and tanned, and her heart raced. For one wild moment, she wondered what it would feel like to be in his arms.

  “Truce,” she managed, pulling her hand free and turning away.

  “Oh, and for your information,” he called, as she picked up her cup and headed for the door, “the reason I’ve dressed up today is because it’s my day off and I was thinking of going into town to buy Ben a bike.”

  Kat stopped and turned. “Don’t you think it would be a good idea to take him with you? So that he can choose? Now, that really would be building bridges.”

  Luke hesitated. Then he gave her a wry smile. “Actually, I mentioned it to him and he refused point-blank. Nice, eh—real father-and-son stuff.”

  Moved by the sadness in his eyes, Kat almost reached out her hand in sympathy, but held back. “You just have to work on this. You can’t expect him to come around overnight. He’s lost his mum, his home and his grandparents—everything familiar. And suddenly the dad, who in his eyes hasn’t wanted anything to do with him for years, has stepped right back into his life. You have to earn his trust, Luke.”

  “It wasn’t because I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. He needs to know that. It was for the best at the time, that’s all.”

  “And how hard did you actually try?” Kat asked.

  Luke shook his head sadly, and this time she did take hold of his arm. “Just be his friend,” she urged. “He’s here at Flight now. He doesn’t need you to worry about discipline.”

  “You don’t understand,” he objected. “I know what his grandparents are like. They’re very wealthy and they’ve ruined him with kindness, totally spoiled him.”

  “Well, you’re talking about buying him a bike, so how is that different?”

  Luke narrowed his eyes, his jaw tensing. “Every boy should have a bike,” he said. “That’s not spoiling him.”

  “That’s probably how his grandparents felt,” Kat suggested. “Especially after he lost his mum.”

  “What do you know about that?”

  “I’m his therapist. It’s my job to know what’s been going on in his life. I’d like to find out more about his granddad, too. Ben’s upset about his illness, but I think there’s more to it.”

  Luke shot her a sharp glance. “What do you mean? What about Jim? I know he’s been unwell, but Mollie just told me it was old age catching up with him.”

  “Maybe I got it wrong,” Kat said, doubting herself. “Ben said something about losing his granddad, that’s all. He was very upset about it.”

  “Yes, you obviously got it wrong,” Luke said. “That’s what happens when you jump to conclusions. I think I know my son and his business better than you.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Kat asked, hating herself for the low dig.

  Luke’s face reddened, and he seemed to be working something over in his head. “Okay,” he said finally. “If Ben wants a bike, he’ll have to come with me.”

  She nodded. Maybe she was getting through to Luke after all. “That’ll give you a chance to bond. You could take him to McDonald’s or something. All kids love McDonald’s.”

  Luke’s mouth quirked into a smile. “Perhaps I’ll ask you, too,” he said.

  “No...thanks,” Kat responded. “I think it should be just the two of you.” Why on earth would he ask her something like that?

  As he walked away, after giving her an exaggerated salute, she noted how much more confident his strides were, as if he had a goal now. What a strange guy. Just when she’d thought she couldn’t stand him any longer, he’d dropped his arrogance and revealed an almost vulnerable side to his character.

  Feeling more optimistic about the whole situation, she headed off to the bright, airy room just off the new annex that had been allocated for her counseling sessions. Afterward, she’d go and find Mike to try to persuade him to organize a meeting with Ben’s grandmother, along with discussing her animal-therapy plans.

  Her first session, with sixteen-year-old Robert Bevis, left her beaming. It always felt good when she made real headway with a kid, and she’d seen such a change in the lanky, dark-haired teenager since they’d started their sessions. He’d shown a huge interest in athletics, so she’d had talks with Graham Brown, head of sports at the school, to see if the field held any future for Robert. Graham had sung his praises but said that with his attitude, he would never be able to make any kind of career. But with her help and support, Rob had started to build up his confidence in himself, which was the only thing holding him back. Today he showed her a letter from a sports academy that was offering him a place when he left Flight later that year. She couldn’t take credit for that as she wasn’t even at Flight when he’d applied, but he’d talked to her about it, opening up and asking her advice. That was the best reward she could ever have.

  “If you ever have doubts or setbacks, you can always call me,” she told
him. “The only person who can hold you back is you. You just have to believe in yourself.”

  “I’m going to try really hard to do that,” he said. “If you’ll help me.”

  “Of course I will. It won’t always be easy, though.”

  He nodded determinedly. “Yes, I know that, but at least I’m getting the chance to try. I’m going to give it my best shot.”

  “That’s all anyone can do,” Kat said. “You are as good as anyone else.”

  The young man smiled with a newfound confidence. “I’ll remember that always,” he told her.

  When Millie Summers came into the room just after Rob left, Kat was still glowing about his news. She focused her attention on the quiet young girl, who sat down with her hands linked in her lap. “Well, Millie, how do you feel about maybe going for a home visit soon?”

  Millie glanced up at her then looked away nervously. “Dunno,” she said.

  “Do you feel excited...or scared, maybe?”

  “I want to see my mum, but only if Bob has gone. I hate him.”

  “Bob has gone far away, Millie. He can never hurt you or your mum again, I promise. Your mum is living in a new house now and it will be just you and her and maybe, before long, your little brother, too.”

  Millie brightened at that. “Dominic?” she cried. “Dominic’s coming home?”

  “Well, it’s early days. We’ll start with a few home visits to see how it goes, and who knows—before long you might be able to go home full-time and help your mum look after him.” The idea brought a glow to Millie’s usually deadpan features.

  “I’d like that,” she said. “And Bob’s really gone?”

  “He’s gone,” Kat assured her. “I could come with you if you like, for your first visit.”

  “Will you, Miss? Will you really come?”

  “If you’re sure it’s what you want.”