A Father's Pledge

by Eleanor Jones

  Here, though, at Flight, he’d felt as if he finally belonged somewhere; he had people who cared for him and a job that really meant something. Now it felt like it was tumbling down around him and all his values were being questioned, by others and himself.

  He watched Kat walk off with her head held high. He wanted to look away but was somehow unable to. Her back was so straight, he noted, her legs in those jeans slim and yet shapely, and her shiny dark hair swung in time to her steps. She looked proud and so sure of herself. He could admit that he admired that trait, and yet it also drove him mad; she was way too inflexible in her beliefs.

  Mel’s voice interrupted his train of thought for the second time that evening. “Oh, there you are,” she said. “Come on—you have a guitar to tune, remember?”

  The sinking feeling in Luke’s stomach worsened. Why had he agreed to this? It had been years since he’d played the guitar and he was sure to be terrible. “I don’t think...” he began, but she just brushed his fears aside.

  “Don’t be daft. It’s just a bit of fun. Others might even join in the singing.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “Oh, no, not karaoke!”

  “Probably for the best,” she agreed with a grin. “Come inside—you can have a bit of a practice in the spare room.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  BACK IN THE HOUSE, the party was in full swing. Wayne placed a large bowl of punch on the table and waved a silver ladle. “Help yourselves,” he said. “And there’s wine on the other table if you want it.”

  “I’ve brought some beers, too,” Mike announced, struggling into the room with a large box in his arms. Several guests flocked around him to help.

  Walking in on the revelry, still seething at Luke’s comments, Kat poured herself a large glass of wine and took a gulp. “Steady on,” said Tim Ellison, a broad smile belying his stern tone. “Oh, no, I forgot—it’s a party.”

  “Sure is.” Wayne butted in, laughing. “You only get to be fifty once in your life, you know.”

  “Try being my age,” Tim groaned and everyone laughed. Kat smiled at him. She liked Tim; he was very strict and proper during school hours and the results he got with the children at Flight were phenomenal. Out of school, though, he was a very different person who liked to chat and socialize. His wife, Tilda, had died four years ago, according to Gwen, who seemed to know everything about everybody. After that he’d thrown himself into his work and shown no interest in meeting anyone else romantically.

  He turned to speak to Kat again as she took another sip of her wine. “Ah, rebellious, eh?” he asked. “There are enough rebellious children around here already without the therapists joining in.”

  Kat laughed. “It’s nice to see everyone outside of work, isn’t it?” she said and he nodded.

  “Too true. I’m lucky if I even get down to the pub for a couple of beers nowadays. The fish-and-chip van was wonderful, don’t you think?”

  “The kids loved it, too,” she agreed. “It’s a shame they couldn’t have stayed a bit longer.”

  “I think we’d have had our hands full if they’d stayed any longer...or at least Gwen would have. She’d already lost Ben before they left.”

  “I’m afraid that was my fault,” Kat admitted. “I persuaded Luke to get him some fish and chips and they ended up having a bit of a moment when Ben got stubborn about leaving.”

  Tim frowned. “Difficult situation, that. Between you and me, I was as surprised as anyone when it turned out Luke had a nine-year-old son. I wouldn’t have pegged Luke as someone who shirked his responsibilities.”

  “Perhaps he didn’t,” Kat remarked, feeling strangely defensive of him.

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong—I’ve known Luke a long time. He’s been good for Flight and he’s a decent guy. I was surprised, that’s all. As you said, though, he must have had his reasons.”

  “Speaking of Ben...”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think he’s doing okay? With his schoolwork I mean.”

  Tim frowned, looking thoughtful. “He’s a bit behind,” he said eventually. “But I think it’s more a lack of attention than a lack of intelligence. Reading between the lines, I don’t think he attended school much before he came here. At least not recently. That’s another reason why his social workers decided it would be a good move to send him to a specialized school. It was actually his grandmother who insisted on Flight. Personally, I’m not sure that meeting his father in this situation was the right thing for either of them.”

  “That’s probably true,” Kat said. “Luke could have just visited him if he’d been at another school, gotten to know him gradually... If he’d wanted to, that is.”

  “Maybe that’s why Ben’s grandmother insisted on it,” suggested Tim. “So that Luke had to spend time with him.”

  “What kind of man wouldn’t want to acknowledge his own son, though?” Kat felt so sad—for Ben, of course, but also, in a strange way, for Luke. He must have lacked something in his life to be so cold.

  “Perhaps Luke never knew he had a son,” Tim mused.

  She shrugged, trying to forget about Luke Travis and concentrate on Ben; he was the one who really mattered. “Either way, he’s going to have to try very hard to make up for lost time, isn’t he?” she said. “That little boy needs a dad and some stability in his life pretty quick or he’ll end up with more problems than he already has.”

  “Oh, I don’t know... In my experience, tough times can sometimes make children stronger and more resilient. It never fails to surprise me how they turn out.”

  Kat was reminded of her own childhood; it had been far from normal, by most people’s standards, and she’d done okay...hadn’t she? Yes, she was alone, but she’d always believed that was by choice. Could it instead be because she was incapable of sharing herself with anyone, unable to commit to another person?

  “I guess we’ll just have to see,” she said, suddenly drained.

  “Well, now that we’ve put the world to rights, so to speak, I suppose I’d better go and ask Mel if I can do anything useful. Nice talking to you, Kat.”

  Kat smiled. “Yes, it’s good to have a chat outside of work.”

  “Even though that was really all we talked about.” Tim chuckled.

  “To be honest, there’s not much else but Flight in my life right now,” Kat said, thinking how pathetic that sounded.

  “Hey,” Tim objected. “You’re at a party, aren’t you? Go and have some fun.”

  Tim went to look for Mel, and Kat wandered through to the main living area. Someone was twanging on a guitar and Mel was waving her arms. “Quiet, please, everyone!”

  The gabble of noise in the room faded and she reinforced her plea.

  “Hey, just quiet down for a minute.” Finally, she had everyone’s attention. “I want to introduce you to tonight’s entertainment. Give him a round of applause.”

  Behind her the guitar player began strumming a country-music song and everyone clapped and cheered. When Mel stood back to announce the performer, Kat froze.

  “Our own Luke Travis,” Mel cried. “He took some persuading, but...here he is, singing some country songs and other stuff.”

  “I’m not saying it’ll be any good,” said Luke, but everyone clapped again anyway, and with a broad smile he strummed a tentative chord, following it more confidently with a popular country tune.

  Kat stood in the middle of the audience watching his every move; who would have thought that Luke could play the guitar?

  “Country roads...” he began, his deep, mellow voice taking her by surprise. Without thinking, she stepped forward, eagerly listening. Around her, people began swaying to the music and she joined in, her gaze transfixed. When Luke looked up and caught her eyes, her heart started banging in her chest; she wanted to look away, to appear in
different, but something wouldn’t let her. And then he smiled a warm, friendly smile just for her and her cheeks started to burn. Still, she held his gaze until the music died. Only then did she turn abruptly away, melting into the crowd and feeling self-conscious.

  Standing against a wall at the back as his guitar sprang to life again, she carried on listening to his deep, soulful voice, taking in the lyrics that tore at her heartstrings. When he eventually stood up, announcing that he needed a break, clapping and cheering filled the room. And suddenly there he was, right beside her.

  “You were brilliant,” she said on impulse, her eyes shining.

  “Thanks,” he said simply. “I’m glad you liked it. Do you want to get a drink?”

  She nodded, not wanting to sound like a nervous teenager. “Yes...please.”

  She followed him to the kitchen, suddenly wondering if he just wanted another go at her about Ben.

  He got himself a beer and handed her a glass of sparkling wine. “Look,” he said. “This is a party, so let’s call a truce for now.”

  “Agreed,” she responded happily, touching her glass to his bottle. “Not that I’ve actually fallen out with you anyway—as I remember, it was you who got angry with me.”

  He nodded. “Point taken. I guess you hit a nerve when you mentioned wanting to see Mollie.”

  “I was only looking out for Ben...”

  “I know. The trouble is...”

  “What? What’s the trouble?”

  “Oh, nothing,” he said. “Let’s not talk about it tonight.”

  “Good idea. Anyway, I enjoyed your performance. You were really good.”

  “Thanks. It’s years since I played. I don’t know how Mel managed to persuade me.”

  “I guess you three must be very good friends. And the work you put into that boat!”

  Luke grimaced. “Wayne just has to learn to sail it now... To be honest, I worry...”

  Kat waited for him to go on.

  “It’s probably stupid, but I can’t help thinking that maybe a boat wasn’t the best idea.”

  “Because of the young couple who disappeared?”

  Luke blinked in surprise, then nodded. “It was a shock, and it makes you stop and think. We all get a bit blasé about the sea, and something like that happening brings home to you just how dangerous the bay can be despite how tranquil and serene it can appear.”

  “And that’s why you worry about my sea therapy?”

  “In part, I suppose.”

  “I am trained, though, you know,” Kat told him. “I know what I’m doing. Communicating with the forces of nature is good for the kids—it brings them down to earth, makes them understand what’s real. Learning how powerful the sea can be—and learning their limits around it—is part of that.”

  “I totally get that, but there are quicksands here that can catch someone unaware, and the tide sweeps around the edge of the bay sometimes without you even noticing it. You can get into serious trouble in the blink of an eye.”

  Kat shivered. “I can’t bear to think about that young couple... They seemed to be so in love.”

  “You saw them?”

  She nodded, her face crumpling. “I watched them get into the boat and cast off. She was so vivacious, laughing at something he said, and he took her in his arms... Sorry, that sounds as if I’m some kind of voyeur. They just looked so happy.”

  Luke put his arm around her, giving her a comforting hug, and it felt so right.

  “They must have had a big effect on you,” he said. “They’ll be fine, though, I’m sure.” His lips were against her hair and his body, so close, felt warm and strong. “I didn’t realize you were such a romantic.”

  “I’m not,” she insisted, pulling away. “Or at least I didn’t think so.”

  “Well, I am definitely not romantic,” he said and the moment evaporated as quickly as it had come. He dropped his arm and she suddenly felt cold.

  Taking a sip of his beer, he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “Love is just... Well, it doesn’t last.”

  “What about Mel and Wayne?” she asked, unable to help herself.

  “Now, they,” he said, smiling, “are the exception.”

  “If there’s one exception to your belief, surely there must be others.”

  “Ah, so you are a romantic after all. Have you ever been in love?”

  Luke’s direct question took Kat so much by surprise that she answered automatically. “No. Never. You must have been in love once, though...when you were married.”

  He shook his head. “That was a big mistake. I did believe I was in love, fleetingly, but it was a total disaster. It won’t happen again.”

  Kat had never seen Luke in this mood, and it was an opportunity to find out more about the relationship between him and his son. “And Ben?” she asked boldly. “Where did he fit into all this?”

  When Luke frowned, she realized she’d gone a step too far. “Sorry,” she said, her tone subdued. “Your private life has nothing to do with me, but the more I know about Ben’s situation, the better I’ll be able to help him.”

  “No, my private life doesn’t have anything to do with you,” he said coldly. “Anyway, I’m off to do another set, so I’ll see you around later.”

  “I’m actually on my way out,” she responded, wondering if she’d just missed her one chance to break down Luke’s walls.

  As Kat followed the shoreline back to Cove Road, she couldn’t keep Luke off her mind. Tonight, for the first time since they’d met, she’d felt kind of close to him. But he had obviously erected a barrier around his emotions that snapped back into place as soon as he realized he’d let his guard down.

  Remembering the feel of Luke’s arm around her, comforting her, his lips against her hair, she felt a sudden rush of longing. She did want a husband and a family of her own...eventually. If she ever fell in love, she would want it to be like Mel and Wayne, a love that stood the test of time. But the unexpected feelings she’d had for Luke tonight were definitely best avoided: for the sake of her career, her heart and, most of all, for Ben.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned her face into the wind. Luke was right. Perhaps some people just weren’t suited to being in love and would always be unable to give their hearts completely. After the childhoods they’d each had, perhaps neither of them knew how to deal with love. No matter; her work was enough. The children whose lives she helped try to sort out kept her heart full.

  The tide was sweeping in, rushing around the bay as darkness fell, the water sparkling in the moonlight, so beautiful and yet so dangerous. Had the young couple in the boat stayed out until the moon lit up the sea and sky with its eerie light? Had they held each other close in the bobbing boat, unaware of the danger that surrounded them?

  Scanning the shore and horizon in the vague hope of spotting a clue, she suddenly remembered the silver heart he’d found in the flotsam and jetsam. Perhaps that necklace had once been given with love. She needed to find it a really good home, and somehow she felt that home wasn’t with her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  IT HAD BEEN TWO days since the party, and still no one had seen a sign of the lost couple. Hope was waning, and a deep sadness fell over Kat every time she walked along the shore. Today she was running another sea-therapy course, however, and she needed to put her emotions aside.

  As she got ready, she spotted the silver heart and chain on her dresser, shining in the morning sunlight. On a whim, she picked it up and dropped it into her pocket before heading out the door.

  She had an hour before she needed to be at Flight; plenty of time to take the route along the shore to see if anything interesting had washed up for the children to find.

  Kat walked slowly, poking around in the long pile of rubbish left by the sea. Dead fish star
ed at her from plastic-looking eyes and a large crab sat alone on the sand, abandoned by the tide. Three little balls brought a dash of color to the debris, and she was surprised to find a small plastic horse; probably some child’s precious toy, she thought, lost while playing on a beach somewhere. There were pieces of driftwood, too, in mysterious shapes, battered by the waves as they traveled from shore to shore. The children were going to be so excited by these treasures. They could spend time guessing where they might have come from.

  Pleased with her finds, she felt in her pocket for the silver heart, then rubbed its smooth surface as she coiled up the chain. She drew it from her pocket and stared at it, trying to imagine where it came from, and imagining the delight if a child found it.

  On impulse, she threw it into the flotsam and jetsam. The chain tangled around a piece of driftwood, glinting in the sunshine. If the necklace was meant to stay here, in Jenny Brown’s Bay, one of the children would find it...and if not? It would be washed away by the next tide to find another home. And if by some chance the sea failed to take it, she decided, she’d know that it was meant to be hers. Pleased at her idea, she started to hum as she headed for the pathway up the cliff. All she had to do now was collect the children.

  Kat arrived at Flight just after nine. Everyone was filing out of the morning assembly and heading in different directions, the teachers walking quickly and the children giggling and chattering like all children did...except for one.

  Ben was the last to leave the auditorium, and Kat watched as he walked slowly into the hallway. “You okay, Ben?” she asked, trying not to make it sound like a big deal.

  He nodded glumly, shoulders hunched.

  “Are you looking forward to my class today?”