A Father's Pledge

by Eleanor Jones

  “He’s fine—don’t worry. I just... Kat said she came to see you.”

  “Such a lovely young woman,” Mollie said. “She’s organizing a visit for me and Ben.”

  “No, I’m organizing it. That’s why I’ve called. How about Sunday?”

  “That would be great. Jim will be at the day care center.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about Jim,” Luke said. “I mean, I knew he was ill, but...”

  There was a slight tremble in Mollie’s voice as she replied. “We didn’t realize he’d had a slight stroke until recently. In fact, the consultant told us that he’d probably had more than one. We thought he had depression when all the time... All the time it was the dementia getting gradually worse. It was tough on Ben, and I let him down. It was all just too much.”

  “Things happen,” Luke said. “I, of all people, should know that. You can only do what you think best.”

  “Like we did when Ben was born, you mean?” Mollie asked sadly.

  There was a momentary silence on the line. “At least you’re trying to make amends now,” Luke eventually said. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

  “Thank you. Oh, and please remind Kat about April and the chickens. I told her I’d bring them when I came to see Ben.”

  “April and the chickens?” he asked, confused.

  “Ben’s pet lamb,” she explained. “Well, she’s a sheep now, but she’s still a pet. Kat is taking her and the chickens for her animal-therapy course.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I will definitely remind her about that.”

  Since their evening at Number Three Cove Cottages, Luke had seen very little of Kat, which suited him because his feelings for her were confusing. They’d both agreed that Ben came first, but their kiss was still so fresh in his mind that it was hard to try to forget it. Despite his reservations, though, he needed to have a word with her today; Ben had told him that she was taking him mudlarking on the weekend. It was so typical of her to dismiss his advice about keeping the children away from the shore, as if she was the only one who knew best. Apart from the regular dangers of the sea, there was now the risk of a child coming across the bodies of the couple from the dinghy. Until they were found, it would be better for the children to stay off the beach.

  He headed for the room where she held her counseling sessions. The door was open and he went straight in and sat down, glancing at his watch. Eight forty-five. He knew she started at nine, so he had only a few minutes to wait.

  If Kat was surprised to see him when she came into the room, she didn’t show it. She just unpacked her briefcase, placed her papers on the desk in a neat pile and sat down opposite him with a forced smile on her face. “Well,” she said brightly. “I’m sorry, but you weren’t on my list of appointments today. I have ten minutes to spare, so whatever it is, you’d better keep it brief.”

  Luke decided to come straight out with it. “I rang Mollie and I’ve set up a visit for Sunday. Oh, and she asked me to remind you about April and the chickens coming with her.”

  “Ah, yes.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “Don’t worry—they’re not coming to the school. I’m keeping them in Elsa’s shed, so it won’t affect you. Some of the children—obviously Ben, in particular—can come and see them there if they want. It’ll be fun,” she said. “You’ll see.”

  “And another thing...”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Go on. What’s complaint number two?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s the mudlarking.”

  “I told Ben we could go on Saturday, so Sunday’s fine for Mollie’s visit, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

  “I’m not worried about that...”

  “You’re afraid we’ll stumble across the bodies of the couple from the boat, aren’t you?” she cut in.

  “It’s a possibility, isn’t it?”

  “No one knows what’s happened to them.”

  “Exactly.” He took a breath and tried to make his voice calm and reasonable. “Look, I know you don’t want to believe they drowned, but it’s just not worth the risk of one of the children stumbling across something horrible. They’d never feel the same about the sea again.”

  Kat met his gaze across the desk, and to his surprise, Luke saw her eyes were brimming with tears. One slid down her cheek and she brushed it away impatiently. “Sorry, you’re right. I don’t want to believe it,” she admitted. “And you’re right that it would upset any child to come across a body or any sign of a drowning. Let alone these children, who are already struggling with insecurity and trauma.”

  Luke’s irritation faded and on impulse he reached over and covered her hand with his. “I know how you feel,” he murmured. “But we have to do what’s right for them.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “Okay...point taken, but it doesn’t mean I’m accepting that the young couple is gone.”

  “So you won’t take the kids?”

  “Of course I’m going to take them.” When he scowled at her she managed a smile. “Eventually.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  “No problem,” she said. “I get your point.”

  He stood up from his chair, hovering indecisively before resolving to get everything out. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about Ben’s problems stemming from his granddad’s illness.”

  Kat held his gaze. “And I’m sorry, too,” she said. “For going behind your back.”

  He held out his hand and she reached across and took it. Her grip was firm and warm, and it took all his self-control not to pull her to him. “Truce?” he said.

  “Truce,” she agreed. “How many is that now...about ten?”

  Luke laughed. “At least ten, I think.”

  * * *

  BEN WASN’T HAPPY about the mudlarking being postponed. He went into a sulk when Kat told him, which she ignored, and then he apologized and she promised to take him as soon as she could.

  “Tell you what,” she began. “Why don’t you ask one of the carers to bring you over to help me get ready for the animals? I’ll have a word with Mike if you like, get him to sort it out.”

  Ben brightened. “April really is coming here?”

  Kat smiled. “Yes, she is, on Sunday hopefully, with your grandma, and you can help look after her. She’d like that.”

  “And will he be helping?” Ben asked.

  “If you mean your dad, then no...not as far as I know. But why don’t you want him around? I thought you and Luke were getting along now.”

  Ben shrugged. “He gets on better with you than me.” His face clouded. “I saw you kissing.”

  Kat froze as panic gripped her. “It was just a friendly kiss,” she said. “I was sad, and your dad was comforting me.”

  “Because of the people in the boat?”

  “Yes, but I was just being silly. I’m sure they’re fine.” She ruffled his hair. “So are we on? Will you help me?”

  Ben nodded. “I guess.”

  * * *

  TO HER SURPRISE, when Kat asked Mike about Ben helping her get ready for the animals’ arrival, he was less than enthusiastic. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Kat,” he said. “You’re doing a great job with the children here—I couldn’t be happier with your results, but...”

  She waited for him to go on, alarmed by his concerned expression.

  “I’ve had complaints.”

  Kat’s heart fell. “What do you mean? Complaints about what?”

  “Some of the children have complained to me that you’ve made Ben your favorite. It’s not good for them and it’s not good for Ben, either. I’ve looked into it myself, and I’m sorry, Kat, but you really must distance yourself from the situation. You need to cool your relationship with Luke or your job will be at risk. We�
��re dealing with vulnerable children here, and total professionalism is a must.”

  Kat was mortified. Mike was right. She’d become too attached to Ben. It wasn’t all because of her feelings for Luke, though.

  “I understand,” she said. “And you’re right. I’ve let Ben get under my skin and it is unprofessional. He’s a lovely boy and I became overly invested in his care. I see that now. But you’re wrong about Luke. There’s nothing between us now.”

  “So there was?”

  “No...not really. We are aware that Ben’s needs come first, and since Luke is his dad and I’m his therapist, then there can’t be anything between us.”

  “You have to treat Ben the same as you would any other child, Kat.”

  “I know,” she said. “And I will. It’s just...”

  Mike sighed and urged her to go on.

  Kat explained her trip to the Jacksons’ farm and what she’d found out about Ben’s background, then brought up Mollie’s impending visit and the animals scheduled to arrive on Sunday. She gave him an appealing look as she finished, but she could tell he was less than pleased.

  “First of all, you should never have gone to visit Mollie without discussing it with me. There are procedures we have to follow, you know that—paperwork to fill out. You could seriously compromise your whole career, not to mention the reputation of this school, by behaving so impulsively.”

  When she tried to speak he raised his hand. “And secondly, you shouldn’t have built up Ben’s hopes about helping you prepare for the animals without consulting me. I’m not going to say he can’t go now—that wouldn’t be fair to him—but you have to invite a couple of the other children along and make it an official outing.”

  Kat nodded. “Fair enough. Thank you for that.”

  Mike nodded. “You’re welcome, but I’m not doing it for you—it’s for Ben’s sake. And thirdly...” His stern expression softened. “I’m glad you’ve come to some conclusions about Ben. I’m not condoning your methods, and you will be in serious trouble if you do anything like this again, but I won’t pretend the results, in this case, aren’t positive. You will take on board what I’ve told you?”

  “Yes, absolutely,” Kat promised. “I care about this job and about Flight and I won’t compromise it any more than I already have.”

  “There’s one more thing,” Mike said.

  “Yes?”

  “Has it occurred to you that getting too close to Ben is placing a wedge between him and his dad? I realize it’s an unusual situation for a boarding school, but you’re not being fair to Luke, either. Their relationship can’t grow.”

  Kat felt as if he’d punched her in the stomach. She lived for her job and she liked to think she put her all into it. To risk losing her job or even be considered less than good at it was unbearable. And as determined as she was to be more professional, she did care for Luke and Ben. It pained her to think she was coming between them.

  “I’m sorry, Mike,” she said. “I’ll do it differently from now on.”

  Mike nodded. “Good. This job of ours carries a huge responsibility, and I won’t entertain anyone who isn’t totally committed.”

  Kat left his office in a daze. Mike’s straight-talking had been a shock, and it had left her feeling less than good about herself, but she was determined to take his advice. She’d become too personally attached to Ben and the attraction between her and Luke hadn’t helped; she had to stay more focused.

  * * *

  KAT COLLECTED THE children from Flight after lunch on Saturday. Taking Mike’s directive, she’d asked Tammy and Lucy Bell along, too, and the three children ran on ahead of her down the steep path to Cove Cottages.

  Once in Elsa’s shed, all three children threw themselves happily into cleaning up and helping get April’s area ready, taking pride in shaking out sweet hay in the makeshift rack they’d set up and putting down sawdust on the stone floor of the inside area. Ben was particularly enthusiastic, Kat noted with satisfaction while making every effort to be equally encouraging with the others. She’d already started repairing the fence around the yard behind the shed, and together they finished it, then stood back in admiration of their work.

  “The chicken coop’s coming tomorrow,” Kat said, her voice rising with an excitement that rubbed off on the children. “And a local electrician is going to set up some lights.”

  By the time they headed back to Flight it was almost time for tea. “We’ll have to apologize to Gwen for being late,” Kat said. “And look at the state of you all—you’re filthy.”

  To her dismay, Luke was standing on the front steps as they approached. Her heart fell when she saw the expression on his face. “Before you start, Mike knows all about it,” she began.

  “But as usual, you neglected to inform me,” he pointed out.

  “Run inside and get your tea, children,” she said. “And tell Gwen I’ll be in in a minute.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Luke,” she told him when the children had disappeared. “I don’t need to tell you every time I do a session with Ben. The kids were helping me get the shed ready for the animals. Mike said it would be okay.”

  “You could have at least mentioned it to me. Out of courtesy. When the mudlarking was called off, I invited Ben to go bike riding with me to make up for it. I even went out and bought myself a bike. We arranged to set off at one thirty...”

  When she saw the disappointment in his eyes, Kat’s annoyance drained away. “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry. You should have said.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him that Ben hadn’t brought it up at all.

  “I didn’t know I needed to.”

  “You don’t. It’s just—”

  “That my son would rather spend time with his therapist than with his own father?” Luke said, finishing her sentence. “Mike told me about your conversation, by the way.”

  “I’m sorry I messed up your plans, Luke, and I’ve taken Mike’s guidance to heart. I don’t want to come between you and Ben. We were getting Elsa’s shed ready for April and the chickens. It was all official—risk assessments and everything. I wouldn’t have scheduled it this afternoon if I’d known about your bike ride.”

  Luke sighed. “I’m sure it was aboveboard, and I know you weren’t aware of my arrangement with Ben. He should have let me know he wasn’t going to meet me. Have you met Elsa, by the way?”

  Luke’s sudden change of direction threw Kat off balance. “Um, no, not yet. Why? Do you know her?”

  “She lived in your cottage when I first came here. I used to walk along the shore and we’d sometimes chat.”

  “I’ve only spoken to her on the phone, but she seems nice.”

  Luke’s expression softened. “She is—nice and kind and caring. One of the few people who really seem to listen to what you say. And she’s had her own share of troubles.”

  “She has?” Kat asked. “Sorry, I’m being nosy—it’s none of my business.”

  Luke shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t mind you asking. In fact, she’s the person who made me aware just how dangerous the sea can be.”

  That surprised Kat even more. “What do you mean?”

  “Elsa’s husband disappeared one day shortly after they were married. He was walking the dog on the shore when the tide came rushing in and a heavy mist came down at the same time. He was lost for a long time, believed dead.”

  A rush of emotion overtook Kat, to think that had happened while Elsa and her husband were living in her cottage. “He wasn’t dead, though...and he came back?”

  “He washed up somewhere else, miles down the coast, I guess, but he’d lost his memory after a blow to the head. When he finally came back to Jenny Brown’s Bay trying to piece together his life, he found out that Elsa had had his baby years before.”

  “What an amazing story,” cri
ed Kat. “And that was Bryn...the artist?”

  “That was Bryn, and I have never seen a couple more totally in tune and in love.”

  “I guess that’s what we all aspire to...” She sighed. “Well, most of us.”

  “Not you, Kat? Why is that? What are you afraid of?”

  In the act of trying to think up a good reason, Kat decided to simply tell the truth. “I’m not afraid. I just don’t think I’m cut out for love and marriage and the whole family thing...not yet, anyway... After the mess my mother made of it, I can’t see it working for me, either. I suppose I’m scared of messing up, too. All I know how to do is help children who’ve been through bad situations. How would I go about creating a home where those situations don’t occur in the first place? My work is all I need—it’s rewarding and I can focus on children who really need me.”

  “A little while ago we talked about how maybe there could be an ‘us’ one day,” Luke said. “So you must want more, on some level.”

  “It was a moment of weakness,” insisted Kat, her heart racing as he stared at her, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t need complications in my life...and as for you and me—there is no you and me, and there never can be.”

  “Because of Ben?”

  “Yes, but not just because of him. Like I said, it’s because of me and what I want out of life. Anything we may have felt for each other was a mistake. Two lonely people, that’s all.”

  “Okay, suits me,” Luke said. “After my last brush with love and marriage I don’t think it will ever be for me again, either. Oh, and by the way...”

  “‘By the way’ what?” Kat asked.

  “This animal thing, the sheep and the chickens—hasn’t it occurred to you that reminding Ben about his previous life with his grandparents might not be the right way to go? Won’t it make him more unsettled than he already is?”

  “Well...no,” Kat responded, taken aback by his opinion. “I thought it would be good for him, a bit of home comfort. Besides, it’s not for Ben alone. The animal therapy is for all the children, and taking in the Jacksons’ animals is a great opportunity.”

  “I realize that, but I want to forge a new life for him, with me, not encourage him to dwell on the past.”