When he opened the front door, Blossom ran inside and straight across the room to where Rory was moving things around on the coffee table. She squealed and hugged the dog. “Hi, Blossom.” Two people seated on the couch in front of the fire turned to look at him. The Normands. What were they doing here?
Rory ran to greet him. “Mac. Come play. Granddaddy and Grandmother are gonna eat dinner with us, and I want to teach them concentration.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him across the room.
Before he’d reached the sitting area, Ursula popped out of the kitchen, carrying a tray. “Oh, hi Mac. I’m glad you made it.”
Mac stopped to take the tray from her. She smiled her thanks and hurried over to clear a space on the coffee table. Mac set the tray down and looked at the Normands. Drake gave him a friendly smile. “Good to see you again, Mac. You remember my wife, Crystal?”
Ursula flashed a questioning look at him, probably wondering why he and Drake were on a first-name basis. He hadn’t told her about their conversation, just in case it didn’t pan out. “Of course I remember.” Mac turned a polite smile toward Mrs. Normand. “Hello.”
Her return greeting seemed congenial enough. Ursula poured glasses of wine and distributed small plates. “Salmon dip to tide you over until dinner’s ready.”
Drake dished up some and handed the plate to his wife before filling his own plate. Crystal tasted it and opened her eyes wide. “This is excellent.”
“Thank you. I smoked it myself.”
Mac hid a smile, remembering how he’d turned down his first chance at Ursula’s salmon dip and threatened to have her arrested for trespassing. They’d come a long way since then.
Rory ran to the kitchen and returned with a pack of cards. She frowned at the tray taking up the table space. “I was gonna show them how to play concentration on the table.”
“Then why don’t you move to one of the dining tables?” Ursula suggested. For the first time, Mac noticed the round table in the dining area was set for five. “I need to check on dinner.”
Rory ran to one of the other tables. “First, you have to shuffle.” She separated the deck into two parts and tried to shuffle, but dropped several cards. “Here, Mac, you do it. Mac showed me how to play this game, but I usually win.”
“It’s true,” Mac said, as he shuffled the deck and began laying out the cards in rows. “Rory has an amazing memory.”
Rory explained the concept to her grandparents, and they cheerfully entered into the spirit of the game. To Mac’s surprise, Crystal seemed to enjoy playing. At the end of the game, she and Rory were tied with eight books each. “We’re twins,” Rory declared.
Her grandmother laughed. “I think we are. Shall we play again?”
* * *
URSULA OPENED THE oven door, filling the kitchen with the scent of cinnamon from the apple pie she’d been keeping warm. Dinner had gone well. The Normands seemed to be enjoying Rory’s company, and she was certainly enjoying entertaining them.
When her lawyer had called with the news they were dropping the custody suit, Ursula suspected there would be strings attached, but the lawyer assured her their only request was to see Rory once more before they left Alaska. How could Ursula refuse them?
She’d immediately called to invite them to dinner, and she was glad she did. The people who had seemed so menacing in the lawyer’s conference room had somehow morphed into doting grandparents. Ursula wasn’t sure why they had changed their minds about fighting for custody, but Drake’s attitude when Mac showed up made her suspect Mac had somehow influenced their decision. She couldn’t imagine how he’d done it, but then Mac was a man of many talents.
She dished up the pie and carried it to the dining room, where Rory was entertaining everyone with tales of the playground. “And Ian said boys were faster than girls, so I challenged him to a race, and I won. He said his snow boot came off and made him trip, so it didn’t count. So I said I’d race him again.”
“And did you win?” Drake asked.
Rory shrugged. “He said it wasn’t fair because he couldn’t run good in boots, and then the bell rang. But tomorrow when we go to gym, I’m gonna see if Mr. Todd will let us race inside.”
Crystal laughed. “I predict Ian will have another excuse. But he probably won’t be bragging about running faster than girls anymore.”
Ursula set a slice of pie in front of Rory. “Did you remember to bring home your spelling word list?”
“It’s in my backpack.” Rory took a bite of pie. “Yummy.”
“It is yummy,” Mac said. “In fact the whole dinner was delicious. Thank you, Ursula.”
The Normands murmured their agreement. Once they’d all finished dessert, Drake mentioned they should be getting back to their hotel.
“Don’t go yet,” Rory urged. “I want to play another game of concentration.”
“You need to practice your spelling words first.” Ursula stood and began to clear the dessert plates. “Maybe your grandfather could quiz you while I make coffee. Any takers?”
“I wouldn’t mind a cup of decaf,” Mac said, helping her stack the dishes on a tray.
“I’ll get my spelling list.” Rory shot off toward the kitchen. Blossom jumped up and ran after her.
“She never slows down, does she?” Crystal chuckled. “Here. Let me help you with the dishes.”
“I can manage.”
“Nonsense. Here, I’ll carry these.” Crystal picked up some of the wineglasses and followed Ursula into the kitchen. “Where do you want them?”
“There, beside the sink is fine.” Ursula set her tray beside the dishwasher and reached for the coffee. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Crystal picked up one of the wineglasses as though to inspect the etched pattern, and then set it down again and turned toward Ursula. “You’ve been exceptionally gracious, inviting us into your home to spend time with Rory. I doubt if our positions were reversed, I would have done the same.”
“I just want what’s best for Rory.”
“That’s what Drake said about you. We had a long talk this weekend.” She gave a wry smile. “A very long talk. Not just about Rory but about Kendall, and about our marriage. Looking back, there are things I could have done differently. Should have done differently.”
No kidding. Ursula busied herself setting out the cups to keep her sarcasm to herself. Instead, she kept her voice neutral. “Like what?”
“Drake pointed out to me that I kept him and Kendall from bonding. I didn’t intend for that to happen, but she was busy with lessons and training, and he was working so hard. It was just easier for me to manage her life while he did his job. Drake resents the time they lost.”
“Kendall missed him.” Kendall had always sounded wistful when she spoke of her father to Ursula. It sounded as though they’d never spent much time together, but enjoyed each other when they did. “She could never understand why he didn’t even try to get in touch with her after her marriage.”
Crystal raised her chin. “I suppose Kendall told you I was a wicked witch who kept her locked in a gilded cage and then threw her out to starve.”
“Nothing so melodramatic. Kendall was aware of how you’d worked and sacrificed for her ski career, and she was grateful. She had some wonderful experiences that wouldn’t have been possible without you. But she felt she was never good enough for you. She always had to do better, to be better.”
Crystal’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t argue the point. Ursula filled a cream pitcher and set it on the tray before she continued. “She’d fallen in love with a good man who loved her, unconditionally. They were going to have a baby. She chose to marry him and move to his hometown where they could raise the baby without pressure. Was it so unreasonable for her to expect her parents to support her decision?”
The back door flew open. Rory and Blossom raced in and
Rory skidded to a stop in front of Crystal waving a crumpled piece of paper. “I finally found it. It was in the very bottom, under my hat. Do you want to go over my words with me, too?”
Crystal smiled at her. “You bet. You go show them to Granddaddy and I’ll be there in just a minute to help.”
“Mac will help, too.”
“Of course.”
The door swung shut behind the girl and the dog just as the coffee finished brewing. Ursula added the carafe to the tray and turned. “Are you ready to go in?”
“Not yet. I need to make you understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I loved her. Kendall was my daughter. I loved her so much sometimes I felt like my chest would explode. That’s why I drove her. That’s why I made her train when she didn’t feel like training. That’s why I never let her settle for good enough, only the very best. Because I loved her. Nobody did that for me. I was never good enough to even compete at those levels. But Kendall was. She did.”
“And she won silver.” Ursula remembered watching the competition on television and witnessing the pure joy on Kendall’s face when she realized her scores had moved her into medal contention.
“I wanted gold for her.”
“I do understand.” Ursula laid a hand on Crystal’s arm. “You wanted her to have a gold medal because that was what you’d wanted for yourself more than anything in the world. But it wasn’t Kendall’s highest goal. She wanted a happy family. And she got it. She, Coby and Rory were one of the happiest families I’ve ever met.”
“I’m glad.” Crystal toyed with one of the spoons on the tray. “I just wish...”
“What?”
“I wish I hadn’t been so hardheaded. I thought if I stood my ground, Kendall would return to her training after she had the baby. Once it became obvious that wasn’t going to happen, I still wouldn’t give in. It was stupid.” She met Ursula’s eyes. “So what now? I know you don’t approve of the way I raised Kendall. Are you going to punish me by denying me access to my only granddaughter?”
Ursula hesitated. “You understand I will honor Kendall and Coby’s plan to give Rory a childhood as normal and carefree as possible? You’re not allowed to pressure her. This isn’t negotiable.”
“I understand, and I respect that.”
“Then it seems to me that it could only be beneficial to Rory to have loving grandparents in her life. Maybe we can set up a regular video chat so she can keep you up to date on her activities. In fact...” Ursula paused.
“What?”
“Rory and I were planning to visit my mother in Wyoming early this summer. If you like, I could bring her to visit you, as well.”
“You’d do that for us?” Crystal seemed truly shocked.
“Not for you, but for Rory. There’s not a lot I wouldn’t do for Rory.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IT WASN’T EASY getting Rory settled that night, but eventually Ursula coaxed her into bed and stroked the soft blond hair away from Rory’s forehead. “Did you have a good evening?”
“It was fun. Granddaddy says he wants to come to Alaska again in the fall. I’ll be in third grade then.” Rory wiggled farther under the covers.
“That will be fun.” Ursula tucked the quilt in around her. “Your grandmother and I talked about maybe visiting them this summer, as well.”
“In Colorado? Goodie.” Rory smiled, but then her face grew serious. “If they’re Mommy’s mom and dad, why didn’t they ever come visit before? Grandma Gen was Daddy’s mom, and she came over all the time.”
“I know, but she lived closer. The truth is, Rory, your mom and her parents were angry at each other and they didn’t speak for a long time.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated. Your mother wanted one sort of life, but your grandmother thought she needed something different. So your mother moved here, with your daddy.”
“They were mad at each other?”
“Yes.”
Rory thought about it. “Once at school, I got mad at Madison because at reading time, she grabbed the book I was going to read even though she knew it was my favorite. But at lunch she gave me half of her orange, and we played together at recess.”
“So you forgave her.”
Rory nodded. “She’s still my best friend. Why couldn’t Mommy and her mom and dad forgive each other and be friends?”
“I don’t know, Rory.” Ursula smoothed a crease from Rory’s pillowcase. “Sometimes grown-ups can be stubborn. Maybe we’re not a smart as you and Madison. Now go to sleep. You have school in the morning.”
Before she could go, Rory wiggled her arms out from under the covers and pulled Ursula into a hug. “I’m glad me and you don’t get mad and stop talking.”
Ursula hugged her back. “I’m sure sometimes you’ll be mad at me, but I will never stop talking to you. Ever. I love you, Rory.”
“I love you, too.”
Ursula dropped a kiss on the girl’s forehead. “Good night, sweetie.”
“Good night.”
Ursula drifted back into the kitchen. Mac was there, loading the dishwasher. He looked up. “You look thoughtful.”
She crossed the room to stand beside him. “I was just marveling at the wisdom of children. Kendall and her parents lost years. When Rory and her friend fought, they made up in an hour.”
“Rory is amazing.”
“Yes.” With a start, she realized he’d cleaned the whole kitchen while she was tucking Rory in. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
“After partaking of such a glorious meal, it’s the least I could do.”
Ursula laughed. “You act as though I’m a gourmet chef, rather than a plain home cook.”
“There’s nothing plain about you.”
Something about the intensity of his gaze when he spoke made her cheeks grow warm. To cover her confusion, she pressed the start button on the dishwasher. Mac reached for her hand. “I know it’s late, but I’d like to talk with you about something.”
“Good. I’d like to talk with you, as well.”
“Let’s see if the fire is still burning.” He led her to the living room and added another small log to the coals there before sitting beside her on the sofa. “Okay, you first.”
“I want to know what strings you pulled to make the Normands change their minds about custody.”
“What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”
“Come on. You and Drake were practically acting like old college roommates. That wasn’t the case during the last hearing. What changed?”
Mac chuckled. “I should have realized I couldn’t get anything past you. Okay, I’ll confess. After the supervised visit, I went looking for him.”
She frowned. “Wasn’t that risky? What if he’d accused you of trying to intimidate him?” Her eyes widened. “You didn’t intimidate him, did you?”
“No, we just talked, father to father. He knew who I was, knew about Andi. He misses his daughter.”
Her mouth tightened. “He had years to do something about it.”
“I know. That’s his biggest regret. And he has plenty of others. I just helped him see that trying to take Rory away from you would be another regret.”
“However you managed it, I thank you. But I still don’t see how you convinced him.”
“It didn’t take that much convincing. He wants to do the right thing, but after losing his daughter, he had a hard time letting go of Rory. I convinced him letting her grow up here, where she was happy, didn’t mean letting go forever. I told him you were a forgiving person. I’m pleased to see I was right.”
“I’m not sure I’ve completely forgiven them yet, but I do understand them a little better. And I feel a bit for them. In spite of all her talents and wealth, Crystal hasn’t lived a happy life. Her single-mi
nded pursuit of that one goal caused all of them to miss out on so many of life’s joys.”
“Yes. Although I can see where Rory inherited her competitive streak.”
Ursula laughed. “Did she beat you at concentration again?”
“She beat everybody. You know, I don’t agree with Crystal’s methods, but when Rory gets a little older, she’s going to want to compete.”
“I know. And I’ll try to make sure she has the opportunities for coaching and training when she’s ready. The important thing, the thing Kendall and Coby felt so strongly about, was that Rory knows her worth isn’t tied to her achievement in sports. Coby trained hard, and his parents encouraged him, but he always knew he was loved and accepted no matter whether he won or lost. Kendall’s parents didn’t do that.”
“You don’t think they loved her?”
“I’m sure they did. But Crystal withheld her approval to manipulate Kendall. Kendall was determined, and so am I, that Rory would never experience that feeling.”
“But you’re still going to let them see Rory?”
“Yes. Maybe it’s not too late for them. They did seem to enjoy being with her. But mostly, I’m doing it for Rory’s sake. She lost her whole family in one night. Now, she’s found new family members, and it makes her happy. That makes me happy.”
“And you make me happy.” Mac did seem happy tonight. Hard to believe that bitter, angry man she’d first encountered was the same person. His positive attitude throughout the stress of dealing with the Normands made it all bearable. She just hoped, now that the crisis was past, he was able to stay positive. He smiled at her. “I wanted to talk with you about that, actually.”
“About happiness?”
“Indirectly. I’ve been doing some thinking about life in general, and the way I’ve handled it in particular. As you know, I have regrets. But life doesn’t come with Control Z.”
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