Had he done it all for his ex-wife? A pang struck her but she pushed it away. She’d married, too, so she hardly had any moral high ground for the jealousy that took up residence in her chest. DeAnn had been a lucky woman, and she’d thrown it all away.
Carol perched on the bar stool at the island. “Anything I can do to help?”
“I’ll help too,” Kate said.
Mallory took the cheesecake from the oven and set it atop the stove. “Carol, you can chop vegetables for the salad.” Mallory rinsed the veggies and handed them to her along with a knife and a cutting board. “And, Kate, do you want to peel sweet potatoes?”
“Sure. What else are you making?”
“Shepherd’s pie with a sweet potato topping instead of russet potatoes. It’s pretty good.”
Carol cut a green pepper in two and chopped it. “Sounds yummy.”
“I’m fixing cheesecake for dessert.” The TV came on, then the sound of Peppa Pig’s voice. Smiling, Mallory washed sweet potatoes and handed them to Kate. It had warmed her heart to see how Haylie catered to Sadie. Too bad she’d never had a sibling for her.
The French door to the back deck opened, and Kevin stepped inside. A strong spring wind carrying the scent of mud and spring flowers gusted through the door with him. He shut the door and looked around. “I haven’t heard Creed in years. Is that your famous cheesecake I smell?”
“It is. With wild blueberries I got from Kate.”
He took a step toward the counter, and she pointed at him. “Step away from the cheesecake.”
He grinned, then shrugged. “You mean I can’t have dessert first?” He glanced through the opening to the rest of the house. “Sadie loves Peppa Pig. Even though she can’t see it, she loves the characters. I took her to a neighbor’s a few weeks ago so she could touch some pigs. She wanted to see what Peppa looked like.”
Mallory’s chest squeezed. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to watch her go through so much.”
“She’s resilient though and she’s super smart. She’s going to be okay.”
“She has you for a dad. That’s a huge advantage.” Though Brian had loved Haylie, he’d been a distant dad, more interested in his work than in altering his plans for his daughter.
The doorbell rang, and she watched him walk through the living room to the front entry. A woman’s voice carried over the sound of Peppa Pig, and Kevin took a step back. A moment later a blonde dressed in a stylish jacket over khaki slacks moved into Mallory’s view. The woman’s hair was up in a French twist, and even from here, Mallory could hear her elaborate bracelet tinkling.
Kevin glanced toward the kitchen, and Mallory frowned at the near panic on his face.
“Holy cow, that’s DeAnn, Kevin’s ex,” Kate whispered. “This isn’t going to be pretty.”
Mallory couldn’t tear her gaze away from the woman. She was drop-dead gorgeous, and the jewelry she wore would buy a new car. “When was the last time she was here?”
“She hasn’t been back since she left. Sadie doesn’t even know her. She hasn’t called, hasn’t sent a card, nothing.”
Kevin’s voice was low and urgent, but Mallory couldn’t make out any of his words. DeAnn’s focus went over his shoulder, and her eyes narrowed when she saw Mallory. He took DeAnn’s arm and steered her toward the door. It clicked behind them, and Mallory could see them standing on the porch talking.
What could DeAnn want after all this time?
Kevin stood on the porch and stared at the woman he used to love. She’d always taken care of herself, but she exuded money and status now. Even he could recognize the expensive jewelry and clothing she wore. The shoes were probably a week’s salary for him. Since the day she left, he’d only had curt e-mails from her attorney. Once the divorce was over, she’d quickly remarried, and he’d tried not to think about her or the havoc she’d left in her wake.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “What are you doing here, DeAnn?”
She tucked a lock of gleaming blonde hair behind her ear. “Was that your old flame, Mallory, in the kitchen?”
Her voice had always attracted him with its husky, sexy tones, but now it failed to do more than stir more panic in his chest. Had she come to see Sadie? He would do anything to protect his daughter.
“That was Mallory, wasn’t it? What’s she doing here all homey in that apron?” She said the last with a curl of her lip.
Stay calm. “I don’t think you have any right to ask questions about my life. What do you want?”
She tilted her chin up and looked him over with those smoky-blue eyes that used to entice him. Looking back, all they’d had going for them was chemistry. No wonder she’d left. His gaze fell to her left hand. A huge diamond twinkled on her carefully manicured hand.
She gave him a sultry smile. “Is it so wrong to want to see how you’re doing? And to see my little girl?”
His gut gave a sharp twist. He wasn’t going to talk about Sadie, not yet. “Where’s your husband? Does he know you’re here?”
“Of course he knows. While he was strategizing over the next few days for the campaign, I thought it would be a perfect time for me to visit.”
“Campaign? What’s he running for?”
Her smile held a gleam of excitement. “Senator of Massachusetts.”
He could see her taking her place with the rich and powerful in DC. That explained her appearance here. Did she think he was too stupid to see her reasoning? “And you thought it would help your husband’s election if you had a poor little blind girl in tow.” He didn’t bother to hide his disgust.
Her eyes widened. “It’s not like that, Kevin. I want to make sure she’s all right, that you’re all right. It’s actually dangerous for me to be here. If it comes out in the media that I abandoned my blind daughter, it would be the end of his campaign. I just want to see Sadie.”
“You don’t even know her. You left us and never once asked for pictures or updates on how she’s doing. You couldn’t be bothered to be any kind of mother until now.”
Her eyes filled, and she held out her hand toward him. “Don’t make me feel any worse about my actions. I know I made a mistake when I left, but I was depressed and unhappy. The two of us never quite connected, did we, Kevin? We wanted to be a couple, but there was always something in our way. You bonded to her right away, but I . . . couldn’t somehow. Maybe it was postpartum depression, but I just knew I had to get away, start a new life.”
“And did it make you happy?”
She tipped her head to one side. “I’m content, and that’s something. But I want to make amends with my daughter. Sadie is mine, too, not just yours. I was wrong to turn my back on her. I want another chance.”
Had he misjudged her? There was a note of desperation in her voice, but he was afraid it was all a trick to use Sadie for her own purposes. “I don’t really trust you, DeAnn.”
“And I can’t blame you for that. But give me a chance to prove it to you.”
“I’m not sure how you can even do that. Not after eight years of silence.”
Her teeth came down on her lower lip, and she looked down at the porch floor. He wished he could tell what she was thinking.
Sadie often asked about her mother, and he struggled to find a way to make her feel loved even though her mother never called or came to see her. What damage might DeAnn do if Sadie grew to look forward to her visits and calls? And what if Sadie wanted to live with DeAnn someday? It would tear his heart out.
But all that mattered was Sadie’s happiness. Second chances. He’d told his mother just this morning that she never forgave and gave anyone a second chance. For the first time, he understood her struggle. When you loved someone as much as he loved Sadie, it was hard to forgive someone who had hurt her. Trust was hard to dredge up out of pain.
Gulls squawked overhead, and the wind soughed through the branches of the trees lining the property. The sounds of home soothed him, and he began to tear down the first brick of his resis
tance to her idea. They could start small to minimize the possible damage to Sadie.
“I’ll let you see her, but I don’t want you to tell her who you are. Not yet.”
When she looked up, a hopeful smile lifted her lips. “I can live with that. You want to evaluate how we interact. I get it. I wouldn’t want to hurt her, Kevin. But she is my daughter.”
You never showed an ounce of motherly love. He bit back the words as they formed on his tongue. “What’s brought about this change anyway?”
She turned and looked out over the greening lawn. For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to answer him, or maybe she was trying to think of a good reason he might buy, but then she sighed and stared him in the face.
“My mother has cancer. She’s dying. I realized when my time comes, I won’t even have had the joy of a relationship with my daughter. Richard would grieve, but I would go to my grave without my daughter ever knowing that I love white chocolate or I like to dance.”
“No legacy.” It had a nice ring to it, but he still couldn’t put his guard down.
She nodded. “Even that sounds a little selfish, like it’s all about me. And maybe that’s because I’m a selfish person at heart. But knowing Sadie might make me a little less selfish. I want to learn about being a mother and what that means. It will help me understand my own mom more.”
“I’m sorry about your mom. I always liked her.”
“She always wanted to see Sadie, and I wouldn’t let her.” DeAnn’s voice trembled.
Another brick in the wall of his resistance tumbled. “How long does she have? It might not be too late.”
“Six months, if we’re lucky.”
He turned back to the door and opened it. “When I introduce you, remember you’re just a friend of mine. We’ll see what happens.”
TWENTY-ONE
The credits for Peppa Pig were flashing across the TV screen when Kevin stepped into the living room. He’d remodeled the place after DeAnn left, and he glanced at her to see if she noticed how different it looked. Her focus was fixed on Sadie though, and she didn’t even look around at the new leather sofas or the nice rug on the hardwood floors.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she really was here because of all the reasons she’d stated and none of the reasons he feared. He glanced across the living room and sent a silent plea to Mallory, who stood at the kitchen island. The trepidation on her face matched that in his heart.
“Sadie, this is my friend Mrs. Blake who has come to town for a few days.”
Sadie turned sightless eyes toward him and DeAnn. “Hi, Mrs. Blake.”
DeAnn knelt on the rug by their daughter. “Hi, Sadie. You have a nice dog. What’s her name?”
“Fiona. She’s my best friend. Do you have a dog?”
“I do.” Her voice trembled. “She’s a sweet Yorkie named Scarlet. She’s not as smart as your dog though. All she likes to do is play with a ball.”
“Fiona likes to play ball too.” Sadie scooted closer to DeAnn. “You smell nice.”
“Thank you. I like the smell of your shampoo too. Like the perfect little girl.” Tears shimmered on her lashes when she glanced up at Kevin and mouthed, Thank you.
He forced himself to smile encouragingly and turned toward the kitchen. They could use a little privacy. Maybe their interactions would be more natural without him looming over DeAnn’s shoulder.
He joined Mallory, Kate, and Carol in the kitchen. “She says she’s sorry.” He pitched his voice low in hopes that it wouldn’t carry to Sadie. He motioned to the women to follow him to the back deck.
The breeze from the woods behind the house was chilly. He stood so his bulk would block the wind for the women. “I don’t quite know what to believe. She says she wants a relationship with Sadie.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Come on, Kevin, you know how selfish and self-centered she is. She’s got a reason for being here, and it has nothing to do with being a mother.”
“I’m afraid of that too. Her husband is running for the Senate, and I wonder if she intends to use Sadie to help him win.”
Kate nodded. “I knew it!”
Mallory shook her head. “I’m not so sure. She was desperate to win Sadie’s favor. You could see it in her actions and her tone. I think it’s right to give her a second chance, Kevin. I can’t even imagine life without Haylie in it. Maybe DeAnn finally figured out what she was missing.”
“She said her mom has cancer and is dying. Maybe she also wants her daughter to know her mom before she dies.”
Kate hugged herself against the chill in the air. “I’m not buying it. She has an ulterior motive. Be on your guard, Kevin.”
“I am. I told her not to tell Sadie who she is yet, and she agreed.” He reached for the doorknob. “You ladies are cold. Let’s go inside. I didn’t want to say the word mother where Sadie might hear it. That girl has hearing like a bat.”
He opened the door for the women, then followed them inside. The aroma of something savory hung in the air. “Smells good.”
“Dinner is ready, but I wasn’t sure if we should interrupt,” Mallory said.
What must she be thinking about DeAnn’s appearance? While nothing had happened between them, they both recognized the undercurrents. He wished he could tell her that seeing DeAnn had made him realize how doomed his marriage had been from the start. And rushing into a relationship with her had left Sadie without a motherly influence. Even DeAnn’s parents had stayed out of the picture. They didn’t live close, and when their daughter had left him, he hadn’t heard a word from them.
“You’re my mom?” Sadie’s voice nearly screamed out the words.
Kevin’s gut clenched, and he wheeled toward the living room. His gaze met DeAnn’s calm one, and he detected a hint of triumph in her smoky-blue eyes. In ten long strides, he was beside Sadie, who had leaped to her feet. Haylie sat on the sofa with an astonished expression.
“Daddy!” Sadie clutched his hand. “Mrs. Blake is my mom.”
He glared at DeAnn. “What did you tell her?”
“We were just talking, and she guessed.” DeAnn rose and brushed the dog hair from her slacks.
He scooped Sadie up into his arms. How did he even begin to untangle this?
She cupped her small hands around his face. “Your beard is prickly. Is it true, Daddy? Is she my mommy?”
He’d never lied to his daughter, and he wasn’t about to start now. “Yes, Sadie, she is.” His heart ached at the joy on her face. What if DeAnn hurt her? How could he protect her?
The answer was he couldn’t. There was no real joy in life without experiencing pain too. The best he could do as a father was to prepare Sadie to handle what life threw her way.
He skewered DeAnn with a glare, but she tipped her chin up and stared back at him. He saw no remorse on her face, but maybe that didn’t mean anything.
Sadie turned her face toward DeAnn. “Why did you go away, Mommy?”
That made DeAnn flinch. Surely she must have known that would be the first question Sadie asked. And how she answered it would tell him a lot. If she lied to Sadie, this experiment was over.
“I’m sorry I left. I have no good excuse. You’re a wonderful little girl, and any mommy would be proud to have you for her little girl. I hope you can forgive me.”
Sadie sagged against him, and a tear escaped the eye closest to him. “I forgive you, Mommy. Will you come see me again?”
“I will if you want me to. But only if you want me to.”
“I want you to. Can we go for ice cream sometimes?”
His throat tightened, and he wished this day had never happened. He still didn’t trust DeAnn.
Gulls swooped over the whitecaps and squawked at Julia for not sharing her lobster roll as she sat at a picnic table on the dock. The scent of lobster spilled out of the Lobster Hut, a dockside Folly Shoals eatery, and she played with the edge of the red-and-white plastic tablecloth covering the table. The yellow Windbreaker she had on protected her from
the worst of the wind, but her feet were cold in the flip-flops she wore. He’d better come by the time she was done with her sandwich or she was out of here.
She felt Frank before she saw him. The bench groaned under his weight as he settled next to her, and she shot him a look. “Took you long enough.”
“I got behind a line of motor homes.” His voice, deep and gravelly, was the most attractive thing about him. Though his hair was gray, he was anything but old and weak.
“Things have escalated. She didn’t go back to Bangor after we set fire to the house. She moved in with the game warden helping her. The sheriff went to see her, too, and I bet he’s questioning whether her dad’s death was really an accident.”
His stare made her squirm a bit. “All you had to do was get her back to Bangor. That doesn’t seem all that difficult.”
“She’s from here, you idiot! She has support here. I don’t think she’s going to leave.”
“Then we’ll have to deal with it here.”
She stared into his eyes. They were dark and scary. “That’s my call, Frank. But yes, we will have to deal with it.” She wasn’t hungry anymore and threw the rest of her lobster roll to the gulls, who squawked their appreciation. “I’ll try something else. It won’t come to that.”
But who was she kidding? Mallory was showing unexpected tenacity. And Julia still didn’t know if the fire had burned up the evidence.
Mallory saw the tension in Kevin begin to ease as soon as the door shut behind DeAnn. They were side by side on the sofa with his laptop. If she tipped her head just right, she could catch a whiff of the spicy scent of his cologne.
Remember this moment. There were way too many obstacles for any kind of relationship to resurrect between them, and a time like this might never come again.
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