Third Time's a Charm

by Virginia Smith

  Mom’s slender neck seemed even longer than usual as her chin rose into the air. No doubt she’d faced some tough times raising three girls on her own. She’d had to swallow her pride when she moved them in with her parents so she could go to college and get her nursing degree. And she had provided the best home she could, had surrounded her girls with love. Tori felt a renewed rush of admiration for her.

  She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother. “We did just fine.”

  Mom returned her embrace, and then a soft sigh tickled the top of Tori’s head. “He might also have been trying to avoid me. The last time I saw him . . . Well, we didn’t part on the best of terms.”

  “That’s no excuse for deserting his children.”

  “Of course it isn’t.” Mom stepped back, her hands resting on Tori’s shoulders as she searched her face. “Whatever his reason, it wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”

  Tori’s head dipped as she looked at the ground. Maybe it was her fault, a little. Maybe if she’d acted happier to see him when he came to pick them up. Or if she hadn’t stayed with Mom that day.

  Mom gripped her chin in a finger and thumb and tilted it upward until Tori was looking at her. “It wasn’t your fault, Tori. You were a child. Your father’s problems had nothing to do with you.” She paused, then she continued in a confiding tone. “For the first few months I hoped he had gone somewhere to get himself cleaned up. But when the months became a year, and then another . . .”

  The sadness in her eyes tore at Tori’s conscience. She should shut her mouth now, drop the subject. But this was the most information she’d ever gotten out of Mom. The chance may never come again. And besides, Daddy’s absence worried her like a loose tooth she couldn’t stop wiggling.

  “Did you ever try to find him?”

  Mom didn’t answer at first, but studied Tori’s face. “What brought all this up? Why all these questions now, after he’s been gone so long?”

  Tori glanced toward the house. “We found some of his stuff up in the attic, and I just . . .” She shrugged.

  Mom sighed, and shook her head. “The answer is no, I never tried to find him. I wouldn’t have known where to look.”

  “What about contacting his relatives?” Mom opened her mouth, but Tori rushed on before she could speak. “I know he was an only child and his parents were dead, but surely there was someone else he would have stayed in touch with. Cousins, aunts and uncles, that sort of thing.”

  A guilty expression overtook Mom’s features. “You girls don’t know anything about your father, and that’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

  “No, Mom, it’s not.” Tori grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You couldn’t be expected to talk about something that was so painful to you. I’m sorry I brought it up. Let’s just drop it.”

  Mom shook her head. “No, you have questions and you need answers. I guess I thought you knew, but you were young when he left. And even when he was still with us, he didn’t discuss his past, did he?” She bit her lip. “The truth is, your father was turned over to the courts when he was six years old by a drug addict mother who didn’t want to be bothered with him. He was raised in the foster care system. He never knew who his father was, and had no memory of any relatives except his mother.” She squeezed Tori’s hand, her face soft with compassion. “When he was eight, the foster family he was living with at the time told him his mother had been found dead on the streets of Indianapolis.”

  Tori’s mind reeled. What a terrible story. No wonder Daddy didn’t want to talk about it when she was younger. She backed up a step to lean against her car. In the top of the tree next door, a bird began a joyful song, totally oblivious to the sad story being told a dozen feet below.

  Mom’s voice was soft as she continued. “It’s really amazing that he was able to come out of that life and make something of himself. Even though he eventually succumbed to the same addiction as his mother.”

  “I know he smoked pot. Allie told us.”

  Mom heaved a sigh. “Oh, honey, he was doing more than that when he left. I thought if I gave him an ultimatum . . .” She shook her head. “But that was much later. When I first met him, he didn’t even drink beer. He was working as a frame carpenter building houses. He wasn’t afraid of hard work, I’ll say that about him.”

  “He didn’t go to college?” Tori nodded toward the house. “We found some old psychology textbooks up there.”

  A nostalgic smile curved her mouth. “Those were his. I remember the day he bought them at a garage sale. He said he’d been in enough therapy sessions that he could easily sit on the other side of the couch. Allie picked that up from him, I guess. He never read them, though.”

  This was the most Mom had ever talked about her ex-husband. Tori studied her mother’s face, the faraway look in the eyes behind the glasses. Apparently not all her memories of Daddy were bad. He had to have had some good qualities. Otherwise, why would she have married him to begin with?

  Tori knew the basics of their relationship from the stories Daddy told her when she was little, before the divorce. How he came into the drugstore where Mom worked as a clerk, looking for aspirin, but ended up finding the prettiest girl in town. He swept her off her feet and they were married a few months later. Whenever Daddy recounted that story to his fascinated little girls, a faint blush would color Mom’s cheeks. It had always seemed romantic to Tori when she was little. Then after Daddy left, she’d taken it to heart as a lesson in the dangers of rushing into a relationship.

  If only she had the nerve to remind Joan of that lesson.

  A lone cloud moving across the bright blue sky passed in front of the sun, plunging the yard where they stood into shadow. Mom, lost in some long-ago memory, gave a slight shake and straightened. Her expression became closed, and Tori knew the moment for questions had passed. Frustrating, because she had so many more.

  Reluctantly, she pushed away from the car. “Well, I’d better get home. I’ve got a ton of work to do tonight.”

  Mom hugged her, then stepped back as Tori got into the driver’s seat. “Don’t work too hard. You’ll make yourself sick if you don’t get enough sleep.”

  Tori started the engine and reversed out of the driveway. She thrust a hand out the window and waved. A shaft of guilt shot through her at the sight of her mother’s tight smile as she waved back. Tori had stirred up some memories, and no doubt they weren’t all pleasant.

  But she had gotten some important information about her father, details she’d never heard. Did Allie and Joan know of Daddy’s sad past? She scowled into the rearview mirror. Probably. They’d been older when Daddy left, so they probably heard scraps of information he’d let drop back when she was too young to pay attention. And after he left they’d remained faithful to the unspoken family rule to keep mum on the subject of Thomas Alan Sanderson. Or, maybe they talked to each other, but didn’t discuss their memories with their baby sister. Like everything else they excluded her from.

  When she left the town’s last stoplight behind her, she put the car on cruise control and let the wind tangle her curls. Rolling green hills dotted with patches of yellow daffodils zoomed by on either side of the road. She should concentrate on the long night ahead of her, and coming up with a plan to finish all the work she had tonight so she could start fresh on her Maguire marketing plan in the morning. But her mind refused to cooperate. Her thoughts hovered on the box in the trunk, and the memories contained in that shoebox.

  Were there pleasant surprises in there for her? She’d refused to dwell on Daddy in any positive way for so long that she’d convinced herself there was nothing good about him to remember. But that was a childish attitude. Of course there had been good times. She just needed a reminder.

  But did she, really? What craziness had possessed her to pick up those photographs, when she should just leave the past alone? She did not have time to stir up a bunch of yucky feelings right now. She had too much to do in the next few weeks to become sidetr
acked.

  What was it Joan and Allie had said? If we didn’t forgive the people who’ve hurt us, the pain held us back. Tori’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as she guided the car around a curve in the road. Well, she wasn’t ready to forgive Daddy for the hurt he’d inflicted on Mom. Or on her. But her sisters’ attitudes were understandable. They’d been older when he left; they’d had more chance to develop a relationship with him, and therefore were more ready to forgive. In fact, they were both a little like him, in their own ways. Allie’s tendency to delve into the psychological reasons behind every little act obviously came from Daddy. And Joan, with her dark hair and athletic build, was physically the most like him of the three Sanderson sisters. Plus, Daddy had been quiet, contemplative, like Joan.

  What had Tori inherited from him? As far as she could tell, not a single thing. And he’d left before she had an opportunity to find out.

  With a suddenness that left her breathless, she wanted to know. Needed to know. Not just whether or not she had anything in common with the man who’d become a shadowy figure from her past, but why he left. What possible reason could he have had for deserting them? For deserting her? Maybe that box held something that could help her understand.

  But first she needed enough courage to take it out of the trunk.

  7

  Ryan punched the button on the cash register and glanced at the total.

  “That’ll be $54.38.” He slid the coil of roofing nails into a bag.

  The man on the other side of the counter scowled as he handed over a credit card. “I shoulda just hired somebody. By the time I finish buying all the stuff to put that roof on, it’s gonna cost me near as much.”

  Ryan slid the card through the register’s reader. “If you find somebody who’s good and cheap, let me know. I’m helping my brother build a house out toward Junction City, and I hate roofing. When we get that far, maybe I can convince him to hire the job out.” He grinned. “Otherwise I might just disappear for a couple of weeks.”

  The man’s lips twisted as he signed the receipt. “I hear you.” He tossed the pen on the counter and snatched up his bag. “See you later.”

  Ryan nodded a farewell. “Be careful up on that roof.”

  As the customer threaded his way through the racks and shelves, the automatic door whooshed open. A familiar face stepped into the store. Ryan bit back a groan.

  Great. She’s probably coming in to tell me what a goofball I am for inviting my nephews on our coffee date.

  The man with the nails nodded and mumbled a greeting to Allie as they passed. She paused just inside as the doors closed, her head turning as she searched the store. When she caught sight of him, her smile widened and she hurried forward, her blonde toddler balanced on her hip.

  “Hey, Allie. You in the market for hardware?” He picked up an item from the box on the counter and held it up. “Duct tape, maybe?”

  She rolled her eyes as she came forward and set the baby on the counter. “Thanks anyway. We just left the gym, and I thought I’d stop by and see how yesterday went.”

  Ryan tossed the duct tape back in the box. “Tori didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” Her lips twisted with disgust. “She snuck out right after you called and didn’t even tell us she was going. And she didn’t answer her cell last night, either. For me or Joan.”

  Interesting. He’d assumed Tori would immediately search out her sisters and outline the harrowing details of her runin with Butch and Cody. Maybe she didn’t think it was that big a disaster after all. Ryan’s mood lifted at the thought.

  “So?” Allie took a tube of glass adhesive out of the baby’s busy hands and moved the box out of reach. The kid let out a screech of fury, which made Ryan wince and to which Allie was apparently immune. “How did it go? Did she have a good time?”

  He’d just as soon not go into the whole thing, but Allie’s face wore the unmistakable expression of a master busybody. The women in his family looked just like that when they got on the trail of something they wanted to know. If Allie was anything like Loralee or Mom, she wouldn’t leave until he satisfied her curiosity.

  But maybe that wasn’t all bad. For whatever reason, she and Joan seemed to approve of him dating their sister. Maybe he could get some advice about Tuesday night.

  “Uhh, no.” He scrunched his face. “Well, maybe. It was okay at the beginning. But then we had a little incident.”

  He recounted the humiliating story. When he got to the part where the boys baptized her in cinnamon coffee, Allie winced.

  “Ouch. That’s not good.”

  “Yeah. But it ended well. She agreed to go out to a late dinner with me Tuesday night.”

  Allie’s eyes went round above a wide grin. “She did? That’s terrific news, Ryan.” She rescued a package of AA batteries just before it went into the baby’s mouth. “No, sweetie, you can’t eat that.” The volume of her voice rose above a second shriek of protest. “So, where are you taking her?”

  Ryan picked up a discarded customer receipt and rolled it absently. “I haven’t decided. Any suggestions?”

  “Hmmm.” Allie lifted the crying child off the counter and settled her on a hip. “Something cozy and private, so you can talk. Nothing too expensive just yet, though.”

  Well, that was a relief. He couldn’t afford anything expensive. He’d just paid his tuition for his summer term classes earlier this month, and he didn’t have much left over.

  “What about deSha’s?” he asked. “I’ve only been there once, but it’s quiet and nice. And it’s only a block from her office.”

  “Perfect. As long as the weather is nice, you can walk, and you’ll go right by the fountains in Triangle Park. They’ll be lit up and romantic.” A pleased grin settled on her features. If she’d been a redhead instead of blonde, she would have looked just like Loralee. “Now, about the dinner conversation. Tori’s totally into her job, so you might want to bone up on marketing stuff before tomorrow night.”

  “Marketing stuff?”

  She nodded. “She’s got to come up with a marketing plan for a restaurant company, so she’s focused on that. If you can talk to her about it, she’ll feel like you’re taking an interest in her work, you know?”

  That made sense. And he did have a few basic marketing courses under his belt, though he’d have to pull out his notes and go over them. Not a bad piece of advice. He tossed the rolled-up receipt in the trashcan and eyed Allie suspiciously. “Does Tori know you’re here?”

  The blue-green eyes went round. “No, and I don’t think you should tell her.”

  “Why not?”

  The baby was working herself up into a major tantrum. Her little face turned red under the thin blonde hair as she wailed and stretched her chubby hands toward the rack of batteries now out of reach. “Because Tori has a mind of her own, and I don’t want her to think she’s being manipulated. Otherwise she’ll drop you like you’ve got a contagious disease, and she’ll be furious enough with me and Joan to make family gatherings a living nightmare.” She flashed an apologetic smile as she struggled to keep hold of the squirming child in her arms. “I’ve got to get her home and put her down for a nap. But I’m glad things are progressing according to plan.”

  Plan? Whose plan?

  She whirled to leave. As she reached the automatic doors, Ryan thought of a question.

  “Hey, Allie.” She turned. “Should I take her flowers?”

  She grinned. “Now you’re thinking! But not roses. It’s too early for roses. She likes Gerbera daisies.”

  The baby’s cries were silenced by the closing of the doors.

  No roses, huh? Well, that was good. He couldn’t afford roses anyway. He’d never heard of Gerbera—was that a color, like fuchsia, or what? Well, whatever, daisies had to be cheaper than roses. Surely he could afford a few daisies.

  The long, wooden runway glowed like a landing strip at night, the crowd beyond the bright stage lights nothing but a blur. Tori hovered behind th
e curtain and watched Kate, in the wings on the opposite side, for the signal that her turn had arrived. The skirt and blouse Tori had selected was ultra-chic, ultra-professional, and the Bournes on her feet a classy accompaniment to the ensemble. Her makeup was impeccable, the shiny pink lipstick the perfect shade to complement both the pale pink silk of the blouse and the bright blue of her eyes. She looked her best, and she knew it. This trip down the runway would be a piece of cake, and then she’d become the next AE and get to wear a crown besides.

  Across the stage, Kate gestured impatiently. Tori inhaled, drawing courage into her lungs, and stepped out from behind the cover of the curtains. She catwalked smoothly to the center of the stage, stopped, and executed a perfect half turn. The unseen crowd gasped with pleasure as they caught sight of her. Cameras flashed from the darkness. Exhilarated, Tori extended one elegantly clad foot and headed forward, down the runway—

  And stopped. The sleek, slender Bournes had become clunky combat boots. Horror spread like a stain in her chest as she realized the skirt she’d donned was now a pair of—gasp!—striped Bermuda shorts. The pink blouse had become a horrible cocoa brown with an orange tie that didn’t even match! Where had her beautiful outfit gone? A snicker from the darkness multiplied as the crowd caught sight of her humiliating ensemble. Soon their laughter filled the vast auditorium, an assault on her eardrums.Fire burned in her face as she whirled to run to the safety of the stage curtains, only to find her way blocked.

  Mitch stood watching her humiliation with that smug look plastered on his face. “You are such a fraud,” he said, shaking his head.

  She started to protest, to say there’d been a terrible mistake, she wouldn’t dare go out in public looking like this. But when she saw what he held in his hand, the words stuck in her throat. She stood, frozen, as he pulled the lid off of the cup and slung the coffee straight at—