by Fiona Grace
She turned to the coffee machine and grabbed the glass jug filled with coffee.
“Ali?” came Teddy’s voice in her ear. “Ali? Are you still there?”
“Yes,” she said monosyllabically into the phone, pouring the coffee into a mug, before returning to the counter and placing it unceremoniously in front of the man. “Come again soon,” she said, robotically.
“Aren’t you going to charge me?” the man asked with a smirk. But then his expression suddenly turned to concern. “Are you okay? You’ve gone really pale.”
“I’ve—I’ve just received some news,” Ali said, in the same stunned, zombie-like voice.
The man’s eyes registered understanding, and he nodded stoically as he handed some money across the counter to Ali, before backing away with his coffee.
Ali looked down at the coins in her palm. Her hand was shaking.
“Teddy?” she said into the telephone. “Say it one more time...”
Teddy spoke in a calm, deliberate voice. “Ali. I’ve found our dad.”
CHAPTER TWO
The word “Dad” repeated over and over in Ali’s mind.
“Are you sure?” she said into the phone.
Her voice sounded small. Childlike and timid. And she was now gripping the telephone so tightly her fingers had turned white.
“I’m ninety-nine percent sure,” came her brother’s voice in her ear.
Ali grasped the countertop with her spare hand to stop herself from falling over from shock. Not just shock because of what Teddy was saying, but from the very fact it was Teddy saying it.
Her brother had been less than thrilled when she’d told him a few months back that she wanted to search for their father. He simply couldn’t forgive the man who’d walked out on them as kids, contacting them less and less as the years passed until he’d completely faded away. Her recent decision to try and find him had caused a temporary rift between the Sweet siblings, until Teddy had agreed he’d support her nonetheless. But Ali hadn’t quite expected him to actively do anything. She’d just assumed he’d be by her side through whatever trials and tribulations came her way. For him to have found a promising lead so quickly meant he’d taken some pretty drastic, deliberate, and immediate action.
Ali felt her throat begin to tighten. She tugged at the color of her shirt, feeling restricted, as if she couldn’t suck enough air into her lungs.
“How did you find him?” she just about managed to say.
“He was listed in an out-of-date phone book,” Teddy said.
Ali’s chest hitched. “Really? Do you have a number?”
“Yes. I called it. But it’s out of service.”
Ali’s breath caught in her lungs. Then her heart sank as disappointment bit.
“Sorry, Ali-cat,” Teddy added. “The phone book was over a decade old. He might have already moved on by now.”
“The phone book was a dead end?” she asked, sadly.
“Not quite,” Teddy replied.
A surge of hope rushed through Ali all over again. This telephone call was a bit like being on a rollercoaster, forcing her swiftly along through highs and lows, and leaving her no chance to catch her breath.
“What do you mean?” she pressed, almost squirming with anticipation.
“The listing I found had more than just a phone number. It had a location. Wave Bay.”
Ali choked on nothing.
“Wave Bay?” she squealed in disbelief. “That’s only a few miles up the coast!”
“I know…”
Ali’s heart raced. She was astonished. Could her missing father really be that close? After all the years she’d spent wondering and worrying about him, could it really be that he was living just a few miles away?
“Teddy, I—I can’t quite believe this,” she stammered breathlessly.
“Me neither,” her brother replied. “But I saw it with my own eyes, in black and white. Rich Sweet. Wave Bay.”
Ali’s mind whirred. Then a new thought struck her.
“Wait,” she said, suddenly hesitant. “Rich Sweet?”
“That’s right.”
“Dad hated the nick-name Rich. He always went by Richard. Don’t you remember?”
“I do—hence my one percent uncertainty,” Teddy explained. “But then I figured he might’ve chosen a new name to go with his new life...”
Ali winced at the disdain in his voice. But she couldn’t fault her brother for it, no matter how harsh it sounded. Because it was true. Richard Sweet had abandoned his three children. His wife, his home, his job. His whole life. Deciding to call himself Rich instead of Richard was hardly the biggest about-turn he’d made.
Ali paused for a moment, trying to let all the new information sink in. It felt almost unreal to her, like this was a dream she would wake up from any second. She didn’t even know how to begin to process such a momentous revelation.
She took a long, deep breath. “Thank you, Teddy. This is really mind-blowing. I—I know it can’t have been easy for you to do this for me.”
“Yeah well,” Teddy replied bashfully. “I guess it’s because I love you.”
Ali’s heart warmed. She didn’t need Teddy to say it to know—his actions spoke volumes. It was Teddy who’d lent her the money to start the bakery. And it was Teddy who’d gone out of his way to seek out their father, even when it went against his better judgement. Just thinking of his big-brotherly kindness made tears well in Ali’s eyes.
“I love you too, Teddy-bear,” she said.
“So, what will you do next?” Teddy asked.
“I don’t know, I need time to think about it…“
“Sure,” Teddy said. “Will you be okay, though? You know I’m here for you if you need anything.”
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Ail reassured him, though her voice was still trembling from the sudden onslaught of emotions.
“Speak soon,” Teddy said, gently. And with that, the call ended.
Ali instantly slumped forward on the counter, as if unable to hold up the weight of her body anymore. She let her head drop down into her arms. Thoughts swirled around in her mind like soup.
This was just too much to process. When she’d decided to search for her dad, she’d expected it would take months—if not years—of searching. She’d anticipated paper trails. Breadcrumbs leading her to the Highlands of Scotland, or somewhere equally whimsical and befitting of her bohemian, dreamer father. At the very least she thought he’d moved out of California. But for him to be just there? Just down the coast? It actually made it harder. Made him seem even farther away. Because it meant that physical distance had not been the roadblock keeping him from her all these years. It had been something else. Something intangible. Psychological. Emotional. Something altogether more complicated.
Just then, a sound came from behind and Ali startled up. She turned to see Piper coming out from the kitchen, the swing doors flapping loudly shut behind her.
“The cookies are in the oven,” her assistant announced triumphantly, wiping her flour-ey hands down the front of her apron. “And I remembered to put the timer on!” She grinned her perfectly white, perfectly straight toothed grin at Ali.
“That’s great,” Ali murmured.
Piper immediately froze. Concern flashed in her prehnite green eyes. “What is it? What’s happened? Is it Teddy?”
Ali shook her head. “No. No. Teddy’s fine.”
“Phew,” Piper said, a hand fluttering to her chest. “You scared me for a second. I thought he must’ve just broken some bad news to you.”
Ali felt her cheeks heat up at the thought of telling Piper what Teddy had actually been calling about. Piper loved gossip and drama and had a tendency to overreact at the smallest of provocations. Ali, on the other hand, preferred to avoid the spotlight at all costs. But Piper was more than an assistant; she was a friend, and she’d been by Ali’s side through several highs and lows now. This wasn’t the sort of news Ali could keep to herself.
“Ac
tually,” Ali said, twiddling with the knot of her apron. “Teddy did have some good news.”
“Oh?” Piper queried, her eyes widening. “Is it a role? Did he land a new job?”
Ali scratched her neck awkwardly. “No, it’s actually...um…well…Teddy seems to think he might have... found our dad.”
“What?” Piper screeched. She threw her arms widely into the air with astonishment. Her eyes went completely round. She flung her arms around Ali’s neck, squeezing as tightly as a boa constrictor. “Ali, that’s amazing!”
Over Piper’s shoulder, the bakery’s many patrons glanced at them with interest.
Ali felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She’d never been one for making a public spectacle.
“Pipes?” she squeaked. “Could you-let me-breathe?” She patted Piper’s arm which was tightly wound round her neck.
“Sorry!” Piper exclaimed, letting go. “I’m just so happy for you!”
She put her hands on Ali’s shoulders and her eyes roved over Ali’s features as she searched her expression for a reaction. Evidently not finding what she was expecting to see, her blonde brows drew in together in a look of confusion.
“You are happy, aren’t you?” she asked, hesitantly. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Yes!” Ali cried. “Yes of course. I’m just in a total state of shock. I thought it would take years of searching to find him. But Teddy found him in an old phone book.”
Piper looked utterly astonished. “You have a number for him?”
Ali shook her head. “The number is out of service. Unfortunately, the phone book was a decade old. So we don’t have an address, but we do know what town he lives in. Or lived in, I should say, at some point in the last ten years. It’s really close. Just up the coast. In Wave Bay.”
“Wave Bay?” Piper cried. “Oh my gosh! Ali! You have to go to him! Right now!” She grasped Ali’s hand tightly and began to tug her toward the serving hatch in the counter.
“I don’t even have an address!” she protested.
“You can ask around.”
Ali dug her heels in. “No, Piper. I can’t go now.” She gestured to the tables full of customers. “I have a bakery to run!”
“There’s no line,” Piper pointed out. “The busy rush is over. The cookies are in the oven. So why not now?”
Ali’s mind turned over the question. “Because...Because…Because I have our whole new Danish plan to discuss with you!”
She was stalling, she realized. That much was obvious. The shock had turned her mind to slush, and she was struggling to process everything. It was more comfortable to do nothing. To stay here, where everything was normal and predictable and safe.
Piper let go of her hand and took her instead by the shoulders. She peered at her intently with her pale green eyes. “Ali. We have all the time in the world to talk about Danishes. This is your dad. The man you haven’t seen since you were a teenager. You have got to go to him. Right now.”
At last, Ali allowed it all to truly sink in. And for the first time since she’d heard the news, she felt the sudden urge in her stomach to go. To run to him. Her initial shock was finally fading away, and she was beginning to actually process the news. Her father was literally a few miles away from where she currently stood. Of course she had to go to him!
She snapped back to reality in an instant. “You’re right!” she cried. She fumbled with the knot in her apron, suddenly finding herself all thumbs and no fingers. “I have to go! Now!”
Piper grinned and nodded encouragingly. She ran to the hooks and grabbed Ali’s purse and car keys for her. Ali had her apron half over her head as Piper shoved the purse into her arms. Ali just managed to half grab it in an awkward position, and take the keys, as Piper grasped the apron from her and grinned.
“Piper,” Ali said, breathless. “I’m going to find my dad!”
Piper nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. You are. Now go!” she exclaimed.
Ali needed no more encouragement. She hurried through the hatch of the counter and across the bakery floor for the exit.
Her heart was pounding with anticipation. With hope and excitement. Could it really be that after all these years, she was finally going to see her dad?
She grabbed the door handle and turned back to face Piper. Her assistant flashed her a thumbs up, and with that, Ali pulled the door open and tumbled out onto the sun-soaked boardwalk, the bell jangling above her head as the door closed behind her.
Out on the boardwalk, the sound of waves breaking on the shore and the gentle ocean breeze swirled all around her. They seemed to have taken on a different quality. It was as if she was seeing the world afresh.
Her gaze found the bright yellow Ferris wheel on the end of the pier. It was the ride her father had taken her on when she was just seven years old. Riding it with him was one of the best and happiest memories she had. Did he remember it too? When she was finally face to face with him, she could ask! They could share their happy memories together and laugh and smile!
With a joyful bounce in her step, Ali rushed along the boardwalk in the direction of her small beachside apartment. The rows of terraced beachside cottages were one of the cute features of Willow Bay, along with the large, multicolored town houses in the surrounding hills.
Ali’s car was waiting in the asphalt parking lot round the back of the properties, and she raced toward it.
As she crossed the lot, she heard a bark and turned to see Scruff, the boardwalk stray, come galloping toward her.
“Scruff!” Ali exclaimed, bending down and scooping him up into his arms. “I have some very exciting news. Teddy’s found my dad! Can you believe it?”
Scruff licked her face.
Ali giggled. She felt giddy, like a little girl.
She put Scruff back down and fished a Jumbo bone—his favorite snack—out of her pocket. Her fingers trembled as she tore off the red wrapper.
“Here you go, pup,” she said, leaning down and placing it between his hungry jaws. “Now, I can’t hang out, I’m afraid. There’s no time to waste. I’ll see you later!”
As Scruff devoured the snack, Ali quickly unlocked the driver’s side door and pulled it open. But just as she slid into her seat, she got a sudden surprise. Scruff! He’d devoured his Jumbo bone in record speed and leaped into the car behind her! He plonked himself firmly down on her lap and gazed at her expectantly with his dark brown eyes.
“Oh, no, Scruff,” Ali said, giving him a gentle shove toward the still open door. “It’s not cuddle time. I need to go!”
Scruff tipped his head to the side inquisitively. His expressive eyes registered confusion, and he barked. It wasn’t like Ali to be dismissive of him. She usually had all the time in the world for the little stray, and he evidently couldn’t make sense of her actions now.
Ali hesitated. Would it be too much to bring the little dog on the trip with her? He obviously wanted to hang out more, even though he’d eaten the Jumbo bone Ali always made sure to carry for him in case. They had been getting closer and closer over the months that Ali had lived in Willow Bay, so much so that people often commented that she should just adopt him, since he so clearly favored her over everyone else who fed him snacks. He’d even slept on her couch once or twice, and he’d been by her side through several dramatic experiences in the past.
Would he enjoy a road trip? Having a sidekick to keep her company would certainly be a comfort to her…
“Do you want to come?” Ali asked tentatively.
Straight away, Scruff’s tail began to wag back and forth at speed, making excited arcs behind him. He barked again.
It definitely sounded like an affirmative bark. Ali knew Scruff well enough now to distinguish between all his different barks—from the happy sounding yap-yap of approval to the grumpy sounding ruff-ruff of disapproval. It most certainly sounded as if he was agreeing to the road trip.
“Well okay then,” Ali said, grinning at him. “But you have to sit in the pass
enger seat. I can’t drive with you on my lap.”
No sooner had she said the words, Scruff leaped onto the passenger seat beside her. He sat there looking at her, his pink tongue lolling as he panted in the California heat.
Ali shut the door and turned the key in the ignition. The engine thrummed to life, making the car vibrate beneath her. Her heart skipped with a mixture of excited anticipation and anxiety. She was grateful to have a companion with her. It gave her the confidence she needed to embark on what was surely about to be the most momentous moment of her life.
She looked at Scruff, her entire body trembling with excitement. “Let’s go meet my dad!” she squealed.
CHAPTER THREE
As far as Ali could tell, Wave Bay seemed like a small, charming coastal town. The stores appeared to be mainly small independents and mom ‘n’ pop shops. There was a certain whimsy about the place Ali could easily associate with her father, or at least the man she remembered him to be.
“What do you think, Scruff?” she asked the little dog in the passenger seat beside her. He’d patiently endured the whole stuffy ride here without making any kind of fuss. “Do you like it?”
He had his paws up on the window, and was peering out at the passing scenery, while wagging his tail excitedly. He turned at the sound of her voice and barked.
“Me too,” Ali agreed. “It’s very pretty.”
Up ahead, Ali spotted a parking lot. It was surrounded by evergreens, making it a sensibly shady place to park her overheating car.
She turned at the entrance and parked in a space beneath the shadows of the trees. Then she killed the ignition and got out of the car, with Scruff hopping down behind her.
As they emerged from the shadows into the bright sunlight, Ali shielded her eyes from the sun, squinted, and glanced around her. Now what? She’d raced all the way here with no real plan or way to find her father. But from what she’d seen of the town, it was fairly small. If everyone knew everyone else in a bigger town like Willow Bay, then perhaps it was the same here? If she asked around, maybe someone would know her father?