The Daughter He Never Knew

by Linda Barrett

  She walked around the table to where Sam Parker sat and took his hand. “I think J.J. Parks is Jason, too, Sam. I…I hope you hear from him. He owes you that much. And more.”

  The man’s hand trembled in hers, and she blinked quickly and cleared her throat. “What does Matt say?” she asked, referring to Jason’s older brother, whom she considered a good friend.

  Sam shook his head. “Haven’t spoken to him yet. Heard the song in the car on the way over from the harbor.” His eyes locked on hers. “Did you hear him sing, Lila? I—I heard his voice today.”

  Concern pierced her. “No, Sam,” she replied gently. “You’re confused. That was Luis Torres. Jason wrote the song, he didn’t sing it.”

  But Sam was shaking his head. “Listen to the harmony in the chorus. It’s Jason.” He sounded confident.

  Lila studied the man with the salt-and-pepper hair. A piano man who’d passed his strong musical genes down to each of his sons. If he said Jason provided harmony, she didn’t doubt him. But she looked around the table at the other ROMEOs for confirmation. Some shrugged, some nodded, but they all looked as concerned as she felt. Except for her grandfather.

  “My money’s on Sam,” said Bart, his blue eyes fierce. “He’s always had perfect pitch, so his ears aren’t getting older like mine.”

  Sam laughed. “No logic there, Bartholomew, but I like the thought.” He raised his coffee cup in the air. “To my son, Jason. May he find his way home.”

  Eight men saluted with their mugs. Lila had none and was glad, eager now to get away. But when she turned to leave, Sam stopped her.

  “You think he owes me,” said Sam, “but how much does he owe you and our little Katie?”

  “He owes me nothing,” she replied softly. “And as for Katie—well, Katie will soon have a new dad in her life.”

  He sighed, and she hugged him. “But you’ll always be her grandpa. Nothing will change that.” She kissed him on the cheek and raced to the door.

  When she walked into her office only a block and a half from the Diner, her phone was ringing. The sound hurt her ears, which was a rare occurrence. Usually she welcomed every phone call with eagerness, each one an opportunity to build the business. But today, she wasn’t in the mood to handle normal business.

  She took a moment to refocus before picking up the receiver. And then wished she hadn’t as her mother’s voice accosted her.

  “Your engagement to Adam Fielding is the best thing that’s happened to you in years. Don’t let anything ruin it. Or anyone!”

  “So tell me how you really feel,” murmured Lila under her breath.

  “What, honey? I didn’t hear you.”

  “Adam’s a wonderful man,” said Lila. “I’m fine. Now, go cook something.”

  “Tonight’s special is potato-encrusted red snapper. You love it. Why don’t you invite Adam and Sara to join you and Katie at the restaurant. Dinner’s on me.”

  Her mom sounded desperate, and Lila almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Strong-minded Maggie Sullivan always thought she knew what was best for everyone and had a habit of taking over everybody’s life—or trying to—and Lila wasn’t buying. Not that she didn’t love her mother. She did. But as her granddad had said after Lila had given birth to Katie, “Two bossy women don’t belong in one house. Lila and the baby will live with me.” Then he’d turned to Lila and winked. The arrangement had worked beautifully for eight years.

  “Thanks, Mom, but I’m showing some houses to a Boston couple tonight. They’re coming here about half-past six. But I’ll send Granddad and Katie to you.”

  “Of course,” said Maggie, more quietly. “My family always has a table at the Lobster Pot. I just want what’s best for you, honey. You know that.”

  Yeah. That was the hard part. Maggie wanted the best for her daughter because she loved her. “Mom…I’m an adult. How about letting me decide what’s best?”

  Silence on the other end. Then Maggie said, “Do I have a choice?”

  “He wrote a song. Maybe it’s the first successful song and the first money he’s earned in nine years. Who knows what happened? I won’t begrudge him a way to earn a living.”

  “As long as he earns it far away from here!”

  “Oh, God, Mom! Listen to yourself. What about Sam? And Matt? And the boys?”

  “They can go visit him—far away.”

  Lila shook her head. Her mom had made up her mind and would never change it. “Hang on a second,” said Lila, booting up her computer and typing in Luis Torres’s name. “You’re safe, Mom. Torres lives in California, so Jason’s probably there, too. Is that far enough for you?”

  “Not Hawaii?”

  “California is the best I can do.”

  “I’ll take it.” Maggie laughed, and Lila sighed, content for the moment. “There’s really nothing to worry about, Mom. Take it easy.”

  “Sure. But if you hear from him…”

  “What?”

  “I have a feeling about this….”

  “And I’ve got a business to run. So do you. Bye.” Lila hung up the phone and shook her head. Her mother’s imagination had taken flight.

  She reached for a client’s file, and then paused. Hearing the song at any point during the first five years of Jason’s absence would have sent her into an ecstasy of anticipation. She’d believed in their love and devotion to each other. Remembering how it felt to be in his arms, she’d had no reason not to.

  When he’d left town a month after the tragedy and asked her to wait for him, her “yes” had been expelled in her next breath. She and Jason had been part of each other and after the accident, she’d understood his pain. She’d known how close the twins had been, how bereft Jason had felt. And how full of self-reproach.

  Lila had been with the boys on prom night. They’d shared a keg, and Jared’s good time had gotten out of control. Lila had said so then. She’d say it again now if asked. But Jason had wrapped himself in a cloak of blame. She hated thinking about that night and mostly didn’t. Too awful to dwell on.

  Then four years ago, Matt Parker had visited and shown her Jason’s annual Christmas card. Instead of holiday greetings, the card said, “If she’s still waiting, tell Lila to forget about me. To have a nice life.”

  In her office, she cringed in remembered pain. Nothing since Jared’s death had caused her as much agony as those two brief sentences. When the shock wore off, she’d worked harder with Bart, volunteered more and helped out in her mom’s restaurant whenever she could—all in addition to taking care of Katie. She’d left herself no time to think. This method of survival had worked for her.

  And then last year, she’d met Adam Fielding, the new veterinarian in town. Lila glanced at her ring and rubbed the stone gently. A good man, with a sweet little girl who was best friends with Katie. A perfect arrangement for everyone.

  CHAPTER TWO

  JASON PARKER GLANCED at his watch as the wheels of his plane touched ground at Boston’s Logan Airport. The hands pointed to seven-thirty. He’d taken the red-eye from Los Angeles, and now it was Tuesday morning, May 1st. A date he’d remember forever as a date of “firsts.” The first time he’d been back to Massachusetts in nine years. The first time he’d used his own name when making a plane reservation. The first time one of his songs was being released as the title of an album. And it was the first time in his life that he felt as nervous as he did now.

  Leaving home, even under those terrible circumstances, was a hell of a lot easier than coming back. Especially when he didn’t have a definitive plan other than to rent a car and check into a motel outside of Pilgrim Cove. But he’d come up with something. He always did. Keeping a low profile and thinking on his feet had ensured his survival for the first few years, and he hadn’t broken the habit. Back then, he’d traveled light and often. Always covering his tracks. Now he was twenty-seven years old and felt like fifty. He was tired of playing.

  After the plane landed, he went directly to a car-rental company and requeste
d an unspectacular four-door sedan, the type that could be found in driveways across the country. In a pair of faded jeans, an old Red Sox baseball cap and a navy T-shirt, Jason aimed to blend into his surroundings, as well.

  He reached for his driver’s license on the rental counter and chuckled to himself. He still got a kick out of using his real ID. He’d established a life and a career and was finally ready to face the past. He had no reason to hide anymore—and many reasons to visit his hometown.

  He glanced at the picture on his new license. He’d grown to man-size since the last Jason Parker DMV ID shot was taken. He and Jared had been lanky teenagers when they’d passed their driving tests. In the old days, he and Jared could clean out their mom’s overstocked fridge and not gain weight. He shook his head and sighed. Jared. Jared…his brother still nested in the back of his mind. He’d sit there until Jason finally made peace with him, with the rest of the family, with himself—and with Lila. If Jared was constantly in his mind, then Lila was in his heart.

  He’d seen, listened and learned a lot since he’d left—or, more accurately, since he’d run away. But most important of all, he’d learned that the demons would chase him until he confronted them. His first stop after finding a motel would be the cemetery.

  Two hours later, after fighting traffic that was worse than he remembered, after listening to “At the Water’s Edge” on the car radio more times than he wanted to count, and after speaking on his cell phone to Luis Torres who’d called with excellent reports on their targeted test markets, Jason finally pulled into the driveway of a motel several miles outside of Pilgrim Cove. He was hungry, tired and annoyed at being both.

  “I’ll take the room for a week,” he said to the man behind the desk. “As long as it’s got a comfortable bed. A big bed.”

  The clerk grinned and winked. “You got it.”

  Jason’s mouth tightened but he didn’t bother to correct the guy’s interpretation. Maybe he wouldn’t stay here for the whole week. Maybe, if all went well in the next few days, he’d move into the Wayside Inn in Pilgrim Cove. He drove around to the back of the courtyard and carried his suitcase into his room. A bare-bones room, but clean. No extras. Fine with him. He’d slept in worse.

  He yawned and tested the bed. Forget food. He hadn’t slept in…he tried to recall…at least thirty-six hours, and now the whole trip was catching up with him. But at least he was here.

  He opened his window, inhaled the tang of ocean air and walked back to the bed. He had no energy to fight and fell asleep on top of the spread.

  “HE’S STAYING at the Sea and Sand Motel a few miles east of town.”

  From behind the counter at Parker Plumbing and Hardware, Sam Parker looked at the retired police chief, grateful for the news, but not surprised that Rick O’Brien would be on top of the information. Not that Sam had asked him. He didn’t have to. Rick’s friendship went back for so many years, Sam had lost track. All he knew was that Rick’s contacts in the police department seemed endless, not just in Pilgrim Cove but also in the county and farther.

  “How about us taking a ride when Matt gets back?” asked the chief, looking at his watch. “It’s almost dinnertime. We could grab a hamburger at the diner and be at the motel fifteen minutes later.”

  But Sam shook his head. “No. We’re not hunting him down. He’s here, and he’s not going to run.” He clasped his friend on the arm. “He needs to take the last steps. He needs to come home on his own.”

  The cop said nothing. “What do you think Matt will say?”

  Strength flowed through Sam’s body. He lifted his chin. “It doesn’t matter what Matt says. I’m still their father. My hair may be graying, and I may have failed Jason in the past, but I’m still the dad. Matt will do as I say.”

  Rick stared and nodded. “I don’t know if I’d have your patience or courage.”

  “Courage? No such thing. Surprising Jason will only create more problems, and I’m not willing to take that chance.” Sam began to pace as he spoke. “Don’t want to spoil anything. No matter how much I want to put my arms around him right now.”

  Sam looked hard at his friend. “You won’t say a word to Matthew when he gets here.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “He’s closing up tonight?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Just as well. Nothing he can do, anyway. I won’t say a thing.” Rick paused a moment. “You’re a damn good father, Sam. Your boys are lucky to have you.”

  Sam replied with a grunt. The chief was wrong. If Sam had been a better father, maybe Jason wouldn’t have run away in the first place.

  The bell rang and Matt walked in. A happy Matt. Full of joy since Laura had come into his life. Just the way it should be, thought Sam, his heart swelling with love for his oldest son. His boy couldn’t have made a better choice. Laura spoiled them all, including Sam.

  “Laura and the kids are holding their dessert until you join them at the diner,” said Matt to his dad, before turning to Rick. “And Dee said she’s waiting for you to have dinner with her. So get on out of here, the two of you. I can handle the customers.”

  “Dee’s the boss,” said Rick with a wink. “I’ve got to run.”

  Sam and Matt both burst out laughing. Rick would run all right…because he was crazy in love with his wife of…

  “Holy Toledo, Rick!” said Sam. “You and Dee are coming up to your first anniversary. Memorial Day. I remember clearly.”

  He turned to his son. “Which means that yours and Laura’s isn’t far behind. Middle of June.”

  “The year is flying by,” said Matt with a grin.

  “It sure is,” agreed Rick.

  “That’s because you’re happy,” said Sam. “It’s as simple as that.”

  He thought of Jason and Lila Sullivan, the girl Jason had loved as soon as he’d realized that girls and boys were different. Then he sighed. Jason had disappeared, and Lila had found her happiness with Adam Fielding. The young veterinarian was a good man, and Sam couldn’t quarrel with that situation at all. If Jason still had Lila on his mind, he was too late. He’d have to find happiness somewhere else.

  JASON PARKER SAT UP in bed and looked toward the window. Night had fallen, and he knew he’d have to change plans and visit the cemetery in the morning. No problem. He’d needed to sleep, but now he needed a meal. He immediately thought of the Lobster Pot, the best restaurant in New England according to Lila’s mother, Maggie, who owned the place with her sister. Maggie and Thea. He hadn’t thought of them in a long time. But he’d have to postpone sampling their wares for a little while. No way was he walking into their restaurant tonight.

  He took a quick shower and changed into a dark sports shirt and chinos. Worth the effort to get a good steak instead of fast food. He drove to the only steakhouse he remembered near Pilgrim Cove, took a corner booth and faced the wall. He ordered without looking at the menu. He wanted to eat and run. For the first time since his songwriting career had taken off, he understood Luis’s desire to travel incognito and the lengths the star went to in order to do so. Jason wasn’t fighting professional recognition; he was fighting personal recognition.

  He took out a pad of paper and a pencil from his breast pocket and kept his eyes on his work. No glancing around the room, no looking for the waitress. The steak was good, the baked potato with all the toppings, too. He paid the bill with his credit card, and walked down the aisle toward the door.

  Then Lila walked in, and he forgot to breathe.

  She was more beautiful than he remembered. Her blond hair was still long, this time brushed behind her ears where gold hoops reflected the light. She’d grown up. In all the right places. Lila had become a woman while he’d been gone. A woman who was laughing into the face of another man. They walked arm in arm toward a table on the opposite side of the room.

  Jason headed for the door. Held his breath until he sat behind the wheel of his rental. Then all his good intentions went to hell.

  “You’re an idio
t for thinking you could handle seeing her with someone else.”

  He threw the car into reverse, and made his way to the exit. A left turn would take him straight into Pilgrim Cove. He pushed the indicator down. He’d ride through town, check out the store, Matt’s house, his parents’ house, just to see if he remembered everything, just to see his boyhood home once more, and then he’d disappear. Again. Maybe nine years wasn’t enough. Maybe a hundred wouldn’t be. If an accidental sighting of Lila could make his heart burst, what would a reunion with everyone he loved do? What was the point, anyway? He was probably no more than a fleeting thought to them these days. They’d all gone on with their lives. Certainly, Lila had. And Jason’s showing up now would disrupt everything.

  He passed the Welcome to Pilgrim Cove sign—not that he could read it in the dark—but he knew what it said. Population: Winter: 5000. Summer: A Lot Higher. Everyone who visited chuckled about the town with a sense of humor. Jason’s mouth tightened. Nothing funny about his visit.

  The state road turned into Main Street when he got to the neck of the peninsula. “A finger in the ocean is our Pilgrim Cove,” Lila’s granddad used to say. Ahh. Bart Quinn. Finally, a corner of Jason’s mouth inched into a smile. Quite a character, Lila’s grandfather, and his own dad’s good friend.

  When he hit the neck, he took a left onto Bay Road, past the intersections of Sloop and Oyster streets, and then headed west toward his brother Matt’s house. Matt and Valerie’s son, Brian, would be about eleven or twelve by now. If Jason were lucky, maybe the boy would be outside riding a bike or shooting hoops in the driveway. Maybe he’d gotten a little sister or brother by now. Jason passed the intersection of Outlook Drive and continued on the winding road that hugged Pilgrim Bay. Until he saw the warmly lit home on the corner of Neptune Street.

  Jason slowed his rental to a crawl and dimmed his headlights, looking for a convenient place to park—a minute or two would be enough. Finally, a piece of luck. He slipped the car into a spot near the house, but on the side street. He could see the driveway.