The Daughter He Never Knew

by Linda Barrett

  “A stray?” asked Lila softly.

  He nodded. “I’ll try to find a good place for him.”

  Lila knew he’d do anything for his daughter. Sara was a gentle girl and still fragile, and Adam did deal with life and death in his animal hospital. He tried to keep the tougher situations from her, but Sara spent a lot of time with the pets Adam took care of, and it wasn’t always possible. No wonder he liked Sara and Katie to hang out together after school.

  “I’ll ask around in school tomorrow,” said Sara.

  “Hey,” said Katie. “Maybe my dad can keep him. He doesn’t have a dog yet.”

  “I don’t think your dad will want to fly him all the way to California!” replied Adam with a laugh.

  Oh, Lord! Adam really had dismissed Jason’s plans as unrealistic. Lila cleared her throat to speak. Too late.

  “But he’s not going to California!” said Katie, turning to her mother. “Is he, Mom?”

  And there on her daughter’s lovely face and in her voice, was just a thread of uncertainty. Just enough to mar her newfound happiness.

  She patted Katie’s hand and looked at Adam. “The man says he’s moving to Pilgrim Cove.”

  Adam’s eyes widened, his mouth thinned. “I can’t believe this. He’s really relocating here?”

  She nodded.

  “And Mommy’s finding him a house. And I’m helping, too.”

  At Adam’s consternation, Lila squeezed his hand, as well as Katie’s. “There’s nothing to be concerned about. For Jason, it’s all about Katie.” The scene on the beach would never happen again.

  But his frown didn’t disappear. “That’s probably true.” His voice, however, carried a note of doubt. “No wonder you seem preoccupied this evening.”

  “I had a busy day,” she said quickly, “and was running late to meet you.”

  Adam sat back in the booth, his expression more thoughtful than concerned now. “Actually, it makes more sense for him to have two places. He’ll have to split his time between the coasts. All his connections are in L.A. His agent…the singers…” His voice trailed off.

  “That’s what I said to him when…when he announced he was giving up his apartment out there. He can’t afford…or doesn’t want…to pay double rents or mortgages.”

  “I see.” He gazed at her, a frown forming. “And I also see that you’re disturbed about his decision. Frankly, I am, too.”

  Disturbed was putting it mildly. “Why shouldn’t we be?” asked Lila, surprised at his self-critical tone.

  “Because many divorced couples sensibly put their children first and choose to live near each other. Your situation is very similar. As for me—I’d like to think I’m open-minded enough to take the high road for Katie’s sake.” He stroked her hand. “I don’t want him coming between us. We’re the ones forming a new family.”

  “Yes…” She pressed her lips together. She couldn’t hurt Adam by saying she and Jason would have married and would still have been married if all had gone as planned. They wouldn’t have needed two houses or two families. “I tried to get my granddad to take Jason house hunting,” she substituted, interjecting a lighter tone. “The Quinn actually refused!”

  Now Adam’s eyes narrowed; he sat up and leaned toward her across the table.

  Lila kept chatting, trying to smooth over the situation, realizing for the first time where Katie got her motormouth talent. “Even if Bart had agreed,” she said, “I have no doubt he suddenly would have been unavailable when the time came to actually visit properties. You just don’t know Bartholomew Quinn!”

  “Hmm…I wouldn’t say that. I know him well enough to like the man. And to know that you’re the apple of his eye.”

  She couldn’t deny it. “He loves all his grandchildren, but I’m his only female grandchild. Just the luck of the draw.”

  “I’m his apple, too, Mom,” Katie said with a big yawn.

  “Ahh, the signal to end the evening.” Adam glanced quickly at Sara whose eyes were closing. “She needs to be in bed.”

  They paid the bill and got each child tucked into seat belts in their respective cars. Then Adam walked to Lila and cupped her chin with a gentle hand. “You’re right about something,” he said. “Something I’ve learned the hard way, but prefer to forget.”

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Life is messy. Nothing stays neat and tidy no matter how much we wish it would.” He kissed her quickly. “And your grandfather does nothing without a reason,” he murmured before returning to his vehicle.

  She wasn’t going to read anything into his remarks. Or be insulted by his fast good-night.

  Suddenly Jason’s words haunted her… When your kisses are for me. Her eyes searched the parking lot. Adam’s SUV had left its spot and was heading toward her on the way to the exit ramp. She flagged him down.

  He pulled over next to her and lowered his window.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She leaned over, stroked his cheek and put her mouth on his.

  A PLEASANT KISS. Comfortable. Good enough for her. Her spontaneity had obviously surprised and delighted Adam, and she was glad about that.

  Lila tossed in her bed that night, thinking about Adam. Thinking about Jason. Thinking about kisses. She didn’t need fireworks anymore. She needed calm. She needed someone she could depend on. She felt old—too old for fireworks, anyway. She’d leave combustion to her parents.

  Her parents? What was she thinking? She pictured Maggie and Tom together. Laughing. Dancing. Fighting. Making up. Fireworks. For almost thirty years. Her dad as strong and steady as granite. Her mom strong, too, but as mercurial as the New England weather. She kept him on his toes; he held her steady. Opposites attracting. And acting younger than Lila felt most of the time.

  Lila sat up and punched her pillow again. She couldn’t remember when she’d spent as much energy thinking about relationships as she had recently. Had she put herself in cold storage for the last four years? Shut down the sensual side of herself? The romantic side?

  She lowered herself against the pillow, eyes wide open. One scary thought followed another. Was she sexually inhibited with everyone other than Jason? She’d hate herself if she were. She was a modern woman. She and Adam would be fine.

  But the hardest question of all made her shake and sweat. Had she lost the capacity to love completely? Was she so frightened of being hurt that she’d chosen to walk a very narrow safe path? A tear rolled down her cheek, but she left it there, too frozen by the possibility to move at all.

  Then she thought of Katie, and her whole being filled with love. The child was her life. She adored her with everything she had to give. So that meant she, Lila Sullivan, still had a beating heart!

  Lila sat up in bed and smiled, wiping her tears with quick, impatient hands. Until…loving Katie didn’t count! The thought exploded with blinding force. Didn’t every mother love her child unconditionally? Romantic love was not the same with its give-and-take. With its crackling and heat.

  Tears trickled again. She lay back down, rolled on her stomach and cried softly into her pillow.

  ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, Lila couldn’t decide who seemed more excited at the prospect of house hunting, Jason or Katie. It certainly wasn’t her. She’d been dragging all week, and had made a last-ditch effort to coerce her granddad into taking over. A total waste of breath. He’d scheduled himself to be on the other side of the county, miles from Pilgrim Cove at the very time of Jason’s appointment.

  “We’ll not turn down the business over there,” Bart had said. “Not if we want to remain the best and biggest real-estate agency in the area. We’re countywide, lassie. Don’t you forget it. And don’t forget to show Jason the Linden house on Bay Road.” At her stricken look, he’d given her a quick hug before taking off an hour ago with their videographer to shoot footage of the new listings.

  More and more complicated. Sure, Bart was pushing for the Lindens’ house. Only a block away from theirs on Pilgrim Bay. It
was last on her list to show Jason, and she hoped he’d like something else before they got to that one.

  Katie prowled Lila’s office while Jason stood next to the window and looked out on Main Street. “It hasn’t changed too much,” he said with a nod at the street.

  “How can it?” Lila replied. “We’re on a peninsula. No room for big malls with a ton of stores and parking lots. People do business on Main Street in Pilgrim Cove. We’re small potatoes, Jason.”

  “I know.” He glanced from her to Katie, looking content but thoughtful. “It’s perfect for her.”

  But not for you. “Having second thoughts?” she asked softly. Her heart picked up tempo, but she couldn’t decide if it was caused by hope or regret.

  He aimed a sexy grin in her direction. “Not a one. Sorry to disappoint you.”

  He didn’t sound sorry at all. Didn’t look sorry, either. In fact, his eyes twinkled and he winked at her. And darn if she didn’t feel herself blush.

  “Then let’s go.” Her curt tone matched her brusque movements as she grabbed her purse and the binder containing all her notes on the five houses she would show him. She let them precede her from the office and closed the door behind her. “My car’s out front.”

  Jason leaned toward Katie. “Is she always this bossy?” he whispered loudly enough for Lila to hear.

  Katie’s blue eyes seemed to pop out of her head. “Dad-dy! She’s nice.” A remark which would have been redeeming, except that Katie started to giggle. “She’s real nice, most of the time.”

  It didn’t help to see Jane Fisher, sitting at her desk, sporting a wide grin on her face, either. “Shall I wait for you, Lila, or will you be very late?”

  “Oh, you’ll probably still be here. I don’t think this will take too long.”

  Jason sauntered to the desk and shook the woman’s hand. “We’ll probably be late, Jane, so why don’t you just lock up?”

  She looked from one to the other. “Hmm-m-m. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Time will tell. It always does.” Her questioning glance lingered on Lila. Although her words were innocent, Lila had a strong suspicion Jane wasn’t speaking about what time the house-hunting trip would be over.

  Once inside her Explorer, she lost no time getting down to business. “You told me you’d prefer the ocean side—something on Beach Street—so that’s where we’re headed first. There’s one property available now, and it will be grabbed up quickly because of the location.”

  Of course, it was a small summer-only type house that would need insulation and other work to winterize it. But it was a well-kept, pretty place with potential.

  Jason did not see the potential. He stood in the middle of the hall, able to peer into every room from his spot, and said, “Cute is for daughters, not for houses. My apartment in L.A. is bigger than this. Where would I put my baby grand.”

  Lila made a note, then held his glance. “You’d have a much bigger selection in Boston. And the ferry to Pilgrim Cove runs every thirty minutes.”

  “Boston?” Katie squealed.

  He glared at Lila. “Show me more.”

  “No more on the beach. Sorry.”

  “There are four miles of houses along Beach Street and no others are available?”

  “That’s right. People hold on to these homes, Jason. You know that. But I’ve got two others that are bigger nearby. Real family homes. And one’s just a few blocks from the water.”

  “Does it get the ocean breeze?”

  She wasn’t sure. And after seeing the next two houses, she wasn’t sure Jason would be happy with anything available. Or maybe it was Katie who held the power of decision.

  By the fourth house, she caught on to Jason’s routine. He didn’t say much in the beginning. Just watched Katie as they all explored the house. When he walked into the kitchen, he watched Lila. The living room was sizable, however, and he spent a few extra minutes in it before doing a walk-through on his own.

  “Nope,” he said, coming back to the kitchen. “Let’s keep going.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe if you tell me what you want…”

  “Dangerous suggestion,” he drawled, and the atmosphere changed instantly. Want glittered in his eyes when he looked at her, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.

  “Jason! This is business.”

  “Beautiful business.” His voice caressed her, its warmth like a fine cognac, rich and smooth, going down with ease. She turned from him, suddenly offkilter. “Please, don’t flirt…”

  “Mommy, how about the house near ours?” Katie was on her way to the front door. “Papa Bart said that was the perfect one and to make sure you didn’t forget. After four houses, we go to Bay Road. And we seen four already. I counted.”

  No wonder Bart had taken himself miles away. He knew she’d murder him the first chance she got. “Saw, Katie. Not seen.”

  The child rolled her eyes. “We saw four already,” she said impatiently.

  “Kathleen Sullivan-Parker.” Jason’s crisp tone would have gotten Lila’s attention immediately, but hearing Katie’s full name for the first time had her drawing breath. It evidently had the same effect on Katie. The child didn’t move, just stared at her father.

  “Number one, you were rude to your mother,” began Jason, his voice softer. Lila began to interrupt, but he motioned her to be still. “And number two, if you want to write songs, you have to know the language well. English is your language, so you must learn it.”

  Lila watched an amazing contest of wills between father and daughter. Katie’s eyes shone with unshed tears, but she didn’t blink. Neither did Jason. The air hummed with silent communication. Then Jason inclined his head toward Lila while still holding his daughter’s gaze. Katie looked at her mom. “Sorry.”

  “Come here, kiddo,” said Jason beckoning the child. Katie took a running leap straight into his arms. If Lila had been reluctant to accept it earlier, she had to accept it now. Her family’s dynamics had changed forever. Katie had a real father.

  How had he known what to do? She’d need time to absorb, truly absorb, what all this interaction meant. But not now. Now, they’d be going to Bay Road. To a house only a block away from where she and Katie lived.

  LILA WATCHED JASON’S EYES light up as soon as she parked in front of the Lindens’ home. Two steps up was a welcoming front porch almost the width of the large Cape Cod-style house. They all scrambled out of the car and made their way into the entrance hall.

  In the front area, the living room and dining room were across a center hall from each other. An eat-in kitchen came next and abutted the large family room overlooking the bay in the back. A master bedroom plus a second bedroom were on the other side of the hall. It wasn’t identical to the one-story house she shared with Bart, but had been built at the same time by the same construction firm. It felt solid and sound.

  “There are two dormered bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor,” said Lila. “So it’s really a four-bedroom house. Maybe it’s too big for you?”

  He chuckled. “Let’s explore.” He led the way to the kitchen.

  From where she and Jason stood, Lila heard Katie’s footsteps on the staircase, up and down a half-dozen times.

  “She never wears herself out, does she?” asked Jason, eyebrow raised as he continued to prowl the house.

  “She’s enjoying the novelty of stairs. But, nope. She’s got energy for a hundred people.”

  “Good.”

  The man looked as proud of Katie as if he’d single-handedly invented her. Overjoyed to have found her. As happy as Katie was to have him in her life.

  But Lila asked, “And you’re really going through with this, Jason? This house hunting isn’t a lark? You’re sure?” She pictured Katie’s expression if her dad changed his mind and took off again.

  Jason turned toward her. “Hey,” he said softly. “If I didn’t know your question came from your concern for our daughter, I’d be very insulted.” His eyes bespoke his sincerity. “I won’t
let her down, Lila. I promise.”

  “Not that word! Don’t use that word.” His “promise” tore her nerve endings like the screech of steel wheels against a train track.

  Her meaning registered, and he looked as if she’d struck him. Stunned. All color blanched from his face. And then surprise turned to sadness.

  “Does holding on to your anger make you happy, Lila?” he asked.

  His tone was soft and gentle, but she felt herself bristle. “I have a daughter to protect!”

  “Liar. You know Katie’s safe with me. You’ve seen how she is when we’re together. And kids have good instincts. They can sniff out a phony adult like a bloodhound on the trail of a fox. So there’s only one conclusion I can draw about you right now.”

  The nerve. Lila pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking.

  She didn’t have to.

  “You’re protecting yourself,” he said quietly. “From me. And my love, my sweetest love, it’s breaking my heart.”

  “Don’t call me that.” She’d rather argue than think.

  “Why not? It’s the truth. And not even your nice vet uses those words.”

  She wanted to spring at him like a cat, but settled for conversation. “You have no right to speculate about Adam…. You have no clue about—”

  “Don’t I?” he interrupted. “Let’s find out.” He captured her gaze, his eyes burning dark. “Have you set a date yet?”

  She twisted the ring on her fourth finger. “As a matter of fact, we just spoke about it. Probably in the middle of the summer,” she replied. “Or maybe early in the fall.”

  “Probably? Maybe?” he repeated softly, his expression lighter. “Think about that, Lila.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “So what do you think of this kitchen?”

  Lila slipped into professional mode instantly. A good method to block out other thoughts. She actually liked the kitchen—good counter space, and the sink, stove and fridge easily accessible—and told him so. “This kitchen is in good shape. You might want to change the floral wallpaper, but the cabinets are solid, and the countertops were updated a couple of years ago.”