Or forty minutes with Jason.
Her pulse fluttered at the thought. She turned away slightly so he wouldn’t see the conflict raging on her face.
He’s my mother’s handpicked replacement, she reminded herself. He’s after the money, that’s all. He wants me to fail.
But she no longer believed that, not really. When had she changed her mind about Jason? Maybe this afternoon, when he’d held her close and told her she didn’t have to work with the lion if she didn’t want to. She closed her eyes, remembering the feel of his arms around her.
He’s a zookeeper. I can’t ever forget that. I could never love a zookeeper. Not after Lillian. And Daddy.
Her resolve strengthened, she flashed a smile in his direction as she retrieved her cloth from the trash can. “Thanks anyway, but I’ve already arranged for a ride. I appreciate the offer, though.”
He studied her for a moment before giving a slow nod. “All right, if you’re sure.”
“Uh-huh.” She went back to the sink, relieved for the excuse to turn her back on him while she rinsed the cloth.
“Well, have a good trip, then. I guess I’ll see you in a week.”
Kelli started to let him leave. Then she remembered something. She whirled around. “Wait.”
He stopped in the doorway, his expression suddenly eager. “Change your mind?”
“No.” She crossed to the shelf where she’d stashed her purse, dug inside it and turned, holding up the key she’d put there this morning. “You’ll need this back if you’re going to feed the cat while I’m gone.”
For an instant, his face fell. But then his good-natured smile returned and he held out a palm. When she placed the key in it, he closed warm fingers around hers and held them briefly, his eyes locked onto hers. Kelli thought surely he could hear her heart pounding against her ribs.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” He squeezed her hand and then was gone.
The craziest thought entered Kelli’s mind. Did Jason mean more than just feeding the cat?
“Anybody in here?”
A male voice, followed by the sound of the door shutting, jerked Jason out of the world of zoo procedures. He looked up from the computer monitor toward the open doorway, then glanced at his watch. Nine-thirty already? Where had the evening gone?
“Yeah, I’m here,” he called.
Vic, the nighttime security guard, stepped into view. “You’re making a habit of working late.”
Jason leaned back in the chair and rubbed his tired eyes. “I got involved in section three of our accreditation application. But I’m about to call it a night. My eyes are going to cross if I stare at that screen another five minutes.”
Vic’s gaze swept the room, apparently noting the orderly appearance. He gave an approving nod. “Heard about your promotion. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“You planning to walk the property tonight before you leave?”
“Yes. As usual.”
“Well, you might want to take a look at the bench in front of the macaw cage. Some smart-aleck kid got creative with a magic marker or something. Needs to be painted.”
Great. Another repair job to add to the list. “All right, I’ll do that. Thanks for letting me know.”
Vic left while Jason jotted down a reminder to ask maintenance if the bench could be cleaned or would need to be repainted. The outer door slammed shut, plunging the office into a deep silence. For a moment, Jason considered finishing the section he’d been working on, but then dismissed the idea. He needed to get home or Angela would come in tomorrow morning and find him sleeping at his desk. With no sleep at all last night and a long day today, he was exhausted.
A long day, but a good one. He and Kelli had turned a corner today. For the first time since she arrived, she’d given him a peek inside that tough shell she hid behind. Even before her panic attack, or whatever it had been. That gorgeous smile of hers while she watched the tamarins, and then the way she’d talked to him over lunch.
With a start, he realized he’d like to spend more time with her, and not just at work either. The realization brought a slow smile to his face. Who would have guessed he’d end up having feelings for Lil’s daughter?
Would she even consider going out with him? He rolled the pen between his fingers as he pondered the question. A few days ago he would have answered no, no way. But after today, maybe. He may have been unable to tease a smile out of her, but he felt as though she’d started to trust him, maybe even like him. Why else would she cling to him outside the restaurant like that? And she’d felt so good in his arms, like she belonged there.
Of course, she turned down his offer for a ride tomorrow. He rocked backward in the desk chair, frowning.
Well, no reason to rush. Maybe when she returned from Denver he would invite her out for dinner to officially welcome her to Florida. He hadn’t been on a date since…
Jason rocked forward and punched the keys to shut down the computer with savage force. Talking to Kelli about Aimee today had brought the whole mess back with a vividness that gnawed at his insides. And he didn’t even have an opportunity to tell her the whole story. He hadn’t mentioned Tiffany.
He glanced at his cell phone resting on the corner of the desk. The last time he talked to Tiffany had been…when? He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember. Two weeks ago. Right before Lil died. Life had been crazy since then, but he should have called last week. What would Kelli think of a man who only talked to his daughter every two weeks? Guilt washed over him. Probably not much.
He snatched up the phone and scrolled through the directory until he reached Tiffany’s number. Correction. Aimee’s number. Setting his jaw, he punched the button to dial.
She picked up on the second ring.
“Hello?” Pleasant tone. She must be in a good mood.
“Hey, it’s Jason.”
A pause and then far less pleasantly, “Oh. Hello.”
Jason clenched his teeth. “Can I talk to Tiffany?”
“At nine-forty?” Exasperation colored her tone. “You’re kidding me, right? She’s four years old. Bedtime was an hour ago.”
Of course it was. I’m such an idiot. “Sorry. I lost track of time. So, uh, will you tell her in the morning that Daddy called, and I’ll call her back tomorrow?”
“I’ll tell her that her father called. Her daddy tucked her in tonight.”
An unexpected jealousy surged like acid in Jason’s stomach. “She calls Jeff Daddy?”
“Of course she does.” Aimee clipped the words short, as though she wanted to spend as little time conversing with him as possible. Nothing new there. “He lives here. He reads her bedtime stories. He’s her daddy in every way that matters.”
And I’m just a stranger who used to know her mother. “I’m glad she has Jeff in her life. But I’m her father, Aimee. She needs to know who I am.”
An exaggerated sigh blasted through the phone. “Why do you want to confuse her with labels? You’re a nice man who comes to visit once a month and brings her presents. That’s plenty for a four-year-old to grasp. Later, when she’s older, we’ll explain everything to her.”
Jason propped an elbow on the chair arm and dropped his forehead into his hand. Tiffany lived two and a half hours away, on Florida’s east coast. With his work schedule he couldn’t get over there for visits more than once a month. Mom constantly urged him to insist on his visitation rights and bring her to stay with him for a weekend, but Aimee always said Tiffany was still too young. Was she? Would she cry for her mother? Her—daddy?
Jason massaged his temples with his fingers. He and Aimee never managed to have a pleasant conversation. There was too much history between them. Too much anger on her part; too much guilt on his.
“Just tell her I called,” he said, too weary to argue. “I’ll call her tomorrow.”
The phone went dead when Aimee hung up without another word. Jason stared at the screen. If he wanted to have any
sort of relationship with his daughter, he needed to get along with his ex-girlfriend. Correction. Aimee had never been his girlfriend. They’d met on the beach and had one shameful, drunken encounter that had ruined her life, according to her. How could he expect to have a relationship with Tiffany when her mother couldn’t stand to look at him?
He swept the papers into the top drawer and dropped the pen on top. He should be glad Aimee had married last year. Jeff was a decent guy, a good stepfather for Tiffany. Maybe Jason should do as Aimee clearly wanted him to do, pay his child support but otherwise leave them alone to live a normal family life.
The drawer slammed shut with force, and he slammed his mind shut on that thought as well. No, Tiffany was his daughter. One day, when she was old enough, he’d explain everything without confusing her or upsetting her mother. Until then, he’d keep providing for her financially and visiting when he could.
He stood, dropped his phone into his pocket and headed for the door. No standing by the kangaroo yard to gaze at Kelli’s windows tonight. He was so tired he couldn’t even take his nightly walk through the zoo. All he could think about was getting home and falling into bed.
Chapter Fourteen
The taxi driver unloaded all their bags at the edge of the driveway, counted the money Kelli handed him and left without a word. She watched the yellow vehicle disappear down the street and fought the temptation to grumble. The least he could have done is haul the suitcases up the porch stairs for them.
“Well, isn’t this a nice little house.”
Nana stood beside her, staring at the house, every strand of her white hair firmly conformed into tight curls from the permanent she’d gotten yesterday before they left Denver. Her twinkling blue eyes betrayed none of the tiredness Kelli felt. Of course, Nana hadn’t been up until midnight every night for the past week working on client accounts.
“It could use a bit of TLC, though,” the elderly lady went on. “The paint is peeling terribly on those shutters.”
“Looks like the weeds have been mowed.” Kelli eyed the front yard, which at least didn’t have the bare spots the backyard did. Although there didn’t appear to be a single blade of real grass hiding among the weedy greenery. “I wonder if Jason did that.”
Nana cast a quick glance her way, her lips tight with an unsuccessful attempt not to smile. “I can hardly wait to meet your young man. You’ve barely spoken a single sentence without mentioning him.”
Blushing furiously, Kelli busied herself with slinging both their carry-on bags on her shoulders and pulling the biggest of the rolling suitcases up the walkway to the porch. Apparently she’d mentioned Jason once or twice in the past week, although she was certain it wasn’t always in positive terms. She clearly remembered telling Nana of her early suspicions that he was some sort of gold digger, out for nothing but Lillian’s money. But she’d also talked at some length about his nicer qualities, like his ready smile and caring manner. In fact, in the past few days, she’d found herself actually looking forward to her return to Florida so she could see him again.
She pulled the heavy suitcase up the single step to the small concrete porch. Even so, she must never forget that he was a zookeeper. A long-term relationship between them was completely out of the question.
But for the next six months—
“He’s not my young man,” she told Nana sternly. “He’s my boss.”
Nana simply smiled and extended the handle on one of the other rolling suitcases. Kelli chose to ignore her grandmother’s smirk and unlocked the dead bolt.
“Here we are,” she announced as she pushed the door open. “Home sweet home, at least for a little while.”
She pulled the suitcase over the doorjamb and stepped into the living room, Nana right behind her. Everything was exactly as she’d left it, except—
“Oh, my! How beautiful.” Nana spied the flowers on the kitchen counter at the same moment as Kelli. She left her suitcase where it was and hurried across the living room.
Kelli followed, warmth flooding through her that had nothing to do with the heat and humidity outside. She watched as Nana picked up a folded note propped in front of the vase of colorful blooms that looked like they’d come from a well-tended garden.
“It says, ‘Welcome to Florida.’ Well, isn’t that sweet?” Nana handed the paper to her. “And look at this. My goodness, it appears your boss is trying to make an impression.”
A deep smirk on her face, Nana pointed out a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies resting on the counter beside the flowers. They had the comfortingly irregular shape of homemade, not bakery. “I’m sure his mother made those. She’s a nice lady,” Kelli said absently as she studied the note. The handwriting was small, tight and masculine.
Nana said nothing, just turned a twinkling gaze on Kelli before she buried her nose in the blossoms.
“I’ll get the other suitcases.” Kelli hurried out to the driveway where the final two bags waited.
She wrestled them into the house and shut the door behind her. Nana appeared from the direction of the office.
“Your bedroom is over here,” Kelli said, pulling Nana’s suitcases toward the master bedroom. “I’m sorry to leave you the job of clearing out Mother’s stuff. I meant to do it before I left, but I never had a chance.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Nana assured her. “But I thought you said you were planning to sleep on the couch.”
Kelli paused in the doorway to the bedroom. “I am, at least until I can get a bed of some sort for the office.”
Creases deepened on Nana’s brow. “Why do you want to sleep in the office instead of the beautiful daybed in the other bedroom?”
Kelli stared at her for a moment, uncomprehending. Then she left the suitcases where they were and hurried toward the cat’s room. The sight stopped her in the doorway, where she stood, her jaw gaping.
The room had been transformed. A daybed with a white wooden frame occupied one corner, covered in a cheerful floral bedspread and fluffy throw pillows. A matching dresser, painted white with gold trim, rested on the wall beneath the back window, and against the opposite wall stood a charming dressing table with a stool and a tall mirror in a gilded frame.
“I don’t understand,” Kelli said, stunned. “This is the cat’s room.”
Nana squeezed past her and picked up a folded sheet of paper on the surface of the dressing table. She handed it to Kelli.
Kelli,
I don’t care what you say, sofas are not comfortable. This furniture was gathering dust in my mother’s garage. Now she can get her car in there. Use it for as long as you need it.
Jason
Nana stood beside her, peering sideways to read. “Well, I don’t care what you say. It’s a nice young man who’d do that.”
Numb, Kelli could only nod her agreement.
Chapter Fifteen
Twilight was just starting to darken the sky when a knock sounded on the back door.
Nana, who had claimed the wing chair and scooted it close to the tiny television set, looked up. “Who could that be? It’s after eight o’clock at night.”
Kelli knew of only one person who would come to the back door at any time of the day or night. Her pulse quickened as she set her laptop on the sofa cushion beside her and hurried across the room. Stomach fluttering like a lovesick teenager’s, she smoothed a hand over her unruly hair and wished for time to run a comb through it before opening the door.
Jason’s presence in the doorway struck her like an unexpected gust of wind. The smile that curved his lips and lit his eyes deepened when he caught sight of her, sending a giddy tickle through her insides. For a moment all she could do was stare into his face. How could she have forgotten how handsome he was?
“Welcome back, Kelli.” His southern drawl stretched out her name as though he wanted to relish the feel of it on his lips. “I hope you had a good trip.”
“Thank you so much for everything.” The words gushed out before she could temper
them. “The flowers, the cookies and the furniture! I love it. Everything is just perfect.” She snapped her mouth shut and gripped the door handle tighter as she also attempted to get a grip on her babbling tongue.
He put an arm against the door frame and leaned on it, a lopsided grin wreaking havoc on her insides. “I’m glad you like it.”
Kelli pried her fingers off the doorknob and stepped back with a gesture. “Come on inside. I want you to meet my grandmother.”
Nana had risen from her chair, and Jason approached her with an outstretched hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jackson. I’m Jason Andover.”
Kelli closed the door and then turned to see Nana clasping his hand in both of hers while she inspected him with undisguised delight. Kelli closed her eyes and whispered a prayer that Nana wouldn’t do anything to humiliate her, like mention how often Kelli had talked about him in the last week.
“Nice to meet you, too. And what a pleasant surprise we had waiting for us when we arrived this afternoon.” She inclined her head toward the cookies that still lay on the counter, although the plate contained fewer treats than before. “The cookies were delicious and those flowers are just beautiful.”
“My mom’s the baker. She’ll be happy to hear you enjoyed them.” He lowered his voice and spoke in a charming conspiratorial tone. “Don’t mention the flowers when you meet her, though. I swiped them from her yard.”
Nana’s laughter rang in the small room. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“If you’re not busy, I thought you ladies might like to join me for a walk around the zoo grounds.” His gaze swept to Kelli to include her in his invitation. “This is the best time to see it, when the temperature starts to cool and the public has gone home.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I think I’ll stay in tonight. The trip has tired me out.” Nana gave Kelli a shrewd look that was impossible to mistake. “But I’m sure my granddaughter’s legs could use some stretching. You two young people go ahead.”
A Daughter's Legacy Page 12