A Daughter's Legacy

by Virginia Smith

  “You did it,” he said. “You conquered your fear of lions.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say that.” Her laughter was muffled against his shirt. “Don’t expect me to volunteer to be Samson’s keeper anytime soon.”

  His arms tightened as he whispered in her ear. “I’m so proud of you.”

  A warm thrill shot through her. “Thank you.” She pulled back and looked at the half-eaten cheeseburger and plastic child’s cup resting on the table. “Where’s Tiffany?”

  The proud smile that crept across Jason’s lips sent a thrill of a different kind straight to her heart. He looked toward the playground equipment and called. “Hey, Tiff. Come say hi to Miss Kelli.”

  Kelli turned in time to see the beautiful little girl give a giant leap off the swing, land on her feet and run toward them without a pause. She screeched to a halt in front of Kelli and looked up at her through those familiar-shaped eyes.

  “Hi, Miss Kelli.”

  “Hi, Tiffany. Are you having fun?”

  The child nodded as she picked up the cheeseburger, took a giant bite and tossed it back on the table. Still chewing, she said to Jason, “Can I go play some more? Pleeeeeeease?”

  Jason nodded. “Sure.”

  She ran off, shouting over her shoulder, “Watch me, Daddy. I can swing higher than anybody.”

  Laughing, Jason called after her, “Just be careful!” He grinned down at Kelli. “I don’t even want to think about what her mother would do to me if I brought her home with a broken arm the very first time I took her out.”

  He dropped down onto the bench, his back to the table so he could keep an eye on the playground, and with a gesture invited Kelli to sit beside him. She did, pleased when he scooted close enough to drape an arm casually behind her.

  “How did you manage to get permission to take her?”

  A scowl twisted his profile. “I didn’t ask. I called Aimee Wednesday night and told her I had a legal right to weekend visitations with my daughter, and if I had to get the court to enforce it, I would.”

  Wednesday night. That was the night they were supposed to go on their date. The day she’d shouted at him, accused him of not caring about his child.

  Kelli folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. “I’m sorry for what I said, Jason. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like I did.”

  He slid his hand between hers. “I needed someone to knock sense into my head. That’s what friends are for.” He entwined his fingers with hers. “Will you make me a promise?”

  Depths opened in his eyes, and Kelli felt herself falling into them. Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “Promise me you’ll always feel free to tell me what you think.”

  The emphasis he gave the word held a wealth of possibilities. Always meant far longer than six months. And it was a promise between two people who were far more than friends.

  Swallowing past a lump of emotion, Kelli nodded. “I promise.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “I love mashed potatoes.” Tiffany stuffed a forkful into her mouth. She swallowed without chewing and then scowled at her plate. “I don’t love broccoli.”

  Kelli laughed across the table at the child’s expression. “I used to hate broccoli, too.” She speared a bright green bite. “But this is good, especially with the sauce your grandma put on it.”

  Tiffany’s scowl turned skeptical as she watched Kelli chew. “I don’t love sauce either.”

  Seated in the chair next to her, Barb put an arm around the little girl and hugged. “If my granddaughter doesn’t want to eat broccoli, she doesn’t have to.”

  Tiffany beamed up at Grandma, while on the other side of her, Jason pulled an outraged face. “Is this the same mother who wouldn’t let me leave the table until I finished everything on my plate?”

  Barb reached over with a fork and scooped the offending vegetable onto a bread plate. “There. Now it’s not on her plate.”

  They all laughed. Watching Barb dote over her granddaughter made so many lovely memories surface from Kelli’s childhood. She exchanged a smile with Nana. The special bond between grandmothers and granddaughters was being reborn in this house tonight, right before their eyes.

  But that was nothing compared to the other bonds that were being formed. When Jason looked at her across his mother’s table, Kelli’s heart swelled until she feared it would burst. Her mind sang the truth that resonated throughout her soul: I’m in love with a zookeeper!

  Beside her, Nana’s head sagged forward, and Kelli was instantly on her feet. “Nana, let me help you back to your room.”

  “I haven’t finished my dinner.” But the protest sounded weak.

  “I’ll bring your plate, and you can finish in bed,” Kelli promised.

  Jason left the table to retrieve the walker and placed it within reach of Nana’s chair. “You’ve been out of bed for an hour already, and that’s the longest time since you got home from the hospital.”

  “I do feel a little tired.”

  Nana allowed Jason to help her out of the chair, and Kelli walked beside her as she inched, wincing, toward the door.

  When they passed the chair where Tiffany was seated, the little girl leaped out of it. “I’ll give you a goodnight kiss.”

  For an instant, Kelli feared the lively child would knock Nana off her unsteady feet. But when she approached the walker, she calmed and rose onto her tiptoes. Jason lifted her up to place a gentle kiss on Nana’s wrinkled cheek.

  A weary smile hovered around Nana’s lips. “Good night, honey. I hope you visit again soon.”

  “I will, Nana,” the little girl promised in her childish voice.

  As Kelli assisted Nana toward the door, Jason helped Tiffany climb back into her seat.

  “Daddy, is Nana my grandma, too?” she asked as Jason scooted her chair close to the table.

  Jason caught Kelli’s gaze over the child’s head. A slow, dizzying smile brightened his face. “Not yet, sweetie.”

  The love shining in his eyes made Kelli’s heart sprout wings and soar.

  Epilogue

  Three Years Later

  Folding chairs lined the viewing deck, most of them occupied despite the humid Florida heat, and still people crowded into the area. Kelli stood near the iron rail on one side, watching as her mother-in-law helped Nana into the seat that had been reserved for her on the front row. Barb got Nana seated and then slid into the chair next to her.

  “Daddy, let me hold him. It’s my turn.”

  Kelli turned a smile on seven-year-old Tiffany, a bright picture of beauty in her yellow sundress and curly pigtails. She lifted her arms up toward her father.

  “He’s wiggly today, honey. He might squirm right out of your arms.”

  Jason clutched the baby tightly, as though he couldn’t bear to give him up. Kelli knew how he felt. Her arms ached to grab six-month-old David Greg and cuddle his chubby neck until he squealed with laughter.

  Tiffany eyed her baby brother, her busy mind trying to come up with a bargain her father would accept. “I’ll sit down by Grandma. That way I won’t drop him.”

  Jason turned a grin toward Kelli. “All right. But you have to promise to keep him quiet during the ceremony.”

  “No problem, Dad.”

  Tiff raced to the chair beside Barb, and Kelli watched as Jason settled their son in her lap. Then he returned to her side, a bemused expression on his face.

  “She called me Dad.” He shook his head. “Suddenly I feel like an old man.”

  Kelli laughed and rose on her toes to plant a kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Old Man comes later, when she’s a teenager.”

  Jason groaned.

  A second of static came from the radio at his belt, followed by Michael’s voice. “Samson’s getting restless down here. How much longer is it going to be?”

  Jason glanced at his watch and then into the gathering crowd. “I’m just waiting for the last of the—oh, there’s Lewis now.”

  Kelli looked u
p and saw Mr. Lewis making his way through the press of people. On the second row, Francine Cowell waved to get his attention, and he made his way to the empty seat beside her. The entire board of directors had now arrived for the ceremony.

  “We’re starting now, Michael.” Jason released the button on the radio and looked at her. “Are you ready?”

  Nerves fluttered in her stomach as she scanned the crowd. Public speaking had never been her strong point. Of course, zookeeping wasn’t her forte either, but in the three years since Lillian’s death she’d gone from full-time accountant to full-time zookeeper. And then since little Davie’s birth, to part-time keeper and full-time mom. If she could handle a cage full of hungry primates and a cranky baby, she could certainly give a speech in front of a crowd.

  Jason stepped in front of her. She tilted her head back to look into his face, and when she did, he leaned down. His lips moved tenderly against hers, the kind of kiss she most loved from him.

  He pulled away and whispered, “I love you. Knock ’em dead.”

  Her heart full, Kelli stepped to the center of the viewing deck, directly in front of the giant red ribbon they’d strung across the railing. She picked up the microphone they’d placed there earlier, faced the crowd and waited until everyone fell silent.

  “I’d like to thank you all for coming today. As you know, Cougar Bay is committed to providing excellent care for its animals, and to becoming a leader in global wildlife conservation. We are proud that you, the visiting public, have caught our vision. Your generous contributions over the past three years have made this expansion project possible.”

  She paused to clear her throat. Her gaze fell on Nana, who watched with undisguised pride shining from her eyes.

  “Though the expansion has been a combined effort, it started with one woman. My mother had a dream. She wanted to see an African Lion Habitat built at Cougar Bay.”

  Emotion threatened to squeeze her throat shut. She had gladly given up her goal of opening an accounting firm by donating part of her inheritance in order to see her mother’s dream fulfilled. Kelli turned to let her gaze sweep over the lion habitat that lay behind her. A half-acre of land, surrounded by a wide moat and covered with protective mesh, sprawled in front of the new building. Sturdy trees cast deep shade over part of the enclosure, and gigantic boulders provided plenty of places to bask in the sunlight. The new building, a low concrete structure twice the size of the old lion cage, stood at the opposite end. Lillian’s ashes had been scattered beneath the foundation, back when they’d broken ground on the building six months ago, so her earthly remains would sleep beneath her beloved lions.

  She faced the crowd again. “My mother died three years ago. But due to a million-dollar grant from her estate, Cougar Bay was able to build this exhibit. So it is with deep pleasure that I have the honor of dedicating the Lillian Mitchell African Lion Habitat. It will serve as a lasting monument to her memory and as a home to the animals she loved.”

  Jason stepped forward, a giant pair of ceremonial scissors in his hand. He placed the blades on the ribbon and waited for her to put her hands on the handles alongside his. At his nod, they cut the ribbon together. The crowd applauded.

  Jason unclipped the radio. “Now, Michael.”

  A panel in the building slid upward. Tiffany jumped out of her seat, rushed forward to hand the baby to Kelli and stood beside her daddy to watch as the crowd pressed around them.

  Samson exited the building slowly, caution apparent in every taut muscle of his body. He stopped just outside and lifted his head, blinking in the sunlight. For a moment he stood still, his head sweeping sideways as he examined his surroundings. Then he took a cautious step, testing the ground beneath his giant paws.

  “Why doesn’t he run?” Tiffany asked.

  “He’s just checking things out,” Jason explained. “He’s never been on grass before.”

  Kelli snuggled little Davie tight in her arms and watched as Samson make his first wary circuit of his new enclosure.

  It’s really happening, Lillian. Your dream is coming true.

  Kelli looked up at her husband. He gave her the private grin that never failed to make her pulse skip, then put an arm around her and pulled her close to his side. Kelli snuggled into the familiar curve of his body, her heart full.

  Mine has already come true.

  Dear Reader,

  My first trip to the zoo was with my grandfather way back when I was eight. I fell in love with exotic animals, and from that moment I’ve harbored a secret desire to work in a zoo. Life led me in a different direction; I went to work in the corporate world instead, which, at times, is pretty similar.

  When I first got the idea to write a book set in a zoo, I was able to fulfill that lifelong dream. I contacted Utah’s Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City and signed up for their “Zookeeper for a Day” program. What an incredible experience! The zookeeper to whom I was assigned, Celeste, introduced me to the challenging and rewarding work of a keeper, and allowed me to help her care for a delightful assortment of animals. (Who knew porcupines could be so charming?) Then I spent several hours with Stephanie, the keeper in charge of the cats. She answered all my questions about lions and even gave me some ideas for the book. I’m more grateful to both these ladies than I can say. Utah’s Hogle Zoo is bigger and far more impressive than my fictitious Cougar Bay, but I’ve tried to capture their dedication and enthusiasm in the pages of A Daughter’s Legacy.

  I hope you’ll let me know what you thought of my book. Please take a moment to contact me through my Web site—www.VirginiaSmith.org.

  QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  Jason tells Kelli that animals have a kind of sixth sense to tell when someone doesn’t like them, and they tend to avoid those people. Have you found that to be true?

  Why does Kelli feel like she broadcasts signals that she’s unlovable? What caused these feelings in her?

  How did Jason’s past mistake affect his relationship with others in his life?

  Why has Jason chosen not to be an active part of Tiffany’s life? Was he right in his choice?

  Are the restrictions imposed by AZA on animal breeding in zoos beneficial? Why, or why not?

  How did the traumatic experience Kelli suffered as a child affect her ability to form romantic relationships?

  What were Lillian’s reasons for the conditions of her trust? Was it cruel to force Kelli into a situation she had no desire to be in?

  Jason and Kelli have vastly different opinions of Lillian. Which of them was correct?

  Jason fears Kelli will become bitter if she doesn’t forgive her mother. Is that true? How does Kelli finally find the ability to forgive?

  When Kelli finds out about Tiffany, why is she so furious with Jason? Is her anger justified?

  What part did Leo the cat play in helping Kelli overcome her fears?

  Did you learn anything about zoo animals as you read A Daughter’s Legacy?

  Which was your favorite animal in this book?

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-5570-2

  A DAUGHTER’S LEGACY

  Copyright © 2010 by Virginia Smith

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.

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