Their Surprise Daddy

by Ruth Logan Herne

  He leaned in and asked the question he hated having to ask. “Why did she go back? Why would she leave her children here and go back to a place where danger awaited her at every turn? If you escape once and return, the cartels will make sure you never have the chance to escape again. Why would she risk that? Was money so important? Why couldn’t you give her a job here? That would have solved so many problems, Mother.” He didn’t add that she’d most likely be alive. He was pretty sure Rosa understood that.

  She bit her lower lip, watching the breeze flutter the vining branches leading down the hill. “There was a third child, Crusberto.”

  The pain of that admission darkened her features.

  “Maria. She was the oldest, and they kept her separate from Elina because what mother would leave her child? She was the anchor meant to weigh your cousin down, but when she realized the hopelessness, she escaped with Lily and Javi, with him just a baby at the time. But she couldn’t find peace here, knowing she’d left her child.”

  A third child. One he knew nothing about. “She went back for Maria.”

  “She looked at me and said, ‘Aunt Rosa, how can a mother forget her child? God has given me you, and I know you will keep these two safe, but how can I embrace the freedom of this great country, knowing my child is held captive? I can’t. I must go and try to bring her out. Bring her to safety. To freedom.’”

  “So she still might be down there, trying to free Maria?”

  Tears slipped down his mother’s cheeks. “No. I hoped and prayed, then a note came from a cousin last year. It said many were killed for disobedience, as an example to others. Elina and Maria were part of that group.”

  The news sat like a brick in his chest. He wished he could have made a difference. “Why didn’t she come to me? I had the means to help. Money can sometimes open even the worst of doors.”

  Rosa shook her head. “She was embarrassed by her choices. You had done so well, studied so hard. She said you were like a shining star, always listening to what I said, trying your best. She loved your success but didn’t want you to see what she’d become. You told her not to go, remember?” She turned fading eyes his way. “You said you’d help her with college, that you’d work to help pay her way, and that you could go together.”

  He’d forgotten that old promise, the words of a young man beginning a whole new adventure. “I think I wanted her there more for me than for her.”

  “You loved each other. You were famiglia. I learned too late to treasure that bond, my son.” She squeezed his hand lightly. “I don’t want that same lost time for you, or for the children. I know I am not deserving of your forgiveness.”

  Did forgiveness have to be deserved? Or should it just be freely given, the way Steve suggested?

  “But if you can look after these children as your own, as part of your family, then I can die in peace.”

  Her hand felt cool in his.

  He didn’t want her skin to chill. He wanted it to be warm and vibrant and tanned like it always had been this time of year. He wanted the second chance people talked about. He gripped her hand more firmly, sharing his warmth. “Or you could stay alive and boss us around a while more.”

  She almost smiled. Because he wanted her around? Or because he’d teased her?

  Her eyes drifted shut. He stared, watching for breath, and when she breathed the normal rhythm of sleep, his heart began beating again.

  “She went back to sleep?” Regina slipped into the room on quiet-soled shoes. “Her heart is frail and her body is tired, but coming home has been good for her, Cruz. It was a noble thing to do. You’re a good son to think of it.”

  Noble and good.

  Two words that hadn’t been applied to Cruz for a long time. Simple words that felt right.

  He leaned down, kissed his mother’s cheek and walked into the kitchen. He started to call Chen when a commotion drew his attention outside.

  He crossed the broad foyer of the event center, opened the door and stood perfectly still, watching.

  A large truck had pulled into the nearest parking lot. Three men were carrying pieces of scaffolding to the shaded western side of the house, while two other men worked to fasten the pieces together.

  Two women were directing a crew of teenagers on weeding the front gardens.

  Badge and Jim Reilly walked his way. “Pete said your irrigation system was down, and I figured Jim and I could have a look at it. That’s what I did best, back in the day. If something broke, I fixed it.”

  “I’ll show them where it is,” offered Pete as he jogged their way. “I got held up in town. They brought little Dave home and I had to swing by and take a quick peek. Who would have thought a baby would give you such a good lease on life?”

  “Ain’t a thing like it,” agreed Jim.

  Another truck pulled in, marked Grace Haven Diner on the side, and when it pulled up in the shade just south of the porch, Sadie hopped out one side while Gus Koulos jumped out of the other. She waved to Cruz and he walked toward her while Pete took Badge and Jim to the vineyard pumping station.

  “We heard there was most likely goin’ to be hungry people about, so we figured we’d fire up the portable grill today. Feed a few folks some old-fashioned pancakes for breakfast and burgers for lunch. With Mama Rula’s potato salad, of course,” Sadie added. “I promised Rory we’d have that on hand, and Mama stayed up late last night, makin’ it herself.”

  “Who’s running the diner?” Cruz asked.

  “Two of the day girls and Sal’s in the kitchen, same as usual. Although from the sounds of things, most of the mornin’ regulars will be right here, workin’.” She waved to the gardening crew, and as she did, two more cars pulled in filled with people. Some had rakes and hoes. Others had trowels and baskets. Older women wore big floppy hats to shade from the sun, while the teen crews were decked out in tanks, shorts and flip-flops.

  “Rory did this?”

  “Most assuredly,” Sadie told him as Gus set up a table for servingware. “She got the ball rollin’, tellin’ the boys what was needed, and when they heard, they got to yakkin’ ’bout somethin’ other than box scores, and here we are. Family. Friends. Free food.” She gave him a broad grin as Gus hooked up a long, thick electric cable to the porch. “I’m hopin’ Rosa won’t be bothered by the noise.”

  “I think she’ll be fine. I think she’ll be ecstatic,” he added. “How can I help?”

  “You and I are in the grape, just like yesterday.” Pete came up behind him and clapped him on the back. “Kate’s staying with Kimberly today, but we’ve got a couple of off-duty officers stopping by with some equipment to fix that clogged ditch around back. That will get rid of the weed and algae problem. And Rory’s keeping the kids in town for the afternoon so they’re not underfoot. We figured that was best,” he added. “I hope it’s all right.”

  All these people, scaffolding, equipment... “Yes, it’s a great idea. I can’t believe she did this.” His mind was having a hard time with what his eyes were seeing. He was amazed by Rory’s thoughtfulness, to go to the older guys and tell them what was needed.

  It’s not that he didn’t expect her to be kind. It was just that he didn’t expect anyone to be this kind to him.

  It felt weird and wonderful at the same time.

  “Taking care of one another, son.” Pete swept the work crew a quiet gaze. “Best thing a town can do.”

  “I guess.”

  He worked steadily with Pete all morning. A group of teens brought tall plastic cups of iced tea and lemonade around to all the workers.

  Five Mennonite ladies came midday and set up a dessert table of cookies, cakes and pies, the kind of pie he’d missed for so long. And at the end of the day, two and a half sides of the house were scraped and painted, the front gardens were weeded and mulched, and the grass was mowed
, the edges trimmed.

  And perfectly trimmed grapevines marched row on row, down to the creek for over half of the vineyard, a job well done.

  A long, sleek car pulled up late in the afternoon. A woman climbed out, surveyed the property and came his way as he was thanking the Grace Haven Community Church Women’s Group for their help. “You’re Cruz Maldonado, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” He reached out to shake her hand, then realized how stained and dirty his were, and shrugged. “Sorry. And you are?”

  “Melanie Carson of Carson & Carson Realty. This is gorgeous,” she went on, as the ladies finished trimming out a long-neglected rose bed. “I forgot what a stunning piece of property this is.”

  “It’s been a wonderful day, for sure.”

  She handed him a professional card. “Cruz, I’m not sure what your plans are, but my brother and I have the top real estate team in the area. We do both commercial and residential. If you decide to sell at any time, call us. We’d be happy to represent you and this beautiful property.”

  “You selling, Cruz?” One of the older women peered up at him. “Can’t blame you if you do, it’s not easy keepin’ up a place like this.”

  “And it’s not exactly a quick trip from New York,” added another. “Though I’ve never been a big-city woman myself.”

  “I’m not sure what my plans will be, but I can’t thank you ladies enough for the gift of your time.” It felt awkward to have a Realtor here, talking about selling when all these nice people were generously donating their time.

  “You can’t beat the church ladies for knowing how to trim a yard.” Melanie Carson nodded their way. “If anyone can get a place in shape, it’s this crew. They’re renowned.”

  Her compliment drew their smiles, but when she very carefully avoided the dirt and weed pile on her way back to her car, a couple of the ladies exchanged looks and Cruz was pretty sure Melanie Carson wasn’t one to get her hands dirty.

  “Cruz?” Regina called his name from the front door. She’d helped his mother into the rented wheelchair, and guided her out onto the porch. “Rosa wanted to see what was going on.”

  He hurried her way. Would she be upset? Overwhelmed?

  Regina steered the chair toward the ramp, then guided it down.

  “Rosa!” The garden women called her name, waved and smiled, and the look on his mother’s face, seeing her gardens in order once more... Cruz would remember that look forever.

  Regina pushed her farther, then turned the chair. “What do you think?”

  Rosa put a hand to her heart, but not in pain. In joy. “It looks as it did before. When Hector and I were both here, working together. The vineyard...” She sighed, smiling as she spotted the neat rows beyond the big house. “Oh, Cruz, your father would be so proud. It looks just like when he was here. You remembered!”

  He leaned down, glad for the happiness this brought her. “You never forget how to capture the grape, Mom.”

  Her smile grew deeper. “His words from his son. As it should be.”

  She started coughing then. The cough shook her, and when Regina began to steer her back into the house, Rosa lifted a hand. “A minute longer, all right? A minute more to see. Just to see. And remember.”

  Her gaze swept the house, the yard, the gardens, the walkways, the vineyard and she sighed, happy. “We can go in now.” She whispered the words to Regina, then yawned. “But I am so glad to have seen this. All of this. Thank you.”

  Her voice was soft, but it seemed like most people heard her. Folks waved. They wished her well, and a couple came over to give her gentle hugs.

  And as Regina backed the wheelchair through the front door, Cruz caught his mother’s eye.

  She smiled at him. Just him. As if he mattered more than he’d ever thought possible.

  “We’ve got to head out, Cruz.” The painters had put away their supplies. “But we’ll be back first thing tomorrow to finish up.”

  It felt odd, not paying them. Downright weird. But when they clapped him on the back and moved to their cars, he knew they didn’t expect pay. His gratitude was enough.

  By the time everyone had left, his mother had fallen asleep, the evening aide had relieved Regina and he needed to see Rory and the kids.

  How could he thank her?

  How could he make her understand what her selflessness meant? He wasn’t sure, but as he climbed into his car, he intended to figure it out.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Of course I couldn’t believe the whole kit and caboodle sold, so I called my brother straightaway.” Flora Belker set her hands on her hips as Lily and Javi played with her small dog in her neatly trimmed yard. “He said the whole lot was gone, plus all the buildings, sold to an Asian person lickety-split, as if there was no time to wait. I’m so sorry, Rory. I was hoping we could take that back corner and sell it to you. I know we’d all like to see your school plans take hold.”

  Blocked again.

  Was her plan just a pipe dream? Was she walking the wrong road? Was there a reason it kept getting put off? Or were these simply normal circumstances and she needed to persevere?

  Disappointment mushroomed inside her. How could anything happen if she couldn’t find a place to house the school? Zoning in Grace Haven was guarded zealously by the town board and the zoning commission. Their goal of keeping the town’s old-time charm while still supporting small businesses was like walking a tightrope. Asking them to change the zoning on a residential building wasn’t going to work, but with few sites available, her goal of a January opening didn’t look good.

  But she needed to soothe Flora’s feelings, because the older woman appeared quite distraught. “Miss Flora, you know how these things go. Whenever God shuts a door, He opens a window. This will all work out in His timing. I know it.”

  “Do you think so?” Flora hugged Rory’s arm as the children petted the tricolor dog. “I told Thelma we should have gone with Carson Realty because they’re more hometown, but she proved me wrong with this quick sale, then Melanie Carson herself stopped by Casa Blanca while we were cleaning out the roses, and let me tell you, she wasted no time handing Cruz her card and letting him know they’d love to sell the place for him.”

  Another emotional blow hit Rory. “So he’s selling?”

  Flora raised her hands. “He didn’t say he was and didn’t say he wasn’t, but what would keep him here? A successful businessman like him, with all he’s got to offer the world? And the upkeep on a place like that is ridiculous, I tell you. But then I’m old and maybe it’s not such a burden on the young. Pookie, play nice,” she scolded the shaggy dog when Javi raced across her thick green grass, the dog leaping and nipping at his heels.

  “Javi.” The little guy ran to Rory’s side, overwrought. He was wild. The dog was wild. Time to go home where she could digest all of this. “Come on, Miss Lily. We’ve got to go.”

  “Okay.” Calmer than her busy brother, she waved to the little dog and moved toward Rory. “Are we going to see Mimi today?”

  She’d kept them in town on purpose, to avoid danger with the various work crews and cars moving in and out of the Casa Blanca parking lot. Things would probably have calmed down by now. “I’ll text my dad and see how things are going, okay? Let’s have a quick supper first, then we’ll drive over if she’s awake.”

  “Can we have peanut butter and jelly again? I love it when you make that, Miss Rory.”

  Happy with simple things. But how would they handle Manhattan?

  Not your kids. Not your concern.

  She pushed herself to remember that all the way home. They ate their sandwiches in the shade of the thick maple tree, then she walked them to the lakeshore. They dashed into the sand, each holding a bucket filled with sand shovels and plastic cups.

  Priceless moments. Kids being kids
.

  She was reminding herself that kids did well in all kinds of circumstances when Cruz slipped onto the grassy knoll beside her a few minutes later. Her pulse went up, but the common sense of her brain jumped in to squelch the quick beat of her heart.

  “How’d it go today?”

  “You.” He cradled her face between his two beautiful hands, surprised her with a sweet but quick kiss, then held her gaze. “I can’t believe you arranged for all that to happen. I still can’t believe it did happen, and how much better everything looks. It’s amazing. You’re amazing. Thank you, Rory.”

  She might have been able to resist his thanks. His words. Or his kiss. But the combination made her long for more of the same. But what was the point? She waved off his thanks with as much nonchalance as she could muster. “I just put the word out. The good hearts of Grace Haven did the rest. Are they coming back tomorrow to finish?”

  “Yes.” He looked so relaxed, so pleased, and quite different from the man who’d rolled into town with a monster-sized chip on his shoulder. “You should have seen the look on my mother’s face. She was positively radiant when she saw the front of the house looking like it used to. I don’t know how to thank you for that look of joy you gave her. Words aren’t nearly enough.”

  They would be if they were the right words, but there was a reason love-at-first-sight romance only happened in stories. Fiction had its place and she was pretty sure Grace Haven was rooted in good old reality most days. “Words are plenty. I’m glad you’re pleased, Cruz. I’m glad you two have had time to just be mother and son, even if it’s only a short while. Nothing can erase memories like these.”

  “You’re right.” He braced himself on his hands and sat back. “My memories of Grace Haven weren’t the kind of thing I dug up on a regular basis before.”