Daddy Next Door

by Carol Voss

  Hiding a little smile, Alyssa gave the simmering gravy a quick stir before it could scorch, then turned back to Ben.

  “These are for you.” He stepped toward her.

  She floated over to take the flowers from him. “Thank you. They’re so beautiful.” She quickly replaced the fall centerpiece on the table with his gorgeous roses and stood back to admire. “Pink is my favorite.”

  “I remember.” He met her eyes. “You were very specific about shades of pink the day we painted.”

  The day...they’d kissed. She should be doing something, but she couldn’t seem to recall what it was.

  “The gravy, dear.”

  Oh, yes. She flew to the stove to save the gravy.

  “Ben, we’re very grateful to you for helping Alyssa and the boys escape the fire and for giving them a place to stay. We’d like to repay you in some way.”

  “Mother.” Suddenly feeling like an adolescent with her parent riding interference, Alyssa gave her mother an embarrassed glance.

  “It wasn’t a one-way street, Mrs. Bradley. Alyssa contributed more than my daughter and I did. We miss her and the boys every day.” He moved behind her, resting his hand briefly at her waist. “You okay?” he asked close to her ear.

  She gave him a private smile when what she wanted to do was to step into his arms. But not with her mother watching. And Hope was in the living room. It was just that she’d missed him even more than she’d realized. “I’m glad Hope came with you.”

  He seemed to flinch.

  Uh-oh. He’d probably insisted she come.

  “I’ll open the cider,” he suggested.

  “Thanks.” She pointed. “Glasses are in the cupboard over the fridge.”

  He set to work.

  She concentrated on scooping stuffing out of the bird. When she’d finished, she carried the turkey to the table to join the side dishes. “Mother, the rolls need to come out of the oven. Will you please fill the bread basket? Ben, will you tell everybody it’s time to eat?”

  When people were settled, Alyssa looked at the special group sitting around Gram’s old table, her heart threatening to burst with love. “Thank you for sharing Thanksgiving with us in our new home. It means the world to me to have you all here. Ben, would you say grace?”

  Her parents stifled their surprise as they bowed their heads.

  “Good and merciful Lord,” Ben began, “we thank You for continuing to heal this family from the loss of their beloved mother and grandmother and their husband, father, son-in-law. We ask Your blessing on this delicious food Alyssa has prepared for us. And we thank You for the privilege of sharing it together in the home she has so lovingly provided. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.”

  Ben’s face blurred through Alyssa’s tears. Only he would be thoughtful enough to pray that prayer. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “A beautiful prayer, Ben,” Mother said.

  “Well done, Cooper.” Her father cleared his throat, picked up the carving knife and fork and set to work on the turkey.

  “Please, pass whatever’s near you.” Alyssa spooned mashed potatoes onto Joey’s and her plates, then passed the bowl to a disgruntled-looking Hope. Alyssa smiled. “Here you go, Hope. I’m glad you came.”

  A little frown crossed the girl’s features as she took the bowl.

  Alyssa hated that Hope was still so unhappy. If only there was something she could do to help.

  When Alyssa’s father finished carving the turkey, he handed the platter to her and turned to Ben. “So what’s your take on the politics of this great nation of ours?”

  “We’re having a family dinner, Joe,” her mother reminded.

  Thanks, Mom. Alyssa shot an empathetic look at Ben. He didn’t need Daddy’s inquisition. He would handle himself brilliantly, but still, at the Thanksgiving table? Really, Daddy?

  “I’m interested in learning about our guest,” her father pointed out. “Aren’t you?”

  “Of course I am,” Mother returned. “But I want to get to know him, not his politics.”

  “A man’s politics say a lot about the man,” her father stated unequivocally.

  “Ben’s a man,” Joey piped up.

  Ben grinned at Joey. “That’s right, buddy.”

  Joey looked proud. “His dog’s name is Digger. We play ball. And Hope’s Ben’s girl. She helps me make snow people. And she’s teaching me a computer game, too, Grampa.”

  Daddy nodded. “That’s nice, Joey.”

  “Hope knows a lot.”

  “I’m sure she does, dear,” Mother interjected. “What kind of computer game are you teaching him, Hope?”

  Hope shot a narrow-eyed look at Ben, then looked back to Alyssa’s mother. “It teaches little kids how to add and subtract.”

  Good work, Hope. The educational merits of a game are important to Mother.

  “It has amimals,” Joey explained. “All kinds of amimals. Even cows.”

  Mother smiled. “Maybe you can show me the game later?”

  Joey turned to Hope. “Can we show my grandma?”

  “I guess.”

  Not enthusiastic, but at least she’d agreed. Her soft spot for Joey seemed to be intact, and he was drawing her out of her shell a little whether she liked it or not. Alyssa shot a quick look at Ben.

  He gave her a little smile. “Delicious meal.”

  She smiled back. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “He’s right, Lissa,” Daddy said. “Wonderful meal.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.”

  “Can we eat punkin pie now?” Joey asked.

  Alyssa looked at the untouched food on his plate. “Eat some of your turkey first.”

  “I’ll race you,” Hope challenged.

  Joey shook his head. “My tummy hurts.”

  “Then you can’t eat pie.” Hope gave him a sober look.

  “Can, too.”

  Alyssa loved hearing their interchanges again. If only Hope and Ben could find their way back to their terrific relationship, now that Alyssa was no longer underfoot.

  “Let’s put some gravy on that turkey, Joey.” Alyssa’s father reached for the boy’s plate and doused gravy over everything.

  Joey tried it tentatively, then dug in.

  A coo came over the monitor speaker.

  “Uh-oh,” Alyssa said. “Somebody’s awake.”

  “We’ll clean up the kitchen while you take care of him,” her mother suggested. “Then we’ll have room for pie later.”

  Everybody nodded, even Joey who was eating nearly everything on his plate that her father had smothered with gravy.

  “You kids are excused,” Ben said. “I think Joey needs a snow family in his yard, don’t you, Hope?”

  “Sure.” Hope looked relieved.

  Alyssa pushed back her chair and stood. She’d actually pulled everything together to host the family dinner in Gram’s little cottage that she’d dreamed of through this difficult year. Her parents had to see she was getting back on her feet, right?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sidestepping Alyssa’s mother in the tiny kitchen, Coop ran the sink full of hot water and started washing dishes while Alyssa took care of Robbie in the boys’ bedroom.

  Things had gone better with Hope than he feared they might. Alyssa seemed pleased he’d brought her. Good thing he’d weathered Hope’s arguments and made her come with him.

  “Why didn’t Alyssa have a dishwasher installed?” Mrs. Bradley continued putting leftovers into plastic containers and storing them in the fridge. She’d already put together a care package for Zebadiah and sent it off with the senator.

  “The septic system can’t handle a dishwasher,” Coop explained. “And new septic systems are very expensive.”

&
nbsp; “Why in the world doesn’t she cash our monthly checks if she needs money?” Sounding upset, Mrs. Bradley put her hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m just so worried about her.”

  Monthly checks? He could imagine how well that went over with Alyssa. “She wants to make it on her own.”

  “That’s just it. She won’t accept our help when she clearly needs it. And who really knows how she’s doing when she lives so far away?”

  Couldn’t Mrs. Bradley see Alyssa was doing great? Seemed to be enough parent–child communication problems to go around. He put a lot of energy into scrubbing and went back to thinking about Hope. At least she’d tried with Joey. But even though she was living in the same house with him, his Hope had gone missing, and he didn’t know how to get her back. Not that he’d ever throw in the towel, no matter how determined she was to shut him out or how rude she behaved. It was time she realized that. He scrubbed a little harder.

  “Joey and your daughter really enjoy each other, don’t they?” Mrs. Bradley asked.

  “They hit it off right away.”

  “Kind of like you and Alyssa did?”

  He stopped scrubbing and glanced at her.

  She gave him a little smile.

  What had Alyssa told her? Not knowing just how to answer her question, he played it safe and didn’t say anything.

  “Does Hope approve?”

  Apparently, Mrs. Bradley didn’t miss a thing. “She’s trying to figure things out.”

  “Is her mother around?”

  “She died when Hope was two.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. So it’s just been you and your daughter all these years?”

  He nodded.

  “Ah. She’s used to having you all to herself.”

  “Any advice?”

  “Be patient. Take it slow.” Mrs. Bradley looked thoughtful. “Things have a way of working themselves out if you give them time.”

  “I appreciate that.” Maybe she was right. Hope had to realize she was wrong about Alyssa sooner or later, didn’t she? He went back to scrubbing dishes. But what was he going to do until Hope figured it out? What if she didn’t? Not only did he miss his daughter, but also Alyssa’s absence in his life was like a wound he didn’t know how to heal. It couldn’t go on like this.

  The front door slammed, and Senator Bradley strode into the kitchen, picked up a towel and began drying dishes. “Well, that trip was a complete waste of time.”

  “What happened?” With surprise written on her face, Mrs. Bradley stood in front of the open refrigerator door, a container of food in each hand.

  “Rude old fool took the food, told me I should be proud of my daughter and closed the door in my face.”

  “That’s odd,” Mrs. Bradley said.

  “He usually doesn’t even open the door,” Coop explained. “He’s been a recluse since before I moved here. I met him only recently when Alyssa introduced us.”

  Senator Bradley shook his head. “What happened to him?”

  “Consensus seems to blame his wife’s death.”

  The senator shook his head. “Can’t be easy for any man.”

  “No,” Coop agreed even though he’d never had a wife.

  “So tell me about the newspaper business, Ben.”

  Coop looked the senator in the eye and launched into one of his favorite topics.

  * * *

  After everybody enjoyed a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream, Hope went home and Alyssa put Joey down for a nap.

  She asked Ben to join her and her parents in the living room. It might be a little uncomfortable, but she wasn’t ready for him to leave.

  “It certainly is more cheerful in here than it was last spring when we came for your grandmother’s funeral,” Mother said.

  Alyssa rocked Robbie in the old rocking chair, wanting to believe Mother was referring to the entire cottage and not just the colorful couch.

  “It looks great.” Ben gave her a little smile.

  “Thanks.”

  “Not sure where you found the time, but you’ve transformed the place,” Ben said.

  “Yes...well, the cottage is very...quaint,” her father said. “And you have happy memories at Rainbow Lake, so I can see why hosting Thanksgiving here appealed to you.”

  Alyssa smiled. “Thank you for understanding, Daddy.”

  He frowned as if he had something on his mind. “Lyle Jennings believes your law background and your experience at the state level is a perfect background to make you an invaluable asset on his national committee to eliminate poverty in this country.”

  “Are you serious?” She couldn’t stop her mind from racing at the opportunity to help countless people.

  “Lyle asked me to find out if you’re interested.”

  “Of course I’m interested. Presenting Cam’s and my views to Representative Jennings’s influential committee sounds wonderful.”

  “He sent an offer for you to look at.”

  “An offer?”

  “He’s offering you a position on the committee, Lissa. And I happen to know the financial package that goes with it will be more than adequate for you to maintain the lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to over the years.”

  She frowned. “I wish you would have talked to me before you asked him to offer me a position.”

  “Your unique experience at the state level can be extremely important to them. Lyle recognizes that.”

  “Thank you for your confidence, Daddy. But that would require my moving to Washington.”

  “It would give your mother and me the opportunity to be the doting grandparents we want to be.”

  “Friends are moving from a perfect condo for you and the children,” Mrs. Bradley said matter-of-factly. “If you decide to come to Washington, of course.”

  Hadn’t she expected them to use the “move to Washington” argument? “I’m not moving, Mother. I love Gram’s cottage.”

  Ben shot her a supportive smile.

  “You made it clear when Cam died that you want to maintain your independence,” Senator Bradley asserted. “That’s why we put a deposit on the condo to prevent somebody else from snatching it up if you accept Jennings’s offer.”

  “I’m sorry you went to the trouble, Daddy.”

  “I can’t see you and the boys living in these conditions very long.” Daddy glanced around the room as if he found it distasteful.

  No accounting for taste. “We’re very comfortable here.”

  “You don’t even have a dishwasher,” Mrs. Bradley objected.

  “Which makes us more environmentally friendly,” Alyssa countered.

  “You need to think about your children.” Her father’s voice rose in the rhetorical tone he used to convince anybody with an opposing view to adopt his way of thinking. “It’s extremely important you raise them to fill their potential.”

  Shifting in his chair, Ben straightened as if gearing up to jump into the fray.

  “My boys are still babies.” She wrapped Robbie closer. “The last thing they need is pressure to fill their potential.”

  “If you don’t provide them with the necessary tools as they grow up, you’ll essentially be crippling them,” her father declared.

  “Alyssa is a wonderful mother,” Ben said flatly. “To suggest she’s crippling her children in any way is not only untrue, it’s just plain wrong.”

  Her father turned to Ben. “I appreciate your coming to my daughter’s defense. It speaks highly of your regard for her. I, too, want only what’s best for my daughter and what will make her happy. But I expect her to examine her motives and be able to give me a well-thought-out argument for whatever that is.”

  Ben scowled. “With all due respect, sir, she’s your daughter, as well a
s a talented and accomplished woman and mother. Doesn’t she deserve your understanding and support without arguing for it?”

  “She knows she has my support.” Daddy narrowed his eyes as if ready to draw blood. “I’m sure she knows she has yours, too.”

  Why were they talking about her as if she wasn’t in the room? “Daddy, I’ll write a letter to thank Representative Jennings for his consideration. But I can’t go to Washington.”

  “You haven’t even read his offer.”

  “I don’t need to. I love my boys with all my heart. And I can’t be the mother I want to be and do justice to a position that will take over my life.”

  “But that’s the beauty of serving on Jennings’s committee. He’s a family man. He knows the time commitment a family takes. You’ll need to attend the meetings, but you can devote as much time as you can beyond that. It will fill out your résumé while you’re raising the boys.”

  “I’ve never seen you approach anything with less than your all. I can’t either, Daddy. And I want to invest my all in raising my boys.”

  Her father shook his head impatiently.

  “We don’t need an answer now, do we, Joe?” Mother asked diplomatically. “Come to Washington, dear. Play ‘what-if?’ Talk to Representative Jennings. Look at the condo. Check out schools. What harm could it do?”

  “Excellent suggestion.” Her father raised his hand to stop Alyssa’s objection. “It will give you the chance to gather information you need to make an informed decision. You have too much curiosity and intelligence to make an uninformed one.”

  Ben sat silent and stone-faced.

  She’d thought it might get uncomfortable, but not this bad. “I put a lot of thought into moving here, Daddy. I have a job I like, and it fits in beautifully with being a full-time mom. We found the most fantastic day-care center for a few hours a week. Joey loves it, and it’s right down the hall from my office, so I can nurse Robbie. I’m even getting involved with the church—”

  “So things at Rainbow Lake are giving you the challenge you need right now,” her father conceded. “But once you get Rainbow Lake out of your system, what then?”

  “Out of my system? I’m not a teenager anymore, Daddy. You can’t live my life for me. I need to live it for myself and my boys. I need to stand on my own.”