by Melissa Beck
Maybe Gretchen was doing that for Daniel.
He'd hoped it was possible, back when his brother had insisted on coming here to see Gretchen and his daughter. Then he'd convinced himself it was a pipedream. Daniel had sworn he'd never do something so rash and so likely to turn ugly as to fall in love again.
But he was in love, wasn't he? Nothing else could explain this.
And his little brother didn't know it. He had no clue.
Sam grinned. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when he figured it out.
All he had to do now was try and keep the brass at Toyco from making up their minds too quickly. Give it a few more days and Daniel would figure out it wasn't just the lack of smog in Marydale that was making him act differently.
He'd come running home the minute he figured it out.
* * * *
"Daniel's brother seemed like a nice guy,” Crystal remarked, watching Gretchen inject helium into the balloons they had picked out for the pre-festival party.
"I barely met him, really,” Gretchen replied, raising her voice to be heard over the hiss of canned gas inflating the balloons.
"I waited on the two of them in the cafe this morning.” Crystal leaned against the gift shop's counter. “Do you wonder why he came here?"
One look at her friend's expression and Gretchen knew the other woman was dying to tell her something she'd overheard. So as she began to tie the dozen balloons together by their strands of curling ribbon, she said, “I do wonder."
After a quick glance around the shop, Crystal leaned in. “He wanted Daniel to go back to Chicago with him today. He kept talking about how some big deal was about to fall through and bring them down or something."
Gretchen didn't even focus on her friend's last words. She hadn't gotten past Sam's wanting Daniel to go back today. That thought instantly dragged her mood down. After she tugged on some of the ribbons to un-bunch the balloons, she took up her scissors again and curled their ends. “Sure you don't mind taking these over to Eula's on your lunch break? I'd do it, but—"
"But you're already taking food, a carload of kids, and toys to keep them occupied.” Crystal sighed. “I don't know how you manage."
"What? I like picnics."
"Saint Gretchen,” she mused, leaning against the counter. “You sure Daniel Nicholson is one of the good guys?"
"What do you mean?"
"Gee, I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking there's more to the story.” Crystal gazed dramatically into her eyes. “Remember when we were twelve and we swore we could read each other's minds?"
"Mm hm.” She tried to act interested. But really, she wasn't much in the mood for whatever Crystal was cooking up. She just wanted to get the day's jobs done and see Daniel again. She turned to go back to her business, but her friend grabbed her hands, stopping her.
Crystal closed her eyes and emitted an “Ohmmmm.” Her eyes flew open. “I got something!"
"Oh, brother,” Gretchen muttered, and yanked her hands away, to start ringing up the balloons—a formality, since she was secretly paying the expense out of pocket. Crystal didn't need to know that, though.
"I see that you and Daniel were close before, in Chicago. Really close. And I see that he's Amy's father."
Gretchen's fingers froze on the register keys. “Ssh! I told you not to mention that. People will hear."
Crystal dropped her spooky psychic drawl and reverted to her usual light tone. “They should've figured it out by now, anyway. It's obvious the way you two stare at each other that you aren't strangers. Plus, all they have to do is look at Amy. Her hair may be lighter than Daniel's, but it sure curls the same way."
"Lots of people have wavy hair."
"Yeah, but when Amy's being flirty and dips her chin? She's Daniel's spitting image."
Gretchen closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she said, “We haven't told Amy yet. I'm so scared about it. She'll probably be cool with it, but, I don't know. I guess what I'm saying is, Daniel isn't Big Bobby.” She stuck a handful of furry pens into a cup holder and carefully fanned them out. “He hasn't exactly been around each week of her life like Bobby's been there for you and BJ. It didn't start out that way and it's not gonna end like that."
"But you wish it would.” Crystal checked her teeth in a little rhinestone-encrusted mirror she'd pulled from her purse. “And girl, who can blame you? He looks like a toe curler!"
Her face heated.
With a knowing lift of her brows, Crystal turned the mirror around, to show Gretchen her reddened reflection.
She stuck her tongue out at her tormenter.
Crystal only laughed low and said, “I am so jealous."
Crystal? Jealous of her? She was a much freer being, and way more secure in her sexuality. Gretchen had always admired her for that, and for the way she turned the head of every man she met.
Daniel saw Crystal every day at the diner, and yet he spoke of her in the same tone as when he spoke of Wally or Eula...
Wow. She hadn't thought of that until now.
She smiled.
Crystal fiddled with the furry pens, and plucked out a purple one. Trying its ink out on one of the free pocket calendars that the card company sent, she said, “Is Daniel mad because you haven't told Amy?"
"It's a bone of contention. Every time he mentioned it before, I put him off. We have to tell her tonight or tomorrow, though. It has to be done before he goes."
Nodding slowly, Crystal studied her. After depositing the pen back in its holder, she took up the balloons that had been patiently floating overhead, anchored to the counter by the plastic bear-shaped weight. “You'll work it out, though. See ya tonight."
"See you.” Gretchen watched her sashay out of the shop, juggling the balloons as easily as she juggled men. She wished she had half of Crystal's sex appeal. Maybe then she could keep a man. But then, for all her charm and looks, Crystal hadn't been able to keep Big Bobby.
She sank her chin into her hands. What exactly was she doing with Daniel? Why had she gone to bed with him again? He must think she was so easy.
What made her sad to think of his leaving? Was it his powerful body that had loved her, his arms that gently encircled her and provided a safe place to rest? Or maybe it was his throaty laughter as he bonded with Amy, or joked with Wally, or simply tried to lighten her mood.
A customer walked up, and she went back to work, glad for the distraction and determined to stop dwelling on Daniel's leaving for the time being. They'd cross that bridge when they came to it, and unfortunately that would be very, very soon.
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Chapter Thirteen
Gretchen clapped for the children's silly dance routine when it ended. “You'll get a standing ovation when you show them this,” she told them earnestly. She swung her legs off Eula's porch lounger. “Now I need to see what Amy's up to."
"She went to the barn with BJ,” someone said.
Gretchen started to rise, but the Gerding twins leaned on her arms to keep her in the chair. “Stay! We have another dance."
"Well...” She glanced out at the yard full of pre-festival partiers milling around under two huge tents. “I should be helping Cile get more food out."
"I've got lots of help,” Cile called out through the doorway. “Besides, you're keeping the munchkins out of the cookies until after burgers and hot dogs."
"Cookies!” they shouted in unison. Before Gretchen could breathe, they'd shucked their props and deserted her in their rush to beg food off their favorite baker.
Chuckling, she relaxed back in her seat.
"Hi,” someone called, from outside in the yard.
She flinched, and glanced in that direction. Daniel. “You scared me.” By now she welcomed the thrilling warmth that shot through her whenever they were together. “When did you get here?"
"In time to catch the last act.” His eyes met hers.
"You're very patient. That's why they pick you for their audience, you know."
She laughed. “They pick me because I'm a sucker."
He came to the screen door and let himself onto the porch.
He stood there, and just looked at her, his smile grooving his cheeks. Once again, his direct manner sent chills through her.
Tearing her gaze away, she noticed his jeans, open-collar shirt and shoes without socks. “Look at you. You've morphed into a country boy."
"That'll be the day.” His smile accentuated those rich brown eyes as he stepped behind her and moved her hair with a brush of fingers against her neck.
Happy chills ricocheted through her. It was such a small thing, the slightest feel of his skin against hers, yet it seemed so intimate. So much for trying to keep her distance. Anyway, it was pre-festival night. Everyone had to be in good spirits, and that meant being friendly.
"Let's go somewhere quiet,” he murmured in her ear.
His fingers moved away, leaving her with a sense of loss.
She got up, and he put his hand on her back and they strolled around the side of the house.
"Where's Amy?"
"The kids said she went to the barn with BJ. One of the cats had kittens."
They reached the front porch. Eula kept lawn chairs down at one end, and they opened them and sat, hidden from view of the road by the spreading maple tree in front of the house.
Once they'd settled in, Daniel said, “Sam saw Eddie again. Eddie says he's going to print photos of you, me and Amy and announce to the world that she's my daughter. He's going to present her as my love child I abandoned, and say I'm abandoning her again on Sunday."
Gretchen stared at him. “Why?"
"It's just how it works. Business politics are dirty. Chroma Agency hired him to dig up dirt, and I guess I fell into the trap.” He swallowed. “Sorry I led them here."
"Sorry doesn't stop Eddie, though, does it?” She sighed. “I could trust Crystal and Eula to know and not say anything, but not your buddy. I don't like him."
"He's not my buddy.” He scowled. “Right now, I'd like to smash his expensive camera and—"
She shook her head. “It's a moot point now. We have to tell Amy right away.” She met his gaze. “Now I'm more scared of not telling her."
He covered her hands with his. “We'll tell her, and then we'll spend as much time as possible together during the festival. We'll make it okay."
She wanted to close her eyes, to shut out the world and bask in the two of them right then. To imagine them there in that place at next year's picnic, having been through a whole year together. She drew her hand out from under his. “I wish you'd never come to Marydale."
"I'm glad I did."
She looked away.
He rose. “You'll feel better once we talk with Amy."
As Gretchen rose and followed him off the porch, toward the barn, her heart wrenched with pain. She wasn't mad at him because he'd come to town. She was mad because he was leaving.
Now they must tell Amy about him, and under the worst circumstances.
A chill of foreboding ran up her spine. This was exactly what she'd hoped would never happen.
* * * *
BJ peeked through the old maple tree's fading fall leaves. “That's your daddy?"
Poking her head through the branches, Amy frowned at her mommy as she walked away with Daniel. “He's not my daddy. My daddy's dead."
"Oh.” BJ slid his sneaker-clad foot lower on the maple's bending branch. “Come down. I'm hungry."
"No.” Amy usually climbed and climbed, being brave, then grew bored and slipped back down. This time, she clung to the tree's trunk, squatting in its branches and wishing she could just be a squirrel.
BJ lowered himself to where he could land on his feet. Letting go of a branch, he landed sideways instead. Dusting himself off, he said, “I'll be back,” and ran to the house.
Amy didn't care if he came back or not. Daniel had told that stranger man that he was her daddy.
He wasn't her daddy. He was Daniel.
Sliding a sneaker down the trunk, she lowered herself the same way BJ had, using the limbs for support. But she was a big girl, and she didn't fall.
She didn't run to the house, either. She wanted to go somewhere by herself. She was big enough.
She'd go to the caves and see what everyone else got to see.
* * * *
Standing under their maple tree, BJ bellowed, “A—my! I got cookies.” He held them up in the napkin Cile had wrapped them in. “Come down."
He waited.
Plodding closer to the tree, he tipped his head back to see where its branches started from the trunk. “Amy?"
She wasn't up there.
He looked around, then walked to the bushes and kicked them. With his free hand, he rustled across their scratchy tops. She wasn't there. He went to the woodpile. Whooping, he hopped around to the other side, to surprise her out of hiding, thinking she was playing that game.
But she wasn't there, either.
Where could she be?
He looked down at the napkin in his hand. He set it down on the woodpile in case she came back hungry. Then he picked up a stick and headed for the creek. He wanted to catch a crayfish. He'd told Amy he could and she hadn't believed him. If he caught a crayfish, she'd show up to tell him she could catch a bigger one.
* * * *
Gretchen hurried up to Cile in the back yard."Have you seen Amy?"
"Did you check the barn?” She glanced up from adding rock salt to the ice cream maker. “She wanted to see the kittens."
"We were just there.” Daniel moved closer to Gretchen's side.
Crystal sauntered over from the food tables. “She and BJ said they were going to climb trees."
Daniel rested a palm against Gretchen's back. “The trees by the driveway? A little while ago?"
She swung her gaze to his, and caught his frown.
Crystal nodded. “They have a ‘fort’ in the old maple tree. It's really just a board someone nailed up there, and a—"
Daniel took off around the side of the house, while Gretchen sprinted straight through it.
As soon as they reached the front yard, they called Amy's name, making a beeline for the tree.
She wasn't there.
"Do you think she heard our conversation?” Daniel asked Gretchen. But he already knew the answer. She must've been in the tree the whole time.
Several partygoers had followed Gretchen through the house and onto the front porch.
"We'll search the house again.” Crystal promised.
"Check the creek,” Cile added as Gretchen and Daniel headed off again, this time across the deep side yard.
They found BJ at the creek. But the boy said he'd been fishing “a while” since he'd returned to the tree and Amy was gone. He asked if they'd heard Gretchen's and his conversation on the porch, and he timidly answered, “Yep."
Gretchen gripped Daniel's arm.
He stared hard into her eyes. “Do you think she went to the caves?"
Fear flashed in her expression, before she turned and ran stumbling up the hill toward the caves, yelling for Amy.
"You take the Ants’ Hills and I'll check Lion's Den,” Daniel ordered, outrunning her again.
The cave's rugged edges scraped Daniel's fingers as he hurried inside and thrust his way through passageways. The rocks jutting up from the ground tripped him once, and he fell hard on one knee. He pulled himself up, and ignoring the pain in his leg, bellowed, “A—my!” Her name echoed through the tunnels and seemed to mock him.
As he rounded the last curve, he saw the awesome pool, shimmering and quiet, but chilling him to the bone, just looking at it and wondering if—
Amy. He closed his eyes, doubled over and sucked in huge breaths.
Thank God. She's not in it, she's beside it.
He slid across the wet rocks and fell down on his knees, to grab her up in his arms. “Amy,” he blurted, burying his face in her hair.
His eyes stung. His throat felt raw. Re
luctantly, he released her enough to look down into her little face. “Are you okay?"
"I want Mommy.” She'd been crying. Dried, muddy tracks marred her cheeks.
As his heart rate began to normalize, he sat down on his rear and stretched his sore legs. “She's coming. She's worried about you."
She nodded, and kept her face down now.
"Amy?"
She lifted her lashes and looked at him.
"Why'd you come here?"
She just sat there.
He sucked in a breath of cool air, expanded his tight lungs and then let it back out. “Did you come here to hide?"
She shook her head.
So much for their good rapport. Dammit, he would not blow this with her. “Did you come just because you wanted to?"
She didn't say anything.
"Your mommy's worried about you."
She started to cry again.
"It's okay.” He tried to pull her close.
"No!” She pushed him away.
He sat back, shocked by the powerful sense of loss that rushed him then.
She crossed her arms. “You're not my daddy."
Closing his eyes, he dropped his head toward his chest. When he looked up at her again, she was still sitting there, her dark brows lowered over angry eyes.
"I am your daddy.” He'd grasped the full meaning of it the second he saw the pool again, when fear reached down in his soul and yanked hard to get his full attention.
She shook her head violently. “My daddy's dead."
"No. I'm here.” He reached for her again, but she put her hands out and pushed him away. Through raw pain, he somehow said, “Your mommy didn't tell you because I haven't been here for you. I haven't been a good daddy.” Looking at her innocent face, he struggled for words of closure. “I want to be one from now on, though. Will you let me?"
Her “No!” echoed off the sweating, white-brown walls.
She jumped to her feet, started backing away, and stumbled on the rocks.
"Watch out!” Daniel shouted.
But she lost her footing, and splashed into the pool's dark water.
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Chapter Fourteen
Amy's scream reverberated off the cave walls and ripped straight into Gretchen's heart. She stumbled over uneven rocks in a mad scramble for the inner sanctum and its pitch black water. Bursting from the narrow corridor, she saw someone splash into the pool.