by Barb Han
Rae’s heart nearly melted at the spark of expectation in his voice he did his level best to hide. It was a familiar hope all father-less children held that their father was special, a modern-day superhero. In Daniel’s case, it was as near to truth as it could be without Daegen actually owning a red cape.
“Sure,” she said, carefully slicing the fruit. She filled a plate and placed it in front of him. “He’s very successful. Self-made.”
He looked up at her wide-eyed, eager, before reining it in as he refocused on the chunks of fruit in front of him. “What does he do?”
“He owns Tan Enterprises, which in turn owns all kinds of companies not to mention a pharmaceutical one. He’s tall and strong. He can come off as harsh sometimes but he cares. He goes on dangerous expeditions to find new herbs to use in medications to help sick people.”
Daniel sat there, contemplative, chewing on a piece of mango.
There was something dignified about him, Rae decided, even though he looked too skinny for his height. She knew that he’d most likely spent his life eating just enough to get by and not much more. And it pained her deeply to think another child had gone through what she had.
I will make sure you get more than enough to eat.
“He sounds important.” The hope in his voice nearly did her in.
Could even a brilliant businessman like Daegen live up to the over-fantasized image held in a young orphan’s mind? “Yes. But he really wanted to be here anyway.”
Daniel didn’t break eye contact. He leaned forward attentively.
“He’s out in the rain forest searching for a life-saving berry.”
Daniel’s eyes grew even wider.
“He’s a very rich man. He doesn’t need to be risking his life in this weather to support himself...” she stopped before the worry she’d tucked away could slip out and overtake her calm facade.
“Why does he go?”
“Not for the money. He cares about finding medicine to save people’s lives. It’s what he lives for. That’s the kind of person he is. And he loves the rain forest. You should see him out there.”
Daniel cracked an eager smile. “You’ve been?”
“Believe it or not, I have.” I don’t plan to go ever again, but that’s a story for another time, she mused.
The hope and excitement of fantasies being realized momentarily drained from Daniel’s features.
She knew exactly what he was thinking.
“You know he had no idea about you, right?” she decided now was the time to throw that in, give him the truth to chew on as food for thought.
Daniel shrugged non-committal. His arms folded, and his legs crossed.
Right. That might not have been what his relatives had told him. “As soon as he learned about you, he got on a plane to see for himself.”
“Do I have a mother?” he asked, a shadow of doubt coloring his brown eyes a shade darker.
Rae gritted her teeth to hold in the biting words she wanted to spit out.
His expression turned and it looked to be occurring to him that somewhere along the line he hadn’t been told the truth. He reined in his doubts by setting his chin.
Rae burned with anger. How could his uncle lie to him? How could he have not told him about his own mother?
Every child had a right to know what happened to his parents. She dropped her gaze and shook her head. “I’m sorry. You weren’t told of your parents’ circumstances, were you?”
“My uncle said no one wanted me. He couldn’t afford to care for me so he gave me up to the government to save me.”
Rae swallowed her anger—an anger that ran so deeply, so bitterly that she wanted nothing more than to scratch out this uncle’s eyeballs. What kind of a monster could keep a child from his only living parent?
But Daniel didn’t know any different and it would do no good to scare him by freaking out right now. Rae hoped a day would come when she would meet the monster though. She’d have a few choice words for that man. “Your uncle was nice to you? He visited you?”
“Sometimes. He couldn’t visit much or the government would make him take me back he said. And we’d both starve.”
Rae swallowed another lump of disdain. Wasn’t that nice of the monster to convince Daniel he was doing the boy a favor? His uncle most likely saw him as insurance to be carefully tucked away.
Rae knew that Daegen had built his fortune from nothing and Daniel’s uncle couldn’t have known how rich Daegen would become. Still why would he wait until now?
Forbes.
“Your father would never have allowed you to be away from him, to grow up without a parent.” She needed to clarify that point. It was what every orphaned child wanted to hear, and in this one case, it was actually true.
A knock at the door startled Rae, and for one lone moment, she feared the worst had happened to Daegen. He was lost in the rain forest, and Daniel would be twice orphaned.
Her protective instincts hit def-con five.
Oh, she could never, ever allow that to happen. She would take Daniel home with her.
Hello? Where the hell did that come from?
Chapter Ten
Rae opened the door to find Steve ringing out his hat. He was drenched and shivering. “Come in.”
“My flight was delayed due to the storm front. Is he gone already?” he asked, water pouring from his hair, his eyelashes, and spilling down his cheeks.
“Yes. Come in. Water’s dripping from everywhere on you.” She registered her own very real fear at Daegen being out in this...this monsoon.
Steve’s wet clothes hung from his lean shoulders.
“Let’s get you inside and warm.” Rae had become so lost in the moment with Daniel, it barely registered how hard the rain came down outside. She stood at the door for a moment, leaving it open, saying a silent prayer Daegen would come bounding out of the nearby thicket. Of course, she couldn’t see the trees since visibility was next to nothing. Was he out there just as blind?
Daegen was a skilled naturalist. And he knew that rain forest like the back of his hand. He will survive, she told herself. Then repeated the phrase.
A flicker of worry crossed Daniel’s features as he moved to the door. “Is my father still out there?”
Rae nodded, and then introduced him to Steve. “I know he’d rather be here. I’m sure the rain has stalled his expedition.”
Daniel’s arm came around her shoulder. Support? He was giving her support.
Smiling through her concern, she said, “Let’s get Steve warm and dry, shall we?”
She located a change of clothes while he warmed up in the shower. They were Daegen’s and, as such, would hang off Steve’s lighter frame but they were dry at least.
The driving rain subsided and droplets started coming down in a regular beat. When he emerged, changed and dry, Rae handed him a steaming cup of coffee.
“Thanks,” Steve said as his arm wrapped around her shoulder and gave a quick squeeze.
Daegen burst through the door, soaked and covered in mud. His gaze zeroed in on Steve’s arm. “What the hell’s going on?”
****
Slashing a look toward Steve that would freeze hell, Daegen bit back the flash of rage he felt at seeing another man touch Rae. He refused to lose his temper in front of Daniel.
“Nothing,” Rae said. Her shoulders stiffened defensively.
Damn. Daegen hadn’t meant to upset her. He moved to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I saw the three of you together and it tripped a wire inside me. Forgive me?” he whispered into her mass of curls.
Steve set his coffee mug on the counter and backed out of the room. “I’ll just be going.”
“No,” Daegen said. “Stay. I owe you an apology.”
Rae smiled up at him in approval. “I’ll make a snack.”
Kota appeared in the hallway. “I will do it. You. Relax. Enjoy.”
Rae pressed up on her toes and kissed Daegen. “You two shou
ld get to know each other. I’ll keep Steve busy in the kitchen.”
Daegen didn’t like the idea of her in another room with any other man, but he needed to keep himself in check. Besides, he already felt like hell for making a big deal out of nothing, and especially in front of Daniel.
Daegen looked at his son and smiled. There was more than a hint of the girl he once loved in Daniel. He had those same expressive eyes. Round face. Smile. Daegen couldn’t bring her back but he would honor her memory by caring for her child. “I especially owe you an apology. I don’t normally lose my cool.”
The smile on Daniel’s face was practically plastered there. “She’s a very pretty woman. I don’t blame you.”
Looks like he had a little crush of his own on Rae. There was another emotion evident on his face too. One Daegen could easily recognize. A healthy dose of curiosity for the unknown adventure that lay ahead.
He winked. “Yes. She is. But this one’s mine, little man.”
Daegen held out his hand.
The vigorous handshake he received made his chest fill with pride.
****
The downpour eased, and Steve excused himself. Rae felt like an intruder in this moment between a father and a son. It was probably best to disappear altogether while the pair got acquainted.
They were already chatting comfortably.
The emotion of their reunion was getting to her. Tears slid down her cheeks.
As she backed out of the room Daegen’s hand closed around her wrist. “Don’t go.”
When she looked up and caught hold of his gaze, she saw something she never expected to see in Daegen Tan’s eyes. Fear.
It was then she realized a father might have the same apprehension as a child about their first meeting. While every child wished to impress his father, the reverse wasn’t always true. Look at her dad for example.
Only a man who truly, deeply loved his child would care enough to be afraid.
She turned to Daegen. “Do you want to get cleaned up while Kota finishes preparing dinner?”
His gaze flicked from Daniel to Rae. “If you two are all right.”
“I’m fine,” Daniel said quickly. He was a tough kid. Proud.
Rae decided she was going to like him very much. “Come on. You can pitch in.”
Daniel moved to her side as she helped set the table. They worked in comfortable silence.
“You can ask me anything you want,” she said as she placed the last fork on a napkin, watching him as he took it all in. “You know that, right?”
He nodded.
“Are you tired?”
“Not really.” His yawn belied his words.
“You must be,” she said. “You can take my room tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Nonsense,” Daegen said. Shirtless, his body still glistened from the shower as he strolled into the room. “My son will sleep in my room. If anyone takes the couch, it’ll be me.”
Daniel yawned again.
“When’s the last time you had a good night’s sleep?” Rae asked.
“It’s been a few days,” he admitted.
“Let’s eat and then we’ll show you to your room,” she said as they all sat.
Kota had prepared a noodle dish, two meat dishes, three vegetables and soup. A feast fit for a king. Or a young prince, to be exact.
Daniel rose to his feet and picked up the teapot. He bowed and turned to Daegen. “Would you like tea, Father?”
Rae’s heart warmed at the show of respect.
Daegen smiled and took his son’s wrist. “Thank you, but no. Sit down and enjoy your meal. We aren’t formal around here.”
Confusion knitted Daniel’s eyebrows as he set the pot down. “The orphanage had strict rules at meal time. They wanted us to know how to show respect in case we were adopted.”
“You’re home now. We’ll leave those rigid customs to the older generation,” Daegen reassured with a nod and a wink. “I’d rather have a real relationship.”
Daniel sat down as Rae held out a meat dish toward him. “Go on. Eat.”
She had to battle against the flood of tears threatening to burst through her walls. Daegen Tan was going to be the exact kind of father she wanted for her own kids some day.
****
When the meal was over, Rae volunteered to take Daniel to his room.
He gasped when he stepped inside the suite.
“This should be plenty big enough for you,” Rae said, smiling, walking him to the four-poster handmade teak bed. The room had a dresser, two nightstands, and a desk facing a window with a view to the ocean.
He nodded, rubbing his eyes.
“Shower’s in the en suite.” She pointed to the adjoining door. “This is a lot to take in. Believe me, you won’t lack for anything again.” And especially not love. Rae knew physical comforts didn’t matter as much. “Your dad is one of the good ones.”
Daniel stalked toward her and flung his arms around her in an awkward hug.
She pulled him into a warm embrace. “You’re not alone anymore.”
His big brown teary eyes looked up at her, and her heart nearly faltered. And neither am I.
He cleared his throat and corrected his posture, pulling back from her a step. “Thank you.”
She tousled his hair and smiled. “Make yourself comfortable. Okay, buddy?”
He smiled, picked up his bag, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Good kid.
Rae poured two glasses of wine and brought leftover fruit out to the balcony. The rain had subsided, and the sun was sliding into the ocean.
“He’s too skinny,” Daegen said as she took a seat next to him and looked out onto the vast horizon. “And something tells me he doesn’t trust me yet.”
“Give him time. He’s only just arrived. He’s been plucked out of his world, and even though it wasn’t great, it was what he knew. It’s natural for him to guard his feelings.”
“He’s been through too much for a boy his age,” Daegen declared. His expression was a mix of anguish and frustration. “When I think of what they must’ve told him about me.”
“He will soon determine for himself what kind of man his father is.”
“What will he see? A man who deserted his mother. Who abandoned him?”
“Not at all,” Rae interjected. “He’ll see a kind and successful man. Someone he can look up to. A hero.”
Thoughtful, Daegen leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.
“Is that what you see?” His question was laced with humility.
“Yes.”
His eyes skimmed her jeans and blouse. “Am I your type? Or do you prefer a man like Steve?”
Daegen was jealous of Steve?
The thought sent warmth and light into her soul. And she enjoyed his anguish a little too much. “That’s ridiculous. He simply showed up late for your expedition. He wasn’t here to see me.”
“He’s never been so eager to accompany me before.”
The words, the emotion she’d swallowed all day, lumped in her throat. “And you think he’s here for me? I barely know him, and I hardly think he’s my type.”
“You didn’t answer my questions. Who is your type?” he asked.
You, dummy. She didn’t want to say out loud. Things were complicated with Daniel’s arrival.
Turning to Daegen and softening her expression, she asked, “What really happened between you and his mother all those years ago?”
The hard planes of his face went stone-cold when he said, “I already told you. I failed her. I didn’t get there in time to save her.”
His gaze didn’t budge from the blue-green water stretching on forever in front of them. “We were tempting fire. She was beautiful, so her family easily arranged a marriage with a wealthy man.”
And you became wealthy a thousand times over in return.
“She didn’t want to become his property. She wanted to marry for more than social position. They refused to accept
we were truly in love. Before I knew it, she was gone. Betrayed by her own family.” His gaze didn’t falter even as his lips thinned. “You know what happened next.”
“You were so young.” How could you not feel responsible?
“I was nineteen, and my family had no money.”
That’s not your fault.
“We had nothing to give her family to buy her back.”
Buy her back? Hard to believe this still occurred in a modern world. “Did they force her to marry him anyway?”
“No. She was shipped off to have her illegitimate child so they could get rid of it.”
Rae could scarcely wrap her mind around what she heard. “They wouldn’t allow her to keep him?”
Daegen’s gaze narrowed. “So she took her own life.”
Rae—who had always looked at family as some kind of magic ticket that once you held your life would be perfect—looked out onto the darkening horizon wistfully. Sometimes, it might just be best to have no family at all rather than have one who could be so cruel. “I can’t imagine her pain.”
“What did I do to stop it?” the anger in his voice rumbled thickly.
“Daegen, it’s not your fault.”
“Then who?”
“Certainly not you. You didn’t know. And besides, you weren’t much more than a child yourself.”
“A boy has suffered.”
“Not anymore,” she quickly countered. “Believe me, Daegen, you are going to be a wonderful father.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You care. Deeply. You want to get this right. You love him already.”
“How do you know?”
“I can see it in your eyes.” A tender mix of caring and exposed pain and determination. “Believe me. He’s lucky to have you as his father.”
“Thank you,” he said and his voice was soft. “You’re the one person’s judgment I respect.”
Rae should’ve been ready to pack her bags and leave. She wasn’t. She wanted to stay. Impossible.
She couldn’t live off Daegen’s good will forever. In her present state, broke and scared, she had nothing to offer. No security.
“What is it? Something’s bothering you,” Daegen said.
Honesty would not erase her concerns. So, she lied. “My father.”