Delivered with Love

by Sherry Kyle

  Claire,

  Pursue your dreams. You can do it!

  Love,

  Vivian

  Claire remembered Vivian telling her the day she got fired from the restaurant in L.A. that she was college material. Claire opened the Cabrillo College brochure and read the different programs and degrees. Could she do it? Did she have what it took to be a college student? The nursing program intrigued her. After all those years taking care of her mother, and now Geraldine, Claire realized she loved helping people.

  The familiar knock on the door sent Claire scurrying. She collected the mail and tossed it in the basket on the counter. Her insides quivered as she thought about spending time alone with Blake. She turned the knob and welcomed him in.

  "I hope you like sweet and sour chicken and Szechwan beef." Blake held a bagful of groceries. He had a sly grin on his face as if he already knew the answer.

  "Who told you?" Claire closed the door behind him and followed him into the kitchen.

  Blake emptied the bag's contents on the counter. "I have my ways."

  "No, seriously. How did you know?" Claire picked up the can of diced pineapple.

  "I asked Haley." Blake threw her a sideways glance. "Before she left with her husband."

  So, he knew Mark came to get her sister. Claire set the can down and leaned against the kitchen counter. "What else did she tell you?"

  "To take good care of you." Blake tapped her nose with his index finger. "And I told her not to worry. That you'd be well taken care of."

  But what about Miss Mustang? Claire knew Kristy wouldn't go for that. "I can take care of myself." Claire opened the bag of Chinese noodles and popped several in her mouth.

  "You'd live on soup and cereal." Blake laughed. "You know you like my cooking."

  "Are you kidding? I think I've gained ten pounds since you started." She patted her belly.

  "If you'd rather I left . . ." he teased.

  Claire enjoyed the easy banter between them. She needed a light conversation after today's events. Her mind shifted. Haley would be halfway home by now, and Michael . . . who knew what he was doing and thinking.

  "Hey Claire, you're a million miles away. Anything I can do?" Blake rested his hand on top of hers on the counter.

  "Tell me Miss Mustang doesn't mean a thing to you." The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Think before you speak. Her mother told her that her tongue would get her into trouble one day.

  Blake rolled his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Methinks the lady is jealous." His accent was a mix of knight in shining armor and bad British drama.

  Claire knew her cheeks must be a deep shade of red. How she wished she could duck under the kitchen table. "You're not interested in Kristy? I saw her Mustang parked in front of your house this morning."

  Blake rested his arm across Claire's shoulder. "Kristy is an interior decorator. She helped me pick out a countertop. But I love it that you noticed."

  See Haley, I knew it was nothing. Or at least I hoped. Claire felt her insides warm at Blake's nearness.

  The phone rang.

  "Do you want to get that? I'll start dinner." Blake winked.

  Claire liked that Blake could be so practical. He was also confident in his decisions and knew what was important in life. She was falling for him and falling hard. Red flag!

  She glanced at him over her shoulder, then reached for the phone.

  "Claire?"

  "Yes?" She looked at Blake and shrugged her shoulders.

  "It's Pearl, dear."

  "Pearl!" Claire shrieked. "It's so good to hear your voice."

  "Yours too. I had a dickens of a time finding your number. Thank goodness for Samantha, sweet girl."

  Samantha. Claire needed to call her. Would her friend take her advice and come to Capitola?

  "Harry and I are on our way to visit John and Melody in San Francisco."

  "I bet you miss the little guy."

  "We sure do. Say, we were hoping to spend tomorrow night at New Brighton Beach and we'd like you to join us for dinner." Claire could hear the eagerness in Pearl's voice.

  In the past, Pearl had been a source of wisdom. Claire needed to hear what the elderly woman thought of the chaos in her life now. "I'd love to."

  Claire heard a loud crash and whipped her head around.

  Blake had dropped a pan on the tile floor. He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry about that."

  Claire's eyes widened. She lifted her index finger to her lips.

  "What's going on over there?" Pearl teased. "Was that a man's voice I heard?"

  "It's my neighbor. He cooks for me."

  Blake picked up the pan, a sheepish grin on his face.

  "You have your own personal chef?" Pearl sounded confused.

  "His kitchen burned down so he's cooking at my house till it's repaired."

  "Sounds like an interesting arrangement. Why don't you invite him to dinner with us? Tell him Harry's barbequing. I'm sure he'd like a night off."

  Pearl had a point. Blake had been cooking her gourmet meals ever since she moved into the rental. He needed a break. Also, it might be good to have someone there to talk with Harry. Then she'd be able to talk with Pearl alone. Claire was sure Harry would like to meet the man who fixed her car. "I'll do that."

  "All right, dear. We'll call you tomorrow and let you know of our location at the campground. See you tomorrow night. Around 6:00 p.m.?"

  "Sounds good." Claire put the telephone back in the cradle. She stood by the counter and watched Blake in the kitchen. He moved like a professional. Claire chuckled. Maybe she did have a personal chef after all. And Blake was the perfect diversion to keep her mind away from her sister and father.

  35

  Claire held a bouquet of mixed wildflowers, the ones Blake had purchased, and stopped down the hall from Geraldine's hospital room. Breathe. Breathe. Did the elderly woman know she was her granddaughter? Would seeing Geraldine now be any different than it was this morning? The hallway spun.

  Blake carried an egg roll in a small paper bag. "Why don't you go first and make sure she's ready for a male visitor."

  "She's ready. Geraldine's been waiting all day." Claire handed him the bouquet. "These should come from you. I'll wait right here." She was working her way up to telling Blake at dinner about Michael and Geraldine being family, but the timing never seemed right. He'd be all excited that she lived with her grandmother and had a father close by. Not Claire. She had to make sure they wanted her around before she got her hopes up.

  "You don't want to come in with me?"

  Claire was positive Geraldine would appreciate having a little male attention by herself. Especially since Blake looked so handsome in his jeans and navy T-shirt. "I'll give you a few minutes alone."

  "Anything to help." Blake winked, and then walked the few steps to Geraldine's room.

  He knocked. "It's Blake."

  "Come in, dear," the elderly woman's voice rose.

  Blake shot Claire a grin, then walked into the room.

  "Oh, my, what beautiful flowers! And you brought me an egg roll. How sweet."

  Claire listened from outside the door. She wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned against the wall. Would Geraldine ask about her? Her throat constricted.

  Her thoughts drifted to her mother. Why hadn't she told Claire that Michael was her father? Why write a note to Michael? Did she expect him to tell her? Claire's mind was filled with so many unanswered questions. And her mother wasn't around to answer them.

  Haley. She held on to the secret for a year, and then seemed eager to dole out information once Claire was established in Capitola. Haley wanted her to run back to L.A. Her sister had selfish motives. But wouldn't Claire do the same if the roles were reversed? She sighed.

  The sound of Blake's hearty voice mixed with Geraldine's occasional guffaw made her suddenly feel left out. It was her grandmother. Claire rolled her eyes. Could she walk into the room and act
as if nothing had happened? But something had happened. She had found out the truth. Now was the time to be brave and face Geraldine, whether or not she knew. Claire walked through the doorway and past the curtain.

  "Blake is so funny." Geraldine brought her hand to her cheek. "You should have heard the story he was telling."

  Blake clutched his side.

  Claire pulled up a chair and sat down. "Sorry I missed it."

  "Where were you, dear? I was hoping to run a brush through my hair and put on a dab of lipstick before Blake came in." Geraldine pursed her lips and touched her hair. "Did you see?" Her eyes widened and she smiled. "He brought me flowers. Aren't they gorgeous?"

  "As beautiful as you." Blake placed his hand on top of Geraldine's. "If you ladies will excuse me. I'm on call tonight." He grabbed his vibrating cell phone, flipped it open, and walked out of the room.

  No, Blake. Don't leave. Claire wasn't ready to spend time alone with her grandmother. She unzipped her purse and pulled out Geraldine's hairbrush and lipstick. "Sorry. I should have brought these to you before Blake arrived."

  "Oh, phooey." She giggled. "I know that man only has eyes for you, as it should be, but I'm an old woman who appreciates a good-looking man when I see one. He did give me a compliment."

  She doesn't know. Geraldine's demeanor put Claire at ease. She stood with hairbrush in hand and placed the lipstick on the small table. "May I?"

  "Yes, please do." Geraldine sat real still and closed her eyes.

  Claire brushed the white hair with slow strokes. "I have a present for you."

  "You didn't need to do that." Geraldine looked up at Claire.

  "Actually, it's for both of us." Claire set the hairbrush on the small table. She handed Geraldine the lipstick.

  "Now you've got me curious." She applied a generous amount to her lips.

  "You'll have to wait until you get home before you see it." Claire bit her lower lip.

  "Out with it, Claire. I've never been good at guessing games."

  "A cat! I found a cat. She was sitting outside my bedroom window." Claire smiled. "She is the sweetest calico. You'll love her."

  Geraldine's eyes lit up. "You know I will. I've been wanting a cat ever since I had to give all of mine away when I moved into the retirement community."

  "I named her Cali."

  Blake walked in the door, his brows furrowed. "Sorry, ladies. I've been called into work."

  "Nothing serious, I hope." Geraldine's voice held a hint of concern.

  "We've had several officers out. So, the rest of us have to cover." Blake walked to the foot of the bed and gently patted Geraldine's foot. He looked at Claire. "Want a lift home or do you want to stay a while longer?"

  "I'd love my granddaughter to stay." Geraldine turned to Claire. "But it's better to go home with Blake. I wouldn't want you to take a taxi."

  My granddaughter? Claire inhaled and held her breath. She does know. Claire exhaled. Either way, she wasn't ready to deal with this new revelation. Not until she talked with Michael. "Blake, I'll catch a ride home with you." Claire leaned over and gave Geraldine a kiss on her cheek. "I'll come back and visit tomorrow."

  "Okay, dear. Take care of that cat for me. What a nice surprise. "She smiled. "Good to see you, Blake. Come anytime."

  Claire followed Blake out the door. Neither of them said a word until they approached Blake's truck.

  He reached for the door handle, then turned to look at her. "Geraldine's your grandmother? Since when?" Blake's voice

  sounded more confused than sarcastic.

  "You caught that, huh?" Claire shrugged.

  Blake leaned against the side of the truck. "What's going on?"

  Claire thought back to this morning when Blake appeared at her door to tell her she was on her own for breakfast. She didn't get a chance to tell him that Michael was the writer of the letter. And now, her father. "I don't know if you have time. It's a long story."

  Blake put the key in the door. "Tell me on the way."

  By the time they pulled up to her front door, Claire had told Blake the condensed version about the picnic, the letter, and Haley's shocking news.

  "I wonder if Michael visited Geraldine this afternoon." Claire pulled the letter out of her purse and clutched it to her chest. "She has never called me her granddaughter before."

  "Does it matter? She knows you're her granddaughter now." He smiled.

  Blake could be so practical. Of course, it mattered! Why didn't Geraldine act like her grandmother as she grew up? She tucked the letter in her jacket pocket.

  "I have to go to work, but I'll be off in time for dinner with your friends." Blake stepped toward her and gave her a hug. "I'm happy for you. It's nice to have a close relationship with your grandmother."

  She breathed in Blake's musky cologne. At this moment, all she needed was him. She took in another deep breath before pulling back. "The jury's still out on that one. I haven't talked with Michael. His family may not want me here." Claire was definitely not practical.

  "What do you want?"

  "Honestly, I don't know." Claire put her key in the lock and opened the front door. "Be careful tonight. I'll be praying for you."

  Blake smiled. "Thank you. And I'll be praying for you."

  Michael listened to the message on his cell phone once again.

  Why would his wife leave him and go to Julia's? She didn't take any of her things and the suitcases were still in the guest bedroom closet. When was she coming back? The thought of losing his wife of twenty-seven years cut deep. He loved Sandy with his whole being and would never do anything intentional to hurt her. And yet he had. Why wasn't he honest with her all those years ago? He leaned back against the couch and remembered the day as if it were yesterday.

  "Honey, I'm home," Michael had said, making sure his voice was steady. His quick business trip to L.A. had turned out to be something he regretted. He searched the house. With his wife seven months pregnant, he had felt comfortable leaving. There was enough of a window before she'd deliver. But Sandy was nowhere to be found. His pager. He had selfishly turned it off when he was with Emily and had forgotten to turn it back on. Sandy had paged him. Five times.

  Panic set in. He dialed the hospital number, the one he had memorized in case Sandy went into labor. She was only 32 weeks along. Lord, help me. What have I done? Michael's hands shook.

  Julia weighed 3 pounds 10 ounces at birth. So tiny. And he had missed it.

  The ringing of the telephone brought Michael back to the present. He jumped up from the couch and hurried to answer the phone.

  "Hi, Michael? Emily."

  "Emily?" Was this a joke?

  "I'm a friend of Julia's. I'm still at work, but want to go to the shower. What time did it start?"

  The bridal shower. Sandy had planned a surprise shower for Julia tonight. Michael had forgotten. He searched the counter looking for a stray invitation. A pink ribbon peeked out from under the morning's newspaper. He pulled it out and scanned the fancy scroll. "7:30."

  "Thanks."

  Michael glanced at his watch. It was eight o'clock. The party had already started. He needed to talk to his wife now, while he had the nerve. But did he want to interrupt? How long does a bridal shower last? Michael grabbed his keys from his pocket and headed toward his car. If he got kicked out of the all-girl party, he'd come home. Michael hopped in his BMW and started the engine. He shifted the car into drive, pressed the accelerator—and then slammed on the brakes. He was doing it again—thinking only of himself. His head fell back against the headrest. A few minutes passed before he made a decision. A choice that could change his life forever.

  36

  Meow." Cali rubbed against Claire's calf as she sat in Geraldine's recliner. Claire flipped through the Cabrillo College brochure. Did she dare sign up for a class or two? She bit her lower lip as she reached down and picked up the cat. "What do you think, sweet kitty?"

  Claire's life in Capitola had taken on a nice rhythm before Geraldi
ne landed in the hospital. Now, her emotions were all over the place. She loved her grandmother and hoped she'd be able to stay as her caregiver.

  Then there was Blake. She wanted him in her life—not only for now, but for good. Her spine tingled as she dreamed about a future together. But how could she settle in Capitola with Michael, Sandy, and Julia so close? Things were different now that she knew Michael was her father.

  Haley had practically begged her to come back to L.A. Her sister wanted family around to be part of her baby's life. Claire suspected it had more to do with free babysitting while her sister shopped for the latest fashion. But Haley did love her and they had a history together. Mark's presence in Haley's life made Claire want to stay in Capitola indefinitely, but if Haley were able to send Mark packing, she'd consider moving back. Claire stroked Cali's back. "What am I going to do?"

  The doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone tonight. Claire set the cat down and walked to the door. She peeked out the window. It was a woman. The doorbell sounded again.

  Claire turned the knob.

  "Surprise!" Samantha held up her suitcase.

  Claire wrapped her arms around Samantha's neck in a big hug. "I'm so happy to see you. I needed a friend tonight. "Claire motioned her in.

  Samantha stepped inside the entryway and set down her suitcase. "I've decided to take your advice and move to Capitola." Samantha's brunette hair was exactly how Claire remembered it—pulled back in a ponytail. "I'm over my job and I'm done with men."

  "You've come to the right house." Claire shut the door.

  Samantha hung her sweater on the coat rack and followed Claire into the family room. She sat down on the couch and shooed the cat away.