by Leigh Bale
Three days later, Katie loaded Chrissy into her car and drove toward Elsa Watkins’s home. She’d promised the elderly widow that she’d do some yard work for her today. Weed the flower beds and plant some petunias. Now that school was out for summer break, it’d be a fun mother-daughter outing, where she could have some time alone with Chrissy to chat. Even though Chrissy knew Reese was her father, Katie wanted to find out what her daughter was thinking, and explain a few things to her.
As they drove down Main Street, Chrissy sat in the back, buckled into her booster seat. Katie had pulled the girl’s hair into two long ponytails, one on each side of her head. Chrissy gazed out the window, her pert nose held high. Glancing in her rearview mirror, Katie saw that her daughter looked so guileless and pure that it brought a sweet ache to Katie’s chest. She’d do anything to protect her child. She was wondering how to broach the subject on her mind when Chrissy asked a blunt question.
“Why didn’t you marry my daddy?”
Katie tried to swallow, but her throat felt as though a balled-up sheet of sandpaper were lodged there. Okay, here it was. The moment of truth. But Katie hadn’t expected this particular question.
“I, um... He never asked me,” Katie said.
“Why not?”
She inwardly groaned. These were surprisingly difficult questions. They forced her to face up to the truth. She didn’t want to lie to her child, but it hurt to say the next words.
“He didn’t love me.”
Chrissy’s forehead furrowed. “But you had me.”
“Yes, we did.” Katie picked her words carefully, gazing at her child in the rearview mirror.
“Did you love him?” Chrissy sat forward and looked at her, her big green eyes so wide and innocent.
“Yes, I did,” she answered honestly. “At least, at the time I did.”
“But not anymore?”
“I...I love him for giving me you,” Katie said.
That was true enough. Of all the rotten things Reese had done during high school, at least he’d given her a beautiful daughter to cherish. She would always love and appreciate him for that.
“We were awfully young at the time, sweetums. We were inexperienced and naive and we made a...” Katie was about to say the word mistake but stopped herself just in time. No, no! She didn’t want Chrissy to ever believe she was a mistake, because she wasn’t.
“We made a choice not to marry. Now your father is here in town, and I hope you two can become great friends,” Katie said, trying to recover her wits.
How could she tell her daughter that she’d been trusting and stupid and never should have gone with Reese that fateful night? But if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have Chrissy now. And she could never regret having her little girl. Not ever.
“Why didn’t you tell me about my daddy?” Chrissy asked.
“I was waiting until you were older.”
“But I’m a big girl now. I can understand these things,” Chrissy said.
Katie almost laughed. Sitting there in the car, her six-year-old daughter looked so self-assured and grown-up. And yet Katie knew better. It’d be so easy to hurt this little girl. To destroy her feelings of security and trust. And Katie didn’t want that.
“Yes, I think you’re right. You’re growing up so fast and it’s time you knew about your dad,” Katie said.
“I like Reese a lot. I’m glad he’s my daddy. But I think he’s lonely. He needs us,” Chrissy said.
How intuitive. And yet Katie doubted he needed anyone. A part of her thought it served Reese right if he was lonely. He’d chosen his life. She didn’t owe him anything. And soon, he’d leave town again. He’d walk right out of their lives the way he’d done before. Without looking back.
They passed the small cemetery on the edge of town. Without thinking about it, Katie glanced to the south side, where a large willow tree swayed protectively over her mother’s grave. A blue sedan was parked along the curb of the street. She didn’t recognize the vehicle. A trail of smoke rose from the open car window. Someone sitting and smoking. A man? Katie wasn’t sure.
In the quick moments before she passed the car, she saw him raise an arm to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight...or to hide his identity. Katie got the impression he didn’t want to be seen.
“Look! There’s Daddy,” Chrissy cried, pointing to the other side of the street.
Sure enough, Reese stood in Mrs. Watkins’s yard just off the main road. What was he doing there?
As she pulled into the graveled driveway, Katie glanced at the white frame house with russet trim. She noticed that the elderly widow sat in a wicker chair on the front porch, her walker beside her. She was calmly watching as Reese leaned over her front gate with a hammer. A red toolbox rested on the ground beside his booted feet. He wore leather gloves, faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt that hugged his strong biceps. He had a baseball cap pulled low over his forehead, as though he didn’t want to be recognized. But Katie would have known him anywhere. His masculine stance. The tilt of his head.
Considering the damage he’d done to Mrs. Watkins’s garden years earlier, Katie thought he was brave to come around here now. But the woman didn’t look upset. She smiled and waved as Katie and Chrissy got out of their car.
Reese looked up and saw them. “Hi, there.”
“Hello,” Katie returned.
“I’m gonna help rake leaves,” Chrissy said as she tugged on the oversize cloth gardening gloves Katie had loaned her.
“You are, huh?” Reese set his hammer aside and smiled at the girl.
“Yoo-hoo. You’re too late, I’m afraid.” Mrs. Watkins waved to draw their attention.
“Hi, Mrs. Watkins. How are you today?” Katie asked, walking up onto the porch to give her a hug. A tray with a half-empty jug of lemonade and a few remaining chocolate chip cookies sat on the table beside her chair.
“I’m just great, honey. Thanks for coming over.”
“May I have a cookie, please?” Chrissy asked.
“Of course you can,” Mrs. Watkins said.
While Chrissy snatched up a treat and started munching away, the woman clasped the arms of her walker and rose slowly to her feet. Katie helped her.
“Do you know, this young man has been working here all morning. Just look at what he’s accomplished.” She jutted her chin toward Reese, then gestured to her yard.
Katie’s gaze scanned the tidy piles of dried leaves all ready to be bagged up, the pruned bushes and the flower beds neatly weeded and raked. Her nose twitched at the smell of fresh paint. She looked at the front door, which was slightly ajar and shimmered with a new coat of creamy gold. It was late in the season to be raking leaves; the chore should have been done weeks earlier. The yellow lawn needed watering badly. But it boggled Katie’s mind that Reese had come over here and done all this work by himself.
Noticing that Mrs. Watkins was now trying to sit down again, Katie reached out to fluff the pillows on the porch swing and helped the lady get comfortable.
“Thank you, dear.”
“You’re welcome.” Katie smiled sweetly, wishing her own mother were still here to dote on.
“Oh, no! Now we can’t rake the leaves. It’s already done.” Chrissy placed her little hands on her hips, pursed her lips and gazed at the yard with disappointment.
Reese lifted one foot to rest against the bottom step of the porch and leaned against the handrail. He studied the yard for a moment, then glanced at his daughter. “Maybe not, but do you know what the next best thing to raking up leaves is?”
She shook her head, her frown firmly in place.
“Jumping in the piles.” He tugged on Chrissy’s arm to get her to follow him. When she did, he tossed an armful of dried leaves at the girl.
At first, Chrissy looked shocked. She stared at Reese and blinked. Katie hurried down the stairs, hoping the day di
dn’t end in tears.
With a squeal of delight, Chrissy scooped up as many leaves as possible and threw them right back at Reese. And before Katie knew what was happening, her daughter was chasing the tall man around the yard, frolicking in the leaves, spreading them around the grass.
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Watkins murmured as she saw her tidy yard turned back into a mess.
“Don’t worry. We’ll clean it up again,” Katie assured her.
She smiled. “Oh, thank you, dear. You should join in and have fun, then.”
“I don’t think...” Katie turned and found a bunch of crackling leaves being thrown in her face by Chrissy.
“Hey!” she cried, brushing at her clothes. It did no good. She found another pile of leaves dropped over her head by Reese. They fell harmlessly around her feet, but a few clung to her hair and clothes.
She eyed her daughter and the man, wondering how to react. And then she decided to give as good as she got.
“All right, you two. You’re asking for it.” She scooped up a big armful and tossed it at them. The two instigators scattered, their laughter filling the air. Reese pulled the girl with him, scurrying behind a tall tree for cover.
“Don’t think you can hide from me!” Katie laughed as she tore after them.
Chrissy popped out and tossed more leaves. Katie scooped up her daughter and twirled her around. The girl’s giggles bubbled up as they spun until they were both dizzy.
Katie found herself knocked backward into a soft pile of leaves. And then...
“Oof!”
A heavy weight landed near her. Looking up, she found Reese lying beside her, his eyes wide with surprise. Chrissy stood over them, chortling hysterically. The girl had obviously knocked him down, too, but only because he let her. Chrissy wasn’t finished yet. She jumped on top of them, rolling, kicking at the leaves, having a blast. Katie couldn’t help herself; she laughed and laughed. And it felt so good. So normal and fun.
Reese’s deep chuckles rumbled from his chest. He threw leaves at Chrissy and the child buried her face against his chest.
“Don’t get me! Don’t get me,” she cried. Which meant just the opposite—she wanted him to get her.
Reese obliged, tickling her, then holding her tight. “That’ll teach you to take on your mom and dad.”
Katie jerked. She glanced toward the porch. Mrs. Watkins was laughing, too, showing no sign that she’d overheard Reese’s comment.
Chrissy’s muffled reply was indistinguishable.
Katie turned, her face no more than a hand’s breadth away from Reese. Their gazes locked. She caught his scent, an earthy smell of spicy aftershave, rich loamy soil and sawdust. She felt drawn to him, like the tide to the shore. Her thoughts scattered and she couldn’t think about anything but him. He lifted a hand to squeeze her arm. She felt lost in his smile. Mesmerized as he leaned nearer. And then...
Chrissy popped up between them, breaking the moment. “Hey, I’m hungry. Can we go to Rocklin and get something to eat?”
Katie quickly came to her feet, her face heating up like road flares. This had gotten out of hand. She hadn’t meant to forget herself. She must be more careful.
“Um, sure. I’ll even buy. After we clean up this mess.” Reese stood and rested his hands on his hips. He looked around, assessing the damage.
“Can we, Mom? Please?” the child begged.
What should she say? She’d never seen her daughter this happy and animated. But if they were seen with Reese at the restaurant, people might get the wrong impression. Yet she didn’t want to dispel her daughter’s joy. Chrissy had waited over six years to be with her father. The girl needed this time with him.
“Okay, but after we’ve finished our work,” Katie conceded.
“It’s not too bad,” Reese said. “If we pitch in together, we can get it done quickly.”
They did so, and Chrissy had never worked so hard. An hour later, they had all the dried leaves bagged up and Reese had fertilized and mowed the lawn. He then turned on the sprinklers.
“Oh, thank you,” Mrs. Watkins exclaimed, her gray eyes twinkling. “You’ve done so much for me. But I mostly enjoyed having laughter in my yard again. You make such a cute couple. I hope you’ll come back and visit me often.”
“Chrissy and I will definitely visit you again,” Katie said, but she didn’t want to give the woman the wrong idea. She was not together with Reese. She never would be.
“It was my pleasure to help,” he said.
Katie caught the note of earnestness in his voice. She couldn’t deny that he’d worked hard.
Mrs. Watkins braced her hands on her walker and stood shakily. Reese hurried to assist, patiently helping her hobble over to her front door. The woman paused there, resting a hand on his arm.
“I’m so glad you’ve changed, son. I was worried about you when you were young. But I think Joy would be proud of the man you’ve become,” the woman said.
Joy. Reese’s mother.
“Hey! My middle name is Joy,” Chrissy said, her nose crinkling.
Katie inwardly cringed. She hadn’t yet explained to Chrissy that she’d been named after her father’s mother.
Mrs. Watkins glanced at the little girl, then at Reese. The woman assessed the two and Katie hoped she didn’t notice the similarities. Katie wasn’t ready for everyone in town to know that he was Chrissy’s father.
Reese’s face flushed red and he looked away, as though he were suddenly overcome by emotion. He must be feeling embarrassed, too. “Thanks, ma’am.”
“Come on, Chrissy. We’ve got to go,” Katie called, relieved when the little girl came running.
Katie stepped away with misgivings. Cleaning up an elderly woman’s yard was one single incident. It didn’t necessarily mean that Reese had changed. But she had to admit she was genuinely surprised by this new side she was viewing. She no longer knew what to believe about him.
* * *
Reese opened the door to Rocklin Diner and held it as Katie and Chrissy stepped inside. The bell tinkled gaily as they looked around for a place to sit. Reese’s stomach rumbled. It was late afternoon and the homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade Mrs. Watkins had given him had long ago worn off.
The air smelled of basil, fried chicken and cinnamon. Reese’s mouth watered. He glanced at his daughter and noticed a pair of binoculars hanging around her neck. An odd item for a child her age to be wearing. She must have picked them up in her mom’s car.
“But Papa’s not here with us. What will he eat for dinner?” Chrissy asked her mother.
“I’ll order a meal to take home to him,” Katie said with a smile.
Reese liked that Chrissy was so considerate of other people, and he again thought that Katie had done a good job raising their child.
He hesitated, glancing around the diner to make sure no members of the media were there. He hadn’t seen any reporters for a couple days. He’d had an exceptionally wonderful afternoon and didn’t want anything to spoil it. Helping Mrs. Watkins with all the work she needed done had given him a warm glow that filled his chest. It made him feel good. And laughing with Chrissy and Katie had pulled his life into focus. For a short time, he’d felt as though his future couldn’t get any brighter. That all was right with the world. He felt...happy. And yet it was more than that. A peaceful feeling he couldn’t explain. Like he’d done something good by cleaning up Mrs. Watkins’s yard. Something that really made a difference for someone else.
Several people sat in the booths, but he recognized only two. Harry and Caroline Carter, whose fence Reese and his friends had crashed into years earlier when they were driving home from a party late one night. They’d all been drinking heavily, but he’d been driving the car.
“Hi, Reese.” Harry immediately stood and reached out to clasp his hand. Caroline smiled pleasantly.
&nbs
p; “Hello, sir. Mrs. Carter.” Reese nodded at them both, conscious of Katie standing nearby. He pulled the rim of his baseball cap down to hide his face, hoping no one else noticed him.
“It sure was nice of you to help us out yesterday,” Harry said.
“My pleasure. How is your truck running?” Reese spoke low, trying not to attract attention.
“Like a top. Where did you learn to work on engines?” Harry asked.
Reese felt Chrissy take his hand. The instinct rose up in him to pull away. His own father never held his hand or showed him affection, especially not in public. But Reese didn’t want to treat his child the way his father had treated him. He couldn’t push her away. Conscious of Katie watching him like a protective momma grizzly, he tightened his fingers around Chrissy’s and held on tight enough to let her know he was delighted to have her near.
“I did a lot of engine work on my hotshot crew. Whenever one of our chain saws or trucks broke down, they always brought it to me first. I seem to have a knack for it,” he said.
And that was when something critical dawned on him. When his father wasn’t drinking, he’d worked as a mechanic. In a rush, Reese remembered numerous times throughout his life when he’d overheard his father talking about how to fix a car problem, or he’d looked over his father’s shoulder as he was working on an engine. Reese had grown up knowing how to change the oil, how to change the brake pads and how to flush the coolant out of the radiator. In spite of his dad’s impatience with him, Reese had picked up a lot of information from the man. And for that, he was grateful. Which surprised him. He’d never felt gratitude toward his father. Never felt anything but anger, hurt and disdain. But now he had something to hold on to. Something good about his dad.
“Well, thanks again. You come on over to the house anytime. We’re so proud of how you’ve changed,” Harry said.
“Yes, stop in for dinner next time. I’ll make a chocolate cake for you,” Caroline said.
Reese smiled and nodded, but he couldn’t speak. A lump had formed in his throat. Several people in the restaurant were looking his way. He didn’t want this attention. And suddenly, having dinner with Katie and Chrissy didn’t seem like such a good idea.