A Father's Promise

by Mindy Obenhaus

  Wes believes he doesn’t deserve a family.

  For now, he seemed to have forgotten that. But what would happen when he remembered the lie that haunted him for much of his life? And how would the fallout impact Sarah-Jane?

  * * *

  Wes stood atop a new, much more stable ladder in Irma’s family room Friday morning, peering into the gaping hole overhead and evaluating the joists—partial joists, in some cases—that remained. Anything that wasn’t sound, he cut away, leaving the rest to be treated.

  Reciprocating saw in hand, he trimmed another section, his mind drifting back to last night. Who knew babies could be so therapeutic? Certainly not him. Of course, he’d never really been around babies before. Yet having a chance to spend time with Sarah-Jane had been exactly what he needed to vanquish the stress of the past couple days. And he was surprised by the feelings she stirred inside him. They were unlike anything he’d ever felt before. She was his own flesh and blood—a hefty concept that sparked all sorts of unfamiliar instincts.

  Even Laurel had seemed to enjoy herself, at least for a short time, reminding him of the woman who’d lived in his mind for the past two years and making him wonder what might have happened had he known about Sarah-Jane from the beginning. Would he have tried to explore a relationship with Laurel? With them living in two different states, it wouldn’t have been easy. Not to mention his vow to never have a family. His bad choices had killed his parents and changed Laurel’s life forever. He couldn’t risk hurting someone again.

  Still, there was no way he would have turned his back on his own child.

  He wanted to be a part of her life. How would he do that, though, when he’d be living on the other side of the world for the next year? And what about when he came back? To be a real father, he’d need to live close enough to see Sarah-Jane every day. Could he make a home in Bliss? And how would Laurel feel about that?

  He couldn’t worry about that now. He needed to get things squared away here before he headed back to Rae’s to help her with some painting. With both of them pitching in, they might be able to get the bulk of it done tonight. And while it would mean time away from Sarah-Jane, at least it would free him up for the weekend. With Irma’s home still in the drying process, he was hoping to do something fun with Laurel and Sarah-Jane.

  “Wes?”

  He barely heard his name over the roar of the blowers that had been running around the clock since Wednesday.

  “Family room,” he hollered before making his way down the ladder.

  “Hey.” Though Laurel smiled as she entered the empty space, there was a hesitance about her. Moving beside him, she said, “I need to talk to you about something.”

  Nodding, he held up a finger to indicate he needed a moment. After setting the saw on the tarp he’d laid down to catch the rotted wood and protect the floor, he turned off the air movers in the family room and hall. Since he’d already turned off the upstairs units to keep wood from flying everywhere, things were almost silent, except for the distant sound of the two in the bedroom down the hall.

  “You were saying?”

  “I’ve been thinking, as long as we’re having to do all this work—” she motioned around the room “—what if we also refreshed things a little bit?”

  Having worked with several hard-to-please homeowners since leaving the military, he couldn’t help wondering just how little a little bit meant. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Mostly cosmetic stuff. Maybe repaint this space and her bedroom, since those two rooms are where she spends most of her time.”

  “That’s easy enough.”

  “Oh, and Irma said for you to go ahead and deep-six the carpeting in her bedroom. Apparently her late husband picked it out and had it installed to surprise her.” Laurel giggled, and he couldn’t help thinking how cute she sounded. “She said she was surprised, all right, but not in a good way. However, she didn’t have the heart to tell him, so she’s lived with ‘ugly brown’—” she did air quotes with her fingers “—ever since.”

  “How long were they married?”

  “Fifty years.”

  “After all that time, you’d think he’d have had enough sense to consult with her first.”

  “You would think.” She motioned for him to follow her before starting down the hall.

  He did so, detouring into the bedroom to kill the blowers in there before joining her in the parlor. For the umpteenth time, he eyed the stacks of boxes that covered a third of the space. “I can’t believe all of this came out of her bedroom.” His gaze drifted to Laurel. “This could border on hoarding, you know.”

  “Hardly.” She flipped open one and pulled out a stack of photos. “These are memories, Wes.” She waved them as if to emphasize her point. “High school yearbooks, baby books, baby clothes... I even found Irma’s wedding dress.” She pointed to a stack of boxes nearest to her. “Every one of these is filled with photographs. Her parents, her kids, wedding photos. And to Irma’s credit, every single picture is labeled.” Laurel shook her head. “I sure wish Grandmama had done that. I can’t tell you how many pictures I tossed because I had no clue who the people were.”

  “But what good is all this stuff if it just lives in a box?”

  “Exactly! That’s why I’ve been doing so much digging. I thought that, maybe, when we put things back together, some of these things could be displayed.”

  “Even the wedding dress?”

  “Maybe, if I could get my hands on a dress form.” She touched a finger to her lips. “Hmm, I wonder if Drenda might have one of those at her shop?”

  “You know I was kidding, right?”

  “Yes, but it’s still a great idea.”

  Leaning against the bookshelf that had been moved from the family room, he couldn’t help admiring her enthusiasm. “Do you take many pictures?”

  “Ha! You have no idea. My phone alone is an album of Sarah-Jane’s entire life.”

  He straightened then. “Can I see them?”

  She looked up from a box, blinking. “I guess you would be curious about that, wouldn’t you?”

  “I may not have been here to experience her first fourteen months—” he moved closer “—but I could live vicariously.”

  “All right. Then I guess we should start from the beginning.” She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her shorts, and a few finger taps later, he was looking at a black-and-white image of a bean. “This was the very first time I saw her. It was taken at my first OB appointment.” She pointed to the bean. “That’s Sarah-Jane right there.”

  Her enthusiasm was contagious. Yet as he watched this strong, independent woman, he couldn’t help realizing how difficult that moment must have been. She was pregnant by someone who not only wasn’t in the picture but was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger. “Were you scared?”

  “Yes. But thinking of that little life growing inside me made me unbelievably happy.”

  “I wish I could have been there to share it with you. To help you.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “We can’t change the past, Wes.”

  He was probably more aware of that than she knew. Still—“No, but the future is up for grabs. And I’d like to be a part of Sarah-Jane’s future. I want to teach her how to ride a bike and be the one who puts the bandage on her knee when she falls off.”

  “Wait, you’re planning to let our daughter fall?”

  He grinned. “I want to be there to see her off on her first date. Of course, that won’t happen until she’s at least thirty-one.” He laughed. “And to see her graduate from high school, college... I want to walk her down the aisle when she gets married.”

  Laurel held up a hand, cutting him off. “Okay, stop. I am so not ready to think that far ahead. She’s not even walking yet.”

  “Well, maybe she’ll do that while I’m here. And it can be the f
irst of many firsts.”

  As she watched him, there was an uncertainty in her eyes. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Chapter Seven

  He wanted to give Sarah-Jane away at her wedding?

  Almost twenty-four hours later, Laurel still couldn’t believe Wes had actually said that. Not only was she nowhere near ready to think about Sarah-Jane getting married, but who was to say Wes would even be around then? Sure, it might sound nice now, but he was about to leave for a year. A lot could change in twelve months. He might decide he didn’t want to come back to Bliss. That he didn’t want to be a father.

  But what if he does?

  She didn’t want to think about that, either. She and Sarah-Jane had plans this morning, and they didn’t include Wes. For all she knew, he was still busy painting at Rae’s. Yesterday, that had afforded Laurel her first night without him since he learned about Sarah-Jane four days ago. And while she appreciated his commitment, no matter how short-lived it could potentially be, she also liked having a relaxing evening to herself. Because, let’s face it, having someone who could impact the life of your child around was stressful. And she’d had more than enough stress for one week.

  With the midmorning sun filtering through the oak tree in her front yard, she blew out a frustrated breath and settled Sarah-Jane into her stroller. “Want to go to the farmers market? Maybe they’ll still have some dewberries so Mommy can make another cobbler.”

  Not that she needed another cobbler, especially since she’d just polished off the last of Irma’s chocolate cake. But Grandmama’s dewberry cobbler was her favorite and brought back such fond memories.

  Stooping to fasten the straps around Sarah-Jane, Laurel pondered the woman who’d been the one constant throughout her life. Actually, Laurel had her to thank for ending up in Bliss. Having inherited her grandmother’s house in Dallas and a decent life insurance policy, Laurel had finally been able to leave her corporate job and branch out on her own. Then she’d found out she was pregnant. And while Dallas was a nice place to live, Laurel wanted a different kind of life for her child. A simpler life.

  She straightened, admiring her sweet slate blue house with the inviting front porch. Thanks to her grandmother, she’d found that life in Bliss. Though with the appearance of Wes, things had definitely gotten more complicated.

  Shoving the thought aside, she started along the sidewalk, savoring the blissful weather this last Saturday of April had brought. Neither she nor Sarah-Jane needed a jacket. The sun was bright, the temperature not too hot and not too cold, which made their journey to the courthouse square beyond pleasurable. If only every day could be like this. Of course, then she’d never get any work done, because it would be sheer torture to stay cooped up inside.

  Ten minutes later, they arrived at the square where people were selling farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, plants, produce and, yes, dewberries. Well aware that the season was coming to an end, Laurel decided to buy an extra bag to freeze. That way, she could enjoy her favorite cobbler later in the year.

  “How much do I owe you?” In the shade of a magnificent old live oak that dripped with Spanish moss and swayed with the gentle breeze, Laurel eyed the blonde on the other side of the table.

  “I’ve got it.”

  She turned as Wes passed a twenty to the lady.

  “I love blackberries,” he said.

  “Those aren’t blackberries,” Laurel informed him. “They’re dewberries. And I can pay for them myself.” She stretched a hand with her own twenty toward the woman, nudging Wes’s out of the way.

  Though he withdrew his money, he didn’t look happy about it. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of dewberries before.”

  “Probably because you’re not from Texas. They grow wild.” She held the bag open. “Go ahead. Try one.” Watching as he grabbed one, she tried not to laugh. Dewberries might look like blackberries, but they were quite tart.

  He popped a couple in his mouth and promptly puckered. “Ooh, those are sour.”

  “Just a little. But they make a great cobbler.”

  “Wait, you cook?”

  “On occasion.” She closed the bag. “Depends on the motivation.”

  “And you’re motivated by cobbler?”

  “Dewberry cobbler, yes. Don’t worry, it has plenty of sugar.”

  Laurel accepted her change while Wes crouched beside the stroller.

  “I missed seeing you yesterday, sweetheart.”

  A smiling Sarah-Jane offered him a bite of her graham cracker, which he pretended to nibble.

  “It’s a beautiful day.” Standing, he faced Laurel again. “What do you say we all go do something?”

  And give her another opportunity to get a glimpse of how wonderful he could be. The way she had the other night at dinner, when she’d carelessly let her guard down. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Something Sarah-Jane would enjoy.”

  She’d already been contemplating taking Sarah-Jane to Founder’s Knoll. Not only did it have a beautiful view overlooking the river, between the nature trails and the playground, there was plenty to keep Sarah-Jane entertained. Except, when the thought had popped into Laurel’s head, Wes hadn’t been part of the equation. But now that he was here and being rather insistent, she supposed an extra set of eyes would be beneficial.

  Depositing the berries and her wallet in the basket beneath the stroller, she said, “I have an idea. It’s not far, but we’ll need to drive.”

  “My truck is right there.” He pointed toward the café on the other side of the street.

  “You don’t have a car seat, though. Besides, I’ll need to grab the diaper bag and some snacks for Sarah-Jane.”

  Wes accompanied them back to their place, and a little more than an hour later, they were strolling along a wide dirt trail bordered with lush green foliage.

  “This is amazing.” Wes gazed at the expansive oak canopy.

  Hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans, Laurel breathed in the fresh air, hoping for a calm she hadn’t had since Wes showed up at the square. “Founder’s Knoll is one of Bliss’s most overlooked treasures.”

  “I guess that’s both good and bad.” He turned his attention to Laurel. “Good for us because it’s not crowded, but bad for those who’ve missed out on something so beautiful.”

  “This is nice, but wait until we reach the top.”

  “Well, that’s intrig—” His eyes suddenly lit up, and he knelt to the ground. He looked as though he was picking up something.

  So long as it wasn’t a snake.

  “Look, Sarah-Jane.” Moving in front of the stroller, he lowered his hand. “It’s a little lizard.” He held the tiny creature between his finger and thumb as Sarah-Jane looked on in wonder.

  Laurel pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a picture. “What do you think about that, baby?”

  Her daughter reached out a finger to touch it, grinning when it flicked its tail.

  “Be gentle.” Wes’s voice was tender, and Laurel was impressed that her daughter actually seemed to understand, slowing her movements.

  “That’s right.” Wes smiled as she carefully touched the creature. “Okay, we have to let him go now.” He set it on the ground, and Sarah-Jane leaned over to watch the lizard scurry off into the ground cover.

  As they continued on, Wes turned his attention to Laurel. “Does having me around bother you? I mean, things were so easy between us in Vegas. Now you seem...tense.”

  Last week at this time she’d been just fine, but now... “I’m the same person I’ve always been, but I’m a mother now, and I have to protect Sarah-Jane.”

  “You think I pose a threat to her?”

  Laurel’s steps slowed as they came to the open area atop the bluff that overlooked the river and the rolling hills that surrounded Bliss. She might not like conflict, bu
t all of this tiptoeing around, torn between wanting Sarah-Jane to know her father and fearing he’d eventually reject her the way Laurel’s father had done with her, was eating her up. She needed to just get everything out in the open.

  “Well, you are leaving soon.”

  He squinted against the sun. “But I’ll be back.”

  “Will you?” She continued toward a picnic table situated beneath a tree and forced herself to look at him. “A lot could change in a year, Wes.”

  “I can’t believe this. You act as though I don’t want to be with her.”

  Laurel opened her mouth to argue, but he continued.

  “Have you ever stopped to think that, maybe, you’re not the only one who’s worried? I mean, here I am, suddenly in her life, yet in two weeks, I’ll be gone. How is that going to impact her? And what about when I come back? Will she even remember me? Will she wonder where I’ve been and if I’m going to leave again?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t want to mess with her or have her grow up thinking her father doesn’t want to be with her—because I do. More than anything. And if I wasn’t already committed to going to Iraq, I wouldn’t leave at all. Unfortunately, I am committed. So, tell me what I should do, Laurel, because I don’t want to do something that’s going to hurt my daughter in the long run.”

  Laurel just stood there, blinking up at him. He really had looked at the big picture. And not just the good parts, like walking Sarah-Jane down the aisle. He’d actually considered the effects of his actions.

  She swallowed hard, her heart twisting. How was it possible to go from feeling skeptical to being completely enamored with someone in the span of thirty seconds?

  Easy. Wes loves his daughter.

  And that had melted her heart faster than butter in the Texas summer sun.

  Reluctant to allow her mind to go down that path, she drew in a deep breath and willed her pulse back to a normal rate. “You know, technology is a wonderful thing. Even though you’ll be half a world away, you and Sarah-Jane will still be able to see each other via video calls. I assume you’ll have internet.”