by Mona Ingram
“DARNED HOSPITAL!” DANNY glared at the building as they drove by on the highway.
“Danny! That’s not a nice thing to say.” Jenna softened her tone. “A ruptured gall bladder can lead to all sorts of serious complications.”
He glanced at her sideways, his expression one of disbelief. “You’re just saying that.”
Jenna clamped her mouth shut, then thought better of it. She couldn’t allow Danny to think that she’d lied to him.
“Young man.” His head snapped around at her tone. “I have never lied to you, and I never will.”
Danny shrank down in the passenger seat.
“I don’t like what you said just now, but I’m willing to forgive it because I know you’re disappointed. Believe me, your father is probably saving that man’s life right now.”
“Really?” he asked, his interest piqued.
“Yes, really.” Jenna loosened her angry grip on the steering wheel. “My dad had problems with his gall bladder and needed that same operation, so I know what I’m talking about.” She took a deep breath. “Your father is a highly skilled surgeon, Danny. People rely on him, and there are always going to be times when he gets called away. He’d much rather be with you, but it’s his job. He’s been looking forward to this picnic all week.”
“He has?”
Jenna decided to leave it at that. “Yes, he has.” She turned on her signal and slowed. “Looks like we’re here.”
Jenna and Danny checked in at a reception table and were given name badges. The woman looked past them. “Brett didn’t come?”
“He was called in,” said Jenna. “He’ll be here as soon as he can.”
The woman studied Jenna with sly, inquisitive eyes. “And you are?”
Jenna sensed some underlying agenda. “Jenna,” she said, tapping her name badge. “I’m Brett’s housekeeper.”
A flicker of what looked like relief crossed the other woman’s face. “Well then,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Enjoy yourself.”
Jenna turned to find that Danny had already been absorbed into a group of children. She searched for a shady spot close to the water so she could keep an eye on him.
“Hi!” A tall woman approached. “You must be Jenna.”
“How did you...” Jenna looked down at her name badge. “Oh, right.”
“No.” The woman lifted her chin in Danny’s direction. “I recognized Danny, and figured you must be Jenna. Brett told me about you.”
“He did?” Jenna found herself blushing. “He was called in.”
“Isn’t that always the way.” The woman linked her arm through Jenna’s. “I’m Stella, by the way. Brett and I worked together in ER many years ago, and we’ve remained friends.” She motioned to a grouping of chairs down by the water. “You’ll want to sit with us. We always grab that spot under the trees so we can keep an eye on the kids.”
“I was wondering about that.” Jenna looked back over her shoulder at the reception table. “What’s up with her?”
Stella laughed and several of the women looked up. “We call her the bitch.”
“I can understand why,” Jenna muttered under her breath.
Stella gave her a quick squeeze. “Oh, girl. You’re gonna fit right in with us. Her name is Deanna and she works in Admin. She’s been after Brett pretty well since his wife died.”
“Euuw. That’s nasty.”
“I know. That’s what we thought. As far as any of us can tell, he’s not interested in her, but she talks as if they’re together.” She stopped. “Sorry. This must seem awfully gossipy, but I wanted you to know.”
Jenna nodded. “Thanks. Now I’m beginning to understand why she seemed relieved when I told her I’m Brett’s housekeeper.”
“Yes, well there’s a first time for everything.” Stella’s smile held a secret.
“What?”
“Nobody, and I mean nobody has ever brought their housekeeper to the picnic before.” Stella stood back and examined Jenna from her hair to her painted toenails. “This is going to be good.” She grabbed Jenna’s arm again and dragged her to the group of women. “We have lots of cold drinks, so help yourself.”
Jenna settled into her folding chair and was soon made to feel at home. She sat back and listened to the chatter, which seemed to be split between the hospital and their children. “Oh,” said one of the women, jumping up. “Time for the three-legged race. Come on, Jenna. I see Danny getting paired up with one of mine.”
Jenna grabbed her camera and made a quick decision to stand at the finish line. Brenda agreed, and did enough cheering for both of them as their duo stumbled across the line.
“Did you see me, Jenna?” Danny and Brandon had come in second.
“I did,” she said. “You were wonderful.”
“Here, hold my ribbon,” he said, and was off with his new friend.
“You’re crying,” said Brenda on the way back to join the other women.
“Sorry.” Jenna smiled through the tears as she brushed them away. “I’m just happy.”
Brenda slowed. “You have a strange way of showing it.”
Jenna saw nothing but kindness in the other woman’s eyes. “I went through a rough time before I ended up at Brett’s place.” She turned to look for Danny and spotted him at the ring toss. “And now look at me. I get to take care of the most wonderful little boy in the world.” She checked the photos of the three-legged race. “Not bad. I should get one of them at the ring toss as well.”
Brenda stepped back and her fingers flew to her mouth. “I just figured out who you are. You’re a photographer.” Jenna could see her sorting through her memories. “Didn’t I see your work in a gallery down on Front Street one time?”
“I was in a show there, yes.” It seemed like a different lifetime.
“Your stuff was really good. So what happened?”
Jenna appreciated the woman’s direct approach and decided to reciprocate in kind. “I was with a guy who stole everything from me. Bank account, furniture, personal stuff. That was bad, but the worst was losing my cameras.” She waved the small digital camera. “This is all I have left, and it’s nowhere near professional grade.”
“Ouch.” Brenda looked at her with respect. “And now you’re Brett’s housekeeper.”
Jenna gave a little snort. “I’m not much of a housekeeper, but we seem to be getting on okay. Danny and I really hit it off, and that’s his main concern... someone to be with Danny.” A soft smile drifted over her face. “It’s definitely not a hardship.”
“You must be anxious to get back to your photography.”
Jenna hesitated. “It’s something I love doing, but I’ve promised to stay with Danny for the rest of the summer, at least.” Her eyes sought him out. “Although I might regret it later on.”
“Why?”
Jenna shrugged in an attempt to hide the depth of her feelings. “I really like the little kid. I’m going to miss him like crazy.”
“He’s cute alright.” Brenda’s eyes sparkled. “And his father’s not bad, either.”
“Oh... well...” Jenna felt the familiar blush creep up her neck. “I guess so.”
“Speak of the devil, look who just arrived.” Brenda nodded toward the unmanned reception table. Brett stood there, searching the table for his name badge. Dressed in faded jeans and a denim shirt with rolled-up sleeves, he made her breath catch in her throat. He was about to step away from the table when Deanna rushed up and produced his badge.
“Looks like she was holding on to it,” said Brenda through clenched teeth.
Deanna removed the backing and was attempting to stick it on Brett’s shirt, but he backed away and put his hand out for the badge. She managed to look affronted, but he was already scanning the crowd as he slapped the badge on his shirt.
Brenda disappeared and suddenly Jenna was standing alone in the sunshine. Brett spotted her and stepped away from Deanna. His long strides ate up the space between them and then he
was standing in front of her, a silly grin lighting his face.
“Everything went okay?” she asked, searching for signs of stress.
“Yes. He’ll be fine.” He looked around. “Where are you sitting?”
Jenna nodded to the group of women. “Over there with Stella and her friends. I think the men are playing horseshoes or something.”
They turned to find every woman in the group grinning at them.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” said Jenna breathlessly. “I think they’re going to take a break for swimming in a few minutes and Danny wants to show you how well he’s doing.”
He smiled down into her eyes. “Let’s wander over to the ring toss and let him know I’m here. He’s having so much fun he didn’t even notice me.”
“Daddy!” Danny waved but didn’t leave his position. “Did Jenna show you my ribbon?”
“She sure did. Well done.” He shot Jenna a questioning look.
“Second place for the three-legged race,” she murmured. “He ran with Brenda’s son.”
“That was fun.” Danny came up to them a few moments later, defeated but happy. “Nick says he has one of those at home.” He looked up at his father hopefully. “If we had one, we could play it in the back yard after dinner some times.”
“That’s true.” Brett glanced at Jenna. “But we can’t buy everything we see. If we did that, there’d be no room for us.”
Danny tried to hide his smile. “You’re silly,” he announced with a roll of his eyes, then turned to Jenna. “You’ve got my bathing suit, right?”
“If you put it in your backpack, I’ve got it.” Jenna had seen him load up his pack.
“Good. Swimming is next.” Danny tugged at her hand to get her moving, then ran ahead. “I want you and Daddy to watch.”
“Is it like this all the time?” asked Brett. “He’s like a little dynamo.”
“Pretty well,” said Jenna. “But you get used to it. Just think, we’ll have him for the whole weekend next week.”
Brett came out with a fake groan. “What have I done?” But he smiled down at her as they sauntered toward Danny’s backpack.
“DID YOU SEE THAT?” Brenda ran back to the group of women. “The way he looked at her?”
“I know.” Stella watched Brett and Jenna walk toward them. “Feels like high school, but in a good way.” Brett leaned down to say something to Jenna and his lips appeared to brush her hair. “Deanna is having a fit.”
“I just hope she doesn’t try to make trouble. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s Brett.”
Brenda raised an eyebrow. “I talked to Jenna for a couple of minutes and she could use a break, too. Shhh, here they come...”
Chapter Ten
“DADDY?” IT WAS UNUSUAL for Danny to go to bed without being asked, but tonight he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.
“Yes, Son?” Brett pushed back a lock of hair from his forehead.
“I said something bad to Jenna today.”
Brett stilled. He hadn’t noticed any tension between Danny and Jenna. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
Danny pushed down the blanket and sat up in bed. “It was when you had to go to the hospital. Jenna told me it was important, and I said she was just saying that.”
A sharp intake of breath was Brett’s only reaction.
“She got mad at me, and I don’t blame her.”
“What did she say?”
Tears shimmered in Danny’s eyes. “She told me she’d never lie to me, and that your job is important. Her father had that badder thing.”
Brett’s mouth twitched. “Gall bladder.”
“Yeah, that. Anyway, I feel badly about it, even though she told me she forgives me.”
“Do you want me to ask her to come up here?”
“Would you?”
Jenna stepped tentatively into Danny’s room. Brett was standing at the foot of the bed, but she focused her attention on Danny. “You wanted to see me?”
“I’m sorry for what I said.” He glanced toward his father, then back.
Jenna sat down on the edge of the bed and looked into the eyes of the little boy who’d become so important to her. He’d been crying and if she wasn’t careful, she’d cry herself.
“Come here,” she said, opening her arms. Danny crawled across the bed and gave her a fierce hug. “Just remember I’ll never lie to you,” she murmured into his silky hair. “Never.”
“I love you, Jenna.”
“And I love you, Danny. Don’t ever forget that.” Her eyes went to the ribbons already proudly displayed on his bulletin board. “Did you have fun today?”
“Yes.” He nodded his head vigorously.
Jenna smiled. “Your father has something to tell you about your birthday.”
Tears wells up in Danny’s eyes as he looked at his father. “I’ll understand if you have to work.”
Brett came around to stand behind Jenna. “No, that’s not it. I’m taking the weekend off, and Jenna and I are taking you to Parksville for the Kite Festival. We’re going to stay right on the beach.”
“Really?” Danny’s face was incandescent. He jumped up and flung himself into his father’s arms. “That will be so cool.”
Brett looked at Jenna. “We think so. Now get under the covers. You’ve had a long day.”
“Okay. Good night, Daddy.”
“Good night, Danny.”
“Goodnight, Jenna.”
“Good night, sweet boy.”
Danny snuggled down and immediately fell asleep.
“I had to make a decision right away on how to handle it,” said Jenna as they walked down the stairs.
“I think you handled it just right.” Brett opened the kitchen cupboards, looking for the teapot. “There’s a big difference between being spoiled with toys and learning to be respectful.”
Jenna filled the kettle and set it on the stove. “That’s what I think, too, but I didn’t realize it was bothering him.”
Brett got out teabags and set them beside the teapot. Mugs followed. “It didn’t do him any harm to be scolded, and I’m fairly sure he won’t forget the lesson.”
Within minutes, they were sitting on the patio, tea mugs in hand. A candle burned in a filigreed holder, sending irregular shadows flickering across their faces.
“This is getting to be a habit,” she said, smiling into her mug.
“A nice habit.” He looked over at her. “Did you enjoy yourself today?”
Her reply was immediate. “Yes, I did. I wasn’t sure how to proceed at first, but Stella included me in their group and they made me feel welcome.”
“She’s good people. We’ve known each other for years.”
“So she said.” Jenna hesitated. “Is there much socializing involved with your job? Hospital functions and the like?”
He stared at the flickering light, but she could tell he didn’t see it. “Just one more this summer that I know of. It’s our annual fundraising event.” He took a swallow of tea. “Reminds me, I should get out my tux and make sure it’s clean.”
“Tuxedo? Sounds impressive.”
He grinned. “Not really. They like the surgical staff to be there to mix with the donors. A good strategy, I suppose, but it makes me feel like I’m on display.”
“When is that?”
“The week after Danny’s birthday.”
Jenna made a mental note. “I’ll remind you about your tux when we get back from Parksville.”
“Speaking of reminders. I spoke to Scotty today, and he’s bringing the keys and directions to his place tomorrow. He says it has a fully furnished kitchen, but I told him we’d probably eat out most of the time, or get stuff brought in. After all, this is supposed to be a holiday.”
Jenna turned to him so she could judge his reaction. “Do you mind if I make Danny’s birthday cake?”
He reached out and touched her hand briefly. It was a gentle, instinctive gesture, but she was glad she was sitting dow
n. “Danny would love that, but please don’t feel you have to.”
“No, I want to. I was looking at cake recipes in one of the cook books and came across one for spice cake with whipped banana filling between the layers. Danny came in and we agreed that it sounded delicious. I thought I might try it while we’re at Parksville. You two can have some ‘guy’ time while I make it.” She tapped a finger against her mug. “I mustn’t forget to put candles on my list.” She glanced over at him. “Are we going to get him any gifts?”
He grinned. “I like the way you say ‘we’.”
“I’m sorry...”
“No, I like it.” He drank the remainder of his tea and stared into the empty mug. “I haven’t given it much thought, but I don’t think we should get him too much. It’s tempting to spoil him, especially in light of that fact that I’ve been mostly absent for the past couple of years, but if I’m going to spoil him I’d rather do it by spending time with him than by buying him gifts.” He looked up. “Does that make sense?”
“It makes perfect sense.” Jenna thought for a moment. “But we have to have some sort of gifts. How about a new computer game and that ring toss thing? You could play out in the back yard with him, like he said.”
“Can you round those up?”
“Of course. I’ll buy them tomorrow while he’s at his swimming class and wrap them tomorrow night after he goes to bed. We leave the next day.”
“I know.” He gave his head a small shake. “Eight years old. Where has the time gone?”
Chapter Eleven
THE LUXURIOUS BEACH home was set about fifty feet back from a jumbled row of logs tossed there by the high tide. On a slight rise, the home commanded a breathtaking view of the sparkling waters of the Strait of Georgia, with the Coast Mountains of the mainland rising in the distance.
“I checked the tide tables,” said Jenna, standing on the weathered wooden deck. “It was low tide about an hour ago.” The amount of exposed beach in this area could be half a mile or more.
“Can I, Daddy?” Danny had run down through the wild sea grass and was now back on the deck, eagerly removing his sand-filled shoes.