Читать книгу Forever A Father - Lynne Marshall - Страница 10

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Chapter Two

Thursday midmorning, Keela was escorting her last patient before lunch to the reception room at the exact moment Daniel came bolting through the door, his smile broad enough to take flight. She glanced at his feet to make sure they weren’t levitating.

He made eye contact and shot his fist in the air. “I did it!” he said through gritted teeth. “They hired me. Our clinic, I should say. Beginning next month, you’ll have to give group physical therapy sessions, since we’re going to be so busy with the City College jocks.”

Keela clapped her hands. “That’s fantastic!”

“I know! Let’s celebrate. Abby, Keela, what do you say? Lunch at The Chinese Dragon, my treat.”

An hour later, having overindulged on the delicious array of dishes Daniel had ordered, Keela finished her green tea and read her fortune cookie. She thought about her patient Joan Haverhill and the quick lesson she’d given on how to read them. “A smile is your passport into the hearts of others...” In bed, she added, then laughed inwardly, but it must have carried to her eyes.

“What?” Daniel said, nursing the last of his beer.

She crinkled her nose and shook her head. “Nothing.” Think fast and change the subject. “Isn’t it exciting that your pitch landed the deal?”

“I’m still in shock.” He finished the celebratory longneck beer, looking a little absentminded. Obviously the guy wasn’t used to drinking at lunch. He broke open his fortune cookie after paying the bill. “Well, would you look at this—‘A dream you have will come true.’ Who says fortune cookies are just a bunch of fluff?”

For a moment Keela gazed at Daniel, who didn’t look away. She got the distinct impression he was seeing her differently, maybe for the first time? Neither blinked during the staring contest, until her heart thumped a quick run when an unwanted thought about his fortune slipped into her mind. In bed. Blink!

Abby opened her cookie, then grimaced.

Grateful for a reason to pull away from Daniel’s deep green and enchanting eyes, Keela watched the fortysomething Abby—with her carefully quaffed and weaved blond hair and meticulously made-up eyes—read her fortune.

“‘Land is always on the mind of a flying bird’? What does that even mean?”

They shared a group laugh, bellies full and spirits flying high, with a little something extra revving up on Keela’s side of the table. Then they all got up as Daniel left an impressive tip for the waitstaff, and headed back to the clinic for the afternoon appointments.

* * *

An hour later, Daniel Delaney sat at his desk and pretended he hadn’t noticed a single one of Keela O’Mara’s attributes. Huge blue eyes? Nah, not his thing. Light brown, shoulder-length hair with gold spun through it? Nope. Never even registered. And that smile, where the sweetest and cheeriest disposition shone bright? Well, he did appreciate that—attributed it to her Irishness—but only because it made working with her as easy as the afternoon breeze off Sandpiper Beach. He laughed gently. Who said he couldn’t be poetic? Besides, he’d need her dependability, since the quiet little clinic was about to get busy. Hallelujah.

He caught himself staring, elbow on his desk, leaning into his fist, practically drooling while daydreaming about Keela and the future of his clinic, then sat straight. Good thing he’d had a beer at lunch and could blame the shift in attitude toward Keela on that. The last thing he needed was to let his thoughts get out of control. The clinic was all that mattered.

Remember Kathryn, how she left you. If that didn’t sober him up, nothing could. Relationships were a sticky process, and he wasn’t the only one with a gut-wrenching history.

He totally understood that by their age, his being thirty-three and Keela’s thirty, everyone, unless they were monks, seemed to have relationship track records, and those histories usually weren’t good. Keela had taken back her maiden name, O’Mara, and her experience slanted toward disaster. As in love, marriage, betrayal and divorce. Yeah, he’d heard most of the story, because the walls were thin in his clinic and Keela was friendly with her clients, many of whom were women. If they dared to ask if she was married, she’d spout her well-rehearsed ten-second reply. Met a man online, traveled all the way to America to meet ’im, fell in love, got married and had a kid all within a year. Now I’m happily divorced, thanks for asking.

Or “tanks for askin’” as it sounded coming from those sweet lips. Nope, nope, nope, not supposed to notice those, either.

But that was the truth Daniel had to live with: a fellow American—thanks a lot, buddy—had soured the lovely Ms. O’Mara’s view on men in general, and most especially American men, of which he was a card-carrying member. Never again! She’d often said that after getting off the phone chasing down yet another late child-support payment. The guy seemed like a total jerk and Daniel wondered what she’d ever seen in him.

He could totally relate to the never again part, thanks to Kathryn before she’d walked away...and he’d begged her to stay, to work things out. In fact, he and Keela could bond on their failed relationships. But he’d never dare discuss what had happened in his personal life with an employee. Only his family knew the whole story.

Ah, geez, all this thinking and overthinking had begun to make the room spin. Why had he had that beer with lunch? To celebrate, that was why, and he deserved it. He clicked on a patient file on his computer for distraction but had to wait while it loaded.

Was he looking? For another relationship? It had been almost two years since Emma had died and Kathryn had left. He dug his fingertips into his hair and gave a quick massage to ease the sudden tension sprouting at his temples and traveling upward, hoping it would help shake him out of this line of thinking. Instead of that happening, his personal stats popped up—thirty-three, still living at the family hotel, rooming with his brothers, Mark and Conor, in a detached three-bedroom suite to save money—but costing his parents good cash, since they couldn’t rent it out. Not exactly a prize, was he? He rationalized he’d be there only until his business was out of the infancy stage. Who knew how hard it would be to take a private practice and make it work? But he’d made great progress today. Soon his bookkeeping would go from red to black and he’d be able to move out of the hotel.

The patient file didn’t have the specific information he was looking for, so he clicked on the medical history.

And while he scrolled through the abundant reports, he went back to thinking about women in general, to get his mind off Keela. He’d had many girlfriends, but he’d never been in a relationship that lasted more than two months. Until Kathryn. Even though being with her had struck the wrath of the universe on him. Kathryn had grabbed his attention the first time they’d met. The more he got to know her, the sexier she got, and they’d fallen into bed early on. She liked that he was a doctor, and he liked that she was not only a successful businesswoman, but personally independent. As it turned out, to a fault. An independent woman who wanted nothing to do with getting married, even after she’d accidentally gotten pregnant. Getting involved with a levelheaded woman might still be an aspiration one day, but only after he figured out the past. He’d loved Kathryn far more than she’d loved him. Turns out, after a man had his heart removed with surgical precision, it took a long time to grow one back.

He closed out the file, started searching through a pile of reports on his desk. A committed relationship would mean trying to live up to his parents’, who seemed to have the ideal. His grandfather spoke about his Mary as if she’d been a saint. Daniel remembered his grandmother as being sweet and kind, and Grandda was definitely prone to exaggeration, but a saint? Still, the old man’s face lit up with love anytime he mentioned her name.

Daniel had thought he’d found that kind of love with Kathryn, but he’d been astoundingly mistaken. He’d asked her to marry him within the first six months, long before she’d gotten pregnant, but she said she wasn’t ready. He’d sensed her hesitation when it came to commitment, but like a fool, he thought they only needed more time together, as though two years wasn’t long enough to make up her mind. After losing Emma, she’d withdrawn and pulled away. Weren’t they supposed to cling together at a time like that? He’d done his best to support her, to reach out to her, even got her bereavement treatment. Her therapist said she needed time. Daniel gave it to her, but she didn’t improve. She kept to herself and pushed him further and further away. Finally, she’d opened up and told him how she needed to be alone to heal, so even while drowning in his own pain and grief, needing her more than ever, he let her leave. Because that was what you did when you loved someone. He was hardly surviving, and in such pain over the loss of their baby he could barely work, yet he put her needs and wishes first. Alone, the pain so astounding he didn’t think he could go on, he tried.

He’d always expected her to come back. He clung to the thought. But she never did. Then one day she’d sent for her things and delivered a cold and calculated goodbye letter. Last he’d heard, a year ago, she was in a relationship with someone new, and he wished her the best, he honestly did.

But Daniel was still stuck in limbo.

He no longer fooled himself about ever being able to find his parents’ and grandparents’ kind of love. He should’ve seen the signs early on, when Kathryn kept putting on the brakes whenever he pushed to get married. She wasn’t into him in the same way, and he couldn’t see it then. The memory sent a sharp pain through him. How had he not seen it? Because falling in love had blinded him.

After the shock and gut-wrenching trauma of losing what he’d held dearest, a family, he was nowhere near ready to look for a relationship again. He couldn’t trust his instincts.

Man, he was frustrated—why couldn’t he find that report? He shuffled a pile of papers around.

Keela popped into his thoughts again, her smile, her cheerful outlook.

And why was he still thinking about Keela? He should’ve noticed and heeded the not-so-subtle omen when his grandfather, after first hearing about his new employee, had said, “Did you know that the name Keela in Irish means ‘beauty that only poetry can capture’?” Where did Gramps get that stuff?

Daniel glanced across his desk at another mound of papers, plus a patient appointment list that promised to keep him working until 8:00 p.m. These days the only commitment he could handle was his medical practice, a full-time job and relationship rolled into one, and it was all he could manage. There simply wasn’t room for anything else. So here he was, working like a lunatic to get his business off the ground, with a PT assistant who’d started to lure his mind off the goal. He frowned and stared at his desk. Maybe that was why he was always gruffer with her than he intended. Self-preservation? You bet.

He sighed. Today had made everything different. He’d landed the City College account. He couldn’t afford to take his eye off the prize. He shivered. What if he lost everything...again? He couldn’t bear to think of the consequences. A kernel of apprehension over the future of his clinic quickly grew to full-out anxiety, which prompted him to call out. “Keela!”

She arrived in his office, sat, brows lifted, eyes sparkling like they had all through lunch. So alluring, so off-limits. Guilt filtered through him. Nip the attraction in the bud, and file it under the heading of survival. He swallowed and forged ahead, but not before noticing her delicate fingers lacing and unlacing in her lap. He’d made her nervous and he hadn’t said a word. Already feeling like a heel, he so hated what he was about to do.

“So here’s the deal,” he said in a firm tone, skipping any niceties. “We’re going to be challenged like never before with the City College athletes. I’ll be spending time away from the clinic to attend their practices and games, and more responsibility will fall on your shoulders. So my question is, are you up for that?”

She sat on the edge of the chair in his office and nodded, her smile gone, a serious stare replacing the earlier glow. The power he wielded over her as her boss pinched behind his sternum, but he couldn’t back down.

“I can’t settle for excuses about back East weather holding up our supplies. It’s unprofessional and can’t happen again.”

“I’ll do my best to keep us stocked. If you give me the okay, I’ll order far in advance or set up a standing order. It’s just we’ve been counting pennies until now.” Her fingers kept lacing and unlacing.

“Not anymore.” This was his lifeline. The clinic had saved him after losing baby Emma, and when Kathryn no longer needed or wanted him. He shuddered when he considered what he might have done without the support of his family and this business venture to pull him through. This 4Cs deal gave him the chance to morph from struggling and heartbroken to successful businessman. His personal life might still be in shambles, but dammit, this clinic would shine because he was in control of this one thing. Work.

“From now on we have to work like a fine-tuned engine. Every minute will be put to good use. Last-minute childcare issues will be your issue, not mine. That can’t happen again. Got it?” Because he might not survive spending another afternoon with her daughter and the heart-wrenching feelings it had brought up of Emma, innocent and helpless, and beyond his control to save.

How could he expect Keela to never have childcare issues or for the vendors to never screw up? She sat quietly, and he felt like an ogre reading her mind, but he continued full-on. “Can you deliver? Because your job depends on it.” There, he’d said it—given her an ultimatum, his employee of the month, and he’d just entered the running for despicable boss of the year.

She looked stunned, anxious, chewing her lower lip as what he’d just said registered. “Yes. Of course.” Insecurity had slipped into her voice.

“Good.” She needed her job; what else could he expect her to say? Bastard.

He forced himself to look at her again. Seeing her squirm over the possibility of losing her job made him queasy, the mistrust he’d just planted in her usual open and honest gaze made him want to kick himself, but he ground his molars and kept quiet. She rose, serious and quiet.

He swallowed with difficulty. Great going. He’d just successfully ripped the shine off their luncheon and put fear and dread into the best employee he’d ever hired.

Once she’d left, he followed her out of his office, on his way to the reception desk in hopes of finding a fresh pot of coffee. Hating how he felt, he swore to never have a beer at lunch again, no matter how much he had to celebrate. What a mess.

That evening, when Keela left for home, she didn’t stop at his door to say good-night like she usually did. He’d been a complete ass, so what did he expect—Mother Theresa?

She didn’t deserve to take the heat for her ex-husband hanging her up at the last minute, but Daniel had heaped it on her anyway. Wasn’t the mark of a good boss compassion, and shouldn’t a skilled businessman be able to find a balance between laying down the rules and reading a riot act? Sitting behind his desk, he dropped his head into his hands.

Spending an afternoon with Anna the other day had nearly been his undoing, seeing what he’d never have, grieving over a frilly tutu. Wishing life could be different. Then today, he and Keela had looked at each other in a special way during lunch. Beer or no beer, he’d felt that zing down to his toes. And for an instant he’d wondered if life could be different. The mere thought of opening up to a woman again had scared the egg rolls out of him, yet he’d considered it for that single moment. Just now he’d overcompensated for both instances by hiding behind the tough-boss act.

And it sure as hell didn’t feel right.

* * *

Friday morning Daniel appeared at Keela’s office door. She’d come in a few minutes early to make sure she was up to date with all her supply orders, and also to mentally prepare for her appointments lined up for the day. He looked...regretful maybe, or was that what she’d wanted to see because he’d been tough on her yesterday? “Hi,” she said.

“Hi.” He stepped inside. “Okay if I sit?”

“Of course.” She stopped what she was doing to give him her full attention.

“I need to apologize for being a jerk. I was being unreasonable and I came down too hard on you yesterday evening.”

“You were right, though. I wasn’t assertive enough regarding the supplies. That company isn’t the only one and I should have made some waves. And I should always have a backup plan where Ron is concerned. It was just that Mrs. Jenkins had that hair appointment.” There she went, overexplaining out of insecurity. “I won’t let that happen again. Promise.” She said everything the way she’d practiced on her drive in that morning, fearing her job was at stake if she didn’t.

“I thought I was supposed to be apologizing to you.” He stared at her for a second while considering her carefully prepared explanation. “I won’t let it happen again, either. Promise.” Then he stood, turned and left.

After she’d married Ron and Anna had been born, Keela had tried hard to please him. She’d done it because she could tell his attitude toward her had changed. He’d had to marry her out of obligation, and though he’d never said it aloud, he’d always sent the subtle message: he was doing her a huge favor.

Just now, with Daniel, she’d fallen into an old and bad habit of bending over backward to please. But Ron had always managed to find fault somewhere, somehow, no matter how hard she’d tried. She was never good enough—like having a daughter instead of a son. Once she’d made a mistake, he’d never let her off the hook. Eventually, she gave up even trying to please him, feeling such a failure, and he’d used that as an excuse to seek a relationship with someone else. Like it was her fault! Once a self-assured young woman, Keela had become unconfident, always doubting and second-guessing herself.

Now, under Daniel’s scrutiny, she’d reverted to old habits. Maybe because all men were the same? But Daniel had apologized, then listened to her explanation and apologized again. In that regard, he was nothing like her ex.

* * *

Daniel finished his intake assessment of the quarterback of the 4Cs football team and arrived in his office to find the telephone light blinking.

“Your mom’s on the phone!” Abby called from the reception desk, making him wonder how long she’d been on hold.

He’d been keeping busy all morning to avoid his thoughts about how he’d come off as a boss, how he’d intentionally intimidated Keela and how lousy he felt about it, and he knew any conversation with his mother would draw him back into the realm of the thinking and feeling. He considered asking Abby to tell her he was busy, but caught himself. Mom always knew when he was avoiding her.

“Hey, Mom, what’s up?” He opted to sound rushed and on the run.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I’ve had a brainstorm and just wanted to run something by you.”

“Okay.”

“Dad and I have been discussing how to draw more visitors to the hotel this season, and I got the bright idea to add more amenities. You know, like massages and facials. My hairstylist has a part-time esthetician who would be willing to do some moonlighting, but I’m at a loss for where to find a massage therapist. You’re kind of in that biz, right? Any thoughts?”

He pulled in his chin. He wasn’t exactly in that biz. He didn’t run a spa, but he did happen to know a former massage therapist turned PT tech. “Keela.” For all the times she had to chase down her ex for child support, he figured she could use some extra money.

“Keela?”

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. This would give him a reason to talk to her again, and to hopefully mend the damage he’d caused yesterday afternoon. He hated how things felt in the clinic today, all strained and quiet. Even though he’d apologized, he suspected that wasn’t nearly enough.

“Yeah, Keela. Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t I bring her to Grandda’s birthday party on Sunday and you can talk to her about it then. What do you say?”

“Sounds good to me. She has a daughter, right? Tell her to bring her, too.”

“Sure thing.” Daniel hung up feeling more positive than he had all day. Problem solved?

* * *

When Keela passed Daniel in the hallway, he gave a reassuring smile, the first she’d seen from him all day. Though it did seem forced, it was better than the grim face he’d been wearing. He didn’t look like a man who wanted to fire her on the spot, which helped her breathe a bit easier. By her second-to-last appointment that day, there he was hanging out in her office doorway again. What was up?

He appeared uncomfortable, as if he might have to tell her some bad news. More bad news? A sudden chill traveled up her spine. Insecurity made her wonder, what if he was going to fire her? She was still in the probationary period, and he had the right to call the shots on her future. Now the chill turned to a cold hard lump in her stomach. What would she do if he did?

“Are you available on Sunday?”

Wait, what? “Sunday?” Did he expect her to work weekends now, too? She would if it meant keeping her job.

He stepped inside her office but remained standing, a torn expression on his face.

“Yes, Sunday, it’s my grandfather’s birthday, and we’re having a big party. I thought you and Anna might like to come. It’s my way of trying to make up for being the boss from hell yesterday.”

“Truly?” He’d just veered into completely different territory from Ron, who never even thought about apologizing, or doing something nice to make up for his actions.

“Thought maybe you two could use a day out with fresh air and good food.”

The refreshing shift from “same old story” to “second verse, better than the first” buoyed her spirits.

“A party at The Drumcliffe?” She broke into a grin that came straight from her heart. Yeah, apparently she was that easy. “We’d love to come. Did I ever tell you I stayed at your hotel around six years ago, when Ron first brought me to visit?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I loved that place right from the start. That’s why I came back here to live when we divorced. Paso Robles is okay, but it’s too far inland. Plus I wanted to get away from him and his new lady.” A burst of excitement had her talking more than she probably should, another old, hopefully not annoying, habit. But she’d just been asked out by her boss for a family gathering, and in her mind, that was a big deal. “Something about the cliffs and the ocean reminded me of Sligo Bay, back home. But it’s much less rugged here. Anyway, I think your family owns a beautiful hotel.”

“Wow. Small world. Well, I’m glad you like it. So you’ll come, then?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Oh, another thing.” He’d turned to leave, a pleased smile on his face, but paused. “No gift, okay? The old guy has everything he could possibly ever need. Your company will be more than enough.” Daniel looked back, a new glint in those verdant green eyes. “I’ll pick you up at one.”

“You’re picking us up?”

“I invited you, didn’t I?”

Okay. Now what was she supposed to do with that? She fiddled with her hair, tucking one side behind her ear, a faint sense of happiness tingling in her chest. She wasn’t getting fired, and he’d invited her to a family gathering. Was this an apology date?

* * *

Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous sunny spring day at Sandpiper Beach, and Keela hadn’t been this excited about going somewhere in a long time. Anna was practically bouncing off the walls of the tiny and barely upgraded 1930s beach cottage.

“Yay, a birthday party.”

“Remember, this is a grown-up party, so it won’t be that much fun.”

“Will there be games?”

“I don’t think so, my love, but I’m sure there’ll be cake.”

“Yay! And ice cream?”

“What’s a birthday without ice cream?” Keela hoped there’d be ice cream, otherwise she’d have to take Anna to the parlor near their clinic for a cone afterward.

Her daughter rushed to the cramped living room to peer out the window. “I like Dr. Daniel!”

He’d been surprisingly kind to Anna last Wednesday, even though at first he’d acted uninterested and maybe even a little put out about it. But thanks to her daughter’s approval, and remembering that instant over lunch when something special seemed to click between them, Keela had taken a second look at her boss. The other day, he’d reminded her of Ron, but then he’d apologized and veered into new territory with the invitation. Maybe she liked Dr. Daniel, too?

Butterflies fought for territory in her stomach as she smoothed her hands over her hair and checked her makeup in the mirror of the tiny pink-tiled bathroom. Too much? Not enough? Oh, what did it matter? Daniel Delaney hardly knew she existed. Beyond being a good employee, that was. The invitation was his way to apologize for taking his usual moderately gruff self and upgrading to outright brusque. Sure, she’d noticed, and it didn’t make a lot of sense, especially after their fun lunch together. But once she’d realized he hadn’t planned to fire her, she was fine with whatever he needed to do. This wasn’t a date. The man always seemed to go out of his way to avoid looking at her, unless they had specific patient care to discuss. Yet Thursday over Chinese food he’d watched her with clear interest, nearly nonstop.

His deep brown hair was straight and thick, and she liked how he wore it swept off his forehead and neatly trimmed around his ears and neck. But what she liked the most was his Irish grin, wide and friendly, reminding her of being back home. She hadn’t noticed it before lunch on Thursday, since he rarely smiled like that at work.

He was medium height, maybe five-ten or -eleven, but far taller than her five foot three. She always had to look up to see his eyes. She took a quick inhalation. Oh, those eyes, moss-green and downright swoon-worthy... But wait, she didn’t do that anymore—think about guys. Or swoon. After the heartbreak she’d been through with Ron, and the divorce, no man was worth it. Besides, Daniel was her boss. Only a fool would risk her job by getting involved with the boss.

Anna had to come first these days. Nothing else mattered.

Keela’s phone rang, and when she saw it was her ex-husband, her earlier hopeful mood slumped. What would he be calling about? Ever since his girlfriend, Ingrid—the woman who’d brought about their divorce—had given birth to their son, it seemed Ron had lost interest in Anna.

Stiff upper lip. “Hey, Ron, what’s up?”

“Thought we’d pick Anna up and take her to lunch with us.”

“Oh, shoot, any other day would’ve been great, but we’ve got a birthday party to go to.” Why today? He frequently skipped his visitation days, like last Wednesday, and this wasn’t the usual weekend they’d agreed to, even though he’d never come to get her since the baby was born. Now, out of the blue—

“There’ll be other birthday parties,” he said. “It’s time she met her little brother.”

She could have done that on Wednesday, eejit. Keela had to think fast, since she knew how he always insisted on getting his way. “Oh, yes, I think she’d love to meet her little brother, Diesel.” The baby had to be nine or ten months by now. “But she’s been looking forward to this party so much. She’s dressed and ready to go. How about next Saturday or Sunday? She could sleep over, even—that is if you wanted her to.” Keela also knew not to push Anna on Ron, or he’d pull back even more. The fact that he’d seemed to have nearly forgotten their daughter since he’d had his son made Keela’s heart squeeze. “Would that be all right?”

Silence. “Ron, are you there?”

“We’ll see about next weekend. Okay, gotta go.”

Just like old times, she’d messed up and he’d gotten ticked off. He hung up before Keela could say goodbye, probably avoiding giving her a chance to mention he was late again with his child support payments—was that why he’d skipped out on Wednesday? But that didn’t matter nearly as much as his not even bothering to ask to speak to Anna. That was his routine. If he didn’t get his way, someone had to pay, and today it was her sweet and completely innocent daughter.

Keela had gotten bloody good at taking his crap, but Anna never deserved it. To hell with that stiff upper lip. Her chin quivered on her daughter’s behalf, and her eyes blinked several times. She took a quick inhale, hoping to recover. Anna couldn’t see her like this; it would upset her. Thankfully, she’d had the conversation in the bathroom, and her eager daughter was still keeping watch at the front window. What she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

“Mom! Dr. Daniel’s at the door!”

A surprising burst of excitement lit up Keela’s chest—Daniel was here—helping her forget about the call. She wiped at her eyes and did a quick once-around in front of the full-length mirror on the bathroom door, ensuring her tan pants didn’t make her backside look too big, and that her tank top with a matching camellia-pink sweater didn’t show too much on the topside. Were her earrings okay? Would it be too much if she slipped on a bracelet?

What was going on with her? It wasn’t like it was a date. It was the continuation of an apology, though this would be the first time she’d ever been with Daniel around his family. Would he be different? He was always so serious at work.

“Mommy, he’s knocking!”

Keela sucked in a breath. Come to your senses. She rushed to the door and, trying not to seem too eager, opened it and peeked around the corner. “Hiya.”

“Hey. You ready?”

Not for what she saw standing before her. Sure, she’d seen him in the medical clinic’s uniform of khaki cargo pants and white polo shirt five days a week, and he’d worn a suit the other day for his pitch session at the college. But today he wore straight-legged jeans with a pale green, collared, long-sleeved shirt and a skinny dark green tie, looking very trendy. The button-down shirt was narrow cut and hugged his torso, giving her the impression he possessed something along the line of washboard abs. She forced her gaze upward to his still-smiling face, seeing something different in his eyes, too. Apparently, while she’d been checking him out, he’d done the same, and now her palms tingled.

“I’d invite you in, but there’s not much to see.” The “cottage” was more like a bungalow, with tiny rooms, kitchen and bath, but it was their home.

“Not a problem. You’re looking great, by the way,” he said, seeming on the verge of saying more. But Anna launched herself from behind.

“Hi. Remember me?”

“How could I forget?”

“How old is your granddad?”

“He’ll be eighty-five today.”

“Wow, is he alive?”

Daniel laughed. “Very much so. Are you ready to go meet him?”

“Yay!”

Even though Daniel played along with Anna and their quick conversation seemed to come easily, Keela sensed something behind his smile. Tension of some sort? Pain? It made her wonder what his story was about children.

They arrived at The Drumcliffe Hotel in a few short minutes, Anna chattering the entire ride, relieving any guilt Keela harbored about not letting her see her father today. She felt a little sad, though, realizing how much her daughter enjoyed people. And since the divorce, what with Keela now working full-time and going to school before that, Anna didn’t get to go out that much.

Mrs. Jenkins, an older neighbor lady, had offered to do childcare for practically a song on weekdays when they’d first moved in, which was a huge help, but Anna didn’t have anyone to play with. If Keela could afford it, she would’ve liked to put her in private preschool, but that was out of the question. She wouldn’t dare ask Ron for more money. At least in the fall she’d start kindergarten and would be around kids her age then. Life was far from perfect, but good enough, and today promised to be special. What more could Keela ask?

Daniel pulled into a reserved parking space near one of the secluded suites. The two-story hotel sat on prime beachfront property and was the main tourist site in tiny Sandpiper Beach. Though she hadn’t visited since moving back to town, Keela remembered it well. It seemed a mystery why such a lovely place had trouble renting rooms. The problem was, she had heard, visitors chose to either continue up the road to Carmel or stop first in Pismo Beach, rather than venture into this sleepy little town. But they didn’t know what they were missing. Sure, the hotel seemed a bit dated, in need of some sprucing up, yet the potential was obvious. To Keela, anyway.

A narrow walkway lined with manicured shrubs separated the hotel from the beach, and nearly all the second-story guest rooms had a magnificent sea view. So much potential. To the right of the hotel was a large grassy area with a putting green, surrounded by palm trees and bushes, and beyond that the dunes. In honor of the birthday and the many guests, they’d set up several round tables with built-in umbrellas. Groups of people milled about, wearing bright springtime colors that complimented the grass, light blue sky and teal-colored ocean backdrop. Keela would never get tired of the sound of the sea, or that special salted scent.

She inhaled, remembering why she loved this town so much. Finding and moving to Sandpiper Beach had been the one good thing about getting her divorce, leaving Ron inland and moving to the coast.

“There he is, Oh Danny Boy. How’s the form? Are y’well?” someone called out.

For an instant, at the sound of the familiar brogue, Keela thought she was back in Ennis. She nearly laughed aloud when she glanced up to see an old fellow speed-walking across the lawn in bright green knickers with high socks, a yellow-and-green argyle-patterned sweater vest and a newsboy cap jauntily sitting atop his thinning crop of white hair. Why did men enjoy dressing in strange costumes for a game of golf? Using his putter as a cane as he approached, Daniel’s grandfather was certainly a vision from the past.

“Get ready,” Daniel said out of the corner of his mouth to Keela. “Grandda! Happy birthday to ya.”

Now even Daniel had a touch of the Irish to him. Keela’s smile doubled as a home-sweet-home feeling circled around her like a hug.

“Is this the lovely lass from Éire?”

“Yes,” Daniel said. “This is Keela.” He glanced at her with a sweet and proud grin that she’d never seen before, and momentarily, she felt off balance.

“’Tis a pleasure, Keela!” The elderly man grabbed her into a bear hug, and laughing, she hugged him back. He smelled like Guinness and her own grandfather’s spicy men’s cologne, and a pang of nostalgia threatened to make her eyes tear up, though she fought it.

“So nice to meet you, too, Mr. Delaney.” She saw the familiar twinkle she’d noticed in Daniel’s eyes earlier, and the same brackets around his grinning mouth. There was no doubt they were family.

“Call me Padraig, please.” He stood there leaning on his golf club, taking her in and seeming to appreciate what he saw. Then his gaze shifted to her side. “And who might this little elf be?”

“My daughter, Anna.”

“Hello, lassie.” He bent over, took Anna’s hand and shook it. She giggled. “What age are ya?”

“Five.” Up went the splayed-fingered hand.

“Almost,” Keela added.

“Almost five. Are we gonna have cake and ice cream?”

He blurted a laugh. “Oh, you bet. We Delaneys know how to throw a birthday party, now, don’t we? Why don’t you let me show you the cake?” With her hand firmly in his, they set off toward a big table on the hotel patio that held a huge cake and a punch bowl. A large, built-in barbecue was going full blast behind the table, the mouthwatering aromas of grilled tri-tip and chicken competing for her attention.

“He’s full of life, isn’t he?” Keela couldn’t help her grin.

“Oh, he’s full of it, all right,” Daniel said, following his grandfather toward the table and a group of people gathered there. The redheaded woman, she assumed, was his mother.

Forever A Father

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