Читать книгу The Sheriff's Doorstep Baby - Teresa Carpenter - Страница 8

“DADDY! Daddy! You’re here.”

“Mama! Hi! Over here.”

Arms flung wide, ten-year-old Michelle Ross twirled in a wide circle, her long blond curls and wide pink skirt flowing out around her. She determinedly ignored the excited calls of her friends as their parents arrived to visit.

For the first time ever she felt beautiful.

She loved Princess Camp, even if her dad didn’t come to parents’ day. He said he would, but he promised lots of things that didn’t happen. Duty first.

She begged and begged Daddy to be able to come. And of course, he said no. And continued to say no until Aunt Yvonne finally stepped in to plead Michelle’s case. She had to behave all of June and July—which had been torture—but come August she’d been off to camp. And all that boring good behavior paid off.

She shared a cabin with Elle and Amanda. They instantly became BFFs and did everything together. And Michelle loved it all, even the etiquette classes. A princess needed to know how to conduct herself!

“Michelle, these are my parents.” Dragging a dark-haired man by his hand, Elle proudly presented her father. “Daddy, Mama, Michelle is in my cabin. She’s Beauty. I’m Belle and Amanda is Rapunzel. We’re going to do a dance for the talent show. Sleeping Beauty had the gift of song, so Michelle’s going to sing.”

“Hello, Michelle.” Elle’s father greeted her and shook her hand. “What a lovely young woman you are. I can see why you’re Beauty.”

She giggled and dropped into a shallow curtsy. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

“What lovely manners,” Elle’s mother said with a kind smile.

“The pleasure is all ours.” Her dad tugged on Elle’s dark red ponytail. “I can’t wait to see you girls dance. And to hear you sing, Michelle.”

“The talent show isn’t until after dinner,” Elle advised him. “Come on. I want to show you my cabin, and the pool, and the gazebo.”

He laughed indulgently. “We’re coming, Elle. But what about your friend?”

“Oh. Michelle’s waiting for her dad. Right?”

“Yes—” Michelle nodded and put hope into her voice “—he should be along anytime.”

Elle’s mom looked down the empty drive and frowned. “I don’t like leaving you alone out here.”

“I have to stay in the courtyard,” Michelle reassured her. “I’ll be fine.”

“Elle, I think we should ask your friend to keep us company until her dad comes along.”

“Yeah.” Elle grabbed Michelle’s hand, swung it back and forth. “Come with us. Your dad can find us when he gets here.”

“Maybe.” Michelle bit her lip. She should wait for Daddy. She was excited to show her dad around camp, to tell him what she’d learned, and how much she loved her time here. More than anything she wanted him to hear her sing and to impress on him that she should come back next year. But the truth was he probably wouldn’t even show. He meant his promises when he made them, yet the need to protect and serve took first place every time.

But Elle’s daddy thought Michelle was pretty and she wanted to go with them.

“I guess I can look around with you until he gets here.”

“Yippee!” Elle smiled and together they skipped ahead.

They showed Elle’s parents the cabin and the pool. And when they headed back to the main cabin, The Castle, Michelle looked around hopefully and glanced toward the parking lot, but saw no sign of her dad.

She got ready for the talent show with Elle and Amanda and pretended not to be nervous as she checked the audience repeatedly for her father.

“Come on, Michelle.” Amanda grabbed her hand and tugged her away from the wings. “It’s our turn.”

Michelle frantically searched the crowd one last time but there was no denying the inevitable. Another promise broken. Daddy wouldn’t see her sing. She sighed her disappointment and followed her friends onstage.