The Marine's New Family. Roz Dunbar

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СКАЧАТЬ Dad, I finished with the chairs. Can I go to... Hey, who’s that?”

      Luke put his finger to his lips, “Shhh.”

      “Who’s she?” Caleb whispered.

      “She’s the new tenant we built the screened porch for,” he explained simply, as he tried to usher his son out of the room.

      “We don’t have to whisper no more. She’s awake.”

      “Awake?” Luke turned sharply to see that Caleb was right. The woman was sitting up and looking at them with shock.

      “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” Her tone was low and even, but she was obviously frightened and disoriented, judging by the way her small, white hands were clutching the arms of the chair.

      Luke immediately tried to diffuse the situation. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We didn’t know you were here yet. We brought groceries for your pantry.”

      “Groceries?” He watched her closely as she slowly digested what he had just said.

      “Yeah, the ladies asked us to do it,” Caleb tossed in helpfully.

      “The ladies?” she repeated, still looking slightly disoriented.

      “He means the Salter sisters, Katie and Annie.”

      Luke watched as recognition dawned in her green eyes, and her hands visibly relaxed their death grip on the chair.

      “Oh, the aunts.” She summoned a small smile as she shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry. I fell asleep.”

      She has a lovely smile, Luke thought inconsequentially. She’s lovely, period. And she didn’t recognize him. That much he was certain of. There was no spark of recognition in her eyes.

      “My name is Luke, ma’am, and this is my son, Caleb.”

      “Hello, Luke and Caleb. I’m Tess. Tess Greenwood.” The smile again.

      “Hello, Tess. Nice to meet you. Say hello to Miss Greenwood, Caleb.”

      “Hello,” Caleb muttered, before adding, “Can we go now, Dad? Joey is waiting for me.”

      “Yes, son, we’re leaving now. Everything has been put away, Tess. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call on us. My number is on the calendar in the kitchen.”

      “It is?” Tess and Caleb spoke at the same time, and Luke smiled.

      “It is. I do work on the cottages for the Salters from time to time and they asked me to leave a number, just in case.”

      “Oh, I see. Well, thank you for the groceries. If you give me a receipt I’ll reimburse you.” The smile had faded and her voice had become distant. “And I’m sure I won’t need anything else, but thank you.”

      Luke hesitated at her tone, but nodded as he ushered Caleb out of the living room to the back of the cottage. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that that she was here, literally on his doorstep. He would see her and have a chance to speak with her later, he assured himself. For now, he needed to concentrate on his son.

      “She must have been pretty tired. She was sleeping and it’s still daytime,” Caleb said as he buckled his seat belt in the truck.

      “I think you’re right. She must be pretty tired. So, ready to go swimming with Joey and his dad?”

      “I guess so.” Caleb shrugged his slender shoulders and looked out the window.

      “You guess so? I thought you couldn’t wait to get there.”

      “I can’t. Let’s just go, okay?”

      One step forward and two steps back, Luke thought as he started the truck. It was as if the boy was afraid to let down his guard for any length of time. Luke had thought it had been a good day. Caleb had been more animated than he’d ever seen him since his son had gotten to Swansboro six months ago. Things had seemed to be changing, but now Luke couldn’t be sure. He knew that Caleb missed his mother terribly, but Luke couldn’t get him to talk about her. Would the boy ever feel comfortable opening up to his father? Only time would tell. But one thing was certain. Luke had never known that he had the capacity to love anyone the way he now loved his son. Not even his ex-wife.

      Was that the problem? Had he not loved her enough? They’d been little more than kids, high on puppy love, when they’d gotten married. They hadn’t really known yet the people they’d grow up to be—or that the years to come would pull them apart instead of binding them together. Was that why she hadn’t told him he was going to be a father?

      He could understand why she’d left him, and he didn’t hold a grudge. She couldn’t take the moves and deployments. He didn’t blame her; being a military spouse was a tough job and required sacrifices that normal married couples didn’t have to make. He’d wanted her to be happy, and she’d made it clear that she wouldn’t find that happiness waiting at home for him month after endless month, year after year. So he’d let her go. After the divorce papers were signed, there was no further contact. It was as though their three years together had never happened.

      But the proof of their marriage and their love—short-lived though it had been—was sitting in the seat right next to him. Why had she kept him from his child? Surely she had known that he would have made certain that he was in Caleb’s life. Luke would have helped Jen raise their son, would have taken care of them both. He had thanked God every day for the past six months that Jen had had the foresight to write a will giving him guardianship. He couldn’t imagine life without Caleb now.

      But now there might be a fight ahead to keep his son with him. Jen’s parents, Dave and Katherine Lockard, had made it pretty clear that they wanted custody of their grandson. They had been in Caleb’s young life since he was born. Uprooting him was wrong, they claimed. No matter that he was with his biological father. They were going to petition the courts for full custody.

      Luke had gone to great pains to assure both Caleb and his grandparents that they could see each other anytime they wished. He wasn’t trying to keep them apart; in fact, he had taken Caleb to Tennessee for a visit last month. But there was no way he was going to hand over custody. In a world where it was prudent to pick and choose your battles wisely, Luke knew with everything in him that his son was worth fighting for. He just needed to figure out what was best for Caleb. He prayed that God would show him the way.

      “Well, you’ve earned it, after all the hard work you’ve done today.” He grinned at Caleb as they headed down the sandy lane. The boy kept his head averted and didn’t reply. It was like climbing a mountain with no ropes. For both of them. God, help us, Luke prayed silently.

       Chapter Three

      “We are so glad you came to church with us.” Annie Salter reached for Tess’s hand and gave it a small squeeze.

      It was early Sunday morning and Tess found herself sitting at the end of a dark, polished pew in a handsome old church. It all felt too familiar, too much like her memories of childhood, in the comfort of her local church. Back then, СКАЧАТЬ