Fredrickson’s won’t fail or succeed
because of one person. It’s like you said—we’re a team.” Billie followed
her out the door and into the hallway. She linked arms with her as they strolled
toward the front office. “By the way, what in the world did you do to my
brother last night?”
Margaret cut a glance at her soon
to be sister-in-law. “Do?” she blew out a nervous laugh and shrugged.
“Nothing.”
“Not what I heard.” Billie led her
past the office and out the front door, mercifully out of Sally’s bionic
hearing. She turned to face her, hands on narrow hips. “He raved about your
cooking. To hear him tell it, you are the grill queen of California.”
Margaret could feel heat flush her
cheeks.
“He also said you make the best
wine he’s ever had. Which of course cinched the deal to hire you as our chief
winemaker.” She paused. “But I don’t think it was the food or wine that made
him come home singing, This Kiss . He
doesn’t even like country music.”
“He did not!” Margaret knew her
face was beet red. She looked away. “ It was stupid. He’s so young.”
“Margaret, he’s only two years
younger than you. And he really likes you. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Enjoy it.”
“I like him too. It’s just that I
come with excess baggage. Not that I consider Davy that way, but all the stuff
that comes with having a child—including the father who recently showed
up on my doorstep.”
“I heard about that. What are you
going to do?” Billie asked.
“I’ve gone over it in my mind a
thousand times since I heard he was here. My first reaction was to deny him
access to Davy. He didn’t deserve it. For the past nine years he was the
invisible father—never reached out to his son, wouldn’t even acknowledge
he was his son. Why now?” She released a sigh. “But then he came to see me
yesterday. He seemed different, less cocky, maybe a little remorseful for the
way he ran off.” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”
Billie reached out and gave her arm
a gentle squeeze. “Well, call me when you do. I’m licensed to practice in
California now. Family law is what I know. I dealt mostly with divorce,
restraining orders against abusive husbands, that kind of thing, but I had a
few child custody cases. They can be brutal. Believe me, you need a good
lawyer. I know your brother probably thinks he can handle it, but he’s much too
close to the situation and it’s not his specialty. So, don’t hesitate to ask
for help.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes welled with
tears and she gave Billie a quick hug. “I’ll let you know.”
*****
The telephone was ringing when she
opened the door. The machine picked up before she could get to it. The caller
I.D. number wasn’t familiar, so she turned away and went to the refrigerator to
see what to make for dinner. The prerecorded message played, followed by the
beep.
“Hello, Margaret.” Agosto’s voice
reverberated through the tiny speaker. She froze. “I didn’t hear from you, so I
decided to forge ahead. Davy and I are going to the park to play soccer. I’ll
bring him home around five-thirty. Talk to you then.”
She slammed the door of the
refrigerator shut and flew to the machine, lifted the receiver, “Agosto!” she
yelled, but he’d already hung up. The dial tone droned like an angry bee. She
dropped the phone, grabbed her keys from the table where she’d tossed them
earlier and ran out to her car.
She heard the bus coming up the
highway. Maybe Agosto was playing with her. Maybe he meant he’d pick up Davy
and take him to the park to play soccer after he got off the bus. He couldn’t
have taken Davy from school. Wouldn’t the teachers, the bus driver, someone,
stop him, a stranger, from taking her son without permission?
She broke into a jog and got to the
end of the driveway before the bus arrived. The engine didn’t sound as though
it were slowing down. Mr. Hadley nodded hello as he drove by,
because of one person. It’s like you said—we’re a team.” Billie followed
her out the door and into the hallway. She linked arms with her as they strolled
toward the front office. “By the way, what in the world did you do to my
brother last night?”
Margaret cut a glance at her soon
to be sister-in-law. “Do?” she blew out a nervous laugh and shrugged.
“Nothing.”
“Not what I heard.” Billie led her
past the office and out the front door, mercifully out of Sally’s bionic
hearing. She turned to face her, hands on narrow hips. “He raved about your
cooking. To hear him tell it, you are the grill queen of California.”
Margaret could feel heat flush her
cheeks.
“He also said you make the best
wine he’s ever had. Which of course cinched the deal to hire you as our chief
winemaker.” She paused. “But I don’t think it was the food or wine that made
him come home singing, This Kiss . He
doesn’t even like country music.”
“He did not!” Margaret knew her
face was beet red. She looked away. “ It was stupid. He’s so young.”
“Margaret, he’s only two years
younger than you. And he really likes you. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Enjoy it.”
“I like him too. It’s just that I
come with excess baggage. Not that I consider Davy that way, but all the stuff
that comes with having a child—including the father who recently showed
up on my doorstep.”
“I heard about that. What are you
going to do?” Billie asked.
“I’ve gone over it in my mind a
thousand times since I heard he was here. My first reaction was to deny him
access to Davy. He didn’t deserve it. For the past nine years he was the
invisible father—never reached out to his son, wouldn’t even acknowledge
he was his son. Why now?” She released a sigh. “But then he came to see me
yesterday. He seemed different, less cocky, maybe a little remorseful for the
way he ran off.” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”
Billie reached out and gave her arm
a gentle squeeze. “Well, call me when you do. I’m licensed to practice in
California now. Family law is what I know. I dealt mostly with divorce,
restraining orders against abusive husbands, that kind of thing, but I had a
few child custody cases. They can be brutal. Believe me, you need a good
lawyer. I know your brother probably thinks he can handle it, but he’s much too
close to the situation and it’s not his specialty. So, don’t hesitate to ask
for help.”
“Thanks.” Her eyes welled with
tears and she gave Billie a quick hug. “I’ll let you know.”
*****
The telephone was ringing when she
opened the door. The machine picked up before she could get to it. The caller
I.D. number wasn’t familiar, so she turned away and went to the refrigerator to
see what to make for dinner. The prerecorded message played, followed by the
beep.
“Hello, Margaret.” Agosto’s voice
reverberated through the tiny speaker. She froze. “I didn’t hear from you, so I
decided to forge ahead. Davy and I are going to the park to play soccer. I’ll
bring him home around five-thirty. Talk to you then.”
She slammed the door of the
refrigerator shut and flew to the machine, lifted the receiver, “Agosto!” she
yelled, but he’d already hung up. The dial tone droned like an angry bee. She
dropped the phone, grabbed her keys from the table where she’d tossed them
earlier and ran out to her car.
She heard the bus coming up the
highway. Maybe Agosto was playing with her. Maybe he meant he’d pick up Davy
and take him to the park to play soccer after he got off the bus. He couldn’t
have taken Davy from school. Wouldn’t the teachers, the bus driver, someone,
stop him, a stranger, from taking her son without permission?
She broke into a jog and got to the
end of the driveway before the bus arrived. The engine didn’t sound as though
it were slowing down. Mr. Hadley nodded hello as he drove by,
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