A Gift for All Seasons by Karen Templeton Page B

overcoming all he had since his life-changing event. Courage, fortitude—he had them in spades. Still. Coping wasn’t the same as living. Far from it. And maybe, just maybe, she could stoke that ember.
    You don’t know that .
    Very true. But she didn’t know that she couldn’t, either.
    And she wouldn’t know unless she tried.

Chapter Six
    L eaning against the inn’s kitchen counter, his daughter sacked out against his chest, Patrick said to his mother, “So what were you two talking about?”
    Chuckling, she glanced over at him as she dried the turkey platter prior to lugging it back home. It’d driven him nuts, not being able to pin her down until now. But there was no way to have a private conversation with two dozen people around.
    “This and that,” Ma said, setting the platter on the counter before slipping into her coat. “Girl talk, mostly.”
    “Meaning you’re not going to tell me.”
    “Nope.”
    She checked the clean kitchen one last time, then excused herself to visit the restroom. His dad wandered in, chewing on a toothpick as he gave the space an approving once-over.
    “I wouldn’t’ve thought it possible, what those gals did with the place.” He climbed onto a stool behind the massive island, smiling for Lili. “Brings back memories, how you kids used to pass out like that. Sometimes I miss it.” He paused. “You hear from her mother today?”
    “No. Not that I expected to.”
    “Shame. For her sake,” Pop said. “Although for yours I can’t say I’m sorry Natalie’s not in the picture anymore.”
    Patrick frowned. “You never said that before.”
    “Didn’t feel it was my place.”
    “And now it is?”
    His father was quiet for a long moment, chewing the toothpick. Then he said around it, “She’s something else, huh?”
    “Who?”
    “April, who else? And you know what I think?” He tossed the toothpick in the trash bag waiting to be hauled to the mini Dumpster outside. “I think you should ask her out.”
    Shifting Lili in his arms, Patrick sighed. “And you’ve been talking to Luke.”
    “Maybe. Oh, c’mon—what’s the worst that could happen? She says no. No harm, no foul, right? But you gotta start somewhere, put yourself out there.”
    “And why do we keep having the same conversation?” Patrick whispered, cupping Lili’s head when she stirred in her sleep. “I did try putting myself out there, remember? It didn’t work.”
    “So you try again,” Dad said, with a slight bow in his direction. “And don’t give me that look. You know yourself you’ve never been a quitter. Right? And anyway, something tells me—” he lowered his voice “—you got a shot with that one, okay?” He grinned. “And you know it, too, don’t you?”
    “And you’re butting in.”
    Joe shrugged, unconcerned. “Gives me something to live for. Look, all we want is to see you happy again. Like you used to be...uh...”
    “Before. Got it.”
    “It’s up to you, son, that’s all I’m saying. You’ve got a lot more control over things than you might want to believe.”
    “You’re right. I do. And the one thing I can control, or at least try to, is how my actions affect Lilianna. She’s basically already lost one mother. No way am I putting her through that again.”
    “So you’re gonna live like a monk until she leaves for college?”
    “Joe, for heaven’s sake,” his mother said, returning to dig in her purse for a tube of hand cream. “Leave the boy alone. You want us to take the baby?” she said, squirting the goop into her palm then briskly rubbing her hands together.
    Suddenly the thought of letting Lili go was like a stab to the chest. “No,” he said, nuzzling her temple. “I’m going straight home. Soon as I talk to April, catch her up on where we stand. With the grounds, ” he said at his parents’ simultaneously lifted brows and faint smiles. “So you two go on, I’ll talk to you later.”
    After a kiss and hug from his mother, a slap on the