packing and the trip. It was a horrendous flight, very bumpy, the wind
shook
the plane. What I’d
adore
is a hot bath and a good nap.”
“Of course,” Kennedy began, just as her father walked into the room. Kennedy’s spirits lifted. “Daddy, Mommy wants—”
“Katya.” Sebastian’s voice was terse. He remained standing. “You’ve got to realize how inappropriate it is for you to be here.”
“Daddy!” Kennedy burst out.
“I’m sorry if you and Alonzo broke it off, but the fact is that is
your
matter to deal with, not mine. You and I were divorced years ago. You’re a grown woman, you have plenty of financial resources—I’ve seen to that. You need to make other plans.”
Katya slanted her head submissively. Fluttering her lashes, she pleaded, “I have no place else to go.”
“You must have friends on the mainland,” Sebastian pointed out.
Katya shrugged. “No one I could go to for the holiday.”
“Fine. Then a hotel. You’ve always been fond of first-class hotels.”
Kennedy’s mood rose at this sign of her father remembering what her mother preferred.
“A hotel? On Christmas?”
“We’ve often stayed in hotels on Christmas,” Sebastian reminded her as he stalked to the fire, stirred it with the poker, then shot Katya a sober stare. “I suggest you try to get a room at the Ritz or the Taj in Boston.”
Katya lifted her shoulder coyly to her cheek. “I’m not sure I can leave the island. With this storm …”
Sebastian’s face darkened with annoyance. Straightening, he decreed, “Then go to one of the hotels on Nantucket. The Jared Coffin House.”
“The expense—” Katya started to object.
“I’ll pay for it.” Sebastian folded his arms over his chest, a sign that he was not going to yield.
Katya tossed her lovely blond hair. “Fine. But Sebastian, be kind. I’m so awfully tired. I was just telling Kennedy that I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Couldn’t I take a brief lie-down here before I go back out into the storm?”
“Please, Daddy,” Kennedy begged. “Mommy can rest on my bed, and while she rests, I’ll phone the Nantucket hotels and see who has a room.”
Sebastian did not look pleased.
“Sebby.” Katya stood up, stepping close to her ex-husband, putting her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry about all of this. I know I’ve made so many many terrible mistakes. If I could only turn back the clock …”
Kennedy watched her mother and father with hope springing up in her heart.
“You can’t turn back time, Katya.” Sebastian didn’t sound angry or bitter or punitive, but adamant. Quietly, he walked away from her to the door into the front hall. “And I’m glad about that. Now please have some consideration and take yourself to a hotel.”
Her father left the room.
Katya turned away so that Kennedy couldn’t see her face. Kennedy’s stomach cramped with regret and despair. It was not going to happen. Her parents were never going to get back together. That damned Nicole had bewitched her father, although how anyone so plain could bewitch anyone was past Kennedy’s comprehension.
She heard Nicole in the kitchen, chatting quietly with James and Maddox. “Well, Maddox,” Nicole said, “if you eat every bite of your sandwich, you may have a candy cane, but only if your daddy says so.”
Who was Nicole to control what Kennedy’s child ate? Annoyance propelled Kennedy ungracefully off the sofa.
“Mommy. Let me take you to my room so you can rest.”
In the hall, Katya started to climb the stairs.
“No, wait. We’re in the birthing room behind the kitchen,” Kennedy informed her mother. “So I don’t have to climb the stairs all the time.”
“Good idea,” Katya replied. She hesitated, understandably reluctant to enter the kitchen.
Kennedy took her mother’s hand and pulled her along. Nicole was at the sink, rinsing dishes before stacking them in the dishwasher. James was covering a platter of fresh veggie strips with cling
shook
the plane. What I’d
adore
is a hot bath and a good nap.”
“Of course,” Kennedy began, just as her father walked into the room. Kennedy’s spirits lifted. “Daddy, Mommy wants—”
“Katya.” Sebastian’s voice was terse. He remained standing. “You’ve got to realize how inappropriate it is for you to be here.”
“Daddy!” Kennedy burst out.
“I’m sorry if you and Alonzo broke it off, but the fact is that is
your
matter to deal with, not mine. You and I were divorced years ago. You’re a grown woman, you have plenty of financial resources—I’ve seen to that. You need to make other plans.”
Katya slanted her head submissively. Fluttering her lashes, she pleaded, “I have no place else to go.”
“You must have friends on the mainland,” Sebastian pointed out.
Katya shrugged. “No one I could go to for the holiday.”
“Fine. Then a hotel. You’ve always been fond of first-class hotels.”
Kennedy’s mood rose at this sign of her father remembering what her mother preferred.
“A hotel? On Christmas?”
“We’ve often stayed in hotels on Christmas,” Sebastian reminded her as he stalked to the fire, stirred it with the poker, then shot Katya a sober stare. “I suggest you try to get a room at the Ritz or the Taj in Boston.”
Katya lifted her shoulder coyly to her cheek. “I’m not sure I can leave the island. With this storm …”
Sebastian’s face darkened with annoyance. Straightening, he decreed, “Then go to one of the hotels on Nantucket. The Jared Coffin House.”
“The expense—” Katya started to object.
“I’ll pay for it.” Sebastian folded his arms over his chest, a sign that he was not going to yield.
Katya tossed her lovely blond hair. “Fine. But Sebastian, be kind. I’m so awfully tired. I was just telling Kennedy that I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Couldn’t I take a brief lie-down here before I go back out into the storm?”
“Please, Daddy,” Kennedy begged. “Mommy can rest on my bed, and while she rests, I’ll phone the Nantucket hotels and see who has a room.”
Sebastian did not look pleased.
“Sebby.” Katya stood up, stepping close to her ex-husband, putting her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry about all of this. I know I’ve made so many many terrible mistakes. If I could only turn back the clock …”
Kennedy watched her mother and father with hope springing up in her heart.
“You can’t turn back time, Katya.” Sebastian didn’t sound angry or bitter or punitive, but adamant. Quietly, he walked away from her to the door into the front hall. “And I’m glad about that. Now please have some consideration and take yourself to a hotel.”
Her father left the room.
Katya turned away so that Kennedy couldn’t see her face. Kennedy’s stomach cramped with regret and despair. It was not going to happen. Her parents were never going to get back together. That damned Nicole had bewitched her father, although how anyone so plain could bewitch anyone was past Kennedy’s comprehension.
She heard Nicole in the kitchen, chatting quietly with James and Maddox. “Well, Maddox,” Nicole said, “if you eat every bite of your sandwich, you may have a candy cane, but only if your daddy says so.”
Who was Nicole to control what Kennedy’s child ate? Annoyance propelled Kennedy ungracefully off the sofa.
“Mommy. Let me take you to my room so you can rest.”
In the hall, Katya started to climb the stairs.
“No, wait. We’re in the birthing room behind the kitchen,” Kennedy informed her mother. “So I don’t have to climb the stairs all the time.”
“Good idea,” Katya replied. She hesitated, understandably reluctant to enter the kitchen.
Kennedy took her mother’s hand and pulled her along. Nicole was at the sink, rinsing dishes before stacking them in the dishwasher. James was covering a platter of fresh veggie strips with cling
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