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"But what, Robert?" I asked.
"Well, she smokes," he revealed. "She follows the guys down to the basement where they hang out—you know, off the laundry room—and she begs cigarettes from them."
"She what?" I exclaimed in shock.
"I know she acts older, but I've got a sister not much younger than she is, and I don't imagine she would even think of doing that. If you'll pardon my saying so, Mrs. Longchamp, I don't think having her work alongside us—even just to run little errands—is such a good idea," he said. I could see from the way he was speaking that he had more to say. I was sorry now that Jimmy had made her another promise.
"I hate to ask you this, Robert, but let her do it for a little while, and keep a close eye on her for me. The moment you see her doing something wrong, please tell me," I said. He nodded, but I saw he wasn't happy.
I was going to discuss it with Jimmy, but before I had an opportunity to be alone with him, Daddy Longchamp, his new wife Edwina and their son Gavin arrived. Julius had picked them up at the airport and brought them to the hotel. Jimmy found me in the tearoom and announced their arrival. With my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest, I grabbed his hand and hurried through the lobby with him. We stepped out and onto the porch as Daddy emerged from the limousine. Edwina was right beside him, holding Gavin's hand.
As soon as our eyes met, the years fell away like dried leaves fell from branches in autumn. Daddy was still tall, but he was much slimmer, and his face was a great deal leaner, so that his cheeks and chin were more bony and hard. His dark eyes were still very prominent, and although gray strands had invaded his temples and were spotted through his coal-black crown, he still had a thick, rich head of hair. He wore a dark blue jacket and slacks with black boots, and I saw he had a thick, wide belt with a silver buckle shaped like a horse's head. After all, Daddy was now a Texan, I thought.
Gavin gazed in awe. Jimmy and Fern's six-year-old half-brother was tall for his age. He looked adorable in his blue suit and bow tie. He had Daddy's black hair, but a round face with a lighter complexion. He had Edwina's brown eyes and soft, small mouth, but Daddy's straight, strong nose.
Edwina looked younger than she had in the pictures I had seen. She had a warm, gentle smile—a lot like Momma Longchamp's smile, I thought—and I imagined that was one of the things that had attracted Daddy to her so quickly. She stood nearly as tall as he did, and she had a firm, sleek figure with long arms and legs and a narrow waist. She wore a dark blue wool coat and a dark blue dress. She had her brown hair brushed back and pinned with pearl combs, and she wore only a trace of rouge and some light red lipstick.
Jimmy rushed down the steps to shake Daddy's hand and hug Edwina. I could see how much she liked him. Then he lifted Gavin in his arms and turned as I approached.
Daddy stood there smiling and shaking his head. I drank up the special kind of virile, pantherlike handsomeness that was his.
"You've become a mighty pretty woman, Dawn. Mighty pretty," he said.
"Thank you, Daddy." The tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't notice or care. He held out his arms, and I ran to them, ran to his embrace. He held onto me tightly for a moment. In his strong embrace I felt all the frustration and sadness he had endured, and I understood that his pain had been just as sharp as mine, if not sharper. He kissed me on the forehead and then wiped my cheeks with the back of his long, thin hand.
"Now, now, no tears. We're gonna have a nice reunion here. No sadness, hear?"
"Okay, Daddy," I said, smiling.
"I want you to meet my Edwina," he said, turning.
Edwina extended her hand. It was warm and soft in mine. I could see she was a tender woman whose smile came right from the heart.
"How do you do?" she said. "I'm glad we're finally meeting."
"So am I. Welcome," I said.
"It's so beautiful here," she remarked, turning. "Jimmy wasn't exaggerating." The bright, warm late-autumn afternoon did much to add to the sparkle and charm of Cutler's Cove. Our lawns were still rich green, and the trees were full of color: yellows, browns and reds. Above us the sky had turned a dark blue, and the clouds were puffy and milk white.
"Thank you." My heart was doing flip-flops. I could barely catch my breath.
"And now meet Gavin," Daddy said.
"Hello, Gavin. I'm Dawn. Wait until you meet Christie," I told the wide-eyed little boy in Jimmy's arms.
"And Fern," Jimmy emphasized.
"Where is she?" Daddy asked, looking around.
"She's inside doing errands for the bellhops, Daddy," I said.
"Put her to work already, huh?" he said.
"She loves it, Daddy," Jimmy said. "She can't wait to come home from school and be in the hotel. Come on. Let's go inside. Julius will bring your suitcases to the house, but first we want to show you the hotel. Are you hungry?" he asked Edwina.
"No, we just ate on the plane," she answered.
"I'm hungry," Gavin quickly piped up. Everyone laughed.
