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“Maybe if I had, she would’ve told me,” he said in a voice not much above a whisper.
The remorse in his voice tugged at Callie’s heart. Could someone sound that sincere and be lying?
“According to her friend, Helen, my mom wanted to protect you. She knew how important image was to your family.”
Warren nodded in acknowledgment. “That sounds just like Ruth, to put others first. It was one of the things I loved about her.” He paused, lost in thought for a moment. “She acted strangely our last night together before I went back to school. I assumed it was because she was nervous about me telling my family about us. We argued about it that night actually. She knew my parents had someone else in mind for me. To them, my relationships were more about business than anything else,” Warren said as if he’d just started putting things together. “Then she broke things off. I never thought about her odd behavior again. I was too angry with her. I wonder if she knew then that she was pregnant.”
Though he continued to talk aloud, Callie wasn’t certain he was speaking to her. Still, she felt the need to say something. “I don’t know exactly when she found out. Helen just told me my mom was really scared when she did. She waited as long as she could to tell her parents even.”
He shook his head sadly. “She shouldn’t have had to go through it alone.”
Callie felt compelled to comfort this man who, although a stranger, was still her father. To hug him. Instead, she said, “Her parents and brother were very supportive, so she wasn’t alone.”
Warren smiled as if he knew she was trying to comfort him. “I’m glad. They always seemed like nice people. I noticed they sold the store a few years ago.”
Callie nodded, surprised that her father would’ve noticed something so insignificant. “They actually stopped running it a while ago. My Uncle was doing everything. He and his wife decided to retire and move to Arizona.”
“Nice choice. It is beautiful out there.” Warren put the album on a table near his chair. “How is Dan? Your mom and uncle always seemed very close.”
“Okay, I think. He took mom’s death really hard.” The man seated before her just kept surprising her. After more than thirty years, he still remembered her uncle’s name. Talk about a good memory.
Warren leaned back. “Does Dan know I am your father?”
“No. She never told anyone until she asked Helen to mail your letter.” A familiar sense of anger and betrayal washed over her. Tears threatened.
Deal with this later. You don’t want to cry here. Save the tears for afterward when you’re alone.
“This is probably difficult for you, Callie. Why don’t we switch topics for now? Tell me a little about your childhood.”
She’d rather ask him some questions about himself, but kept that to herself. “Mom and I lived in an apartment in Uxbridge until I was four, and she worked at a hospital in Worcester. When she got a position at a doctor’s office in Slatersville, she bought a small house there. I’ve lived in that town ever since.”
Callie considered what other information Warren might like to know.
“I went to public elementary school and middle school in Slatersville. I received a scholarship to attend Phillips Academy for high school.”
The next two hours literally flew by. She’d expected their time together to be strained and awkward, for it to drag, but it didn’t. True, it was a little strange, especially at first, but overall, she had a pleasant morning. Warren Sherbrooke seemed to be a genuinely nice man. Not at all what she expected of a rich and powerful politician.
“It is a little after noon. Why don’t we join everyone for lunch?” Warren suggested. “I asked our cook to prepare something special this afternoon, at least for everyone else. I’m still eating dry toast and clear broth. Doctor’s orders. We can talk more after that.”
Lunch with everyone sounded less than enjoyable. In fact, she would much rather retreat to her motel and order a pizza. She didn’t argue though. How could she? It was lunchtime, and she was a guest in her father’s home.
We’re eating in here? Callie almost shook her head as she followed Warren into the smaller dining room. The dining room he’d referred to as the informal one. The room appeared so ornate she half expected to see servants wearing white gloves waiting to pull out her chair. Instead, she found her father’s wife, Elizabeth, her half-sister, Sara, and Dylan seated around a beautifully set table.
Here we go. Round two.
“Callie, this is my wife, Elizabeth.” Warren walked up behind his wife and placed his hand on her shoulders.
She didn’t need to be told who the fashionably dressed woman with perfect hair and makeup was. Callie had seen plenty of photos of the woman who was still quite beautiful even though she was well into her fifties.
I can do this. Callie forced herself to smile. She’s not going to bite.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Sherbrooke.” Callie extended her hand and waited, unsure of what to expect. While her father had mentioned his wife several times during their conversation, he hadn’t even hinted at her feelings regarding this bizarre situation, and after her brief encounter with her half-sister two days earlier, Callie didn’t know what to expect from her father’s wife.
“Please call me Elizabeth. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, my dear,” Elizabeth said, taking Callie’s outstretched hand. “Warren has been looking forward to meeting you since he received the letter from your mother.”
Despite Elizabeth’s pleasant tone, Callie remained unsure of her true feelings. Her smile looked forced and her voice was cold, telling Callie that Elizabeth was less than ecstatic about having her husband’s illegitimate daughter in her home.
Not your problem. He invited you, remember.
