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“I didn’t mean to hide—”
“I guess it don’t matter now that Dave’s gone—” The old man’s voice cracked, and Katie crumpled inside.
“I did try to tell him, before he left Oregon,” she said, shaking her head at the unspoken, worried questions forming in Bliss’s eyes. “He never called or came back to find out.”
“So now it’s his fault?” The man’s voice rose an octave, and Katie could almost feel his agitation.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I should hope not, missy, because our boy’s gone. Gone. It nearly killed Loretta—” His voice cracked again, and Katie wanted to drop off the face of the earth.
“Look, I’m sorry about Dave. Really. He was a good person.”
“But not good enough for you to contact and tell him about his son.”
“That was probably a mistake,” she allowed.
“Amen to that one.”
“But I was young and scared—”
“Maybe we should be running along,” Bliss said as she caught a glimmer of the conversation.
“No, it’s fine. Please. Stay,” Katie mouthed, placing her hand over the mouthpiece of the receiver.
“Okay. We’ll be outside.” Without another word, Bliss shepherded Dee Dee outside, found the basketball on the back porch and challenged her stepdaughter to a game of horse.
“I know why you were scared,” Ralph Sorenson said. “Can’t say as I blame you, but the here and now of it is that Loretta and I have a grandson—the only one we’ll ever have—and we want to meet him.”
“Of course you do,” she said, trying to stay calm. “I think that it would be a good idea.” That was stretching the truth a bit, but she couldn’t deny Josh the right to see his grandparents, or vice versa.
“Then let’s do it. The sooner the better.”
She’d forgotten how pushy Ralph Sorenson had been, how Dave had complained of an overbearing father. “Listen, Mr. Sorenson, I said I was sorry and I am. I probably handled this all wrong from the get-go, but the most important person in this situation is Josh. I just want to make sure that he’s strong enough to handle this. I think he is. And certainly, very soon, he’s gonna want to meet you.”
There was another pause, then a sigh. “All right, Ms. Kinkaid. You do what you think is best, but remember, Mrs. Sorenson and I are here waiting, dying to meet Dave’s boy.”
“I know. I’ll let you know when Josh is ready to meet you. Then, of course I’d love you to visit. You can even stay here at the house, if you want.”
“Well…that’s very kind.” The anger in his voice faded away, and she thought she heard him sniff, then blow his nose, as if he were overcome with emotion. Her own throat was thick, her hands sweating
over the receiver. But she wouldn’t break down, wouldn’t allow herself the luxury. It seemed that all she ever did anymore was cry, and she hated it.
“Tell Luke that we spoke and assure him that he’ll get paid, just as promised.”
“I will,” she said, wondering at the turn of the conversation.
“I know he told me not to call, that he’d set it up, but… Oh, hell, the missus and I, we just couldn’t wait for him.”
“‘Wait for him’?” she repeated uneasily.
“You’ll let us know when we can visit?”
“Of course.” She hung up, mystified. Why was Ralph Sorenson talking about paying Luke for something now? A hint of an idea pricked her mind, but she didn’t want to think about it, couldn’t let that little niggle of horrid doubt burrow into her brain.
Bliss, as if sensing the conversation was over, lost her game to Dee Dee, then, while Katie was rummaging in the refrigerator for a pitcher of lemonade, returned to the kitchen. Both mother and stepdaughter were sweating, their faces beet red, their eyes bright.
“I won!” Dee Dee announced.
