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"He doesn't want a meeting; he wants to destroy me."
"That's not true. Just give it a little more time." She paused. "I've brought a present for Decker. Can I give it to him?"
"He needs nothing from you," his dad replied. "I provide for him. I always have."
"No one doubts that."
"Oh, yes, they do."
"Please, just give him the present," the woman begged.
"No. You know what I want, Ellie. Don't come back until you can give it to me."
His father stepped back and slammed the door in her face. When he turned around, he saw me and stopped abruptly. "Decker. You're supposed to be in bed."
"I'm thirsty. Why are you mad at the lady?"
"It doesn't matter."
"She said she had a present for me."
"You don't need any presents from her. And tomorrow we're going on a hike, so you have to go to sleep. Get back in bed, and I'll bring you some water."
"Will you read me another story?"
"We read three stories earlier," his dad said, then relented. "Maybe one more. I love you, Decker. I hope you know that. You and me—we're a team. We don't need anyone else, do we?"
"No. I love you, too, Daddy."
Decker's eyes flew open, his heart beating faster. Had the woman at the door been Eleanor Johnson? It seemed likely that Ellie was a nickname for Eleanor. Who had she been to his father? She wasn't his father's mother; her name was Catherine. Maybe his mother's mother? But her name was Debra.
But Ellie had some kind of connection to his dad, and that connection felt familial.
He wished he knew more about his family, but his father's desire to always move forward had prohibited discussions about the past. His dad had never wanted to talk about family, always saying they had each other and that was enough. He'd always felt it was enough.
But now he was wondering what drama had made it just the two of them. The woman had suggested that they'd gone to Whisper Lake to work something out. He'd thought it had just been another vacation spot, another place for his dad to write and take photographs. It had clearly been more than that, but what?
It shouldn't matter, and he would probably never know the truth. Although…
Eleanor had left her entire life in Chloe's rental house.Was it possible there was a clue to his past in that vast pile of junk? And did he really want to look for it?
His gut twisted in conflict. His father wouldn't want him to look. He'd tell him to leave, go home to California or anywhere else. Looking back was not where you wanted to look. It would only make you lose your balance or slow you down.
Why had his father stressed that so many times? Had his dad been afraid of what he would find if he did look back?
He started the car and drove down the street, pausing at the stop sign in complete indecision. He didn't know where he wanted to go, but he had a feeling there was probably one good choice and one bad one.Did he want to stir up the past or leave it buried the way it had been for so many years?
ChapterSeven
Chloe woke up Friday morning,feeling more energized than she had in a while. The night before had been fun. She'd gotten back up on the karaoke stage, thanks to Decker, and it had gone well. She hadn't sung too badly. And having Decker as a duet partner had been amazing. He'd played to the crowd, making everyone laugh and cheer for them.
She'd also had a chance to spend time with Joel. They'd been missing each other the past few weeks, as his schedule hadn't matched up with hers. Finally, her friends had had time to talk to him. They'd seemed to like him. There wasn't much not to like. He was handsome and friendly and easy to talk to.
But it didn't feel like Joel had clicked with the group as much as Decker had. To be fair, Joel hadn't made as big of an effort as Decker to get to know her friends, and by the time he'd arrived at the bar, her friends had had several rounds of drinks and were more interested in singing and then dancing when the karaoke session ended, and a DJ took over.
She would have liked to dance with Joel, but he'd had an early meeting, and she'd had a babysitter to send home, so they'd parted company at the bar after a kiss that might have been better if it hadn't been interrupted by people coming and going in the parking lot.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she touched her fingers to her lips, trying to sink back into the feeling of his mouth on hers. But it had simply been too fleeting. Next time, she told herself, then left the bathroom.
