Marta Perry - Hero Dad

“I guess you’ve got a point.” Seth bent to pat Max’s head. “Maybe I should start cooperating.”

Gabe grinned. “A lot of guys would be happy to work with someone who looks like Julie. Loosen up.”

“I’ll try.”

In fact, he’d start trying right now. He crossed the lawn toward the tables, wondering what had drawn a little crowd.

Then he got close enough to see. Julie’s laptop. She was showing them the digital photos she’d taken.

He leaned over his cousin Brendan’s shoulder to have a look. One photo after another flashed on the small screen like a slide show. Julie leaned back a little, as if to say that she wasn’t responsible for how people reacted to her work.

He leaned closer as the pictures she’d taken at Davy’s preschool began to show. They were close-ups, most of them, that cut out the background clutter to catch the little faces. Davy, his face so alight with mischief it seemed he’d walk out of the picture, made a mock grab at his father’s uniform patch.

“Wow. Julie, these are great.”

“Wonderful,” his mother breathed. Her eyes misted with tears at a photo of his dad leaning against an engine. Something about the image almost seemed to say that the man and the machine were one.

“Julie, you’re a terrific photographer.” Brendan smiled at her. “Of course, I guess you already knew that.”

Seth looked at Julie to see how she was taking their praise. Her expression grabbed his heart.

She was so obviously both pleased and embarrassed at their words. The woman was such a blend of cool professional expertise and personal—what? He stopped, at a loss for the right word.

Shyness didn’t seem to quite fit. He continued to watch her as Nolie announced that the food was ready and everyone began to hustle, setting plates and bowls on the table.

Julie moved the laptop out of the way, but she didn’t seem to know whether she should do anything otherwise. She just hung back, awkward.

He touched her elbow, moving her out of the way of Mary Kate and an enormous platter of fried chicken. “Relax, you don’t have to help. You’re a guest.”

Her smile was grateful, as if he’d really done something for her. “I’d like to do my share, but they’re so well organized that it’s intimidating.”

“Believe me, when it comes to getting food on the table, the Flanagans are experts.”

Claire, Brendan’s fiancée, laughed. “To say nothing of how expert they are at putting it away. Before I got involved with this crowd, I thought Sunday dinner meant a salad and a piece of broiled chicken.”

Brendan pulled her into a hug. “You love every minute. Admit it.”

“Why I haven’t gained ten pounds since meeting you, I’ll never know.” Claire gave him a quick kiss and shooed him out of the way. “Go help Nolie carry out the coffee urn. You have to do something to earn your meal.”

Seth smiled at their interplay. Love. Everyone seemed to be falling in love recently.

But not him. He’d already had his love, and he didn’t expect God to send that his way again, but it wasn’t fair for Davy to be without a good mother.

That role definitely didn’t apply to someone like Julie. But he glanced at her, only to find that Julie was sitting on the ground, intently studying the maple leaf that Davy held out to her.

His son’s tiny palms held the leaf carefully, as if he feared he’d tear it. He was smiling into Julie’s face, apparently confident that she’d find it equally intriguing.

As for Julie—

Julie looked as if she’d just been handed the best present of her life.

She’d made a big mistake in all her careful planning, Julie thought, pushing back from the table after the enormous meal was finally finished. She hadn’t begun to realize how Lisa’s child would affect her.

My nephew, she’d wanted to say when Davy had entrusted her with the maple leaf he’d found. I have as much right to hold you, to love you, as anyone else.

She hadn’t said it, of course. For an instant, tears blurred her eyes. She blinked them quickly away. She couldn’t let herself begin imagining that she’d ever have any right to tell Davy who she was. She’d known that from the start. She just hadn’t known how much it would hurt.

“See, Julie, see?”

Davy ran ahead toward the pasture fence, while she and Seth followed along behind. Seth had suggested his son have a nap after dinner, but Davy had shaken that idea off, insisting that Julie had to see the donkey.

At least, she thought that was what he’d said. Davy’s language was sometimes difficult for her to understand, although the rest of the Flanagans didn’t seem to have trouble interpreting it. Even Mary Kate’s two young children were quick to announce what Davy wanted.

“I wish I had that much energy.” She watched as the child darted forward, doubled back to check on a dandelion’s puffball and then ran ahead of them again.

“I’m telling myself that I can’t keep up with him because I ate too much.” Seth patted his flat stomach. “But it might just be because I’m getting too old to keep up with a two-year-old.”

“Three next week. That’s what he told me when I asked how old he is. Three next week.”

Her smile lingered on her lips. It was probably silly to be so affected because a small child had shared his discovery that leaves turned color in the fall, but she couldn’t help it. So maybe she’d better just concentrate on enjoying this brief span of time with her nephew, instead of mourning that there wouldn’t be more.

Actually, it was amazing how relaxed she felt. It could have been that moment of connection with Davy, or the excellent meal or maybe the beautiful surroundings.

Or maybe she was simply happy to be walking across a field with Seth, watching his son romp through the grass.

Seth’s attitude toward her seemed to have changed, and she wasn’t sure why. She just knew that slightly edgy watchfulness of his had eased. He accepted her.

“A birthday’s pretty special when you’re that age.” His voice seemed to warm. “Will you still be around then? We’d like to have you come to the party, if so.”

“I’ll probably be here another week, at least.” She said it carefully, fearful of making a commitment she wouldn’t be able to keep. “I’d love to come to Davy’s birthday party, if you’re sure you want me.”

“Well, who wouldn’t want a professional photographer at a kid’s birthday party?” He caught her hand in his, swinging it lightly. “We might actually end up with some pictures we can see, instead of Ryan’s out-of-focus blobs.”

“No blobs, I promise.” She felt ridiculously lighthearted. The warmth of Seth’s hand seemed to extend right up her arm.

An outrageous thought flickered tantalizingly through her mind. What if she told him? What if she came right out and told him she was Lisa’s sister? He seemed to be accepting her. Maybe he could accept that. If Lisa had told him about her family—

The thought stopped there. She didn’t know what Lisa had told him. She only knew what Lisa had told her.

A spasm of pain gripped her heart. She hadn’t heard anything from Lisa after that letter saying she was getting married. She hadn’t known about Davy.

She hadn’t even known about Lisa’s death until she’d realized Lisa hadn’t drawn any funds from the trust she administered for her. That had roused her concern enough to make her hire the private investigator to find her.

“See, Julie?” Davy danced in front of the pasture fence, waving his arms. “See?”

“I see.” She shaded her eyes. “I see the donkey and the goat, but what are those other things?”

“Don’t you recognize a horse when you see one, city girl?” Laughter filled Seth’s voice. He leaned against the split-rail fence, propping his elbows on it.