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A Father's Pledge
Eleanor Jones
Can this single dad rise to the challenge?Luke Travis may be a father, but he’s never really been a dad to Ben. When the nine-year-old enrolls at the boarding school where Luke works, Luke knows it’s time to step up. Except his son wants nothing to do with him. And then there’s Kat Molloy, the child therapist whose "help" conflicts with everything he believes about raising kids. Some part of him realizes they both want what’s best for Ben—and that same part of him wonders why he’s so drawn to Kat despite their differences. But Luke can't risk letting romance get in the way of his relationship with his son…


Can this single dad rise to the challenge?
Luke Travis may be a father, but he’s never really been a dad to Ben. When the nine-year-old enrolls at the boarding school where Luke works, Luke knows it’s time to step up. Except his son wants nothing to do with him. And then there’s Kat Molloy, the child therapist whose “help” conflicts with everything he believes about raising kids. Some part of him realizes they both want what’s best for Ben—and that same part of him wonders why he’s so drawn to Kat despite their differences. But Luke can’t risk letting romance get in the way of his relationship with his son...
“Ben’s been spoiled all his life,” Luke said. “That’s what his behavior is all about.”
“How do you know? How do you really know what his life has been like up to now?” Kat asked. “He’s only nine. You need to let him learn to love you, Luke.”
Their faces were so close that Kat could feel his breath on her cheek.
“That’s just it,” he murmured, his eyes soft with a vulnerability she’d never seen in him before. “What if he never forgives me and never grows to love me? Perhaps I’ve already lost my chance with him.”
On impulse, Kat moved closer. Cupping his jaw with gentle fingers, she touched her lips to his, and when his arms wrapped around her, it felt so right. His lips closed over hers, soft and yet demanding, and for an endless moment it felt as if they were one being, a part of the vast space and beauty that surrounded them...
But they weren’t alone. With a surge of guilt, Kat pulled away in panic, looking for Ben. What were they thinking?
Dear Reader (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d),
Thank you for picking up my book, I do hope you enjoy it. There is just something timeless about the sea that draws us in. At times serene and breathtakingly beautiful, it can also be awe inspiring in its ferocity—dangerous, wild and untamed. A bit like life, really, I suppose.
I am so enjoying writing this series, Songs of the Sea, and I would love to hear your comments. You can contact me at info@holmescalesridingcentre.co.uk.
All very best wishes,
Eleanor
A Father’s Pledge
Eleanor Jones


www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ELEANOR JONES was brought up on a farm in the north of England and learned to love animals and the countryside from an early age. She has ridden all her life, and after marrying her husband at just eighteen years old and having two wonderful children, they set up a riding center together. This is still thriving over thirty years later, doing hacks, treks and lessons for all ages and experiences. Her daughter competes at the national level, and she is now a partner in the business and brings her adorable three-year-old son to work with her every day. Eleanor’s son is also married with two children, and they live nearby.
Eleanor has been writing for what feels like her whole life. Her early handwritten novels still grace a dusty shelf in the back of a cupboard somewhere, but she was first published over fifteen years ago, when she wrote teenage pony mysteries.
I would like to dedicate this book to my dear sister, Catherine, who lives by the sea.
Contents
Cover (#u1e2a43b4-8610-5590-a465-1832618f1790)
Back Cover Text (#uf8ac4850-4354-5a9b-b5e5-78aec00e67fa)
Introduction (#u50b2d9fd-b93e-5c56-9899-92c269f2a617)
Dear Reader (#u4036b551-8269-5388-beca-1587c709af06)
Title Page (#ub34280b4-0f26-5d34-9da1-9b7301e21521)
About the Author (#ua959dd4d-16ac-5013-932d-4721a9c90138)
Dedication (#u98e06808-51f3-5a69-b950-564c92f3a2f3)
PROLOGUE (#u59604add-9510-573f-939d-911483229741)
CHAPTER ONE (#ucc0c78cb-90a1-5220-a09f-ab6d66ec8fd3)
CHAPTER TWO (#uee00a143-3211-5713-8459-d560b46e0d4d)
CHAPTER THREE (#u3894d731-74e8-5824-ba64-60bb4db9d9ad)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u1c8e9418-b428-5cab-83f2-cc14797799dd)
CHAPTER FIVE (#u00bf31cc-0edf-586b-86af-c9f2b6e836a2)
CHAPTER SIX (#u7a4bca82-906e-51ff-9113-ddf88d85405f)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
PROLOGUE (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
NEVER HAD LUKE TRAVIS felt such guilt before—guilt that sat so heavy on his heart it weighed down his every movement. Waiting there for Ben, his Ben, the nine-year-old boy he had abandoned so many years ago, to arrive at Flight—the special school where Luke worked—was both the best and worst experience of his life. He’d never expected and was totally unprepared for this. And the sad thing was that he had no excuse to give his son. Luke had just been young and selfish and irresponsible, simple as that.
He sat rigid on the wooden chair, drowning in memories. Ben’s mum, Carly, so wild and so beautiful. When you’re young and impulsive, he told himself, sometimes you make crazy decisions, blame other people and just walk away. He knew he had and he wasn’t proud of it. But now he’d been given a chance to make amends, to prove that he could be a good dad. He intended, despite the self-doubt that haunted him, to do the very best that he could for his son.
Luke glanced at the clock again and again as the time crept nearer, three thirty on a sunny afternoon. At any moment his son, the son he barely knew, the son he had left behind by persuading himself that it was the best decision for the child, would walk through the office door. And Luke had no idea what to say to him.
Then the door opened, and there he was, walking determinedly behind his grandma, Mollie, his smooth, young face an echo of Luke’s own, but was filled with anger and aggression.
“Hi,” Luke said awkwardly, offering his hand.
Ben just stared straight through him, as if he wasn’t there. The boy was right to hate him because that was what he deserved.
And then for one solitary, fleeting moment, Ben’s mask of anger slipped. His jaw quivered as his head dropped forward, revealing his vulnerability, and Luke swore to himself that from this moment forward his son would come first. It was time to make amends, to come to know him and to earn his love, no matter how hard it would be.
Luke understood now, without a shadow of a doubt, that walking away from his son had been the worst mistake of his life.
CHAPTER ONE (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
A LOUD SCREAM took Kat Molloy’s attention and she ran across to where Tammy Nelson was rolling on the ground, clutching her knee. Huge tears rolled down the little girl’s cheeks as Kat gave her a hug. “It’ll be okay in a minute,” she promised. “Look, it isn’t even red.”
Tammy carefully stood up, testing her weight on her injured joint. “See,” Kat said. “It’s better already.”
Tammy smiled happily, rubbing away her tears. Then she pointed in horror toward the sea, her blue eyes wide beneath their frame of ginger curls. “Miss!” she cried. “Ben’s gone right out into the water!”
Kat’s heart leaped into her throat.
“Ben!” she yelled, spotting the boy’s slight figure heading out into the waves. “Get back here...now!”
Tammy and the two other children in Kat’s care, nine-year-old Johnny Cartwright and seven-year-old Angel Dunn, stood ankle-deep in the rushing foam that shimmered onto the sand, watching in awe as the blond boy with a wicked grin waded out until the water was to his waist.
Ben had been at Flight for only a couple of weeks, arriving just a week after Kat herself, but he had always been in some kind of trouble since day one. Unfortunately, it had made him quite a hero to the younger ones. With a sigh, Kat stepped deeper into the water, dragging her legs against the current as the boy waded out even farther, waving cheekily. A prickle of alarm set in. The cool water might look enticing, but the undercurrents here were strong, and beneath the waves lurked quicksands, which could catch waders unaware.
Ben splashed around, grinning mischievously as he lowered his shoulders into the rushing tide. “It’s okay, Miss. I can swim,” he called, his voice blowing away on the wind. “It’s easy—watch!”
Kat struggled toward him. “No, the current is way too strong. Get back here, Ben! Just paddling, I said.”
For a moment, the boy defied her, propelling himself through the water with flailing arms as the other children looked on in awe. Kat waded deeper into the rippling foam, calling his name with as much authority as she could muster, ignoring the icy water soaking her jeans.
When a tall figure splashed by her, she was surprised to see Luke Travis making a beeline for Ben. The waves he made as he passed knocked Kat off balance, and suddenly the sand seemed to give way beneath her feet. The water closed over her head, taking her breath, and she felt a rush of raw panic before she lurched back up into the sunlight, swallowing seawater and coughing.
Luke had grabbed hold of Ben and was dragging him back to shore. The boy struggled angrily as Luke dumped him on the sand, and Kat hurried across to check him over, ignoring her wet clothes. Her relief quickly turned to indignation when she realized that Ben was okay.
“I could have drowned,” she yelled at Luke. “And I had everything under control.”
Her voice was lost amid the cries of the gulls that circled above them. This wasn’t the first time Luke had intervened in one of her sessions. He seemed to show up at every one of her sea-or nature-therapy outings, watching her with the kids and butting in at every opportunity. Yes, he was Ben’s dad, and the assistant general manager at Flight, but she was the child therapist, and she knew what she was doing. Just because Luke was struggling to be a proper father to Ben didn’t mean he had a right to keep questioning her ability to look after his son.
And now, of course, he could justify his hypervigilance with this incident. It was just what he’d been looking for. Luke Travis didn’t believe she was capable of doing her job, and today had given him even more fuel to fire that belief.
Kat pushed her wet hair back from her face and headed toward Ben and Luke. Even though Ben seemed all right, she needed to check on him. She had no excuses; this was her fault. She was in charge of the children and she should have been watching them all more closely.
Luke was standing slightly apart from the small group of excited children, his arms crossed. She ignored him as she walked up to Ben.
“Sorry, Miss,” he said, his cheeky grin belying his apology. “But I did tell you I could swim.”
Kat glanced sideways at Luke; his frown of disapproval made her suddenly aware that her heavy pink sweater was clinging to her body. She clasped her arms across her chest self-consciously, realizing with a sinking heart just how unprofessional she must look.
“Are you okay, Ben?” she asked. “You didn’t swallow too much water, did you, being dragged through the sea like that?”
“I told you,” he insisted. “I can swim and I didn’t swallow any water.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Ben, but there are going to be consequences for not listening,” Kat went on in what she hoped was a stern voice. “Right now, we’re all going to have to go back to school so that you and I can get changed.”
“Seems like that’s a good idea anyway,” Luke interrupted. “Before one of the children drowns.”
A red flush crept into Kat’s face as she turned to the children, who were giggling behind their hands. “Why don’t you all go and see who can find the nicest stone,” she suggested. “But don’t go too near the sea...or out of my sight.”
“I’ll win,” cried Tammy, already running off. Angel followed close behind, and the other kids joined the search. Ben, however, hovered within hearing distance of Luke and Kat, pretending to look at the ground.
“I had everything under control,” Kat told Luke. “Things could have gone much worse with three of us in the water. If you had to insist on monitoring my class, you could have stayed on shore and made sure the other kids didn’t run off.”
“I have every right to monitor all the children’s classes,” Luke said drily. “And to be honest, it seems your classes need more than just monitoring. You shouldn’t be left in charge of children if you can’t watch them properly.”
Kat fought to contain her anger. The last thing she wanted was for them to have a full-blown argument with the kids nearby. “What you are obviously trying to insinuate,” she eventually said in a low, steely tone, “is that you don’t think I’m capable of caring for your son. Who is clearly out of control. Do you think you could have stopped him from going into the water like that? I have a long track record of caring for kids and keeping them safe.”
“All I know is what I saw here today,” he responded. “And I will be reporting the incident.”
Kat bristled. “What did happen here today? As far as I’m concerned, Ben took advantage of the fact that I was helping Tammy after her fall and broke the rules by going for a swim. I reacted as quickly as possible to that, and I’d soon have had him back to shore if you hadn’t butted in.”
“I was only messing around, you know,” Ben said, surprising them both. “What’s the big deal? I was just having fun.”
Kat and Luke turned to him and the other children, who had returned from their rock hunt while the adults were arguing.
“It’s true,” agreed Tammy. “He likes having fun. Don’t you, Ben?”
“I like Ben’s fun,” added Angel with a gap-toothed grin.
Luke held Kat’s gaze.
“Nothing wrong with having a bit of fun,” Ben announced in a sulky voice. “You should try it sometime.”
At that, Luke’s face hardened. “Well, it looked to me as if you were in a very dangerous situation,” he said, resting a hand on the boy’s arm. “Having fun is one thing, but you must learn to obey the rules or you could get hurt. Miss, here, needs to apply a little more discipline, I think.”
“What?” Kat asked. “To myself, you mean, or to the children?”
“To both, actually,” he said. “Now come on, Ben. I’ll make sure that you get back to school in one piece.”
“We’ll all go back together,” Kat said, ushering the children toward the path.
“I hate you,” Ben muttered under his breath, pulling away from Luke to catch up with the other kids.
Kat’s heart went out to both of them. She knew Luke had only just met Ben, and it had been a difficult adjustment. For father and son. But Luke throwing his weight around like this was not going to help build their relationship.
Water dripped from her clothes, and she shivered. “Look,” she said, falling into step beside Luke. “Why don’t we just take a step back on this. No one got hurt and all you’re doing now is upsetting poor Ben.”
“Upsetting him?” Luke’s voice was cold. “You’re the one who’s upsetting him by not doing your job properly. Children need boundaries and discipline, and you don’t seem to know the meaning of either.”
Kat’s cheeks burned. She was not going to be drawn further into this dispute. Most of the children here had already endured too much conflict in their young lives. They might come across as tough, but they were so vulnerable.
“If you feel that strongly, maybe you should bring it up with Tim Ellison or Mike,” she said. Tim was the principal at Flight, and Mike was head of care. “They asked me to come here to run my sea-therapy course. I think you’ll find they’ll back me up.”
Luke glared at her. Determined not to be intimidated, she stared ahead and kept walking. “Look,” she said, “I’m just trying to do the job I know I’m good at, Luke, and that is to try and help Ben. Perhaps you should talk to Mike, though. No one understands the kids and their situations like him. He can probably help you—”
“What do you mean, help me?” Luke cut in. “With what?”
“With Ben, I mean—he can help you with Ben.”
A flicker of emotion momentarily clouded his features, and Kat thought Luke was about to lose his cool. For a second, his eyes held hers and she saw such pain in their depths that it suddenly occurred to her that maybe Luke Travis was scared...but scared of what? His steely demeanor returned and he looked away.
“Don’t get too far ahead, children,” she called, increasing her pace.
They all waited for her and Luke to catch up before heading onto the narrow pathway that ran up the cliff to Flight. To her surprise, Ben fell in beside her, his small hand shyly clasping hers. She closed her fingers around his, then glanced back at Luke. He was watching them intently, his mouth set into a grim line. She felt a jolt of sympathy for him. She couldn’t help thinking that perhaps beneath his tough exterior was a man who was more than a bit out of his depth.
* * *
WHEN THEY ARRIVED back at Flight, squelching in through the imposing front door of the large, converted country house, Hilda, the pleasant, round-faced care worker, was horrified by the state of them.
“You go and get a shower, and I’ll see to the others,” she told Kat. Luke had stalked off somewhere the moment they’d stepped inside. “It’s nearly teatime, anyway. And Ben needs a shower, too, by the looks of him. What happened—did you fall in the sea or something?”
Ben squirmed, shamefaced, and Kat smiled. “Something like that,” she said. When the little boy flashed her a grateful glance, warmth flooded her heart. Luke Travis might be his dad, but he was wrong about Ben. It was love the boy needed, not discipline. Shame he couldn’t see that.
Kat went to shower and change, unable to get the day’s events out of her mind. What had happened between Luke and his son, and how come they’d had so little to do with each other up until now? She knew the basics of Ben’s behavioral problems—he wouldn’t be at Flight at all if he hadn’t had issues at home with his grandparents, who were his official guardians. She just wasn’t sure where Luke came in or why he hadn’t been involved in the boy’s life until now.
Hot water warmed and soothed her. She stretched up her arms and closed her eyes, raising her face to the deluge, trying to relax. But Luke Travis’s angry expression wouldn’t leave her mind. His brown eyes had been so dark and fierce. What if he did complain about her to Tim or Mike?
Well, just let him try, she decided, as she piled her wet hair on top of her head and reached for a towel. She had done nothing wrong. She was here to do a job and she wasn’t about to let him interfere with her courses. She’d already proved that her sea therapy worked; getting children to understand nature, the constant, timeless rhythm of life and the tide’s ebb and flow helped give them a sense of belonging to something bigger than their everyday lives...helped them heal. Luke Travis should be attending her courses as a student, not as a critic; it might do him a world of good to stop and take stock of what really mattered in life.
It wasn’t until much later, curled up in bed with the moonlight streaming in through her window, that Kat’s thoughts went back to her own issues. Her past was always there, waiting for a chance to remind her why she’d started working with troubled children in the first place. And as she drifted to sleep, her subconscious took over, taking her back to the day when her whole life turned on its head, ripping away her childhood...
She was trying to hurry, but her legs refused to do as they were told, as if she was wading through water. Ahead of her the cottage she’d called home for almost fifteen years seemed to loom out at her, its windows strangely sad and empty when normally they shone, bright and inquisitive, as if enjoying their glorious view of the sea that stretched out before them to meet the sky. She had always felt that the cottage had its moods and today it was angry with her; she could feel it in her bones. And all because she’d stayed late after school for once, to play in the park with the normal kids who didn’t have to rush home every day to care for their sad, crazy mothers.
The song of the sea filled her ears with its familiar, rhythmic swish as she stepped through the front door. Her heart thudded loudly in the silence of the small sitting room. Her mother’s lumpy figure was slumped on the sofa, eyes wide-open, gazing into nowhere...
And then the screaming started, the screaming that went on and on and on...
Kat sat up in the darkness with the screaming still ringing inside her head. Guilt and horror seemed to pin her to the bed. She forced herself to breathe; it was a dream, just a dream.
Moonlight slid in through the window, calming her, bringing back reality. She’d never truly escape that nightmare, though; it was a memory. Her mother had died because she had left her all alone, upsetting the routine that kept her sane and sending her over the edge.
Thanks to all the counseling she’d had afterward, Kat understood that it wasn’t her fault and that she had to stop blaming herself. She’d been barely fifteen, a child who should never have had the responsibility of caring for a mother who was suffering from depression. There were times, like tonight, however, when the dreams came back to haunt her, casting out her common sense and forcing her to relive the agony of that day.
She tried to look on the bright side. The dream always reminded her why she’d followed the path that had finally led her here, to Flight. For she had been one of those lost, confused kids who had no stability in their lives. By becoming a child therapist, she’d been able to give something back. It had helped to ease the sorrow and guilt that she knew would hang over her forever, no matter what anyone said.
CHAPTER TWO (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
AFTER HER DISAGREEMENT with Luke, Kat felt relieved to be off work the next day. Determined to put their unpleasant incident out of her head, she decided to head down to the shore, hoping to get new ideas for her sea sessions. Despite her positive attitude, however, as she wandered along the line of flotsam and jetsam she couldn’t help but remember the threats he’d made about reporting her incompetence. She needed to see Mike and explain what had happened before Luke gave his version...assuming he hadn’t already done so. Even if he had, she could still share her side of things.
Kat turned her face into the wind and breathed in its salty tang, listening to the sounds and smells and waiting for them to smooth away her troubles. Today, though, her “seaside fix” just didn’t seem to work. In fact, it had the opposite effect, taking her back yet again to the bleak and empty phase of her life she’d tried so hard to forget.
Her mother used to tell her that she was selfish and irresponsible, and sometimes, deep down, Kat couldn’t help wondering if it was true. The familiar guilt gnawed at her gut. What if Luke was right? What if she had been too lax with Ben? Perhaps she should have been watching over the children more stringently...and perhaps she should have watched over her mother better. The thought made her feel fifteen again, and she shuddered.
The voices inside her head that had shouted at her then, blaming her for her mother’s death, were now mostly just a whisper in her memory, except when the dreams came to haunt her as they had last night.
Those voices had been stilled by the soothing song of the sea on that awful day as she’d waited down on the shore for someone to answer her emergency call. Her quickly fading footprints in the sand had made her feel invisible, bringing comfort. But she hadn’t truly been invisible because the paramedics had soon found her, speaking in quietly caring, low, soothing tones that held a hushed urgency. How long have you been your mother’s carer? Do you have any other relatives? Where does your father live?
She’d screamed at them to shut up, her hands clamped tight across her ears. They’d shared concerned glances, raised their eyebrows and whispered behind their hands. She’d been totally ignorant about the world, totally ignorant about death and totally unaware that her mother had been suffering from depression for over five years—since her father left.
Today, the bay was sparkling and serene, so beautiful that it took Kat’s breath away. She’d been afraid of the sea for a while after her mother died, for it was so closely linked with the day she’d found her body...and yet, deep down, she’d yearned for it, too.
It had taken five years for her to finally pluck up the courage to visit the coast again, believing that just being back in its awe-inspiring company would rekindle all her heartache, guilt and anger. She couldn’t have been more wrong. As soon as she’d gazed across the sweep of the bay to where the sea and sky became one, and breathed in those familiar scents, with the buffeting wind in her face and droplets of water on her skin, she’d known that the sea was still her friend, wild and beautiful and sometimes dangerous, but always dependable. And then she’d known that she should never have been afraid of going back to the coast, for her mother’s illness had had nothing to do with this place at all.
Jenny Brown’s Bay shimmered ahead of her now, serene and tranquil for once; it felt all-forgiving.
“I’m sorry, Mum,” she cried out into the gentle breeze, raising her hands to the sky. “I let you down when you needed me, but I will make up for it, you’ll see.”
Trying to put the past behind her, Kat carried on walking. The memories clung and it occurred to her that perhaps she should be thanking her mother, for Kat’s childhood experiences had led her to become what she was today, someone who could, hopefully, make a difference in the lives of children who needed support and guidance.
She took a deep breath and studied the flow of the rippling tide. Its changeless rhythm intrigued her, for although the ocean could often be terrifying in its ferocity, it was also consistent. No matter what was going on in people’s lives, the tide continued rushing up to the shore and flooding back out right on time; the sun still shone, the rain still fell and all the creatures in the world went about their daily lives following nature’s call without question.
That was what she loved about nature and animals: durability. Which was what had made her decide to develop her specialized therapy. Children who had no stability in their lives gained strength and confidence from their seaside sessions. She’d seen it time and time again, and Kat firmly believed that nature could teach most people a thing or two, if they only took note. Pity Luke Travis didn’t spend more time taking note of what her courses were about, she thought, instead of being so negative and critical.
It was late afternoon before Kat arrived back at Flight. The big, stone-built house must have once been some wealthy person’s country residence. As she approached, it stood tall and square against the brightness of the sky, its windows sparkling in the sunshine. It was a beautiful house, a wonderful place for the children here to call home. For many of them, Flight was the only true home they’d ever known. It was well run, too, with a great team. Tim Ellison, the principal, had a cottage on the grounds, while Mike Thomas, head of children’s care, lived on-site with his wife, Gwen, who worked alongside him.
Most of the other carers, therapists, teachers and cleaners lived locally, including the general manager, Wayne White. Luke was Wayne’s assistant and he lived on-site, as did Kat, though she was on the lookout for a place of her own.
Kat deeply respected Mike and Gwen, particularly since they often spent time with the children in the main house. She liked the way they went above and beyond their job descriptions, helping make Flight feel like a real family home. The layout also helped with that, featuring single and double bedrooms for the kids and a large, comfortable communal living room, two smaller sitting rooms, a dining room with one huge table and a massive kitchen, where anyone could eat or snack or just sit near the stove. Alice, who came in daily to organize the cooking, was usually to be found there, along with one or two of the other kitchen staff.
Kat and Luke had small apartments in a new annex at the rear of the house, but as they both had private doors into the garden, their paths rarely seemed to cross. Apart from a brief, cordial conversation when she’d first arrived at Flight, Kat hadn’t had much to do with him. A brief nod as they passed in the hallway or the odd polite comment was about the only interaction they had had...until Ben arrived. Ever since, Luke seemed to have taken it upon himself to interfere with everything she did.
Kat had been working at Flight for just over a week when Mike had called her to his office to tell her that a new pupil, Ben Jackson, was arriving that afternoon and would be assigned to her for counseling. As usual, Kat had wanted to know as much about the boy’s background as possible and she’d spent time before he arrived looking through his notes and questioning Mike. Ben’s grandparents were his guardians, but his grandmother, Mollie Jackson, had been struggling to care for him properly after his grandfather had fallen ill. Ben had become cheeky and disobedient, as well as regularly skipping school or refusing to go at all. The elderly lady had been at her wit’s end, so when Ben’s social workers had suggested sending him to a special school, she’d agreed. She’d selected Flight because that was where Ben’s father worked. The father he had hardly ever seen.
Mike had emphasized the importance of treating Ben like any other child at Flight. The plan was for him to get to know his father gradually without making a big deal of the relationship. They didn’t want the other kids to sense favoritism or feel excluded, but preventing Ben from getting to know his dad could be detrimental to him as well.
When she’d found out that Ben’s father was Luke Travis, Kat was surprised, to say the least. Luke was thirtyish and single, as far as she could make out. Not even the staff, who had known him since he first came to Flight as a general office lackey, had a clue that he had a son. Apparently, he’d never mentioned the boy to anyone in the years he’d spent working up to assistant manager.
Kat’s first meeting with Ben had been unproductive; he had refused point-blank to answer any of her questions and he exuded anger, an anger that she knew hid loneliness and fear. One thing was for sure: Ben Jackson was one very mixed-up little boy, and the more she could find out about his background, the easier it would be to try to help him.
She’d even tried to talk to Luke, shortly after Ben arrived, but it had been like talking to a brick wall. Luke didn’t seem to know anything about his son and he’d flatly refused to discuss how they’d become estranged. Perhaps now, though, after yesterday’s fiasco, she should approach him again. If she asked for Luke’s help, maybe it would break the ice a bit. What Ben needed right now was calmness and stability, and his father arguing with his counselor was definitely not the way forward.
Kat tapped on Luke’s apartment door, trying to appear professional and in control even though her heart was fluttering in her chest. It swung wide open at once.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said drily.
“Look,” she began, pulling back her shoulders and lifting her chin, “I’m really sorry about yesterday, and I wondered if perhaps we could have a chat...about Ben. You know, so we can get on the same page about what’s best for him.”
Luke towered over her, a deep frown etched across his forehead. “No offense,” he said, “but I’m not sure I want us to be on the same page where Ben’s concerned. It’s your job as his counselor to find out why he’s been behaving as he does. I’m his father and I don’t have to answer to you.”
“Well, no...obviously, I understand that.” Kat squirmed. “I just thought that if we had a proper chat about Ben’s background and his relationship with you up until now, it might help me understand his situation a bit better.”
“We don’t have a relationship,” Luke retorted. “That’s the whole problem. And we are unlikely to ever have one if you don’t stop putting him in crazy situations that encourage him to get into trouble.”
Kat tried to keep her cool, but heat flooded her face. “He was not in a ‘crazy’ situation yesterday—he just took advantage of me being distracted to have some fun. I’ll be the first to admit that I should have kept a closer eye on him and maybe reined him in earlier, but he was never in any danger, and the situation was not crazy. In fact, his behavior was typical of many young boys. Or perhaps you’ve forgotten what that’s like. In my experience, when children behave badly, it’s for a reason. Usually it’s a cry for help...or a way to channel their anger at the world. Children need stability and love in their lives if they’re ever to get back on track.”
“So now you’re telling me that I don’t love my own son?”
“No, of course not!” Kat felt as if she was going around in circles. “I just want to understand him better, and I thought you might be able to help with that.”
“Look...” Luke gave a slight shake of his head as if summing her up as stupid and exasperating. “I agree that Ben needs stability, and he has that here. The other thing he needs, though, is discipline—ground rules he has to learn to follow. I don’t believe your airy-fairy method of counseling is giving him that. Yesterday proved it. It seems to me that all you’re doing is letting the kids run wild.”
“Well, it seems to me that you and I will have to differ on that,” Kat said, holding her head high. “Oh, and by the way, I do happen to be the only one of us who is qualified to decide what a child needs.”
“You don’t need qualifications to bring up kids, just common sense.”
“And exactly what part has your ‘common sense’ played in your son’s life up until now?”
Luke paled, and Kat wished she could take back what she’d said. He glared at her then turned on his heel and slammed the door in her face.
Regretting her decision to talk to him, Kat walked slowly through the large gardens, needing time to calm down and think things through. As she reached the cliff top where the beautiful old house was perched, she stopped for a while to look out across the wide vista of the bay, breathing in the crisp, clear air before heading toward the front door of the school, feeling much calmer and more in control of her emotions.
As she stepped into the spacious hallway, she smelled the comforting aroma of roast beef and the fragrant lilies that stood on a side table beneath the window. She hesitated, listening to the sound of children’s laughter floating through from the kitchen. Despite the troubles that most of the children here had faced in their lives, Flight was in many ways a happy house, and she was very grateful to be a part of it. She just hoped Luke Travis would allow her to help his son thrive here.
Kat still had to talk to Mike, so she headed toward his study to see if he was still there. As she approached the half-open door, she could hear him speaking to someone. Could it be Luke, fueled by the confrontation they’d just had? She paused in the hallway, feeling guilty for listening in on a private conversation but unable to resist. If it was Luke, she needed to hear what he was saying about her.
“I think you just need to give her a bit more time,” Mike said. “She does have a lot of experience, and I’m sure that she knows what she’s doing. I’ll have a word with her, if you like.”
Kat didn’t wait to hear the other person’s response. It was obviously Luke complaining about her. She knew where she stood with him now and she definitely didn’t want eavesdropping added to her list of misdemeanors. When she met Gwen at the end of the hallway, her heartbeat increased tenfold; two minutes sooner and she’d have been caught red-handed.
“Hi,” Kat said in what she hoped was a bright, calm tone. “If you’re looking for Mike, I think he’s in the study. I heard his voice as I walked past.”
“Thanks,” Gwen responded with a puzzled frown. “Is everything okay? You look a bit flustered.”
“Yes...” Kat took a deep breath. “Of course, everything’s fine.”
“And your sea and nature sessions are going well?”
“Really well. I’m looking forward to expanding to animal therapy.”
“Good luck with that,” Gwen said. “Though it may take a bit longer to set up than your sea therapy.”
Now, what did that mean? wondered Kat as Gwen carried on down the hall. Had Luke already managed to put a spoke in the wheels? Well, her previous work with children and animals had been a huge success, and once she got this program all set up and running, it would succeed, too. Gwen was right that it would take some organizing; she needed not just the right animals, but a place to keep and care for them, plus feed and bedding and everything else they required. Not to mention risk assessments for absolutely everything. She’d better start making plans right away.
CHAPTER THREE (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
IT HAD BEEN ALMOST half an hour since he’d slammed the door on Kat Molloy and Luke was still seething. What did she expect, anyway? Obviously, he was going to watch out for his son, and if her sessions were in any way unsafe, he was going to interfere. She might be competent enough as a counselor, but her ideas about sea and animal therapy were something else. And now their disagreement had probably pushed Ben even further away from him.
All Luke really wanted was to make things right with his son, but everything he tried seemed to go wrong. And how she’d had the gall to turn up at his door and ask for help when she’d caused so much trouble was beyond him. He did feel a prickle of guilt for the way he’d ended the conversation, but she’d pushed him too far. How dare she insinuate that he didn’t love his own son?
With a heavy sigh, Luke went into the bathroom to shave and freshen up before dinner. He stared into the mirror and soaped his chin, his mind drifting over the past few weeks.
Since the moment he’d heard Ben was coming to Flight, Luke’s life had turned upside down—not that he’d have it any other way, of course. He remembered Mike calling him into his office and questioning him about Ben. Luke had tried to be totally honest, but as far as he’d known, Ben had been living a privileged and secure life in the care of his wealthy grandparents, Mollie and Jim Jackson, and his mother, Carly—Luke’s ex-wife.
Mike had frowned slightly, waiting for him to go on, and Luke had found himself making excuses for not being in his son’s life. When Ben was born, Mollie had promised him that she and Jim would make sure their grandson would be well taken care of, and he and Carly would have done nothing but argue if he’d stuck around. He’d believed he had nothing to offer Ben and that the boy didn’t need him, either.
“Did you want to be in his life?” Mike had asked, and he’d hesitated before replying. He wasn’t proud of that.
“I didn’t even know about him at first,” he’d said. “Carly and I were only married for a few months, and I hardly knew her family. Her mother called me a long time after we split up, totally out of the blue one afternoon. I was working down south. ‘I think it’s only right that you should know about Ben,’ she said.”
Luke genuinely hadn’t known that Carly was pregnant when they split up. Apparently, she’d insisted that she didn’t want Luke in her son’s life, but that hadn’t sat well with Mollie. After that initial call, Ben’s grandmother had promised to keep in touch and let Luke know how the boy was doing. And she had phoned him occasionally. When he’d moved nearer to where they lived, though, and pushed to have more contact with his son, maybe even get to see him, she had dropped what at the time felt like a bombshell.
Mollie had asked him to meet her at a tearoom on the outskirts of Lancaster one Saturday afternoon, a smart upmarket place that served proper English afternoon teas.
She’d already ordered when he arrived, but after she’d said her piece, the crustless egg sandwiches and fruit scones had turned his stomach. “Look,” she’d said kindly, placing her hand earnestly upon his. “I know that you and Carly were no good together, and it was right that you should split up so soon. No point hanging on to something that wasn’t working.”
“Our whole marriage was a series of impulsive decisions,” he’d agreed.
Mollie had nodded wisely, understanding. “I know that. The thing is, he’s never met you, Luke. He is almost two years old and you are a stranger to him. I thought it only right that you should know you have a son, but I honestly believe it would be way too confusing for him to have you turn up in his life now... One day, perhaps, when he’s old enough to know what he wants, he’ll probably ask to meet his dad and we would never stop him, but for now—for now we think that you should stay away, for Ben’s own good. He has a life, Luke—a happy, secure life filled with love, and he lacks for nothing. Your life’s not settled right now—you told me that the last time we spoke. You don’t have a steady job, and who knows where you’ll be next week, or next year. Do you really think it would be fair to let Ben get to know you, only to maybe have to leave him again?”
Everything inside him had screamed with objection. “But he’s my son. I need to know my own son.”
Mollie had clutched his arm. “Look, you’ve had nothing to do with him up until now. He’s happy and loved, a lovely, bubbly, content little boy, and you just want to pull his life apart for your own satisfaction.”
“But I’m his father.”
“Please, Luke. Think about Ben, not yourself. We can give him everything he needs to become the best that he can be. So please, if you care about him at all, just walk away. It will be the most unselfish and noble thing you could ever do for your son... Maybe when your life’s more settled and secure and you can guarantee that you’ll always be there for him, we can reconsider.”
He hadn’t agreed; he’d never agreed. He’d walked away from her that day with his emotions laid bare. Was she right? he’d asked himself again and again. Was he really being selfish in wanting to be in his son’s life? Ben didn’t need him; that was for sure. The boy had everything, so maybe he should just back off as Mollie had suggested, until he could walk back into Ben’s life and make him proud to be his son. He’d always felt like a failure to his dad and he didn’t want to be a failure to his son, too.
He’d done as Mollie had asked, but still tore himself apart over his decision, until he’d seen the job posting for a handyman position at Flight and it had seemed like a sign. Working around kids who needed help seemed like a good way to make a difference, since he’d been totally unable to have an impact on his own son’s life...yet.
Of course, he hadn’t given Mike all the details in his office that day, but he hoped he’d said enough to make it clear that he regretted not being in Ben’s life up until now.
Splashing cold water on his face, Luke grimaced at the spot of blood on his chin. It seemed he couldn’t even shave now without losing concentration.
Luke made himself a strong coffee and sat at his desk, his mind still spinning. It was seven years since he’d walked away from that meeting with Mollie, and he hated himself for agreeing to do as she had asked. He’d been wrong to stay away—he should have fought to see his son. He should have moved heaven and earth to be in his life... He’d known it the minute Ben had stepped through Mike’s office door just a few short weeks ago. And if he’d been around to spread the load when things started to go wrong for the Jacksons, maybe Ben wouldn’t have needed a special school at all. And maybe not having a dad in his life was partly what had caused Ben’s emotional issues in the first place.
The information they’d been given by the social worker was that Ben had been becoming more and more difficult for his elderly grandparents to handle. Jim was ill and Mollie had to spend a lot of time looking after him, so Ben had been left to his own devices most of the time. He’d been missing a lot of school, wandering around town until supper. Ben’s school had gotten the social worker involved after a local store had contacted them about one of their students stealing candy.
Apparently, things had first begun to go wrong after Carly had died several months earlier. That unexpected piece of information had left Luke shocked and angry. Mollie should have told him about Carly; he would have stepped in. She’d obviously kept the news from him because she was worried that he’d want to play a part in Ben’s life...and he would have, if he’d known the whole story, but he’d never have tried to take him away from them, if that was what she was worried about. The boy had been allowed to run wild and lost his way, and now it was up to Luke to try to instill some discipline into his son’s life, to teach him right and wrong. It was one of the few things from Luke’s own childhood that he could impart. He wouldn’t be where he was today if it wasn’t for the rules and structure he’d been made to follow when he was young.
In that first awkward meeting, just before Gwen had taken Ben to settle him in, Luke had tried to talk to him.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Ben,” he’d said. “And you don’t need to worry because I’ll be looking out for you.”
Ben had met his eyes then for the first time since he’d walked into the room; his brown eyes were dark with hurt and anger.
“I don’t want you!” he’d shouted. “And I don’t want to be here.”
The boy’s slight body had seemed to crumple, and when he’d rubbed his eyes fiercely to keep the tears at bay, Luke had taken a step toward him, needing to do something, anything that might make his son realize that everything was going to be okay. Ben shrank away from him, though, and instead of just following his instincts and giving him a hug, Luke had hesitated and glanced helplessly at Gwen.
“Right, Ben,” Gwen had announced briskly, trying to defuse the situation. “We have a lovely room ready for you, so why don’t you and I go find it and meet some of the other children here. You’ll see your gran again before she goes, don’t worry.”
Ben had jumped up to follow her at once. Anything, it seemed, to escape from the stranger who had just walked into his life, the stranger who they’d told him was his dad.
“Why don’t you and Mollie go somewhere private to catch up,” Gwen had suggested. “Then perhaps you’ll understand the situation a bit better.”
“Good idea,” Mike had agreed. “Lily and I will do the necessary paperwork.”
Lily was Ben’s social worker. Luke remembered how shocked he’d felt in that moment. Paperwork! It had seemed so wrong to talk about forms in the same context as planning the life of a child.
“A necessary evil, I’m afraid,” Mike had remarked, noting his expression. “We have to follow the paper trail. Now, why don’t you get Mollie a hot drink and a sandwich before she heads back. You can talk in the small sitting room.”
It had been both strange and strained, being alone with Mollie. She was obviously trying to keep the lid on her emotions. She’d told him what she thought he needed to know: Carly had died in a car accident in London, where she had been working. Jim was ill and without him around their car sales business had gone rapidly downhill and started losing money. Mollie was overwhelmed. Basically, she’d admitted, as she twisted her wedding ring on her finger, she had gotten to a point where she just couldn’t cope anymore, and it was Ben who’d suffered. Taken up with her own worries about business, Jim’s illness and grieving for her daughter, she’d neglected Ben, giving him none of the attention he’d been accustomed to. He’d become cheeky with her, moody, and gone out of his way to cause trouble in any way he could. Once the social worker got involved after Ben’s shoplifting incident, they’d suggested giving her some respite by sending Ben to a school for children who needed help.
“I just hope that I’ve done the right thing,” she’d murmured, breaking down. “But what other choice did I have?”
That comment had set off Luke. “You had me!” he’d cried. “You should have told me what was going on, let me help.”
“But that’s why I asked if he could come here, to Flight,” Mollie had explained. “Now you can help him.”
After Mollie left, Luke had tried to digest everything she’d told him. Why had she kept him in the dark about Carly’s death? And she’d talked about Jim being ill...diagnosed with what, cancer?
Still, he was glad for the opportunity to keep a close eye on his son and finally have some input into his upbringing. And maybe one day... Maybe one day Ben would be able to forgive him for abandoning him. Luke had told himself that he’d done the right thing by leaving his son in what he’d believed to be a stable and loving environment—an environment he didn’t believe he’d been capable of providing—but he’d been wrong. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late to make things right.
Which was why he couldn’t let someone like Kat compromise his son’s well-being. Ben was his responsibility now, and Luke didn’t intend to let anyone put him at risk. He was sorry for slamming the door in Kat’s face, but everything she did was out of order. Ben could have drowned trying to swim in the sea, and who knew what might happen if she was allowed to go ahead with her animal-therapy idea. He’d talk to Mike tomorrow, he decided, and try to make him understand just how dangerous some of her sessions truly were.
Ten minutes later, with a surge of fresh determination, Luke headed outside across the garden to the dining room, hoping he hadn’t missed dinner. The large room was almost empty and the tables were clear, apart from one at the very end of the room, where three children were still eating. Recognizing them at once as Ben’s classmates, he headed across to join them on impulse.
“Any food to spare?” Luke asked brightly, sitting down. “I’m a bit late for dinner, I’m afraid.”
Dennis Baker, a skinny boy with a shock of red hair, just shrugged. “Help yourself. We’ve just about finished anyway.”
“Seen Ben around?” Luke asked casually before biting into a grilled cheese sandwich.
They looked at each other and giggled. “Ben’s never around, at least not with us,” Dennis said.
Luke frowned. “Oh, and why is that?”
“’Cause he’s weird,” explained Dennis.
“He doesn’t go around with anyone,” Dan Kent, the boy on Dennis’s right, blurted out. “Or talk to anyone.”
Luke held back a rush of anger. It was hard not to get emotional when it came to Ben. “Dan, do you remember how you felt when you first came here? You have to try and help new children fit in here, not put them down.”
“We’ll try and help him, then, Mr. Luke,” Dennis agreed. “If you give us a fiver.”
All three boys, including Johnny Cartwright, who’d been silent until now, broke into a fit of giggles. Luke’s frustration surged again. What chance did Ben have of becoming a well-adjusted boy with kids like these around to goad him?
CHAPTER FOUR (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
THE AROMA OF coffee filled the air as Kat headed along the hallway. Tempted, she followed the scent to the dining room, surprised to see that it was empty, apart from a few boys sitting at one end of the table. Luke was with them, she noted with surprise.
Dennis and Dan were giggling together, while Johnny looked on in awe. She could see by the set of Luke’s shoulders that he was angry about something; when wasn’t he angry, though?
Wondering if she might have to intervene, she strode toward the small group. She knew Dennis only too well, and Luke’s face was dark with contained fury.
“What’s going on here?” she asked in what she hoped was a breezy tone.
Luke swung around, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of relief on his face. “This young man,” he announced, “is trying to bribe me.”
The giggling stopped as quickly as it had started when the children saw Kat. “Wasn’t me, Miss,” Dennis quickly announced.
“He told me he would only look out for Ben if I gave him a fiver,” Luke said.
Kat frowned. “Is that true, Dennis?”
“Ben’s weird,” Dennis responded. “So why would I want to look out for him, anyway?”
Kat pulled out a chair and sat down. “You know why, Dennis. We all look out for each other at Flight. A lot of the kids here have had troubles, including you. You were very unhappy when you first came to Flight, remember? Didn’t people help you?”
Dennis stared at the table and shrugged. “I guess.”
“So hasn’t it occurred to you that maybe Ben is unhappy and homesick, too?”
“Dunno,” he muttered.
“Well, did people help you when you needed it?”
“Might of.”
“There you go, then,” Kat said, smiling. “So you’ll help Ben?”
“I guess.”
“Thanks, Dennis. That’s really kind of you. Isn’t it, Mr. Luke?”
Put on the spot, Luke nodded. “Yes, thank you, Dennis. I guess you were only joking about the fiver?”
Dennis pulled a face. “I guess so. Come on, you two. Let’s go.”
As the three children raced off, Kat laughed out loud. “Bribed by a nine-year-old!”
Suddenly Luke was laughing, too. “Want a sandwich?” he asked, handing her the plate.
“Don’t mind if I do,” she said.
They ate in silence for a minute or two. “You’re good with kids,” Luke said eventually.
“It’s my job,” Kat reminded him. “Surely you must understand children, too, though, having worked here for ages.”
Luke shook his head slowly. “Not really. My job description covers everything from mending fences to placing orders for school supplies, but I haven’t had much contact with the kids. That’s more yours and Mike’s department...and Gwen’s, of course.”
“I’m sorry for insinuating that you don’t love Ben,” Kat said abruptly. “I crossed a line.”
“And I apologize for slamming the door in your face,” Luke offered.
Kat held his gaze. “We’re never going to agree, you know.”
Luke nodded. “At least not when it comes to your therapy courses.” He pushed the plate toward her. “Have another sandwich.”
Kat picked up an egg salad sandwich and nibbled at the edges. “You wait until I start with the animal therapy,” she said.
Luke stood, scraping back his chair. “We’ll have to agree to disagree about that. Anyway, I should get going.”
“Before we have another falling-out?” Kat asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Something like that,” he said with the hint of a smile.
* * *
KAT WAS STILL thinking about her conversation with Luke twenty minutes later as she walked along the cliff-top path to the village. Flight was set up high, way beyond the risk of high tides. Kat looked out across the bay, which sparkled in the evening sun. The sea shone with crimson light, and a few late gulls were circling, screaming out their lonesome cries before settling down for the night. It was heartrendingly beautiful here, she thought with a sudden rush of emotion, feeling happy about her decision to take this job, despite her problems with Luke.
Perhaps his reaction earlier—and his attitude toward the sea therapy—boiled down to fear. Maybe Luke was just scared—scared of the responsibility that had been thrust upon him.
Kat was good at understanding what made people tick and why, and not just the children in therapy with her, either. In her view, most adults were still affected by their childhoods and how they were raised. She’d seen it again and again in the foster homes she’d lived in as a teen, observing the ways people reacted and dealt with things. Her own childhood had taught her a lot about life, once she’d come to understand it, or at least tried to. Luke was angry because he was out of his depth with his son, but he should be letting her help Ben, not going against her.
As she followed the path down toward the shore, she considered her plans for the animal therapy. At her last placement, she’d virtually run the unit. The kids helped care for the animals while learning to understand their behavior and needs. The way the animals depended on them gave the kids a sense of responsibility, and the animals’ resilience and trust often gave them a whole new perspective on life. She hoped to start something similar—with fresh ideas, of course—here at Flight. Getting past the red tape was the biggest obstacle, especially when narrow-minded people like Luke Travis were raising objections at every turn.
A row of cottages stood next to the shore and were set on a limestone outcropping just above the high-tide line along a narrow track named Cove Road. She’d noticed the cottages before, but tonight in the half-light their brightly lit windows drew her toward them. Terraced and small, they were each two stories with neat front doors and welcoming windows. What a wonderful place to live, Kat thought: to wake up beside the sea each morning, staring out at the glorious, restless and ever-changing view.
The first of the three appeared to be occupied. Clothing flapped on a line at the back, a child’s bike lay discarded on the front walk and a light shone from somewhere inside. The second cottage was dark; it appeared closed and empty and kind of sad, its exterior pebble-dashed and a dull, weathered gray. The one at the very end, however, was painted a bright, fresh shade of white. It looked loved, she thought. A sign in the front window caught her eye and she went closer to read it. It was handwritten with For Rent in bold print.
Excitement prickled as an idea took root and grew. The cottage was close to Flight. It was by the sea. It was perfect.
Unable to wait, Kat dialed the number on the sign. The call went to voice mail. “Hi, it’s Elsa. Sorry I’m not here right now...”
The voice was clear and warm with a slightly melodic accent, but Kat’s heart sank. What if the cottage had already been rented? Pushing her phone back into her pocket, Kat walked cautiously along the pathway to the bright red front door and tried the number again.
She decided to leave a message. “Um... I was just inquiring about the cottage for rent in Jenny Brown’s Bay...” Kat left her contact information then clicked End.
Certain that there was no one inside, she walked around the side of the cottage and peered over a door in the fence that led into a small backyard. Everything looked spick-and-span, obviously recently redone. She had to have this cottage; she just had to.
Night was settling in as she headed back toward Flight, wondering how long it would take this Elsa person to reply to her call. The wind rose in her ears, whipping through the crooked bushes that lined the path, and she gazed out across the bay, remembering.
Sandston, the place where she’d spent her early childhood and the place where her mother’s sad life had ended, was not unlike Jenny Brown’s Bay. It felt right to be here.
Suddenly, her phone began to ring and she dug it from her pocket.
“Hi, you were asking about Number Three Cove Cottages.”
“Oh, y-yes...” She felt stupid, childish, stuttering. This meant so much to her. “Is it still available?”
“It might be. I did have someone interested, but they weren’t one-hundred-percent sure.”
“I’m a hundred-percent sure. Please. It’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
“Well, the thing is,” Elsa said, “I won’t just rent it to anyone. It has strong emotional ties for me and, to be honest, I’d rather just live there myself.”
Kat instantly liked the woman’s honesty. “Why don’t you, then?” she asked.
“I intend to one day, but my husband, Bryn—” the name rolled softly off her tongue “—has a lot of commissions in Cornwall, so we need to stay around there. Our children, Emma and Mick, are settled in schools here, too, and we don’t want to uproot them unless it’s absolutely necessary. But tell me more about yourself.”
“Well, I’m a child therapist working at Flight,” Kat explained hopefully. “And I really do love the cottage.”
There was a pause on the other end, but when Elsa spoke again, she sounded like she’d made up her mind. “Call me back tomorrow with all your details, and I’ll sort out a lease.”
Kat was ecstatic. “Thank you so much! I’ll call you first thing.”
She was climbing the steep track to Flight, her head in the clouds and her whole body aglow with excitement about her new home, when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She carried on, trying to hurry, but the footsteps grew closer.
“Do you deliberately turn up wherever I happen to be?” Luke’s deep voice made her jump.
“I could say the same to you,” she responded, turning to see his tall figure striding toward her.
“I’ve been helping Mel with Wayne’s birthday present,” he said. “It’s a secret, though, so don’t say anything.”
They fell into step together. “As if I would,” she objected. “I don’t really know Mel, anyway.”
“Well, I’ve worked with Wayne a long time and I want to make his birthday special. Even if he is my boss.” Luke laughed, and she was amazed at the way it transformed his features.
“You should laugh more,” she said. “It suits you. He seems nice, Wayne,” she added when he didn’t respond.
Luke nodded. “He organizes everything around here. I just help him make it all work. At the moment, he’s trying to get funding for an adventure trail on the grounds. You know, like an obstacle course. I’ll help build it, but money’s tight for things like that.”
“That sounds great,” Kat said, though she wondered if she’d have the same problem getting funds for her animal therapy. She’d need buildings and feed and enclosures.
“Yeah, he’s the best. And so is his wife.” Kat had only met Mel in passing, but she seemed sweet. Luke continued, “In fact, all the staff here are great. The place wouldn’t function without Mike and Gwen, and Tim has the classes running like clockwork. You’d think this was just an ordinary boarding school if you didn’t know better.”
“You get difficult children in every school,” Kat agreed. “I’ve worked with children from private schools who appear to have every advantage in life.”
Luke slowed down. “Ben isn’t bad, though, not really. He’s just lost his way.”
“No child is bad. Their problems usually stem from their upbringing and circumstances.”
“He just needs some boundaries,” Luke insisted. “I learned that very early on in life. Discipline’s important, don’t you think?”
“Not necessarily.” Kat chose her words carefully. “I mean, it is to a degree, but respect is more important...and love. Children need stability in their lives to build their confidence. They need to know that they are loved.”
Luke frowned. “Love is important, obviously, but my dad was very strict and it didn’t do me any harm. A child could have all the love in the world, but do you really think it’s going to solve behavior issues? Is that why we send criminals to prison—to love them? That’s the problem with your courses, Kat—you let the kids run too wild.”
Kat saw red. How dare he lecture her on something she was highly trained for.
“Says the man who abandoned his son.” As soon as the words left her lips she regretted them. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No kidding.”
He took off without another word, running ahead of her with huge, loping strides. She watched him go with a lurch of regret. No matter, she decided, increasing her pace. She had confidence in her work, and she wouldn’t let him interfere with it.
* * *
TRUE TO HER PROMISE, within two days of Kat’s phone call, Elsa May Malone Evans, the owner of Number Three Cove Cottages, emailed Kat a lease and Kat responded by sending her new landlord two months’ rent, sealing the deal. She had arranged to pick up the keys in the village later that afternoon, from a man named Ted, and she couldn’t wait. She’d already done some online shopping and had ordered several items. The cottage was fully furnished, but she wanted to make it feel like her own as soon as possible.
During her lunch break, she stopped into Mike’s office to let him know she would be moving out.
At first he just laughed. “But won’t you miss Luke?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “I know how well you two get along.”
“Very funny,” she responded. “He’s obviously been complaining about me.”
“Actually, no, he hasn’t said anything about you personally. It’s general knowledge that you and he aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
“He’s against my therapy methods, that’s all.”
“Luke just worries about Ben. It’s a big deal, suddenly being introduced to the son you’ve never met. You should give him a chance, Kat. He’s a decent bloke.”
“I’m sure he is, but I’d love it if he could back off and let me get on with my job.”
Mike frowned, and his tone grew serious. “You and Luke really must try and put your differences aside. You have to cooperate with each other for Ben’s sake—you, of all people, should understand that. I couldn’t care less about your petty arguments. This is about the life and future of a vulnerable young boy.”
“Well, yes, of course it is,” Kat said, her cheeks growing hot. She hadn’t meant to sound churlish in front of her boss. “And that is what I care about more than anything—helping the children.”
“So figure it out,” he said. “Ben isn’t in a good place right now, and it’s showing in his behavior. To be honest, he seems to be getting worse rather than better. I’m sure you heard about the incident with Mr. Mather yesterday, when he refused to do the work he was given then ripped his notebook up. You’re a professional. Talk to him, Kat. Gwen tells me Ben listens to you. It’s what we hired you for.”
“I hadn’t heard about that incident yet,” Kat admitted. “The report from his teacher doesn’t come in until this afternoon. I’ll discuss it with Jed before my session with Ben later. I’ve seen him improving in the sea-therapy course, and his sessions have gone well. Frankly...”
Mike waited for her to go on.
“Frankly, I don’t think Luke is helping. He interferes all the time, criticizing everything I do. He’s been complaining about my therapy sessions and I think it’s because he wants all the funds he can get for the adventure trail he wants to build.” The idea had been percolating since their encounter on the path the other evening.
“Well, Luke hasn’t said anything to me about the way you run your courses. You’re right that it’s not his place to criticize you—you’re the expert, after all—unless the kids are in danger.” Mike leveled her with a stern look. “And I sincerely hope I won’t hear anything like that. But if he’s worried about the animal therapy using up valuable funds, that’s quite understandable. We only have so much to go around here for special programs. As I’ve said before, I’m open to the animal-therapy idea, but I’ll need to see a full proposal, including costs, before I can approve anything.”
Feeling suitably scolded and unprofessional, Kat apologized. “I’ll talk to him,” she promised. “And I’m really sorry. I know it’s up to me to make the effort.”
“Then we’ll say no more about it,” Mike said, smiling. “I don’t like to interfere but you do have to try and get on with him...for Ben’s sake.”
CHAPTER FIVE (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
AFTER THE HEATED conversation between him and Kat, Luke kept on running until he reached his apartment. Her words rang in his ears. Says the man who abandoned his son... Truth was, she was right: he had abandoned Ben. But for her to put it so bluntly was...harsh, to say the least. Okay, so she’d apologized, but that wasn’t the point. And she was wrong about him being against her courses; this fatherhood thing was new to him, and the responsibility was overwhelming.
A hot shower and a change of clothes made Luke feel more objective about the situation. Surely there was a way to work around the issues between him and Kat. A knock on the door shook him out of his thoughts. “Kat!” he cried when he opened it. “What are you doing here?”
She stood her ground, but appeared slightly uncomfortable. “I thought I’d... I mean, I just wanted to let you know I’m moving out.”
Luke frowned. “Okay...thanks for letting me know.”
“And I wanted to talk to you about Ben. To explain myself, I suppose.”
He nodded. “Go on...”
“I believe what Ben really needs is attention, and more than anything, to know that he’s loved. I don’t have all the details about his home situation, but there’s clearly some underlying cause for his insecurity. All we can do is talk to him and make him feel wanted.”
Luke tried to be straight with her. “Look, I respect your role as Ben’s therapist, but he’s my son and I worry about him. It irritates me when you go on about love—of course I love him. But I also believe boys his age need discipline as a first priority, an awareness of what’s right and wrong and consequences for their behavior.”
The expression on her face told him she was about to make some sarcastic comment, but instead she turned a bit pink and nodded. “Okay, why don’t we just agree to disagree...again. We both want what’s best for Ben, don’t we? I can tell you that my methods are tried and tested, but you are his dad and I respect that. For now, he just needs to settle in here and feel safe. Of course he needs discipline in the long term, but if you step back a bit I think you’ll find that my nature and animal therapy really puts kids in touch with the reality of life, makes them aware of what really matters and teaches them to love unselfishly...to care.”
Despite his reservations Luke had to admit that he was touched by her intensity. “I’ll keep all that in mind.”
“No more arguments?” she said with a shy little smile that he found quite intriguing.
“No more arguments,” he agreed.
As she walked away, he couldn’t help but notice her strong, determined stride, which belied the sensitivity she’d just shown. Maybe he should sit in on her next sea-therapy session, not to be critical but to try to understand where she was coming from. And who knew; getting involved might even help to break the ice a bit with Ben.
Feeling good about his decision, Luke headed for Wayne’s office to see what jobs were on the list for today. Wayne was sitting at his computer, frowning at the screen, his graying head tipped forward in concentration. He glanced up with a smile when he heard Luke come into the office.
“Oh, good. You’re here,” he said. “I need you to put in an order at the suppliers. Just check with Gwen first to see if there’s anything she needs. After that, can you make some calls to get the best price for rebuilding the fence at the back of the grounds? It could probably do with a temporary fix, too, if you have time. And the TV in the small sitting room is on the blink.”
“Not too many problems, then,” Luke said, smiling. His job was to support Wayne in any way he could and he’d come to realize that being assistant manager at Flight meant being up for almost anything.
When Luke had arrived at Flight in his early twenties to work as a general handyman, Wayne had taken him under his wing. In fact, Luke had lived with Wayne and Mel at their house in the village for the first few weeks, until the new staff annex was ready for him to move into. Since then the couple had taken it upon themselves to watch out for him. The assistant-manager position had actually been created for him. That was why he felt so guilty about keeping Ben a secret; Wayne and Mel had never said anything, but he could see that they were disappointed in him. He intended to make it up to them by helping make Wayne’s impending birthday the best ever.
Thinking about the smart little boat tucked away in the corner of Tanners’ boatyard, Luke couldn’t help but smile as he went off to complete the day’s tasks. It was Mel’s present to Wayne, but he’d helped her find it and spruced it up with some fresh paint. She was convinced that Wayne would love it; Luke hoped she was right.
* * *
KAT SPENT THE morning with the children’s therapy group for five-year-olds. She always found it hard when children so young had problems; it just didn’t seem right. How could anyone neglect or be cruel to such little kids?
Lucy Bell was a particularly heartrending case. She’d been taken from a squat in the northwest because her mother had been too spaced out on drugs to care for her most of the time. Left to fend for herself, she’d had little communication with others, and according to her social workers, she’d lived off scraps and leftovers and was rarely washed or dressed properly. Kat worked with her most days, just trying to get her to communicate, and this morning Lucy had smiled for the first time ever when Kat walked into the room. It felt like a breakthrough.
“Hey, Lucy,” Kat called. “Want to play a question game with me and Aaron?”
Lucy looked up from the pile of colored blocks she was playing with and nodded, her big blue eyes shining. “I like Aaron,” she said.
“And he likes you, too, Lucy,” Kat told her. “We all do. Now, who wants to be first?” Aaron put up his hand. “Okay, Aaron, what’s your first question?”
Aaron looked at Lucy for a moment; he knew this game well. “Which toy do you like best?” he asked.
“I like my dolly,” Lucy said, cuddling her lifelike baby doll close against her chest.
“Your turn, Lucy,” Kat said.
Lucy frowned. “Where’s your mummy?” she asked Aaron.
“She’s in heaven with the angels,” he replied, unfazed.
“My mummy’s sick,” Lucy told him. “That’s why they’re looking after me here.”
“Let’s play building,” Aaron suggested.
“We’ll use the blocks,” Lucy responded. “Come on. We could make dolly a house.”
Watching the children interact and develop confidence and positive social skills made everything worthwhile for Kat and reconfirmed why she loved her job so much. Spending time with the kids—talking to them, playing games and encouraging them to engage in the world around them—was how she spent most of her sessions. Her goal was to get to know each of them: what they liked, what made them laugh...and what made them cry. That was the hard part. Some of the kids had had such a hard time in their short lives that it made her mess of a childhood seem almost charmed.
When the session finished and the children went off to their classroom, Kat spent a few minutes tidying up the toys. Later this afternoon she was taking the six-to-ten group, and colored blocks weren’t as useful in getting them to open up.
Before that session, she wanted to give Ben a book about the sea she’d been promising to lend him; hopefully the book would capture his imagination and give him something to talk about. In one-on-one counseling he tended to be withdrawn and sulky, which she attributed to him having seen so many well-meaning social workers and therapists over the past few months. On the other hand, he’d been full of energy during the more informal sea sessions, winding up the other kids and causing trouble, but laughing, too.
Kat’s heart ached for him. It was clear to her that Ben just didn’t know who he was. His whole life had been turned on its head, and it probably seemed like everyone he thought he could believe in had let him down. Not to mention his dad’s appearance after nine years of silence. It would be hard for Ben to learn to trust again, and building a relationship with Luke was going to take a lot of forgiveness.
She glanced at her watch; he’d be out of class any minute. Kat grabbed the book and headed over to the new, chalet-style classrooms across the grounds, arriving just as the doors burst open. A stream of children came running out, but she couldn’t see Ben. When the crowd of kids had thinned and he still hadn’t appeared, she walked up the steps and in through the half-open door. Mrs. Selby, the math teacher, was standing by her desk, her cheeks flushed with anger, while Ben glared up at her. Kat noted his closed expression, which was more concerning than a tantrum or display of anger.
“What’s the matter, Mrs. Selby?” she asked.
Chris Selby turned her attention away from the boy, bristling with indignation. “It appears that Ben does not like math and he’s flatly refused to do any work at all today. All he has done is scribble all over his textbook. I’ve told him to take his workbook with him and finish his arithmetic questions before tomorrow. You can go now, Ben.”
Ben stood still, staring into space. “I said you can go,” she repeated.
When Ben ignored her, Kat stepped in. “I can deal with this if you like, Chris. I’ve brought him a book he wanted to borrow. I’ll make sure that he does his math—don’t worry.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. You get off to your next lesson.”
After Chris left, Kat turned to Ben. “Now, what was all that about?”
“I hate math and I hate her,” he mumbled without looking up.
“Mrs. Selby just wants you to do well, Ben. And if you’re really struggling with math then perhaps I can have a chat with Mr. Ellison about getting you some extra help.”
“Don’t want extra help. Don’t want to do it at all.”
“Well, if you grow up not even knowing how to multiply and divide, you’re not going to get very far. Anyway, let’s not worry about that right now. Come on—it’s a lovely day and you have a break now, so why don’t we go out into the garden and I’ll show you the book I’ve brought.”
Ben followed Kat outside, dragging his feet.
“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” she said, gesturing at the smooth green lawn spread out before them like a large patch of velvet surrounded by a vivid splash of colorful blooms carefully nurtured by Ned, the groundskeeper. “Don’t you think it’s a beautiful garden?” she asked Ben.
“We used to have a nice garden,” he responded quietly.
Ben had never mentioned his life before Flight to her. Kat crafted her response carefully. “If it was as nice as this one, you must have been very lucky.”
“Granddad used to do it.” Ben’s voice sounded wobbly. “He loved gardens. I helped him.”
“Your granddad must be a very nice and very clever man.”
“He used to be,” muttered Ben, grabbing the heads of some big red flowers and ripping them off.
“Ben!” cried Kat as he threw them onto the lawn. “Don’t do that.”
Ben looked at her then took off at a run, trampling the flower beds and darting in and out of the trees. Kat followed at a distance, keeping an eye on him but letting the boy let off steam.
Kat had never heard him mention his granddad’s illness before, and his condition obviously bothered Ben much more than she’d realized. She knew Mollie had to spend all her time caring for her husband, but it was more than a lack of attention from his grandmother that seemed to be at the root of Ben’s problems.
Like a lot of troubled children, Ben was far more sensitive than he let on. He was very susceptible to nature; she’d seen it in the sea sessions and again today when he’d finally let out some of his feelings in the garden. She would have to harness that sensitivity to find out more about his situation and help him regain some kind of balance.
Eventually, Ben made his way into the main house for lunch, so Kat headed to Mike’s office, hoping to get more details about Ben’s past.
“Hi,” Mike said, glancing up from some paperwork. “I could do with a distraction.”
“Not going to give me a hard time today?” she said, smiling.
“Look,” he responded, putting down his pen, “I know you’re totally professional and I believe in you and your methods—that’s why you’re here. You have to see my point of view, though. Luke is, understandably, in a strange place right now. The son no one knew about has turned up on his doorstep and he doesn’t quite know how to deal with it. You’ll probably say that he should have been in the boy’s life from the start but—”
“Of course he should,” Kat interrupted.
Mike shook his head. “No one’s perfect. Have you always done everything right in your life?”
“No,” she admitted. “I’ve made lots of mistakes in my life already.”
“Well, there you go, then,” he said. “All I ask is that you and Luke make an effort to get along for Ben’s sake. Or at least make an effort when he’s around.”
“Ben is the one who matters in all this,” she agreed. “By the way, while we’re on the subject, do you know anything about Ben’s background, anything about his granddad’s illness, perhaps, that might help me understand him better?”
“To be honest, our information is much briefer than I’d like,” Mike said. “You know as much as I do. Mollie and Jim Jackson brought him up while his mum, Carly, went back to finish her studies. When she was killed in a car crash a few months ago, I can only presume their grief and loss turned their lives upside down. Grief can change your whole world in an instant, completely uproot your perceptions, priorities and ambitions.
“Ben must have been, or felt, neglected by his grandparents. He’d lost his mother suddenly and then he lost the attention of his grandmother. He reacted by becoming withdrawn and lashing out when he was put under pressure, according to his social worker.”
“But what about Luke?” asked Kat. “Why didn’t he step in when his ex-wife died?”
Mike shrugged. “Who knows... Maybe no one told him he had a son. Or no one told him what had happened to Carly.”
Kat shot him a skeptical look.
Mike raised his hand. “Obviously I’m biased. I’m fond of Luke, I’ve known him a long time and I trust him. What’s important now is that he and his son develop a stable relationship—for Ben’s sake. Our job is to help them.”
“And I want to, but Luke and I have such different opinions on what matters. He seems to think discipline is the key to everything, but he’s wrong. Chris tried to discipline Ben earlier in her math class, and he just retreated even deeper into his shell. Love and stability are what counts.”
“Maybe that’s just what Luke knows, or what he experienced growing up. Perhaps he had a heavily disciplined childhood. I’m not saying his approach is right or wrong, but he’s not a therapist. I’m hoping you’ll be more open to his parenting style, Kat, but you are the expert. And I support you in that. Just keep in mind that Ben is the priority.”
Kat nodded. “Do you know what’s wrong with Ben’s granddad?” she asked, changing the subject. “I have a hunch that his condition has something to do with this.”
“Well, no,” Mike admitted. “I know he’s quite unwell, but I didn’t think the reason why was an issue.”
Kat shrugged. “It may not be... It’s just something Ben said. Perhaps I could meet up with his grandmother, have an informal chat.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Mike said. “If you promise me that you’ll make an effort with Luke.”
CHAPTER SIX (#u4bfd1649-88da-5881-924d-3357804c4c0d)
KAT PULLED THE keys for Number Three Cove Cottages from her pocket, her fingers shaking with excitement. The key ring had a metal fish attached to it, and it shone in the sunshine. As she approached the front door, she glanced behind her, sensing someone watching. But she didn’t see a soul and was met with silence. It wasn’t silent at all, though, she realized. Jenny Brown’s Bay was lonely and beautiful and bleak, perhaps, but never, ever silent.
The waves crashed onto the shore, rushing back out into the sparkling sea in a fizz of foam. The wind moaned softly, bringing with it a salty tang that lingered on her lips, and the cry of seagulls rose into the clear blue sky. She turned back to the red door.
Ted, the old man who had given her the keys, had talked a lot about her landlady, Elsa May Malone Evans. He thought very highly of her and Bryn, and of their daughter, Emma, but Kat got the impression that he hadn’t had much to do with Mick, their little boy. The history of the place intrigued her, and she longed to know more about the Evanses and what they’d done in Jenny Brown’s Bay.
She pushed the door open and stepped into her new home, her body alive with excitement. Light filled the whole house, beaming in through the front windows. She liked that; it felt as if the house and the glorious, endless sea and sky were one. In Sandston, she had lived right on the shore, too, but the cottage had been dark and sad, or at least that was how she remembered it.
She placed her bags on the wood floor and walked through to the small but cozy kitchen. It smelled faintly of food and...paint, that was it. Elsa had mentioned that her husband was an artist. She stepped back into the hallway to study a painting she’d passed on her way in; a man throwing a stick for a yellow dog way out on the shore, and a woman with an abundance of wild, gold-streaked hair walking toward him, waving. The sea and the sky looked so real Kat could almost hear the waves. Something about the scene made her heart fill up. It seemed so full of love and yet sad, too.
She looked at the signature in the bottom right corner: Bryn Evans. So this was one of his pieces. That must be him, too, playing with the dog...and was that Elsa? The woman’s hair seemed to glint and glimmer as if it was real.
Smiling, Kat went back and carried her bags to the kitchen and started to unpack them.
Kat spent the morning trying to make the cottage her own by putting up a few pictures and carefully positioning the bright cushions she’d bought online on the well-used leather sofa. She arranged flowers in all the downstairs windows and made up her bed, too, with her pretty new sheets and duvet, and filled the fridge and cupboards with the items she’d bought in the village shop.
With a satisfied sigh, she cut a large piece of the freshly baked cake Alice had given her and sat down at the kitchen table feeling as if she was finally home.
She’d asked for the day off to move in to her new home, but she’d scheduled a sea-therapy course in the early evening. She hoped to run it right here on the shore. Only three children would participate, which was a bonus: Ben, Tammy and Millie, a withdrawn ten-year-old girl who would be attending her first sea session.
After lunch, Kat intended to wander along the shoreline in search of interesting items to inspire and captivate the children, particularly Ben. At least when he’d tried to several days ago, he’d laughed and shown some emotion other than the sulky attitude he so often adopted. And he’d taken hold of her hand; that had felt like a real breakthrough.
After she’d talked to Mike yesterday she’d thought a lot about the way Ben had behaved, ripping the heads off the flowers. That had revealed a deep anger, and she was sure that it stemmed from his relationship with his granddad. Whatever the cause, she had to try to understand what was going on in Ben’s head if she was to help him come to terms with it and move on.
The shingle crunched beneath her feet as she followed the waterline. Higher up the beach was the trail of flotsam and jetsam left by the tide. That would be a good place to start searching for something to spark the children’s imaginations.
Her search proved surprisingly successful as she came across a toy sailboat tangled up in the seaweed, several glass bottles, a shoe and even some pieces of pottery. With a satisfied smile, she headed back to the cottage. She’d enjoy showing the children her new home and she’d give them each a piece of Alice’s cake at the end of the session.
Kat set off for Flight just before five. She was due to collect the children at six, but wanted to catch up with Mike first to see if he’d thought any more about her meeting up with Mollie Jackson. She approached the house with a lingering sadness. She’d enjoyed living here for the last few weeks, right in the hub of things; maybe she should have stayed a bit longer. But she hadn’t wanted to miss the chance to rent the cottage on Cove Road. It was the perfect home.
With her mind full of ideas for the sea session, she ran up the steps and in through the huge front door. Turning right as she entered the hall, she collided with someone, lost her balance and staggered back in confusion, breathing in the spicy scent of a man’s cologne. A strong hand grabbed hold of her arm.
“You!” she gasped, looking up to meet Luke’s warm brown eyes. They sparkled with humor as she tried to pull away.
“You just can’t stay away from me, can you?” He laughed. “Joke,” he added when she stared at him in horror.
Kat put a hand to her face, embarrassed by the heat flooding into it, and he dropped her arm as if it was burning his hand.
“It’s okay,” he told her, stepping back. His tone was brusque and businesslike. “No harm done. Not to me, at least. Tell you what—you can make amends by letting me sit in on your therapy session tonight. I’m prepared to give it another shot if you are.”
“No, I...” How dare he even suggest it after the way he’d acted last time? Nothing had changed; her methods obviously weren’t up to his standards then and they wouldn’t be now.
Noting her reluctance, he smiled awkwardly. “It’ll be fine,” he insisted. “I promise not to interfere, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I’m not worried. Do what you like. I need to go see Mike first and grab a bite. Then I’m picking the children up.”
“What time?”
She hesitated. “Just after six,” she finally said, feeling guilty about stretching the truth.
The guilt still niggled when she met up with the three children in the dining room at six and Luke hadn’t arrived. It was his own fault, though, she told herself; he was the one who’d caused the problem. And she needed to have Ben to herself if her therapy was to have a chance of success. He’d never let down his guard if his dad was there, watching his every move with his misplaced, overprotective attitude. That day in the sea was the first and only time Kat had seen Ben relaxed and having fun, even if he was trying to wind her up. After Luke had interfered, he’d switched himself right off again.
“Are we really going to the seaside again?” Tammy asked eagerly.
Kat tousled her hair. It was hard not to tousle Tammy’s mass of bright red curls. “Not only that,” she told her, “you’re going to come see my new house and have cake.”
The little girl’s brilliant blue eyes were as wide as saucers. “By the sea? You really live right by the sea?”
Kat nodded. “Nearly on the shore.”
“Are we all having cake?” Ben asked, butting in.
His gruff little voice hid a hint of excitement and Kat felt relieved that Luke wasn’t here to spoil it.
“Come on, then,” she said, eager to get going. Tammy grabbed her hand while Ben tried to appear nonchalant, as if he really didn’t care either way. The new addition, Millie, who was quiet and well behaved with short brown hair and a sweet, sad smile, followed in their wake.
As they rounded the corner, leaving the house behind, Kat glanced back. Flight seemed to smile at her, she thought, as if they shared a secret. She suppressed a smile. Luke Travis would think she was quite irresponsible if he knew what sometimes went on in her head. One thing he definitely did not have was an imagination, though she probably had too much of one, if that was possible. Well, she decided, she needed her overactive imagination. Her career depended on it.
“Come on, kids,” she called. “I’ll race you to the path.”
* * *
LUKE GLANCED AT his watch and grimaced. He’d gotten caught up talking to Mike and lost track of time. Apparently, Kat had been pushing him about the animal therapy and she’d also asked for a meeting with Mollie Jackson. He should be the one talking to Mollie; Ben was his son, and Luke was desperate to make things right between them. Somehow he had to make amends for being missing for nine years...if that was even possible.
Reaching the front hall, he looked around for any sign of Kat or the children. It was only ten past six; surely she would have waited a few minutes. By twenty past, he realized he must have missed them. But he wasn’t giving up that easily. Luke strode out into the evening sunshine, deciding he’d go down into the bay and try to catch up with them. Mike had told him about Kat renting one of the cottages right on the shore, so he guessed they’d be headed in that direction.
He jogged down the narrow cliffside path, scanning the wide expanse of sea and sand. The tide was coming in, rushing round the perimeter of the bay. Prickles of alarm ran along his spine. Jenny Brown’s Bay was renowned for being dangerous, and these were the exact conditions that could cause serious problems. Apart from the undercurrents that were capable of dragging even strong swimmers out to sea, there were also quicksands. Kat had been here for only five minutes; did she even realize what could happen? The smooth stretches of sand might look harmless, but they could set around an unsuspecting wader’s feet and legs like concrete...and if the tide came in, they’d be trapped in rising waters. He increased his pace. Where were they?
* * *
KAT HEADED ALONG the shoreline with the children running ahead. When the tide began to rush in, she settled them safely on the rocks to watch.
“It’s called the bore,” she told them. “It’s a wave that rushes around the outside of the bay just as the tide starts coming in. Unsuspecting people who have gone out too far can get trapped by the water on the sandbank in the center.”
Ben looked up with interest. “Will we get caught?”
She shook her head. “No, because we understand the dangers. Eventually the tide will rise, almost to the edge of the track if it’s a high tide. Today, though, it will probably be lower than the flotsam and jetsam that we’re going to look at in a minute.”
“What’s flotsam and jetsam?” Tammy piped up.
Kat gave what she hoped was a mysterious smile. “It’s things cast off from life,” she said. “Things that people have let drift out to sea.”
“What kind of things?” asked Ben, obviously intrigued by the idea. He looked at her with his father’s eyes and her heart tightened. How come Luke Travis always managed to rattle her, even when he wasn’t here?
“Who knows,” she said. “Bottles, perhaps, from the other side of the world, maybe even with messages in them. Or toys or pottery, just objects from people’s lives. You can depend on the sea. It comes in every day and goes out again right on cue. No matter what’s going on in the world, the tides never change. You can depend on lots of things in nature—trees and animals and plants just do what they do, year after year. Grow, blossom, bear fruit...and have babies if they’re animals, of course.”
“Can we see the flotsam and jetsam now?” Ben asked.
“Of course you can.” Kat smiled. “As long as you promise not to try and go for a swim this time.”
“He’s not here this time, though, is he?” Ben said quietly.
For a moment, Kat felt a flicker of sympathy for Luke. He may have done wrong by Ben, but maybe it wasn’t right of her to judge him too harshly. She didn’t know all the details. He was Ben’s dad, after all, and it must hurt to see that the little boy wanted nothing to do with him. “Come on, then,” she urged. “Let’s go see what treasures we can find.”
She watched in delight as the three children searched for treasure among the rubbish and seaweed that made up the flotsam and jetsam. It was Ben who found a bottle; he picked it up carefully, holding it out to catch the rays of the sun. Despite its time spent being battered by the sea, the glass sparkled.
“Where do you think it came from?” he asked her, turning it to and fro.
“Could be anywhere in the whole wide world,” Kat told him. “Spain, perhaps...or France or Scotland.”
They all peered at it with excitement in their eyes, as if expecting the bottle to suddenly reveal its secrets.
“No message,” Ben announced sadly.
“Maybe not,” Kat said. “But it does have a picture on it.”
The sailing ship embossed in the glass immediately caught the imagination of all three children.
“What if it came from a pirate ship?” Ben suggested with awe.

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