Ask Mariah (36 page)

"Except that she's magic."

He nodded. "Magic, right. I asked her how to keep you in my life, and she said, 'Home is where the heart is.' "

"Which definitely sounds like a prerecorded message to me."

"Yes, but Mariah was right. So I called Mr. Gladstone's real-estate agent and told him I had the crazy idea that I might want to buy this house. Of course, when I heard the price I knew it was impossible."

"I see."

"I don't think so," he said with a grin. "The house would be a struggle for any one person to maintain, but two people -- two equal partners -- could manage it pretty easily."

"So you found yourself a partner?"

"Not yet, but I'm hoping."

"You said this house was too old, that it would take too much work to fix it up," she reminded him.

"I changed my mind."

"You can't."

"Why can't I?" he challenged.

"Because you're a modern man and this is an old- fashioned house."

Michael smiled at her. "This is a family house, and I'm a family man. I've got two kids. All I need is a wife -- and a partner."

"And all we need is a mommy," Lily and Rose chorused, tired of being left out of the conversation.

She couldn't stop the feeling of anticipation that crept up from her toes, drawing goose bumps along every inch of her body. "Do you have someone in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Michael put his arms around her waist and gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Joanna Wingate. I love the way your nose crinkles when you laugh. I love the fact that you like digging through dusty archives. I know we'll fight about architecture and old buildings versus new buildings, old socks versus new socks, but we won't fight about the important things, because they're the same for both of us."

Joanna's lips trembled with emotion. "I love you, too, Michael, but what about my mother and Sophia?"

"I don't care who your mother is. The only one I care about is you." He looked into her eyes. "If you would prefer not to see Sophia, then the girls and I will see her on our own."

"That would be awkward."

"Awkward I can handle. It's losing you I can't contemplate."

"We've only known each other a week."

"I knew Angela for years before we got married. It was still a mistake. It's not the time that matters, but the love." His hands tightened around her waist. "If you want to buy this house on your own, that's fine. We'll take things as slow as you want. But someday I'd like us to live here together."

"Then you better throw your money in the pot," she said with a smile. "Especially if you're talking equal partners."

"You mean it?"

"Yes."

"I know bloodlines are important to you, but -- "

She stopped him with a brief shake of her head. "I realized on Sunday when everyone pulled together to find the girls that family wasn't about blood at all. I have a lot of people who love me, a lot of people who want me in their lives. If that isn't family, I don't know what is."

Michael gave her a loving kiss.

"Ooh, they're kissing," Lily said with a giggle as she and Rose tried to slip between them.

"That's right, girls. You better get used to it, because I intend to do it every day and every night for the rest of my life," Michael said. "Now, shall we go inside and take a look at our new home?"

She shook her head. Michael's confident smile faded. "Why not?"

"We have a small problem," she said.

"What's that?"

"Lily and Rose tied our shoelaces together."

He looked down at their shoes and laughed. "You thought the Wingates and the De Lucas were a little crazy. Wait until you get to know the Ashtons. Welcome to the family, Joanna. You're now one of us."

# # #

BONUS MATERIAL
: Continue reading for an excerpt from Barbara's RITA Award-Winning Novel,
DANIEL'S GIFT

Copyright 2011 Barbara Freethy

All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

"I want to meet my Dad." 12-year-old Danny stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his blond hair tousled from sleep, his eyes drowsy but determined.

The glass of orange juice slipped from Jenny's fingers and crashed to the floor. "Your father?"

"I want to talk to him, Mom."

"Danny -- "

"I want to ask him if he ever played shortstop. I want to know how tall he was when he was my age. I want to know when he started to shave." A curl fell down over Danny's right eye, and he flipped it back off his face in disgust. "I want to know if his hair is straight now."

"Danny, please." Jenny shook her head in despair. "We've talked about this before. I know it's difficult for you to understand that a man might not want to have a child. Maybe when you're older  ..."

"I'm old enough. I'm his kid. He should know me."

Danny stuck out his chin in a show of stubbornness that was exactly like his father -- if he only knew it. A sudden pain cut across Jenny's heart.

She walked over to the counter, giving herself time to think. The toaster popped up two slices of wheat bread. She buttered them, set them on a plate, and returned to the table with a pleading smile. "Eat your breakfast. We'll talk about this after school."

"You won't have time after school. You'll be at work. You're always at work."

"I'm sorry, but I do the best I can, Danny. I think you could be a little more understanding."

"Rob's mother stays home all day. And his dad is taking him camping this weekend," Danny said, throwing out a challenge that was impossible to beat.

"Are you deliberately trying to make me feel guilty? I'm doing my best. What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. Forget it." Danny slid out of his chair.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry."

Jenny sighed as Danny left the room. She hated to disappoint him, but lately that's all she seemed to do. Working eight hours a day at McDougal's Market, trying to build a jewelry-making business on the side, then keeping up with the house, the cooking, and the cleaning didn't leave much time for play.

Picking up a sponge, she cleaned up the mess on the floor and packed Danny's lunch. When she went into the living room, Danny was stuffing his homework into his backpack with an expression so woebegone he looked more like six than twelve.

His drooping mouth caught at Jenny's heart. It reminded her of simpler times, when Danny hadn't thought beyond his next cookie. He was growing up fast, too fast, asking questions she didn't want to answer, wanting things he couldn't have -- like his father.

She was losing her child, her baby, and she couldn't bear the thought.

"Runner on first," Jenny said.

Danny looked up. "Huh?"

"Runner on first. Two outs. Two strikes, one ball. What's the pitch?"

A reluctant smile spread across Danny's face. "The heater."

"No curve?"

He shook his head. "Blow some smoke, Mom."

Jenny drew back her arm, Danny's sack lunch clutched in her hand. "The runner steals. The pitcher turns. She throws." Jenny hurled the bag across the room.

Danny caught it and dropped to the floor, tagging an imaginary runner. "You're out."

"Nice play."

"Nice throw  --  for a girl."

Jenny walked over and pushed the cowlick down at the corner of Danny's head.

He brushed her hand away. "Aw, Mom."

"Hug me good-bye?" she asked hopefully.

Danny rolled his eyes, but did allow her one quick squeeze. It wasn't enough. She was lucky to get that much.

Danny paused at the front door. "Can we go to the mall this weekend? I want to buy a gift for your birthday."

Jenny looked at her son for a long moment, not sure if she should be touched by his thoughtfulness or impressed by his ability to manipulate her. The quirk at the corner of his mouth gave him away. "Nice try, kiddo. Is Sportsworld having a sale?"

"Come to think of it ..."

"We'll see."

"That means no."

"That means, we'll see. Maybe Alan can go with us."

Danny made a face at the mention of Jenny's boyfriend. "Forget it."

"Come on, Danny, give Alan a chance. He's trying."

"Yeah, right." Danny hiked up his too-big blue jeans under his too-big sweatshirt and placed his San Francisco Giants baseball cap on backward.

Jenny sent him an affectionate look. Even though his clothes were atrocious, his attitude worse, he was still her kid, and underneath all that adolescent armor beat a tender and loving heart. She just had to remember that.

"You do understand about your father, don't you?" she asked.

Danny looked her in the eye. "No, I don't understand. I have a right to know my father. Kids are supposed to have two parents."

"I wish it could have been different."

"Don't you want to know what happened to him, Mom? Don't you care about him at all?" Danny didn't wait for an answer. He ran down the steps, across the grass, and disappeared from view.

* * *

Jenny walked out to the sidewalk to pick up her morning paper. The street was quiet and peaceful, just a block from the Pacific Ocean. It was a working-class neighborhood with small one-story homes, neatly kept yards, and plenty of bikes, skateboards, and soccer balls to keep the kids happy. There wasn't a lot of money in this part of town, but there was a lot of pride and a lot of love.

As she turned to go back to the house, Jenny saw her elderly neighbor Grace Patterson digging in her garden.

Grace was wearing a wide-brim straw hat to protect her aging skin from the sun and a pair of strong, dirty gloves over her thin hands. Despite her advanced age, somewhere in her seventies, Grace still worked in her garden, baked cookies for the neighborhood kids, and kept an eye out for Jenny and Danny. She was one of the reasons Jenny liked living in Half Moon Bay, a small coastal community just south of San Francisco. People cared about each other here. They weren't just neighbors but friends.

"Morning, Grace," Jenny called.

Grace looked up and waved. "Good morning. How are you today?"

"Late."

"Same as always." She tipped her head toward the street. "Danny ran by in an awful hurry. Everything okay?"

"He's almost a teenager."

"Don't say another word." Grace laughed as she got to her feet and walked over to the chain-link fence that separated their two yards. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not this time, but thanks for the offer."

"Just remember that all children do grow up."

"I'll hang on to that thought. Have a good day."

"You, too."

Jenny returned to her house and got ready for work, hoping that Grace was right, that the problem of Danny's father, Luke Sheridan, would simply disappear, given enough time.

Tonight she would come home early from work and surprise Danny. They'd go for pizza, a movie. He'd forget all about his father -- and so would she.

* * *

It was past five that night when Jenny returned home. She called Danny's name as she set her purse down on the kitchen counter. There was no reply. When she turned, she saw the note.

The paper was clamped to the refrigerator door with an orange pumpkin magnet left over from Halloween. It was next to the two-dollar-off coupon for pepperoni pizza and the PTA newsletter. The word scrawled across the front in red crayon read simply, "Mom."

There was nothing threatening about the piece of paper, but as soon as Jenny saw it, she knew something was wrong.

If there was such a thing as mother's intuition, she had it now. Every nerve ending in her body tingled. Goose bumps ran down her bare arms, producing a shiver that racked her thin body. In the distance she could hear the sound of sirens growing closer, louder, reinforcing her sense of disaster.

Danny never went out after school, not without asking first. Forcing her feet to move, Jenny walked over to the refrigerator and peeled off the note. Slowly, she unfolded the paper.

Mom,

I've gone to find Dad.

I know he didn't want me when I was born, but

maybe now he will. I'm a pretty good ballplayer.

Don't be mad. Christopher's sister is giving us a

ride. I'll take the bus back.

Danny

His father? Going to see his father? How could that be? Danny didn't know where Luke lived. Unless --