Concealed Attractions (Cedar Island Tales) (64 page)

David nodded. “I wasn’t sure why I came here, just that I
needed to. I wanted to
. But how can I get
my daughter
back?”

“If you tell her how sorry you are
for what you did
, I’m sure she’ll understand.
Your daughter has a big heart and
she
love
s you. I know she does.
” Pastor Peter
p
laced
his hand on David’s shoulder.

“
But what about that
young man? He told me he would call the cops if I came near her—after I—after the baptism.”

“You’
re referring to Ben.
He
love
s your daughter.
And
Danni
would
n’t
let him hurt you.
I
f you like,
I can ask her to meet you here
.”

David s
traightened
up. “
No,
I have to
see her with Anna
.
I need to talk
to
her, too.”

Peter nodded. “Then why don
’t I call
Anna
and tell her you’
re
coming home
?
She can
call
Dannilynn
.
”

The ol
der man nodded. “I’ll wait here,
till
Anna says
it’s
okay
that
I can come home.”

A few minutes later, the minister returned to the darkened sanctuary. In his absence,
David
had moved closer to the altar and was praying
again
, silently this time
. David
raised his head
when
Pastor Peter
walked toward him.

“Anna
says
she’ll have the coffee ready and the porch light on.
And
she
’s
call
ing
Danni
.”

David ros
e and thanked the minister. “
Okay
.” He
gave him a bleak smile. “I feel like I’ve just come out of a nightmare.”

“I’m sure you have. Remember this, David. Rainbows are a reminder that there
is always light after a storm.
Go home to your family.
Anna’s
waiting for you.”

David bared his soul to his wife.

She listened.
“I have to tell you that
Dannilynn
did not
feel up to seeing
you tonight. She’s not
quite
ready to forget all that you said to her.”

“I understand
. Do you … can you …
will you help me get through to her?”

“
First,
I need to know
how you feel about your sister,
and me. Let’s deal with that
as a starting point
.”

He slumped in his chair then nodded. “You’re right. I need to do that. My thinking’s been wrong for too long.”

After
several minutes
, she said. “Now, about
Danni
.
S
he’s going back to school next month, both sessions. She knows how much you want her to get that college education.”

He nodded. “I’m
very
proud of her.”

“Y
ou need to tell her that. She so wants to please you. It tears her up when you don’t see all she does to
make
you
proud of her
.”

“I do see that. I’ll tell her, the next time
, if
she comes over.”

“You’ll have lots of chances. When Ben leaves for
Pullman, she’s moving back here
with
their
dog.”

“She’s not going with him?”

She shook her head. “No. He asked her, but she wouldn’t do it. She knew you wouldn’t approve.”

He nodded, and wh
en he asked if he might come back home, she ushered him
in
to the guest room.

“For now, why don’t you sleep here? I need some time, too. I hope you
can accept
that.”

He nodded and said good-night. That evening, he wrote a letter to
Danni

Dear Danni:

The last time I wrote you a letter, I said some terrible things. Things no father should say to his daughter. I love you and I was wrong to say those things. Can you ever forgive me?

I want you in our family.
You probably think I’m
not worth loving
. I understand that, and want you to know I’m trying to change, to see the good in people, especially in you. Not the bad, not the things that happen that you couldn’t help, that hurt you. Like your baby dying. I can’t imagine how bad you must feel about that.

Your mother let me back in the house. Maybe I’m asking too much, but if you could see it in your heart to give me another chance to be the father you deserve—someone who is so proud of you
, who loves you from the bottom of his heart—I’d be grateful.

Love, Your dad

The next morning, David
gave
the letter
to Anna.

“Maybe if she
read
s
this
, she’ll
talk to
me
. P
lease
do
what you can to convince her
,
”
he pleaded.

“I’ll
give it to her
.”
She sighed. “Your daughter has endured a world of hurt because of you. And sh
e’s still getting over the baby,
over Jimmy. I
f she ever
really
can.” She folded the letter
. “I’ll ask her to read it. It’s up to her to decide
whether
she wants to see you.”

David nodded. “
I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

“Ben. He’s my father. Mom says h
e wants to talk to me.”

“A
fter
he was so mean to you
? H
e
said you
weren’t his daughter anymore.
”
Ben paced, his agitation showing as he moved jerkily between the kitchen and the living room. “
How can you just let him back in
to
your life
after
everything he said
?”

“
He
wrote this letter to me. The least I can do is
talk to him
.”
She pointed to the paper on the table.

“He doesn’t deserve to be in your life,
Danni
.”

“
Did
you forget
your father just because he
’
s
in
jail?” s
he countered.

Ben stopped
pac
ing and pulled
her into his arms. “
No
, of course not
.” He hugged her. “
But I don’t want you seeing him alone. What if—what if—”

“He won’t.” S
he finished his thought. “I know he wo
n’t hurt me. He still
love
s me. H
e just doesn’t know how to show it.”

Ben sighed. “
Then
I’m going with you.”

Danni
smiled. “I’d like that.
”
She
smoothed the wrinkles out of the paper,
read the letter
again,
and
called her mother.

“When is Dad coming back from Tacoma?”

“
In two days
.”

“If he wants me to come over when he’s home, I’ll do that.”

“He’ll be thrilled.” Anna smiled. “Do you want me to tell him?”

“No. Why don’t you call me when he’s
back
?
”
Danni
paused. “Ben says he’ll come, too.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m sure your father would like to meet him.”

Two days later,
Danni
walked in the door, followed by Ben, whos
e worry showed on his face.

David stood
up and faced his daughter
.

She
stopped
short
. “Hi, Dad
.
I read your letter
.”
Her heart was pounding and her hands were sweaty.
He looked older than the last time she had seen him, but his hair was neatly combed and he was wearing pants with a knife-like
crease
down the legs
. She smiled at him.

“I said some terrible things. I was wrong. You didn’t deserve that—
not from anyone. Especially not from me
. Will you forgive me?”

She
sat down on the chair
nearest the door
. “What you said, Dad—I still hear what you said—in my head.” A te
ar slid down one cheek.
She swallowed hard.
“But y
ou’re my only father. I don’t want to go through life without you
.”
She
rose and walk
ed into his outstretched arms.

Ben stood by the chair
Danni
had vacated. He backed
quietly
out of the room, feeling like a
n
intrud
er in a family ta
bleau.
When he reached the car, he
sat in the front seat, images of his own father when he was taken to jail skimming through his brain.

His father
. The man’s
actions had separated him from his family
.
Ben had idolized
the man
until his
bad
temper destroyed his opportunity to be with his wife and children. Ben sighed and
leaned
his head
against the dashboard of the car
.

A knock on the window startled him.

“
Ben, please come in the house.”
Anna held out her hand to him. “
Dannilynn
wants you. So does David. Won’t you please come in
side
?”

“Are you sure?” He climbed out of the car.

“I’m sure.” S
he
took
the young man by the hand and walked him into the house.

Anna made
the introductions
.
Danni
clung to her father’s arm. David held out his hand to Ben, who
took
it cautiously.

“
I want to thank you for helping
Dannilynn
when I wasn’t there to do it,” David said, as he
shook
Ben’s hand. “You were the one who stood by her. I should have done that
, too
.” He paused. “
And
I was wrong when I went to
see
Dr. Taylor. I’m sorry about that. I hope it didn’t cause problems for you.”

Ben
shook
his head. “Joel knew the truth.”

“I’m glad of that. And, I’m sorry
for
what I
—at the baptism
.
I
wasn’
t myself.”

Ben nodded, suddenly aware that the man
seemed
afraid of hi
m, afraid he wouldn’t accept
what he’d said
. He
looked
at
Danni
, who was smiling up at him,
her expression clearly aski
ng him to accept her father
.

“It’s
okay
,
sir. I understand.” He
shook
David’s hand
again
.

“Good, that’s good. Thank you, Ben. I see why
Dannilynn
calls you Benjamin the T
all.
”