Page 67 of Just Me

He winked at me as he took the cart and rolled toward the check-out.“Let's go, I'm hungry.”

“Really? I never would have guessed that.”My comment was met with laughter.

Two hours later the chicken cutlets were ready to go into the oven to finish baking in the homemade sauce I had whipped up. Bastian was cutting the vegetables for the salad and Caden was setting the table.

And when Dominic walked in not long after the Wrights did, I got a little gushy at the reunion between Bastian and his brother.

We all just sat around the kitchen talking. I had my iPod on in the background, since I liked to cook to music. I was more than a little surprised when Michael Buble's “Save The Last Dance For Me” came on and Mr. Wright stood, grabbed my hand, and drew me into the middle of the kitchen where he proceeded to lead me through an upbeat fox trot. I had no idea what I was doing, but Mr. Wright was such a good dancer, I fell into step like I was a natural. When Bastian cut in, held me close, and proved to be as good a dancer as Mr. Wright, I got giddy. When the song ended, he dipped me and brushed his lips over my temple.

“Thank you.”he whispered.

And just like clockwork, my knees went weak.

***

Later we all sat around the dining room table and at a lull in the conversation, Dominic spoke up.“I've been waiting to see if Mom and Dad followed through on their various threats.”

Bastian tensed at my side. “Have they?”

“No, but I think they haven't because they're unable to.”

“Meaning?”Bastian asked.

“Apparently, the loan against Cal's garage that my parents were threatening to call in was recently paid in full and a new loan, with far better terms, was worked out with Cal and a third party. The terms of the loan are so good that Cal is planning on expanding his business—a dream of his.”

“Who paid off the loan?”Poppy asked.

“Well, that's the weird part. It was handled all very privately, the actual third party is an unknown. However, the loan was paid off in the name of Larkspur O'Bannion.”

All eyes immediately turned to me. “Don’t look at me, I don't have that kind of money. Was it my uncle?”

“My first thought too, but it wasn't him. There's more. There's a tract of land outside of town that my parents have been itching to purchase so they can build cheap homes and charge a fortune for them. The town council's been fighting it, but my parents and a few of their backers have the money and the connections and the proposal recently passed through all the appropriate channels. My parents were in the final negotiations for the purchase of the land, when some unknown conglomerate, and I'm talking the amount of wealth this group is throwing around is mind boggling, bought it right out from under them.”

Poppy's gaze flickered to me.“It's like we've got our own guardian angel.”

Dominic continued.“I don't know who this third party is, but the money and the connections they have make my parents look like dirt farmers. What really impresses me is the big brass ones they've got, because they aren't even trying to hide the fact that they're singling out my parents. Who would be doing something like this for you, Lark?”

“For me? I don't know anybody.”I held Dominic's stare and saw what he was thinking.“You think it could be my biological father?”

“Yes.”

The thought that it could be ignited a rage in me, which rapidly grew into an inferno.

“Well, if he knows of me, why hasn't he ever come to see me? Why step in now when I could have used him when I was four and my mom lost me in the mall because she detoured to a bar and got roaring drunk and left with some man. Or maybe when I was five and almost died of hypothermia because my mom locked me out of the apartment when I was outside playing in the snow and proceeded to pass out. Or how about when I was six and I got second degree burns on my hands because I was trying to boil some water to make myself something to eat since my mother had forgotten to come home in three days.”

I stood then and slammed my palms down on the table. My anger wasn't directed at Dominic, but at the idea that I did have a father who never came forward except to play the man behind the curtain. As if that was going to make all the years of neglect okay.

“If it is my father, he's a little too late. I would have loved to have someone tuck me in at night and make me feel safe and secure. To have someone, anyone, to pick me back up when I fell and to hold my hand when I lost my way. To give me at least one person in my life who gave shit if I lived or died.”

Fueled by fury, my feet carried me out of the room and right out of the house, the door slamming closed behind me. I didn't stop walking, and didn't realize how far I'd walked, until I came to our spot near the river. I dropped down under our tree, pulled my knees up and rested my head on them and cried. I cried for the little girl I had been and for the childhood I never had.

Sometime later I heard the sound of Bastian's bike as I stood and watched as he parked and shut off the engine. When he reached me, he folded me into his arms, rocking me gently. I could feel the wetness of tears on his skin.

I touched his face and asked, “What's this for?”

“That little girl you described, knowing it was you, Jesus Christ, Lark, that broke my fucking heart. She may have given you life, but your mom didn't deserve you.”

I reeled to hear my own words spoken back to me with such conviction. His fingers threaded through my hair to hold my gaze on him.“I will be there to kiss your wounds when you hurt; I will be there to dry your tears when you cry; I will tuck you in and vow to keep you safe and secure; I will help you up, carrying you if needed, when you fall and I will hold your hand so tightly in mine that you will never ever lose your way. But mostly, Lark, I will love you so completely that you will never again be lost, lonely or terrified.”He placed my hand over his heart.“I swear that to you.”

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