A Father's Pledge

“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

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

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?