A Father's Love

“I couldn’t believe it when your pastor told me where to reach you,” he said. In many ways, his dark brown eyes and dark complexion reminded her of Max. He, too, had Cajun blood in him from his mother’s side of the family. Whereas Kaitland was light and fair, taking after her mother, Robert took after his mother. Her father, who was Irish, left only his green eyes and gold highlights to Kaitland.

Robert, being no blood relation, had no look of the family about him. Of course, her grandmother had raised them most of their life as their parents had died in a tragic car accident not long after they married. With no relatives, Robert had been raised by Kaitland’s grandmother, too.

That was part of the ongoing tension between them now. Robert had never thought Kaitland’s grandmother cared for him. And Kaitland refused to listen to Robert bad-mouth the woman who had raised them both. That was one reason she was so surprised to see him.

“Max Stevens needed a sitter. I was available.”

“Those his kids?” Robert asked, nodding toward where the two little children sat playing with Darlene.

“No, those aren’t his kids.”

“Then what’s he doing with them?”

Kaitland sighed. “Don’t ask me to gossip about my boss, Robert. You know I won’t do it. Suffice it to say, they aren’t his children.”

“Your boss, huh?” Robert asked.

“Yes, my boss.”

“He was once much more.”

“Robert,” Kaitland warned. Robert was not a Christian, and scorned anything to do with church. He loved to find anything at all to needle Kaitland with when it came to morals.

“Okay, okay,” Robert finally relented. “I don’t know how you could work for the man after what he did, but that’s up to you. I just wanted to check on you and find out what happened at the day care to send you running off.”

“I wasn’t running off.” Pushing open the gate, she headed down the curving pathway, ignoring the sweet fragrance of roses and azaleas, the climbing honeysuckle bushes, until she arrived at a bench. Seating herself, she motioned to Robert, who had followed her, then told him about the confrontation she’d had with the man at the day care. “Jake felt it was better for the children who witnessed the incident, and their parents, if I took some time off,” she finished. “This job was available. So, after reassuring the children that there was no harm done, I came out here for the next few weeks. Besides, Jake has been encouraging me to relax. The pressure of the expansion project we’re planning has been exhausting and he thought that coming here and straightening everything out might give me a chance to clear the air of the past. Satisfied?” Though that wasn’t the entire story. Kaitland had wanted to do something new and different. Jake had known that, too.

“Your pastor thinks you need rest?” Robert asked, a conniving look on his face.

Instantly wary, for Robert rarely showed such interest in her, she said, “Yes, why?”

Robert reached out and took her hand. “I have a function to attend next week. You know my girlfriend deserted me a year and a half ago and I haven’t found anyone to replace her at these social occasions.”

“Is this one of those dinner parties?” she asked suspiciously.

“Please, Kaitland. Senator Bradley will be there. It’s very important I talk to him. He’s one of the men against the gambling issue and I need a chance to sway his decision.”

Of course. She should have guessed that Robert’s desperate need of her company had to do with his work as a lobbyist.

Kaitland removed her hand from her brother’s grip. “You know I told you after what happened with Senator Richardson that I’d not go to those parties. I hate them.”

“That was an accident Richardson was drunk. Things like that don’t normally happen.”

“So you say. I don’t like the way everyone judges me by what I wear, eyeing me, attaching a price tag to my dress. It’s demeaning. Besides, I don’t have the money to buy a dress for one of those functions.”

“I’ll buy you the dress,” he said, grabbing her hand again. “And it’s only because you don’t know anyone that you’re uncomfortable. Max Stevens attends those parties sometimes. I bet if he was there you’d attend.”

“If I went with Max, then I might,” Kaitland agreed. “But I’m not going with Max. I’m his employee. Therefore, the point is moot.”

Robert’s face turned red. “You’d go with him, yet you won’t go with your brother.” He shot to his feet, his hands fisted. “Your grandmother brainwashed you against me. It’s always been like that, you know. I’ve always been the outsider.”

Kaitland shot to her feet, too, dismayed at the turn of the conversation, though not surprised. “That’s not true, Robert. You know Mimi loved you just like she did me.”

“No. She loved you, tolerated me. And you’re the same way. I come here begging for one small favor and you turn me away like she always did. You’d think you’d care a little more about me than that, you who profess to love thy neighbor. Or is that it? You can love your neighbor—” he motioned toward the mansion “—but not your own brother.”

With that, he stormed down the path.

Kaitland collapsed back against the bench. It would do no good to chase Robert right now. He’d only argue more. And she did feel a little guilty about what he’d said. She loved her stepbrother. But her grandmother had disinherited Robert, and left everything to Kaitland.

However, she was terrified of those parties. Why couldn’t Robert understand the burden she carried inside her after that night? She didn’t want any part of what had caused the pain and fear in her life. Not again, not just when Max had come back into her life.

If she went to a party like that now, it would only dredge up more hurt and probably get her fired faster than she could blink.

Wearily, her shoulders drooped. “Why now, Father? It looks like I might have a chance to clear the air between Max and myself and suddenly all of these old problems are making themselves known again. Why?”

With a sigh, she rose from the bench and went back out the gate and toward where Darlene sat with the children. She wondered how she could have thought it would be so easy coming back here, seeing Max and then going on with her life after this temporary job was over. She was afraid this was just the beginning of more momentous things to come.

Chapter Six

Max was avoiding her and the children.

Kaitland juggled the diaper bag as she arranged Maddie in her arms and urged Bobby onward down the long carpeted hall of the building that housed Stevens Inc.

Oh, it had not been obvious at first as Kaitland had adjusted herself to the children’s rigorous schedules. But as Maddie and Bobby had settled into a routine, it had quickly become apparent to Kaitland that Max wasn’t just missing supper and spending more time than usual at the office. She had no doubt he was doing his best to detach himself from the situation.

The children didn’t notice, as they had not grown used to Max yet But Kaitland noticed. He’d taken to coming up the balcony stairs to his room in the evenings. And if he did pass through the house when she and the children were still up, and happened to run into them, he made some excuse about being tired, or making it an early night and they’d discuss anything that might need discussing at a more opportune time.

And to think, that first night she’d caught him unawares, she had only planned to ask him if she could take the children to the zoo.

Well, he was done avoiding her. She was about to put an end to that, she thought again determinedly. After all, Max had made the decision to keep the children until their mother, whoever that was, could be located. He should at least spend time with them. The children had no one else. It was up to her to make Max realize that, whether he wanted to or not. She assured herself that was her only motivation and that she wasn’t upset that he’d been treating her as if she had the plague every moment since that first day.

“Door!”

Kaitland, brought abruptly out of her reverie by the lunging child as she pointed at the door, glanced at the squirming Maddie in her arms and noted how intently she examined each door they passed. “Yes, Maddie. Door. No, Bobby,” she admonished gently as the toddler on her right reached toward the leg of a very delicate table with a very expensive china vase sitting on top of it. “Come on. Take my hand,” she urged him, grabbing hold of his chubby little hand just in time.

She swerved to avoid the cherry-wood table that sat just outside the main doors leading to Max’s office.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded to the receptionist who was just coming out of a side room, then barged into the secretary’s office before the receptionist could stop her.

A young girl, no more than twenty-three years old, Kaitland guessed, looked up from her computer. “May I help you?” she asked, her glance taking in one child, then the other. Surprised, Kaitland watched the woman smile sweetly at both children with a gaze that was soft and loving. Maddie clapped and squealed.

“Go!” Bobby said, reaching toward the secretary.

The secretary winked before glancing back in query at Kaitland.

“I’m here to see Max…Mr. Stevens.” Kaitland suddenly realized she didn’t even know if Max was in. In the past, he had rarely done the traveling for the company. He had held simple nine-to-five hours unless problems cropped up. Of course, back then, Rand had been around to take care of most of the problems. Now, Max was doing the bulk of the work. Maybe he wasn’t here.

“I’m sorry, Jennifer,” the receptionist said, coming into the office almost on Kaitland’s heels, but the young blonde interrupted her.

“It’s all right, Mary.” With a small nod, the younger girl dismissed the older woman. “You must be Ms. Summerville?” she inquired politely if a little coolly.

The children were both squirming and despite her resolve, Kaitland suddenly felt like squirming, too. She knew how much Max demanded of his secretaries. How could a woman so young be in such a position of responsibility? Long blond hair coiled in a French twist at the back of her head gave the woman an air of sophistication. Remarkable blue eyes regarded her with wisdom beyond her years. Her long slender hands were more suited to modeling than typing, Kaitland thought. She in her plain jeans and short-sleeve sweater, suddenly realized how underdressed she must look compared to the woman’s tailored suit and silk blouse. “Yes, I’m Kaitland Summerville. I know Max said he had to work today, but I needed to see him…”

The girl frowned over Kaitland’s use of Max’s first name, causing Kaitland to wonder if maybe there wasn’t more going on between the secretary and Max than she realized. She watched as the woman buzzed the office. “Yes, Jennifer?”

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