A Spirited Gift

Gramps was civil to Danny, if not warm and cordial. When dinner was over, Gramps took his coffee out on the back porch. I noticed he’d left the door open—the better to hear what we were saying.

There was only one thing on my mind. I told Danny that he was my father. I explained everything I knew about how I’d come to be born, and showed him a few baby pictures.

He seemed pleased. He jumped up and hugged me. We laughed as we looked at the old baby pictures and cried when we looked at pictures of my mom. I returned the smooth stone I’d found outside his van the night of the accident.

“Why didn’t she call me?” he wondered. “Why didn’t she let me know?”

The screen door squeaked open and closed. Gramps said, “It was me. It was my fault. I thought she’d be better off without you. Her mother was sick at the time. She died before Dae was born. I guess I didn’t want to lose Jean too. I’m sorry, son.”

Gramps held out his hand to Danny. For a minute it was touch and go. Would Danny accept this act of friendship after Gramps’s admission and the passage of all these years? But he finally put out his hand and they both smiled. There was no hugging—not that I expected any.

I told Kevin about it. He didn’t seem as pleased as I’d thought he’d be. He didn’t say anything bad about it, or about Danny, but his silence said something about his thoughts on the matter. I didn’t pursue it. Danny would be around from now on—a part of my life. The two of them would be all right.

Jamie and Phil reopened The Coffee House and Bookstore. We had a big celebration lunch for them at Wild Stallions. Then about twenty of us trooped down the boardwalk for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Nancy took lots of pictures as I cut the red ribbon with Jamie and Phil at my side. I was wearing the new necklace, bracelet and matching earrings made from the gemstones Rafe had left me. The federal government kept most of the gems, but I’d managed to put a few into the Duck Historical Museum coffer too.

We shook hands all around and went inside the coffee shop for the rest of the celebration. The event wouldn’t make the nightly TV news or even a mention in the paper, but it was fun and a good opportunity to bring the community together.

We were all standing around, congratulating ourselves at being able to drink lattes and espressos and order books from a local retailer. Kevin was at my side with his arm around my waist. He was wearing the new blue sweater I’d bought him as a thank-you for all his help.

I saw the woman start moving through the crowd as soon as she came in the door. She was tall and gaunt. Her face was pale, no animation under the straw-colored hair.

“Kevin,” she said when she’d reached us. She put her hand on his arm and smiled. “I’m so glad I found you. I’ve missed you so much.”

His smile faded when he saw her, though he finally managed to cover his shock with a pleasant expression.

I knew that look—it was one you use to hide your true feelings.

“Ann!” Surprised was a mild way to describe how he sounded. “When did you get here?”

“Today. Can we go somewhere and talk?” She glared at me. “Alone.”

“Of course.” He looked at me. “Dae, this is Ann Porter, my partner when I was with the FBI. Ann, this is Mayor Dae O’Donnell.”

I shook her hand and smiled despite the cold feeling of foreboding that overtook me. He hadn’t introduced me as his girlfriend. Maybe it was just too awkward right now. I knew he’d never expected to see her again.

I was glad that I was still wearing my gloves when I touched her. There were stories in her dark eyes I hoped never to experience from her touch.

“Hello, Dae,” she said. “I’m Ann—Kevin’s fiancée.”