A Spirited Gift (27 page)

“You were saying?” Kevin prompted when we were on the verandah.

We both knew what he was talking about. “I'm sorry. I know I keep saying that, but I'm really sorry I lied to you. Yes. He took something from me. But he was alone and desperate. I don't know what I'd do in that situation.”

Kevin's face took on a hard look that I'd never seen before. “I can tell you what you wouldn't do—you wouldn't steal from the woman who'd helped you in an accident the night before. I hate that he's your father, Dae, but he is what he is.”

“I don't believe that,” I disagreed. “He's been working and honest for years—you said so yourself. He hasn't been in jail for a long time. That whole ‘once a thief, always a thief' thing isn't necessarily true. What about rehabilitation?”

“You're right. He hasn't been in jail. But that probably means he hasn't been caught at anything. You can argue that he's not that kind of person anymore, except that he stole from you, and he'll probably steal from me if he gets a chance.”

I stopped short from getting into his pickup for the ride home. “This isn't you talking, Kevin. This is the FBI. I know you worked for them for a long time, but you aren't an agent anymore. I guess that would mean the same thing—you automatically revert to the person you were before and judge people by what statistics tell you.”

He leaned against the side of the pickup. “Dae, I know he's your father. I know you feel a bond with him. But that doesn't make him a good person. Horace knows that too. I guess Chief Michaels feels the same way. Doesn't that tell you something?”

I nodded, almost too angry to speak. “Yes, it does. I know way too many people in law enforcement, where they teach you to be cynical and suspicious. I think I need to walk, Kevin. I'll talk to you tomorrow.”

“That's not fair, Dae. And I think we should talk about it.”

“Good night, Kevin. I'll call you when I think I
can
talk about it.”

I started walking, hoping he wouldn't try to join me. I kept my head down until I reached Duck Road. I was still alone. I was glad he gave up. I needed some time by myself.

“You spoke rightly, girl,” Rafe assured me—not as alone as I'd thought. “People change. Look at me! I was a husband and a father. What did people see—a pirate. I guess I'm like yer old man, eh? Now that you don't have to spend so much time with your lover, mayhap you can work harder on my situation.”

“Maybe so.” I realized he wasn't empathizing with me so much as wanting my full attention.

“What plans have we for finding the magistrate's diary?”

“I don't have any plans right now except to take a hot shower, put on my pajamas and have a cup of hot chocolate. I might even watch some TV.”

We crossed Duck Road together, the pirate floating beside me. Traffic was back to normal—a car honked its horn at me—and not because the driver knew me.

“Throw some rum into that mix and I might join you,” Rafe said with a laugh.

“I don't think so, but thanks for the offer. This is private time, the kind where you go off and do whatever ghosts do.”

“Have I mentioned that I'm willing to show you where I buried my treasure?”

“No. You still have a treasure?”

“Aye! And a right good bit of booty it is. Enough to keep a girl in geegaws for a long time. Interested?”

Chapter 34

“This is for finding the diary, I guess?” I wondered if he thought a bribe would make a big difference. Of course—he was a pirate—he'd think to grease my palm.

“It is,” he admitted. “Ye don't seem to be motivated much to the task. I thought my presence was onerous enough, but that hasn't done it. What about treasure? Aye, that's the stuff dreams are made of. It means little to me now.”

“I suppose not.” We had reached a bend in the road that was protected from prying eyes by thick bushes. I felt comfortable looking at him as I spoke. “I'm sure anyone would like to have your treasure—and I'm your descendant, so I guess I'm entitled to it. But I can only do what I can do. The world won't stop turning for me to find the diary in the next five minutes. I'm doing the best I can.”

I realized that I was crying during that last part and started walking faster toward home. I didn't want anyone to see me this way.

Rafe followed me—there was no getting rid of him. “Women! A man can't say what's on his mind without a woman blubbering all over. My own blood relation is a watering pot. And you're not even angry with
me
—it's your lover that's bothering you. He told you your pa is no good and that hurt your bloody feelings.”

“Go away!”

“I will when you take care of my need.”

“I told you—I'll handle it tomorrow. Believe me, a treasure is nothing compared to getting rid of you.”

“Stop your bawlin'! How can you be related to me?”

I took out my cell phone as though I were taking out a pistol. “If you don't leave right now, I'm calling the witch. She'll send you away without the diary.”

“Ye made your point. Good night to you then.” And he was gone.

I sat down on the front stairs leading up to the house and stared at the night that was closing in around me.

I hadn't wanted to fight with Kevin about Danny. Would he even let him stay at the Blue Whale now? If the universe was trying to show me that it was better to tell the truth than to lie—it was doing a poor job of it.

“Dae?” Gramps called as he opened the door behind me, golden light spilling out into the darkness. “I thought someone was out here. Old Roger was barking up a storm. Are you okay?”

Old Roger was the next-door neighbor's German shepherd. He'd been faithful in announcing visitors to our home for the last ten years.

“Fine.” I wiped my eyes and tried to stop sniffling. “I thought you were going to be late.”

“I thought so too. But Tim swung by—looking for you—and he offered to help me get the tree out from in front of the garage. I took him up on it. Are you coming inside?”

“Yes. We have to talk, Gramps.”

“Okay. Let me put some coffee on. It sounds bad.”

Over fresh coffee and stale cinnamon rolls, I told him everything, from watching my father at the bar a few times each week to letting him stay at Missing Pieces. I didn't know what the universe would do to me in this case, but I knew telling Gramps was the right thing to do.

When I was finished and had stopped crying—maybe Rafe was right about me being a watering pot—I waited to hear what Gramps had to say. He was silent for a long time, thinking it over while he chewed and swallowed. His blue eyes didn't give anything away.

This was how I remembered him from when I was a teenager. My mom would ask him to speak to me about some escapade or another—like the time I went to a beach party I was forbidden to go to.

He'd come home, change his uniform for a T-shirt and old jeans. Then we'd sit at the table until we talked about whatever it was. And we'd all feel better. I hoped we'd all feel better this time too.

“Do you like what you've seen so far?” he finally asked after a swallow of coffee (there was no other way to get the dry cinnamon roll down).

“Do I—what?”

“Your father. Now that you've met him and talked to him, do you like what you've seen of him?”

It was a difficult question to answer, and one I wasn't expecting. “I don't really know him that well yet.”

“Come on, Dae. I've heard you make decisions about people much faster than this. Don't bail on me. You've told the truth. I thank you for that. Tell me the truth now—do you like him? Do you think he's a good person?”

“I think he's had a hard life,” I ventured in my father's defense.

“He comes from a well-to-do family. Never had to work a day in his life—until they finally disowned him after he'd been in and out of jail a lot. He had a life you could only dream of.”

“Okay. Not a hard life financially, but maybe a hard life in other ways. Money isn't everything. You taught me that.”

“Dae, I know you love him—or at least you think you do right now. He's your father and you've always felt cheated because you didn't know him. But he's not a good person. He'll only leave you to ruin like he did your mother.”

“You didn't give him a chance to do anything else,” I accused.

He nodded. “Guilty as charged. I protect the people I love, and I won't apologize for it.”

“I don't think I need that kind of protection anymore, Gramps. I can make my own decisions about people.”

“How does Kevin feel about him? I'm assuming he knows the truth. Did you tell Danny yet that he's your father?”

I got up from the chair and calmly put my cup in the sink. “Kevin feels the same way you do—all based on Danny's past record. And no, I haven't told Danny yet that he's my father. I thought I should get to know him first before I spring it on him.”

“At least you're trying to use the brains God gave you. I'm glad about that.”

“But you know I'll have to tell him sometime. I don't think you and Kevin give him credit for not being the same person he was thirty years ago. You're both wrong about him, and I'll prove it to you.”

“Please don't do anything foolish, honey. You don't have to prove anything. Don't get involved in his life. You've made a wonderful home for yourself. People like and respect you. Don't throw all that away on someone who doesn't deserve it.”

There was nothing more to say here either. For Gramps, as with Kevin, actions would speak louder than words. And yes, I hadn't come completely clean about my father. I'd left out the part about the makeup case. I had no doubt Kevin would enlighten Gramps, but he wasn't going to hear it from me.

Maybe by that time, Gramps would begin to see that Danny was just someone struggling through life. He wasn't a bad person—he had issues that I felt sure time and love would solve.

“I love you, Dae,” Gramps said as he stood up and hugged me. “I hope you know that. We haven't been so close lately. I miss that. Please don't shut me out of your life.”

I hugged him back. He was wrong about Danny, but I still loved him too. “I'm sorry it's been so weird lately. Strange things have been happening.”

“Such as?”

“Did you know the Bellamys are related to Rafe Masterson?”

“The pirate?”

“You got it.”

“How did you find out?”

I laughed, glad that I'd told him most of the truth and cleared the air between us even though doing so had been hard. “I think that's going to take another cup of coffee.”

Chapter 35

Gramps and I talked until midnight about the pirate ghost and the things he'd told me about the past. It was as easy as ever talking to Gramps—about that subject. I tried to get Rafe to appear and do some little trick to show he was there, but no such luck.

We didn't touch on my father again. That was good. I realized that I didn't want to exclude Gramps from my life—I just wanted to include Danny too. My optimistic heart believed that could happen.

It was raining the next morning—a definite hindrance to getting Duck back in order. The maintenance people would have to sit around and wait for the weather to clear. But every Banker knows to expect bad weather this time of year.

I put on my rain poncho and boots and headed for the Duck Historical Museum early, when I'd be most likely to catch our town historians there. They met for tea and cookies several times a week to debate Duck history. I needed to pick their brains if I was going to have a chance of finding the magistrate's diary.