A Father's Love

“Not this, dear. Max is led by God, and so are you. You’re both just too stubborn to forgive and forget, though. When Max finally let’s go of his hurt, I think you’re gonna find that fire back. But with God tempering it, it ain’t gonna get too out of control that either one of you gets hurt again, if you both remember to rely on God this time.”

Kaitland blinked back sudden tears. If they relied on God this time. How true. When they’d had their problems before, instead of turning to God for help, they’d both allowed their wounded pride to stand in the way. That had caused untold problems. However, unlike Sarah, Kaitland didn’t believe this was a second chance. She just wanted to make peace so she could get on with her life. She knew Max would never trust her again, not that she couldn’t really blame him. Her mistake had cost her someone very dear to her. If she and Max could part as friends, she would take that and be happy. If Max could only forgive and forget. That was the key. And with her in the house, around him every day, that might happen.

“I hope you’re right, Sarah. I’d like the pain between us healed.”

“Ms. Summerville?”

Kaitland glanced up to where Darlene stood. “I wanted to let you know the furniture has arrived. I’ve got some people working on arranging the room right now. And there’s someone here to see you.”

“Me?” The only person Kaitland could think of was Jake. “Could you stay with Bobby and Maddie?” she asked Darlene.

“Sure. I led the person to the gardens. I wasn’t sure where to put him…”

“That’s fine,” Kaitland said, wondering where Timms, the butler, was.

“And I have to get back to cooking,” Sarah said. “Don’t you let them young ‘uns outta your sight, Darlene. You hear me?” Sarah added, heaving her body up off the ground.

“Yes, ma’am,” Darlene said, sitting down next to the children. Bobby immediately plopped into her arms. Maddie, obviously feeling left out, pushed her brother then squirmed up next to him on Darlene’s lap.

Kaitland laughed and, with a kiss to each one’s head, she turned and headed toward the gardens. Who in the world could it be that had come to visit her?

Then she spotted the dark brown head and knew.

Her stepbrother, Robert.

Robert and Max didn’t get along. Darlene wouldn’t want to leave him where Max might run into him. Kaitland had never understood the hostilities between the two men. She knew Max didn’t approve of Robert’s lifestyle, but he’d never discussed it with her, just told her to be careful around Robert What could her stepbrother do to her that Max worried about—or had worried about, she amended.

Except take her to a party where she ended up getting attacked, she told herself. Well, Max had been right and she’d learned her lesson.

“Robert,” she said, stopping at the garden gate where Robert stood. “What are you doing here?”

“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.