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Authors: Sherryl Woods
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hugged Amanda a little tighter, then announced imperiously, “I don’t want to be in your ole tree house. Mr. Caleb and me are gonna build a playhouse down here and I’m gonna have tea parties and cookies and you can’t come in, so there.” She gazed into Caleb’s eyes. “Is that okay?”
“Absolutely, short stuff. It’ll be the best playhouse in all of Charleston,” he promised.
“And only me and you and Mommy can come inside,” she added emphatically.
“Seems fair to me,” Caleb said.
“Okay, now that we’ve agreed to all these building plans, I think it’s time for you guys to take your baths and get to bed. Scoot,” Amanda said, setting Susie back on her feet.
All three kids headed for the house, but Susie ranback and held her arms out to Caleb. When he’d picked her up, she kissed him. “I love you, Mr. Caleb,” she said.
“Love you, too, little one.”
He put her down reluctantly and watched her run off.
“I’m sorry you’ve gotten dragged into yet another housing project for this family,” Amanda told him. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t have time.”
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” he assured her. “I like your kids.” He hesitated, then added, “I can think of someone else who might want to help.”
She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “Oh?”
“Why don’t you give your father a call? I’ll bet he’d enjoy giving the boys a hand.”
“Are you crazy?” she retorted bluntly. “Why on earth would I call my father under any condition? And what makes you think he’d even take the call, much less come over here?”
“A lot of time has passed, Amanda.”
“Not since the last time I reached out to him. He all but laughed in my face when I tried to turn to him for help after Bobby died. I swallowed my pride then, Caleb. I won’t do it again.” She studied him with undisguised dismay. “Why would you even suggest such a thing?”
He regarded her somberly. “Because I know a day will come when it’s too late and you’ll regret it with all your heart that you didn’t try harder.”
Her expression remained stoic and determined. “I’ve long since learned to live with regrets. My relationship with my father is what it is. There’s nothing I can do to change it.”
“Amanda, surely you know better than that,” he chided. “Aren’t you even willing to try?”
“Stop pushing me on this, Caleb,” she responded heatedly. “Stop trying to make it sound as if I’m throwing some stubborn little snit. It was my father’s decision to cut me out of his life. He’s going to have to be the one to reach out. I’m done.”
Caleb heard the unyielding tone in her voice and decided it would be prudent to back down. Otherwise she might start asking a whole lot of questions he didn’t want to answer, such as when he’d become such an advocate for Big Max.
“Okay, you’ve made your point,” he said quietly, trying to hide his disappointment.
She frowned at him. “Don’t you dare look at me like that,” she snapped.
“Like what?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
“As if I’m disappointing you.”
“Sorry. It’s the circumstances that disappoint me, not you specifically. Nothing is more important than family, and I hate seeing people turning their backs on the ones they have.”
“Then go have this chat with Big Max. He’s the one who’s raised rejection to a whole new level.”
“Maybe I will,” he said mildly, wondering if she hadn’t inadvertently given him the perfect excuse to do what he’d already been attempting to do—build a bridge between these two.
She seemed startled by his response, but then her shoulders squared stiffly. “Just don’t bother reporting back to me. I don’t want to hear anything you might have to say about my father.”
Caleb sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I brought it up, okay? Let’s get back to the tree house for a minute. Maybe theboys are right and Josh will help. I can probably put
“Absolutely, short stuff. It’ll be the best playhouse in all of Charleston,” he promised.
“And only me and you and Mommy can come inside,” she added emphatically.
“Seems fair to me,” Caleb said.
“Okay, now that we’ve agreed to all these building plans, I think it’s time for you guys to take your baths and get to bed. Scoot,” Amanda said, setting Susie back on her feet.
All three kids headed for the house, but Susie ranback and held her arms out to Caleb. When he’d picked her up, she kissed him. “I love you, Mr. Caleb,” she said.
“Love you, too, little one.”
He put her down reluctantly and watched her run off.
“I’m sorry you’ve gotten dragged into yet another housing project for this family,” Amanda told him. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t have time.”
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” he assured her. “I like your kids.” He hesitated, then added, “I can think of someone else who might want to help.”
She studied him with a narrowed gaze. “Oh?”
“Why don’t you give your father a call? I’ll bet he’d enjoy giving the boys a hand.”
“Are you crazy?” she retorted bluntly. “Why on earth would I call my father under any condition? And what makes you think he’d even take the call, much less come over here?”
“A lot of time has passed, Amanda.”
“Not since the last time I reached out to him. He all but laughed in my face when I tried to turn to him for help after Bobby died. I swallowed my pride then, Caleb. I won’t do it again.” She studied him with undisguised dismay. “Why would you even suggest such a thing?”
He regarded her somberly. “Because I know a day will come when it’s too late and you’ll regret it with all your heart that you didn’t try harder.”
Her expression remained stoic and determined. “I’ve long since learned to live with regrets. My relationship with my father is what it is. There’s nothing I can do to change it.”
“Amanda, surely you know better than that,” he chided. “Aren’t you even willing to try?”
“Stop pushing me on this, Caleb,” she responded heatedly. “Stop trying to make it sound as if I’m throwing some stubborn little snit. It was my father’s decision to cut me out of his life. He’s going to have to be the one to reach out. I’m done.”
Caleb heard the unyielding tone in her voice and decided it would be prudent to back down. Otherwise she might start asking a whole lot of questions he didn’t want to answer, such as when he’d become such an advocate for Big Max.
“Okay, you’ve made your point,” he said quietly, trying to hide his disappointment.
She frowned at him. “Don’t you dare look at me like that,” she snapped.
“Like what?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.
“As if I’m disappointing you.”
“Sorry. It’s the circumstances that disappoint me, not you specifically. Nothing is more important than family, and I hate seeing people turning their backs on the ones they have.”
“Then go have this chat with Big Max. He’s the one who’s raised rejection to a whole new level.”
“Maybe I will,” he said mildly, wondering if she hadn’t inadvertently given him the perfect excuse to do what he’d already been attempting to do—build a bridge between these two.
She seemed startled by his response, but then her shoulders squared stiffly. “Just don’t bother reporting back to me. I don’t want to hear anything you might have to say about my father.”
Caleb sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I brought it up, okay? Let’s get back to the tree house for a minute. Maybe theboys are right and Josh will help. I can probably put
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