Substitute Daddy

Chapter Two

About an hour after Brett left, Melissa heard the jingle of a horse’s harness and the rattle of Izaak Abramson’s wagon. She put down the old coffee grinder she’d just brought up from the cellar and walked out on the porch, promising herself time to clean it up and admire it later.

She waved a greeting.

“Good day to you, Miss Missy,” Izaak called. “I have some time today to look at your barn.”

What good news! Smiling at Izaak’s childhood nickname for her, Melissa skipped down the steps toward the man wearing the same kind of plain black pants and gray shirt he always wore. With Izaak there were rarely surprises.

“Then it’s okay?” she sighed, hardly believing at least one of her worries was over.

Izaak nodded. “Margaret spoke to the elders and explained about the baby. We are all still allowed to be friends and we may still work with you on your shop. They don’t like English science but understand that you are not immoral. Just misguided.”

Melissa ignored her annoyance at his last statement and breathed a sigh of relief. It was going to work out. Only now could she admit to herself that she’d been terribly worried. There was no telling how Izaak and Margaret’s elders might have reacted to Melissa’s impending single motherhood—no matter how impersonally it had come about.

“I’m hoping there’s a way to have the barn ready by the time the baby’s born. It would be so much better to be able to open the shop close to home and not have it actually in the house.”

Izaak sighed and shook his head. “You should not need to support yourself. It is the English way to have a child with no father to guide him.”

His disapproval hurt but she straightened her spine. “Now, Izaak, I know Margaret explained to you that this was supposed to be Leigh and Gary’s baby and that I was supposed to act as its aunt.”

Melissa had known Izaak Abramson her whole life. His parents’ farm bordered her uncle’s, and when she was young, he’d been the object of her dreams. Back then he’d been a handsome, smiling young man who gave her rides on his horse. When he’d married, Melissa had been crushed. He’d promised to wait for her, after all. But her five-year-old heart had healed quickly with a few hugs and attention from Margaret, the love of his life.

Izaak sighed. “Yes and I know the baby is of English science. But it will be Leigh’s baby no longer and the father is not here to help you raise him either.”

His concern touched her and Melissa felt tears once again well up in her eyes. “No. Neither of them are here, are they?”

Izaak shook his head and clumsily patted her shoulder. “I’ve made you sad again. So suppose we look at this barn you have decided to make into a store. Now what is this name we will have on this barn that is no longer to be just a barn?”

She smiled. Izaak had always made her smile. “Stony Hollow Country and Classics and you know it. It’ll be a great partnership. You, me and Margaret.”

And it would be. She had the knowledge of antiques and had been collecting them for the day when her dream came true. She also had the wood. Two falling-down barns’ worth! Izaak Abramson had the know-how to turn that weathered wood into furniture. The country movement in decorating had turned old-barn-wood furniture into a valuable commodity and Melissa and Izaak were going to cash in on it. And Margaret’s quilting was simply gorgeous. Melissa would feature beautifully displayed Amish quilts—another sought-after product. And there was the quarter-sawn oak furniture Izaak and his brother Od painstakingly built too. They wouldn’t get wealthy, but that wasn’t the purpose. A good life was.

And she was going to give her child just that. She wouldn’t let Brett Costain and his threats make her believe anything else. She’d nearly collapsed when she’d seen him on her porch, but she’d reached inside herself and had faced down one of the supreme Costains. She would do the same in court if it came to that. She would have to.

Melissa could hardly believe she’d stood on her porch, looking down her nose at him, and ordered him off her land. It gave her a little thrill that it had worked so easily. And so well. He was gone—tail tucked between his legs, driving hell-bent-for-leather toward Philadelphia. He was gone.

Gone but not forgotten, a small voice inside her protested.

Okay. He’d hurt her once. She could admit that. She’d seen him as her irreverent, charming knight on a white charger. She’d gotten all caught up in Leigh’s fairy-tale wishes for her. And she’d been a fool. They both had.

Leigh had been waxing poetic about Gary’s perfect younger brother for weeks. He was funny, kind, handsome as sin and twice as wealthy. He was supposed to have been perfect for Melissa. And she had actually gotten her hopes up when she’d seen the way Brett looked at Leigh and Gary. She could have sworn she saw a deep yearning in his eyes for what they’d found together. Then he’d been all smiles and loving hugs for his aunts and cousins while making Melissa feel like part of the family. Handsome had been so great an understatement that Melissa had planned to tease Leigh over it later.

She and Leigh were dressed alike for the first time since their parents died. Leigh had bought the dresses, done Melissa’s hair and makeup so they could have fooled even Gary himself. But, of course, it had been Gary’s plan. He’d wanted to mislead his parents, who believed Leigh had been raised in the lap of luxury, not on a beaten-down farm in southern Maryland. He’d assured Melissa that proper breeding would matter to them.

Melissa had thought she’d feel self-conscious all dressed up in a sophisticated costume. But it had been worse than that. Leigh and Gary had been wrong to hide the truth and so had Melissa. Wrong to think she could pretend to be someone and something she wasn’t. Wrong to get so caught up in the excitement of the game that she forgot some games come with penalties and consequences.

Melissa shook herself from her reverie. What was she doing, thinking about that whole humiliating episode? It had been a long time ago and she was older now and much, much wiser. It was time to think of the future. And as she and Izaak planned the renovations, the future began to look bright again. She refused to think about the shadow on the horizon called Brett Costain.

The old swing creaked as Melissa rocked in the shade of the big “Johnny Smoker” tree off to the left of the house. She smiled at the Philadelphia nickname and reminded herself for the umpteenth time to find out the real name for her favorite tree on the property. She looked up into the boughs as the evening breeze ruffled the big leaves, creating the sound Aunt Dora had always called the song of summer.

Melissa’s stomach growled, reminding her that it was dinnertime and of the astounding sensation that had awakened her that morning. Her baby had moved, and for the first time she’d felt a little flutter of life. Her first reaction had been to call Leigh—but then she’d remembered.

She was alone. Completely alone, with all the responsibility that bringing a precious life into the world entailed. She had to secure the baby’s future and guard its present.

She was alone. Alone to face the unknown in the form of pregnancy and labor and delivery.

She was alone. Alone to see first smiles, hear first laughter and worry and thrill over first steps.

She’d been close—so close—to calling Hunter and telling him she’d changed her mind. That marriage to a friend was better than going forward alone. But she hadn’t called. A good and generous man like Hunter Long deserved a wife who not only loved him but who was in love with him and who desired him as well. She’d caught a brief glimpse of those feelings one magical night and even though the object of her affection hadn’t returned her feelings she knew what was missing with and from her old friend.

It was ironic that only hours later Brett—the man who’d inadvertently taught her so much—had swept back into her life to teach her another truth. In threatening to take her baby away just as it had become real and not a little frightening to her, he had revealed to her just how precious this baby was.

She sighed and sank a little deeper into the swing. Today had been a very long day.

It had started early with the joy of new life. Fear had come upon her, and then Brett had arrived and drawn anger bursting from the depth of her being. But then Izaak had come by, full of good news and support.

Because his elders had approved their venture, Izaak and his brothers and cousins would be allowed to convert the barn nearest the road and dismantle the others. He had carefully inspected the building and had declared it strong and sound. They had paced off and marked an office and rest room in the loft area, deciding to leave an open-floor plan on the ground floor because it would be more flexible in the future. They decided to add a staircase and a balcony railing at the front of the loft for the display of Margaret Abramson’s quilts.

Izaak was so proud of his wife’s skilled artistry that Melissa had felt a little surge of the old childhood jealousy. And she’d teased him about it. But he had patted her hand, his mood serious, and told her that God would send a man for her and her baby.

This time he didn’t mention Hunter, for which she was grateful. He understood that while she and Hunter could build a family for the baby, they could not build a life on friendship alone.

She sighed again, regretful but resigned. At least this way she’d have the home and child she’d always dreamed of to soften the loss of Leigh.

She closed her eyes, reaching inside herself for the memory of Leigh’s bright laughter and her wide smile. She relived the wonderful scene the day Melissa’s pregnancy had been confirmed. She and Leigh had both been waiting in the couple’s living room when Gary got home. Leigh had given him a silly T-shirt about fatherhood. Gary had stared down at it for a long moment then let out a joy-filled whoop before lifting Leigh in the air and spinning her around. When he’d put Leigh down, he rushed to Melissa and engulfed her in a bear hug, thanking her with grateful tears in his eyes.

The sound of an engine and the crunch of gravel disrupted summer’s song and Leigh and Gary slipped silently back into Melissa’s memory. She wiped away her tears and stood, then walked around the side of the porch and froze. It appeared the day would end the way it had begun—with the annoyance of Brett Costain.

Melissa stalked forward to meet him, studiously ignoring the way the sun glinted off his blue-black hair. “Did you think I was kidding about calling Hunter Long?”

“No. But I thought talking to you again and settling things more amicably would be worth the risk.”

“And I told you we have nothing to talk about.”

“Which is my fault. I shot my mouth off. My only excuse is that all of this threw me more than just a little.” He gestured to the house and surrounding buildings. “You have to admit this is pretty far removed from the world I was raised in.”

Melissa looked around and tried to see the scene from his point of view. Gary and Leigh’s four-bedroom colonial had been far removed from his upbringing. She supposed her house, scraped and not yet painted, with its broken shutters not back from being repaired, looked rather shabby. Add two barns whose only virtue could be found in their salvage value, and she could guess what he thought. But that was no excuse for the way he’d acted or the things he’d threatened.

“This is my home. It will be my child’s home. This isn’t Philadelphia. It isn’t Devon. This is St. Marys County, Maryland, where a lot of people are poor. No judge is going to take away my baby because my house needs painting and repairs.”

“And neither would I,” he said quickly. “I’m sorry about the threat. I wasn’t out of your driveway before I realized what I’d said. I didn’t come here this morning to upset you or threaten you. I came for answers. And to offer help. Now that I see your situation I can see you need it.”

She’d meant what she said about the judge and the courts but his reappearance was still upsetting. No mother took his kind of threat lightly, especially considering the things she knew about his family. But that wasn’t why her legs were shaking and her heart was pounding in her chest.

It was him.

Melissa didn’t know why his nearness always affected her like this. It was the same now when she was angry with him as it had been five years ago when all she’d wanted was to feel his lips on hers.

Knowing it would be stupid to antagonize him by again asking him to leave, and needing desperately to sit, Melissa gestured toward the porch. “I don’t want your help but I’ll see what I can do about those answers you mentioned.” She turned and walked up the steps, sinking gratefully into one of the big wicker rockers, the one Uncle Ed used to sit in for hours. She could almost feel his comforting presence surround her.

Brett followed and pulled the mate to her chair so it faced hers more directly. He leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees and laced the long fingers of his beautiful hands. He was such an incredibly handsome man. No wonder women nearly swooned at his feet—the rat.

“I needed to know why you lied to me,” the rat asked.

Melissa sat back in the chair and crossed her arms, pinning him with a hostile glare. “I told you, I didn’t lie. I left. My stay with Gary and Leigh was temporary. I was under no obligation to walk in the front door of Bellfield again or to remain in Pennsylvania. But you know all that.”

“No. That isn’t what I mean. I’m talking about the lie five years ago when you almost destroyed my relationship with my brother.”

She could feel and hear his suppressed anger. The fingers which had looked graceful and relaxed only moments ago were now clenched tightly. Had she nearly come between the brothers? It had never been her intention. Had Leigh not felt her pain and anger at the wedding reception, Melissa would never have told her sister what had happened with Brett.

Melissa told Brett all of that now, adding, “But I don’t understand how you think I lied to you.”

“You aren’t the same person. This you is the real you. The person I met shouldn’t have been so upset when one night was all I could offer. She wouldn’t have been hurt because our stolen moments in the pool house weren’t about happily ever after. The person I met lived in the real world, not the back of beyond with rocking chairs and porches and barns. She was a designer. She had plans to open an antique store. She was glamorous and worldly and cosmopolitan. She wasn’t you.”

Melissa nodded, seeing for the first time that Brett hadn’t been unaffected by that night or the masquerade. “Oh what a tangled web we weave…” she thought.

“The way I was dressed was the facade. One Leigh and Gary created. It shouldn’t have been necessary, but, because all your family cares about are appearances and bank accounts, it was necessary for Gary. He was sure they’d use Leigh’s upbringing after our parents died as a new source of ridicule. He didn’t want the love of his life used as a weapon against him. He knew it would hurt her. Leigh and I knew it would hurt him. And Gary had been hurt enough.”

Brett sat back in his chair slowly, taking the words in, thinking about them solemnly. “I agree and I understand what and who prompted it. They’re my parents too. But Gary lied to me. Then he was furious with me for treating you like the person you pretended to be without bothering to tell me you’d been playing dress up.”

She could see beyond his anger to the hurt in his light-gray eyes. They were filled with pain.

“What I don’t understand—” he continued “—is why he kept it from me. We didn’t keep secrets from each other. Why do you think I’m the only one who knows for sure that there’s a baby on the way?”

Melissa leaned back in her chair also, letting her face rest in the shadows as she spoke. “He said the two of you were always having to keep secrets from your parents. He wanted to let you off the hook with this one. That’s all it was, Brett. His commitment to Leigh was a lifetime one. If Gary had told you, he felt he would be forcing you to keep his secret for just as long. We’d originally come up with a scenario in which I would pretend to move to the farm I’d inherited from a distant relative. I was going to say I enjoyed the area and had decided to stay. Since it turned out that I preferred not to visit when you’d be around, he decided updating you and your parents with the story no longer mattered.”

Brett pursed his lips and nodded, then looked off, staring at the barn closest to the house. “I would never have touched you if I’d known the truth. I wish to God he’d told me.”

“Well, you aren’t the only one,” she snapped. She still smarted from his incredulous look when she’d found him in the arms of another woman not twenty-four hours after he’d held her, kissing her in the same way. He’d so dazzled her that she’d almost compromised her principles for him. And that had hurt.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said quietly.

Melissa hated that he saw the truth. “Don’t flatter yourself. You infuriated me. That’s all there was to it,” she lied.

“I didn’t mean to do that either,” Brett said, his voice solemn. “But I know I hurt you. I saw your tears before you turned away. Plus Gary had a lot to say on the subject.” He grimaced. “And I’m sorry, but I was misinformed.”

“Only about my clothing. I’m not a country bump-kin just because intimacy means something to me.”

He nodded. “Fine. I think, considering present circumstances, it’s time we bury the hatchet somewhere other than in each other’s backs.”

She hoped she would never see him again so what did it matter? Forgiving him wouldn’t change anything but there was something to be said for a lack of enemies. Melissa nodded.

Brett sighed, clearly relieved. “Now, about help.”

Melissa stood. “I don’t want your money. Money comes with strings and I don’t want anything tying us to your family.”

She realized her error when he looked up at her, his hair stirring in the breeze. Standing had put her in closer proximity to him. He was too damn handsome by half. She sat back down, hating that his nearness could still affect her.

“I didn’t say anything about strings or conditions,” he said softly. “I offered help.”

“Charity always has conditions, Brett. And there’s another thing about money you don’t seem to understand. Money doesn’t fix your threat. Money doesn’t buy trust. I accepted your apology for the way you treated me at the wedding because I think it was sincerely given, but I haven’t forgiven your threat to me or my child’s happiness. And I won’t, because money also doesn’t buy forgiveness.”

Chapter Three

Stung by the truth of what Melissa had said, Brett nodded, ready to leave for the time being, but determined to find some other way to reach her. He refused to do it with legal threats or by scaring her with the very real worry that his mother could turn out to be a threat all her own.

Still he had to do something. He couldn’t let it go at this. Maybe he’d been a lawyer too long. Maybe, as Melissa said, he’d been a Costain too long. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I frightened you. I only came here to offer help. There should be a little left in Gary’s estate, and his child is entitled to it. I’ll be in touch.” He sighed and stood, grappling to say the right thing. Instead he settled for neutrality. “In the meantime, take care of yourself until I see you again.”

He turned away and left her there on the porch. He looked back at her before climbing into his car. She looked like the heroine of an old movie. Sitting in a rocker on the porch of the dilapidated farmhouse with the breeze ruffling her fine golden hair so it shimmered in the dying sunlight, she was too beautiful for words.

Hesitating, Brett fingered his keys before starting his car, forcing his mind into numbness. It was only when he turned onto Route 5 again, that he remembered passing a shopping center with a rather large grocery store. Food was something everyone needed. And what was the old saying? She was eating for two now. If he bought her groceries, he’d help the baby in the only way he could right then, and he’d help Melissa because she could spend what little money she had on other things.

So he found a motel out on the highway, and the next morning at 6:00 a.m., Brett entered a supermarket for the first time in years. It was his housekeeper’s job to keep his cupboards stocked and he hadn’t remembered how much fun food shopping could be. He went up and down the aisles filling the cart to overflowing with everything that looked healthy or useful. Soon it was full, but he’d saved the most important aisle for last. It was the one aimed exclusively toward the needs and wants of babies and small children.

He went down there to remind himself why he was there in the first place. Then the cutest brown bear caught his eye. He picked it up and decided it must be too early in the morning for rational thought. He could have sworn the look in the little guy’s soft golden eyes begged for a home. He put it back on the shelf, but its soft fur caressed his fingertips as he drew them away and its head sort of flopped sadly to the side.

He might have managed to walk away but he remembered Gary buying several toys in the two weeks he’d known about the baby. Gary wouldn’t have put the bear back, so Brett added it to the cart then hustled back to the card aisle. He picked out a gift bag and a matching note card, then headed for the checkout.

Once he returned to the car with sacks and sacks of food and other essentials, Brett wrote a note saying he would be back for a brief visit. He longed to say something else, anything else, but what could he say that would fix the muddle he’d caused with his runaway emotions and tongue the previous day?

Not wanting to spark another confrontation with Melissa, he coasted the last several yards of the drive with the engine off. Then he quietly began transferring the bags from his trunk to her porch. Once done, he returned to his car, turned it on, and got the hell out of Dodge before she sicced her friend the sheriff on him.

The farther he got from Melissa, though, the more thoughts of her haunted him. It didn’t feel right leaving her destitute to face bringing a child into the world. Especially when it was his brother’s child, and being kindhearted had gotten her into this fix. He had to find a way to get her to accept financial help.

She didn’t want strings to his family. He could understand that. His parents, aunts, uncles and cousins had continually treated Gary and Leigh with disdain. And Leigh, who had been hungry for family after losing her own, had been hurt almost as much as his brother by their contempt. No wonder Melissa wanted so desperately to protect the baby she carried from his family.

He had to admit he did as well, or he’d have told his parents that Melissa had conceived Gary’s baby in the procedure performed a month before his death. His mother hadn’t asked. She had merely wondered aloud if she’d have to do something drastic to assure the possible grandchild was brought up properly.

Brett had kept his mouth shut and hadn’t questioned what she’d meant before she’d resumed her trip following the funeral. In his heart, though, he knew the answer. His mother would sue for custody in a New York minute if she saw the way Melissa lived.

Melissa opened her front door on her way to get her Sunday Washington Post and couldn’t believe her eyes. No less than twenty grocery bags and one small gift bag sat at the edge of the porch all lined up like toy soldiers. She walked onto the porch bewildered and stood staring down at the bounty. There were three bags half-full of fresh produce alone!

But then the bewilderment started dissolving like dew on a summer morning. Half-full? They were all half-full. As if they’d purposely been loaded lightly. As if someone hadn’t wanted her carrying anything too heavy. Which meant they were from someone who knew about the baby. It wouldn’t be Izaak or Margaret or anyone from the Amish community. They brought meals in baskets and would never just leave them. Hunter thought the drive-in at the new fast-food franchise was the modern way to food shop.