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His eyes landed on Cash first but they shifted to me as I spoke. “Hi, we’re looking for Oscar Lewis?”
The moment he saw me his olive complexion blanched as the color drained from his face. His reaction was a more exaggerated version of one that had been happening a lot this past year.
I smiled, hoping to put him at ease. “Hi, I’m—”
“Sabrina,” he whispered at the same time I spoke.
Well, at least he remembered her. There was one hurdle I wouldn’t have to get past.
“I’m Cheyenne Comfort, Sabrina’s daughter.” I turned to Cash. “And this is my friend Cash Malone.”
Oscar stood there speechless, motionless for several more seconds before a golden retriever appeared at his side and barked.
He blinked at the sound. “Sorry, I just…you look just like her.” He opened the screen door, still looking like he might be in a state of shock. “Would you like to come in?”
He held the golden retriever puppy who was jumping up as he held the door open.
“Would you like some tea, water, anything?”
“No, thank you.” I sat down on the worn leather sofa and Cash sat beside me.
As soon as I did the puppy jumped up into my lap and coated me with kisses.
“Mona, no!” He shouted, but the puppy didn’t listen.
“Hi Mona, it’s nice to meet you.” I giggled and the more I tried to dodge her affection the more aggressive she got about giving it to me. She kept licking my face.
“Sorry, she’s only six months.” Oscar tried to pull her off of me. “She’s still learning. Let me put her in her playpen.”
As soon as Mona heard the word playpen she plopped down on my lap and looked up at me with her huge brown puppy dog eyes.
“She’s okay here.” I was actually happy for the buffer.
As I began to pet her, I realized just how calming having her on my lap was. It made me wonder if I should look into emotional support animals for my youth center.
“Are you sure?” Oscar asked. “She can be a handful.”
“I love dogs,” I assured him. “How long have you had her?”
“About two months now. I got her from a puppy mill that was shut down for inhumane practices.”
“You rescued her?” My heart jumped at the shared interest, but I quickly reminded myself that a lot of people rescued animals and that didn’t necessarily mean that it was a genetic trait I’d inherited from him.
“Yeah. She’s my latest. I rescued Sonny and Cher about four years ago. Someone left them in a box on the side of the road.” He motioned to the left and I looked over and saw two tabbies sunbathing on a window seat.
It was the first time I really took in the house because I’d been so distracted by the bundle of fur that was curled up on my lap. There were canvases filled with finished and half-finished paintings everywhere. They were on the dining room table, leaning up against walls, and some were even on the floor. They were mainly landscapes and still lifes but there were some portraits. They were all so vibrant and full of life, as if you could reach out and touch them.
He was an artist and he rescued animals. That wasn’t exactly DNA results, but the similarities were stacking up by the minute.
Oscar sat down across from us. “So, you’re Sabrina’s daughter. I didn’t even know she had a daughter. When I knew your mom, she had two sons.”
“Hank and Billy, they’re my older brothers.” I looked over at Cash, not sure what to say.
“That’s right. Hank and Billy.” Oscar nodded in recognition.
I opened my mouth to say more, but nothing came out. Now that I was actually faced with the man that really could be my father I was at a loss for words. Cash must have sensed my hesitation, because he took over.
“Mr. Lewis”
