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Jo:He’s over talking to Chris now. Chris is working next door. Whoa. Dad’s coming back. Gotta go. Later.
Jo saw her dad striding back across the highway and heading for the office. He hadn’t been gone but about twenty minutes, although it seemed like much longer to Jo.
“What happened?” Jo asked. She was not at all certain what to expect.
“Well, that was probably the most interesting and awkward conversation I’ve ever had in my life,” said Mike. “I will agree with you, he is a decent man, or seems to be. At first, he didn’t believe me when I told him I was your father. But once we got that sorted out, he confirmed pretty much everything you told me. Except you conveniently left out the part where you fainted at Marcie’s.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was being too dramatic, Dad,” Jo said. “But do you believe him? Do you believe me?”
“Yes, I do,” Mike admitted. “And there’s something else you didn’t mention, which maybe you can’t see but I can. There’s an awful lot of him in your mom and in you. Especially in the way you all smile. If that’s not a family resemblance, I don’t know what is.”
“But does he want to meet Mom and Gran? Does he want to keep in touch with me?” Jo asked. She suddenly knew that she wanted the answer to be yes more than she could have anticipated.
“He’s not sure, Jo, to be honest,” said Mike. “He’s a bit in shock and that’s never a good time to make any hard and fast decisions. I told him you and I would be telling your mom and grandmother today. I have no idea how they will take this news. You need to be prepared for anything.” He squeezed her arm. “I’m going back to the room to try to rest a bit. I’m going to feign fatigue from the drive but I’m really going to think about how we handle this.”
Mike stepped out onto the porch, then stuck his head back in. “Oh, and don’t worry about the roof. No matter what, he’ll do the job. I’ll take care of working it out in case the rest of this goes haywire. He said he’d feel terrible if someone else did it. So, you can cross that one off your list.”
That was the easy one,Jo thought.The rest of this is going to be a whole lot harder.
ChapterEight
Dinner had gone surprisingly well, and now Jo and her mom did the dishes while Mike and Susan sat on the couches in the large open kitchen, dining, and living room area. The late afternoon was turning into early evening and the light was calming as it streamed through the windows. Jo tried to keep things light through dinner with small talk about different jellyfish she’d found throughout the summer, interesting guests they’d hosted at the motel including one minor TV star and an astronaut, and Dare’s work toward his captain’s license.
“That scampi was fantastic as always, Gran,” Jo said as she finished washing the last pot and let the sink drain. “Fresh shrimp, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” replied Susan. “The neighbor boy, what’s his name? Tom or Tim?”
“Terrence, Gran,” laughed Jo. “You never can remember his name.”
“Well, whatever,” smiled Susan. “His dad had caught some and he had the little guy bring some over. Nice of them. They’ve turned out to be real good neighbors over the years. Sweet family, all of them.” Susan maneuvered her ankle on the couch and turned to Jo. “ Honey, would you open the new bottle of wine? It would be nice to sit here for a while and just chat.”
Susan and Jo had both noticed SeaAnna had been quiet and they were hoping they could extend their own family time a bit longer, though each for different reasons. Susan was just enjoying a rare moment of the four of them together. Jo knew what was just ahead, and didn’t want SeaAnna to decide to leave now.
“I’ll get it, Gran. Mom, Dad? Want a glass? And do you mind if I have some?” Jo asked as she grabbed the bottle from the fridge and rummaged around a drawer for the opener.
“Why ask?” queried SeaAnna. “Surely, you must be drinking now.”
“Actually, I’m no, Mom,” replied Jo. “I might have a glass with Gran now and then, but otherwise, it’s lemonade at Marcie’s or anywhere else. Guess I’m strange that way. But if you don’t mind, I’m pouring myself one too.”
She gave each of them a glass. “Dad, why don’t you make a toast?”
Mike stood and looked at the three women sitting there expectantly. He knew Jo had given him an opening and so he began slowly, “Here’s to three strong women, Jo’s excellent work after the storm, Susan’s recovery from her ankle, and SeaAnna for being my wonderful wife. And also, for family.”
They toasted and each took a sip. For Jo, it was more of a gulp but she hoped no one noticed. It was quiet for a few moments and then Mike began, “Speaking of family…”
“Were we?” SeaAnna interrupted.
“Yes, in a way,” said Mike. “There’s something that’s happened that is going to change our family in possibly a big way.”
Susan and SeaAnna immediately looked at Jo. “No, you’re not pregnant, Jo?” her mother gasped.
Jo wanted to laugh but it was hardly the time. “No, I am not,” she said flatly.
SeaAnna sat back into the couch and looked up at Mike who was still standing. “So then, what in the world are you talking about?”
“SeaAnna and Susan,” he began. “Jo is going to tell you a story. And I’m going to ask you not to interrupt her until she is done, as difficult as that may be. What she’s going to tell you is true, but it goes against what you both think you know. And it might hurt and I’m sure it will confuse you both. But please, hear her out and then I’ll add my two cents’ worth.”
He sat down and Jo took another rather large sip of wine. So, this was it. Head-on, Dare had said. She looked over at Susan and said, “Remember when you asked me why I was a bit late coming from Marcie’s last night? Well, Dare and I had a spat, that’s true. But that lasted only a short time and he left. Someone sat next to me while I was there, drinking lemonade, Mom, and waiting for my takeout order to finish. And we started talking…”
