Trouble in Tourmaline (Silhouette Special Edition) (16 page)

T
wo months later, they were married in the completed gazebo with Sarah as the proud flower girl, Gert as the matron of honor and Russ as best man. At the last minute, David’s sister Diane flew in from Hawaii, barely in time for the ceremony, but a wonderful surprise. The only disappointment was Amy’s father, who, because of an emergency appendectomy, couldn’t get there.

Because he knew Amy needed to connect with her father, David made up his mind to remedy the situation.

His chance didn’t come for more than six months, when Nell Archer scheduled a violin recital for her pupils.

The recital was held in an old theater building that no longer showed movies. The building had escaped
destruction, because in Gold Rush years it had been an opera house, which gave it a place on the historic registry. The children had been rehearsing on the stage for several weeks, so no longer were in awe of their surroundings.

Sarah’s group of attendees included David, Amy, Gert and Grandfather, as well as Mari and Russ. Brent and Iris Murdock had been invited as well, but had sent regrets from Bermuda. As the group was about to get settled in their seats, an older man strode down the aisle toward them.

Amy couldn’t believe her eyes. “Dad?”

Lou Simon wrapped her in a bear hug. “David called to invite me,” he said after he let her go. “That damn appendix made me miss your wedding, but I wasn’t going to miss this. It’s not every day a man gets a bonus granddaughter who’s a violin virtuoso.”

When the curtains parted, he sat down next to Amy. David was on the other side of her and she leaned over to whisper “Thank you” in his ear.

Sarah not only had a duet with Betty, but a violin solo as well. Through her own tears, Amy noticed David’s misty eyes as he watched his daughter perform.
Their
daughter. Sarah was as much her child as the one growing inside her.

After the performance, punch and cookies were served in the theater anteroom for the audience and violinists. As they stood in a group, Sarah joined them, Betty and her mother tagging behind. Cary singled out David.

“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done,” she said. “So far the money comes in from him every
month and it’s such a relief. Why, Betty wouldn’t even have been in this recital if it hadn’t been for you.”

Invited to join them, Cary shook her head. “Thanks, but we’re with friends.”

As Cary and Betty moved away, Amy saw her father crouch down and hold out his hand to Sarah. “I’m your Grandpa Lou,” he said. “I’ll give you a hug if that’s okay with you.”

Instead of replying, Sarah reached out and hugged him. “Daddy said you were coming, but we kept it a secret from Mom so she’d be surprised.”

Lou straightened. “That was a fine performance,” he said. “You’re a talented girl.”

Amy hugged Sarah, saying, “I think so, too. I’m so proud of you, honey.”

Lou put an arm around Amy. “I’m proud of you, too, kitten,” he told her. “Both you and Russ proved me wrong about what I thought was best for you. Taught me a lesson. I promise I’ll try not to enforce my will on this one here—” he touched Sarah’s head “—or any of my other grandchildren.”

Someday I’ll tell him that I have the same failing, Amy thought. Thank heaven we both realized the problem before it was too late.

“What’s ‘enforce your will’?” Sarah asked.

“It means someone trying to make you do things you may not want to do,” Amy said. “Not necessary things for your health or safety, those are for your own good, but if I tried to make you play the piano instead of the violin, I’d be enforcing my will on you
because I didn’t take into consideration what you wanted to play.”

“Oh. Like boarding school.”

Oops. Smart kid. In a way, Sarah was right, but someday she’d have to come to terms with the fact her birth mother was married to a man whose own convenience came first. It would take time.

“Your stepfather likes to travel,” Amy said. “That’s why boarding school came up. In his own way, he was trying to find a safe place for you while he and your mother were gone.” Lame, but it was all she could think of offhand.

“I made a tape of your solo and the duet with Betty,” David told Sarah. “I’ll send a copy to them when they get back from Bermuda so they’ll be able to play it and be proud of you, too.”

Sarah, leaning against Amy, nodded. She gently patted Amy’s enlarging abdomen and said, “We can play the tape for the baby, too, so he can listen to me playing. Ms. Archer says you’re never too young to enjoy music.”

“So you know the one coming is a boy?” Lou asked.

“That’s what the docs tell us,” David said.

As her father and David continued to talk, it suddenly struck Amy what she wanted to name the baby. She bent over and whispered in Sarah’s ear.

“Awesome,” Sarah said. She tugged at Lou’s hand. “Know what, Grandpa? Mom’s going to name the baby Louis, after you. But I think maybe I’ll call him Louie.”

Lou chuckled, tears in his eyes.

Amy looked at David and he took her hand, running his thumb caressingly over hers, his touch telling her without words how much he loved her.

What a fool she’d been to think that love could ever be controlled!