He’d blown it again. Just like he had four years ago when he should have pursued his parental rights and gone after his daughter.
Which reminded Eb he hadn’t heard yet from the paternity test company. What was with them? Before he could call them, his phone rang. What a sorry man he was to be disappointed at a phone’s ring. He checked the caller: Walt.
“What happened?” the actor asked.
“A lot has happened lately, and I’m not sure which you’re referring to.”
“Youdid something, Grinchly.”
“Who is it?” Rue came to stand by Eb.
“It’s Grampy.”
“Grampy!” She pulled Eb’s phone hand down to her mouth. “Tell Daddy to make Miss Sandra be our friend again. We love her.”
“Rue.” Eb gently pulled back his hand. “We can’t force her.”
His daughter flopped to the floor, wearing a pouty mouth, her arms folded.
He put the phone back to his ear. “Sorry about that.”
“Is she right? Do you love her?”
“It doesn’t matter, Walt. She doesn’t feel the same.”
“Do you make a habit of this?” The man’s voice had a myriad of tones to it, from sympathy to frustration and even a little anger. It made the hair on the back of Eb’s neck stand up.
“Habit of what?”
“Not going after what you want.”
“Look, I’m no alpha male who’s all about controlling other people.”
“But you can go alpha when you need to protect people. Look, I’ve known Sandra a very long time. When she came to me, she was broken, and she’s never completely healed from whatever destroyed her.”
Eb paced the living room, trying to fight down the sudden rush of adrenaline at the thought of someone having hurt her. “Has she ever told you what it was?”
“No, and believe me, I’ve tried to get her to open up. All she would tell me was that the past was in the past.”
“Who are you talking to?” Linda’s voice asked in the distance.
“It’s Eb. Sandra’s talking about moving again.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh yes. Look, Eb, we need to have a war meeting. We’ve got more room over here. Would you mind coming over? I’m sure you have Rue today.”
“We saw Sandra leave with her laptop. I thought she was coming to your place.”
“Take me to Grampy’s house.” Rue tugged on Eb’s arm. “I can tell her I love her, and then she won’t leave.” Doubt flashed across her face, her chin quivering, and she whispered, “Maybe not. I told Mommy I loved her, and I didn’t want her to go. But she went anyway.”
Eb pulled her into his arms, paying no heed to the pain it caused. They were nothing but a mess, a family ofthrown-awaypeople. What had hurt Sandra so badly?
For the first time, he felt a surge of hope. She was doing just what he had done, by pulling into himself so no one could hurt him again. Was that what had happened when he’d kissed her? Had she returned his feelings rather than been repulsed by him like he’d thought? But now she was afraid?
“I’m sorry,” Walt said. “Linda thinks all we have to do is to soften Sandra up. Since she and I will travel together for the next week, I’ll see if she’ll talk All I know is she’d been in a serious car crash. It took her a long time to heal from it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate any help I can get. But I don’t know what to do from my end,” Eb confessed.
