“Did you mind?”
“Are you kidding?I loved it.”
Ariana drew in a loud breath as she lifted a small, intricately carved gold box.“Look, Mommy.It’s so pretty.”
Cutter smiled.“Open it.”He helped.No sooner was the lid up than the music began.Ariana drew in another loud breath when a tiny ballerina started turning on her toe.She stared and stared, her eyes filled with wonder.When she darted him a look, he felt that wonder warm him from head to toe.
“Look, Mommy!”Very carefully, she turned the music box Pam’s way.
Pam sat down on the bench to take a closer look.“Oh my.It is beautiful.”She listened with a curious smile.“‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy?’”
“I found it in Salzburg when I was there last month.”
“It’s wonderful.”To Ariana she said, “What a lucky girl you are to get such a beautiful gift.”She leaned closer to whisper, “Do I hear a thank-you?”
Ariana turned another shy smile on Cutter.“Thank you, Cutter.”As an afterthought, but without any coaching from Pam, she craned her neck and planted a kisson his jaw.Then, holding the music box gingerly in one hand, she maneuvered herself down from his lap with the other.Skipping across the dirt path in front of the bench, she perched on the base of a statue to listen to the music and watch the ballerina turn.
“She loves it,” Pam said.
“I’m glad.I wanted something special.”
“You found it.Thank you.”
“Thankyou.”
“For what?”
“Bringing her here.”He shifted his gaze from Ariana to Pam.“Is it awkward?”
“Not really.I had promised her a ride on the swan boats for her birthday.I told Brendan that you were in town and that we’d probably stop by to say hello.He had no problem with that.”
Cutter thought of Brendan, thought of the times he’d welcomed Cutter to his home, thought of the business discussions they’d had, the give and take.He also remembered other, earlier times when he’d begged Pam to leave Brendan.In the last year or two, he’d come to understand why she wouldn’t—which made him more frustrated than ever.“He’s a nice man.A good man.I wish I could hate him, but I can’t.”
“He likes you, too.”
“He’s a good father to her.”
“Yes.”
Cutter looked at Ariana again.She was holding the music box on her knees, mesmerized by it.In turn, he was mesmerized by her—by little fingers, little shoes, a little nose, a little chin.As he watched, the sun glanced off herhair, giving its light caramel color an even warmer sheen.Pam was right.She had his hair.
“Do you think he suspects anything?”he asked.
Pam, too, was studying Ariana.“I’m not sure.There are times when I think he has to know—but maybe that’s my guilty conscience speaking.If he suspects anything, he doesn’t let on.He adores Ariana.And she adores him.She’s forever climbing all over him.”
Cutter felt a stab of jealousy.At about the same time, he caught a look of concern on Pam’s face.He shot a fast glance back at Ariana, thinking something had happened to her, but she was sitting just where she’d been.“What is it?”
Pam seemed surprised by his question.“Uh, nothing.”
“You looked worried.”
After a minute’s silence, she said, “Brendan’s been more tired lately.He tries not to let me see, but it’s there.”
“Is he working harder than usual?”
“No.If anything, he’s home more.He’s president of the bank.He can do it.”
“How old is he now?”
