“Were you away from Liam a lot back then?”
She rolled the window back up. “Hardly ever, actually. I went to college close to home so I could stay there. My mom was divorced and ran a business out of her house. She would watch Liam for me when I was at class or working.”
“Working?”
“Only way to pay for school. No silver spoons in my neighborhood. I knew I wanted to go to college, and then law school. And then work at a big firm in a big city.”
“Sounds like you had it all mapped out.”
“Well, I didn’t have Liam mapped out. He just happened. Two stupid teenagers.” Her features grew solemn. “But I don’t know what I’d do without him in my life. He’s a great kid. And he and Mikki really seem to have hit it off. When I told him she was going to be working at the Little Bit, he was really psyched.”
“Well, that’s actually the reason I wanted to talk to you. About Liam.”
“What about him?”
Jack told her his plan.
She was smiling and nodding as he finished. “Okay, that sounds terrific. In fact, I’m real proud of you, Dad. But in return you have to do one thing for me.”
He looked at her warily. “What?”
“Can you take me for a ride on the Harley?”
Jack drove to the Palace, got Sammy’s permission, and fired up the Harley. Jenna got on back, and they drove off, paralleling the ocean on the long, winding road. As the wind whipped across their faces, Jenna said, “Boy does this bring back memories.”
“Having fun, then?”
“You know it.” She squeezed his middle as they leaned into turn after turn. After thirty minutes he drove her home.
“Liam’s not here yet. Would you like to come in for some tea or coffee, or something stronger?”
They sat out on the rear deck sipping glasses of Chardonnay Jenna had poured them. After going over the details of Jack’s plan in more depth, Jenna said, “How’s the lighthouse coming?”
He put down his glass. “Good. Stairs are coming along, and Charles found the parts to repair the light.”
“I bet it’ll be something to see it fired up again.”
“Yeah, I think it will,” Jack said absently.
“And why do I think that’s not why you’re really doing it?”
He glanced up at her. “I fix things. That’s what I do.”
“Some things can’t be fixed with a hammer and a set of plans.”
He drained the rest of his glass. “I better get going.” He rose.
“Jack?”
“Yeah?” His voice seemed defensive.
“Let me know when you get the lighthouse working. I’d really love to see it.”
Taken aback by her obvious sincerity, he said, “I will, Jenna.”
“And thanks for the ride. Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
Before he realized, Jack had already said it.
“Me too.”
45
The next morning at the breakfast table Jack said, “I didn’t hear you come in last night, Mik.”
“I actually got in early,” Mikki lied as she poured out a glass of OJ.
“So how was the date?”
“It was okay. But we’re just not that compatible.”
“It happens.”
“Yeah, it does. Hey, Dad, I’m going into town today.”
“Why?”
“Just an errand to run. Liam’s going with me. I won’t be long. Sammy said he’d watch Jackie for me.”
“When do you start working at the restaurant?”
“Tomorrow. That’s when Cory and Jackie start camp.”
“You know, you could have come to me with all that.”
She put a hand on her hip and said, “Could I have, Dad? Really?”
He looked away. “So how are you getting to town? Want a lift?”
“Liam’s picking me up.”
“Look, Mikki, I want you to be able to talk to me about stuff. If we can’t do that, then we’ve got no shot at this father-daughter thing.”
“You really mean that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Well, it would be a nice start if you didn’t work all day and then go to the lighthouse all night.”
“But I’ve almost got it finished.”
“Okay, Dad, whatever. We can talk when you’re done with it.”
Mikki walked out to the street, where Liam was waiting for her in his car.
Liam grinned. “When you called this morning with your plan, I have to admit I was really intrigued. Now I’m downright fired up.”
“Good, because so am I.”
They arrived in downtown Channing and parked in front of the Play House. There were a number of cars sitting at the curb, including Tiffany’s red convertible. The marquee read, CHANNING TALENT COMPETITION APPLICATIONS TODAY.
Mikki grinned. “When I saw that sign last night, I really didn’t think anything of it. You know, who cares? But now — now the timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Let’s do it,” said Liam.
They walked inside the lobby and joined a line of people standing in front of a long table behind which sat a number of ladies with hair styled to the max and wearing clothes that probably cost more than some automobiles. One of them, an attractive blond woman in a formfitting dress, seemed to be in charge.
“Let me guess,” Mikki whispered to Liam as she pointed at the woman. “Tiffany’s mom?”
Liam nodded. “How’d you know?”
“I just flash-forwarded Tiffany twenty-five years.”
“Chelsea Murdoch. I heard my mom once say she was even worse than her daughter.”
“Wow, now, that’s a lady I have got to tangle with.”
When Liam and Mikki reached the table, Chelsea Murdoch looked up at them with such a haughty expression that Mikki just wanted to slap her. “Yes?”
“We’d like to enter the competition,” said Mikki politely.
Murdoch glanced at Liam and looked confused. “Both of you?”
“That’s right. Together.”
“Liam Fontaine, right?” she said.
“The one and only.”
The woman smirked, and then her gaze swiveled to Mikki. “And you are?”
“Michelle Armstrong. We’re down here from Cleveland for the summer.”
The woman looked amused. “Cleveland?”
“Yes, it’s the largest city in Ohio. Did you know that?” Mikki said innocently.
“No, I never saw a good reason to find out,” she replied dryly and then bumped elbows with the woman sitting next to her, who chuckled. Mrs. Murdoch pushed a paper toward them. “Fill this out. And there’s a ten-dollar processing fee. What are you going to do for your act?”
“Music,” said Mikki. “Drums, keyboard, and guitar.”
Murdoch looked at her coolly. “Pretty ambitious.”
“I’d like to think so,” Mikki replied sweetly. “I’m sure the competition is pretty tough.”
“It is. In fact, one young lady has won it three years in a row and is looking to make it four.”
“Would that be Tiffany?”
“Yes. She’s my daughter.”
“Of course. But I already knew she’d won it three times in a row.”
“How?”
Mikki pointed to the mammoth banner on the wall behind them, which had a large picture of Tiffany holding up three trophies with the words TRIPLE CROWN stenciled over her head. “That was, like, sort of the first clue.”
Mikki returned Murdoch’s scowl with a smile.
“Just put the form in the box over there and give your money to the lady in the blue dress,” she snapped.
“Great. Thanks for all your help, Mrs. Murdoch,” Mikki said in her most polite schoolgirl voice.