The Parent Trap(54)
He set his sandwich on the plate and gulped some water. “I did.”
Sarah nodded. “I thought so. Kate told me you’re a great cook and that you bake awesome bread.”
“She said that?”
“She did. One afternoon while she was at the store.”
Interesting. It seemed everything she said within earshot of him was subtly tinged with sarcasm or mild disdain. If she could be positive when he wasn’t around, maybe there was hope for their father-daughter relationship after all. He would work on it, he decided. As soon as she came home.
He picked up his sandwich again. “Did she say anything about her mother?”
The way Sarah quickly lowered her gaze as she thoughtfully nibbled a potato chip said it all.
“What did she say?” He needed to know and wished he could have sounded more casual. It’s not as if Kate would ever volunteer anything, and he hadn’t figured out how to get her to talk about her feelings.
“Not much. Just that she moved to Europe last year, and even though they talk almost every day, it’s not the same as having her here.”
Her tone was matter-of-fact and nonjudgmental, and he was grateful for that.
“Even when we all lived in Vancouver, she was away a lot so I don’t think proximity is the big issue. Most of Kate’s resentment stems from the promises her mother makes but doesn’t follow through with.”
“What kinds of promises?”
“She said she’d be over for Kate’s middle school graduation last June, then had to cancel when something came up at the last minute. To make up for it, Kate was supposed to spend two weeks with her in Italy at the end of July. That fell through, too.”
“Poor kid.” Sarah sounded genuinely understanding. “She must have been awfully disappointed.”
Disappointment didn’t even come close. “She was devastated. I know she understands her mother’s personal commitments, but it’s not easy for her. I’ve tried to convince Georgette to make more time for Kate, but there’s no talking to her. You can be sure she’ll have something to say to me, though, if she hears about this.”
“Aren’t you going to tell her?”
Wasn’t planning on it. He must have shaken his head, because Sarah’s eyes went round with surprise.
“Really?” It wasn’t so much a question as an accusation.
“You don’t know Kate’s mother.”
“Well, what if—” She didn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t have to.
“What if the situation was reversed?” he asked. “Is that what you were going to say?”
“Yes, it was. If Kate went missing on her mother’s watch, how would you feel if she didn’t tell you?”
He stared into his glass, watching the bubbles rise to the surface and escape. Sarah was right. If the tables were turned, he would want to know what was happening. He’d be furious, sick with worry, and he would place the blame, all of it, squarely on Georgette. He sighed and picked up his phone.
Time to face the music.
CHAPTER TWELVE
SARAH GATHERED NAPKINS, empty plates and glasses and carried them into the kitchen, leaving Jonathan to make his call in private. A call he was obviously reluctant to make, and she couldn’t fault the poor man for that. Although his ex was an absentee mom who was either unwilling or unable to be there for her daughter, she had a right to know the girl was missing.
She could hear Jonathan’s voice from the foyer.
“Georgette, please, just listen to me. Serenity Bay is a safe place and Kate isn’t alone.”
There was a pause, during which she told herself she shouldn’t eavesdrop. She did anyway.
“The girl who lives next door is with her. Her name is—”
“I don’t care what her name is!”
Jonathan must have moved closer to the kitchen or accidentally switched to speaker because now she could hear both sides of the conversation.
“How do you know this girl isn’t having a negative influence on Kate?”
Because my daughter is not a runaway, Sarah wanted to yell back.
“Because...” Jonathan said. “Look, Kate’s been having a bit of a tough time with everything and you—”
“Don’t try to pin this on me. You’re the one who pulled her out of her old school, moved her away from her friends, from civilization.”
Sarah had heard enough. She turned on the kitchen tap, filled the coffeemaker and left the water running for no reason other than to drown out Jonathan’s conversation with his ex. Calling her had been the right thing to do, but now she understood his hesitation. By the sound of things, Georgette Ogilvie wasn’t accepting any responsibility for Kate’s behavior. But to try to pin this on Casey? And to blame Jonathan, who, although somewhat misguided in his approach to discipline, was doing his darnedest to make a home and a good life for his daughter? While taking none of the responsibility? That was completely unreasonable.