He agreed that it was indeed neat, wondering how each mention of “Daddy Matt” could cut deeper than the one before.
Erin looked around. “Mommy, where’s the big picture?”
Elena Brennan answered. “I’ve already hung it on the wall, honey. Right above the television.”
“Come see, Daddy. Come see.” Erin took Luke by the hand and pulled him over to the wall filled with four decades of Brennan family photos. “Isn’t it neat? We got all dressed up!”
“Great picture,” he managed to reply, his voice rougher than he’d intended. The girls wore long dresses of white lacy stuff. Kristin’s dress was a red that drew light to her hair and deepened the brown of her eyes. The three of them sat on an old-fashioned velvet sofa, with Matt in a suit and tie leaning over them. As Luke glanced down the wall he saw that the photos had been rearranged. Pictures of himself and Kristin with the girls had been moved to a bottom corner in the wide display.
“Supper’s ready,” his mother called.
Luke knelt in front of Erin. “I’m gonna take off and let you eat. Give me a hug.”
She flung her arms around his neck. “I missed you, Daddy.”
“I missed you, too, Erin Bear. I’m glad you’re home.”
“When can we come to your house?”
He took a deep breath. “I’ll give your mom a call and we’ll figure that out. Sometime this week, okay?”
“Tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure. But soon, I promise.” Erin held his hand tightly as they went back into the kitchen. The rest of the family sat around the table, with Jen on the far side. “Guess I’ll just wave to you, Jenny Penny. See you later, okay?”
“No, wait, Daddy!” She started sliding out of her chair.
“Why don’t you just stay in your chair, Jennifer, honey.” His mother, next to Jen, put a hand out. “There’s really not enough room…”
But Jen solved that problem. She crawled under the table and came out in front of him. “Don’t go, Daddy!”
Luke picked her up and hugged her close. “I have to, Jen. I—I have to go to work.” Eventually, anyway. “But I promise I’ll see you real soon.” He looked over at Kristin as he spoke. She stared at her plate, with her lower lip caught tight between her teeth.
When he tried to set Jen down, she clung tighter. No words. Just a limpet clasp.
Finally, Kristin got up. “Jenny, love, let go.” The little girl shook her head. Her mother put her hands around the small waist, sliding them between Jen and Luke’s chest. Somehow, he stood there without moving a muscle. “Let go, Jenny.”
The stranglehold released. Luke loosened his arms, and Jen and Kristin stepped away. “Thanks,” he said, avoiding everybody’s eyes, keeping his face as neutral as he could. “Talk to y’all later.”
“Goodbye, son.” His dad alone replied.
Still calm, Luke reached his bike and settled on it, pulled on his gloves, put on his helmet. Turning the key, he pressed the starter and glided into motion. But he only got around the corner before he had to stop. He couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. His legs were shaking too much to be sure he kept his balance. He wondered if this kind of pain would be terminal.
And what the hell kind of life he’d have if it wasn’t.
SARAH HEARD the rumble of the bike’s motor despite the concrete walls of the photo shop. She smiled to herself. The last print was drying.
As she came out of the darkroom, though, she heard Chuck in the front of the shop, giving Luke a hard time.
“We don’t let just anyone into the back.”
“Good idea. If you’ll get Sarah, she’ll explain that I’m not just anyone. We have an appointment.”
“She’s in the darkroom. We’ll have to wait for her to come out.”
“And maybe I can do a fire inspection in the meantime. I’m sure all your permits and extinguishers and wiring are according to code and up to date.”
Sarah laughed and stepped through the curtained doorway. “He’s got you there, Chuck. When is the last time you bought a new extinguisher?”
“At least I bought one.” He brushed past her in the narrow space behind the counter. “If this place had been left to your absentee management, it would have fallen apart years ago!” The curtain swished behind him.
Sarah looked at Luke. “That’s my business partner. He doesn’t—” She registered the despair on his face. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
He drew a deep breath that shook. “Sure. I’m…great.”
“You went to see your daughters, right? Did something happen?”
His hands went into his back pockets. “No bloodshed, anyway.”
Sarah didn’t insist on an explanation—he’d obviously been through enough today. “Come into the back. I’ve made some tea. We can look at the pictures.”
She lifted the hinged portion of the counter, then pulled the curtain aside as Luke stepped into the back room. In contrast to this morning, he seemed almost unsteady, as if he had to concentrate to keep from falling over.
“So you got the pictures developed?” His deep voice sounded weary.
“I did.” Chuck had disappeared behind the closed door of his office. She and Luke downed the iced tea she poured in a thirsty silence. Then she took his glass away. “Now, come tell me what you think.”
A step into the darkroom, he stopped dead. “Wow.”
Sarah smiled in satisfaction. His reaction was exactly what she’d hoped for.
He moved forward to stand in front of the largest print—an eighteen-by-twenty of Erin and Jennifer bent over the bait bucket. The balance of the shot was perfect, the light on those green-and-rose dresses like something out of a storybook illustration. And just as she’d hit the shutter button, a small breeze had fluffed out the girls’ lacy petticoats.
“This is…amazing. You’re really good.”
“Just lucky to be there when the three of you came out. All I had to do was snap pictures.”
“I don’t know enough about it to argue with you. But…wow.” He moved down the line, studying each print in turn. “I really like that one,” he said, pointing to a shot of the three of them laughing in the wind. “Could I have a copy?”
“I’ll copy them all for you. And for your family.”
“Nah.” He glanced at the photos of himself. “Don’t worry about any of those. Just the ones with the girls in them for the family. And a copy of the one with the three of us for me.” Under the white light, his cheeks looked a little red.
“But your parents—”
Luke shook his head. “Nope.” He went back to the first picture. “I can’t believe how great these are.”
Sarah propped her hip on a stool, letting him have the time he wanted. That gave her a chance to appreciate once again how solid his body was, how balanced. She’d seen models in art classes with less physique to recommend them. She’d certainly never sighed over any of them the way she wanted to sigh over Luke Brennan.
He turned around before she could. “I’m thinking I should pay you for these. Talent like yours doesn’t come cheap.”
“You’re right.” Sarah slipped to her feet. “So I’ll