KAT WOKE EARLY, confused, and then she remembered: she was in her new home by the sea and her life was looking good. Today she hoped to start planning her new course, and she’d decided to set out some rules about parents—one in particular—getting too involved in what she was doing.
She had a couple of counseling sessions this morning. One was with Millie, the girl who’d been in her sea session the previous evening. Millie needed one-on-one counseling, as she was very withdrawn. That was one of the reasons Kat had wanted her in sea therapy—to pull her out of herself—and she was sure the animal therapy would be good for her, too. Animals had a way of getting through to even the most troubled children; she’d seen it again and again.
The tide was in when Kat headed out of the cottage for a quick morning walk before she had to be at Flight. The water lapped right up to the edge of Cove Road, and she had to stay well up on the rocks above the tide line. The sky was a rumbling gray with slashes of deep purple hovering near the horizon as she set off along her rugged route. The sea, however, was calm, apart from the waves that gently buffeted the rocks, and the wind in her face was pleasantly warm. She gulped in the salty air, feeling thankful; never had she imagined that she might find somewhere as wonderful as this to live. Her landlady, Elsa, must really miss it.
By the time she headed back to Cove Cottages, the tide was on the wane. Flotsam and jetsam lay in heaps, harboring no end of treasures—for the kids, at least. There was even a bright red football sitting on a pile of seaweed and a silver, heart-shaped necklace; surely it couldn’t be real silver. She picked it up, untangling it from the debris that had carried it here. It certainly hadn’t lost any of its luster, so perhaps it was real silver. It felt like a sign. This was a lucky place, and all she needed now was a dog to keep her company. Where did that idea come from? All her life, she’d wanted a dog, but it had never been practical. Perhaps it was time.
Kat returned to her cottage for a light breakfast before walking up the path to Flight. Patches of blue sky were clearing out the gray, allowing the sun to peep through. Her first appointment wasn’t until nine thirty, so she had plenty of time to try to catch up with Ben before his lessons started—not for a therapy session, but just for a friendly chat. She had to get to know him, and it was important that he started to feel comfortable about living here. She wanted to find out more about his granddad, too.
As it happened, she was too late to catch Ben. Gwen had sent him to tidy up his room before lessons started.
“There are some things we just have to insist on,” she told Kat. “All the children are taught to take responsibility for their own rooms, and it’s important he gets into good habits from the start. Ben seems to take a real delight in trashing his room. Rather than telling him off, I just make him sort it out himself. Yesterday he sulked and missed breakfast, but today he’s gone off to do it quite happily. He has gym class first thing, mind, and he does seem to love sport.”
Kat went by the kitchen to get a coffee and, to her dismay, Luke was already there, doing the same. Short of rudely walking away, she had no choice but to say good morning. He was wearing faded blue jeans, she noted, and a pale blue shirt with the top two buttons undone. He looked cleaner cut than usual, as if he’d made a special effort.
“You going somewhere fancy today?” she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.
“And are you?” he asked, looking at her outfit pointedly.
When she was doing formal therapy sessions at school she always felt she should at least try to look professional. Today she was wearing a pencil skirt with a bright floral blouse and mid-height heels. “I only do casual for the nature-therapy courses,” she explained.
He gave her a warm, slightly crooked smile, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “So this is you looking serious, is it?”
“I can do serious, you know,” she retorted.
“I’m sure you can,” he said. “Unfortunately, though, when I watch your sessions you are invariably wading around in the sea or losing control of my son.”
She froze, forcing back an angry retort; she mustn’t let him get to her.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, taking her by surprise. “I’m sure your serious sessions are very professional. I just want what’s best for Ben, and I believe that children have to learn to stick to the rules.”
“So were your parents strict?” she asked on a hunch.
“Parent,” he replied. “My mum died when I was small. My dad was in the army, so yes, I guess you could say he was strict. Rules and regulations were his life.”
“What about now?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen him in years,” Luke said matter-of-factly.
“That’s sad,” she said quietly.
He shrugged, pouring boiling water into his mug. “You don’t know my dad.”
“He’s still your dad, so you must have some regrets. Now you have the chance to make up for what you missed by making sure you and Ben get a proper father-son relationship going.”
He held her gaze briefly, and then he thrust his broad hand forward. “Okay. Truce? You have your ways and I have mine, but the one thing we can agree on is that we both want what’s best for Ben.”
Kat took hold of his hand; it was warm and strong and tanned, and her heart raced. For one wild moment, she wondered what it would feel like to be in his arms.
“Truce,” she managed, pulling her hand free and turning away.
“Oh, and for your information,” he called, as she picked up her cup and headed for the door, “the reason I’ve dressed up today is because it’s my day off and I was thinking of going into town to buy Ben a bike.”
Kat stopped and turned. “Don’t you think it would be a good idea to take him with you? So that he can choose? Now, that really would be building bridges.”
Luke hesitated. Then he gave her a wry smile. “Actually, I mentioned it to him and he refused point-blank. Nice, eh—real father-and-son stuff.”
Moved by the sadness in his eyes, Kat almost reached out her hand in sympathy, but held back. “You just have to work on this. You can’t expect him to come around overnight. He’s lost his mum, his home and his grandparents—everything familiar. And suddenly the dad, who in his eyes hasn’t wanted anything to do with him for years, has stepped right back into his life. You have to earn his trust, Luke.”
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. He needs to know that. It was for the best at the time, that’s all.”
“And how hard did you actually try?” Kat asked.
Luke shook his head sadly, and this time she did take hold of his arm. “Just be his friend,” she urged. “He’s here at Flight now. He doesn’t need you to worry about discipline.”
“You don’t understand,” he objected. “I know what his grandparents are like. They’re very wealthy and they’ve ruined him with kindness, totally spoiled him.”
“Well, you’re talking about buying him a bike, so how is that different?”
Luke narrowed his eyes, his jaw tensing. “Every boy should have a bike,” he said. “That’s not spoiling him.”
“That’s probably how his grandparents felt,” Kat suggested. “Especially after he lost his mum.”
“What do you know about that?”
“I’m his therapist. It’s my job to know what’s been going on in his life. I’d like to find out more about his granddad, too. Ben’s upset about his illness, but I think there’s more to it.”
Luke shot her a sharp glance. “What do you mean? What about Jim? I know he’s been unwell, but Mollie just told me it was old age catching up with him.”
“Maybe I got it wrong,” Kat said, doubting herself. “Ben said something about losing his granddad, that’s all. He was very upset about it.”
“Yes, you obviously got it wrong,” Luke said. “That’s what happens when you jump to conclusions. I think I know my son and his business better than you.”
“Are you sure about that?” Kat asked, hating herself for the low dig.
Luke’s face reddened, and he seemed to be working something over in his head. “Okay,” he said finally. “If Ben wants a bike, he’ll have to come with me.”
She nodded. Maybe she was getting through to Luke after all. “That’ll give you a chance to bond. You could take him to McDonald’s or something. All kids love McDonald’s.”
Luke’s mouth quirked into a smile. “Perhaps I’ll ask you, too,” he said.
“No...thanks,” Kat responded. “I think it should be just the two of you.” Why on earth would he ask her something like that?
As he walked away, after giving her an exaggerated salute, she noted how much more confident his strides were, as if he had a goal now. What a strange guy. Just when she’d thought she couldn’t stand him any longer, he’d dropped his arrogance and revealed an almost vulnerable side to his character.
Feeling more optimistic about the whole situation, she headed off to the bright, airy room just off the new annex that had been allocated for her counseling sessions. Afterward, she’d go and find Mike to try to persuade him to organize a meeting with Ben’s grandmother, along with discussing her animal-therapy plans.
Her first session, with sixteen-year-old Robert Bevis, left her beaming. It always felt good when she made real headway with a kid, and she’d seen such a change in the lanky, dark-haired teenager since they’d started their sessions. He’d shown a huge interest in athletics, so she’d had talks with Graham Brown, head of sports at the school, to see if the field held any future for Robert. Graham had sung his praises but said that with his attitude, he would never be able to make any kind of career. But with her help and support, Rob had started to build up his confidence in himself, which was the only thing holding him back. Today he showed her a letter from a sports academy that was offering him a place when he left Flight later that year. She couldn’t take credit for that as she wasn’t even at Flight when he’d applied, but he’d talked to her about it, opening up and asking her advice. That was the best reward she could ever have.
“If you ever have doubts or setbacks, you can always call me,” she told him. “The only person who can hold you back is you. You just have to believe in yourself.”
“I’m going to try really hard to do that,” he said. “If you’ll help me.”
“Of course I will. It won’t always be easy, though.”
He nodded determinedly. “Yes, I know that, but at least I’m getting the chance to try. I’m going to give it my best shot.”
“That’s all anyone can do,” Kat said. “You are as good as anyone else.”
The young man smiled with a newfound confidence. “I’ll remember that always,” he told her.
When Millie Summers came into the room just after Rob left, Kat was still glowing about his news. She focused her attention on the quiet young girl, who sat down with her hands linked in her lap. “Well, Millie, how do you feel about maybe going for a home visit soon?”
Millie glanced up at her then looked away nervously. “Dunno,” she said.
“Do you feel excited...or scared, maybe?”
“I want to see my mum, but only if Bob has gone. I hate him.”
“Bob has gone far away, Millie. He can never hurt you or your mum again, I promise. Your mum is living in a new house now and it will be just you and her and maybe, before long, your little brother, too.”
Millie brightened at that. “Dominic?” she cried. “Dominic’s coming home?”
“Well, it’s early days. We’ll start with a few home visits to see how it goes, and who knows—before long you might be able to go home full-time and help your mum look after him.” The idea brought a glow to Millie’s usually deadpan features.
“I’d like that,” she said. “And Bob’s really gone?”
“He’s gone,” Kat assured her. “I could come with you if you like, for your first visit.”
“Will you, Miss? Will you really come?”
“If you’re sure it’s what you want.”
Millie nodded.
“You can do a few visits, and you don’t have to go back to live there until you’re sure it’s what you want.”
Her face said it all.
Today, thought Kat, as she gathered up her notes and books after Millie’s time was up, she felt good about her work. It wasn’t often that both her sessions went well; sometimes she came away sad and depressed after being unable to get through to the child she was trying to help. Both Robert and Millie had been at Flight for a while, and she had just taken over from their previous therapist, so she couldn’t take all the credit for their improvement. Still, it was satisfying to think that she’d been a part of helping them get their lives back on track.
Buoyed by her rewarding morning, she went straight over to Mike’s office.
To Kat’s disappointment, Mike was less than hopeful about the possibility of her seeing Mollie Jackson. “I did mention it to the social worker,” he said. “But she didn’t think it was a good idea. Mollie is under a lot of strain, and she couldn’t see it being very helpful for Ben, anyway. Ben’s grandfather had surgery several months ago, and his recovery has been poor. Caring for him takes up all Mollie’s time.”
“I just need to understand what Ben’s been going through a bit better,” Kat pleaded. “If you give me her address, I’ll go and visit her myself.”
Mike shook his head. “I couldn’t let you do that. It would be very unprofessional to turn up on her doorstep. Look, Kat, why don’t you let Ben tell you what’s bothering him in his own time.”
Disgruntled, Kat bit her lip. He was right, of course; there were codes of conduct to follow, but it had been worth a try. “I understand. While I’m here, can we talk about my animal-therapy idea?” she asked, changing tack.
She could practically hear Mike’s inward groan. Obviously she’d caught him on a bad day. “I’ve been thinking about that, too,” he began.
“And?”
“And I think you need to concentrate on your sea and nature exercises for a bit longer before we embark on the new project. There are a lot of health and safety issues to consider.”
Disappointment clawed at her insides. Mike had been so enthusiastic about the idea when she’d first suggested it, so what had happened to make him change his mind?
“Luke has been trying to talk you out of it, hasn’t he?” she said, realizing at once that hurling accusations was the wrong approach.
“This is coming straight from me,” Mike remarked in a cool tone. “As I said, there are a lot of issues to consider first, and the children’s safety has to be a priority.”
“But I was only going to have rabbits and guinea pigs to begin with,” she objected. “Maybe pet lambs in the spring—gentle, harmless creatures that will encourage the children to be kind and caring.”
To her relief, she detected a softening in Mike’s unexpectedly harsh expression. “I’m not saying never,” he said. “And I suppose you could start small by getting some rabbits and the like, as long as you make sure that they’re well-handled and won’t bite or anything.”
“Can I use the old outbuildings in the garden?” she asked eagerly. “I’ll clean them out on my days off.”
Mike raised his hand. “Whoa, steady on. I’m not going that far yet. Can’t you keep them at home for a while? And in a few weeks when they’ve settled in, you can introduce me to them and we can talk about keeping them here at school. That will give us time to do the safety checks and get parental permission.”
Kat sighed. This was as good as she was going to get for now. “Okay. It’s a start at least.” She stopped and turned on her way out the door. “It was Luke who made you think twice, though, wasn’t it?”
Mike smiled, his good humor restored. “He didn’t really object, just made me realize that I have to take the health-and-safety side of it seriously...and he’s right.”
“Of course. But I’d already considered all that. I have run these courses before, you know.”
“I know you have. I think Luke just worries about Ben. The idea of being a dad scares him—you can see it from a mile away. He’s floundering and he doesn’t want to fail. Don’t tell him I said so, though... And, Kat!”
“Yes?”
“I really am still enthusiastic about your animal therapy. We just need to get it right.”
“We will,” she promised. “You’ll see. Luke getting it right with Ben may take a little longer, though.”
“Don’t be too hard on him,” urged Mike. “Luke, I mean. I think he feels guilty about neglecting Ben up to now, but he’s trying to make amends.”
Kat couldn’t help a sharp retort. “He should feel guilty. He took the easy option when Ben was small and now he’s paying the price. A child’s trust is difficult to win—you have to earn it—and as far as Ben is concerned, his dad is a total stranger who has never wanted anything to do with him before.”
Mike nodded and sighed. “I’m well aware. On a lighter note, are you going to Wayne’s party?”
“Luke mentioned it... Do you think I should?”
“Of course you should. They’d be disappointed if you weren’t there. It’s a surprise party, though, so not a word to Wayne. He doesn’t want a fuss. Fat chance of that with Mel in charge.”
“Mel seems nice,” Kat said. “And I love the way everyone here is so welcoming. I feel as if I’ve been here for years rather than just a few months.”
Mike raised his eyebrows. “Despite the situation with Luke?”
“That’s simply an obstacle to be overcome. We both have Ben’s best interests at heart—that’s the main thing.”
“But different methods.”
Kat laughed. “Yeah...something like that.”