Cherry Two

Part 45

Epilogue

Surry, England, a month later.

The school year had already started by the time Calley returned home with a visitor. Now side-by-side, Kate could scarcely get over the marked resemblance between her husband and his newfound American son.

Calley felt uneasy about the whole thing, not the least of it their quaint, dull, suburban lifestyle. When Kate probed her about the likeness and Alain's manner in general, the millionaire daughter would clam up and go evasive, as if she had something special to hide.

Ever astute, James didn't probe and instructed Kate to back off and let it be. It didn't help when Peter tugged at Alain's sleeve and asked if he would please sleep with Calley instead of in the junior bedroom. After two months of home-style independence, the prospect of bunking in with a bossy big sister held no magic for the young boy. Kate and James laughed at the very idea while Calley tried to hide her red face yet again.

Alain politely adjusted to his stay at the small house in Surrey, but clearly would never be at home. By rights he needed to immerse into work and distance himself from the stunning girl that still sent wicked tingles along his spine. James, not at all like Keenan, seemed genuinely interested in anything Alain said, although underneath they both knew there lay a void—almost nothing in common except the paternal instinct. Sometimes, from a distance, Alain would try to imagine Sonia and James together in a sexual embrace.

On his third day they all went for a family walk around the Egham neighborhood. Calley watched Alain with her eagle eye. "I know what you're thinking," she said, sneaking up and making him jump.

"Christ, don't do that. I'm only studying the way our dad moves with Kate."

"With Kate? Or are you imagining him with someone else?"

"Okay, then, with Mom—a long time ago. They were both different people."

Deliberately Calley brushed up against him. "Hmm, not so different I'd say. Dad's a looker like you. You don't think so, but women recognize that kind of attractiveness. It's subtle. All my girlfriends think Dad is sexy without trying. Few men have it. Take Kent-there's a guy who tries way too hard."

Alain chuckled. "He'll be sexy enough when he graduates into a fortune."

Calley shrugged. "What are you going to do with all that money? Girls will be after you all the time. The wrong kind of girls."

"Then come back with me and pick out the right ones."

She looked away wistfully. "I'll come back, but not right now. Things to do, promises to keep. Besides, I don't care for Los Angeles all that much."

"What's so great about this place?"

"It's home. Like you, I need to meet someone that's right for me. Then when I do I can visit you safely. I'm still learning to be your sister."

Her new level of maturity impressed.

Both James and Kate turned. "Hey, you two, why so far back?" James called out. "Are we oldies walking too fast?"

***

Shortly after Calley turned sixteen Alain booked a Monday return flight to California.

On the prior Sunday a farewell family gathering at the house promised to be a noisy affair. Kate and sister Winona spent most of the morning in the kitchen while James took Calley and Alain to the Cock and Fox pub in Staines where the saga had started. He drove Robert's Bentley convertible feeling like a king, yet a little bit sad as well.