forgiven him,” Celine said to Burt. “Sorry you have to hear all of this, I had no idea—”
“Don’t be sorry, I think this is entirely appropriate,” Burt said, folding his fingers together in front of his chin. “We
all have a cross to bear. So tell me, Bethany, what’s it like having a Naval Intelligence officer as a father?”
She resented the question and considered telling him that she wasn’t in the market for a counselor, particularly one who was
sleeping with her mother. She wasn’t looking for a father, either, just in case he was getting any ideas.
On second thought, maybe she should clear a few things up.
“I’m not looking for a father, if that’s what you mean.”
“No. No, that’s not what I meant. I meant exactly what I said. What’s it like to have a Naval Intelligence officer as a father?”
“What is this, cross-examination?”
He laughed and Mother joined him, relieved by the break in tension. “It’s what I do, I suppose. You’re right, you should drop
the modeling thing like I did and pursue a career in law or politics.” He lifted his water glass. “Here’s to you, kid.”
After a moment, Mother pushed the point. “So tell him, Bethany. What’s it like?”
“I wouldn’t know, actually. I don’t remember having a father who was a Naval Intelligence officer. I used to think I should
feel bad about that, but I really don’t know what it’s like to have a father. Ryan’s never been home. He feels more like a
statue in my life. An ATM in the corner of our house.”
“Well, that’s an interesting way of putting it,” Mother said.
“You don’t feel any loyalty to him?”
“Maybe I’m not being clear. I don’t like Ryan. I might even hate him. Like I said, I used to feel guilty about that, but I’ve
come to realize that my father left us long ago for another wife. The worst part is that he’s too stupid to see that. I’m
sure that he’s a good enough person in his own way, but I can’t think of him as my father, and I don’t blame my mother for
looking for another husband.”
There. Was that what you wanted to hear?
They weren’t laughing.
The waiter stepped in and placed hot butter and crab forks next to each plate.
“Everything to your satisfaction, sir?”
“It’s fine, Robert. Thank you.”
He dipped his head. “Your food will be right up.”
The waiter left.
“Aren’t you a little concerned about what people will think, seeing you in public like this?” Bethany asked.
“Doing what? Having dinner with a mother and her daughter?”
“Please. Half the waiters in the joint probably know you’re sleeping together. You can see it a mile away.”
“Bethany,” her mother scolded, flushing red.
“You don’t think so?”
“You may be right,” Burt said. “Did I say you should consider a career in law?”
“Too many charlatans.”
“Present company excluded, I hope.”
Bethany didn’t respond to the unspoken request. But as long as she was clearing the air, she might as well clear it all.
“I don’t know you that well, Mr. Welsh, but if my mother loves you, that’s fine by me. Not that you need my permission.”
“No. But I appreciate both your candor and approval.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you sure you’re only sixteen?”
Bethany arched her eyebrow. “You never know, in this happy little family of ours. For all I know I’m really fourteen or eighteen
and adopted.”
Her mother chuckled.
“Well, for the record, your honor, I think I like this happy little family. Very much.”
A cart loaded with cracked Alaskan king crab legs and three large lobsters rolled up to their table.
Bethany still wasn’t sure how much she liked Mr. DA Burton Welsh, but she liked him more now than she had ten minutes earlier.
7
THE BOY SAT in a chair opposite Ryan, staring at the wall with round eyes that had long ago stopped crying. Their captors
had tied his hands behind his back and his ankles were
“Don’t be sorry, I think this is entirely appropriate,” Burt said, folding his fingers together in front of his chin. “We
all have a cross to bear. So tell me, Bethany, what’s it like having a Naval Intelligence officer as a father?”
She resented the question and considered telling him that she wasn’t in the market for a counselor, particularly one who was
sleeping with her mother. She wasn’t looking for a father, either, just in case he was getting any ideas.
On second thought, maybe she should clear a few things up.
“I’m not looking for a father, if that’s what you mean.”
“No. No, that’s not what I meant. I meant exactly what I said. What’s it like to have a Naval Intelligence officer as a father?”
“What is this, cross-examination?”
He laughed and Mother joined him, relieved by the break in tension. “It’s what I do, I suppose. You’re right, you should drop
the modeling thing like I did and pursue a career in law or politics.” He lifted his water glass. “Here’s to you, kid.”
After a moment, Mother pushed the point. “So tell him, Bethany. What’s it like?”
“I wouldn’t know, actually. I don’t remember having a father who was a Naval Intelligence officer. I used to think I should
feel bad about that, but I really don’t know what it’s like to have a father. Ryan’s never been home. He feels more like a
statue in my life. An ATM in the corner of our house.”
“Well, that’s an interesting way of putting it,” Mother said.
“You don’t feel any loyalty to him?”
“Maybe I’m not being clear. I don’t like Ryan. I might even hate him. Like I said, I used to feel guilty about that, but I’ve
come to realize that my father left us long ago for another wife. The worst part is that he’s too stupid to see that. I’m
sure that he’s a good enough person in his own way, but I can’t think of him as my father, and I don’t blame my mother for
looking for another husband.”
There. Was that what you wanted to hear?
They weren’t laughing.
The waiter stepped in and placed hot butter and crab forks next to each plate.
“Everything to your satisfaction, sir?”
“It’s fine, Robert. Thank you.”
He dipped his head. “Your food will be right up.”
The waiter left.
“Aren’t you a little concerned about what people will think, seeing you in public like this?” Bethany asked.
“Doing what? Having dinner with a mother and her daughter?”
“Please. Half the waiters in the joint probably know you’re sleeping together. You can see it a mile away.”
“Bethany,” her mother scolded, flushing red.
“You don’t think so?”
“You may be right,” Burt said. “Did I say you should consider a career in law?”
“Too many charlatans.”
“Present company excluded, I hope.”
Bethany didn’t respond to the unspoken request. But as long as she was clearing the air, she might as well clear it all.
“I don’t know you that well, Mr. Welsh, but if my mother loves you, that’s fine by me. Not that you need my permission.”
“No. But I appreciate both your candor and approval.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you sure you’re only sixteen?”
Bethany arched her eyebrow. “You never know, in this happy little family of ours. For all I know I’m really fourteen or eighteen
and adopted.”
Her mother chuckled.
“Well, for the record, your honor, I think I like this happy little family. Very much.”
A cart loaded with cracked Alaskan king crab legs and three large lobsters rolled up to their table.
Bethany still wasn’t sure how much she liked Mr. DA Burton Welsh, but she liked him more now than she had ten minutes earlier.
7
THE BOY SAT in a chair opposite Ryan, staring at the wall with round eyes that had long ago stopped crying. Their captors
had tied his hands behind his back and his ankles were
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