His father beat him?
Coco's soft heart had tears swimming to her eyes.
I'm very much afraid so.
But didn't anyone do anything about it?
Whenever there were questions, the man would claim the boy had fallen, or gotten into a fight with another child. Nathaniel never contradicted him. Sad to say, abuse was something people often overlooked back then. Still is, I'm afraid.
Tears
threatened her mascara. She dabbed at them with Megan's napkin.
Nathaniel ran off
to sea the moment he was of age. His father died a few years back. Nate sent money for the funeral, but didn't come. It was hard to blame him.
Coco sighed, shook herself.
I didn't mean to come in with such a sad story. But it has a good ending. Nate turned out to be a fine man.
Coco's damp eyes were
deceptively guileless.
All he needs is the right woman. He's terribly handsome, don't you think?
Yes,
Megan said cautiously. She was still trying to equate the abused child with the confident man.
And dependable. Romantic, too, with all those tales of the sea, and that air of mystery around him. A woman would be very lucky to catch his eye.
Megan blinked her own eyes as the not-so-subtle hint got through.
I couldn't say. I
don't know him very well, and I don't really think about men that way.
Nonsense.
Confident in her own matchmaking skills, Coco patted Megan's knee.
You're young, beautiful, intelligent. Having a man in your life doesn't diminish those things, dear or a woman's independence. The right man enhances them. And I have a feeling that you'll be finding that out, very soon. Now she leaned over and
kissed Megan's cheek
I have to get back to the kitchen, before that man does something horrid to my salmon patties.
She started out the door, then paused timing it, Coco thought, rather beautifully.
Oh, dear, I'm such a scatterbrain. I was supposed to tell you about Kevin.
Kevin?
Automatically Megan's gaze shifted to the window.
Isn't he outside with
Alex and Jenny?
Well, yes, but not here.
Coco smiled distractedly it was a pose she'd practiced for years.
It's Nathaniel's day off, and he was by for lunch. Such a wonderful appetite he has, and never seems to gain an ounce. Of course, he does keep active.
That's why he has all those marvelous muscles. They are marvelous, aren't they?
Coco, where is Kevin?
Oh, there I go, running off again. Kevin's with Nate. All of them are. He took the children with him.
Megan was already on her feet.
With him? Where? On a boat?
Visions of squalls
and towering waves of water swam through her head, despite the calm, cloudless blue of the sky.
No, no, to his house. He's building a deck or something, and the children were dying to go along and help. It would be such a favor to me if you could go by and pick them up.
And, of course, Coco thought cannily, Megan would then see Nate's lovely little home, and his charming way with children.
Suzanna expects the children
to be here, you see, but I didn't have the heart to deny them. She won't be back until five, so there's no hurry.
But, I—
You know where Suzanna and Holt's cottage is, don't you, darling? Nathaniel's is only a half a mile past it. Charming place. You can't miss it.
Before Megan could form another word, the door closed gently in her face.
A job, Coco thought as she strode down the corridor, very well done.