The House on Hope Street - By Danielle Steel Page 0,74

children looked stunned, and Liz was shaking as she answered. “Bill's our friend, and it's Thanksgiving. That's what Thanksgiving is about, friends joined around a table to give thanks, and to join hands in friendship.”

“Is that what you do with him? ‘Join hands’? I'll bet you do a lot more than that, and I'll bet Daddy hates you for it,” she said, and then ran up the stairs to her room and slammed the door, as Peter leaned over and apologized for her. But one by one, Rachel and Annie left the table too, as Jamie helped himself to a slice of apple pie while no one was looking. It looked too good to waste, and no one else could think about eating.

“So much for family holidays,” Bill said with a grim look, as Liz looked at him in devastation. She realized now that she had been ambitious in inviting him, and including him in the family wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped. In fact, she understood all too well now, it was going to be a nightmare.

“I'll go up and talk to her,” Peter said, looking embarrassed for all of them, and then to Bill, “I'm sorry about my sisters.”

“Don't worry about it. I understand.” But in fact, he didn't. He was looking tense and grim when he glanced at Liz, dabbing at her eyes with her napkin.

“I guess this is harder for them than I thought.”

“It wasn't exactly a picnic for me either, Liz,” he said bluntly. “The role of intruder isn't one I wear very well, I'm afraid. They act like I'm an ax murderer, or as if I killed their father.” His ego was bruised, and his feelings had taken a beating at her children's hands, and he had no one to take it out on but her. Everyone was angry at her. Bill, and three of her children. Only Jamie looked unconcerned as he kept on eating. There was no one else left at the table.

“You have to understand how hard this is for them. It's their first Thanksgiving without their father.”

“I know that, Liz. But that's not my fault.” He raised his voice to her as he said it, and Jamie looked at him in consternation.

“No one said it was, but you're here and he's not. This is all my fault. I probably shouldn't have asked you,” Liz said, still crying, as Jamie watched them in silence.

“And what about next year? I'll make sure to sign up for a seventy-two-hour stretch at the hospital over Thanksgiving. It's obvious I won't be welcome here, at least not till your kids leave home.” He was overwhelmed by his own anger.

“Are you coming for Thanksgiving next year?” Jamie asked with interest.

“I was planning to, but now I'm not so sure,” he snapped at the child and then hated himself for it. He reached out and touched Jamie's hand, and lowered his voice again so he didn't scare him. “I'm sorry … I'm just upset.”

“Megan was rude to Mom,” Jamie said matter-of-factly. “And so was Annie. Don't they like you?” He looked sad for his friend, and Liz saw Bill's jaw tense when he answered.

“I guess not. I guess that's the crux of it, isn't it?” He directed his question at Liz, who wanted desperately to reassure him. “I guess I'm persona non grata here, and I'm kidding myself if I think it's ever going to be any different. As Megan said so succinctly at the beginning of the meal, I'm not their father, and I never will be.”

“No one's expecting you to be,” Liz said in the calmest voice she could muster. “All you have to be is their friend. No one's expecting you to fill Jack's shoes,” she said softly, fighting back her own tears, as he glowered at her.

“Maybe I am, Liz. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I was deluding myself that I could be important to you, and to them, instead of just an interloper, always playing second best to him. What was it Megan said, ‘a brute and a moron’?”

“She was just trying to provoke you.” Her loyalty was to her children, but to him too. It was a ghastly situation for her.

“Well, she succeeded very nicely. In fact,” he stood up and put his napkin down on the table, “I think I'll give you all some relief, and myself. I think it's time for me to go back to work.”

“I thought you weren't working today,” she said, looking