Way to Her Heart

chapter 14

Sherri decided to put everything out of her mind except enjoying the day. She and Lucas had a great breakfast and made good time on the drive to Hilton Head to collect Sydney. It was a perfect day with a brilliantly blue sky. She couldn’t wait to see her baby. There were very few occasions when Sydney wasn’t with her. She had the occasional sleepover with one of her little friends, and sometimes she would spend the night with Alexis, but for the most part, Sherri was a full-time hands-on mom. Having Sydney away for a whole week was a first, and it had had its weird moments. She’d actually gone into Sydney’s bedroom on a couple of mornings to wake her up. The feeling that came over her when she looked at the empty bed was hard to bear.

When they arrived at the VanBurens, Sydney ran and jumped into her arms, yelling, “Hi, Mommy!” at the top of her very healthy young lungs. Now they were back together again and everything felt totally right. Sherri got lots of hugs from everyone in the VanBuren family, too. Lucas’s parents were effusively glad to see her and hugged her tightly, as did his grandmother.

After they got settled, Delilah couldn’t resist making a pithy remark to Sherri. “So you took my advice about my grandson, didn’t you? I said you two would make a lovely couple and I was right,” she gloated.

Because she was sitting next to Lucas on the old-fashioned glider and he had his arm around her shoulders, there was no point in denying the obvious. Sherri just smiled and tried not to blush. His grandmother was absolutely delighted with the developments and so was Sydney. She was way too young to suss out the intimate details of their new relationship, but she could tell that things were different between her mother and her beloved Uncle Lucas.

Sydney and Courtney, Damon’s little girl, watched the two of them carefully all day, and every time Lucas embraced Sherri or gave her a quick kiss, they would giggle madly. Courtney’s twin brother, Gabriel, wasn’t as intrigued by the spectacle; he didn’t see what the big deal was. But Sydney was already deciding what she wanted her dress to look like for the wedding, although she prudently kept that to herself.

Altogether it was a fun day. Sherri brought the VanBurens a gift basket of her homemade cookies and brownies along with a nice bottle of wine to thank them for keeping Sydney. Vanessa protested that it was their pleasure, but Sherri could tell the older woman appreciated the gesture.

Lucas and Damon took the children to the farmers’ market where they loaded up on fruits and vegetables, and Lucas bought baseball caps for the three children. Then Damon and Lucas made a great lunch for everyone, and Sherri had a great time talking with Jared’s parents.

She felt welcomed and well-liked by everyone. It felt like being part of a family, which was a nice way for her to feel. It certainly wasn’t like being around her family; there was no judging, no criticizing, no ice-cold indifference and, best of all, everyone here cared for her little girl. While she was mulling this over, Sydney was sitting on Vanessa’s lap having her hair rebraided. They were deep in conversation, just like she really was part of their family.

Her parents had always been cool, unemotional people with high expectations for their children, and she and her brother, David, had always exceeded those expectations. They’d both been straight-A students, they both had won full scholarships to college and they were both successful professionals. The one misstep Sherri had in her whole life was thinking that Trevor Barnes loved her. The end result of that liaison was Sydney, a beautiful baby who’d grown into a wonderful child. Her parents would have had her abort her baby or give it up for adoption rather than appreciate what a joy she was.

And now that louse Trevor had suddenly popped up and said he wanted them back, and her own mother was knee-deep in his twisted plan. “Mother Stratton” my ass, she thought angrily, then pushed the angry thoughts away. She was going to keep her mind clear and relaxed until the weekend was over. But when it was over, she was going to lay the law down to Trevor because she didn’t want him anywhere around her or her daughter. Never.

When it was time to drive back to Columbia, it was hard to say goodbye to everyone. Sherri’s heart was full of gratitude when she saw for herself that her little girl would be dearly missed by everyone. Her eyes got a little misty when Sydney was giving hugs to Delilah and the elder VanBurens. Vanessa was actually teary-eyed.

“I’m going to miss my little Sydney so much, Sherri. You must let her come and spend time with us again. She’s such a sweet child. You’ve raised her to be kind and well-mannered and she’s so helpful. You’re a wonderful mother, Sherri.”

Dr. VanBuren put his arm around his wife’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss her on her temple. “You’re an exceptional duo, the two of you,” he told Sherri. “And Vanessa means every word of what she’s saying. We’d love to have Sydney anytime at all. She’s part of our family now. She already invited us to her birthday party.” He smiled. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course, that would be perfect,” Sherri said warmly. “We don’t do anything spectacular for birthdays. We usually have a cookout and a birthday cake and that’s it, but you’re surely welcome. And I know Sydney would love it if Courtney and Gabriel could spend the weekend with us this summer.”

After a lot of heartfelt thank-yous from Sherri and Sydney and we’ll-miss-yous from the VanBurens, Lucas, Sherri and Sydney headed home. Sydney followed her usual pattern of chattering away like a magpie for the first fifteen minutes or so, then falling sound asleep. Her slumber made it possible for Lucas and Sherri to talk without worrying about her sharp little ears picking up every word. Sherri had warned him that she had ears like a fruit bat.

“I love your family, Lucas.”

He smiled and reached for her hand. “They love you, too. And man, are they crazy about Sydney. If you’d let them, they’d be glad to keep her the rest of the summer. But we couldn’t be without her for that long—we’d miss her way too much.”

Sherri was thinking so hard that she missed his endearing use of the word we in talking about Sydney. It just sounded so natural that she didn’t pay it any attention. Her mind was full of scattered thoughts, wondering why her own parents were so cold and aloof and what it would have been like to grow up with warmth and closeness the way that Lucas obviously had. And despite her vow to forget about Trevor for the weekend, she was still curious about why her parents had decided to be his allies and what his ultimate purpose was as far as she and Sydney were concerned. She didn’t believe for a minute that he’d suddenly seen the error of his ways and wanted to embrace them into some ready-made family. That was just crazy talk.

She and Lucas talked for a while as he drove to Columbia, but after a while, the soft music and his soothing voice lulled her into sleep. She didn’t wake up until he pulled into her driveway. When the SUV came to a stop, her eyes blinked open and she yawned.

“I’m so embarrassed,” she said. “I never fall asleep when I’m supposed to be riding shotgun.” She sat up hurriedly and rubbed her eyes, unaware that she looked just like Sydney waking from a nap.

Lucas laughed gently. “You weren’t supposed to be riding shotgun. You were supposed to be relaxing.” He cupped her face with his hand and kissed her deeply. “Why don’t you get the door while I get the little one?”

He came around the side of the Rover and opened Sherri’s door, helping her down and watching her until she had the front door open. Sydney didn’t wake up as he carried her into the condo—not even when he took her upstairs to her bedroom.

“She sleeps like a boulder, doesn’t she?” Sherri said fondly. “She always has. Just put her on the bed and I’ll wash her up and get her pajamas on.”

By the time Lucas had unpacked the Rover and brought everything upstairs, Sherri had Sydney’s face and hands washed, her summer pajamas on and she was all tucked in bed. He couldn’t resist giving her a good-night kiss, but she didn’t wake up. They went downstairs, and Sherri thanked him again for taking her to Hilton Head.

He walked her over to the sofa and sat down, pulling her into his lap. “Don’t be crazy, woman. You never have to thank me for doing anything for you and Sydney.”

She put one hand on either side of his face. “Of course I do. It’s good manners, for one thing, and for another, I don’t want you to think I take you for granted.” She punctuated her words with a sweet kiss. Sherri would have been quite content to keep kissing him, but he had other ideas.

“Sweetheart, I didn’t say anything earlier, but I think we should discuss it now. What’s going on with this Trevor guy?”

She buried her head in his neck and moaned. “Do we have to talk about him right now? Because I really don’t want to,” she said softly. “I’m tired and you’re tired and we’re supposed to go to church tomorrow and he’s the last thing I want on my mind before I go to sleep.”

“You’re right,” he said softly as he rubbed his cheek against her hair, inhaling her delicate fragrance. “What would you like to think about before you go off to dreamland?”

She turned her face up to him and smiled. “This,” she murmured as she parted her lips for his kiss.

* * *

Sherri didn’t make it to church after all. She decided to sleep in, and Sydney hopped in bed with her. She got a call from Alexis, who was also giving church a miss that day.

“Listen, do you and Sydney want to meet me at Seven-Seventeen for brunch? Jared and Lucas got this brilliant idea for a Sunday Jazz Brunch and this is its debut. Plus, I’m starving,” she said cheerfully.

It sounded like a great idea to Sherri, so she and Sydney got bathed and dressed to meet Alexis. The restaurant was already crowded when they arrived, but Alexis had a nice table in a secluded corner with a big potted palm next to it. It looked as though the brunch was a great success, judging from the number of people lining up for the buffet.

“Where’s Uncle Lucas?” Sydney asked.

“He’s busy in the kitchen, sweetie. He and Uncle Jared are doing a lot of cooking today,” Alexis told her. “Did you have fun with Courtney and Gabriel?”

Sydney’s face lit up, and she regaled Alexis with stories of everything she’d done during her visit. Sherri smiled and perused the menu. Every single dish made her mouth water, and she was ready to attack the buffet with her bare hands. A handsome young man wearing the Seven-Seventeen uniform came to their table with milk for Sydney and a pot of coffee for Sherri and Alexis. He smiled as he greeted them.

“Good morning, ladies, and welcome to our first Jazz Brunch. Chef VanBuren asked me to tell you that a special meal is being prepared for you and will be brought to your table. In the meantime, we’ll be serving you a variety of selections from the buffet.”

In minutes a pretty server brought them dishes of strawberries and fresh pineapple, piping hot biscuits, creamy grits and shrimp and crisply fried okra. Their first server came back with a passion-fruit Bellini for Sherri and fresh pineapple juice for Sydney and Alexis. Sherri was absolutely in heaven.

“Every time I come here I like it more and more. The food is fantastic and the decor is just beautiful,” she said as she looked around the restaurant.

Since its opening, Seven-Seventeen had enjoyed great business. There were many reasons why the place was always busy—the food was delicious and the ambience was soothing yet sophisticated. It was beautifully furnished with dark hardwood floors, slate tiles on the walls, copper wall sconces and rich deep blue walls. There was also a waterfall on the wall in the entrance.

“Camilla, Jared’s youngest sister, did the decorating. She does all of their restaurants. Very talented young lady and so sweet. Well, you know, you met her when we got married,” Alexis reminded her.

“I remember all of them. They’re just the nicest people in the world. His parents and his grandmother were so sweet to Sydney. You married into a great family, Lexie.”

A ripple of excitement ran across the room as Lucas, dressed in his black chef’s coat and slacks, walked through the main dining room, greeting guests and chatting with the regulars. He came to their table with his usual charming smile and greeted his sister-in-law and Sydney, and then he bent and gave Sherri a brief but meaningful kiss.

“You look beautiful,” he said in a soft voice. “Did you make it to church?”

“No, we slept in because Mommy was tired,” Sydney chirped. “Uncle Lucas, can I come see the kitchen with you?”

“Sure you can, honeybun. C’mon and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

As the two headed off to the kitchen, Alexis was obviously pleased that Sydney was out of earshot. She didn’t waste any time in getting down to business with Sherri.

“What’s on your mind, sweetie? I can tell you’ve been entertaining some deep thoughts,” she said gently.

“You know me too well,” Sherri said, and sighed. “I’ve been all caught up in this whole Trevor mess. Do you know that he calls my mother ‘Mother Stratton’? What’s that about? I know that she and Father were all excited when I was dating him and that they blamed me for getting pregnant, but I had no idea that they were still charter members of the Trevor Barnes fan club.”

“Good grief. How can they possibly want to be involved with him after what he did to you? And did you ever find out what he’s up to? Something rotten must be afoot for him to come to Columbia and seek you out. He’s up to something and it must be no good, the bastard.”

Sherri’s mouth twitched. “According to Trevor, he’s back because he’s realized the error of his ways. He wants me back and he wants the three of us to be a family—me, him and Sydney. Can you beat that?”

Alexis’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “When did you talk to him?”

“He waylaid me in the parking lot at the hospital on Friday when I was leaving work. ‘Mother Stratton’ told him where I’d be, and he came looming over me when I was walking to my car. I gave him fifteen minutes to state his case and that’s what he came up with. But, Alexis, he said something about wanting to be a part of Sydney’s life and not wanting to have to go to court over it, something like that. I was barely listening to him because I was so mad, but I think I should get some legal advice.”

She stopped talking long enough to take a healthy swallow of her Bellini before continuing. “I don’t see how he can force me to let him have visitation or partial custody—not after the way he’s behaved—but nowadays you never know what the court system is going to do in these cases. I hate to admit it, but I’m really concerned about this.”

“What did Lucas say when you told him about it?”

Sherri looked sheepish as she stirred her grits. “Nothing.”

Alexis was shocked. “Nothing? He didn’t give you his support, offer comfort, suggestions, anything?”

Sherri swallowed a forkful of shrimp and grits and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “He couldn’t say anything because I didn’t tell him about the parking-lot incident.” She raised her hand to forestall the yelp that she expected from Alexis.

“I just didn’t want to talk about it then. We were going to Hilton Head to pick up Sydney and I just wanted to enjoy myself, and I did. Everything was so much fun and so peaceful and loving. I would’ve given anything to have a family like that,” she said wistfully.

“You know how my parents are. It was like living in a walk-in freezer. If I hadn’t had your mother and Emily’s mother to love me I would’ve grown up to be the most neurotic, needy heifer in South Carolina.”

“Instead of being the wonderful woman that you are,” Alexis said fiercely. “Just forget about the family dynamic for right now. Let’s just concentrate on that fool Trevor. We need to find out what he’s up to and fast. I agree—I think you could use some advice from a good attorney because Trevor sounds like he’s prepared to be conniving if you don’t give him what he wants. I mean, it’s not like you’re not irresistible, but I’m having a hard time believing that after almost eight years he suddenly decides that you’re the love of his life and he has to have you back in his arms—not to mention the child that he’s never acknowledged.”

She ate with great appetite for a few minutes and then pointed her fork at Sherri. “Are you going to introduce Sydney to that asshat?”

Sherri’s face looked pale and pained. “I don’t want to. I really don’t. I don’t want her to get confused and I certainly don’t want her to be hurt, and there’s every possibility that this could end badly. But suppose there’s some legal ramification for not allowing him access to Sydney? Could that make a judge decide in his favor for custody?”

“Considering the fact that he’s never acknowledged his daughter, never tried to communicate with her in any way and never paid a dime in child support, I’d say fat chance of that, but like you said, these days who knows. We need to talk to a lawyer for sure.” She took another sip of juice before adding, “And you need to talk to Lucas. He’ll be really hurt if you leave him out of the loop.”

“You’re right,” Sherri admitted. “And I will. But you know how I hate drama. His life is so normal, so free of these crazy details, and here I come with a full load of baggage that I didn’t even know I had.”

Their server came back to the table with plates of big golden waffles and crisply done chicken. They both sighed with anticipation. There was a smaller waffle for Sydney. She came skipping back to the table with Lucas just in time.

“Uncle Lucas made these just for you, Mommy. Aren’t they nice?”

Sherri smiled gently as Lucas placed Sydney back in her chair. “The nicest thing ever, sweetie.”

“This is the best day, isn’t it, Mommy?”

Sherri looked at Sydney and then at Lucas. “Yes, it is. The best day ever.” She just hoped that there would be many more after she got Trevor out of their lives once and for all.