look at him. Jack Woods? As in Holly Woods?

164

Andy holds my gaze. “A Jack Woods in

Provincetown.”

stare at him, my skin prickling, Kitty’s words

ringing loudly in my ears: Did Jack send you?

“Well—I called the operator too,” Andy continues

quickly, taking my hands in his. “Rosie, this is the only

address for

Jack Woods in Provincetown. This

restaurant.”

stare at the menu. “Woody’s …”

Andy nods.

And he’s English

Suddenly the lights go out, plunging us into

darkness. grip Andy’s hand, startled.

“What the …?”

“Happy birthday to you!” the waitresses sing,

parading out from the kitchen. “Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday, dear Ro- sie …”

Jack appears behind them, beaming as he carries

large cake covered in burning candles.

“Happy Birthday to you!”

Jack places the cake on our table, but can’t take my

eyes off him.

“Make wish,” he urges, his eyes sparkling.

look at him for moment longer, then take deep

breath and blow with all my might, wishing hard. When

open my eyes all the candles are out and everyone is

cheering.

“Happy birthday, love.” Jack smiles. “Many happy

returns.”

165

“Thank you!” beam, looking at the cake—it even

has HAPPY BIRTHDAY written over it and large number

18.

swallow. “Do you have special cakes ready for all

your customers’ birthdays?”

“No!” Jack laughs. “No, you were just lucky this time.

It was my daughter’s birthday yesterday, but she—well,

she’s not here to eat it, so happy birthday!” He grins as he

turns back to the kitchen.

stare at the cake.

“Are you okay?” Andy whispers.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” swallow. “It’s really him?”

“Seems so.”

“I never even thought—I mean—my father?” look

back toward the kitchen. “Do you think he knows? About

the baby—me?”

“Rosie, he just said it was his daughter’s birthday

yesterday.”

“I know!”

warm tingle shivers down my spine.

“And he still celebrates it—he makes cake …” stare at it,

the knife trembling in my hand. “Andy, this is my cake!”

We both stare at it with its beautiful icing and its

candles—all eighteen of them. After all this time, he still makes cake for me for the child he never knew

My heart constricts.

For the baby who he thinks died

“I have to tell him,” decide suddenly. “I have to tell

him who am. It’s fate, know it is. Finding him here, now,

my birthday, the cake …” turn to the kitchen, my heart

166

aching for this poor man and his tragic annual ritual.

“Andy, he thinks I’m dead.”

“Rosie—” Andy starts.

“Everything okay?”

waitress appears beside me.

“Can get you anything else?”

“No, no—I was just wondering, is Mr. Woods busy?”

ask hesitantly, my heart pounding. “Only I’d love to thank

him for the cake and—”

“I’m afraid he’s just left,” the waitress says. “Sorry.”

stare at her. “He’s gone?” can’t have missed my

chance …

“We can come back tomorrow,” Andy says. “Talk to

him then.”

“Do you know where he went?” ask the waitress

desperately. can’t wait— can’t

“Yeah, his wife just called,” she says, wiping down

the table next to us. “He had to hurry home.”

Andy glances at me.

“Do you know where that is?” he asks. “Do you have

an address?”

“Yeah.”

puzzled smile flickers over her face, and

she points at the ceiling. “Right there. Jack lives in the

apartment over the restaurant.”

“Okay.”

stare at the lighted windows above the

restaurant, my heart pounding. “This is it. No going back.”

“No going back,” Andy agrees.

“Oh, God!” say, sinking back down onto the bench

for the umpteenth time. “But what if he’s not interested?

What if—”

167

“Rose, there are

million what-ifs,” Andy says

gently. “But only one way to find out. Look at it this way, it

can’t be worse than Kitty, can it?”

sigh heavily. “No,”

agree reluctantly. “But—

maybe should come back tomorrow. It might not be

good time, it’s late …”

“It’s seven p.m.”

“Yes, but—”

“Rosie, it’s up to you.” Andy smiles. “We can leave

now if you want. We can come back tomorrow, or never

come back at all. It’s entirely your choice.”

sigh, staring at the house. “I need to do this, I’m

ready, I’m just

scared.”

“I know.” Andy squeezes my hand. “There’s no

rush.”

nod absently, eyes glued to the door.

“But what if he is like Kitty?” whisper. “What if he

doesn’t want me either?”

“Rosie.” Andy strokes my hair from my cheek, looks

into my eyes, smiles. “He made you cake.”

smile too,

warm feeling spreading deep inside

me. “He did, didn’t he? He made me cake.”

take

deep breath, stand up, cross the road and

climb the steps before have chance to change my mind.

Andy squeezes my shoulders as knock on the door, my

hands clammy as cross my fingers tightly.

blond curly-haired woman opens it, and freeze.

Oh, God. Not part of the plan!

168

“H-hi,” stammer. “My name’s—my name’s Rosie,

I—”

“Nice to meet you, come in, come in, quickly—didn’t

Jack tell you to use the back door?” She ushers us inside

and shuts the door. “I’m Megan.” She smiles. “Thanks so

much for coming at such short notice—as you know, they

weren’t meant to be back today, but then they called from

the station, so we’re

bit all over the place! There’re

snacks over there, drinks in the kitchen, okay?”

“I …,” begin, but she’s already hurried off.

“Looks like party,” Andy comments.

The house is full of people milling around drinking

beer and munching crisps, laughing and chatting. look

around for Jack, but there’s no sign of him. My eyes

wander over the soft cream furniture, the stripped pine

bookshelves, everything in shades of the sea.

beautiful

seascape hangs in pride of place above the crackling fire,

and twisted pieces of driftwood lie scattered decoratively

around the room, their limbs curling and reaching like

living creatures.

gaze around, fascinated by one thing

after another, until notice photo collage hanging on the

wall. move closer.

Suddenly something small and blue collides with

my knee.

“Hello!”

smile, looking down at

little boy in

Spider-Man pajamas, his dark fringe flopping over his eyes

as he stares up at me.

“Sorry!” Megan rushes over and scoops him up.

“Ben! What are you doing out of bed?”

169

“I wanted to say surprise!” Ben whines, rubbing his

eye with his fist.

“Well, we’ll see what Daddy says, okay?” Megan

smiles, mouthing “sorry” at me as she carries him away.

“Isn’t he cute?” beam at Andy.

“Yeah …,” he says, nodding toward the kitchen. “And

look who ‘Daddy’ is.”

turn and look as Jack walks out, swinging Ben high

onto his shoulders.

“Oh, my God!” look at Andy, my pulse racing. “You

don’t think …?”

look at the little boy giggling as Jack

bounces him along. “I have brother?”

“Shh.” Andy nudges me as Jack approaches. take

deep breath, struggling to compose myself as excitement

bubbles through me.