Chapter 22

"Hey, Papa. You're home early." "Do you have plans for the house that I don't know about? Should I find an excuse to leave or something?" His eyes danced.

Sinclair shook her head. "Not funny."

"I thought it was." He looked over her shoulder. "What are you cooking?"

"Boiled sweet potatoes, cassava, and dumpling. The ackee is already done."

"It looks good. What restaurant did you get it from?"

"Believe it or not, I cooked it-with a little help from Hunter."

"That girl can cook?"

Sinclair grinned. "Can she ever."

"Hm, you find out all kinds of things every day." He peeked in the ackee pot and sniffed with appreciation. "Nikki and Xavier are visiting some relations in Stony Hill. They won't be back until late."

"Then it's just going to be you and me. That's fine."

"As long as you don't mind your old man's company."

"As long as you don't give me a reason to mind his company." Sinclair smiled cheekily at her father.

They sat down at the kitchen table with freshly made carrot juice and two plates piled high with food.

"For a skinny girl you sure can eat."

"I'm not that skinny."

"True. Not as skinny as when you first got here. You gained a little weight since last month."

He was right. Sinclair remembered standing in front of the mirror at Hunter's house staring at what she had suddenly realized was a new body. Her ribs, concave stomach, and hip bones that had stood out like bayonets were all now covered by healthy new layers of flesh.

"Thanks. I feel really good. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you for my trip."

"I'm glad that I have the home to share. When I saw you in that airport looking so much like your mother it made me feel close to her again. It's been a happiness having you here. I know Nikki feels the same way, although for different reasons."

Moisture tickled the corners of Sinclair's eyes. That was the last thing she'd expected her father to say, especially after the disturbance caused by her affair with Hunter.

"So you're not angry about Hunter and me?"

"No. I'm not thrilled about it, especially since Lydia ended up being hurt, but I'm not angry. Nikki and I have been talking about this and she helped me realize that we all need companionship, whether it's for a lifetime or for a week, we crave it. It doesn't matter that you find it with a woman. At least it doesn't matter to me. I've never been in a position to tell another grown person what to do with their life, I'm not going to have illusions that I am now."

"You know you're pretty enlightened for an old man stuck in the backwoods of Jamaica." Sinclair teased him with her smile.

"I should hope so." He pierced a slice of cassava with his fork.

After dinner, they moved to the verandah with a bottle of white rum and sat on the steps to share it. The night was fragrant and still. Moonlight turned everything to silver, including the fat clouds hovering low in the sky. Crickets and fireflies serenaded Victor and Sinclair with their night music as father and daughter talked and breathed in the sweet, dew lathered scent from the crape myrtle trees at the gate.

"I know you've had a good visit so far, but with less than a week to go, is there anything you'd like to do?"

Sinclair leaned back against the column and thought about it. Everything had been so perfect-well, except for a few unpleasant moments here and there. "I'd love for us all to do something together before I leave. The family, Hunter, maybe even Della."

"I'm sure we could arrange that."

"Good."