Key to Love by Judy Ann Davis

and cupboards on both sides, was stacked to the ceiling with boxes.
    “See what I mean?” he said, gesturing at the boxes.
    He led her to the cozy living room with its matching fieldstone fireplace and honey-colored oak floor. Beyond were two more bedrooms of ample size, also piled with boxes. The rooms smelled musty and damp from lack of heat. “I’d do better to rent an apartment in Scranton until I can fix this up or buy a suitable house. I wonder why Mike even considered living here?”
    “You’d sell this?” she asked incredibly.
    “Liz, there are no memories here I can’t live without.” His eyes were dark and clouded. She watched him put up the hard shield that surrounded him like a steel cage.
    “But then you’d never have met the Springers,” she pointed out cheerfully.
    “True.” He smiled faintly, slouched down into an old wicker rocker, and peered at the water-stained ceiling. “You know, I tracked down my father when I was still in the army. He was working on a rig up in Alaska.”
    “Did you see him?” she asked with curious interest.
    “Yeah, I saw the bastard. I made it a point to. Guess what?”
    Elise shrugged.
    “We had nothing to say to each other. Absolutely nothing! He had no remorse for leaving my mother. He said the marriage just wasn’t working, so he lit out. He was badly injured about ten years ago when the braces gave way from a rig he was working on. I was stationed overseas in Germany at the time and given family release time if I wanted it. I saw no need to rush to the side of someone I hardly remembered. Hell, he’s probably dead now, for all I know. Not that it really matters.”
    “Oh, Lucas.” She tried to imagine the pain he must have felt. How could a father just walk away from his children and never look back?
    “Don’t feel sorry, Liz. Your dad was more of a father to me than my old man.” He slapped both hands on the side of the rocker and started to get up.
    “And your mom?” Elise asked.
    “Mom died a couple of years ago.” He slumped back down in the chair.
    “I’m sorry. But you were able to see her?”
    “Yeah, occasionally. Every Christmas and birthday while I was growing up, a present arrived to help relieve the guilt she felt for abandoning me with Grandmother—and Mike with strangers in New York.”
    “Lucas, maybe she wanted to get you both together, but just couldn’t.” Elise’s heart cried out to him. Her entire life, she had never known anything but a warm, loving family.
    He laughed bitterly and his eyes had a wounded look to them. “Oh, sure, Liz, an alcoholic’s first thought is her children and their welfare. Get real.”
    He stood, his face hardening as he scowled and crawled behind that protective cover of his again. “So what’s your take on this place?”
    “It looks really sound. The location is fabulous. I’d even add on a huge sunroom someday. It’ll take some money though.”
    “I didn’t ask about money.” He waved his hand around the room. “Can it be repaired...to livable? In a reasonable amount of time?”
    “Lucas, anyone can make a castle out of a cave, given the right resources. I’m merely trying to figure out how much you really want to spend to set it right. Without a budget, I have no basis for giving an opinion.” She turned and started to walk toward the side door. If he was going to grouch at her, she had no desire to give him her two cents, let alone her creative ideas.
    “Don’t walk away from me,” she heard him say. “Elise, please.”
    He caught up with her in the kitchen. “Wait just a damn minute. I didn’t mean to anger you.” He grabbed her by the arm. “My, you get testy and bent out of shape easily.”
    She spun and glared at his hand on her arm. He removed it.
    “Testy? Bent out of shape? Listen, Lucas, I wasn’t trying to pry into your finances, if that was what you were thinking. I was just looking for some guidelines here. Contractors and materials cost money.”
    “I