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“And? Did you do it?” He grinned at Rachel, whose cheeks turned pink in response.
“Go on, tell him what happened, Rachel.”
“Mother.” Rachel drawled the word in exasperation. “The snake got out of the trousers. Just as Daddy was pulling into the driveway, he felt something inching up the leg of his pants and panicked.”
“Oh, no.” Morgan couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped. “Did the poor man have a heart attack?”
“Almost,” Betty said. “He went right through the garage door trying to shake the thing off of his leg.”
“And I got grounded for a week.”
“That’s pretty mild,” Morgan replied, still laughing.
“Yeah. Well, I think Dad and Mom were so happy that the snake wasn’t poisonous that I got off lightly.”
Betty shook her head and took another bite.
Rachel grinned at her mother. “Well, Mom? You gonna tell me the truth why?”
“I have no idea why you got off so easily, dear. You’re probably right. It was simply shock and relief.”
Rachel chuckled again before turning to her meal. That set the tone for supper. Silly stories about her childhood. Dinner ended much too soon, as far as Morgan was concerned, but Betty wasn’t about to let him leave yet. “You two go into the living room with Lindsay. I’ll clear this and then bring in hot tea.”
Rachel, who was cleaning Lindsay, glanced at him, then at her mom. “Okay.”
Morgan nevertheless gathered his and Rachel’s plates and carried them into the kitchen. When he returned, Lindsay was clean and getting out of her chair.
“So, Rachel, where do you work?” he asked, heading into the living room.
“Temporarily at City Hall. I’m reworking their records. And—watch out!”
Thump. Two little arms were wrapped around his legs. Morgan struggled to keep from landing face first on the floor. “Aha! I’ve been attacked,” he said, peeling her arms away and lifting her. “Was it you?”
Lindsay patted his cheek and bounced in his arm. “Paaee,” she said, her hand on his cheek.
“Paaee?”
“That means play. Here, I’ll take her. I’m really sorry—”
“We’re fine,” he said to Rachel and moved to the sofa to sit down. He didn’t miss how Rachel nervously followed him.
“What do you like to play, little one?” he asked.
Lindsay grinned and moved her hand to his lips.
He repeated the question.
She giggled and then stroked his cheek again.
Poor Rachel was turning all shades of red. He ignored her and continued to concentrate on Lindsay, thinking it best if he didn’t pay attention to her embarrassment over her daughter. The only way Rachel would see Lindsay wasn’t irritating him was to watch them together.
He reached up and put Lindsay’s hand close to his mouth. “Morgan. Morgan,” he said. Lifting his hand from hers, he signed, “My name. Morgan.”
“Oh gan.”
Morgan grinned. “Yes. Now what do you like to play? Oh, I bet I know….”
And Morgan proceeded to drop onto the floor next to the blocks and build an entire city with her for the next fifteen minutes.
Betty came in and grinned. “You’re so good with kids. Lindsay has taken a liking to you. Now, Rachel, why don’t you pour the tea.”
“Okay, Mom.” Rachel poured three cups, silently frustrated with her mother that she insisted on keeping this man around. She didn’t know him, and he was playing with her daughter.
“I think little one here is getting tired,” Morgan whispered.
Rachel glanced over and flushed anew. Lindsay had crawled onto him and was sprawled out, her eyes closed. “I’m sorry,” Rachel began.
“Don’t be.” Morgan’s eyes met hers. The deep tones of his voice went right through her. “I can’t tell you when I’ve had this much fun. It’s been a long time.”
Rachel shifted, trying not to notice how good he looked holding her daughter. She stood and went over to him. “I should get her to bed.”
Gently, she slipped her hands under her daughter and lifted the girl to her shoulder. Lindsay mumbled something and zonked right back out.
Morgan stood. “As much as I’d like tea, Betty, I really have to be up early. I should be going, too.”
“Of course, Morgan. Let me take her, Rachel, and you walk our guest to the door.”
Sharply, Rachel looked at her mother. Matchmaking?
She had to wonder. This man was attractive. Her mother didn’t like it that she was alone with a child to raise. Rachel would have to talk to her about this later. “Very well.” Handing her child to her mother, Rachel turned and offered Morgan a smile.
He wasn’t bad. She just wasn’t used to sharing her child with anyone. Not after everything that had happened. She was scared. Things happened. She didn’t want to lose Lindsay or hear any more false reports, on her, or true reports for that matter. She didn’t want her daughter exposed to any more pain or lies, or to get her hopes up only to have them dashed. She wanted to protect her daughter from the world. And this man was part of that world.
Still, he had been wonderful with Lindsay. If only Lindsay’s father had been like that. “It was nice meeting you, Morgan.”
Morgan headed toward the door, his long-legged stride taking him gracefully across the room. “I really enjoyed tonight.” He pulled open the door and paused, then turned and pierced her with his gaze. “I enjoyed it a lot, Rachel.”
Rachel’s mouth went dry. “I…yes,” she stuttered, and nodded.
“Maybe we’ll see each other in church.”
The mood was shattered that easily. “I’m not sure. It takes time to get Lindsay ready, and we like to sleep in on Sunday…”
“Oh. I had thought you’d want to take her simply for the interaction with the other children.”
“She gets interaction,” Rachel argued.
“Ah,” Morgan said softly, a smile touching his lips. “But does she get to learn the series of songs the teacher is teaching the children? All of them in sign language?”
“Really?” Rachel asked, excitement burgeoning to life.
Morgan shrugged. “She majored in languages and ministers to the deaf on Saturdays. I thought Lindsay would probably love that.”
“She probably would.”
Rachel suddenly realized she’d been tricked. Scowling at Morgan, she said, “I only want what’s best for my daughter. So if you do see me there, it’s because of her.”
Morgan’s smile turned tender. “I understand, Rachel.” He reached out and took her hand, but instead of shaking it, to her utter disbelief, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it lightly. His gaze lifted to hers. “I really do.” She stared, watching him walk down the stairs and to his car. And for some reason, she really believed that he did understand. She wasn’t sure why, but it was in his eyes. The truth. He really did know what she was going through.
Gripping the door, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, God really did take a personal interest, after all.
Chapter Five
She should have known.
He was a doctor.
A pediatrician.
Of all the low-down tricks. She was striding across the green, but she didn’t make it to her destination, which was the church day care and her mother. Oh, no. She found someone else to take her frustration out on.
Smiling with grim anticipation, she steered toward the left and the man sitting at a small table under a tree. “Ah, good morning, Morgan,” she said lightly.
His features changed and lit with a welcoming smile. “Not morning really. I’m on an afternoon lunch break.” Standing, he smiled, and that smile nearly melted Rachel’s anger.
Nearly.
“How are you today? Will you join me?”
So smooth and gentlemanly. It was that kiss on the hand last night that distracted her, made her look at the way his hand waved her to a seat. She found herself moving forward to do just that—when she suddenly jumped back.
“Rachel?” he asked, confused.
“Don’t you take that tone with me. I found out.” She dropped that bombshell and waited to see him flinch or at least flush guiltily.
He did none of these. He continued to stare at her, looking curious as well as confused. “Found out what? I’m sorry, Rachel, but I don’t understand. Please, take a seat. We can talk.”
Rachel shook her head, her agitation obvious as she clasped her hands. “Mom put you up to it, didn’t she? I just know she did. That’s Mom.”
Concern replaced his confusion, and he stepped forward.
She raised a hand to halt him. “No. Just tell me the truth.” Silly, but she was near tears. “She did, didn’t she?”
“Rachel, I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” Morgan said, and she could tell he meant for her to believe that.
“But…you’re a doctor. Mom wouldn’t have just invited you over.”
“You didn’t know I was a doctor?” Morgan asked, surprise spreading across his features. “Oh, Rachel,” he whispered, and despite the fact she tried to put up a hand again, he ignored it and pulled her into a gentle embrace. “I just thought your mom had told you something about me since I was a guest there so much.”
The strong arms felt nice, encouraging her to lean against him. The chest was wide enough to hold her as she leaned against him. The warm, deep voice invited her to trust him. It was the last that, after only a moment of comfort, made her push back.
“She didn’t tell me,” Rachel whispered. “You were there to examine my daughter, weren’t you?”
He hesitated.
“Don’t lie to me,” she said.
With a nod, he said, “Your mother wanted me to see Lindsay, but just friend to friend. She knows you didn’t want her to go into an office and see a doctor officially.”
“She doesn’t need a doctor,” Rachel argued. “She’s fine. We’re fine. We’re both fine.”
Lifting his hands, he said gently, “It’s okay, Rachel. I wasn’t there to play inquisitor. Believe it or not, I do go over to your mom’s house two or three times a week. Sometimes I bring dinner, and sometimes she fixes it.”
“And you sure jumped on it when she asked you to look at my daughter,” she said bitterly, feeling raw with betrayal.
“It’s not like that. Your mom is worried about both you and your daughter. She loves you, Rachel, and wanted to help. Please don’t be angry at her.”
Rachel’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not. I’m just—hurt,” she finally whispered. And scared, though she didn’t add that aloud. She didn’t want anyone around her daughter. Lindsay was vulnerable. Rachel was, too. She couldn’t take hearing someone else tell her that her daughter was imperfect and should be shut away somewhere.
“Rachel, listen,” he began, but the beeper on his belt went off. Looking down, he sighed. “That’s the hospital. I have to take the call. Please, wait on this and think about it. Allow your hurt to ease before you say anything else. We’ll talk later. Okay?”
Rachel shrugged. She didn’t care what he said. How could her mother have confided in him when she knew Rachel didn’t want Lindsay exposed to another doctor?
“Later,” he reiterated and then jogged across the lawn toward one of the telephones.
Miserable, Rachel continued across the green to the church, planning to talk to her mother. She hurried up the stairs and into the building.
Before she got very far, Miss Emma stopped her. “Miss White! Oh, Miss White!”
She came bustling toward her, her face wreathed in smiles. “I’m so glad I found you. Can you come in the office a moment? I was filing some church papers and I found some of Lindsay’s papers in there. You can take them to your mom for me, if you will.”
Rachel sighed at getting waylaid but nodded. “Of course.”
Rachel had to admit this woman was certainly a character. She waved her hands and sighed dramatically. “I just don’t know how all this paperwork ended up in my office. Papers. Such a mess. Nevertheless, they’re much better than putting all that information in those little boxes. I don’t trust them. The pastor keeps saying he wants to put one in my office but I tell him, I say, Pastor, you just can’t trust them. You put the information in, but what happens if it gets lost in there or what happens if you need it a year later. How do you know what you typed is still in there and didn’t get eaten up?”
“Computers?”
“Yes. They’re just awful. Such a mess. I keep telling him not to plug in that newfangled instrument but he just can’t understand my concerns.”
In her office, Emma moved around her cluttered desk and sat down. “Mind you, now, the pastor is such a good sport. Just single.”
She frowned and started digging through her papers. “Our four-year-old teacher is single, too,” she informed Rachel.
Rachel smiled politely. “Yes, ma’am. Julianne. I’ve met her.”
“Of course, you have.” The woman paused and looked at Rachel, confusion clouding her eyes. “Now what was I looking for?”
“Something about Lindsay to take to my mom.”
