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  He had to give her credit. She was as sharp and insightful as ever. He’d never told her about the accident, but he did so now, as briefly as possible and characteristically downplaying his role. She listened with interest, and when he’d finished she looked at him shrewdly.

  “And your paths just suddenly crossed again two days ago?”

  “Yes.”

  She pondered that for a moment. “It seems odd, doesn’t it?”

  “Very.”

  “Even so, there’s really no reason for you to get involved in this woman’s life, is there? You must meet a lot of parents who are facing similar dilemmas.”

  He couldn’t argue with that. Broken families, single-parent households, stepchildren—and the many problems they entailed—he’d seen it all. And he’d never before been tempted to intervene personally. At least not to this extent. His mother was right. There wasn’t any reason to get involved in Kate Nolan’s life. Except maybe one: he wanted to. And at the moment he wasn’t inclined to analyze his motivation.

  “Let’s just say that I think it would be the Christian thing to do,” he replied noncommittally. “You have the time. She has the need. It’s the right combination of circumstances at the right time. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

  His mother looked skeptical, but she didn’t belabor the point. Instead she glanced down at her plate and poked at her scrambled eggs, a thoughtful frown on her face. Eric waited quietly, praying that she’d at least give this a chance. It would be as good for her as it would be for Kate and Sarah.

  When at last she met his gaze, her own was still uncertain. “I don’t know, Eric. It’s a big responsibility. And they’re strangers to me. What if we don’t even like each other?”

  “You’ll like them, Mom. I guarantee it. And they’ll love you. Sarah misses her grandmother, and I can’t think of a better surrogate. You were made for that role.”

  And this was the only chance she would have to play it. The unspoken words hung in the air between them. Eric’s marriage had produced no children, much to his regret. And there wouldn’t be another. He had made his peace with that. Anna never had. She thought he needed a wife, and she occasionally dropped broad hints to that effect when the opportunity presented itself. As she did now.

  “I haven’t given up on having a real grandchild, you know,” she said pointedly.

  “It’s time you did.”

  “You’re only thirty-eight, Eric. It’s not too late to have a family.”

  “Mom.” There was a warning note in his voice, which Anna ignored.

  “Of course, you’d need a wife first.”

  “I have a wife.”

  “You’ve been divorced for almost five years, Eric.”

  “You know how I feel about that.”

  Anna sighed and glanced at the wedding band on his left hand. “Yes, I guess I do.”

  Eric knew that most people considered divorce a perfectly acceptable solution for a troubled union, that they found his attitude archaic. As did even his mother, who didn’t take divorce lightly. But he believed in the sanctity of marriage; believed that the vows so solemnly taken were for life. He and Cindy might be divorced on paper, but in the eyes of God he believed they were still man and wife. Even Cindy’s remarriage three years before hadn’t convinced him otherwise. He wasn’t going to judge her. He left that to the Lord. But it wasn’t the right thing for him. Besides, his dedication to his career had ruined one marriage. He wasn’t about to inflict that burden on another woman. In the meantime, they’d wandered far from the subject at hand.

  “None of this has any bearing on our discussion, Mom,” he pointed out. “If you’re worried about whether you’ll all get along, then how about this—I’ll call Kate Nolan, and if she’s interested I’ll arrange for her to stop by and visit you. That way, the two of you can size each other up and you can meet Sarah. How does that sound?”

  Anna nodded slowly. “I suppose I could consider it. But I’m not making any promises, Eric.”

  “I don’t expect you to.”

  “I do feel sorry for her, though. So many burdens on someone so young. How old did you say Sarah was when the accident happened?”

  “Six weeks.”

  His mother shook her head. “I can’t even imagine. It’s enough of a challenge for two people to raise a child. But for a single working mother… And then to lose her own mother so recently. She really does sound like she needs help, Eric.”

  “She does. She’s been living under tremendous strain for years. I’d say she’s approaching the danger level on the stress scale.”

  “Well, I suppose I could meet her, at least. Maybe help her out until she finds someone to take over permanently.”

  Eric felt the tension in his shoulders ease. “I know she’d appreciate it, Mom.”

  “This is all contingent on whether we get along, though,” his mother cautioned.

  “You’ll get along fine.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I know you.”

  “But you don’t know Kate Nolan. You just met her.”

  “Let’s just call it intuition.”

  Eric was relieved that his mother seemed to accept that response. Even it if wasn’t quite true. Because, odd as it seemed, he felt as if he did know Kate Nolan. But he couldn’t very well tell his mother that. She would jump to all sorts of conclusions—all of them wrong, of course.

  Weren’t they?

  Chapter Two

  Kate pulled to a stop in front of the small, tidy brick bungalow and took a slow, steadying breath. She still wasn’t sure how all this had come about.

  Two days ago, when Eric Carlson had called to check on Sarah, Kate had been impressed by his conscientiousness. No doctor she’d seen before had ever personally followed up with a phone call after an office visit. She’d hardly recovered from that pleasant surprise when he’d gone on to say that he might have a solution to her day-care problem. To put it mildly, she’d been overwhelmed.

  Even now, it was difficult to believe that he had gone to so much trouble, especially for a new patient. And by enlisting the aid of his own mother, no less! Of course, the way he’d carefully explained it to Kate, she’d be doing him a favor if this all worked out. Apparently his mother had been quite despondent since the death of Eric’s father, and he was convinced that if she had someone to nurture—namely Sarah—she’d regain some sense of purpose in life.

  He might be right, Kate mused. Feeling needed did wonders to help one through the day. But as far as she was concerned, she was the one who had the most to gain from this arrangement. Of course, Kate had to feel comfortable with Eric’s mother. That was imperative. But almost anything would be an improvement over her current arrangement. Besides, she was sure the woman’s character would be impeccable. If she had raised a man as fine as Eric seemed to be, how could she be anything less than stellar?

  The stifling heat and humidity of the St. Louis summer slammed against Kate with a force that almost took her breath away as she stepped out of the car. It was a bit late in the season for such sauna-like conditions, but then again, in St. Louis you never knew. It was too bad the weather had decided to act up today, though. The classrooms at the school where she taught weren’t air-conditioned, and she felt totally wilted and drained. On top of everything else, Sarah was cranky after another obviously unpleasant day at the day-care center—not the best time to make a good first impression, Kate thought ruefully. But it was too late to change the appointment now.

  “Come on, honey, it will be cool in the house,” she told Sarah encouragingly as she unbuckled her daughter’s seat belt, then reached for her hand.

  “I want to go home,” Sarah whimpered, holding back.

  “I know, honey. So do I. But I promised Dr. Eric we’d stop and visit his mommy. She’s lonesome here all by herself. And we wouldn’t want to break our promise to Dr. Eric, would we?”

  Sarah wasn’t in the mood for logic—or guilt trips.
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  “I don’t want to,” she declared stubbornly.

  Kate’s head began to pound. “We won’t stay long. But I promised Dr. Eric. We have to go in,” she told Sarah, struggling to keep her voice calm as she gently but firmly pulled her protesting daughter from the car.

  “I don’t want to!” Sarah wailed, resisting Kate’s efforts.

  “Sarah! Stop whining!” she ordered sharply, her patience evaporating. “We’re going to go in. Now. And we’ll be done a lot faster if you cooperate.”

  Sarah was still whimpering miserably as they made their way up the brick walkway. Despite her terse tone of moments before, Kate could empathize. She was so wrung out from the heat and the stress of the last few weeks that she felt like doing exactly the same thing. Instead, she forced herself to pay attention to her surroundings. She noted the large trees and fenced backyard—a perfect place for a child, she reflected appreciatively. Lots of shade and plenty of room to run and play. And Eric’s mother lived just ten minutes away from her apartment. If only things would work out! She needed a few breaks—desperately. So did Sarah.

  As a result, for the first time in a very long while, Kate made a request of the Lord. For Sarah’s sake. She’d stopped praying for herself long ago, when He’d ignored her entreaties and abandoned her. But maybe He’d listen on behalf of a child. Let this work out, she pleaded silently. I want what’s best for Sarah, and I don’t know where else to turn.

  As Kate pressed the doorbell, she glanced down at her daughter. Sarah still looked hot and unhappy and ill-tempered. Kate just hoped that once inside, where it was cool, she’d settle down and give Eric’s mother a glimpse of the charming little girl she usually was.

  The door was pulled open almost immediately, leaving Kate to wonder if the older woman had been hovering on the inside of the door as anxiously as she was standing on the outside. For a moment they looked at each other, each rapidly taking inventory. Eric looked nothing like his mother, Kate noted immediately. This woman’s hair was mostly gray, though traces of faded auburn revealed its original color—a contrast to Eric’s gold blond. While Eric was tall—at least six feet—his mother was of moderate height. Five-five at the most, in heels, Kate estimated. And Eric had a trim, athletic build, while his mother was softly rounded. But she had a nice face, Kate decided. And her eyes were kind.

  “You must be Kate,” Anna said at last, her initial polite smile softening into true warmth.

  “Yes. And this is Sarah.”

  Anna looked down at the little girl who eyed her warily.

  “My! You’re much more grown-up than I expected. I’m so glad you and your mommy decided to visit me today. It’s always nice to make new friends, isn’t it? Why don’t you both come in before you melt and we’ll have something cold to drink.”

  She moved aside, and Kate stepped into the welcome coolness.

  “Oh, it feels wonderful in here!” she exclaimed with a sigh.

  “It sure is a hot one out there today,” Anna commiserated as she led the way into the living room. “Eric tells me you teach. I certainly hope the school is air-conditioned.”

  Kate made a wry face. “No such luck. But I’ll survive. This heat can’t last forever.”

  “Well, let me get you both something to perk you up.” She looked at Sarah, who sat quietly close beside Kate on the couch. “Now, I’ll just bet you’re the kind of girl who likes ice cream. Am I right?” Sarah nodded. “That’s what I thought. Let me see—chocolate chip, that would be my guess.”

  Sarah’s eyes grew wide. “That’s my favorite.”

  “Mine, too. How about a nice big bowl to help you cool off? That is, if it’s okay with your mother.” She glanced at Kate, who smiled and nodded. “Good. I’ll just run out to the kitchen and get it ready. Would you like to come, too? I have a parakeet you might like to meet.”

  Sarah looked at her curiously. “What’s a para—parakeet?”

  “Why, it’s the most beautiful bird! Sometimes he even talks. His name is George. Would you like to see him?” Sarah nodded, and when Anna held out her hand the little girl took it shyly. The older woman looked over at Kate. “I’ll get Sarah settled in the kitchen with her ice cream, and then we can have a little chat. Would you like some iced tea?”

  “I’d love some,” Kate replied gratefully. “Thank you.”

  Kate watched them leave. It must run in the family, this ability to make friends so easily with children, she marveled. Eric certainly had the gift. And now she knew where he got it. She listened to the animated chatter coming from the kitchen, and took a moment to look around the living room. It was a cozy space, neat as a pin but not too fussy. The furniture was comfortable and overstuffed—made for sitting in, not just looking at. Fresh flowers stood in a vase on the coffee table, and family photos were artfully arranged on the mantel.

  Kate’s gaze lingered on the pictures, and she rose and moved closer to examine them. She started at one end, with a black-and-white wedding photo—probably Anna and her husband, Kate speculated. Then came a picture of the same couple cutting a twenty-fifth-anniversary cake. Eric’s father looked like a nice man, Kate reflected. And it was clear now where Eric got his looks. His father was tall, dignified, blond and blue-eyed—in other words, an older version of Eric.

  But it wasn’t photos of Anna and her husband that dominated the mantel. It was pictures of their son. Eric as a baby. Eric in a cub-scout uniform. Eric in a cap and gown, flanked by his proud parents. Eric with his parents again, in a shot of more recent vintage, taken on the deck of a cruise ship. And on the wall next to the mantel, a framed newspaper clipping about Eric having been named Man of the Year by a local charitable organization. Clearly, he was his parents’ pride and joy.

  But there was something missing from this gallery, Kate suddenly realized. Eric wore a wedding band. She remembered noticing it in the office, when he’d been playing with his pen. But there was nothing here to indicate that he had a wife, or a family. Or that he ever had. Curious.

  Just then Anna returned, and Kate turned guiltily from the mantel, her face flushed. “I hope you don’t mind. I was admiring your pictures.”

  “Not at all,” Anna assured her as she deposited a tray holding iced tea and a plate of cookies on the coffee table. “That’s what they’re there for. Now, I think we can relax and have a chat. Sarah is trying to get George to talk, and I also left her with some crayons and paper and asked her to draw me some pictures of him. That should keep her busy for a few minutes, anyway.”

  “You and your son both have a way with children,” Kate said as a compliment to her as she returned to her seat.

  “Well, it’s not hard with a lovely little girl like that.”

  Kate grinned. “She wasn’t so lovely a few minutes ago. I practically had to drag her in here. I figured you’d take one look and say, ‘No way.’ I think she had a rough day at day care.” Her smile quickly faded.

  “I guess that’s what we’re here to talk about,” Anna replied. “Eric tells me that your mother used to watch her, until she passed away a month ago. I’m so very sorry about that, my dear. The loss of a mother is one of life’s greatest trials.”

  The sincere sympathy in the older woman’s voice brought a lump to Kate’s throat, and she struggled to contain her tears. With all the turmoil since her mother’s death—the disruption in the placid routine of their days, her worry about how Sarah was handling the death, and the necessity of making last-minute arrangements for her daughter’s care—she’d had little time to grieve. But the ache of loss was heavy in her heart.

  “Thank you. Mom and I were always close, but during these last few years since she came to live with us we forged an even stronger bond. My dad died about eight years ago, and Mom sold the farm in Ohio where we grew up and moved to an apartment in Cincinnati. She came to help out while Jack—my husband—was in the hospital, and when he died, she just stayed on. It was the best possible arrangement for all of us under the circumstances.”

>   “You must miss her very much.”

  Kate nodded. The loneliness of her life had been thrown into stark relief by the death of her mother. Even her weekly phone calls to her sister didn’t ease her sense of isolation.

  “It was hard enough when Jack died. But Mom was there for me to lean on. Now… Well, it’s just me. And Sarah, of course. She’s such a joy to me. A lifeline, really. Even more precious because we never thought she’d happen. My husband and I tried for five years before we had her. We’d almost given up when we discovered I was pregnant. And we both agreed that I’d stay home at least until she went to school. We were firm believers that mothering is a full-time job.”

  Anna nodded approvingly. “I often think young mothers today make a mistake when they try to have it all. Not that you can’t, of course. I just don’t think you can have it all at the same time. ‘To everything there is a season.’ And children need full-time mothers, unless there are extraordinary circumstances.”

  “I agree completely. But as it turned out, I was faced with those extraordinary circumstances. I guess Eric told you what happened.”

  “He filled me in on the basics. I understand you lost your husband shortly after Sarah was born.”

  Kate nodded. “It was a nightmare. The accident happened on our first night out together since Sarah was born. We’d had an early dinner to celebrate our sixth anniversary.”

  “Oh, my dear! I had no idea. How awful!” Anna’s face registered shock and sympathy.

  “Unfortunately, the worst was still to come,” Kate continued, her voice flat and lifeless. “Jack lived for seven months, but he never regained consciousness. By the time he died our finances were pretty much depleted. Long-term care is very expensive, and insurance doesn’t cover everything. So I went back to teaching, sold our house and moved into an apartment. We’ve coped till now, but when Mom died, everything just fell apart again.” Her voice caught on the last word, and she paused to take a deep breath, struggling to keep her tears at bay. Her voice was shaky when she continued. “I just can’t bear to see Sarah so unhappy. That’s why I’m desperate to find a more personal, one-on-one day-care situation. Someone who can give her the love and affection and attention that I would give her if I could be there. I guess your son thought you might be willing to pinch-hit, at least until I can find something more permanent. I’m hoping the same thing,” she admitted frankly.