Read Online Cherished Beginnings by Pamela Browning - Free Book Online
Authors: Pamela Browning
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financing her birth center," Kathleen said.
"And I was just saying that she'd lost her mind," Maura replied.
"My wife may have lost her mind, but it's true," he told Maura with a grin that twitched his mustache upward at the ends. "I'll arrange for the O'Malley Family Foundation to finance your venture. No strings attached."
Maura's jaw dropped. She had never hoped for anything like this and never dreamed that such a thing was possible. "Scott?" she said, her voice quavering. "You're not joking?"
"Would I joke about a project so near and dear to your heart that you've scarcely stopped running on about it ever since the first time you drove that broken-down old car of yours through Shuffletown?" Scott eyed her with amusement.
"So, sister mine, all you have to do is find a place of business and voila! Shuffletown has its very own practicing midwife." Kathleen's face shone with satisfaction.
Maura was out of her chair in a second, embracing her sister before hugging Scott. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, happy tears springing to her eyes.
"And now," said Kathleen, "tell us your plans. I'm sure, knowing you, that you've made them—lots of them."
Maura blinked the dampness away. "Well, first I'm going to find a suitable place. I've been thinking about one of the old houses in Shuffletown. A big one with lots of rooms that can be converted to examining rooms and so forth." Then she frowned. "I'd go out looking for such a place first thing this morning if I had my minivan."
Kathleen looked puzzled. "I hadn't realized it was gone."
"It isn't," said Scott, joining them at the table. "It's parked right where it always is, beside that stand of palmettos. I saw it when I wheeled out the garbage can."
"You're sure?" Maura was taken aback.
"I'd know that heap anywhere. When you get the O'Malley grant, how about buying a new vehicle? Or at least having the old one painted?" Scott grinned at her affectionately.
With a peculiar look on her face, Maura went to the window. Sure enough, there was her minivan parked in its usual spot. "He must have brought it back early," she said.
"Who? And what was wrong with it?"
"Oh, it broke down again, this time on the Shuffletown highway, and it was at the garage being repaired," she said. "I'm surprised to have it back so soon, that's all. Now that it's here, I might as well get busy looking for a home for my birth center." She beat a hasty retreat before Kathleen and Scott could ask any more questions.
While she was dressing, Maura wondered about Xan. Had he delivered the minivan this morning himself? When? And how much money did she owe the garage, anyway?
She wished she'd thought to bring up all relevant questions last night, but it was a night not to be remembered for its overabundance of rational thought. She could at least have asked Xan for his phone number.
Of course she could reach him at his office. That, however, didn't seem like a course she wanted to take after her sudden leave-taking yesterday afternoon. Whoever answered the phone might hang up on her.
"Maura?" Kathleen knocked lightly on the open guest-room door.
"You don't have to tap so politely," Maura informed her sister with a smile. "Remember when we were kids? You barged into my room whenever you wanted, no matter what I was doing."
"Barging in on a big sister is a little sister's prerogative. But we aren't kids anymore," Kathleen reminded her, looking fondly at Maura. "You look wonderful in those clothes you're wearing. That shade of navy looks marvelous against your hair."
"This pant suit was yours," Maura told her. "Don't you remember giving it to me? That's probably why it looks good, if it does. Our hair is practically the same shade." She somehow felt that she had to make excuses for her wholesome good looks. Nuns were supposed to remain humble.
Kathleen looked at the suit again. Both jacket and pants clung ever so gracefully to Maura's curvy figure, and Maura was taller than Kathleen, so the two-piece
"And I was just saying that she'd lost her mind," Maura replied.
"My wife may have lost her mind, but it's true," he told Maura with a grin that twitched his mustache upward at the ends. "I'll arrange for the O'Malley Family Foundation to finance your venture. No strings attached."
Maura's jaw dropped. She had never hoped for anything like this and never dreamed that such a thing was possible. "Scott?" she said, her voice quavering. "You're not joking?"
"Would I joke about a project so near and dear to your heart that you've scarcely stopped running on about it ever since the first time you drove that broken-down old car of yours through Shuffletown?" Scott eyed her with amusement.
"So, sister mine, all you have to do is find a place of business and voila! Shuffletown has its very own practicing midwife." Kathleen's face shone with satisfaction.
Maura was out of her chair in a second, embracing her sister before hugging Scott. "Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, happy tears springing to her eyes.
"And now," said Kathleen, "tell us your plans. I'm sure, knowing you, that you've made them—lots of them."
Maura blinked the dampness away. "Well, first I'm going to find a suitable place. I've been thinking about one of the old houses in Shuffletown. A big one with lots of rooms that can be converted to examining rooms and so forth." Then she frowned. "I'd go out looking for such a place first thing this morning if I had my minivan."
Kathleen looked puzzled. "I hadn't realized it was gone."
"It isn't," said Scott, joining them at the table. "It's parked right where it always is, beside that stand of palmettos. I saw it when I wheeled out the garbage can."
"You're sure?" Maura was taken aback.
"I'd know that heap anywhere. When you get the O'Malley grant, how about buying a new vehicle? Or at least having the old one painted?" Scott grinned at her affectionately.
With a peculiar look on her face, Maura went to the window. Sure enough, there was her minivan parked in its usual spot. "He must have brought it back early," she said.
"Who? And what was wrong with it?"
"Oh, it broke down again, this time on the Shuffletown highway, and it was at the garage being repaired," she said. "I'm surprised to have it back so soon, that's all. Now that it's here, I might as well get busy looking for a home for my birth center." She beat a hasty retreat before Kathleen and Scott could ask any more questions.
While she was dressing, Maura wondered about Xan. Had he delivered the minivan this morning himself? When? And how much money did she owe the garage, anyway?
She wished she'd thought to bring up all relevant questions last night, but it was a night not to be remembered for its overabundance of rational thought. She could at least have asked Xan for his phone number.
Of course she could reach him at his office. That, however, didn't seem like a course she wanted to take after her sudden leave-taking yesterday afternoon. Whoever answered the phone might hang up on her.
"Maura?" Kathleen knocked lightly on the open guest-room door.
"You don't have to tap so politely," Maura informed her sister with a smile. "Remember when we were kids? You barged into my room whenever you wanted, no matter what I was doing."
"Barging in on a big sister is a little sister's prerogative. But we aren't kids anymore," Kathleen reminded her, looking fondly at Maura. "You look wonderful in those clothes you're wearing. That shade of navy looks marvelous against your hair."
"This pant suit was yours," Maura told her. "Don't you remember giving it to me? That's probably why it looks good, if it does. Our hair is practically the same shade." She somehow felt that she had to make excuses for her wholesome good looks. Nuns were supposed to remain humble.
Kathleen looked at the suit again. Both jacket and pants clung ever so gracefully to Maura's curvy figure, and Maura was taller than Kathleen, so the two-piece
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