at her watch. "I'd better get going," she said, stuffing the book into a large tote bag. "In this rain, the traffic will be deadly."
"I'll drive you." He put down his mug.
Why it pleased him when she blushed at his offer, he didn't know. But it did. Maybe Miss Poised and Polished North wasn't as immune to him as he thought.
"I don't need you to drive me. Really."
"I know. See you at the door."
He had nearly escaped the kitchen when she called him.
"Linc?"
He turned.
"Are you planning to, uh, start something?"
He deliberated. "Yes. My car."
* * *
When she arrived home that night, Linc was gone. Last night had caught up with her; she was exhausted. With effort, she turned her attention to Maud.
"He'll be in Seattle until Wednesday," Maud said. "And to be honest, I'm not the least sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's not generally so moody and—Oh, Jenny, dear, please sit properly at the table. And you should eat more of your dinner."
"I don't want to," Jenny whined, half sitting, then half slipping from her chair. Her face was set in a stubborn mask. "I hate carrots. They're stupid."
"Jenny, please..." Maud stopped and rubbed her temples. Evan looked hard at her for the first time since coming home. From the tired lines around Maud's eyes and the weary slump to her shoulders, it was obvious that the headache she'd complained about earlier was worsening.
"Maud, why don't you make a pot of tea? I'll take care of Jenny. You should go to bed."
"What about Cal?" Maud asked. "He'll be home soon, and he'll need to eat," she protested.
"Maud, don't worry about Cal. That's my job. What are you trying to do, make me look bad?" Evan teased.
Maud smiled weakly. "He's such a fine boy."
"I agree, but will you please go to bed? You don't look well. Jen and I will look after Cal." She glanced at the girl. "Right, Jenny?" Jenny nodded, momentarily distracted from the hated carrots.
The look Maud gave her was grateful. "Maybe I will go to bed. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've had this headache all day. Thank you, dear." She got up tiredly, but before leaving the kitchen, she kissed Jenny and then Evan on the forehead. The warm gesture somehow linked them in a shared childhood, and Evan was strangely moved by it. She had no memory of maternal kisses. None.
After Maud was gone, Evan started to clear the table. For the first time, she and Jenny were alone together. Jenny eyed Evan warily.
"I don't want these." She pointed to the carrots.
"Are you sure?"
Jenny shook her head with a vengeance. She was sure.
Without a word, Evan picked up her plate. She wasn't about to reveal it, but Jenny wasn't the only one who hated carrots. "Would you help me clear the table, sweetheart? Then we'll fix a plate for Cal."
Jenny watched her soberly, making no move to get off her chair.
Evan busied herself putting dishes in the dishwasher, chatting amiably as she did so. "Do you want me to read to you tonight? If you do, maybe you should go and pick out a book."
"No. I want to watch TV."
"Sorry. There aren't any good programs on for little girls right now. Reading is a lot more fun anyway." If the truth be known, there was nothing Evan would like better than to curl up in front of the television and lose herself in some mindless sitcom, but not with an impressionable four-year-old.
"I hate books. I want to watch TV." Jenny's tone was belligerent.
Evan sighed inwardly. She'd learned long ago that there was a law that said kids always acted their worst when an adult's energy was at its lowest ebb. She garnered her lackluster resolve for the confrontation she knew was coming. Looking Jenny in the eye, she spoke clearly but softly. "I said no, Jen, and I meant it."
Her lips set in a determined line, Jenny glared at her, then at the small kitchen TV. Evan had no doubt she planned to turn it on.
Sucking in a give-me-strength-Lord breath, she said, "If you turn on that television, make no mistake, sweetheart, I'll put you
"I'll drive you." He put down his mug.
Why it pleased him when she blushed at his offer, he didn't know. But it did. Maybe Miss Poised and Polished North wasn't as immune to him as he thought.
"I don't need you to drive me. Really."
"I know. See you at the door."
He had nearly escaped the kitchen when she called him.
"Linc?"
He turned.
"Are you planning to, uh, start something?"
He deliberated. "Yes. My car."
* * *
When she arrived home that night, Linc was gone. Last night had caught up with her; she was exhausted. With effort, she turned her attention to Maud.
"He'll be in Seattle until Wednesday," Maud said. "And to be honest, I'm not the least sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him. He's not generally so moody and—Oh, Jenny, dear, please sit properly at the table. And you should eat more of your dinner."
"I don't want to," Jenny whined, half sitting, then half slipping from her chair. Her face was set in a stubborn mask. "I hate carrots. They're stupid."
"Jenny, please..." Maud stopped and rubbed her temples. Evan looked hard at her for the first time since coming home. From the tired lines around Maud's eyes and the weary slump to her shoulders, it was obvious that the headache she'd complained about earlier was worsening.
"Maud, why don't you make a pot of tea? I'll take care of Jenny. You should go to bed."
"What about Cal?" Maud asked. "He'll be home soon, and he'll need to eat," she protested.
"Maud, don't worry about Cal. That's my job. What are you trying to do, make me look bad?" Evan teased.
Maud smiled weakly. "He's such a fine boy."
"I agree, but will you please go to bed? You don't look well. Jen and I will look after Cal." She glanced at the girl. "Right, Jenny?" Jenny nodded, momentarily distracted from the hated carrots.
The look Maud gave her was grateful. "Maybe I will go to bed. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've had this headache all day. Thank you, dear." She got up tiredly, but before leaving the kitchen, she kissed Jenny and then Evan on the forehead. The warm gesture somehow linked them in a shared childhood, and Evan was strangely moved by it. She had no memory of maternal kisses. None.
After Maud was gone, Evan started to clear the table. For the first time, she and Jenny were alone together. Jenny eyed Evan warily.
"I don't want these." She pointed to the carrots.
"Are you sure?"
Jenny shook her head with a vengeance. She was sure.
Without a word, Evan picked up her plate. She wasn't about to reveal it, but Jenny wasn't the only one who hated carrots. "Would you help me clear the table, sweetheart? Then we'll fix a plate for Cal."
Jenny watched her soberly, making no move to get off her chair.
Evan busied herself putting dishes in the dishwasher, chatting amiably as she did so. "Do you want me to read to you tonight? If you do, maybe you should go and pick out a book."
"No. I want to watch TV."
"Sorry. There aren't any good programs on for little girls right now. Reading is a lot more fun anyway." If the truth be known, there was nothing Evan would like better than to curl up in front of the television and lose herself in some mindless sitcom, but not with an impressionable four-year-old.
"I hate books. I want to watch TV." Jenny's tone was belligerent.
Evan sighed inwardly. She'd learned long ago that there was a law that said kids always acted their worst when an adult's energy was at its lowest ebb. She garnered her lackluster resolve for the confrontation she knew was coming. Looking Jenny in the eye, she spoke clearly but softly. "I said no, Jen, and I meant it."
Her lips set in a determined line, Jenny glared at her, then at the small kitchen TV. Evan had no doubt she planned to turn it on.
Sucking in a give-me-strength-Lord breath, she said, "If you turn on that television, make no mistake, sweetheart, I'll put you
Similar Books
