sell her whatever furniture I couldn’t afford to ship. We already got permission for the sublet. Except for a bed I’ve already bought, I’ll do without what I sell to her and replace it a little at a time or from a thrift shop,” she explained as she led the way into the school’s large art room. It was set up in three sections.
Kip looked around and chuckled at the room. It reminded him of his youngest niece’s favorite fairy tale. “This looks like the three bears designed it. Small, medium and large.”
Sarah laughed, a musical sound he could probably listen to all day and not grow tired of. “K through twelve,” she said, sweeping her hand across the wide room. “It’s like a one-room schoolhouse and I’m used to that. I like the interaction between the ages. The little ones really bring out the best in the older ones.”
He nodded, seeing her point. “So is the apartment working out okay, even though it’s so far from the hospital?”
She nodded. “I’m trying to treat this time the way I would if Grace was in day care. Now that my workday is over here, I’ll go into the city to see her instead of picking her up at day care to go home. I come home about seven-thirty or eight. That’s about the time she’d probably go to bed anyway. So really, if she were a full-term baby, all I’d be missing is getting her up and ready for the day and a middle-of-the-night feeding.” She shrugged. “Those would soon be a thing of the past anyway.”
He watched her sort through a pile of pages and marveled at her ability to adapt and adjust to each curve life sent her way. “You’re going to be a great mother. You remind me of my mom.” She’d been the same way after his father died, unlike Aunt Emily who couldn’t have survived without his mother’s help and now not without her grown daughters. He smiled, thinking of his capable mother. “Grace is a lucky little girl.”
Sarah smiled sweetly and looked up. “Thanks, Kip.”
“I wondered if you’d like me to fly you to West Virginia to pick up your things. I’m free this weekend and I’m nearly sure the cargo plane is, too.” Before she could protest he held up his hand. “We usually fly patients round trip so, in a way, I owe you a flight.”
“Good heavens, Kip, you don’t owe me a thing. Your thoughtfulness and generosity have helped change my life and Grace’s. I already don’t know how we’ll ever thank you.”
He didn’t want her thanks. He just wanted to know she was on the road to a good life with as little hardship as possible. Then he’d be able to go on with his own life, content that she and little Grace were going to be okay on their own. He chalked his fascination with Sarah up to worry for a nice woman who’d had one too many bad breaks. That was what it had to be.
“Thanks aren’t necessary,” he told her, not for the first time. “Come on, Sarah, you know you don’t want to be gone a long time. This way you won’t be out of town more than the better part of the day. And think of the expense of shipping all that. Unless you plan to drive a rental truck, there’s no cheap solution.”
Sarah smirked. “As a matter of a fact, that was my plan. I learned to drive a truck while I was teaching in Doctal. If I could get around in that old truck, I can drive anything.”
Kip’s estimation of her went up another notch but the idea of her on the road from West Virginia to Pennsylvania all alone just didn’t sit well. “What if something went wrong with the truck?”
She shrugged, “I’d call a tow truck if I couldn’t fix it.”
“Doctal again?”
“It was a cranky old truck.”
“But anything could happen. Everyone isn’t trustworthy and you’d be all alone on the interstates.”
She seemed to consider that but there was still merriment in her dark eyes. “I learned to fence in boarding school. I was quite good. Suppose I keep my épée in the cab with me.”
He couldn’t help chuckling. She was
Kip looked around and chuckled at the room. It reminded him of his youngest niece’s favorite fairy tale. “This looks like the three bears designed it. Small, medium and large.”
Sarah laughed, a musical sound he could probably listen to all day and not grow tired of. “K through twelve,” she said, sweeping her hand across the wide room. “It’s like a one-room schoolhouse and I’m used to that. I like the interaction between the ages. The little ones really bring out the best in the older ones.”
He nodded, seeing her point. “So is the apartment working out okay, even though it’s so far from the hospital?”
She nodded. “I’m trying to treat this time the way I would if Grace was in day care. Now that my workday is over here, I’ll go into the city to see her instead of picking her up at day care to go home. I come home about seven-thirty or eight. That’s about the time she’d probably go to bed anyway. So really, if she were a full-term baby, all I’d be missing is getting her up and ready for the day and a middle-of-the-night feeding.” She shrugged. “Those would soon be a thing of the past anyway.”
He watched her sort through a pile of pages and marveled at her ability to adapt and adjust to each curve life sent her way. “You’re going to be a great mother. You remind me of my mom.” She’d been the same way after his father died, unlike Aunt Emily who couldn’t have survived without his mother’s help and now not without her grown daughters. He smiled, thinking of his capable mother. “Grace is a lucky little girl.”
Sarah smiled sweetly and looked up. “Thanks, Kip.”
“I wondered if you’d like me to fly you to West Virginia to pick up your things. I’m free this weekend and I’m nearly sure the cargo plane is, too.” Before she could protest he held up his hand. “We usually fly patients round trip so, in a way, I owe you a flight.”
“Good heavens, Kip, you don’t owe me a thing. Your thoughtfulness and generosity have helped change my life and Grace’s. I already don’t know how we’ll ever thank you.”
He didn’t want her thanks. He just wanted to know she was on the road to a good life with as little hardship as possible. Then he’d be able to go on with his own life, content that she and little Grace were going to be okay on their own. He chalked his fascination with Sarah up to worry for a nice woman who’d had one too many bad breaks. That was what it had to be.
“Thanks aren’t necessary,” he told her, not for the first time. “Come on, Sarah, you know you don’t want to be gone a long time. This way you won’t be out of town more than the better part of the day. And think of the expense of shipping all that. Unless you plan to drive a rental truck, there’s no cheap solution.”
Sarah smirked. “As a matter of a fact, that was my plan. I learned to drive a truck while I was teaching in Doctal. If I could get around in that old truck, I can drive anything.”
Kip’s estimation of her went up another notch but the idea of her on the road from West Virginia to Pennsylvania all alone just didn’t sit well. “What if something went wrong with the truck?”
She shrugged, “I’d call a tow truck if I couldn’t fix it.”
“Doctal again?”
“It was a cranky old truck.”
“But anything could happen. Everyone isn’t trustworthy and you’d be all alone on the interstates.”
She seemed to consider that but there was still merriment in her dark eyes. “I learned to fence in boarding school. I was quite good. Suppose I keep my épée in the cab with me.”
He couldn’t help chuckling. She was
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