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Authors: Sherryl Woods
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it together, but it’s bound to be sturdier with an expert on the premises. He’d be a help with Susie’s playhouse, too. And he may well have leftover supplies, so there won’t be many expenses. I’ll give him a call.” He forced a smile and moved on. “Did you see the look in your sons’ eyes when you agreed to let them do this? They’re over the moon.”
Amanda’s anger visibly faded and she smiled slowly. “They were, weren’t they? For the first time in I can’t remember how long, it feels good not to have to deny them something they want.”
“A little denial isn’t bad for a child,” he reminded her. “It helps them learn that sometimes you have to work hard to earn the things you want.”
“I know, but I would give them everything if I could,” she said.
He understood the sentiment, but he couldn’t help reminding her, “That’s how Bobby felt, and look where it led.”
“Believe me, no one is more aware of that than I am,” she said soberly. “And if I forget it from time to time in my desire to make up to them for the bad times, I hope you’ll bring me back in line.”
“You’re a good mother, Amanda. I don’t think you need me to tell you what’s right.”
A part of him wanted to tell her, though, that he’d always be around if she needed him to fall back on, but it was the wrong thing to say, the wrong time to say it.
“I should go,” he said instead. He needed to remind himself that this wasn’t his home, wasn’t his family and that he’d already overstepped the boundaries tonight.
“But you barely ate any of your pizza,” she protested.
“I’ll take a couple of slices home with me. I can eat while I’m going over my sermon for tomorrow.”
He thought he detected disappointment in her expression, but she was quick to recover and offer a bright smile.
“I’ll wrap it up for you,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to stand up there in front of the entire congregation and have to wing your way through a sermon, though something tells me you could do it. You have quite a way with words.”
“It’s probably best if we don’t put that theory to the test,” he said.
Inside, he accepted the pizza from her, then headed for the door. “Good night, Amanda. Thanks.”
She regarded him with surprise. “For what?”
For sharing your family, he wanted to say, but he doubted she’d understand how much it meant to him. It was probably best if she didn’t even try.
“The pizza, of course.”
“Thank you for hauling that armoire in for me.”
Caleb looked into her eyes and couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away. There was a time in his life when he would have responded to the need that was so plain in her eyes, when he might have reached for her, kissed her thoroughly and left wanting more. Now he simply left.
No, he thought as he got into his car. It hadn’t been that simple. Even without the kiss, he still wanted more.
Mary Louise hadn’t heard a single word of Reverend Webb’s sermon. Instead, she’d been clutching theprayer book in her hands so tightly it had carved lines in the palms of her hands.
Beside her, Danny was staring straight ahead, his shoulders slumped, looking miserable. It made her heart ache, seeing him like that.
She knew what she had to do this afternoon after church. As much as it was going to hurt, as furious as her parents were going to be, she had to let Danny go. She loved him enough to do that. She wanted him to be everything he’d dreamed of becoming, a brilliant architect and historical preservationist. She couldn’t stand in the way of that. She couldn’t let one mistake change the course of both their lives.
She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. In less than an hour, they would be in Reverend Webb’s office and she would be giving Danny his freedom. She didn’t know what would happen to her after that, but she knew it was the right thing to do. If Danny wanted to be a part of his baby’s
Amanda’s anger visibly faded and she smiled slowly. “They were, weren’t they? For the first time in I can’t remember how long, it feels good not to have to deny them something they want.”
“A little denial isn’t bad for a child,” he reminded her. “It helps them learn that sometimes you have to work hard to earn the things you want.”
“I know, but I would give them everything if I could,” she said.
He understood the sentiment, but he couldn’t help reminding her, “That’s how Bobby felt, and look where it led.”
“Believe me, no one is more aware of that than I am,” she said soberly. “And if I forget it from time to time in my desire to make up to them for the bad times, I hope you’ll bring me back in line.”
“You’re a good mother, Amanda. I don’t think you need me to tell you what’s right.”
A part of him wanted to tell her, though, that he’d always be around if she needed him to fall back on, but it was the wrong thing to say, the wrong time to say it.
“I should go,” he said instead. He needed to remind himself that this wasn’t his home, wasn’t his family and that he’d already overstepped the boundaries tonight.
“But you barely ate any of your pizza,” she protested.
“I’ll take a couple of slices home with me. I can eat while I’m going over my sermon for tomorrow.”
He thought he detected disappointment in her expression, but she was quick to recover and offer a bright smile.
“I’ll wrap it up for you,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to stand up there in front of the entire congregation and have to wing your way through a sermon, though something tells me you could do it. You have quite a way with words.”
“It’s probably best if we don’t put that theory to the test,” he said.
Inside, he accepted the pizza from her, then headed for the door. “Good night, Amanda. Thanks.”
She regarded him with surprise. “For what?”
For sharing your family, he wanted to say, but he doubted she’d understand how much it meant to him. It was probably best if she didn’t even try.
“The pizza, of course.”
“Thank you for hauling that armoire in for me.”
Caleb looked into her eyes and couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away. There was a time in his life when he would have responded to the need that was so plain in her eyes, when he might have reached for her, kissed her thoroughly and left wanting more. Now he simply left.
No, he thought as he got into his car. It hadn’t been that simple. Even without the kiss, he still wanted more.
Mary Louise hadn’t heard a single word of Reverend Webb’s sermon. Instead, she’d been clutching theprayer book in her hands so tightly it had carved lines in the palms of her hands.
Beside her, Danny was staring straight ahead, his shoulders slumped, looking miserable. It made her heart ache, seeing him like that.
She knew what she had to do this afternoon after church. As much as it was going to hurt, as furious as her parents were going to be, she had to let Danny go. She loved him enough to do that. She wanted him to be everything he’d dreamed of becoming, a brilliant architect and historical preservationist. She couldn’t stand in the way of that. She couldn’t let one mistake change the course of both their lives.
She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. In less than an hour, they would be in Reverend Webb’s office and she would be giving Danny his freedom. She didn’t know what would happen to her after that, but she knew it was the right thing to do. If Danny wanted to be a part of his baby’s
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