Heart of Texas Vol. 3

by Debbie Macomber

  As unobtrusively as possible, he lifted her feet onto the sofa and she nestled against a pillow. He paused to study her. In the short walk from the church to the office, she’d told him she was twenty-five, a full eight years younger than he was. Never had eight years seemed so wide a gulf. She was pretty, with thick shoulder-length auburn hair, pulled back and clipped in place. Her skin was naturally pale and wonderfully smooth. Had he touched her cheek, he was certain she would have felt like satin.

  Martha returned from the kitchen with two mugs and set them down on the corner of her desk. “She looks a little like an angel, doesn’t she?”

  Wade didn’t answer, but not because he didn’t agree. Amy did indeed look angelic. Removing his sweater from his closet, he covered the sleeping woman’s shoulders.

  While Amy continued to doze, he made a few more phone calls and finally managed to reach Frank Hennessey. Within the hour Frank called him back.

  “I’m over at Dovie’s,” the sheriff announced. “We think we’ve come up with a solution to the housing problem.”

  “You know of someone willing to give her a place to live for a few months?” Wade’s original thought had been to hook her up with one of the local ranchers as a cook or other part-time helper, but he’d soon realized that her pregnancy would restrict her activities. From there his thoughts moved to the idea of her working as a live-in nanny. In March Savannah Smith had delivered a beautiful baby girl, and Caroline Weston was due in three or four months. Weddings and babies. Wade had been witness to them all.

  “Actually I was thinking she might be willing to house-sit for a while.”

  “Excellent idea.” Wade wished he’d thought of that himself. “But who?”

  Frank cleared his throat. “Uh, Dovie and I talked it over, and we were thinking maybe she could watch my place.”

  It didn’t take Wade long to understand the implications. “That’s an excellent idea,” he said again.

  “I did a background check on her,” Frank said. “Talked to her former employer, too. From everything he said, she’s a good person who’s been put in a difficult position.”

  “I don’t know what she can afford for rent.”

  “I don’t plan on charging her any,” the sheriff said. “She’d be doing me and Dovie a favor. Besides, she has other expenses to worry about.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Wade said. So Frank had made inquiries concerning Amy. It was all Wade could do not to interrogate him. Sleeping Beauty was in his outer office, and he wanted to know more about her. Much more. She didn’t fit the homeless helpless mode. He wondered why she’d decided to come here, where she had no friends or relatives, no prospects of work or accommodation.

  “I have a line on a job for her,” Wade said, feeling downright proud of himself.

  “Wonderful. Who?”

  “Ellie Frasier,” he said, forgetting that the feed-store owner was a Patterson now. Glen and Ellie were married last September; he’d officiated at the ceremony himself.

  “The feed store?” Frank didn’t sound as if he approved of the idea.

  “As a bookkeeper,” Wade told him. “I told Ellie up front that she’s pregnant, but she didn’t seem to mind. Ellie said she’d like to meet Amy first and interview her. She’s been looking for someone to come in part-time and take up the slack. She could occasionally use help in the store, too.” Wade was beginning to feel like the miracle worker he’d confidently proclaimed himself to be. He grinned, thinking all his miracles should be this easy.

  “Dovie and I would like to meet her, too.”

  “Of course.” It stunned him that Frank would open his home to a stranger like this. Frank and Dovie knew next to nothing about Amy Thornton, other than what her former employer had said. Yet they felt comfortable enough to invite her to live in his house. Wade wasn’t sure he would’ve been as generous or as trusting. However, Frank was a lawman—a sheriff who’d seen plenty of reason to distrust his fellow man—and if he trusted Amy, Wade could do no less.

  They ended the conversation by arranging that Wade would bring her over to the shop in an hour or so.

  Wade returned to the outer room. Amy stirred then and sat up, looking disoriented, as if she wasn’t sure where she was. “Oh, my,” she whispered, pushing the hair away from her face. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I…I can’t seem to get enough sleep.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Wade said, and Martha added, “You need extra sleep right now.”

  “There are some people I’d like you to meet,” Wade told her.

  “I don’t mean to cause you a lot of problems, Reverend McMillen,” she said as she handed him his sweater.

  “You’re not a problem, Amy. Besides, didn’t I tell you miracles were my specialty?”

  “Fortunately Mr. Miracle Worker here has a lot of helpers in the community,” Martha said with a smile.

  Wade couldn’t have agreed with her more. He led Amy out of the office and to the curb where he’d parked his Blazer. A soft breeze rustled the leaves of maples and oaks, the faint scent of roses and jasmine perfumed the air.

  “I’m taking you to Dovie’s place first,” Wade said, starting the engine. “Frank and Dovie wanted to meet you—and discuss an idea.”

  “An idea?”

  “I’ll let them explain.”

  The Hennesseys were waiting for them. He watched Amy’s face when she walked into Dovie’s antique store. She paused as if it was too much to assimilate. He’d felt much the same way when he’d first seen the sheer number of things in her store. He’d been impressed by Dovie’s displays, though. They were so attractive he couldn’t help feeling they belonged in a magazine. When she opened her Victorian Tea Room, it’d fast become the gathering place for women all around town. Dovie used only the finest linens, the best crystal and bone china from her stock. At first Wade had felt as awkward in her store as he would in a lingerie shop, but Dovie had quickly put him at ease.

  “You must be Amy,” Dovie said, crossing the room to greet them. “Welcome to my shop.”

  “It’s…beautiful.” Amy couldn’t stop looking around.

  “I’ve made us tea,” Dovie said, and they followed her to a table at the far side of the room.

  Frank watched Amy carefully and Wade saw her meet his gaze without flinching or visible discomfort. He sensed she had nothing to hide, and for that Wade was grateful. Situations such as this held the risk of problems; one of his fears was that Amy was running away, possibly from the father of her unborn child. But despite the potential for trouble, he wanted to help her.

  Frank waited until everyone had a cup of tea before he mentioned his idea.

  “You mean to say you’d let me live in your home?” Amy sounded incredulous. “But you don’t even know me.”

  “Are you hiding something? Is there anything in your background we should know?” Frank asked.

  “No,” she was quick to inform them, here yes wide and honest.

  “I didn’t think so.” Frank’s features relaxed into an easy smile. “Actually, having you stay there helps us, too. I won’t need to worry about the house sitting empty, and you’ll have a place to live until you’ve sorted out your life and made some decisions.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say other than thank you.”

  Wade could see that Amy was overwhelmed by the Hennesseys’ generosity and trust.

  “I won’t disappoint you,” she said as if making a pledge.

  “Just so you’ll know exactly what’s expected of you, I thought we should sit down and put everything in writing. I don’t want there to be room for any misunderstanding.”

  “I’d like that,” Amy concurred.

  “Do you want to see the house?”

  “Please.”

  Wade stood and checked his watch. “Give us thirty minutes.

  Amy needs to talk to Ellie first.”

  “Fine, I’ll see you then.”

  Wade escorted Amy out of the sho
p and down the street to Frasier Feed. Ellie’s father had died the year before, and Ellie had taken over the business. He knew that Glen had been helping her with the paperwork, but it had become an increasingly onerous task. Ellie was finding that it required more time than she could spare.

  Ellie met them on the sidewalk outside the store.

  “This is Amy Thornton,” Wade said, introducing the two women. “Amy, Ellie Patterson.”

  “Hi,” Ellie said, her greeting friendly. She gestured to the chairs by the soda machine. They all sat down, although Wade wasn’t sure he was really needed for this interview.

  “If you don’t mind, I have a few questions,” Ellie said.

  “All right.” Amy stiffened a little, obviously unsure what to expect.

  Ellie asked about job experience and Wade was glad of the opportunity to listen in. He was pleased to learn Amy had worked for the same employer for almost seven years. She’d started with the company as part of a high-school training program and had stayed on after graduation.

  Wade remembered Frank telling him that her former employer had given her a glowing recommendation.

  “Seven years.” Ellie seemed impressed. She asked a series of other questions and took down references and phone numbers. Wade watched in amazement as almost instant rapport developed between the two women.

  “Could you start on Monday?” Ellie asked.

  “You’re offering me the job?” Amy’s voice quavered. “Now? Already?”

  “Does that surprise you?”

  “I’m…shocked. And thrilled. Thank you. Thank you so much.” Tears gathered in her eyes and she stopped for a moment to compose herself before she continued. “Your store,” she said, having a hard time getting the words out. “It’s one of the reasons I got off the bus.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ellie said.

  “It looked so friendly, like your customers were also your friends.”

  “My customers are my friends,” Ellie said. “I’m hoping we can become friends, too.”

  A smile lit up Amy’s face. “I’d like that very much.”

  Wade grinned in delight. This was working out perfectly. Within hours of arriving in Promise, Amy Thornton had a job and a place to live. Frank, Dovie and Ellie reaffirmed his belief in the basic goodness of most people.

  Once they were back in the car, Wade drove to Frank’s house and pulled into the driveway.

  Amy glanced at him. “This is the house?”

  Actually it was more of a cottage, Wade thought. Cozy and comfortable-looking.

  “You really are a miracle worker, aren’t you?” she said in apparent awe.

  “A place to live and a job. Hey, no problem,” he said, snapping his fingers like a magician producing a rabbit out of a hat. “No problem at all.”

  “I don’t think finding a father for my baby is going to be as easy,” she said, climbing out of the vehicle.

  A father for her child. Wade had forgotten about that.

  CHAPTER 2

  DR. JANE PATTERSON HAD A gentle way about her, Amy thought as she dressed. The examination had been her most comfortable to date. From the moment she learned she was pregnant, Amy had faithfully taken her vitamins, made regular doctor’s appointments and scrupulously watched her diet. Her one fear was that her baby would feel the tension and stress that had been her constant companion these past six months.

  There was a light tap on the door, and Dr. Patterson entered the examination room.

  “Is everything all right with the pregnancy?” Amy asked immediately.

  “Everything looks good. From what I could tell, the baby is developing right on schedule,” Dr. Patterson said. “I don’t want you to worry. Continue with the vitamins and try to get the rest your body needs.” She sat down across from Amy, leaned forward and gave her a reassuring pat on the hand. “I’m going to be starting a birthing class in the next couple of weeks and was wondering if you’d care to join.”

  Amy bit her lip. She’d like nothing better than to attend this class, but it probably required a partner, someone who’d be willing to coach her through labor and birth. Unfortunately, being new in town, she didn’t know anyone she could ask.

  “There are several women in the community who are entering their third trimester,” the doctor went on.

  “Will I need a partner?”

  “It’s not necessary,” she said, and Amy saw compassion and understanding on the doctor’s face. “You don’t need to decide just yet,” she added. “As I mentioned, the class won’t start for a couple of weeks, but if you’re looking for a partner, I suggest you ask Dovie Hennessey. She took me under her wing when I first arrived in Promise. I didn’t know anyone and had trouble making friends.”

  “You?” Amy could hardly believe it.

  Dr. Patterson laughed lightly. “Oh, Amy, you wouldn’t believe all the mistakes I made. I felt so lost and lonely. Dovie made me feel welcome and steered me toward the right people. She’s wonderful.”

  Amy lowered her gaze, embarrassed that she was reduced to accepting charity and relying on the kindness of strangers. “Did you know I’m staying in Sheriff Hennessey’s house?” she asked.

  “I heard you’re house-sitting, if that’s what you mean.”

  It puzzled Amy that she could have stepped off the bus in a town she didn’t know existed and be welcomed as though she were long-lost family. Half the time she was left wondering when she’d wake up to reality. Wade McMillen had jokingly said he was a miracle worker, and so far, he’d proved himself to be exactly that. A week later, her head still spun at the way he’d gone about finding solutions to her problems.

  “Would you like me to put your name down for the birthing class?” Dr. Patterson pressed.

  “Yes, please,” Amy said. It seemed that the people of Promise, Texas, had made room for her in their community and in their hearts. “I’ll think about asking Dovie…” She hated to request yet another favor. Besides, she couldn’t see what would prompt a busy woman like Dovie to agree, especially when she and her husband were already doing so much for her. Dr. Patterson seemed to think it was a good idea, though, and Amy wouldn’t mind becoming friends with the older woman. Everyone she knew was back in Dallas. Her friends, her colleagues and, of course, her mother. Alex hadn’t liked her seeing anyone else, even girlfriends, and over time she’d lost contact with quite a few people.

  “Dovie will be thrilled if you ask her,” the doctor was saying.

  Amy stared at her. “Dr. Patterson, I don’t know—”

  “We don’t stand on formality here,” the other woman interrupted. “You can call me Jane—Dr. Jane if you prefer.” The accompanying smile was warm.

  “You’ll let me know when the classes start?”

  “Jenny has the sign-up sheet out front. Give her your name and she’ll make sure you’re notified before the first class. And while you’re speaking to Jenny, go ahead and schedule your next appointment for two weeks.”

  “Two weeks?” The doctor in Dallas had seen her only once a month. “There’s something wrong you’re not telling me about, isn’t there?”

  “Relax, Amy, everything looks perfectly fine. You’re healthy and there’s nothing to indicate anything’s wrong with the baby.”

  “Then why?”

  “You’re entering the third trimester, and it’s normal procedure to see a patient every two weeks until the last month, when your visits will be weekly.”

  Amy relaxed. Generally she didn’t panic this easily, but so much had already happened that she couldn’t help worrying.

  “I’ll talk to Jenny on my way out,” she promised.

  “If you have any questions, I want you to call me day or night, understand?” Jane wrote the office phone number on a prescription pad and handed it to Amy. “This is my pager number if the office is closed and it’s not an emergency.”

  “Thank you.” Amy’s voice shook. She felt overwhelmed by the fact that strangers cared about her and her unborn child w
hen her own mother’s reaction had been just the opposite. She’d called Amy ugly horrible names. Alex, the man she was convinced she loved beyond life itself, had shown exactly the kind of person he was when she told him about the baby. He didn’t want his own child! People she loved, trusted, had turned their backs on her, and instead a community of strangers had welcomed her with open arms, taken her in, given her the help she needed.

  “You’ll talk to Dovie then?” Jane said as Amy prepared to leave.

  Amy inhaled a stabilizing breath and nodded. “I’ll do it right away.” Before she lost her nerve or changed her mind.

  Since she wasn’t expected at the feed store until noon, Amy walked over to Dovie’s after she’d left the doctor’s office. She tried to convince herself that what Jane had said was true—that Dovie would be delighted to attend the classes with her.

  Birthing classes. In three months Sarah would be born. Three months! This shouldn’t have come as any shock. But it did. She had so much to do to get ready for the baby. She hadn’t even begun to buy the things she’d need. Baby clothes, a crib, a stroller. Her heart started to pound at the thought of everything that had to be done and the short time left in which to accomplish it all.

  Amy pushed open the door to Dovie’s store and the bells above the entrance jingled lightly.

  “Well, hello, Amy,” Dovie greeted her from across the room. She was arranging freshly cut red roses in a crystal vase. “Aren’t these lovely?” she murmured, pausing to examine one bud more closely. “Savannah Smith came by with Laura earlier this morning and brought me these.”

  “They’re beautiful.” Amy swore that if Dovie hadn’t been alone just then, she would have abandoned her mission.

  “How are you feeling?” Dovie asked.

  “Great. I’m enjoying working with Ellie.”

  “From what Ellie said, you’re doing a fabulous job.”