“All things are possible with God,” Mrs. Merkle said out of the blue, looking intently at them both. “But no one said they’d be easy.”
Reba glanced at Seth, wondering if he could explain the comment. He looked as puzzled as she.
In a matter of minutes the housekeeper had disappeared with both children. The silence that followed engulfed both her and Seth.
“I can’t shake the feeling that she somehow arranged this in advance,” Seth mumbled as he carried two cups of coffee into the living room. She wasn’t in the mood for lunch yet, and neither was he.
Hoping to give a relaxed impression, Reba removed her shoes and tucked her feet up against the side of the chair. This was the first time she’d been inside Seth’s house. She liked it. The style was homey and comfortable, the furniture large and bulky. Sturdy, like the man himself.
Seth handed Reba the coffee and sat across from her. He seemed deeply wrapped up in his thoughts.
“Do you get the feeling we’re being purposely thrown together?” she asked.
He nodded. “It seems that way, but Emily didn’t know that I’d invited you to dinner. I forgot to mention it,” he added sheepishly.
“She’s an unusual woman.”
Seth shook his head and relaxed against the cushion. “You’re telling me! I can’t help but wonder…” He let whatever he was going to say fade.
“Wonder?” she prodded. Although she’d met Mrs. Merkle only once, Reba had the same feeling about her. She found the older woman to be something of a puzzle. Perhaps it had something to do with the way Seth’s housekeeper regarded her. It was as though she had looked straight through her and read her soul. The feeling prompted the oddest sensation.
“She showed up out of the blue one night, likea…miracle. I hate to say it, but it’s true. The former housekeeper had been gone for some time, and the house was a disaster. Because of all the uncertainty, the kids were in an uproar and I was at my wits’ end. All at once Mrs. Miracle was there. I didn’t even think to check her references or contact the agency until…” He hesitated again, as if caught in some warped memory.
“Seth?”
“The agency hadn’t sent her.”
“What?” He certainly had her attention now.
“When I asked Mrs. Merkle about it, she had a perfectly logical explanation. The Ackerman Agency, the one I’d been working with, contacted another agency, Heath, Health, Heaven…something like that. And they’re the ones who’d sent her. I checked her references, and she was given the highest recommendation. I certainly can’t find fault with her. What she’s done for the children is nothing short of miraculous.” He tossed her a chagrined look, then chuckled. “There’s that word again.”
“You’re reassured, then?” He regarded her blankly, and Reba added, “With her explanation about the agency?”
“Yes. She was adamant that she’d told me the name of the agency earlier, but I don’t seem to remember her saying anything. There’s been a few other things—minor things, really—that leave me to wondering. And the things she says…”
“Says?”
He chuckled. “This morning when the offering was taken in church, she leaned close and murmured something about not being able to take our money with us, but we can send it on ahead.”
Reba laughed. “You’re not worried about her, are you?”
“Heavens, no. She’s wonderful, and as I said, I did check out her references.” He raised the coffee cup to his mouth and hesitated with the mug halfway to his lips. His gaze stretched to the far side of the room.
Reba glanced over her shoulder and discovered a twig of mistletoe dangling from the doorway leading into the kitchen. The twins or possibly Mrs. Merkle had placed it there before they’d left for the movie.
The air in the room seemed to grow warm as the awareness between them became stronger. Reba moistened her lips, remembering their exchange the night of their first date. The kisses had been wonderful. A renewal. A discovery. Reba was confident that Seth had experienced the power of their attraction as strongly as she.
“Mrs. Merkle, no doubt,” he offered, clearing his throat. “I don’t want you to think…you know, that I brought you over here on the pretext of…well, seducing you.”
“With mistletoe?”
“Yes.” He stood and walked over to the fireplace, which was the farthest point he could be from her and still remain in the same room. “I invited you to dinner, and the next thing you know we’re here in the house, alone, and there’s all these not-so-subtle hints that I’d like to pick up where we left off Friday night.”
“Would you?” she asked, lowering her gaze.
“Yes.” His response was sharp and immediate. “Maybe I should lie about it, but I don’t see much sense in that. It’s been a lot of years since I was in the dating scene, and I don’t know how to play those games any longer.”
“I don’t, either.”
“You were married?” His eyes held hers, his look intense.
“No,” she whispered, and then amended, “Almost…the engagement was broken.” She didn’t offer any other information; didn’t see the point. He couldn’t possibly understand, and she wouldn’t ask it of him.
“It does seem a shame to waste that mistletoe, don’t you think?” He moved toward the kitchen doorway and stood under the Christmas decoration.
Smiling, Reba set aside her coffee and walked toward him. They stood facing each other, and for a long moment neither spoke. Then, as if this were what they’d been waiting for, what they’d both anticipated from the moment Mrs. Merkle had left with the twins, they moved into each other’s arms.
Reba’s eyes fluttered closed as Seth gathered her close. She wanted this, needed this, and sighed audibly when his lips met hers. His kiss left her breathless and clinging. It had been like this the first time, too. Her head had been spinning ever since. He gave her hope, helped her to believe that there could be a future for them.
“Do you think this is what she was talking about?” Reba asked.
Seth spread small kisses on the underside of her neck. “Who?”
“Mrs. Miracle.” She’d said all things were possible with God. Only this felt easy, much too easy.
“Maybe so.” Seth assured her once more with another deep, soul-stirring kiss.
Chapter 16
If you’re waiting for a sign from God, this is it.
—Mrs. Miracle
“You left the milk out again,” Sharon reminded her husband pointedly.
Without comment, Jerry scooted his chair away from the table, removed the milk carton from the counter, and placed it back inside the refrigerator.
Her husband looked at her as if he had something on his mind, but whatever it was, he let it go. They seemed to be at an impasse. Once they would have joked and laughed at how silly they were being, but that time was gone, and they both knew it. What had started out as a minor disagreement over a cruise and Christmas had evolved into something much more serious.
They were sleeping apart and cooking their own meals. It was ridiculous. Stupid. Childish, and a hundred other adjectives Sharon could think of.
Jerry cooking! She cringed as she glanced around at her once orderly kitchen. How any man could make such a mess scrambling eggs was beyond her. Eggshells and spilled milk puddled across the countertop, and runny egg had dried on her once spotless stovetop. The peanut butter had been left out, along with the bread and just about everything else Jerry had touched in the last several days.
Regretfully Sharon realized she had no one to blame but herself. She was the one who’d insisted her husband cook his own meals. The words had been spoken in anger, but she’d regretted them almost immediately. Surely Jerry knew that, yet he chose to carry out this ridiculous charade. Even then she didn’t completely blame him. She wasn’t any better, opting to sleep in the guest bedroom when it was apparent they were both miserable.
If she hadn’t had Maggie to talk to, she didn’t know what s
he would have done. Her best friend had tried to help, but all she could do was listen. If ever Sharon needed a sympathetic ear, it was now. They’d gone shopping, and Maggie had taken her to lunch afterward. When she’d heard about Jerry and the cookie incident, she’d been furious with him.
As soon as he finished his breakfast, Jerry left the house. Sharon watched him leave. The problems within their marriage were compounding instead of simplifying. Maggie had listened, and although she hadn’t said it, the subject was there. Divorce. It had happened to some of their friends. Sharon just had never expected it would happen to Jerry and her.
For the first time since she’d spoken her vows, Sharon seriously considered contacting an attorney. With a heavy heart, she sat down, opened the local phone directory, and ran her fingers down the long list of lawyers’ names, shocked by how many claimed to specialize in divorce cases.
Divorce. What an ugly word it was, even uglier with a forty-year investment in what had once been a satisfying marriage. But something had to be done, Sharon realized. They couldn’t continue the way they were, constantly at odds, working against one another. Their home had become a battlefield.
She stared at the door. Jerry had walked out without telling her where he was going or what time he’d return. Sharon had a general idea of how he kept himself occupied. He golfed a couple of days a week, played pinochle with his cronies, and coached basketball for a group of junior high kids.
She had her own life, her own interests, her own friends. It would be difficult, but she could learn to live without Jerry. She might as well be alone now—what they shared wasn’t worthy of the word “marriage.” Their love had become a contest of wills and frequent battles.
Depressed and unsure if she was doing the right thing, she closed the phone book. As strained as their relationship was, she loved her husband and was convinced that in his own way he loved her.
The house was empty and silent. In an effort to lift her mood, she put on a Christmas album, turning up the volume as she finished with the housework. The cheerful, happy music was infectious, and she had the sudden desire to go shopping. With Christmas less than two weeks away, she still had several things she wanted to buy for the twins. Generally Jerry went Christmas shopping with her, but she would go without him this year. Just as she was visiting Seth and the grandkids for the holidays alone.
The rest of the morning proved to be productive, and her spirits lifted considerably. She wished Maggie could join her, but her best friend had made other plans. Her arms loaded down with packages, Sharon headed for the restaurant in Nordstrom. Their Chinese chicken salad was one of her favorites.
A line had formed outside the restaurant, and as she stood awaiting her turn, Sharon’s eyes wandered over the crowded room. By chance, she caught a glimpse of long red hair. Maggie. This was a pleasant surprise. She was just about to raise her hand and call out to her friend when she noticed Maggie wasn’t dining alone. She was with Jerry.
Jerry.
The two were deeply involved in conversation, their heads close together.
Sharon felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. The classic scenario: her husband and her best friend. Blindly she whirled around, nearly colliding with a young mother pushing a stroller.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “So sorry.” Escaping before Maggie and Jerry saw her was of the utmost importance. She all but stumbled out of the store.
Inside the mall, she stood still and silent as her mind processed what her eyes had seen. People flowed past her like rushing water scooting around a large rock. All at once everything that had happened between her and her husband made sense.
Everything added up.
Jerry and Maggie.
Seth was busy tabulating a long list of numbers when the phone on his desk pealed loudly, breaking his concentration. He frowned and absently reached for the receiver, irritated with the interruption. He wanted to get away from the office on time that evening, and it had nothing to do with meeting Reba. All right, so it had everything to do with Reba.
“Hello,” he muttered.
“Seth? I hope it’s all right that I called you at the office.”
“Sharon?” The last person he expected to hear from was his mother-in-law. “Is something wrong?”
“No…everything’s just wonderful, as always.”
It didn’t sound that way. Her thin voice sounded fragile and unsure, which wasn’t like her.
“I apologize for interrupting you at work, but I needed…” She hesitated, and he could hear her taking in a deep breath as though she needed to calm herself before continuing. “It’s about me coming up for Christmas.”
Christmas? She was calling him at work to confirm Christmas? Something was definitely up.
“I was wondering if you had any objection to my coming a few days early.”
“Sharon, you know you and Jerry are welcome any time.”
“Jerry won’t be coming.”
Seth couldn’t believe his ears. Sharon was planning to visit on her own? That made no sense whatsoever. It took him a moment to recover enough to respond. “What’s happened to Jerry?”
“He’s decided not to. I realize I’m arriving a few days earlier than what I mentioned and that…that you weren’t anticipating my arrival until next week, but if it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, I’d appreciate…” She paused when her voice wobbled to the point that he could barely understand her.
“Sharon? Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course…. What could possibly bewrong?”
“You tell me.” Seth couldn’t recall a time when his mother-in-law had been anything but the Rock of Gibraltar. After Pamela’s accident she’d been the voice of reason in a world that had suddenly turned chaotic. Seth didn’t know how he would have coped without her.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, her words pleading with him to believe her.
Seth knew a lie when he heard one. “What time does your flight land?” he asked, reaching for a pad. “I’ll pick you up at the airport.”
“Pick me up…Yes, please, I’ll need someone there.” She gave him the flight number and the time.
Seth glanced at his watch. “But that’s less than an hour from now.”
“Yes…I know, I’m calling from the plane.”
“The plane?” His echo revealed his shock.
“If I couldn’t have stayed with you, I’d have found a hotel room. You’ll be there, won’t you, Seth?”
“Yes, of course. Don’t worry about a thing. This will be a wonderful surprise for the twins.” It would play havoc with his schedule, but that couldn’t be helped. Something was drastically wrong, and after the way his mother-in-law had stepped in and helped him, he could hardly refuse her now.
Seth sat with his hand on the telephone receiver, uncertain whom to contact first, Reba or his housekeeper. Mrs. Merkle, he decided. She’d need to make up the guest bedroom. After he’d talked to her, he’d call Reba and tell her that he wouldn’t be able to stop in after work the way he’d planned.
The vacation packages Reba had assembled for his review were only an excuse to see her again, Seth acknowledged freely. He was scheduled to meet with her after work before she went to church for Christmas practice with the kids. He’d seen her every night that week.
On Monday she’d gone Christmas shopping with him, and on Tuesday she’d been to the house for dinner. Mrs. Merkle had done herself proud with a fried chicken succulent enough to tempt the Colonel.
Jason answered when he rang the house. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Hello, sweetheart, is Mrs. Merkle there?”
“Yup.” He heard Jason drop the phone, the sound of the receiver clanging in his ear. He returned breathless a moment later. “Mrs. Miracle’s real busy getting the extra bedroom all cleaned up,” his son told him. “Who’s coming?”
“Ask Mrs. Miracle,” he suggested, frowning.
“Mr. Webster, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” The housekeeper
came on the line, breathing hard.
“I’m calling to let you know I’ll be picking up the children’s grandmother at the airport this afternoon.” He waited, half expecting his housekeeper to explain why Sharon was arriving a full week early and without Jerry. If anyone knew, it would be Mrs. Merkle. The woman apparently possessed some form of telepathy.
“Ah, I wondered.”
“Sharon phoned the house?”
“No.”
“Then how’d you know she was coming?”
“I didn’t,” she answered cheerfully. “It never hurts to have the spare room freshened up now and again. I had a few extra minutes this afternoon and decided to give it the once-over. How fortuitous in light of Mrs. Palmer’s unexpected arrival.”
“I don’t know if it’d be a good idea to say anything to the twins just yet,” Seth cautioned, wondering how much he should say. “My mother-in-law seems to be feeling a bit under the weather.”
A short pause followed his announcement. “Do you need me to drop the kids off at practice at the church, then?”
Seth had forgotten all about that. “Yes, please, if it isn’t too much of a problem.”
“None at all. I’ll stay and visit with the women’s group as well and leave the house to you and Mrs. Palmer.”
“I appreciate it,” Seth murmured, trying to think if there was anything else he’d forgotten.
“I’ll put two dinners to warm in the oven. Don’t you worry, Mr. Webster, everything is going to work out just fine.”
She spoke as if she knew more about the situation than Seth did himself. “Good,” he muttered, hoping she was right. He didn’t know what was wrong between Sharon and Jerry or if he was reading more into the matter than he should. Perhaps Jerry was ill…. No, that couldn’t be it. Sharon would be the first one to stand at his side through any health problems. She’d sounded shaken to the core, rattled and shocked. Seth certainly hoped he knew what to say in order to help.
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