Rebecca almost laughed. “Finding a replacement for Lorna doesn’t seem simple to me.”
He gave her a cheeky wink. “I’ve got that covered already. I’m going to give Anita a call. Let her know that you are now into delegating.”
Rachel almost laughed at his brash statement. “If you can get Anita to come back to work for me, then you deserve all the delegating I can pass off.”
Two hours later, Reuben left the house whistling. Rachel watched him jog down the brick sidewalk to his car and get in. She could see from the grin on his face that he was well pleased with himself.
Had she done the right thing? Was he overconfident in his ability? A little too bold?
Rachel pushed her second thoughts aside. She had chosen him from a number of applicants precisely for the qualities she was now questioning. He would do just fine. She had to trust him.
She had to trust, period.
Chapter Twelve
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Rachel asked Reuben for about the fourth time. A faint breeze caught her hair and tugged a few wisps loose. She was glad the sun had come out just before the first guests arrived at the plantation for the annual Noble Foundation community picnic. And that the sun was not too warm. Rachel had fretted all morning about the weather, just as she had about the arrangements. And she had complete control over neither.
Reuben caught her by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. “I’m fine. Things are fine. Everyone is fine. Go and mingle and charm people so that when it comes time to ask for more money for Tiny Blessings, the Foundations coffers will overflow.”
“Now, Reuben, we’re going to pretend we never heard that word.” Anita came up behind Reuben and smiled at Rachel. “Though everyone knows the reason for the picnic, it is considered ill-bred to even mention the word ‘money.’”
Rachel grinned at her former secretary, who had of late become her new assistant. As promised, Reuben had managed to talk Anita into coming back with the promise of more responsibility. Thanks to Reuben and the reality of Gracie’s needs, Rachel had slowly gotten used to the idea of delegating. To her surprise, she felt freer, lighter.
Gracie tugged on her hand again. “Are you sure?” Rachel had to ask just one more time.
Since the guests had arrived, she had been feeling disoriented. Usually she was doing what Anita and Reuben were now doing. Choreographing the movement of guests, supervising the food, making sure that everything flowed smoothly. The picnic was always touted as a casual affair, but even “casual” for the huge number of guests that always came, required a lot of behind-the-scenes direction.
Reuben squeezed her shoulders in reassurance. “Remember the magic words—‘Delegate. Let go.’ Repeat after me. ‘Delegate. Let go.’ Say it.”
“Delegate. Let go,” Rachel replied with a laugh. “I’m learning.”
“Eli. Eli. You come,” Gracie called out.
Rachel’s heart jumped as she turned in time to see Eli bend over and scoop Gracie up in his arms. His sea-green eyes flicked over Reuben, then rested on Reuben’s hands which were still holding Rachel.
Rachel tried not to blush and eased away from Reuben, hoping Eli would not read more into the situation than was there. “Eli, this is my assistant, Reuben and my…” She caught herself before she said “secretary,” “…my other assistant, Anita. Eli is Gracie’s doctor.”
Who happened to kiss me the other night.
She shook the thought away, but when she glanced at him, she could easily remember the feel of his mouth on hers. She blinked, then pulled her attention back to the introductions.
Eli shook Reuben’s and Anita’s hands, balancing Gracie who had looped one arm around his neck. “Nice to meet you.”
“Eli. We have a huge favor to ask of you,” Reuben said brightly. “Rachel is learning to delegate. She’s not very good at it, but with a little practice, we are sure it will come. Would you be so kind as to take her around to all the people she is supposed to be circulating amongst and keep her away from us to whom she has delegated responsibility?”
Eli glanced at Rachel, his eyes lingering on her face. “I think I could manage that.” Eli held out his arm like an old-fashioned gentleman and Rachel had no choice but to take it and walk away with him.
“I’m glad you could come,” Rachel said when they were a safe distance away from Reuben and Anita. They had been studying Eli with too-avid interest.
“I traded a few favors,” Eli said, tucking her arm closer to his. “You’re not the only one that has to learn to delegate. To let go.”
His comment made her look up at him with puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
The shifting leaves of the large trees overhead made the muted sunlight dance over the planes of his face as he smiled at her. Just as Eli was about to answer, Gracie’s hands clutched Rachel’s hair.
“You silly girl,” Rachel said with a shaky laugh. “You pulled my hair loose.”
Gracie just laughed and wiggled. “Go down,” she demanded, and Eli complied.
“I should go to the house first and re-do my hair,” Rachel said, trying to fix what Gracie had undone.
“Wear it loose,” Eli said, plucking a pin from her hair.
“It fits better with what you’re wearing. After all, isn’t casual the impression you are trying to achieve?”
Rachel glanced down at her pale green capris and sandals, topped with a cotton camisole. The outfit was casual compared to what she used to wear to work, and dressy compared to the clothes she’d been wearing recently.
Eli’s crooked smile challenged her, so with a few quick tugs, she freed the rest of her hair. She slipped the pins in her pocket, then finger-combed her shoulder-length hair back from her face. “There. How does that look?”
“Looks great,” Eli said.
Then, to her surprise, he reached out and fingered a strand of hair away from her face.
“I like it when you wear your hair down.” His hand lingered, cupping her chin, and for a heart-stopping moment Rachel thought he was going to kiss her again.
And she wanted him to.
“We better go, before Gracie runs away,” she said with a light laugh to cover her breathlessness.
They caught up to the child and each took her by one hand. They looked like a family, Rachel thought. Just as they had when they went to LaReese’s place.
At that precise moment he turned and their gazes met. Neither looked away.
Everything else around them fell away. It was only her and Eli. His expression grew serious as he half turned to her. Then Gracie pulled on Rachel’s hand, and the moment was broken.
As they walked, they passed a table that held an assortment of salads. One of the bowls was almost empty.
“Excuse me,” she said to Eli, reluctantly letting go of Gracie’s hand. “I have to take care of this.”
Eli lifted Gracie up and caught her hand in his. “No, you don’t. Reuben and Anita have it all under control.”
Rachel frowned and was about to protest, when a woman carrying a large plastic-covered bowl brushed past her, and quickly replaced the salad.
“See?” Eli said with a lift of his eyebrows.
Rachel laughed in spite of herself. “Okay. I think I’m getting it.” She drew in a deep breath, looked around, and realized that she could get used to this. The picnic was often a hurried, rushed affair for her as she juggled her social commitments while keeping things running smoothly.
She glanced at Eli, who was still smirking at her, and thought how nice it was to be able to simply visit with people. And to have Eli at her side as she did.
“I think it’s going to be a wonderful day,” Rachel said with a saucy smile.
“I hope so.” Eli wove his fingers through hers.
Then together they walked toward Reverend John Fraser and his wife Naomi. Rachel made the necessary introductions, but as she chatted with them, her entire attention was on Eli.
The afternoon wore on. Eli h
ad managed to pull Rachel aside to what he thought was a quiet spot to eat. But even then, people dropped by to talk to her. In the process he had gotten advice on what kind of Learjet he should buy if he was in the market, why he should be putting money into land around the Seattle area and why it was important to be on top of your investment portfolio.
Yes, he had his own plans, but to fit in with this crowd he would have to aim a little higher, work a little longer, expand the five-year plan to at least ten.
And with each conversation he felt as if a gulf grew between him and Rachel. He had a well-paying job, but he also had debts because of the training for that well-paying job. And the lifestyles he was faced with were so far removed from the simple life he had lived with Peggy and Tyrone Cavanaugh that he may as well be on another planet. Though he didn’t doubt the sincerity of the people he met or their kindness, he just knew that this standard of living was not something he aspired to.
What he didn’t know was, was it something Rachel expected?
“Are you okay?” Rachel was asking, as they found a place to get rid of their plates.
Had his dissatisfaction shown? He flashed a smile. “I’m fine. Just feeling a little overwhelmed.”
“It is a lot of new faces to absorb,” Rachel said, taking Gracie by the hand. “But in time you’ll get to know them.”
“Maybe.”
Rachel was about to say something when someone else caught her attention.
“Mayor Morrow, Mrs. Morrow, how are you today?” she said, as an older couple came up to join them. “Enjoying the nice weather?”
Rachel’s breezy attitude and encouraging smile elicited one from Lindsay Morrow, the mayor’s wife. Eli wasn’t surprised. Rachel seemed to charm even the most intractable person.
Rachel appeared more relaxed in these surroundings with these people than she had the first time they met. As he watched her smile, angle her head, lightly touch people, he saw a softer side of her.
“I’d like you to meet Dr. Cavanaugh,” Rachel was saying, turning to Eli with a warm smile. “Eli, this is Mayor Morrow and his wife Lindsay.”
Lindsay had that starved-to-perfection look that some older women seemed to think attractive. Instead it gave her a sharp, brittle look, which was re-emphasized by her severely tailored suit jacket and slacks.
“How nice to meet you, Dr. Cavanaugh,” Lindsay said, holding out her hand. She held his a little longer than necessary, held his gaze a little too intently as if studying him. “I understand you were adopted by the Cavanaughs through Tiny Blessings.”
Eli pulled his hand away as soon as he thought polite, wondering what she was up to. “Yes, I was. I was six years old when I joined their family.”
“I see.” Lindsay gave him a polite smile and suddenly looked uninterested.
“Quite a good turnout,” Gerald Morrow was saying to Rachel, his eyes traveling over the gathering. “I notice that even the Harcourts have made an appearance.”
“I was pleased to see them,” Rachel said. “Their father had a hand in starting Tiny Blessings, after all.”
“And this little one is your child?” Lindsay was asking, gesturing toward Gracie, who hung onto Eli’s and Rachel’s hands.
Rachel laughed. “No, this is my sister. Our parents adopted her from Tiny Blessings. I’m taking care of her while my mother recuperates from a fall. Dr. Cavanaugh is her pediatrician.”
“A pediatrician. How interesting,” Lindsay was saying, in a tone that seemed to imply what she thought of his chosen profession.
“It is, actually,” Eli said easily, taking up the unspoken challenge to his line of work. “Children are one of the more challenging branches of medicine. But what I like the best about them is that they are completely honest.”
Lindsay’s eyes narrowed, and Eli realized that he might have said the wrong thing. He kept his smile in place. Lindsay Morrow may be the mayor’s wife, but that didn’t mean anything to him.
Gerald glanced down at Gracie. “So this child was adopted through Tiny Blessings.” He nodded, looking suddenly thoughtful. “That is quite a step for your parents. To adopt a child they know nothing about.” Lindsay bit her lip and looked away. Gerald patted her on the arm and gave them an apologetic look. “Lindsay and I could never have children. We had thought about adoption, but we were just not sure. You never know what kind of child you get when you adopt and you never seem to know enough about their parents.”
Eli felt his face go tight at their implication. He glanced at Rachel, trying to gauge her reaction, but she was looking at Lindsay with sympathy.
“Adoption is not for everyone,” she said diplomatically. Then she brightened and waved at a woman who was walking toward them. “Oh, I’m so glad. Sandra Lange came after all.”
Mayor Morrow frowned and glanced at Lindsay, who was now clutching his arm, whispering in his ear. “If you’ll excuse us, please, Rachel. My wife is not feeling well.”
Rachel turned back to them. “I’m so sorry. You can take her into the house if you wish.”
Lindsay shook her head. “Thank you, but I would prefer to go home.” She started walking, pulling Gerald alongside her.
Eli thought she looked pretty energetic for someone who claimed to be ill. But then, what would he know. He was “just” a pediatrician. Though her inference made him smile, it still rankled to hear his profession slighted.
He followed Rachel to the woman who was watching Mayor Morrow and his wife as they left.
“Hello, Sandra,” Rachel said with a smile, catching the woman’s attention. “I am so glad you came. Sandra Lange, I would like you to meet Eli Cavanaugh.”
Rachel tossed Eli a bright smile, which he couldn’t help but return, then turned back to Sandra. Here was someone he could feel comfortable around. She looked delightfully ordinary and approachable in her blue jeans and T-shirt.
“How are you feeling?” Rachel asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m good. We missed you girls the past couple of Sundays at the diner,” Sandra was saying.
“I’ve been busy.”
“I see that,” Sandra said, giving Eli a knowing look.
He knew what she implied with her cryptic comment. To his surprise, he didn’t mind if she thought he was the cause of that busyness.
They chatted for a moment longer, then Rachel was called by someone else and again they moved on.
As they circulated and chatted, Eli was starting to feel more and more like a third wheel. He had hoped by coming to the picnic that he would have a chance to spend some time alone with Rachel. But each time he thought they could go off for a walk somewhere, someone else called her name.
After meeting yet another important personage, he touched Rachel lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. “I’m taking Gracie to the house. She’s beat.” Obviously they weren’t going to get much time alone.
Rachel glanced at him, then at Gracie who was rubbing her eyes with her fists. The man she was talking to frowned at this intrusion.
“I’ll be right there,” she said quietly. She touched Gracie on the cheek, gave Eli an apologetic smile and turned back to her guest.
Eli walked up a hill, past another group of people, along a path that skirted the lake on the property. When Charles had shown him around, he had limited the tour to the gardens surrounding the swimming pool. Eli had had no idea the property was so extensive.
And as he walked he thought, Someday this will all belong to Rachel. The idea gave him pause.
He had known all along who she was and where she had come from. But seeing her in the home she grew up in created a low-level discomfort. This wasn’t where he wanted to be. Wasn’t part of his future.
He thought back to the comment his brother had made that Sunday he had literally run into Rachel. Aiming high.
Eli laughed shortly. Ben had absolutely no idea.
Chapter Thirteen
Gracie was twisting in his arms and whimpering by the time Eli got her u
p to the house. She was warm, and along her neck and forehead her hair had spiraled into tight little curls.
He went up to her room and tried to lay her down, but she clung to him, her face all screwed up.
“You are a silly girl, aren’t you?” he said as he cuddled her close. “Do you want to go to bed?”
She pouted and shook her head, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. “No bed. No bed.”
“Okay. I get the message.” He went back down the large, wide stairs and then down a hallway, trying to find a place where he could sit with her. He passed a large room that held a desk and some chairs and ducked inside.
It looked like this was the room Rachel had commandeered as her office. Papers were strewn over the desk and floor in, what seemed to him, a most un-Rachel-like manner.
He dropped into a large, deep leather chair with a sigh of relief. He had been on his feet since four o’clock this morning, switching a shift with another doctor so he could be here. The anticipation of the event had been somewhat dulled by the reality. He had known Rachel would be busy, but at the same time, when she’d invited him to come, he’d had visions of them strolling the grounds, talking, finding out more about each other.
Not the small talk and chit-chat that Rachel seemed to excel at, with him as an onlooker. Gracie sniffled a bit, then settled into the crook of his arm. He stifled a yawn himself, then, giving in to the impulse, let his head fall back as sleep drifted over him.
Rachel slipped into the house, listening for Eli and Gracie. The kitchen and hallway felt cool compared to the growing warmth outside. Normally she wouldn’t dare to leave in the middle of things. Normally she would be ordering staff, talking to people, all the while keeping an eye on the caterers, on the food supply, making sure no one was neglected. But this time, thanks to Reuben and Anita, she wasn’t nearly as exhausted as in previous years.
And, thanks to her assistants, she had dared to duck out of the meet-and-greet and find out where Eli had gone with Gracie. They weren’t upstairs, or in the formal living room, or in the family room. She heard a faint snuffling from the study. It was the sound Gracie made when asleep.
Brought Together by Baby Page 14
