by Lois Richer
“You’d better explain, Dar. I can see she already thinks the worst.” David leaned against the car while Darla explained.
“Well, Snow White had babies. She didn’t want to stay with me. She just wanted to come to my house and eat so she could feed her babies,” Darla explained. “Mrs. Murphy was away and the boy she hired didn’t take care of Snow White very well so Snow White had to take care of her family herself.”
“By mooching off of us,” David grumbled.
“When Mrs. Murphy came home and saw Davy picking up Snow White and carrying her away, she got really mad at him. It was her cat, you see. She called the police and she followed him home. She was yelling and her face was all red.”
“How was I supposed to know it was her cat? I didn’t even know the woman, let alone that she had a cat.” Obviously disgruntled, David picked a fuzz ball off his sweater. “It was wandering around, yowling all the time. I thought we could give it a home. I paid over a hundred dollars for shots for that animal.”
“That’s okay, Davy. Snow White was grateful.” Darla patted his arm.
“Well, Mrs. Murphy wasn’t.” His averted his face. “Calling the police on me was a bit extreme.”
“Yes, that must have been—er—challenging.” Susannah struggled to suppress her mirth.
“Snow White scratched Davy and tore his pants. Then Mrs. Murphy hit him with a broom.” Darla reached out and touched him. “I’m sorry, Davy.”
“So am I,” David said in an aggrieved tone. “I fed that great hulking thing fresh fish for two weeks and neither that cat nor her mistress said thank you even once.”
“Snow White still comes over for a visit sometimes,” Darla interjected. “But not if Davy’s home.”
“And don’t think I’m unhappy about that.” He gave a snort of derision.
Susannah couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. The thought of this big, accomplished, well-respected man avoiding a little white cat made her giggle. She could not imagine him prowling the streets, calling the cat and enduring all manner of indignities from Mrs. Murphy.
“Now that you know my mistakes, let’s go inside. I’d like to eat some of that food before it’s gone,” David said with a hint of a grin in his eyes.
He walked around the car to open Susannah’s door and help her out. She was very conscious of David’s helping hand under her elbow.
She walked up the sidewalk with David and Darla, mentally steeling herself for what was to come. This was one reason why she’d refused to go to church with Connie; she feared people would start asking questions that she didn’t want to answer.
But no one asked her a thing. David introduced her by name as their friend, and that seemed to be enough for people. Everyone she spoke to welcomed her and invited her to enjoy herself. And she did.
It was only later, when Susannah was seated in a pew beside David that she began to feel self-conscious as the speaker, Rick Green, talked about God’s love.
“It was my privilege to teach these people that nothing they’ve done could erase the love of God,” he said confidently. “Nothing.”
He spoke at length about conditions along the river and the many trials he endured in his work. His pictures were a graphic testimony to his endurance. But Susannah kept hearing her mother’s voice screaming condemnation.
It’s your fault. It’s your fault.
As always, a punch of pain accompanied the words and she squeezed her eyes closed to brace against it.
The social worker had insisted the deaths of her sisters, Cara and Misty, weren’t her fault. But even after all these years, in the recesses of her heart, Susannah couldn’t rid herself of the guilt that dogged her.
It was her fault. She should have been there.
She was a failure.
A hand pressed against hers, warm, comforting.
She opened her eyes and found David staring at her, concern in his gaze.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
She dredged up a smile and nodded as she eased her fingers from his, forcing herself to pretend a calm she didn’t feel. Why did his touch affect her so deeply?
After several moments of scrutiny he finally returned his attention to the speaker, but he kept giving her little sideways looks, as if he thought she might faint or do something equally inappropriate.
“Hear me tonight,” Rick Green said softly. “There is nothing God wouldn’t do for you. In fact, He’s already done it by sending His son to die for you. All you have to do is accept His love.”
By the time the meeting broke up, Susannah had regained her equilibrium. She was able to tease Darla and smile at David who still looked concerned. Connie and Wade joined them.
“You must have loved your trip down to the Amazon, judging by those amazing pictures,” Susannah said to Wade.
“We did,” Wade agreed. “Especially the piranhas.” He held up a threatening hand and began tickling the back of Darla’s neck. In a fit of giggles, she wiggled away.
“You know, we never did get to finish that trip because of Dad’s heart attack,” David mused. “We should go back sometime.”
“I second that.” A tall, lean man with sandy blond hair exchanged a complicated handshake with the other two men, hugged Connie and Darla and then held out a hand to Susannah. “I’m Jared Hornby,” he said.
“Oh. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Susannah shook his hand. She could see the easy camaraderie between the three men. “Darla shared some information, too,” she added.
“Aw, kiddo! Can’t you ever keep a secret,” Jared asked Darla and grinned when she said, “No.”
“I’m not putting money in that basket. I just don’t agree with raising money to feed kids who live in this country.” A shrill voice broke through their conversation, carrying from the foyer into the sanctuary. “Did you see the pictures of those children in the Amazon, how poor they are? It seems criminal to me that in this country of plenty, we give our hard-earned money to people who have social assistance and all kinds of government handouts. If they won’t look after their own children, then the government can take over. Not a dime should go to that Mary’s Kids Foundation.”
“Uh-oh,” Connie murmured. Mary’s Kids was one of the charities she’d recently set up with a friend to help kids on the streets of Tucson. “I’ll go—”
“I’m afraid I have to disagree with you there, Mrs. Beesom.” David’s voice carried clearly, his tone calm. “Needy kids are needy wherever they are, whether in Tucson or the Amazon. We should be ashamed that we’ve let American children get to the point where they are so desperate to eat that they have to rob and steal. It’s disgraceful that in America a child isn’t cared for by the whole community.”
Susannah moved with the rest toward the foyer. She couldn’t help admiring David’s casual stance. There was no hint of anger in his voice or manner, though she saw a flicker of golden fire in the depths of his eyes.
“Disgraceful? Well, that’s just silly. They have mothers and fathers,” Mrs. Beesom blustered.
“That isn’t the point,” he said quietly. “The point is that there are children hurting around the world. It’s our God-given responsibility to do whatever we can to alleviate the hurt of children whenever we can, no matter where they live.”
“But—”
David wasn’t finished.
“Thank God Connie Abbot has taken it upon herself to show God’s love to the children of Tucson, just as this gentleman has been showing love to those he meets in the Amazon. We should all be doing more to support both of them.”
After a couple of coughs and a few murmured amens, the foyer quickly cleared, but not before people dropped donations into both baskets.
Susannah followed Connie and Wade outside. The group paused in the parking lot.
“Look guys, I’m so sorry,” Connie murmured, her embarrassment obvious. “I had no idea that would happen. I should have removed everything about Mary’s Kids from the bulletin board.”
/> “Don’t be silly, Connie,” David said. “She should have thought first.”
“I’m sure David saw it as an opportunity to try and educate narrow-minded people rather than let their bigotry go unchallenged, didn’t you, old man?” Jared slapped him on the back. “You always were a defender of the weak.”
“I’m not a saint.” David brushed away the praise. “What say we go out for coffee? I’m buying.”
“But I don’t drink coffee, Davy,” Darla complained.
Everyone burst out laughing. David assured his sister they’d find her something to drink. As they drove to the coffee house, Susannah couldn’t help but replay the scene in her mind.
She’d always seen David as cool and distant. But his defense of Connie’s charity tonight showed her a new side. She assumed he thought her stupid, beneath him. But the truth was, he had never verbally condemned or judged her. Maybe she was misreading him, and shutting him out without giving him a chance to show who he really was.
David was great with Darla—understanding and gentle. He went out of his way to empathize with his sister’s issues. He was exactly the kind of man who could listen and then help you figure out the next step. Connie was a great friend, but Susannah was sure that if she told her the plans she had to adopt her baby, Connie would try to change her mind. Susannah needed another confidant, someone who could advise her about adoption. Someone who wouldn’t try to sway her, who would listen and even help
Tonight, David had shown he could empathize.
Tomorrow, Susannah would find out if he would help her.
Chapter Seven
“Surprise!”
On Saturday evening, David stared at the array of food on his kitchen counter and was dumbfounded.
He’d never expected this when he’d called to ask Susannah if she and Darla wanted to join him and the boys for dinner.
“I thought a barbeque might be more fun for your little brothers than being stuck in a stuffy restaurant.” Susannah’s cheeks burned a hot pink. But whether from effort or something else, he couldn’t tell.
“We made a dinner,” Darla told him, beaming with pride.
“You certainly did.” He glanced at his three little brothers who were eyeing the fixings for a wonderful grilled meal with huge eyes. “But I’m sure they’d rather go out, wouldn’t you, guys?” he teased.
“No way.” Their team had won the hockey game and they were high on excitement. “Can we have both a burger and a hot dog?” the eldest asked in awe. “And some of the other stuff?”
“If you can find room after all that junk food you ate.” He told them to wash up, then went out to the patio.
David couldn’t remember the last time he’d worked so hard over a grill—nor the last time he’d heard so much laughter in his backyard.
Nor had he ever seen Susannah so happy. She insisted on dashing around, making sure everyone had enough to eat until David finally ordered her to sit down and enjoy her own meal.
She had a way with the boys. She didn’t duck their questions about her baby, or try to change the subject. She answered honestly and they seemed to appreciate that. In fact, David was gratified to see them ask her to remain at the table while they cleared the dishes. He stacked the dishwasher himself, so he could listen in on their conversation.
“Boy, David, Susannah’s sure pretty. What happened to her husband?” Caden, the eldest, asked.
“He died, I think.” David wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal more about Susannah without her permission. “Thanks for pitching in, guys.”
“It was nothing.” Charles, the youngest, peered out the window where Darla and Susannah sat together on the deck swing. “Does she live here?”
“No. She comes over to watch Darla when I can’t be here,” he explained.
“Darla’s different than the last time we saw her,” Cory said. “She doesn’t look so sad. And she didn’t yell even once.”
“Yeah. She’s fun,” Caden agreed. “And she’s pretty now.”
Like she wasn’t before? David choked back his brotherly ire and picked up the platter of cookies Susannah had left on the top of the fridge.
“We’ve barely got enough time to eat these before I have to get you home,” he said as he shepherded them outside. “Your mom said no later than eight, remember?”
They grumbled but devoured the cookies as they asked Darla about the butterfly exhibit. To David’s surprise, his sister knew a lot about it and was able to clearly explain what she and Susannah had seen.
“I won’t be more than half an hour,” he told Susannah before leaving. “The boys’ place isn’t too far away.”
“We’ll be here,” Susannah promised. She hugged each of the boys, then handed Caden a bag. “Extra cookies in case you want a snack tomorrow. And there might be some fudge brownies in there, too,” she added with a wink.
“Really?” Caden’s eyes widened. “Thanks a lot.”
David shooed them out to the car, but stopped when Susannah’s hand pressed his arm.
“They’re not allergic or anything, are they?” she asked.
“To chocolate?” He grinned. “More like addicted. Thanks for doing that. It was very thoughtful. They don’t get treats like that very often.”
“It was mostly Darla,” she said. “I just helped.”
He thought about that as he took the boys home. It seemed Susannah “just helped” everyone. He knew from Wade that Susannah took over meals when their housekeeper had the day off. Which was a good thing because Connie, for all her achievements, was no cook.
Susannah “just helped” Darla take swimming lessons, with the result that Darla had zipped through the first four levels and was almost done with the fifth. She’d “just helped” his little brothers enjoy a wonderful barbecue in a homey atmosphere, gently urging them out of their shells, until all three boys had lost their shyness.
Susannah Wells was quite a woman.
David pulled into the garage and waited for the door to close.
He liked her. He really liked her. Susannah didn’t pretend to be someone else. She didn’t seem to bear a grudge, though she had plenty of reason to. She was honest with Darla, yet wonderfully calm and soothing.
Like a sister.
Only David didn’t think of Susannah as a sister.
Careful.
He found her inside, staring into space.
“Oh, you’re back,” she said, startled, as if she’d been deep in thought. “Darla’s upstairs having a bath.”
“Good. She was pretty sticky from all the cookies.” Something was going on. He could see it in her eyes. “Do you—”
“Could I talk to you?” she blurted. “Confidentially, as a lawyer?”
“Okay,” he said cautiously.
“I’ll pay you and everything,” she promised, “but I don’t want what I say to leave this room.” A desperate look washed over her delicate features, as if she’d been brooding over something and finally felt driven to bring it to light.
“As your lawyer, I’m forbidden to release anything you tell me to anyone else,” he assured her. “Would you like some tea while we talk?” He had to do something to try to ease her discomfort. The uncertainty in her voice touched him. He wanted to help her, to ease the strain in her lovely eyes. He wanted to give her some of the joy she so freely encouraged in others.
“Yes. Please.” Susannah waited until he’d made the tea and set everything on the table in front of them.
“Talk to me, Susannah. Please? I promise I’ll try to help,” he said when silence continued to reign.
“I need to know how to give up my baby for adoption.”
The question hit him squarely in the gut.
Give away her child?
David forced his face to remain neutral, but inside his brain churned with questions.
“I can’t keep it, that’s for sure.” She twisted her fingers together, staring at them as if she hoped to find answers there.
“Do you have
someone in mind? Connie and Wade?” he guessed.
“No!” Susannah stared at him. “You can’t tell them about this. Not a word.”
“I’m not going to say anything to anyone, Susannah. I promise. Relax.” He laid his hands over hers to help her calm down. “It’s just—this is a bit of a surprise. I don’t understand. Maybe you could explain some more?”
“No.” She yanked her hands away and jumped to her feet. “I shouldn’t have bothered you. I’ll figure things out. But please, don’t tell Connie.”
“Susannah.” David saw a myriad of conflicting emotions on her face. He could tell she was really struggling with her decision, with her feelings. “As your lawyer, I can’t talk to Connie or anyone else. That’s the law.” He rose, touched her shoulder. “I really want to help you. But in order to give you the best advice I can, I need to know more about what’s driving your decision.”
She frowned, her uncertainty obvious. His heart gave a lurch as he watched her struggle to find some trust.
“Let’s just talk. No decisions, no judging—just talking,” he coaxed quietly. “You don’t have to decide anything right now. But I’d like to know what you’re thinking and feeling. This is a big decision.”
He found himself holding his breath. Would she trust him?
“I know exactly how big it is,” she said. Finally she sat down. “I’ve been fighting it for a while. But I think the best thing for my baby would be for me to find a good family to raise it.”
So now he was going to arrange an adoption?
So much for not getting involved, buddy.
With grim determination, David shut down the voice in his head. The truth was he was already involved in Susannah’s life way more than he’d ever imagined he’d be. Over the past few weeks he’d caught himself watching to be sure she drank the freshly squeezed juice with which he’d insisted Mrs. Peters stock the fridge, and that she’d sampled the variety of organic fruit he kept buying at the health food store. He’d even checked the house for repairs that needed doing so she wouldn’t trip on something, or hurt herself.
If he had to, David could recite every detail Darla had ever mentioned about Susannah’s baby. Yeah, he wasn’t getting involved.