Читать книгу Twin Wishes - Kathryn Alexander - Страница 9

“Julianne I’d like you to meet two new students. This is Nora and this—” the woman speaking reached behind her to pull a young brown-haired, blue-eyed boy from his hiding place “—this is Todd.”

Julianne Quinn knelt down to eye-level with the children in the doorway of her classroom at the day-care center. “So, you must be four years old if you’re going to be in my class,” she said softly. With a gentle movement, she touched the pink cheek of little Nora.

“You smell good,” the girl commented, staring into the pretty brown eyes of her new teacher. Julianne smiled back and thanked her.

“We’re twins, Nora and me,” the boy stated as if giving official notice of something that was already quite obvious to Julianne.

“Well, you do look a lot alike,” she replied. “And you’re the same size and age. Yep, I’d have to agree with you. You must be twins.” Julianne tousled Todd’s light brown hair with a soft touch. “C’mon in and I’ll let you meet the other children.”

But before Julianne could stand up, Nora rushed toward her, throwing her arms around her neck and holding on as if for dear life. Julianne slipped her arms around the child in a firm hug while she watched Todd gravitate back toward the woman who had brought them into the center today—his aunt, Maggie Wren—the next person to speak.

“And this is my brother, Luke O’Hara,” she introduced the tall, dark-haired man standing next to her.

Julianne stood up, scooping Nora up into her arms as she did so and came face-to-face with the man she’d already heard so much about from her friend, Maggie. Julianne smiled and extended a slender hand to greet him. “Nice to meet you, Mr. O’Hara,” she offered.

Luke O’Hara responded, without smiling. “You, too, Miss Quinn.” He looked past Julianne into the brightly colored classroom, complete with chairs and desks in primary colors, cubbyholes and shelves, toys and puzzles, and dark blue mats for nap time, he assumed. It seemed to him like a friendly enough environment for his children; but, still, if his sister Maggie didn’t work at this day-care center, he would hesitate leaving them in an unfamiliar setting with a stranger for a teacher. Luke glanced at Nora and Todd. The protest he’d expected from the kids hadn’t started yet. That surprised him. Usually the mere mention of being left someplace, anyplace, while Luke went to work made them whine and plead so that he could barely leave the house. That was one reason he had made the decision to move here to live closer to his sister, the only real family he had left since his wife’s death last year. He needed Maggie’s help with the children.

“Luke, I think the children are going to be fine here, if you want to leave now,’ Maggie stated as she saw Todd turn from her and move back toward Julianne, who was still holding his sister. “I’ll be right down the hallway if they need me.”

Luke looked skeptical, Julianne surmised as she watched his eyebrows draw together in a doubtful frown. His face reminded her a little of his sister, with the same dark brown hair and striking blue eyes as Maggie; but Luke was much taller, broad-shouldered and quieter, sadder than his sunny-dispositioned sibling. And better looking than Maggie had indicated. Sisters sometimes embellish the truth at times in describing a brother they love. With three brothers of her own, Julianne knew that all too well. But, if anything, Maggie had understated the facts about Luke, except for his countenance. The look on his face revealed his melancholy feelings, and his mouth was straight and unyielding. Julianne thought briefly it would be nice to see that mouth smile. It could take years off his face, and might even lighten the load of grief he quietly carried.

She reached for Todd’s small hand, and he allowed her to clasp it warmly in her own. “Let’s go look at Noah’s ark, and then we’ll have a snack while you get to know the other kids.” She nodded at the four other children playing with a large toy ark in the middle of the room. Plastic animals were scattered around everywhere on the huge braided rug they were sitting on. Julianne hoped Luke would leave soon, before the twins decided they didn’t want him to go. She had a sinking feeling they could burst into teary-eyed protests at any moment.

“I need to go to Minneapolis this morning to look over a job site for a landscaping project I’ve accepted. I probably can’t be back here until around four-thirty.” Luke glanced from his sister back to Julianne Quinn. He hadn’t really looked at her when he had first entered the room. He’d been too concerned about the children’s reaction to their new surroundings, but now he noticed she was tall, blond and had friendly brown eyes. And he had a business to run. “Is four-thirty too late to pick them up?” he asked.

“No, that would be fine,” Julianne responded. “We’ll be open until six.” She smiled at him, but he didn’t return the gesture.

Luke turned and quickly exited the room. That seemed the wisest thing to do since the kids were momentarily distracted by the toys and other children. He felt guilty for leaving them like that. No hugs, no goodbyes. But he knew it was the better choice. Anytime they said goodbye to him now, they cried. It was almost as if each time he left, they thought they might never see him again. And Luke sympathized with them, knowing they had reason to be afraid. That’s what had happened with their mother. Luke had taken her to the hospital, and she had not returned home. But that had been months ago. Fourteen to be exact. Luke exhaled a long sigh as he climbed into the dark blue pickup with O’Hara’s Landscaping printed in white lettering on both doors. Today, a hot summer day in July, marked a pivotal point in their lives, although the twins were too young to understand its significance. This was a new day in a new community and, maybe, just maybe, a new beginning for Luke and his children. If only he could loosen his grip on the past.

Julianne’s first day with the children was a rather uneventful one compared to what she’d expected. The twins stayed close to each other most of the time. She’d had to break up a squabble or two between them before lunchtime, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for four-year-olds, she knew too well. Aunt Maggie stopped in several times during the day to check on her niece and nephew, but they waved at her and went on with their play. The only problem Julianne encountered was nap time which followed the lunch hour. Nora cried when Julianne switched off the lights although the room still had plenty of light from the sun sifting through the polka-dot curtains. Julianne sat down on one of the blue mats next to Nora and put her arm around the little girl. Within two seconds, Todd scooted over by her on the other side and nestled snugly into her other arm. The other children in the room all rested on their mats as was their normal routine during this time of the day. But neither Nora nor Todd slept a wink. They remained cuddled up by Julianne for the entire hour, fighting a gallant and victorious battle against the sandman. The two were quiet most of the time, only occasionally saying something to Julianne, who had asked them not to disturb the other children. When the rest period ended, Nora returned to coloring the picture of kittens she’d been working on earlier, saying to Todd, “I told you she wasn’t going away.”

Julianne went on with story time, having all the children gather around in a circle on the worn braided rug to listen to her read. She couldn’t help but wonder how helpless Nora and Todd must have felt when their mother slipped away from them. Maggie had told Julianne about Kimberly O’Hara and how leukemia had taken her life last year. The Lord had helped Luke and the kids through the tragedy Maggie had explained, although Luke hadn’t seen it that way. He’d given up on his faith entirely after his wife’s death. The only remaining connection between himself and the church was his attempt to get the kids there when he could. Kimberly had asked him to promise to raise the children as Christians. That was one of the reasons he had moved to Fairweather, Minnesota this summer—to be near his sister Maggie and her husband Frank, both dedicated Christians who would help him try to keep his promise to Kimberly. As for himself, Luke didn’t believe in much of anything anymore except hard work and honesty. Admirable qualities, his sister had acknowledged, but hardly sufficient for raising a family. Maggie was quick to point out that Luke needed more. He needed the Lord, he needed to stop letting his work turn him into an “absentee” parent and, Maggie believed, he needed a wife who could help point him in the right direction. And Julianne Quinn would know which direction was right.

When four-thirty finally arrived that first day, Luke returned to the center to pick up his children, and he wasn’t surprised when Nora and Todd came running, shrieking with delight into his arms after a long day apart. Luke wore new blue jeans and a short-sleeved work shirt of light gray, neither of which were dirty since he had done little manual labor in the past eight hours. He had inspected a job site and purchased necessary supplies to begin the project in Minneapolis tomorrow. Then he had discussed his plans with the three college kids his brother-in-law, Frank Wren, had lined up for him as temporary help. They’d each been in the Book-Stop Frank owned and mentioned they were looking for summer work. Frank told them about Luke’s landscaping business and the need for a couple of extra pairs of hands in the coming weeks. The boys were exactly the help Luke was looking for, and they agreed to work for a reasonable sum. With most of his mental to-do list for the day accomplished, he was glad to get back to the twins and find out how Maggie’s day-care center was working out for them. If he couldn’t get the kids settled into some kind of an acceptable routine, Fairweather might not turn out to be much of an improvement over the suburbs of Chicago. Luke had higher hopes than that.

“Well, it looks like they’re glad to see their father,” Julianne remarked as she watched Luke gather both children into his arms for a hearty hug. “They’ve been watching for you from the side window for the past two hours.”

“Did they do okay today?” Luke asked, glancing from his kids into Julianne’s gentle brown eyes. He suddenly thought that she looked like she was meant for this job—spending her days caring for children.

“They did very well,” she answered and reached for the red-striped backpack Maggie had left for them. “We did need Fluffy and Dunkum, from time to time for some comforting. I’m glad you packed their stuffed animals in this bag.” Julianne thought of the crying spell Nora and Todd had both experienced in midafternoon. Too much newness for their four-year-old spirits to absorb. “New home, new place, new teacher. It’s a lot for them to adjust to.”

Luke’s frown was an immediate overreaction. He needed this arrangement to work and any hint that it might not, didn’t sit well with him. “Didn’t Maggie check on them?”

Just then, Maggie entered the door behind her brother and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Yes, I checked on these little characters several times, Luke, and they were absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about at all. Just ask their teacher.”

Julianne nodded in agreement. “They really were okay, Mr. O’Hara. I think they had some fun today. I hope you’ll bring them back tomorrow.”

“He will,” Maggie answered for her brother, which turned his frown into something close to a smile. “He has to because this is where I’ll be.”

“You’re hard to argue with, Maggie.” Luke released the children from a hug, and they immediately began complaining. Their favorite place lately seemed to be in their father’s embrace. “C’mon, kids. Let’s go have supper.” He extended an arm to accept the backpack from Julianne. “Nora and Todd will be here around seven-thirty in the morning. Thanks for taking care of them today.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll look forward to seeing them tomorrow. Bye, Nora. Bye, Todd. See you in the morning.” She looked at Luke with questioning eyes. “And, Fluffy and Dunkum…don’t forget to bring them, too.”

Luke nodded and guided the children and their stuffed animals toward the doorway. “Thank you, Miss Quinn…and Maggie, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?” Maggie offered before the trio disappeared through the door.

“Some other time, thanks. I have some figures to go over tonight while the kids are having their meat loaf and mashed potatoes,” Luke responded, and then they were off, into the truck and on their way to the two-story, older home Luke had purchased not far from Frank and Maggie’s place.

“He can cook meat loaf and mashed potatoes?” Julianne repeated. “Is he serious?”

Maggie remarked. “Yes, he’s serious…as long as the local supermarket carries frozen dinners. I swear, I think that’s about all those children eat anymore.”

Julianne thought of her own freezer stacked full of packaged entrees. “Maybe that’s not so bad, Maggie. At least they’re eating their vegetables in some way other than French fries.”

But Maggie shook her head. “They should have better than that. Luke and I grew up on home-cooked meals.” Then she offered a laugh as she took a quick glance at the extra pounds she’d carried for years that had nothing to do with her progressing pregnancy. “Of course, I guess I look like I’m well fed, don’t I?”

“You look beautiful,” Julianne responded and gave her friend a heartfelt hug. “That’s one of the benefits of being pregnant.”

A benefit Julianne knew she herself might never know—if her doctor was correct. She swallowed back her resurfacing sadness and looked toward the two remaining little girls sitting happily on the braided rug in the middle of the room, trying to put large pieces of a puzzle together. How could God let her go through life without a child to love?

The next hour and a half passed slowly until, finally, the last of the parents picked up their children, and Julianne was free to leave. She pulled off her brown flats and replaced them with jogging shoes—her favorites. Then she waved to the director of the day-care center, Betty Anderson, as she paused by her office on the way to the front door.

“Waiting on Warren to pick you up?” Julianne asked.

Betty adjusted her small half-moon reading glasses on her nose. “Yes, we’re going down to Olaf’s Deli for soup and sandwiches.”

Betty was a widow who had only recently begun seeing someone after five years alone, and everyone at the center was happy for her. The new man in Betty’s life, Warren Sinclair, picked her up frequently at the end of her workday so they could have dinner together. Julianne had seen them leave together many times, and had, on occasion, wished she’d found someone to share soup and a sandwich with, too. Since she’d broken up with her college boyfriend, she’d been mostly alone. Too alone, she realized. Not all men were the weak, selfish human beings her old boyfriend had proven to be. She knew too many men of integrity to think that way. Reverend Benjamin Hunter, for one. They had dated briefly some time ago. Although it was always nice to find a new friend, they quickly agreed that friendship was all they had found since the romantic chemistry between them was lacking, leaving Julianne to soup and sandwiches alone again.

“Have a good time,” she said to Betty before heading out the front door of the newly renovated two-story building that was located next door to the church. Julianne pushed her blond hair away from her face as a welcome gust of wind blew over her. This July had been a warm one but Julianne still preferred walking to and from the center rather than driving. It was only a few short blocks to her apartment. She rented the upstairs of an old rambling house owned by Fairweather’s postmaster, and the home was located not far from the south side of the town green. On Julianne’s way home, she passed by the deli where Betty and Warren would soon be enjoying their dinner, then Frank and Maggie Wren’s Book-Stop which was a combination bookstore and café, Swenson’s Bakery and Peter’s Ice Cream Parlor, to name a few of the businesses that lined the path between home and work.

By the time Julianne reached the twentieth step and turned the key in the lock of her silent apartment, her stomach was already growling. She placed her keys on the hook beside the door and headed toward her bedroom where she quickly slipped out of her jogging shoes as well as her long summer dress of pale blues and browns. Tan shorts, a green T-shirt and bare feet felt much nicer as she walked across the cool kitchen floor to pull open the door of her refrigerator. Nothing promising caught her eye. “Why didn’t I stop at Olaf’s Deli or Frank’s Book-Stop, or somewhere, and buy something good for supper?” Then she opened the freezer. The frozen dinner on top was her pick of the evening. “Well, Nora and Todd,” she said aloud to herself as she tossed the red box into the trash can and slid the paper tray into the microwave, “I guess meat loaf and mashed potatoes are on my menu tonight, too.”

Several blocks away, Luke O’Hara discarded three paper trays and poured leftover chocolate milk from red-and-blue cups into the sink, wondering why neither of his children ever seemed to finish drinking their milk. He’d reminded them again and again to do so with no success; but he’d learned by now that he had to pick his battles, and this didn’t seem a worthy one.

“Daddy, can we go see Julianne again tomorrow?” Nora was asking as she came running into the kitchen carrying her pink bunny. “Todd and me like her.”

“I’m glad you do, hon,” Luke replied as he placed the dirty silverware and cups into the dishwasher. He’d become fairly quick about loading the appliance, with practice, especially for someone who’d rarely set foot inside the kitchen before his wife had passed away. “I’ll be taking you there in the morning so you can spend the day with her. And Aunt Maggie will be at the center, too, if you need her.” He looked down into his little girl’s sweet face and reached out to touch her cheek as his heart flooded with emotion. He stood silently amazed that he could feel such love for anyone with this heart that, most times, felt cold as stone.

“Nora!” Todd called out his sister’s name from somewhere beyond the kitchen. Probably the staircase to their upstairs bedrooms Luke estimated from the faintness of his voice. The apartment they’d left behind had been one level, so the idea of steps to climb captivated their interest. They used any excuse they could find to go up and down the polished oak staircase, running their little hands down the wooden railing on each and every trip.

“Coooming, Todd,” Nora called out. Then she turned and ran from her father’s touch, and Luke was almost relieved. If she’d have stood there a moment longer, looking up at him with that baby-blue gaze, his own stinging eyes might have teared up. And Luke O’Hara hadn’t allowed that to happen in a very long time.

So, with the ever faithful Fluffy tucked under one arm, Nora scampered off to join her brother. Luke glanced at his watch. It was 6:00 p.m. Time to watch the news, if he could get away with it. He switched on the small television set on top of the refrigerator, carefully leaving the volume down low so the kids couldn’t hear. Stories that involved sirens, ambulances…anything about death or violence upset Todd and Nora, so Luke had mostly taken to reading the morning newspaper to gather his news of the day. But there were those occasions when he could watch part of the broadcast without the children being aware of it. Like now. The weather forecast for the week said that there would be a string of warm days, with only an occasional passing shower, right into the Fourth of July. Maggie had insisted that Luke promise to bring the children to her house for the holiday and join her church in its annual picnic on the green that afternoon. And it sounded like the weather would be ideal for such an outing.

Julianne switched off the radio in her kitchen after listening to the news and weather and then reached for the pitcher of iced tea. “The Fourth of July is supposed to be a beautiful day, Goldie,” she said to the fish that was swimming around in its oversize bowl on a nearby counter. “And I’m counting on you to still be here to enjoy it.” The tea poured quietly into her glass as she studied the small orange fish. An ordinary goldfish, Maggie had warned. The kind that never lasts long, she’d said when she and Julianne had peered into the fish tank in the corner of the Fairweather Variety Store.

“Ordinary,” Julianne remarked with a shake of her head. “How could Maggie call you that? Didn’t she notice that beautiful flowing tail of yours?” she asked out loud. “And it’s been three days since I brought you home from the store, and you’re doing fine so far.” Though not without the purchase of a second, much larger bowl, a small air filter for a sum of twenty dollars, and a certain amount of prayer.

Julianne’s luck with pets was not the best, so she was determined to keep this one alive as long as possible. The hungry little stray dog she’d taken in last winter had been hit by a car one morning several months ago, and the kitten that a teaching assistant from the center had given her disappeared recently on one of his daily outings. That evening, Julianne had remained on the top of the landing outside her apartment for hours, waiting for the kitten to come home. She’d balanced her checkbook, paid her monthly bills and written letters to all three of her brothers on that warm spring evening as she watched for his return. But he didn’t come back. By the time she stood up to go inside, Julianne’s bottom was nearly numb from sitting in one position so long. That’s when she’d decided—no more pets! And she’d stuck to her decision until this week. Until she stood in the variety store, in front of the bubbling fish tank with Goldie’s big bulging eyes staring right into her own lonely brown ones. Maybe one more try with a different kind of pet wouldn’t be so bad, she’d decided. And Goldie would be someone to come home to…kind of.

Julianne reached into the cupboard over the sink to pull out a bag of chocolate chip cookies and ate a handful of them without counting. Losing pets was nothing compared to losing someone. Little Nora and Todd crossed her mind for the umpteenth time since she’d returned home. How very young they were to let go of their mother. “Lord, if I can help them in some way,” she breathed the prayer, “then use me to do so, I pray. Help me to be comforting, loving, nurturing…whatever it is those kids need while they’re with me. Lead me and guide me to know what to do, what to say, when to hold them, when not to… You know I need Your help with these two children more than any of the others in my class, Lord. Please help me.” And He would, Julianne was certain as she put the sack of cookies away. She’d learned to trust God more over the past year than she ever had before. He’d helped her through the miserable breakup with her longtime boyfriend.

Julianne sighed as she headed toward the bathroom to gather up her dirty clothes for her weekly trip to the laundromat. She’d almost married Craig Johnson. It sent shivers down her spine to think how close she’d come to trusting her future to a man with so little compassion. Where had her own good judgment disappeared to?

The bag of laundry Julianne lifted was not heavy since it was filled with mostly lightweight summer outfits. With the detergent and fabric softener she needed waiting in the basket, she slipped her feet into a pair of leather sandals and was ready to go.

Thank the Lord, Craig had dumped her, Julianne thought and then gave a soft laugh. If he hadn’t, she might have blundered ahead into a marriage that wouldn’t have worked. And then, what? She wondered momentarily. No husband, no children… What would she have done?

She picked up her canvas purse, tossed it into the basket and headed for the front door. What would she have done? She wasn’t sure what the answer to that question might be, but she was certain she’d have found one, sooner or later, with the Lord’s help. She always had in the past…in every way except one. And she was confident, even in that area of her life, an answer would come. Just because she couldn’t see the solution now, didn’t mean it wasn’t there. She trusted her life to the Lord completely. He’d guided her through many difficulties, saved her from a life with Craig and He would make it clear, at some point, how she was supposed to move ahead to the life she wanted…even without the ability to have children. But for now, she had work to do. Pushing her hair back over her shoulder, she headed toward Fairweather’s only laundromat. She wouldn’t worry about being lonely tonight. There was always someone to talk with while the machines were running.

Luke finished cleaning up the kitchen and went to the living room to check on the twins, who were noisily playing with Nora’s large plastic kitchen set. Just as Luke stepped into the room, he saw Nora pick up a plastic toy spatula and hit Todd on the head with it. Todd whirled around, swinging at his sister and the fight was on.

“Whoa, kids. No fighting. You know the rules,” Luke said as he separated the two with an easy movement. “Nora, tell Todd you’re sorry for hitting him.”

“No!” she answered. “He took my job. I was rinsing the dishes in the sink until he pushed me away.”

“I just wanted to do what Dad was doing,” Todd yelled his reply. “He was in the kitchen washing dishes. That should have been my job.”

Luke shook his head. “Anyone can rinse the dishes. Dad, mom, boy, girl…it doesn’t matter. Everyone needs to take a turn. That’s the part you need to learn. Taking turns. Now, Nora—”

“No!” she shouted and ran toward the staircase. “It’s my job. A girl’s job. A mom’s job!”

Luke watched her go, letting her run up the steps by herself as she ran to her room. He placed a hand across his mouth and lowered his head in a moment of complete frustration. He knew exactly what Nora meant. Kimberly had been responsible for “kitchen duty,” as he used to call it. It had only become Luke’s job out of necessity.

“Come on, Todd. Let’s go upstairs and talk to Nora.” Father and son climbed the steps slowly, hand in hand. Comforting his children hadn’t gotten much easier with time, and Luke wished he could reach a point where he felt he was good at it. Or adequate, at least. Then there were those times when Luke wished he had someone to comfort him. The Lord he’d turned his back on was his best hope for that, he knew, but he was still too angry to look to his Heavenly Father for help. God hadn’t answered his last prayer the way Luke had wanted. He’d found no reason to think anything would be different this time.

“Reverend Ben. How nice to see you,” Julianne said as she looked up from folding clean towels.

Reverend Benjamin Hunter smiled. “Good to see you, Julianne. Laundry night for you, too?” He reached into his pocket for coins.

“Afraid so,” she answered. “But I thought the church board voted to have a washer and dryer placed in the parsonage for you.”

Ben nodded. “They did, but they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Quarters clinked into the washer closest to where Ben was standing. “So, how’s everything with you, Julianne? We missed you in service last week.”

“I have an ‘excused absence,”’ Julianne offered with a smile. “I was in Minneapolis visiting one of my brothers. He’s getting married soon, and this will probably be the last chance I have to spend a weekend with him—just the two of us.”

“Well, I hope you had a good time,” Ben remarked. He dumped a basketful of clothes into a second machine. “We had someone new with us last Sunday. Maggie’s brother Luke and his twins were there.” He closed the lid and glanced toward Julianne who was busy stacking clean clothes into her basket. “I thought of you.”

Startled, Julianne stopped what she was doing and met Ben’s gaze. “Me? Why?”

Ben grinned. “Probably because Maggie had mentioned to me a time or two—or more—that you could be just what Luke’s children need right now.”

“They’re in my class at the center,” Julianne acknowledged. “Today was their first day.”

“How’d it go?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I think. They let their father leave for work this morning without any tantrums. That was a very good sign.” Julianne returned to stacking her laundry and then gathered up her belongings, including the latest romance novel she had just finished. “They seemed to genuinely like me.”

“I can’t imagine anyone feeling otherwise,” Ben commented before taking a seat in a nearby chair. “But I want you to be careful, Julianne.” He paused. “The O’Hara children’s needs are great, and I know what a nurturing, giving soul you naturally tend to be. I’m worried you’ll be hurt.”

“I love all the children in my class. Nora and Todd O’Hara will be no different.”

“They are very different. Nora and Todd need a mother,” Ben corrected. “None of your other kids fall into that category. And Luke O’Hara may not be ready for another relationship. I know how badly you want children, Julianne, and I believe the Lord will work that out for you, somehow, in time. But give Him time, don’t rush ahead.”

“If you and I didn’t already know we weren’t exactly meant for each other, I’d think you were jealous, Reverend Benjamin Hunter,” Julianne teased.

“I’m just worried about you,” he replied.

“I’m not interested in becoming the next Mrs. O’Hara, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she assured him with a disbelieving shake of her head, her blond hair swishing gently against her neck. What would make Ben think such a thing? “And I’m not considering kidnapping Nora and Todd to keep them for my own, for heaven’s sake. They’re just two kids in my class, and I’ll do the best I can for them during the hours I’m with them.” She scooped up her basket and belongings. “From the way you’ve been talking, I suspect you’re the one who’s been reading the romance novels.” She grinned at him in amusement.

Reverend Ben shook his head and gave a quiet laugh. “No, I’ll leave those to you. But think about what I’ve said.”

Julianne agreed with a nod. Then she headed toward the double doors to exit the laundromat. “Thank you, Ben. I’ll talk to you later.” She’d probably see him the next day at the center, she knew. Most days she did run into him since Reverend Ben and the day-care center shared a secretary by the name of Emma Fulton. Now, there was someone who would love the book Julianne had just finished reading. But Julianne wasn’t sure she wanted to put any more notions of romance in Emma’s head than were already floating around in there. The woman had done everything in her power to throw Julianne and Reverend Ben together some months ago since Emma had decided that Julianne would make a perfect pastor’s wife. Ben and Julianne had finally gone out together and discovered that what each had found was a new friend. Nothing more. But that date with Reverend Ben had helped Julianne get over her fiancé, and she soon decided she was ready to try a new relationship—whenever the right person came along. And, so far, he hadn’t appeared. Or, if he had, she hadn’t recognized him as such.

A short time later, Julianne climbed the stairs to her apartment as quickly as she could, considering her arms were full with a basket of clothes. She’d heard the phone ringing from the sidewalk below.

“Hello, yes,” she answered, nearly out of breath after grabbing up the phone. “This is Julianne Quinn. Who’s calling, please?”

“This is Luke O’Hara…Maggie’s brother,” came the reply.