Читать книгу Wonders Of The Heart - Ruth Scofield - Страница 11

“You don’t owe me anything, Mr. Alexander.” Spring gave him a straight-on serious look to let him know she hadn’t tried to take advantage of anyone, neither Honor nor him, in his recent absence. Though, she could understand his concern; she was yet a stranger. She certainly realized how difficult it had become these days to accept someone at simple face value.

“Honor and I made a fair exchange in our bargain,” she continued, hoping he’d see the advantage to their arrangement right away. “And Mr. Peebles made sure all the necessary bills were paid, the utilities and things like that. Honor and I are bubbling along very well on our own. We merely earn extra spending money when we can.”

“And how have you done that?”

His tone was so frosty, Spring thought he’d ice up the remaining tea in her cup. That reminded her to pour him another of the still hot brew, but she only got a downward twist of his mouth for her trouble.

Oddly, she liked the way his mouth moved. Wide and sensual, she thought it very expressive. Right now Chad wasn’t in a good mood. Understandably, he was tired and confused, and angry over matters that were beyond his control. But on a normal day, with a regular routine, when he felt comfortable and relaxed, his face would lighten a lot, wouldn’t it? What would bring a smile to his mouth then? And what would that smile be like?

“Baby-sitting,” Honor answered with pride. “But never alone and only in our apartment complex or for church families. And once, a mother paid us to run her little girl’s birthday party. That was fun. We often get dinner, too, when we sit in the evenings, so we—”

“You what!”

His outrage stung. Honor fell silent, while Spring reassessed his temper. Maybe she’d underestimated his mood just a tad. She pushed the jam jar forward a bit, thinking he could use a little sweetening, and pointed out, “It’s an honored profession, Mr. Alexander.”

“Well, it may be,” he said, pulling his mouth into a straight line. “But I don’t want Honor to do it anymore. She doesn’t have to work, and she’s too young, just a kid. Whatever possessed you? I don’t want her out on the streets, or out…out at night.”

“That’s right, Chad, I’m a kid and kids baby-sit to earn money all the time.” Honor’s chin came out while her eyes flashed stubbornness. “There’s nothing wrong in baby-sitting or having a job.”

“But to depend on getting dinner when you sit?”

“It’s an accepted practice, Mr. Alexander,” Spring added in a placating tone. “Even teens from wealthy families baby-sit, and often have supper with the children. And there’s safety in being a team. I promise you, it isn’t robbing Honor of study time, and we make a strict rule of being home by ten on a school night.”

“That’s not the only thing that concerns me,” he muttered. “If my associates get wind of this, they could misconstrue the entire situation.”

“Well, we needed the money,” Honor said with a finalizing note. “And Daddy would have said I’m not too young to learn about balancing my finances.”

“Baby-sitting money?” Chad shook his head. “How could you need that piddling amount? Surely, the matter isn’t that bad, or Walter Peebles would’ve notified me. Or Jonathan.”

“Who’s Jonathan?” Spring queried, to which Chad gave a disbelieving glance.

“Jonathan Feathers? The senior partner in my law firm.”

“Oh, Mr. Feathers doesn’t know anything about it,” Honor said. “And we begged Uncle Walter not to contact you. You couldn’t have done anything without coming home, and we didn’t feel we should interrupt your trip. Besides, Spring and I wanted to take care of ourselves. And we have.”

Chad’s features settled into angry, stubborn lines. His stare caught Spring’s in a glacier mass. She wondered if he thought she was responsible for the entire series of events. Or, that she’d taken advantage of them for her own gain?

“Well, I’m home now,” he said on a hard note, “and I’ll take care of the finances and Honor’s allowance. No more outside jobs, d’you hear? You won’t need the money any longer. Or, at least, Honor won’t.”

“But, Chad, I like baby-sitting,” Honor protested, her fist on a hip. “I’m good at it. And Spring and I are gaining a reputation by sitting as a team. The kids like us, and the parents like us even more. We’ve even sat for Mr. and Mrs. Peebles.”

Chad groaned and closed his eyes. “Oh, great! I really needed to hear that…”

Spring added hastily, “We weren’t unsafe, if that’s what worries you. They sent us home in a cab, although it wasn’t late. Lester was kind enough to wait up to see that we got into the building safely.”

Eyes flashing like roman candles, Chad opened his mouth as though he wanted to swear roundly, but with one look at Honor’s gaze, both pleading and puzzled, clamped it tightly closed and drummed his fingers on the table.

“All right,” he muttered through his teeth. “I’ll talk to Walter first thing in the morning and get a few things straightened out. Go to bed, now, pet. I want to talk to Spring alone.”

“I don’t think that’s fair, Chad.” Honor tossed her long dark braid behind her shoulder. “Spring’s my friend and I—”

“Whether it’s fair or not, go to bed!”

“It’s all right, Honor.” Spring laid a consoling hand on the girl’s arm. “Perhaps you should go on to bed. You have that math final first thing tomorrow and need to sleep. Nothing drastic is going to happen tonight. We’ll smooth things out.”

“Chad?” Honor’s gaze implored his compliance.

“Okay, okay. I promise I won’t clobber your friend here, or eat her alive.”

Honor visibly relaxed and let out a sudden giggle, dimples flashing. “Okay. But you won’t fire her or anything, will you? Please?”

Chad took a deep breath and swung his chair away from the table before answering. “I won’t take any action concerning Spring without discussing it with you first, is that all right? Now will you go to bed?”

Still, Honor hesitated, and he added, “We’ll let you know in the morning if there’s any change in the current, uh, living arrangements.”

“Well, I think I should have a vote in what that is. In what happens now.”

Chad seemed to gather whatever remnants of patience he had left as he answered one last argument. “I’ve heard your vote, Honor. I’ll consider the matter from your viewpoint as well as my own, I double promise you, okay? Now scoot.”

Spring turned her back and finished wiping the counter. After stacking the teacups into the small dishwasher, she closed the door and listened to Honor’s footsteps fade. Behind her, Chad rose, and she glanced over her shoulder.

No longer angry, he appeared only exhausted.

“I’m going to take a quick shower and change. Do you mind staying up a while longer so we can have our little chat?”

“Of course not,” she agreed. “But are you sure you’re up to it? I mean, we can talk tomorrow morning just as well.”

“I’d rather not put it off. I’ll meet you in the living room in twenty minutes or so.”

Spring waited as instructed, curled up in a deep chocolate-colored leather chair. The twenty minutes stretched to thirty, then forty.

She was ready for sleep, too, she thought, and yawned. A morning person, she usually turned in when Honor did.

He reappeared finally, wearing cutoff sweats. His hair was still damp. It was nearing midnight, and he hadn’t bothered to shave.

Her first thought was that he appeared far less formidable in a more relaxed state. Then her heart beat picked up ten paces, and she changed her mind. Masculine and sexy, his broad chest and strong arms showed a body used to regular workouts, and he’d been somewhere recently to maintain a healthy tan.

She felt a bit wary at her own response, and hugged a bright melon-hued pillow against her chest.

He let out a gusty sigh as he sat down on the leather couch, leaned back, and simply stared at her for a long moment. She felt the force of his gaze all through her body.

It was all she could do to sit still and remain silent.

“All right,” he said finally, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

The red pillow became a real shield. She tugged at its corners.

“I’ve checked with Walter. He’s happy with your references, and since he knows this minister and his wife that you and Honor think walk with the angels, I’m willing to let you stay on in the capacity of housekeeper. For a while. If things work out, maybe we can come to a more permanent agreement. But I still have questions…”

“That’s fair enough. Fire away.”

“How long have you been in New York?”

“Not quite three months. I came in April.”

“What brought you here? Job? Family? Ambition?”

“Oh, I guess you could say all three.” Her fingers became more sensitive to the pillow stitching, and she imprinted the corner against them. “I want to study dress design with a lead designer if I can, and perhaps go on to Paris someday. Even Italy, maybe. But New York…” She waved a hand, letting her excitement show. “Oh, I just wanted to spend time here. I love American designers, and sure hope to find a niche with one. For a year or two, anyway.”

She dared to meet his gaze momentarily, wondering what lay beyond the tired depths, wondering how much he was really interested in hearing of her plans. But he didn’t interrupt, and she didn’t know what to do but keep on chattering.

“But it’s hard to get a decent appointment, you know? Oh, I could get a job as support personnel, I suppose, and maybe I’d be smart to do that, get my foot in the door and all that. But I’d like to find someplace where they appreciate my designs, too. Where they’ll give me a chance.”

Glimpsing his face, she abruptly hushed. He drew a deep breath.

“Okay… And you did say ‘family’? You have family in New York?”

“No. I mean, I have family. A twin sister, Autumn. But not in New York. She lives in Kansas City. She, um, didn’t want to come.”

“I don’t follow. Why would that bring you to New York?”

“Well, you see, Autumn and I have never lived apart. Except for a few minor choices, we’ve always done things as a twosome and rarely been separated.

We thought it time for each of us to, uh, sorta find our own identity.”

“And you had to come to New York to do that? Wasn’t that a little drastic?”

“Mmm, my goodness, yes. Er, no, not drastic in that sense. But I have a better chance at finding my place in the design world here, and Autumn’s a hometown girl through and through.”

He looked a little weary.

“Got that. But why would a young single woman, who’s after a career of any kind, want to hire on as a housekeeper, of all things? Away from the singles’ scene. And further, with the limitations and responsibility that looking after a young girl would bring? I’d think it would cramp your…ambitions.”

“Well, not all that much. I mean, I don’t feel confined. Not yet, anyway. We’ve had too much fun doing the tourist thing to hurry, both of us being new to the city. I haven’t pushed it. Up until now…well, I’ve had time during the day to make a few rounds while Honor attends school. But lately we’ve been talking about summer plans, and that will change our routine.”

She glanced at him with sudden inquisitiveness. “You do know she completes her classes this week? The private school is on a little different schedule than the public system.”

“Actually, that’s one thing I did know. That’s the main reason I returned early.”

“Oh.”

“So tell me, Spring. How and why did you take the job here? If you moved to get away from always pairing with your sister, haven’t you merely changed the person and the locale if you and Honor are always together?”

“It really isn’t the same. I am nine years older than Honor, and we aren’t viewed as a set. Here, there’s only one of me.”

“Ah, I see. Well, what is this bargain you and Honor Suzanne have both mentioned?”

“Oh, that.” She traced the pillow stitching, back and forth. “As you must know, New York apartments are very expensive, and while my Uncle William left me enough money to live modestly for a year or two without worry, he also taught Autumn and me to live rather frugally when we could and not to squander money.”

He raised a brow. “The point being?”

“So, when I began attending the church, I thought it would be a good place to find a roommate. I didn’t want to just pick someone from the ads or anything, you know—that’s not always safe in New York these days, is it? Anywhere at all, I suppose. Then Dana and I began to talk, and she introduced me to Honor.”

“And?”

“We made our bargain. I’d be her companion and resident adult, and in exchange, I live here rent-free. We pooled our resources for food and other cash demands.”

“But if Honor wasn’t getting her allowance, what cash resources did she have?”

“Oh, we told you that. Baby-sitting and other odd jobs.”

“Ah, yes, the baby-sitting…”

“And the other things. Like organizing and running that birthday party for the busy mother. You know, that could become quite a nice little business, if you ask me. Honor and I have been talking—”

“Oh, no, you don’t.” He put up a hand, palm out, and leaned against the couch once more. “I don’t want my home turned into a business center. Besides, you can’t, remember? No business may be run from this complex.”

“That’s a shame. We could—”

“Whatever you wish, Spring, it won’t happen here.”

Spring sighed. “All right.”

“Now we need to come to a better agreement over your terms of employment.”

“My terms of employment?”

“Yes. If you are to remain in this apartment as housekeeper and Honor’s…uh, helper companion, we have to have a firm understanding about what to expect from each other, don’t you agree?”

Spring had thought she and Honor were more friends than housekeeper and charge. At home, she and Autumn had shared household chores, although she’d been the shopper for household goods and groceries. It seemed only a little different between her and Honor—except she’d been teaching Honor to cook and they were learning New York ways together. But she hadn’t felt like an employee.

Still, she had free rent here, and in an excellent neighborhood. She loved Honor, and they had a growing bond in the excursions they did together, especially the Bible studies on Sunday evenings at the church. They were opening her mind as nothing else ever had. The church was only a few blocks away, and easy to reach. She liked her situation here.

How much could possibly change by Chad being at home, too? He’d merely be another person to rotate a schedule around, to prepare a meal for. And if she and Autumn could accommodate the finicky eating habits of Uncle William and his need for a spotless house, she supposed she could meet Chad’s requirements. Would being tagged a “housekeeper” really make that much difference?

“Well…”

“Yes?”

“Honor and I share the household chores now, plus the shopping and cooking. I usually run any other errands during the day, but I have used much of the time Honor is in school to make my rounds of the design houses and such. I wouldn’t want to lose that freedom.”

“Mmm… As I say, we’ll have to see how all that works out, won’t we? Now, you will be compensated for your time. Would the salary I offered Mrs. Hinkle be sufficient?”

Spring gasped. “More than enough. I’m not sure…”

“But without the need to earn extra money—” he said it as though it left a sour taste in his mouth “—you’ll have more time to take care of the apartment, now doesn’t that make sense?”

“Yes, of course, but I’d keep the apartment clean regardless, you see. And as I’ve said, Honor and I share the chores.” She grinned and tossed out, “She actually likes dusting.”

He returned her glance with one of skepticism, then firmed his mouth.

“You’d better accept what I offer, Spring, or move on. I’m inclined to be generous in view of your picking up after the mess left by Mrs. Hinkle. And your very kind, extended involvement with Honor Suzanne’s needs. Walter speaks highly of your efforts.”

“That’s nice of Mr. Peebles to say. But Honor and I are friends, Mr. Alexander.” She couldn’t prevent her hurt from showing, though she made a valiant effort to speak evenly. “Whatever I’ve done for Honor, I did from that starting point. I don’t need payment for it.”

“I didn’t intend an insult…” He ran a hand through his already tousled hair. “Boy, I’m tired. What I mean to say is, you stepped into a sticky situation, from what Walter tells me, and I recognize—”

“Let’s just call it even for now, Mr. Alexander.”

“All right. For now. But if we’re to share the apartment on, um, these terms, you must call me Chad.”

“Yes, that makes sense. And you are exactly right, Chad. We must see how we all get along before we reach a permanent agreement,” she added and stood. “You can put your money into a household account for Honor and me to draw on, and I’ll keep a running account so that you’ll know where it’s being spent. Then I’ll take, say a couple or three morning hours a week for myself, and you won’t even miss me. Honor and I can stay on our routine, and you can let us know when you’ll be home for dinner. So how about a month’s trial for all of us?”

Five minutes later, Chad stood in his bedroom, staring at the neatly made bed as he ran a hand against his unshaven jaw, wondering just what it was he’d been caught up in. Just how on God’s green earth had he lost control of his personal living situation? Of his own apartment?