Love Inspired February 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: The Cowboy's Reunited Family\The Forest Ranger's Return\Mommy Wanted (40 page)

He unlocked and opened the wooden door, which left the screen door separating Mitch and Dee from their visitor.

“What you got in the basket, Miss Kate?” Dee bounced in place while she waited for Mitch to open the screen door.

Kate clutched the handles of an oversize picnic basket with both hands. From the strained look on her face, the thing was pretty heavy.

Mitch pushed the door open and hurried to take the large basket.

Kate smiled. “Thanks. I don't think I could've stood here holding it much longer.”

“What have you got in here?” he asked, turning to go back into the house.

“It's from Mrs. Tingle,” she called, and Mitch realized she still stood on the porch.

“Come on in!” Dee said, waving her inside, and Mitch nodded his agreement.

“Yes, forgive me. Please come in.” He led the way to the kitchen, where he placed the basket on the table then opened the lid to release the most amazing aromas he'd smelled in this kitchen in months.

“Oh, that smells good,” Dee said, climbing up on her seat to peer into the basket.

“It's chicken noodle soup, corn bread and pecan pie for your dinner,” Kate said, as Mitch removed each of the named items from the basket.

He lifted an abundance of checked napkins and then saw more containers on the bottom.

“That's a breakfast casserole and potato soup for tomorrow,” Kate said. “Mrs. Tingle said she didn't want you to worry about cooking.”

“That lady spoils me,” Mitch said, grinning, “but I'm not about to complain.”

“She seems very sweet,” Kate agreed.

He placed the hot items on the stove and the cold ones in the fridge. Then he turned to see Kate standing awkwardly near the table as though she weren't certain whether to stay or to leave. Mitch didn't know whether he should politely usher her out or follow an instinct he didn't quite understand...and ask her to stay.

It turned out, the decision wasn't really his to make. Dee took over.

“Daddy has to work but I really want to play a game. Would you play a game with me?”

Kate's eyes lifted and found Mitch's. “Would that be okay with you?”

“If you wouldn't mind, that'd be fine. I'm sure Dee would like it.” He'd like it, too, actually. He did have a lot of work to do, but he hadn't wanted to let his little girl down.

“Yes, I sure would,” Dee said. “I can get my Memory game. Do you like the Memory game?”

“I'm not sure, but we'll see,” Kate said.

“Okay!” Dee jumped off her chair and darted out of the kitchen toward the game room.

Mitch found himself alone with Kate. She eased into a chair at the table and nervously pulled at one of her black curls.

“Are you sure you don't mind staying here a little while to play Memory with her?” he asked. “I can promise you she won't be satisfied with one game, and I should also tell you she's pretty good and doesn't tend to show mercy.”

A small laugh escaped. “I was just hoping you didn't feel like I was trying to bombard your space or take away from your time with your girls.” One corner of her mouth lifted along with a shoulder. “Or try to sway you into feeling like you have to hire me because I've won Dee over.”

“I'll admit it doesn't hurt that she likes you so much already,” he said. “But truthfully, I called your references as soon as I got home, and they all sang your praises. Just be forewarned that Dee and Emmie come with the territory. Playing games and having tea parties may actually end up being a part of your job description.”

Her eyes practically danced. “Oh, Mr. Gillespie, I can't tell you how much I'd enjoy that.”

“Mitch,” he corrected. “Please call me Mitch.”

She blinked, and he saw something pass over her face that he didn't understand, as though maybe she were debating them being on a first-name basis. But it didn't mean anything. Everyone in Claremont went by first names. And thankfully, she nodded. “Okay. Mitch. I can't tell you how much I'd enjoy that as a part of my job description.”

Dee bounded into the room with the game clutched in her hands, and he watched the two flip the square pieces over on the table. Dee's excited chatter and Kate's gentle words to his daughter filled the kitchen, but Mitch heard only one thing.

Kate Wydell...saying his name.

Chapter Four

M
itch quietly stepped away from Dee's room so he wouldn't wake her from her nap. His oldest princess had tried to deny the virus had gotten the best of her, saying that she was not going to let Emmie's “bad bug” make her sick, too.

But as Mitch suspected, yesterday afternoon, when Emmie had begun to feel better, Dee's stomach had started, in her words, “feeling yucky.” And then, like Emmie, she hadn't been able to keep any food down. Today, after two full days of taking care of the girls, it seemed the worst of the virus was thankfully behind them.

And he was thankful for his new employee's willingness to spend her first couple of days on the job working from Mitch's front porch. The weather, in the low seventies with a frequent breeze, had made their temporary work environment quite enjoyable, and Mitch was glad for the ability to keep the office running remotely while also personally taking care of his girls.

He'd kept the wooden front door open throughout the day so he could listen for Dee through the screen one. Now he took advantage of that from the opposite side as he listened to Kate speak to one of his clients, her fingers tapping the keys of her laptop while she cradled the phone between her right ear and shoulder.

“Yes, Mrs. Tolleson,” she said, “I'll be happy to let you know how much that would cost. I just need a little more information about your son.”

Mitch stopped walking and watched her capably select the website path to obtain a quote for renter's insurance. And while Kate followed through the standard questions about the son's age, address, marital status and home-contents value, Mitch studied the picturesque scene of his front porch.

A few feet from Kate, Emmie dozed peacefully in her pack-and-play, the mesh sides allowing Mitch to see one tiny hand clutching her nighty-night, the blanket Jana had sewn for her while she was pregnant. She'd created the satin border from one of her blouses and had said she hoped it'd somehow keep her close to her baby after she was gone.

Whether Emmie realized the fabric was from her mommy or not, the blanket was a must-have whenever she slept. Her opposite hand was balled near her chin with her tiny lips subtly moving around her thumb. The image would make a beautiful painting, but Mitch would be lying if he said that the sleeping child was the only thing worthy of a painting on his front porch. He turned his attention to the woman still speaking softly on the phone, her quiet tone obviously due to the sleeping baby.

A couple of decorative, very feminine bobby pins held back Kate's dark curls on each side. Like yesterday, her outfit was dressy enough to qualify as business-casual but also appeared comfortable and modest. Today she wore a short white crocheted jacket over a sleeveless sky-blue dress that reached her ankles. Small pearls dotted each ear and a matching single-pearl necklace rested against her throat. She wore minimal makeup, only a hint of eye shadow and a pale pink lipstick, from what Mitch could tell. He wasn't an expert on makeup or anything, but it seemed that the small amount only accented her blue eyes and heart-shaped lips.

Definitely an image worthy of a painting.

He swallowed. She was pretty. Very pretty. Unnervingly pretty. But he wasn't certain whether it was the fact that he noticed her attractiveness that bothered him or the fact that he found himself appreciating scenes like this, where she sat comfortably on the top porch step, her dress sweeping the stairs and her back leaning against the wood column as she worked and occasionally smiled at his sleeping baby.

She looked like a sweet young mother.

A sharp stab of guilt slammed him. Jana should be here, on this porch, smiling at her daughter and being the center of Mitch's world. Then this scene might actually be real, a part of his life, instead of an instance where an employee worked at his home to help him through a difficult situation.

Maybe he should have pushed harder to have Jana take the chemo treatments during the pregnancy. Maybe then she'd be here now, and he wouldn't be thinking about how things would be if he had a woman in his life.

He shook his head. He'd been doing fine raising the girls on his own, and just because this scene with Kate seemed picture-perfect, that didn't mean he needed someone else, not to be a mother to his girls or to be a—

He didn't finish the thought. Several friends had asked about his plans for the future over the past couple of months, specifically whether he saw himself dating again, marrying again. Each time, he'd said no. And he'd meant it. He still loved Jana, would always love Jana. This awkward feeling around Kate didn't mean anything. He simply hadn't been around a female for an extended period of time since Jana passed away. Plus all of the ladies from Claremont still thought of him as “Jana's Mitch.” Mitch liked that. Really. And thankfully, Kate hadn't seemed to show any interest in him beyond a working relationship. He liked that, too.

Really.

Emmie made a smacking noise as she pulled her thumb from her mouth, stretched and rolled over. Mitch stepped toward the screen door so he could pick her up when she woke, but before he got there, Kate finished her call and smiled at the little girl reaching both arms toward the woman on the porch.

“Kay-Kay,” Emmie said, her eyes still heavy with sleep and her soft strawberry curls standing on end.

Kate closed her laptop and placed it to the side then eased toward the edge of the playpen. “Hey, there, sweetie. Did you have a good rest?”

Mitch held his breath as she picked up Emmie, and his little girl contentedly rested her head against Kate's slender shoulder.

She gently patted Emmie's back. “I'll hold you now,” she said, “and Daddy will be back in a second. He went to check on your sister.”

“Kay-Kay,” Emmie repeated as she snuggled in Kate's arms. Mitch couldn't help but notice it was the same tone she used when he picked her up from her nap and she said, “Daddy.”

He cleared his throat and prepared to take over, but then he heard tiny feet approaching from behind him.

“I woked up,” Dee said.

Mitch turned as she reached him, her blue eyes blinking as they adjusted to the sunlight filtering into the hallway from the screen door. Picking her up, he kissed her cheek, no longer warm from fever. “Yes, you did,” he said. “Did you sleep well?”

She nodded. “I feel better,” she said, then with a yawn asked, “Can we play?”

His laugh surprised him. He'd felt ill at ease watching Kate interact with Emmie, but Dee's arrival had squelched his unease and brought him back to what was important, the fact that both of his little girls were starting to feel better. And the fact that he had a capable new employee who'd been willing to help him out when he was in a bind.

Lord, help me continue to see the good in all of this instead of feeling guilty over something that I can't change.

“Daddy.” Emmie spied Mitch and Dee as they neared the screen door. She didn't make any effort to reach for him, probably because he was already holding Dee, or maybe because she seemed quite content in Kate's arms.

“Hey, sweetie,” Mitch answered. He pushed the door open and stepped onto the porch. The breeze carried the faint scent of peaches, which Mitch had determined over the past two days as the fragrance of Kate's perfume. The smell suited the woman holding Emmie. Sweet and tender. A good-hearted woman and a diligent employee. He needed to stop seeing the way she fit in with his girls as a bad thing and realize that God had given him exactly what he'd asked for.

Thank You, Lord.

“I feel better now,” Dee pronounced.

Mitch smiled. He felt better now, too.

“I think I can play now,” she continued. She seemed to direct the statement toward Kate, which made sense, since Kate had played several games with her before she'd gotten sick.

Kate grinned. “Nothing overly exertive, I'd think, but maybe something low-key.”

“What's ‘over zertive'?” she asked.

Mitch grinned. “That's a little much for a three-year-old's vocabulary,” he said quietly to Kate. Then to Dee, he said, “Miss Kate just means that you should take it easy, since your tummy hasn't felt too good the past couple of days. Maybe not play anything that causes you to run around, like hide-and-seek. That's what ‘overly exertive' means.”

“Oh,” Dee said with a shrug. “Okay.” Then she peered down the street toward the square. “I'm hungry, too. Can we go get ice cream?”

At the mention of her favorite treat, Emmie's head lifted from Kate's shoulder. “Ice cweam?”

“Please, Daddy?” Dee asked.

He was a sucker for the way she said
please
and he was pretty sure she knew it. Even so, he grinned. They'd had a rough couple of days and deserved a treat. “You know, we are pretty much finished with the accounts for today, aren't we, Kate?” he asked.

“I actually finished the last one thirty minutes ago,” she said. “But then Mrs. Tolleson called, and I wanted to get her the policy information she asked for. She seemed like a really sweet lady on the phone.”

“She is. She and her husband own the variety store on the square. Maybe we will see them when we go for ice cream. So, are you at a good stopping point?” Mitch asked.

“You could go get ice cream with us?” Dee asked. “Please?”

“You want me to go, too?” Her surprise at his question was evident. For the past two days, she'd worked with him here, but she'd always walked across the street and had her meals at the B and B with the Tingles and the other guests. Asking her to eat with them at their home had seemed too personal, and Mitch had wanted to keep their relationship as professional as possible.

But this was different. His girls were feeling better, and he wanted to celebrate. It only made sense to invite the woman who'd helped them through their sickness.

“Of course I want you to go,” he said. “Unless, say, you don't like ice cream?”

“You don't like ice cream?” Dee's eyes widened in shock. “Why?”

Kate laughed, causing Emmie to lift her head and smile, and then she put her hand to Kate's cheek. “Kay-Kay.”

A ripple of something passed over Mitch, but he swallowed past the feeling.

“I do like ice cream,” she said to Dee. “I like it very much, in fact, and I'd love to get some with all of you.” She glanced at Mitch again. “If you're sure it's okay for me to go.”

“Of course.” He forced a laugh and hoped she saw it as a casual invitation, which was exactly what it was, nothing like a date or anything.

“Yay, Miss Kate is going, too!” Dee's high-pitched cheer delivered near Mitch's right ear caused him to flinch.

“I guess I am,” Kate said, squeezing Emmie in a hug. “Let's go get some ice cream, Emmie.” From the smile claiming Kate's face, he thought she might actually be more excited about the treat than his girls.

* * *

Kate waved to Mr. Tingle, trimming the azalea bushes on the side of the bed-and-breakfast, as they began the short walk to the square. She'd already grown very fond of the sweet couple that ran the B and B. They reminded her of the kind of parents anyone would want, the kind she'd never had, and the kind she wanted her own daughter to have.

She blinked past the emotion causing her throat to tense. Her little girl undoubtedly had parents like that. Would Chad and his wife be okay with her having one more? And would they believe that she could be a good mom to Lainey after what she'd done in the past?

“Look at the flowers on those trees, Miss Kate.” Dee pointed to the row of Yoshino cherry trees lining Maple Street and leading to the square. The vivid pink blossoms resembled oversize roses and covered nearly every branch of the stunning trees. Her comment pulled Kate from the fear of Chad's reaction to her arrival in Claremont and brought her back to the joy of spending time with these two little girls.
This
must be what motherhood felt like. And it was wonderful.

Kate swallowed. “I do see them, and they're so pretty.”

“Pretty,” Emmie echoed. But she wasn't looking at the trees; instead, she patted Kate's cheek the way she'd done several times throughout the day and repeated, “Pretty.”

Kate kissed her chubby cheek. “You're pretty.”

“And me, too?” Dee asked. Mitch had put her down midway to the square. She still held his hand but looked at Kate for an answer.

Kate recalled the many times growing up when she asked her stepmom that very question. “Am I pretty?” And the traditional answer, a quick “You'll do.”

She moved closer to Mitch and Dee so she could reach out and run a hand along the soft curl of one of Dee's pigtails as she answered, “You're very pretty, Dee. In fact, you're beautiful.”

Dee's smile beamed, her walk turned into a skip and Kate felt a rush of warmth to her heart. She would
never
let her child wonder whether she were pretty. She just hoped she got the chance to tell Lainey, and soon.

“Bew-ful,” Emmie said.

“Yes, you're beautiful, too.” Laughing, Kate looked from Emmie to Mitch. Though he continued walking toward the town square, his eyes were focused on Kate, not merely looking at her but studying her in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. What was he thinking now? Should she not tell his girls they were beautiful? Because they were, and she so wanted to make sure they knew. “Everything okay?” she asked him.

He inhaled thickly, let it out and then nodded. “Yes, everything's fine.” Then, as though he needed to say it before he changed his mind, he added, “Thank you, Kate.”

Confused, she asked, “For what?”

“For helping me this week,” he said, “and for reminding the girls...of what they are.” He tweaked Dee's cheek. “You are beautiful.”

“You're beautiful, too, Daddy!” Dee continued to skip, and her daddy grinned.