work most mornings so I try to help.” Marie shrugged. “It’s no big deal, last night was okay. He only had one nose bleed, which is good. Yuck, I hate those, but he watched a whole movie with me. The one with the big bear that fly’s a plane, can’t remember what it’s called...”
Rachel leaned against the door. “That’s the most I think I’ve ever heard you talk.” She smirked at the surprised look on Marie’s face. “Other than when we hide in your room.”
Marie grinned up at her. “It’s him.” She pointed to Steven and laughed quietly. “He just sits there and looks at you like, well like he is and my mouth starts flappin’.” She blushed.
Rachel nodded. “Yeah, it’s those eyes of his I think.”
Rachel flopped down beside the young girl and both turned to study him. He grinned at them. “Okay, now you’re making me nervous ladies.”
“Definitely the eyes, they’re kinda blue but sort of green.” Marie mumbled with her head next to Rachel’s.
“Kind of gray.” Rachel said quietly.
Steven slapped his hand over his eyes. “Does that make me more intimidating?” He peeked between his fingers to see them giggling quietly. Dropping his hand he smiled. “I would love to sit here all night for you two to compare notes, but I have to call in and see if I’m needed at the hospital.” He moved forward to the edge of the chair, somehow sensing fast movement would frighten the younger of the two women.
Rachel stood up. “Yeah we should go.” She looked down at Marie. “When I take Ricky to see Doc at work, do you want to come?”
Marie sat there for a moment looking from Steven to Rachel. “Like in an office there?”
Steven stood slowly and moved beside Rachel. “I have an office there.”
She looked down at her fingers for a minute then back at him. “Hospitals kind of freak me out.”
And you’ve been in too many for all the wrong reasons, he thought. “Well, give it some thought. I’m sure Ricky would feel better if you tagged along.” He ran his hand down the back of Rachel’s neck in a casual caress as he spoke to the girl. “I’ll even give you a tour and show you all the cool gadgets if you like.”
Marie watched his hand move on Rachel. “Yeah? That would be cool.” She shrugged. “I’ll think about it.” She stood up slowly keeping distance between them.
He nodded. “Great. I’ll see you later.” He waited while Rachel hugged the girl then placed a hand on the small of her back heading to the door.
*
Rachel drove silently for several minutes. Turning she glanced at the man relaxing back against the seat beside her. “You’re pretty amazing,” she said quietly. “I’ve never seen Marie speak to any adult outside of a few. And Haley wanted to go home with you.”
He grinned over at her. “Children can sense good and bad.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t say you’re all good, but that was still something great to see. You’ll have to visit with me again sometime.”
He reached over and caressed the back of her neck. “I’d like that.” He looked out the window for a few seconds. “Chances of you coming in with me?” he asked quietly.
Rachel smiled without looking at him. “Not high. I’m exhausted and have to terrorize people with my tow motor early in the morning.”
He rubbed her hair through his fingers. “Struck out.” Dropping his hand from her, he watched her pull up in front of his house. “See if you can get Ricky to see me tomorrow sometime, just call me and if I’m not at the hospital I’ll meet you there.”
She smiled over at him. “Thanks.”
Steven leaned across the seat and cupped the back of her head pulling her the last inch to him. Taking his time he kissed her tenderly. “Let me know when you get home safely and tell Dade to go home and leave Cora in peace.”
She laughed softly. “She’ll thank you.” She smiled at him. “I’ll talk to you later.”
He looked at her for a moment longer and then picked up the folder and
Rachel leaned against the door. “That’s the most I think I’ve ever heard you talk.” She smirked at the surprised look on Marie’s face. “Other than when we hide in your room.”
Marie grinned up at her. “It’s him.” She pointed to Steven and laughed quietly. “He just sits there and looks at you like, well like he is and my mouth starts flappin’.” She blushed.
Rachel nodded. “Yeah, it’s those eyes of his I think.”
Rachel flopped down beside the young girl and both turned to study him. He grinned at them. “Okay, now you’re making me nervous ladies.”
“Definitely the eyes, they’re kinda blue but sort of green.” Marie mumbled with her head next to Rachel’s.
“Kind of gray.” Rachel said quietly.
Steven slapped his hand over his eyes. “Does that make me more intimidating?” He peeked between his fingers to see them giggling quietly. Dropping his hand he smiled. “I would love to sit here all night for you two to compare notes, but I have to call in and see if I’m needed at the hospital.” He moved forward to the edge of the chair, somehow sensing fast movement would frighten the younger of the two women.
Rachel stood up. “Yeah we should go.” She looked down at Marie. “When I take Ricky to see Doc at work, do you want to come?”
Marie sat there for a moment looking from Steven to Rachel. “Like in an office there?”
Steven stood slowly and moved beside Rachel. “I have an office there.”
She looked down at her fingers for a minute then back at him. “Hospitals kind of freak me out.”
And you’ve been in too many for all the wrong reasons, he thought. “Well, give it some thought. I’m sure Ricky would feel better if you tagged along.” He ran his hand down the back of Rachel’s neck in a casual caress as he spoke to the girl. “I’ll even give you a tour and show you all the cool gadgets if you like.”
Marie watched his hand move on Rachel. “Yeah? That would be cool.” She shrugged. “I’ll think about it.” She stood up slowly keeping distance between them.
He nodded. “Great. I’ll see you later.” He waited while Rachel hugged the girl then placed a hand on the small of her back heading to the door.
*
Rachel drove silently for several minutes. Turning she glanced at the man relaxing back against the seat beside her. “You’re pretty amazing,” she said quietly. “I’ve never seen Marie speak to any adult outside of a few. And Haley wanted to go home with you.”
He grinned over at her. “Children can sense good and bad.”
She laughed. “I wouldn’t say you’re all good, but that was still something great to see. You’ll have to visit with me again sometime.”
He reached over and caressed the back of her neck. “I’d like that.” He looked out the window for a few seconds. “Chances of you coming in with me?” he asked quietly.
Rachel smiled without looking at him. “Not high. I’m exhausted and have to terrorize people with my tow motor early in the morning.”
He rubbed her hair through his fingers. “Struck out.” Dropping his hand from her, he watched her pull up in front of his house. “See if you can get Ricky to see me tomorrow sometime, just call me and if I’m not at the hospital I’ll meet you there.”
She smiled over at him. “Thanks.”
Steven leaned across the seat and cupped the back of her head pulling her the last inch to him. Taking his time he kissed her tenderly. “Let me know when you get home safely and tell Dade to go home and leave Cora in peace.”
She laughed softly. “She’ll thank you.” She smiled at him. “I’ll talk to you later.”
He looked at her for a moment longer and then picked up the folder and
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