see my daughter right now.”
Greg watched her hurry down the hallway, her shoulders square, her spine stiff. “It must be really tough to try to raise a kid all by yourself,” he said.
“Yes. But she’s doing a fine job.”
“I agree. You heard about her house?”
“Not in detail.” Leaning against the wall, the pastor folded his arms across his chest and looked questioningly at Greg. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad. We managed to salvage the bedroom furniture and a few little things from the kitchen but half the house is a total wreck.”
“ We? As in, you and Maya?”
“Yes,” Greg answered with a half smile. “We. I had an extra apartment available in my building and we moved her and Layla into it this morning. They were lucky their beds and dressers were usable because I don’t know how long it will be before her place is livable again.” His cousin looked far too pleased to suit him so he added, “What?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Not half as surprised as I was,” Greg said. “One minute I was working in my office and everything was normal, and the next I was up to my neck in rainand rubble and practically adopting my secretary and her little girl.”
“Life can be interesting, can’t it?”
Greg arched an eyebrow as he studied Michael’s expression. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m just doing my civic duty.”
“Right. Which reminds me, thanks for the generator. I don’t know what we’d have done without it.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have enough gas to keep it running till the power comes back on?”
“Uh-huh. Emergency services brought us some, and one of the insurance companies has a tanker standing by if we need more. They also brought in portable bathrooms and cases of drinking water.”
“With what ulterior motive?”
Michael chuckled and clapped Greg on the back. “Cynic. I could ask the same about you and Ms. Logan.”
“Whoa. Back off, Mike. It’s not like that. She needed a place to stay and I had an extra, empty suite down the hall. That’s all there is to it.”
“Right. It’s strictly business. You don’t even like her. Is that what you’re saying?”
Greg chose to stop and think before answering too quickly. He did like Maya. And her daughter. Beyond that, there was his admiration for the woman’s spunk and intelligence, not to mention the fact that when she wasn’t wearing suits and high heels, she looked far more approachable.
“Let’s just say we’ve become friends,” Greg finally said. “The storm has probably brought out the best in her.”
“And in you, cousin,” Michael said with a broad grin. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you pitching in the way you have or offering to give away stock from your stores. I’m impressed.”
“That wasn’t why I did it.”
“I know.” Michael thumped him on the back again as he started back into the room where his teenage crew was still working. “And that impressed me even more. You’re a real blessing, Greg. To all of us.”
Left alone in the hallway, Greg just stood there, deep in thought. Him? A blessing? Hardly. He’d worked all his life to earn his father’s approval and had not succeeded. How anyone could see him as a blessing in any respect was beyond him. He was just a regular guy, doing what he could in a bad situation. Anyone would have done the same.
As he started down the hall toward the day care to rejoin Maya, he began to wonder if that was true. Was he unique? He doubted it. Maya Logan, however, was definitely one of a kind and he was almost glad they’d gone through the tornado together.
He’d had to think twice about hiring her in the first place, in view of their families’ history of conflict. If subsequent events had not occurred theway they had, he might never have gotten to know her as a person. A mother. A neighbor.
He began to smile as he added one more definition. Friend.
Maya knew the instant Greg opened
Greg watched her hurry down the hallway, her shoulders square, her spine stiff. “It must be really tough to try to raise a kid all by yourself,” he said.
“Yes. But she’s doing a fine job.”
“I agree. You heard about her house?”
“Not in detail.” Leaning against the wall, the pastor folded his arms across his chest and looked questioningly at Greg. “How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad. We managed to salvage the bedroom furniture and a few little things from the kitchen but half the house is a total wreck.”
“ We? As in, you and Maya?”
“Yes,” Greg answered with a half smile. “We. I had an extra apartment available in my building and we moved her and Layla into it this morning. They were lucky their beds and dressers were usable because I don’t know how long it will be before her place is livable again.” His cousin looked far too pleased to suit him so he added, “What?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Not half as surprised as I was,” Greg said. “One minute I was working in my office and everything was normal, and the next I was up to my neck in rainand rubble and practically adopting my secretary and her little girl.”
“Life can be interesting, can’t it?”
Greg arched an eyebrow as he studied Michael’s expression. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m just doing my civic duty.”
“Right. Which reminds me, thanks for the generator. I don’t know what we’d have done without it.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have enough gas to keep it running till the power comes back on?”
“Uh-huh. Emergency services brought us some, and one of the insurance companies has a tanker standing by if we need more. They also brought in portable bathrooms and cases of drinking water.”
“With what ulterior motive?”
Michael chuckled and clapped Greg on the back. “Cynic. I could ask the same about you and Ms. Logan.”
“Whoa. Back off, Mike. It’s not like that. She needed a place to stay and I had an extra, empty suite down the hall. That’s all there is to it.”
“Right. It’s strictly business. You don’t even like her. Is that what you’re saying?”
Greg chose to stop and think before answering too quickly. He did like Maya. And her daughter. Beyond that, there was his admiration for the woman’s spunk and intelligence, not to mention the fact that when she wasn’t wearing suits and high heels, she looked far more approachable.
“Let’s just say we’ve become friends,” Greg finally said. “The storm has probably brought out the best in her.”
“And in you, cousin,” Michael said with a broad grin. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you pitching in the way you have or offering to give away stock from your stores. I’m impressed.”
“That wasn’t why I did it.”
“I know.” Michael thumped him on the back again as he started back into the room where his teenage crew was still working. “And that impressed me even more. You’re a real blessing, Greg. To all of us.”
Left alone in the hallway, Greg just stood there, deep in thought. Him? A blessing? Hardly. He’d worked all his life to earn his father’s approval and had not succeeded. How anyone could see him as a blessing in any respect was beyond him. He was just a regular guy, doing what he could in a bad situation. Anyone would have done the same.
As he started down the hall toward the day care to rejoin Maya, he began to wonder if that was true. Was he unique? He doubted it. Maya Logan, however, was definitely one of a kind and he was almost glad they’d gone through the tornado together.
He’d had to think twice about hiring her in the first place, in view of their families’ history of conflict. If subsequent events had not occurred theway they had, he might never have gotten to know her as a person. A mother. A neighbor.
He began to smile as he added one more definition. Friend.
Maya knew the instant Greg opened
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