Rach, it’s Rebecca.”
“Rebecca! I just e-mailed you today.”
“I know. That’s why I called. It made me want to hear your voice. Are you really doing better?”
“Yes. I had my first riding lesson today.”
“But, Rach, if you’re that well, why aren’t you coming home?” Rebecca asked.
“Madge said I need to gain weight before I’ll be strong enough to leave.”
“But Betty can help you with that.”
“I don’t know, Becca. I’m learning a lot and—”
“But, Rachel, we miss you.”
“You’re doing all right, aren’t you? Do you still have morning sickness?”
“No, I’m doing fine now. Vivian’s feeling good, too. Vanessa sends her love. But we all miss you.”
“I miss you, too, but… I’ll see,” Rachel finally promised. They said their goodbyes and she went back to the table.
“That was Rebecca. She wants me to come home.” Rachel watched Madge’s and J.D.’s reactions.
“But Madge said you needed to gain weight before you could go back to work,” J.D. reminded her with a frown.
“I could go back to Dallas and not go to work.” As she said the words, she considered the suggestion.
“I think you’d be too tempted to return to work,” J.D. said abruptly.
Rachel didn’t respond.
Madge said, “It’s up to you, Rachel. We certainly wouldn’t keep you here against your wishes.”
J.D. glowered at his housekeeper.
Rachel relented. “Maybe I’ll give it another couple of weeks, then go back. After all, I want to be there for Vivian’s delivery.”
“Why?” J.D. barked.
“Because I love her. She’s a wonderful person and this will be an important time for her and Will.”
J.D. got up from the table and walked out of the house.
“J.D., wait. You didn’t have dessert,” Rachel called, confused by his behavior. “Madge? What did I say wrong?”
But this time the housekeeper didn’t have all the answers. “I reckon you’ll have to ask J.D. that question.”
W HEN J.D. RETURNED to the house several hours later, Madge was still in the kitchen, knitting.
“Welcome back,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“Ready for some chocolate cake? It might sweeten you up.”
“I’ll take some cake, but I don’t think it will help my mood. Where’s Rachel?”
“She went to her bedroom after supper. Said she was going to have an early night.” Madge kept knitting.
J.D. went to the cake tin on the cabinet and lifted off the cover. “Do you want a piece of cake, too?”
“Yes. Will you cut me one?”
J.D. hung his head. “You were waiting for me to come in before you had your cake, weren’t you, Madge?”
“I like eating with others. Makes it more festive,” she agreed.
“I’m sorry. I lost my cool and thought I’d best clear out before I said something I shouldn’t.”
“I know, dear. But we can’t control other people’s lives.”
“Yes, I know.” He carried two plates to the table. “This cake looks really good,” he said as he turned to pour two mugs of freshly brewed coffee.
“Rachel liked it this morning,” Madge explained, “but she wouldn’t eat any tonight.”
“Think she’d want to join us now?”
“No, I think she’s asleep, J.D.”
“Oh. Do you think she’ll come out for another lesson in the morning?”
“I assume so. She didn’t say she was going to sleep late in the morning.”
J.D. concentrated on his cake after that question. He did remember to praise Madge’s baking, but that was the extent of his conversation.
Just before he retired for the night, Madge said, “Bluey didn’t get into trouble coming in for a piece of cake this morning, did he?”
“No, of course not, Madge. I thanked him for helping Rachel.”
“Thank you, J.D. Good night.”
“Good night.” J.D. stood there finishing his coffee as Madge retired for the night. He rinsed out his mug and put it in the dishwasher. Then he stood at the sink, staring out into the darkness.
He’d lost Rachel once. Was he going to lose her again?
“Rebecca! I just e-mailed you today.”
“I know. That’s why I called. It made me want to hear your voice. Are you really doing better?”
“Yes. I had my first riding lesson today.”
“But, Rach, if you’re that well, why aren’t you coming home?” Rebecca asked.
“Madge said I need to gain weight before I’ll be strong enough to leave.”
“But Betty can help you with that.”
“I don’t know, Becca. I’m learning a lot and—”
“But, Rachel, we miss you.”
“You’re doing all right, aren’t you? Do you still have morning sickness?”
“No, I’m doing fine now. Vivian’s feeling good, too. Vanessa sends her love. But we all miss you.”
“I miss you, too, but… I’ll see,” Rachel finally promised. They said their goodbyes and she went back to the table.
“That was Rebecca. She wants me to come home.” Rachel watched Madge’s and J.D.’s reactions.
“But Madge said you needed to gain weight before you could go back to work,” J.D. reminded her with a frown.
“I could go back to Dallas and not go to work.” As she said the words, she considered the suggestion.
“I think you’d be too tempted to return to work,” J.D. said abruptly.
Rachel didn’t respond.
Madge said, “It’s up to you, Rachel. We certainly wouldn’t keep you here against your wishes.”
J.D. glowered at his housekeeper.
Rachel relented. “Maybe I’ll give it another couple of weeks, then go back. After all, I want to be there for Vivian’s delivery.”
“Why?” J.D. barked.
“Because I love her. She’s a wonderful person and this will be an important time for her and Will.”
J.D. got up from the table and walked out of the house.
“J.D., wait. You didn’t have dessert,” Rachel called, confused by his behavior. “Madge? What did I say wrong?”
But this time the housekeeper didn’t have all the answers. “I reckon you’ll have to ask J.D. that question.”
W HEN J.D. RETURNED to the house several hours later, Madge was still in the kitchen, knitting.
“Welcome back,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“Ready for some chocolate cake? It might sweeten you up.”
“I’ll take some cake, but I don’t think it will help my mood. Where’s Rachel?”
“She went to her bedroom after supper. Said she was going to have an early night.” Madge kept knitting.
J.D. went to the cake tin on the cabinet and lifted off the cover. “Do you want a piece of cake, too?”
“Yes. Will you cut me one?”
J.D. hung his head. “You were waiting for me to come in before you had your cake, weren’t you, Madge?”
“I like eating with others. Makes it more festive,” she agreed.
“I’m sorry. I lost my cool and thought I’d best clear out before I said something I shouldn’t.”
“I know, dear. But we can’t control other people’s lives.”
“Yes, I know.” He carried two plates to the table. “This cake looks really good,” he said as he turned to pour two mugs of freshly brewed coffee.
“Rachel liked it this morning,” Madge explained, “but she wouldn’t eat any tonight.”
“Think she’d want to join us now?”
“No, I think she’s asleep, J.D.”
“Oh. Do you think she’ll come out for another lesson in the morning?”
“I assume so. She didn’t say she was going to sleep late in the morning.”
J.D. concentrated on his cake after that question. He did remember to praise Madge’s baking, but that was the extent of his conversation.
Just before he retired for the night, Madge said, “Bluey didn’t get into trouble coming in for a piece of cake this morning, did he?”
“No, of course not, Madge. I thanked him for helping Rachel.”
“Thank you, J.D. Good night.”
“Good night.” J.D. stood there finishing his coffee as Madge retired for the night. He rinsed out his mug and put it in the dishwasher. Then he stood at the sink, staring out into the darkness.
He’d lost Rachel once. Was he going to lose her again?
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