“But—”
“Mrs. Miracle said there would be.”
Irritated, Seth shot a glance toward his housekeeper, but she was busy with breakfast and either didn’t hear or was pretending not to. He wasn’t about to have the woman telling the children something like that. When he had a private moment, he’d mention it to her.
“I even drew my new mommy’s picture,” Judd told him. The lad raced out of the kitchen and was back a few moments later with a crayon drawing. Seth barely glanced at it and wouldn’t have given it a second’s notice if it wasn’t for two small matters. The woman Judd pictured had short curly hair and was wearing a shiny red dress.
Reba’s hair was short and curly and she’d been wearing a bright red dress. Coincidence. Pure coincidence.
“She’s real pretty, isn’t she?” Judd asked, proud of his efforts.
“She sure is,” Seth muttered with no real enthusiasm.
“You like Miss Maxwell, don’t you?” This came from Jason.
“Yes,” he admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I’m going to marry her.”
Both of his children had that same woebegone look of bitter disappointment. “You’ll look for a new mommy, won’t you?”
“Look for someone with brown eyes and curly hair and a red dress,” Judd advised, and waved the picture under his nose once more.
Seth was saved from having to answer when the housekeeper called them to the table.
He bided his time and waited until after breakfast before he confronted Mrs. Merkle. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where the children were getting the notion that he was about to remarry, and he wouldn’t have it.
“Do you have a moment?” he asked her as he carried the dirty dishes from the table to the sink.
“Of course.”
Ill at ease, and disliking confrontation, he hesitated. “I was wondering if you’d said anything to the children about me remarrying.”
She didn’t answer him right away, which was an answer in itself. “I don’t mean to complain,” he continued. “The kids call you Mrs. Miracle, and frankly, I’ve come to think of you that way. I don’t know what we would have done without you, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t fill the children’s heads with this talk about another mother.”
“So you don’t plan to remarry?” She looked as disappointed as the children.
“No,” he returned emphatically.
If his words discouraged her, it didn’t last long. Her eyes rounded with a hint of mischief. “Not ever, Mr. Webster? Forever is a long, long time.”
“Not ever,” he assured her, raising his voice slightly.
She laughed once, shortly, as if his answer had amused her and she wasn’t able to contain it. “Time will tell, won’t it?”
“Time most certainly will.” He turned and stalked out of the kitchen and into the garage. He opened his car door before he realized he still had on his pajamas and robe. Not to mention that this was Saturday morning.
Mrs. Merkle left the house an hour later, and Seth was alone with the children. Although he was grateful to have a housekeeper, he couldn’t help being curious about Emily Merkle. She certainly had a way about her. She’d taken his restless, spirited children under her wing and within a matter of days had made a marked difference in their behavior and attitude. Not once since her arrival had he received a call from the school or a note from their teacher.
He found it curious, however, the way she’d arrived, without notice. It was almost as if she’d descended from the clouds, using an umbrella as a parachute. Not that she resembled Mary Poppins. No, he definitely viewed her as a Mother Goose.
Once he’d showered and shaved, Seth moved into his den. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to contact the employment agency and make a few inquiries about her. It wouldn’t hurt to check on her references, either.
Luckily the agency was staffed on Saturdays.
“Hello, this is Seth Webster,” he said when Mrs. Ackerman, the agency owner, answered herself.
“Oh, Mr. Webster, I’m so very sorry. I can’t imagine what you must think of me.”
“Mrs. Ackerman?” Seth couldn’t fathom why she should apologize.
“Yes, yes, I realize that you’ve been waiting several weeks to hear back from me. I can’t imagine how you’ve managed all this time.”
“I don’t believe I understand.”
“A housekeeper. You do still need one, don’t you?”