He was afraid that he’d built up their date in his mind, made more of it than he should have. But as he moved toward her, he realized if anything, he’d discounted his attraction for her. Reba was patient and kind. Her rapport with the kids had been instantaneous, and he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her for the entire hour. He wasn’t succeeding now, either.
“It looks like everything’s going great,” he commented, understating what should have been obvious.
She sank onto a chair and rubbed her hand along the back of her neck. “You think so?”
“You’ve got the entire program organized.”
“I can’t take the credit for that. Milly Waters worked with me. I’m just following her example.”
Judd sank onto the floor next to her, staring up at her as if memorizing her features. “She looks like the lady in my picture,” he announced with childlike enthusiasm.
“Judd,” Seth warned in a whisper. If his son embarrassed him by suggesting he marry Reba, he didn’t know what he’d do.
“Not exactly like the lady, but real close,” Jason said before Seth had a chance to quiet him.
“It’s time to go,” he stated with an eagerness that bordered on panic.
The twins and Reba looked saddened and surprised by his abrupt announcement.
“Not so soon, Dad.”
“What picture?” Reba asked, looking from Judd to Jason.
“It’s nothing,” Seth said, wanting to be on his way before the twins embarrassed him further.
“Judd drew a picture of a woman with short hair and a red dress,” Jason explained when it became obvious his father wasn’t going to explain.
“The woman in my drawing looks a lot like you,” Judd said, his eyes bright and eager.
Seth urged both his children toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he said, hoping against hope to make a clean getaway.
“Tomorrow?” Jason perked up instantly.
“Ms. Maxwell is coming to the house for dinner,” he explained, and remembered that he hadn’t said anything to Mrs. Merkle about inviting company.
“Good-bye, Ms. Maxwell.”
“Good-bye, everyone.”
Seth heaved a sigh of relief as they headed toward the door. “She does look like the lady in Judd’s picture,” Jason said, and slipped his small hand into his. He seemed to be waiting for Seth to respond.
“A little,” he admitted reluctantly.
Jason looked over his shoulder and sighed expressively before calling out in a loud voice, “I hope you do marry my dad.”
“I beg your pardon?” Reba said.
“My dad,” Judd shouted. “We hope you marry him.”
Chapter 15
Scatter sunshine.
—Mrs. Miracle
The phone pealed just as Reba started out the door Sunday morning for church. She was tempted not to answer, afraid it would be her mother. She hesitated, then quickly crossed the room and reached for the receiver. It might be important. It might be Seth.
“Hello.”
“Reba, sweetheart, I wondered if you’d be up and about.”
Her mother. Reba gritted her teeth. She knew it would be more of this Christmas business, and she didn’t want to discuss it again. Her mind was made up, and all the talk in the world wouldn’t make her change it.
“Hello, Mom,” she said without any real enthusiasm. “Listen, I’m on my way out the door for church.”
“Church.” Joan Maxwell’s voice swelled with approval. “You’ve got a couple of moments to spare for your mother, don’t you?”
Reba wasn’t given the chance to say no.
“You remember Betty Gleason, don’t you?”
Reba didn’t; impatiently she glanced at her watch. She was meeting Seth and didn’t want to be late. “No, Mom, I’m afraid I don’t.”
“I attended the early church service and met up with Betty. She and Ernie were in this fancy Thai restaurant in Federal Way and she thought she saw you with a nice-looking young man.”
Reba swore her mother had informants who routinely reported her activities. “That was Seth Webster,” she said, making sure none of her feelings for the aeronautical engineer bled into her voice. It would be just like her mother to make more of this dinner date than there was.
“Seth Webster…” Joan Maxwell repeated the name slowly, as if saying it aloud magically released the information she craved. “Have you known him long?”
“Mother, I’m going to be late for church.”