butter, maple syrup, a covered dish of sausage and eggs.
Rachel sipped at her juice, making no move to eat. She had thought she had fortified herself mentally to be detached about Chris' son. The giant leap of love her heart had given at her first sight of him told her she hadn't got near enough to success.
"Hannah, thank you for everything," Rachel cleared her throat, felt Luke's dark eyes on her. "I'm sorry I made so much work for you."
Hannah's answering look was a question.
"Rachel wants to get back to L.A. today," Luke explained noncommittally.
"Where's the fire?" There was no mistaking Hannah's amazement. For once her smile had vanished completely and the hazel eyes were flecked with question marks. "You've just got here. You don't look well enough to go back to all that smog."
"Rachel has to let someone at MRA headquarters know where she is. She'll probably be leaving for Bangladesh tomorrow," Luke supplied smoothly.
A warning leaped out of his eyes, arced across the table and Hannah nodded in perfect understanding. "Send us a postcard will you?"
His compliance shouldn't grate. It was what she wanted. Wasn't it? Rachel knew the sooner she got back on the job the quicker she could revert to normal. She didn't belong here. It was silly to feel reluctant to leave. To let herself think she was anything but a transient here was dangerous.
"Eat," ordered Luke.
"I'm not hungry." Even the juice couldn't trickle down any more. "In fact if I could catch an earlier bus back to L.A. I could see a doctor there, save you some time."
Luke thought of the stack of papers waiting for him. Of the urgent message on his computer to contact the head office. Of grey eyes wrapped in hurt.
"I have nothing to do today. You're not leaving until Dr. Kenton sees you. Now eat." He ladled oatmeal into a bowl, placed it in front of her.
Rachel picked up her spoon. The oatmeal was a surprise. Fat juicy raisins and crunchy almonds were hidden in it. The first spoonful hit a spot that clamored for more.
Luke was saying something about a fence to Hannah. Rachel's eyes slid to Gordie. He was busy with the things on the bar that straddled his exercise mat. His victory cry as he managed to grasp one of the plastic rings was followed by a flood of baby talk. Rachel's heart melted into an immense puddle of longing. He was a darling.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" Luke sounded gruff, like he had in court.
She looked at her bowl. It was empty.
Luke worked his way through a stack of pancakes in silence. He had fielded the look that had rested on Gordie. Naked yearning. Why was Rachel hiding what she felt for the child?
She wasn't leaving here till he found out what was behind her charade.
"Hannah, if you would show Rachel around outside, I have a phone call to make before we leave for Santa Barbara. I'll get a jacket for her."
He was back in a minute with a blue windcheater. "Angela, Hannah’s niece, always keeps a spare jacket here. This will fit you better than any of mine.'
Ignoring her outstretched hand he held it for her. When she had her arms in place, he turned her around and began to button it up. Heat coursed through Rachel, showing in her face.
"I can do that."
If she stayed around any longer she would began to be the helpless creature this man thought her.
"I know." The fierce look was back in his eyes. Rachel wondered how she had offended him. He reached the top button, looked at her, then brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, as if he couldn't help himself.
A verandah and three wide steps separated the ranch house from a green lawn that meandered out of sight. On every side rolling hills undulated. Rachel could see a few cattle on a distant slope.
"I'm sure Chris told you we are tucked into the Santa Ynez mountain range. Behind that hill," Hannah pointed to the low hills beyond the row of Italian Cypress that
Rachel sipped at her juice, making no move to eat. She had thought she had fortified herself mentally to be detached about Chris' son. The giant leap of love her heart had given at her first sight of him told her she hadn't got near enough to success.
"Hannah, thank you for everything," Rachel cleared her throat, felt Luke's dark eyes on her. "I'm sorry I made so much work for you."
Hannah's answering look was a question.
"Rachel wants to get back to L.A. today," Luke explained noncommittally.
"Where's the fire?" There was no mistaking Hannah's amazement. For once her smile had vanished completely and the hazel eyes were flecked with question marks. "You've just got here. You don't look well enough to go back to all that smog."
"Rachel has to let someone at MRA headquarters know where she is. She'll probably be leaving for Bangladesh tomorrow," Luke supplied smoothly.
A warning leaped out of his eyes, arced across the table and Hannah nodded in perfect understanding. "Send us a postcard will you?"
His compliance shouldn't grate. It was what she wanted. Wasn't it? Rachel knew the sooner she got back on the job the quicker she could revert to normal. She didn't belong here. It was silly to feel reluctant to leave. To let herself think she was anything but a transient here was dangerous.
"Eat," ordered Luke.
"I'm not hungry." Even the juice couldn't trickle down any more. "In fact if I could catch an earlier bus back to L.A. I could see a doctor there, save you some time."
Luke thought of the stack of papers waiting for him. Of the urgent message on his computer to contact the head office. Of grey eyes wrapped in hurt.
"I have nothing to do today. You're not leaving until Dr. Kenton sees you. Now eat." He ladled oatmeal into a bowl, placed it in front of her.
Rachel picked up her spoon. The oatmeal was a surprise. Fat juicy raisins and crunchy almonds were hidden in it. The first spoonful hit a spot that clamored for more.
Luke was saying something about a fence to Hannah. Rachel's eyes slid to Gordie. He was busy with the things on the bar that straddled his exercise mat. His victory cry as he managed to grasp one of the plastic rings was followed by a flood of baby talk. Rachel's heart melted into an immense puddle of longing. He was a darling.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" Luke sounded gruff, like he had in court.
She looked at her bowl. It was empty.
Luke worked his way through a stack of pancakes in silence. He had fielded the look that had rested on Gordie. Naked yearning. Why was Rachel hiding what she felt for the child?
She wasn't leaving here till he found out what was behind her charade.
"Hannah, if you would show Rachel around outside, I have a phone call to make before we leave for Santa Barbara. I'll get a jacket for her."
He was back in a minute with a blue windcheater. "Angela, Hannah’s niece, always keeps a spare jacket here. This will fit you better than any of mine.'
Ignoring her outstretched hand he held it for her. When she had her arms in place, he turned her around and began to button it up. Heat coursed through Rachel, showing in her face.
"I can do that."
If she stayed around any longer she would began to be the helpless creature this man thought her.
"I know." The fierce look was back in his eyes. Rachel wondered how she had offended him. He reached the top button, looked at her, then brushed a strand of hair off her forehead, as if he couldn't help himself.
A verandah and three wide steps separated the ranch house from a green lawn that meandered out of sight. On every side rolling hills undulated. Rachel could see a few cattle on a distant slope.
"I'm sure Chris told you we are tucked into the Santa Ynez mountain range. Behind that hill," Hannah pointed to the low hills beyond the row of Italian Cypress that
Similar Books
