“Pastor Beau told us about her last Sunday. She’s the one that prayed for a baby.”
“That’s right. I was named after her.”
Molly jammed two tiny fists on her hips and narrowed her eyes in pitch-perfect seven-year-old concentration. “You don’t look like anybody’s mama to me. You’re too fancy.”
“I’m not anybody’s mother. Yet.” Hannah smiled at the child, even as something a little sad quivered through her. “But one day I hope to be a lot of somebodies’ mother.”
Molly giggled. “Me, too. Someday.”
Hannah joined in the child’s laughter, feeling the tension ease out of her with the gesture.
Just then, a clap of thunder sounded in the distance.
Molly looked to the heavens, scrunched her face into a frown and marched back to Pastor Beau. “Well?” Her fists returned to her hips and her foot started tapping on the ground. “Are you playing or not?”
“Molly, honey,” Marc said in a practical voice. “I think you’re going to get rained on very shortly.”
The little girl’s face fell. “But—”
“Not to worry.” Hannah rose to her feet and tappedMolly on the shoulder to get her attention. “I know several games we can play inside.”
Molly’s eyes lit up. “You do?”
Hannah nodded, then looked at the approaching clouds. The breeze had grown still, and the sharp, pungent odor of rain pulsated in the air. “I’ll teach one of them to you later.”
“That sounds nice.”
But clearly, Molly Taylor Scott was made of very stern stuff. She wasn’t relenting without a fight. “Come on, Pastor Beau.” She grabbed his hand and tugged. “Before it rains.”
Beau lifted an eyebrow at Hannah as though seeking her permission. He looked so sweet standing there with the child’s hand gripped gently in his.
He’ll make a great father.
Now where did that thought come from?
“Go on,” she said, more than a little touched by the picture the two made. “We can talk to her father after the game.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“I know.” Her heart punched two solid thumps against her ribs. “Thank you for that.”
Opening his mouth to speak, the pastor shifted his weight toward Hannah, but Molly tugged on him again. “Let’s go.”
“I think I’ll join you,” Marc said. Pausing a moment, he angled his head toward Hannah. “It was nice to meet you, Miss Southerland.”
“You, too, Mr. Dupree.”
As Marc followed behind the other two, Laney let outa loud sigh. “Five years of marriage, and I never get tired of looking at that man.”
“Sounds like love to me.”
“That it is.”
The other woman’s face glowed as she spoke, and Hannah felt her earlier sense of yearning grow more powerful. Home. Safety. Permanence. Until now, Hannah hadn’t realized how much she craved all three. The years of traveling from stage to stage were obviously taking their toll. Hopefully one day she would find her own place in the world.
“You’re very fortunate to have found such love,” Hannah said on a soft whisper choked with emotion.
“You have no idea. I’ll tell you the story someday.” She tilted her face toward the incoming clouds. “For now, let’s head inside. I’m sure some new drama is unfolding as we speak. Children.” Laney gave her an ironic grin. “I do so love their unpredictable ways.”
“Bless their impertinent souls,” Hannah said with a wink.
Laney burst out laughing. “My sentiments exactly.” Fastening their arms together, Laney steered them both toward the front steps. “Whatever your story is, Miss Hannah Southerland, I’ve decided to like you.”
Hannah smiled in mingled surprise and pleasure at the unexpected announcement. “Well, glory, because I’ve decided to like you right back.”
Chapter Six
A n hour later, Beau watched as dark, ominous clouds devoured the last patch of blue sky. Consecutive cracks of thunder traveled along the back end of a powerful wind. The earthy scent of rain filled the air. All of nature
“That’s right. I was named after her.”
Molly jammed two tiny fists on her hips and narrowed her eyes in pitch-perfect seven-year-old concentration. “You don’t look like anybody’s mama to me. You’re too fancy.”
“I’m not anybody’s mother. Yet.” Hannah smiled at the child, even as something a little sad quivered through her. “But one day I hope to be a lot of somebodies’ mother.”
Molly giggled. “Me, too. Someday.”
Hannah joined in the child’s laughter, feeling the tension ease out of her with the gesture.
Just then, a clap of thunder sounded in the distance.
Molly looked to the heavens, scrunched her face into a frown and marched back to Pastor Beau. “Well?” Her fists returned to her hips and her foot started tapping on the ground. “Are you playing or not?”
“Molly, honey,” Marc said in a practical voice. “I think you’re going to get rained on very shortly.”
The little girl’s face fell. “But—”
“Not to worry.” Hannah rose to her feet and tappedMolly on the shoulder to get her attention. “I know several games we can play inside.”
Molly’s eyes lit up. “You do?”
Hannah nodded, then looked at the approaching clouds. The breeze had grown still, and the sharp, pungent odor of rain pulsated in the air. “I’ll teach one of them to you later.”
“That sounds nice.”
But clearly, Molly Taylor Scott was made of very stern stuff. She wasn’t relenting without a fight. “Come on, Pastor Beau.” She grabbed his hand and tugged. “Before it rains.”
Beau lifted an eyebrow at Hannah as though seeking her permission. He looked so sweet standing there with the child’s hand gripped gently in his.
He’ll make a great father.
Now where did that thought come from?
“Go on,” she said, more than a little touched by the picture the two made. “We can talk to her father after the game.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“I know.” Her heart punched two solid thumps against her ribs. “Thank you for that.”
Opening his mouth to speak, the pastor shifted his weight toward Hannah, but Molly tugged on him again. “Let’s go.”
“I think I’ll join you,” Marc said. Pausing a moment, he angled his head toward Hannah. “It was nice to meet you, Miss Southerland.”
“You, too, Mr. Dupree.”
As Marc followed behind the other two, Laney let outa loud sigh. “Five years of marriage, and I never get tired of looking at that man.”
“Sounds like love to me.”
“That it is.”
The other woman’s face glowed as she spoke, and Hannah felt her earlier sense of yearning grow more powerful. Home. Safety. Permanence. Until now, Hannah hadn’t realized how much she craved all three. The years of traveling from stage to stage were obviously taking their toll. Hopefully one day she would find her own place in the world.
“You’re very fortunate to have found such love,” Hannah said on a soft whisper choked with emotion.
“You have no idea. I’ll tell you the story someday.” She tilted her face toward the incoming clouds. “For now, let’s head inside. I’m sure some new drama is unfolding as we speak. Children.” Laney gave her an ironic grin. “I do so love their unpredictable ways.”
“Bless their impertinent souls,” Hannah said with a wink.
Laney burst out laughing. “My sentiments exactly.” Fastening their arms together, Laney steered them both toward the front steps. “Whatever your story is, Miss Hannah Southerland, I’ve decided to like you.”
Hannah smiled in mingled surprise and pleasure at the unexpected announcement. “Well, glory, because I’ve decided to like you right back.”
Chapter Six
A n hour later, Beau watched as dark, ominous clouds devoured the last patch of blue sky. Consecutive cracks of thunder traveled along the back end of a powerful wind. The earthy scent of rain filled the air. All of nature
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