help you stay on top of things.”
“Good people leave just when you have them trained the way you want them.”
“Like Clarissa did?”
“Obviously. I think she transferred to the New York lab because she wanted to hide her pregnancy from me. But other promising people have left for various reasons, too.”
“You need to give them more responsibility. Stop trying to save the world all by yourself, man. It can’t be done. Besides, good people need to feel they have a stake in the outcome.”
“We’ve had this discussion before, Scott.”
“To no avail. But you’ll have to make some changes if you want to spend time with your son.”
Peter closed his eyes against a flash of Jake falling. “I let him fall today. He moved so quickly, I didn’t have time to react.”
“Is he all right?”
“Yes, but I’m sure the bump on the little guy’s head will impress his grandparents, especially when they learn I’m responsible for it. I should have anticipated his action. I’d seen him make a game of throwing himself with Jessie. Of course, she caught him. I should have.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Peter. It’s not like you’ve ever been around kids.”
“But it could have been serious. The amazing thing is that Jessie didn’t pounce on me. She doesn’t want me here. She’s made that abundantly clear. Yet, when Jakeaccused me of hurting him, Jessie defended me. She must have known if she didn’t come to my aid, the kid would never trust me again. Maybe he still won’t. But instead of blaming me, she promised to teach me how to take care of him.”
“Maybe she’s trying to protect the child.”
“That makes sense. She really loves him. She lights up like a Christmas tree with him.”
“She sounds like a wonderful, compassionate woman, Peter.”
“Yeah. She looks like Clarissa, but the resemblance ends there. Jessie’s soft, vulnerable. But with a core of steel, I’m finding out.” He remembered his discomfort when she offered to pray. What would Scott think of it? “She said she’d pray for you and me.”
“Did you thank her?”
Peter sighed. “I didn’t know what to say. Nobody’s offered to pray for me before.”
“Karen and I always pray for you.”
“What?” Peter shook his head. “You never told me that.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable with the idea.”
He was right about that. But at least, thanks to Scott, Peter now knew how to respond. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Too bad he couldn’t say he prayed for them…or that he knew how to pray at all, for that matter. “What should I do?”
“I’ve never been a father. What makes you think I can advise you on this?”
“You’ve been as close to a father as I’ve ever had. Nobody knows me better.”
“I know you won’t be able to live with yourself if you don’t do everything possible for that little boy. You’llhave to decide how much you need to be involved with him. What kind of dad do you want to be?”
Peter recognized the exhaustion in Scott’s voice. He had to let him get off the phone soon, but he’d never needed his wisdom more. “I want him to know he can count on me, no matter what.”
“That will take some serious relationship building.”
“Not my strong suit, I know. Not to mention the time.” Time he didn’t have.
“Are you considering bringing him to live with you?” Scott asked.
“I don’t know.” Straightening, Peter rolled his shoulders to get out the kinks. “That could take a court battle.”
“Not a happy prospect.”
“The worst.”
“Maybe you can work out something part-time with Jessie. Do you think she’d be willing to move to Madison so you can see more of him?”
Peter thought about it for a second. “I don’t know. Her family’s here. And she has her own business, a diner.”
“Maybe you can help her establish a business in Madison or in one of the towns nearby.”
That would make it possible for him to keep
“Good people leave just when you have them trained the way you want them.”
“Like Clarissa did?”
“Obviously. I think she transferred to the New York lab because she wanted to hide her pregnancy from me. But other promising people have left for various reasons, too.”
“You need to give them more responsibility. Stop trying to save the world all by yourself, man. It can’t be done. Besides, good people need to feel they have a stake in the outcome.”
“We’ve had this discussion before, Scott.”
“To no avail. But you’ll have to make some changes if you want to spend time with your son.”
Peter closed his eyes against a flash of Jake falling. “I let him fall today. He moved so quickly, I didn’t have time to react.”
“Is he all right?”
“Yes, but I’m sure the bump on the little guy’s head will impress his grandparents, especially when they learn I’m responsible for it. I should have anticipated his action. I’d seen him make a game of throwing himself with Jessie. Of course, she caught him. I should have.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Peter. It’s not like you’ve ever been around kids.”
“But it could have been serious. The amazing thing is that Jessie didn’t pounce on me. She doesn’t want me here. She’s made that abundantly clear. Yet, when Jakeaccused me of hurting him, Jessie defended me. She must have known if she didn’t come to my aid, the kid would never trust me again. Maybe he still won’t. But instead of blaming me, she promised to teach me how to take care of him.”
“Maybe she’s trying to protect the child.”
“That makes sense. She really loves him. She lights up like a Christmas tree with him.”
“She sounds like a wonderful, compassionate woman, Peter.”
“Yeah. She looks like Clarissa, but the resemblance ends there. Jessie’s soft, vulnerable. But with a core of steel, I’m finding out.” He remembered his discomfort when she offered to pray. What would Scott think of it? “She said she’d pray for you and me.”
“Did you thank her?”
Peter sighed. “I didn’t know what to say. Nobody’s offered to pray for me before.”
“Karen and I always pray for you.”
“What?” Peter shook his head. “You never told me that.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d be comfortable with the idea.”
He was right about that. But at least, thanks to Scott, Peter now knew how to respond. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.”
Too bad he couldn’t say he prayed for them…or that he knew how to pray at all, for that matter. “What should I do?”
“I’ve never been a father. What makes you think I can advise you on this?”
“You’ve been as close to a father as I’ve ever had. Nobody knows me better.”
“I know you won’t be able to live with yourself if you don’t do everything possible for that little boy. You’llhave to decide how much you need to be involved with him. What kind of dad do you want to be?”
Peter recognized the exhaustion in Scott’s voice. He had to let him get off the phone soon, but he’d never needed his wisdom more. “I want him to know he can count on me, no matter what.”
“That will take some serious relationship building.”
“Not my strong suit, I know. Not to mention the time.” Time he didn’t have.
“Are you considering bringing him to live with you?” Scott asked.
“I don’t know.” Straightening, Peter rolled his shoulders to get out the kinks. “That could take a court battle.”
“Not a happy prospect.”
“The worst.”
“Maybe you can work out something part-time with Jessie. Do you think she’d be willing to move to Madison so you can see more of him?”
Peter thought about it for a second. “I don’t know. Her family’s here. And she has her own business, a diner.”
“Maybe you can help her establish a business in Madison or in one of the towns nearby.”
That would make it possible for him to keep
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