Thankful by Shelley Shepard Gray Page A

I’m talking about the real reason. Not the one you just told us all.”
    â€œI just told you the real reason. Honestly, Christina. Don’t make this into anything more than it is.”
    She hated when he adopted that smart, know-it-all tone! She was about to throw up her hands in frustration and leave the room when she took a better look at him. He’d looked bemused, but now there was the barest hint of wariness in his gaze.
    She realized her instincts had been right. He was hiding something. “I still get the sense that there’s another reason you are suddenly so eager to leave. A secret one.”
    He leaned back and his expression turned guarded. “You sound mighty sure of yourself.”
    â€œI am. What is it? Have you met someone while working at the hospital that you want to be courting?”
    His eyebrows rose. “You think I’ve met someone?”
    He looked so horrified, she felt embarrassed. But not enough to take her words back. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. And as I said, you are the right age to be courting someone seriously. And as I said, a lot of men your age are married.”
    â€œThat is true.” He reached up and rubbed a knot out of his shoulder. “Um, actually, I have been interested in someone.”
    â€œYou have?” Oh, but this conversation was getting worse and worse. It was a struggle to keep a calm, peaceful expression.
    â€œOh, jah .” He glanced at her briefly, then looked away, suddenly interested in a small cut on one of his knuckles. “It’s not serious or anything. But I definitely have had my eye on this lady.”
    Lady? “So, um, did you meet her at the hospital?”
    â€œI did.” He paused before looking at her directly in the eye. “I met her a few weeks ago, as a matter of fact.”
    â€œYou never said anything.”
    â€œChristina, you know why I didn’t. Your parents would have asked me a thousand questions. Plus, with her being English and all . . .”
    She felt devastated. Completely devastated. “What is her name?”
    â€œName? Ah, why is that important?”
    Because she wanted to know everything about the woman who was taking Aden from her! But of course she couldn’t say that. Instead, she tried her best to act calm, cool, and collected. “Oh, no reason. I was just curious. I mean, I might have met her at the inn or something.” A sick feeling settled in her stomach. Gosh, had he gone and fallen in love with someone she knew? She didn’t know too many English girls, but she did know a couple.
    She gulped. “Have I met her? Do I know her?”
    â€œ Nee! I mean, I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t have.”
    â€œAden, are you going to tell me her name?”
    â€œI am definitely not.”
    â€œI promise I won’t say anything to anyone.”
    â€œWhich is all the more reason that you don’t need to know anything more about my private life.” Standing up, he treated her to a look that was definitely a little bit full of himself. Definitely a little bit too smug. “I simply don’t need my sister poking her nose into my business.”
    As she watched him leave, Christina had to forcefully remind herself to close her mouth and not stare after him like a fool.
    But it was difficult to do.
    After all, today was the first day she could ever remember hearing him call her his sister.
    And now that she had heard it? She didn’t care for the sound of it. Not one bit.
    I hope everyone won’t be too shocked when we tell them our news, Ben,” Judith said as they walked toward the front door of her parents’ house.
    â€œOh, they’re going to be shocked,” Ben replied in that confident way of his. “And they’re going to have lots to say, too.”
    â€œYou think so?” They really didn’t have time for a long, involved discussion. There were too many things to