it up,” he said, and felt like a heel. The worst part was that he liked her more than ever.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Despite the strain in her voice, Leah seemed relieved. What was going on with her?
Her willingness to withdraw so readily bothered him, for practical as well as intuitive reasons. Although accustomed to being an outsider, Will hoped things would be different in Downhome, for his daughters’ sake. He certainly didn’t mean to alienate their teacher. “As for India and Diane…”
“What’s between us has nothing to do with them,” she answered sharply. “They’re wonderful children. I enjoy having them in my class, and I’m glad to see that they’re already forming friendships.”
Will was pleased, because he didn’t relish the prospect of trying to find another school, possibly many miles away. And he knew he wouldn’t find a better teacher. “That’s fine. They love being in your class.”
Leah glanced around edgily. She’d shown courage in coming here, Will reflected. This meeting must be, at least, as hard on her as on him.
He reached out and touched her hand. When she didn’t object, he took it in his, noting how small and firm it was.
Will had a sudden, inexplicable urge to protect this woman, but against what? Or, more likely, whom, if not himself? “I’m sorry it came to this,” he said. “You seem like a decent person. I guess we both acted uncharacteristically.”
When she faced him, moisture glinted in her eyes. “Yes, well, it’s a real mess, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily.” He didn’t see the problem, as long as both of them remained discreet and kept their emotions under guard.
She pulled away without making a fuss. “It’s important that we go our own ways and that nobody hears a breath about this. Not your housekeeper. Not anyone.”
“Okay.” Although he shared her viewpoint, he didn’t understand the urgency. The woman definitely had other matters on her mind, but they concerned her personal history. “Wait!”
She glanced at him inquisitively.
From an end table, Will fetched the marking pen he’d discovered in one of his pockets. “I borrowed this from your desk and forgot to put it back.”
Leah took it with a wry smile. “Always relieved to get one of these back. I buy writing utensils by the boxcar. Usually, it’s the kids who swipe them, though, not the parents.”
“A bad habit of mine, I’m afraid.” One of Will’s former colleagues had threatened to chain a pen around his neck so he’d stop taking hers.
Leah opened the front door. “Don’t show the photos to anyone for a while, including the girls. They might ask how you came by them.”
“Right.” He made a mental note to store them in his desk drawer. Mrs. McNulty took care not to poke around his home office in case he brought home confidential information.
Leah peered outside. “Looks like the coast’s clear. Good night, Dr. Rankin.”
“Good night, Miss Morris.” He watched her hurry down the walkway. Apparently, she’d parked around the corner, because she strode off until the darkness closed around her. A wise precaution, given the risk of gossip.
The men in this town must have cotton in their heads, Will mused as he went inside. A woman that appealing and intelligent should have her pick of boyfriends. Instead, for reasons he still didn’t comprehend, she’d gone to Texas and tried to capture something—love or excitement, maybe—with a stranger.
Too bad, she’d picked the wrong one.
For a painful beat, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He’d always dreamed of marrying a soul mate, of sharing his life with someone who understood him in ways no one else did.
But if that kind of relationship existed, he doubted he’d ever find it. Nor, he supposed, did he really want to try. The fallout from his marriage had been too bitter.
Will paced through the house to look in on his girls. Wearing angelic expressions in sleep, each daughter curled to face her twin across the gap between their beds. Diane cradled her favorite doll, while India had piled so many stuffed animals on her bed that it was a wonder she found room to move.
As always, the sight of the twins restored his spirits. With them, as with no one else, he’d made a deeply human connection. It was all he needed.
Yet they couldn’t stay babies forever. Stealing another peek at the new photos, Will noticed that Leah had caught the twins at the very beginning stage of making new friends. One step at a time, they were separating from each other and, he supposed, from him.
A little disconcerted that it was Leah Morris who’d awakened him to this transition, Will went to put the photos in a safe place.
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