“I’d like to speak to you about something.”
He scrubbed a hand wearily across his jaw and glanced at the door as if he could see through it to the children. He was silent so long she thought he would refuse. But after a moment he nodded. He didn’t so much sit as drop into the seat.
“If I understood what you said earlier, Chloe hasn’t always been deaf.”
He shook his head. “The explosion that killed their parents also stole her hearing.”
Janell’s hand flew to her throat. “Explosion!” She hadn’t heard that part of the story.
He leaned forward with his hands clasped on the table. “My apologies for blurting that out—I wasn’t thinking. Back in Elgin Springs everyone knows what happened.”
“No need for apologies. I can’t imagine what those children have been through.”
His smile was grim. “Fortunately, Chloe was in a separate room when it happened.” He looked down at his hands. “So she didn’t actually witness...” His jaw tightened and he raked a hand through his hair.
She impulsively placed her hand on his. “That much, at least, is a blessing.”
His hand stiffened under hers and she drew back, feeling her cheeks warm. Had she been too forward?
Blessing? Hank’s anger and grief threatened to erupt again. No, there wasn’t much about what had happened in this matter that he would consider a blessing. Not for him, and not for the kids.
A heartbeat later he realized Miss Whitman had read something of his feelings. But he could also tell by the flush rising in her cheeks that she’d misinterpreted the reason.
Because he hadn’t objected to her touch at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Now wasn’t the time to be thinking of that, though.
Even if she looked quite pretty with that warm color in her face.
Yes, Miss Whitman had definitely solidified her place on his list of candidates for wife.
“And what of Alex?”
The schoolteacher’s question pulled his focus back to the matter at hand. He was relieved to see she had already regained her composure. “Fortunately, Alex wasn’t at home when the explosion happened, so he didn’t receive any injuries.”
“No physical injuries, at least,” she amended. “I’m sure emotionally he’s hurting a great deal.”
He nodded. It was something he needed to keep reminding himself of since he tended to focus more on what Chloe had lost.
“As I mentioned earlier,” she continued, “I have experience with Chloe’s condition. My sister went deaf at the age of seventeen.”
He sat up straighter. Perhaps she could help. “How did it happen in her case?”
“Measles.”
He saw the sadness in her luminous eyes and felt the urge to comfort her. Instead, he kept the conversation on the issue at hand. “How did your sister handle it?”
“Not very well at first.” Her lips twisted wryly. “In fact, much the same way Chloe is handling it right now.”
“But she did get better.” Please let there be hope.
“She never regained her hearing. But she did eventually come to terms with what had happened. It took a lot of time, though, and a lot of work, both on her part and by all of us who love her.”
“So she’s fine now?”
Miss Whitman’s expression closed off for a moment. Then she seemed to shake off her melancholy. “Absolutely. For the last five years she’s been happily married. She now has two children and leads a very active life.”
Could he dare hope Chloe would turn out the same way? Right now that seemed an improbable dream. “But there’s a difference between an eighteen-year-old and a ten-year-old.”
“True.” She leaned forward, propping her forearms on the table. “But that doesn’t mean the same approach won’t work with Chloe.”
“You honestly think you can help her adjust?”
“I’m willing to try.” She gave him a direct look. “But it means work for you and Alex as well as Chloe.”
He’d figured as much. “Hard work doesn’t scare me.”
“Good. But first things first. You need to get them home and settled in.” She paused a moment, as if something had just occurred to her. “I assume you do have room in your home for them?”
“I do.” She certainly wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Must be the schoolteacher in her.
“Is there a separate room for each of them or do you plan to have them share?”
“There are two spare rooms.” At one time he’d thought to raise a family in that house. But that plan had been discarded years ago.
Hank mentally grimaced. It seemed he’d be raising a family there after all.
“Are the rooms ready for guests?” she asked, pressing on.
This time, her question got his back up. Sure, both rooms could use a more thorough cleaning. And the smaller one had become more storage room than bedroom over the years. But in his defense, he’d left in a hurry. And he’d thought Aunt Rowena would be here getting things ready.
Still, that really wasn’t any of her business. “Close enough for now,” he said. “And when I went home I stoked the stove and started a fire in the fireplace, so it should be nice and warm by the time I get the kids there.”
She nodded approval. “That was a thoughtful thing to do.” Then she turned solemn. “As for the rest, I understand this is a difficult time for you. And I’m certain Alex and Chloe will appreciate having a room of their own and a comfortable bed, regardless of the condition.”
“I’m glad you approve.” Hank didn’t bother to hide his irritation. It didn’t matter that the conclusion she’d jumped to was correct; she shouldn’t have made any assumptions about him in the first place.
Then he tamped down his ire. None of this was her fault and she was trying to help. “Actually, my aunt Rowena was supposed to come over from Clampton today and stay with us a couple of weeks. The plan was for her to arrive ahead of us and get the house ready for the kids, but she’s been delayed.”
“I can see why that would make you cross, and more than a little apprehensive. But a grown man such as yourself should be able to take care of the basic housekeeping required.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t. Time to get this conversation back under control. “What exactly did you do to help your sister
