wasn’t even certain she’d said amen until Kelly rose.
“I love you, Sadie Lady.” He bent and hugged the little girl, inhaling the soft fragrance of her shampoo. His heart stopped for a minute when she squeezed her arms around his neck and held on tight, as if she was afraid to let go in case he disappeared. “Sleep tight, darlin’.” He kissed her forehead.
“Love you, Uncle Sam,” she murmured on the back side of a yawn and let go.
“Good night, Emma, my gem.” The child’s frequent silences worried him, but for now Sam stuffed that away to give her an extralong hug. “I love you, sweetheart. Sleep well.”
“G’night, Uncle Sam,” she breathed.
He waited at the door while Kelly said her good-nights, noting the affection in her voice and how her brown eyes softened as she touched each girl’s cheek with her lips. His heart breathed a sigh of relief that the three had bonded so quickly. If only he could persuade Kelly to stick around...
With one last good-night, Sam flicked on a night-light, ushered Kelly into the hallway and eased the door almost closed. He followed Kelly to the empty living room and sat opposite her in his brother’s recliner, glad that both their parents had gone elsewhere. He was too tired to play mediator tonight.
“You’re worried about something, Sam.” Kelly studied him with a grave look marring her lovely face. “Can I help?”
“I’m concerned about Emma,” he confessed, liking that she cared enough to ask.
“She’s a very quiet child,” Kelly agreed thoughtfully.
“Too quiet. She wasn’t always, though. It’s only since Marina and Jake died that she’s started this—I don’t know what to call it. Whispering?” He rubbed the cord in his neck that was painfully tight. “I have a hunch it has to do with something she’s worried about but since—well, lately she hasn’t been confiding like she used to.” He had a sudden thought. “You’ve already built a rapport with the girls. Maybe you could find out.”
“You think Emma will confide in me, a stranger, when she doesn’t tell you or her grandparents what’s bothering her?” Kelly’s face revealed her skepticism.
“You and Marina were twins. Jake and I were, too.” Sam remembered times when Jake had dashed into something when Sam himself would have thought about it more carefully before acting. “You and I know there’s usually one twin who’s more dominant.”
“And that’s Sadie, obviously.” Kelly frowned. “Are you suggesting that if I spent some time with Emma away from Sadie, she might talk?” He nodded. “I can give it a try.”
“Thanks.” Sam couldn’t shake the question hanging in the air so he faced it head-on. “What’s the deal between you and your mother?” From the way Kelly flushed and avoided his gaze, he knew she didn’t want to discuss it.
“I’m so sorry you had to witness that.” Shame colored her voice, showed in the slump of her shoulders. “I guess she’s still angry with me.”
“Why?” Sam waited, wondering at the myriad emotions that stormed across Kelly’s face. “You can tell me, Kelly. I won’t judge. But I won’t pry, either.”
“Actually, I don’t want to talk about it,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze. “Suffice it to say I was never the daughter she wanted.”
“What’s that mean?” Confused by her words, Sam wanted to know more, but the pain on Kelly’s face told him that whatever had happened so long ago still hurt her.
“My mother has some strict beliefs about parenting and especially obedience.” Kelly summoned a smile but there was no mirth in it. “Marina managed to heed her orders, but I always wanted to know why.” She made a face. “I guess I’m a late bloomer, because it’s only lately that I’ve begun to accept that I can’t always know the why of things.”
“Actually, you and Marina sound a lot like Sadie and Emma.” Sam smiled at her surprise.
“I guess we were.” Kelly sighed. “You have to know that I loved my sister very much. She was everything I wanted to be. Only I couldn’t be her, and that caused problems so I stayed away.”
Sam heard a finality in that response, so he didn’t press for answers. There would be time for that later. Instead, he asked a question he’d carried for almost ten years. “How did you happen to fall for my brother?”
Kelly’s head jerked up. She gaped at him. “You knew?”
“Those puppy-dog looks you shot his way when you thought I wasn’t looking sort of gave it away. To me,” he added on seeing her worried look. “If it makes you feel better, I doubt anyone else guessed you loved Jake back then.”
Odd, Sam thought, how that old tickle of envy for his brother’s easy draw of females ruffled his feelings even now, and he barely knew Kelly, especially after ten years.
“Jake was a friend when I really needed one.” Kelly’s smile chased away the sorrow that lingered and emphasized her loveliness. Sam’s heart gave a bump of admiration that he quickly stifled. “We were both young, away from home for the first time and mixed up about our faith. We were in the same classes at Bible school, and we helped each other sort out what we believed. We had fun together.”
“And you fell in love with him,” Sam reminded.
“Yes. Or I persuaded myself that I did.”
Why did Kelly’s words send a flush of relief through him? Sam didn’t pause to examine that now. “So you didn’t love Jake?”
“I don’t know. I’d never been in love before.” Kelly’s forehead furrowed as she thought over her answer. “My mother was pushing me hard to become a missionary, and Jake helped me see that giving in to her wasn’t necessarily what God wanted for me.” She shot him a rueful smile. “Sometimes I think Jake’s major attraction back then was that I believed he’d help me escape those arguments with my mom.”
“Instead, he fell for your sister.” Relieved to note Kelly’s simple nod, Sam decided she didn’t seem to be nursing any lingering feelings. “So if you weren’t still mooning over Jake, why not come back earlier?”
“I can’t talk about it now.” Her voice tightened as she said, “All I can say is that I stayed away because that’s what my mother wanted.” Her eyes suddenly welled with tears. “But Marina was my sister. I had to come now.”
“Of course you did,” Sam soothed, deeply moved by her distress. “I’m glad you’re here, Kelly. We need you here. All of us.”
“You’re a really nice man, Sam. Thank you for saying that.” She dashed away the tears. “I’ll try to help however I can. I want to ensure Marina’s kids end up with you as their father.”
“But you hardly know me,” he protested, though flattered by her words.
“I think I know you very well.” Kelly studied him, a faint smile tugging at her mobile lips. “Working on a cruise ship, you learn to sum up people pretty quickly. I can see you’ll be an amazing father. It’s obvious you love the kids, so I know your concern will be for them first, last and always.”
