to men, all it took to reduce her to a flushed mess was an offer to walk her home. Drawing her spine straighter, she pushed her chin in the air. “Thank you, but I can find my own way. I’ll meet you outside the hotel tomorrow morning for our trip to Mr. Hartley’s farm. Good night.”
Without giving him the chance to insist and wear down her already weak defenses, Cecilia turned on her heel and walked away from the school and the distractingly handsome placing agent.
* * *
Simon stared after Cecilia until he realized he was standing in the middle of the street with his mouth open. Her refusal of his genuine offer stung more than he would have expected. Was it his company that made her walk away or had his thoughtfulness in some way offended her?
Making his way back to the hotel, Simon’s mind retraced the events of the day. Had he done anything during those hours together that might have upset her? He gave up long before he arrived at the Thomas House. He hadn’t had the best attitude that day. Or the night before. Any of his words in their short acquaintance could have hurt her feelings.
A stab of guilt hit his stomach at the realization. Cecilia had been kind and helpful. He could tell that she cared about the orphans. And he had treated her the same way he tended to treat most people when she deserved better. Deep down, Simon guessed his gruffness was a reaction to the judgment he usually faced when people found out about his childhood. But Cecilia hadn’t responded with the contempt or suspicion he was used to. She had to think he was being mean on purpose. And, oddly enough, that bothered him. He hardly knew her, but he found that he cared about what she thought of him.
Forcing the guilt into a corner of his mind, Simon tried to go on with his evening. He started to write down some of his impressions of the placing out for his reports. But worry about how the children were getting along with their new families plagued him all night, which didn’t improve his mood for the next day.
He ate breakfast in a hurry so he had a few minutes to sit and pray while he waited for Cecilia outside the hotel. But his time alone was cut short. Her brother-in-law, Jake, approached Simon’s bench before he got far into his list of prayers for each child.
The man stuck out a hand with a wide smile. “I saw you yesterday, but we weren’t introduced. Jake Hadley, Spring Hill’s physician. I saw you sitting here and couldn’t resist the chance to welcome you to Spring Hill.”
There was no choice but to respond to the greeting in kind, no matter how much Simon wished for quiet. Simon shook the doctor’s hand while examining his fine suit and expensive-looking leather case. “Simon McKay. Nice to meet you, Doctor.”
“Oh, Jake is fine.” Without waiting for an invitation, Jake dropped next to Simon on the bench.
So much for some quiet reflection to put himself in a better mood.
Wondering when the doctor would get to his purpose, Simon let his gaze roam over the landscape visible beyond the close-set buildings. The rolling hills covered in yellowing grass were peaceful in a way. Simon had been surprised by how comfortable he felt out here after spending his life in New York City.
After a few long moments of awkward silence, he decided that if the doctor wasn’t going to move on and leave him alone, he might as well ask after Charles. “How was the first night with a new child under your roof?”
Jake snorted, catching Simon off guard. “Charles is a wily one, isn’t he? I think he’s a bit afraid to let us get close to him and I can understand that. We hope that once he realizes nothing he does will make us get rid of him, he’ll settle down and open up.”
Simon sagged back against the bench as the words brought a burst of admiration and relief. Jake seemed to have a good handle on what Charles was feeling and what he needed. Much more than Simon would have expected. Maybe Cecilia was right about this family being a good fit for the boy. “I’m pleased to hear you say that. And I...well, thank you. For taking Charles.” Simon didn’t know whether to go on or not as emotion thickened his throat.
But the doctor saved him the trouble. “You know, it took me a long time to come to terms with adopting our twins. When their parents died in a cholera outbreak, Coralee and I worked for months to find a family that would take them. We weren’t married yet and I couldn’t imagine how it would ever be possible for me to keep those children. But God arranged it all so everything fell right into place. The four of us are happier now than we could have dreamed.”
Pushing up from the bench, Jake slapped Simon on the shoulder as he continued. “I believe God arranged for Charles to come to us, too, so I’m confident it will work out in the end. And I’m sure there’s a reason you’re here, too. Now, I’m glad I got a chance to talk to you, but I need to get to the clinic. I’ll see you later.”
Simon said goodbye and watched the doctor head down the street. What was it about Jake’s confident faith that was so striking? Simon believed in God and he prayed for the children he worked with often. But Jake was so certain that God was in control of everything. Simon wasn’t sure he had that much faith. He had seen too many cases where God could have stepped in and fixed a horrible situation, but He hadn’t.
Cecilia’s voice next to him startled Simon out of his deep thoughts. “Was that Jake I saw leaving?”
Turning to her, he was struck by her flawless skin and the way her eyes glowed in the bright morning light. With great effort, he forced the awareness of her away. He couldn’t let himself get attached to a woman in some frontier town when he would head back to New York in a matter of weeks. In spite of his determination to be nicer to her, the conflicting feelings made his words come out sharper than he intended. “Yes, it was. He said things went well with Charles last night.”
Her smile faded, sending another rush of guilt through him.
“That’s wonderful to hear. I know you have doubts, but I’m sure the other placements will turn out well, too. The people of Spring Hill are good and caring, on the whole.”
Praying she was right, Simon offered her his arm and led her to the street. “I guess we better be going. Here’s the buggy I rented for our ride out to Mr. Hartley’s farm. You know how to get there, right?”
Settling on the buggy seat, she nodded. “Yes, I do. I’ve never been to his farm, but one of my students lives nearby.”
Simon went to the other side of the vehicle and climbed in. As they started out of town, he focused his eyes on the rutted path in front of them. “Did I mention I taught school back home for a time?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. How long did you teach?”
“Two years. I enjoyed aspects of it, but I got restless too much of the time. I do much better when I can get out in the open now and then.”
Cecilia’s expression turned shuttered and her voice got quiet. “I can understand that. I’m not sure teaching is what I would have imagined doing when I was a girl. I love children, but being in the classroom all day, going over the same material every term, I feel...well, restless is a good word for it.”
Simon let his eyes rest on his lovely companion for a long moment. It was strange to think that a dislike for their teaching careers was what might connect them, but at that moment he felt a bond forming with her. Pulling his gaze away, Simon reminded himself that a feeling of connection was one thing. But letting his heart get involved in any way beyond that was not acceptable.
Clearing his throat,
