Brought Together by Baby

“I would like to tell her that. God’s love and sacrifice are the greatest free gifts known, or unknown in many cases, to man.”

Impatience with her father’s sermonizing flashed through Rachel, and right behind it, shame. Her father was sincere in his faith. That she didn’t share it wasn’t his fault. In fact, there was the occasional moment when she wished she shared his trust in God.

She glanced at Eli, wondering if her father’s easy mention of God created discomfort in him as well.

He was looking down at his hands, his expression serious as he rubbed the fingers of one hand over the back of the other, again and again. It was then she noticed the long jagged scar that ran from the knuckle of his pinky to the base of his thumb. It was white and puckered, as if it had been poorly stitched. She wondered if he’d gotten it riding his motorcycle.

At that moment he looked up at her, giving her a languid look that she was sure most women would find a challenge. She just found it annoying.

“Here’s your cake, dear.” Beatrice held out a large foam container.

“This is half of it,” Rachel exclaimed, weighing it in her hand.

“Your father and I won’t eat it—you may as well take it home.”

“Looks like chocolate cake is on the menu for my next few meals.”

“Honey, no.” Beatrice frowned and was about to take it away from her.

“No, you don’t.” Rachel winked at her mother as she pulled the container out of reach. “Don’t worry. I’m just kidding. I’ll have a piece tonight and take the rest to work. I’m sure Reuben and Lorna will be fighting over it.”

“Just make sure you do that,” Beatrice warned. “Now give me a kiss and you better get going.”

Rachel gave her mother a quick hug and a kiss, then bent over to do the same with Charles and Gracie.

Before she left, Rachel risked a glance at Eli. Her cheeks warmed when his eyes snagged hers. He was fifty feet away, but even across that distance his gaze felt as real as a touch.

As she walked to her car she shook the feeling off. Basic chemistry. That was all. He was good looking; they were both single.

Only, she wasn’t looking. She thought she’d made that clear to her parents when she moved back here. Guess it was time for the classic mother-daughter chat. In reverse.

Rachel stifled a yawn as she opened the file of the next item on the agenda. The meeting last night with LaReese Binet had taken too long and yielded too little.

“And how are we sitting on the dream home program for the children’s hospital?” she asked Lorna as she glanced through the file. The Noble Foundation took care of some of the hospital’s fund-raising activities, and next to the annual celebrity dinner and ball, this was their premier fund-raiser.

“I’ve got the mock-ups done on the brochures.” Lorna Kirkpatrick laid the papers on the low cherry-wood table between them. “The construction company was concerned about the placement of the name and logo, so I modified it. I hope it’s what you want.”

Rachel glanced over the brochure, frowning as she leaned back in the leather couch. “This blue is too flat.” Rachel circled the block of color behind the lettering, “And I’d like this yellow intensified. I’ll call them and let them know.”

“Why don’t you let me take care of that?” Lorna said.

“Thanks, Lorna, but I know exactly what I want to see.” Lorna nodded, but Rachel could see she wasn’t happy with the decision.

“Anything else you want me to do for now?” Lorna asked.

“You can see how Zoe and Hamilton are doing with the fund-raising for Nagy’s golf tournament. See if they need some help.”

Rachel laid her the papers with the changes on them on her desk and turned to Reuben as Lorna left the office. He didn’t look as if he had spent most of last night over endless cups of coffee convincing a finicky, elderly lady to wait with her donation while they did some background work on her charity of the day. “I imagine it’s a bit early to expect anything from you, Reuben.”

“Au contraire.” Reuben bent over and pulled a sheaf of papers out of his leather briefcase. “This is rough for now, but I printed this off their Web site…” He handed them to her. “I did some phoning around and got this from a source.” More papers. “And I had a personal chat with the head of the organization just before the meeting.”

Where did he get his energy? Rachel got tired just thinking about all he had accomplished after their meeting with LaReese.

“This is great, Reuben. Our next step is to check their charitable donation status and, if we can, get a copy of their mission statement and do some deeper background work on them.”

“Consider it done.” Reuben flashed a smile. “And while I’m at it, I thought I would check out a couple of other possible places, just to see what might interest her. Lorna has been looking, as well.”

Rachel frowned at him. “If LaReese gives her money to the Foundation, we have more than enough places that the money can go. I would like us to work with what we have. We’ll connect again as necessary.”

As Rachel pushed herself up from the couch, taking a moment to button up her suit jacket, Lorna buzzed her. Her mother was on the line.

“Thanks again, Reuben,” Rachel said before she picked up the handset. “For someone who has come on board only recently, you have done exceptional work.”

He gave her a nod, then turned and strode out of the office.

Rachel walked around her desk to drop into the large leather chair behind it. “Hello, Mother,” she said into the phone, “what can I do for you?”

“So businesslike.”

“Considering it’s your business I’m running, you should be pleased.” Rachel spun her chair around, looking out over the skyline of Chestnut Grove.

“Honey, I’m always pleased with you. You know that.”

“The chocolate cake was really good. Reuben and Lorna send their thanks.”

“I’m glad to know you shared it. But I have a favor to ask of you. Your grandfather wants us to come to Vermont in a couple of weeks, but I don’t dare take Gracie along quite yet. Would you be willing to baby-sit?”

Rachel clutched the phone. Willing? Maybe. Capable? No. “When would that be?” she asked, turning around to check her appointment book. Please let there be a conflict. Please.

“The last weekend of the month.”

Bingo. Charity fund-raiser. Big deal. Big celebrities.

“Sorry, Mom. I’m booked up.”

“Oh, dear. That was the only weekend your grandfather can have us.” She sighed lightly. “And I can’t leave Gracie with just anybody. She’s too fragile yet.”

So why would you leave her with me?

“Why don’t you talk to Dr. Eli about your predicament,” Rachel suggested. “Surely he could recommend a private nursing agency or something similar?”

“Eli stressed that Gracie stay with someone familiar, especially because Gracie’s natural mother was so casual with her care.”

She shouldn’t feel guilty, Rachel thought. It wasn’t her idea that her parents take this child on. And it wasn’t her fault that Gracie made her feel incompetent and helpless. Two feelings she had promised herself she would never allow to take over her life again.

“However, if you can’t take care of her, then you can’t,” her mother continued. “I’m sure Eli would know where we could bring Gracie.”

“I’m sure he would,” Rachel agreed, relief flooding her.