While Love Stirs (22 page)

26

All Charlotte wanted to do was wash her face, crawl into a warm bed, and sleep for a year. But when she opened the front door, she found herself surrounded by family members with more questions than a curious six-year-old.

While still standing in the foyer, she gave them a brief explanation of the evening’s events, which only seemed to fuel more inquiries.

“I think Charlotte would rather answer all your questions in the morning.” Joel glanced down at her. “It’s been a long day for both of us.”

“And it’s getting longer and longer and longer.” Tessa yawned.

“I think Dr. Brooks is right.” Lincoln wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “You can come back in the morning to cross-examine your sister.”

Hannah nodded. “At least let me help her get to bed.”

“You want to tuck her in?” Tessa rolled her eyes.

Even a well-honed glare from Hannah didn’t stop her youngest sister from giggling.

“I’m going up right now to draw her bath.” Hannah paused at the doorway. “Coming, Tessa?”

“Good night, gentlemen. Looks like I’m on lullaby duty.” Tessa took Charlotte’s hand. “Time for beddy-bye, Lottie love.”

Charlotte cleared her throat.

“Oh.” Exaggerated realization exploded on Tessa’s face. “You want to tell Dr. Brooks goodbye without an audience. Don’t be shy. Just tell Lincoln. He’ll understand.”

Lincoln came to the rescue. “I think she wants us
both
to leave.” He pressed his hand to Tessa’s back and led the grumbling girl out of the foyer.

Charlotte looked up into Joel’s dark-rimmed eyes. Exhaustion etched his dirt-smudged face. His white shirt, with the sleeves still rolled up to his elbows, was beyond repair.

She slipped his coat off and handed it to him. “Thank you—for everything.”

“As strange as this may sound, Charlotte, I truly enjoyed our day together.” For the first time since she’d met him, his voice lacked its usual air of authority. It sounded almost vulnerable.

“Up until the tornado?”

“After it too.” He held her gaze for several seconds, then said good night, closing the door behind him.

Charlotte leaned against the hall table and waited for her pulse to stop hammering. Her emotions swirled. She felt so safe with him, but was she again falling for a man who would want to make decisions for her?

She drew in a deep breath and pressed a hand to her chest. That tornado had done more than strike a couple of buildings. It had stirred things up inside—feelings that scared her witless.

Bubbles surrounded her. Charlotte leaned back, closed her eyes, and let the warm water ease her aching muscles. Ah, heaven.

She felt someone staring at her. Opening her eyes, she found Tessa sitting on a stool with her elbows propped on her knees. “What was worse—the tornado or being stuck with Dr. Brooks all night?”

“Tessa!” Charlotte sat up, splashing water out of the tub. “Joel was a perfect gentleman.”

“Joel?” Hannah stepped into the bathroom and placed a fresh nightgown on the hook behind the door. “You’re on a first-name basis? I wasn’t aware you and the doctor had become friendly.”

“I wouldn’t say they’re friendly.” Tessa sat back. “They fight like Grant and Lee.”

“She’s exaggerating, Hannah.” Charlotte scrubbed her face with a washcloth. “Dr. Brooks and I have talked a little. That’s all. And for your information, Tessa, except for the tornado, we had a pleasant evening.” Charlotte flicked suds at the youngest Gregory girl’s cheek.

“You know this means war.” Tessa scooped up a handful of suds and let them fly in Charlotte’s direction. She fired another handful at Hannah.

“Hey, what was that for?” Hannah held her hands out in shock.

“Payback.” Tessa giggled.

“For what?”

“Pacing insufferably until Charlotte came home.”

“Why, you little—” Hannah gathered a handful of suds and aimed them at Tessa. The suds war was on.

Puffs of white flew back and forth in the soapy exchange of volleys. Within minutes, all three sisters were drenched. Hannah and Tessa sat on the floor with their knees pulled up to their chins, and Charlotte settled back in the bath.

Hannah sighed. “I’m sure glad you’re home safe, Lottie.”

Tears suddenly pricked Charlotte’s eyes. Her heart swelled with an indescribable love for her sisters. Tonight she’d come much too close to never seeing either of them again. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I love both of you. With all my heart. I need you to know that because you never know when you might not get the chance to say it again.”

“Enough sappy stuff.” Hannah held out a towel. “You’re getting all pruney in there, and Dr. Brooks will never fall in love with a pruney, wrinkly woman.”

“Fall in love?” Tessa stood up. “She’ll be lucky if they can fall
in
like
. When there aren’t any tornadoes around to spin them silly, they can’t be in a room together without a war breaking out.”

Charlotte toweled dry and slipped into the fresh gown. Tessa had a point. Tonight wasn’t a regular situation. Tomorrow, when the real world returned, would she and Joel go back to mixing like oil and vinegar? And what should she do about dear, sweet Lewis?

Why did babies always have to arrive in the middle of the night? Joel stretched his arms over his head and pushed his palms toward the hospital’s ceiling. He should be grateful Mrs. Anderson hadn’t delivered on Saturday night after he’d gotten home from Lake Minnetonka. At least this baby waited until early Monday morning to make an appearance.

Very early.

He sat down at his desk and opened Mrs. Anderson’s file. He’d make his notes and then head home to catch a few more hours of sleep.

The words blurred on the page before him. A few minutes of rest was all he needed to reenergize. He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. Was Charlotte recovering from their ordeal any better than he?

After church services on Sunday, he’d checked on Knute to make sure he’d gotten home safely, and then he’d telephoned Charlotte to see if she was all right. Tessa said her sister decided to take a nap right after Sunday services. Too bad he hadn’t followed her example. He wished he’d been able to talk to her in person, but he wasn’t sure what he’d say right now.

This morning the preacher had talked about how God’s plans were often quite different from those of man. What verse had he quoted? Something from Proverbs? “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the L
ORD
directeth his steps.”

With a prayer on his lips, he felt sleep begin to claim him.
Lord,
my heart hasn’t made the best plans in the
past, so I need you to establish my steps.

Was someone in her room? Charlotte thought she’d heard a floorboard creak, but she didn’t want to open her eyes to find out. Finally she lifted one eyelid.

“’Bout time you woke up.” Tessa spread the curtains wide, and sunlight spilled into the room. “You’d better hurry up and get dressed. We have work to do. I’ve got everything planned.”

Charlotte rolled onto her back and moaned. Whenever Tessa planned something, there was bound to be trouble. “What’s going on?”

“Aunt Sam wants to come downstairs and sit in the garden or even the parlor, but that awful Nurse Pierce won’t let her.” She placed her hands on the footboard and leaned over it. “However, Nurse Pierce is going to visit her family this morning, so we’re going to spring Aunt Sam from her bedroom prison.”

Tossing back the covers, Charlotte sat up and swung her legs out of the bed. “If Nurse Pierce doesn’t think Aunt Sam is ready for the stairs, then maybe she isn’t.”

Tessa rolled her eyes and propped her tiny hands on her hips. “Think about it. As long as Aunt Sam is kept in that room, she needs a nurse to care for her. I tell you, this is all part of that woman’s plan to keep her job. Can you think of a better job than caring for a not terribly sick woman who lives in a house like this? Besides, what harm could there be in Aunt Sam coming down the stairs?”

Charlotte slid her feet into slippers and tossed on a wrapper. “Go. Let me get dressed and have some coffee. Then maybe—and I mean maybe—I’ll consider your covert operation.”

Half an hour later, Charlotte met Tessa upstairs. She found Aunt Sam, dressed in a lavender morning dress, sitting in a comfortable armchair.

“Lottie, come on in.” Tessa motioned her close. “See? Aunt Sam is ready to go. She even wore a dress in case of callers.”

“Aunt Sam, was this your idea or Tessa’s?”

The older woman squeezed Tessa’s hand. “I believe we worked it out together. I am quite tired of staring at these four walls, and when Tessa began telling me about the lilacs and tulips blooming in the garden, I decided it was time for a change.” She frowned. “And before you start saying we should wait to speak with Dr. Brooks, may I remind you I’ve been up here for more than two weeks now.”

Charlotte looked from Tessa to Aunt Sam. If something happened to Aunt Sam, she’d never forgive herself, but two weeks was a long time. And if Aunt Sam wanted to do something, she’d find a way with or without their help.

She sighed. “Oh, all right, but on one condition—you have to let Tessa and me help you.”

“If you must.” Aunt Sam moved forward in her chair. “Let’s get moving, ladies.”