What The Doctor Ordered

“Maanu Maanu,” the little girl said, and held her arms up.

Rachel bent over the small gate and lifted her daughter into her embrace. Kissing her on the forehead, she touched the child’s cheek to draw her attention to her mouth. “Mama. Mama has something for you.”

Turning, Rachel reached into the sack and pulled out the blanket, ratty blue but very much loved by her daughter.

“Bae ee.”

Rachel nodded, kissed her on the cheek and set her down. She added sign language to her words. “Go play, honey.”

Lindsay shook her head and tapped her fingers together.

“Mama will be back later. After nap time,” she said with a smile, doing what now came naturally and adding the signs for back later and after sleep.

Lindsay looked at her blocks in indecision until she saw Jeremy headed that way. Without a word, she turned and ran over to guard her territory, putting her arms around the blocks and babbling something at Jeremy.

Rachel chewed her lip, watching to see if Jeremy teased her. He didn’t. He handed her some more blocks and then plopped down near her with a car and started playing.

“Jeremy made it back.” Julianne said this to the man next to Rachel.

“Thanks. This is Miss White’s.” After handing the bags over the gate, Morgan stepped to one side.

Rachel relaxed slightly. She wasn’t used to having a man distracting her and didn’t like the feeling at all. “How’s she doing?”

Julianne smiled. “She’s doing fine. She’s adjusting. I think the hearing problem is continuing to keep her isolated from others. But a few of the more curious children have started trying to talk to her.”

“Children can be mean.”

Julianne nodded and said softly, “Or they can be the breakthrough. Earlier today, she sat near Chrissy and they shared an apple.”

Rachel nodded.

“Your daughter’s deaf?” Morgan asked, drawing Rachel’s attention to him.

“Partially. A degenerative thing.” Rachel didn’t like to talk to strangers about her daughter. And this was a stranger. “Excuse me. I have to get back to work.”

She smiled politely at the man and then said to Julianne, “If you need me, just call City Hall. I’ll be there another hour or two before I’m back to pick Lindsay up. Nice meeting you,” she said to the man and then waved to Julianne and started down the hall.

Morgan watched her leave, unmoving.

“She’s really good with her daughter, just a little overprotective, Dr. Talbot.”

Hearing Julianne’s voice, he realized he was still staring after the exceptional woman. He tried to force his attention from Rachel White but couldn’t bring himself to let her out of his sight. When she turned the corner, he finally turned his attention to Julianne. “Most parents are. Parents with handicapped children have emotions that most can’t understand.”

A touch of melancholy swept over him. Shaking his head, he forced the feeling aside. “If you need me again, just call. I have to get back to work.”

A smile touched the woman’s lips, and she nodded. The sound of a squabble caught their attention, and Julianne was off to handle the problem.

Morgan walked down the hall, intending to leave. Instead, he stopped at the end of the hall by the window that overlooked the square. Pushing the curtain back, he located exactly what had captured his attention and watched her continue across the green toward City Hall.

“Caught you!”

Ben Hunter came walking up.

Morgan turned, allowing the shade to drop. “Caught me what?”

Ben pulled the curtain back and glanced out. “Daydreaming? Thinking about Jeremy or perhaps one of the other children that’ll be lined up in your office in the next thirty minutes or so?”

Morgan shook his head and smiled. “No, not that. Not at all.”

“Oh?” Ben asked and turned toward his office, motioning Morgan to accompany him.

Morgan followed Pastor Ben, who continued, “So, what was it you were doing?”

Ben paused outside his office and turned the door handle, his gaze touching on Morgan’s in query.

Morgan decided, Why not tell Pastor Ben the truth? Taking a deep breath, he said, his voice low, “I was studying the woman I am going to marry.”

Chapter Two

“I didn’t realize you were even dating anyone,” Reverend Ben said.

“Dating? Who’s dating someone?” Emma Fulton, Ben’s secretary, asked.

Ben nodded to Emma as he passed through the secretary’s office and walked into his own office. Morgan watched, amused. Emma Fulton was sixty-five years old, but he certainly couldn’t tell it by her actions. Patting her strawberry-blond hair, which was more white than red, she tucked an imaginary loose strand into the braid that was twirled in a bun on top of her head. She got up and followed the pastor toward his office, her matchmaking antennae zeroing in. “You know, Julianne’s fiancé left her. That was such a shame. Now there’s a woman who needs someone.”

Morgan saw the look on Emma’s face, the gleam in her eye and thought, Yep, the pastor was certainly in trouble.

“In God’s time, Emma,” Ben said gently. “So, what messages do you have for me?”

“Oh. Yes. Yes.” Looking at the slips in her hand, she said, “Well, Miss Patterson called and I think she wanted, or was it the other one that wanted…” The woman trailed off, confused, quickly looking through the notes she held in her aged hands.

“Take your time, Emma,” Ben soothed and seated himself, motioning for Morgan to take a chair also.

“No, no. It was Rachel’s mother who called in reference to the roofing project you wanted to know about. And Miss Patterson, she wanted to talk to you about sponsoring.” The woman frowned as she tried to remember. “Oh, yes. She wanted to talk with you about sponsoring a booth at the celebration they’ll be having, the spring festival. You know, I was crowned Strawberry Queen at that festival years ago.” She gleamed with pride as she nodded to Morgan.

“I’d heard that, ma’am,” Morgan replied, smiling. Actually, he’d heard it several times from Emma. It was something she was very proud of, and every time the spring festival came up, she mentioned it. “Quite an event,” he added.

She giggled.

Taking the messages from Emma, Ben paused to pat her hand. “Thank you, dear. Can you close the door on the way out?”

“I surely will, Reverend Ben.” She turned and bustled out the door, her mission thwarted temporarily but, knowing Emma, not deserted.

When the door finally clicked closed, Morgan chuckled. “Looks like you may be fighting off a matchmaking scheme there, Ben.”

Ben groaned and shook his head. “Emma’s a good woman. She certainly cares about everyone. But I draw the line at allowing her to pick my wife.” Smiling, he shook his head again.

Morgan chuckled again.