Heart Of A Husband

“It’s very…picturesque,” she replied, and he looked away from her, down to the dark wood of the banister. She stopped talking, sensing his mood change. Had she managed to say something wrong already? During their first conversation? “I—I appreciate everything you’re doing for Aunt Mae and for me,” she offered in a gentle voice.

Jake met her gaze, his eyes guarded again. Unreadable. “I know,” he replied. “But you’ll need to rely on Ina, not me. I’m not going to be here much.” He’d make sure of it. He’d decided that the moment he’d asked her to come.

Joanna nodded her head. “I’ll sit with Aunt Mae as much as I can so you can cut down on the expense of hired help.”

“That’s not necessary. There’s a steady stream of caretakers in and out of here,” he answered. “Mae just needs you around for moral support, I think. And comfort. I realize you two are very close.”

“She’s been good to me,” Joanna responded, placing her hands on the smooth wood railing. “She accepted me as family from the moment we met. Unconditional love. After my difficult childhood years, I needed that.”

Jake gave a brief nod, not trusting himself to speak. The subject of her troubled past was not a good one to embark on. It brought too many painful emotions to the forefront that he wasn’t capable of dealing with tonight. It would make Joanna sad, and he couldn’t bear to see her sad again. Even if it wasn’t his fault, this time.

“Well…” she began hesitantly, “I guess I’ll say good night.”

“Good night, Jo,” Jake responded as he watched her turn and make her way up the staircase to the second story of this house. His house. In the two years he’d lived here alone, he couldn’t count the times he’d wondered how it would be to have her here, in his home, with him. Now, here she was, against his better judgment. And on this first night, it was proving to be as impossible as he’d suspected it would be. Jake shook his head in a mixture of frustration and sadness. There could be no future for them together; nothing had happened to change that. Now, all he had to do was stop wanting it…wanting her.

Chapter Three

“W e could use you for however many weeks you’re available, Miss Meccord. Could you start tomorrow?” the administrator of Smithfield Children’s Home asked at the end of an extensive interview.

“Yes, definitely,” Joanna replied. “I certainly can.”

“Fine. Come in around four o’clock so you can have dinner with us and meet the children.”

Joanna had the urge to hug the man, but he looked so dignified sitting behind his large oak desk, she decided against it. “Yes, I’ll be here. Thank you, sir.”

“Glad to have you on board.” The gray-haired gentleman stood up, extending a hand to Joanna. “We’ll be expecting you tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Joanna shook his hand before finding her way to the personnel office where she picked up the necessary forms. Then she headed for her rental car. A part-time temporary job. She couldn’t wait to share the news with Ina, and thank her for her help in getting this position.

Pulling into the driveway, Joanna saw Jake’s silver sports car parked next to the garage. She gathered up the paperwork, slid her purse over her shoulder and hurried through the crisp wintry air toward the house. She pushed open the front door and stepped into a hallway filled with the aroma of a bakery. It smelled wonderful. Like home. Except, not any home Joanna could actually remember.

“Ina?”

“In the kitchen, dear,” Ina called from the far end of the house.

Dropping her car keys into her small handbag, Joanna hung her coat in the closet and headed toward the kitchen. “Hi!”

“Hello,” they greeted her. Jake sat at the table with a half-eaten slice of peach pie in front of him and the morning newspaper in his hands.

“Want a piece of pie?” Ina asked. “Freshly baked.”

“Not right now, but thanks. It looks delicious,” Joanna responded. She glanced toward Jake and was surprised to see him wearing a casual navy shirt and jeans. And glasses. “I’ve never seen you wear glasses,” she commented. She liked the look.

“That’s because we haven’t been around each other much for the past two years,” he replied as he looked up from his paper.

“How did your interview go?” Ina asked, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

“Great!” Joanna exclaimed. “I got the job!”

Ina opened her arms, enveloping Joanna in a big hug. “That’s wonderful, dear. I’m so happy for you!”

“What job?” Jake asked with obvious surprise. “You haven’t been here more than forty-eight hours.”

“I know, but Ina told me about Smithfield Children’s Home. She knows several people who work there, and she made a few calls. They needed some temporary help to work with the children…someone with a social work background. And I got the job! I can’t wait to tell Aunt Mae.”

But the idea didn’t seem to please Jake. “You don’t need a job while you’re here, Joanna. If you need more money—”

“I don’t want to ask for money, Jake. I’d like to be able to even pay you back for some of what you’re doing.”

“It’s not necessary. Don’t feel that you need to do that.”

Joanna smiled and gave an uncertain shrug. “I may not be able to do that even with this job. It doesn’t exactly pay well. Is there any iced tea, Ina?”

“In the refrigerator, dear,” Ina answered.

“Thanks,” Joanna replied and opened the door. Lifting the pitcher from the top shelf, she poured some of the drink into a tall glass. “But it will be wonderful experience for me working with the kids. Do you want some tea?”

“No, thanks,” Jake responded.

“Don’t you want to join us, Ina?” Joanna asked when she noticed Ina had returned to the kitchen sink to finish rinsing some dishes.

“No, thank you. You go ahead,” Ina said, glancing over her shoulder.

“Smithfield Children’s Home,” Jake repeated and sent an inquiring look with a sharp lift of his brows in Ina’s direction.

Joanna noticed the exchange. “Yes. They have about a hundred kids there, Jake. Boys and girls, all ages. They’re children going through transitional periods in their lives—moving from one foster home to another or out of a treatment center into an adoptive placement.” She spoke in such a rush of words, she had to pause for a quick breath, which brought a grin from Jake. “It’s a wonderful place!” she added with enthusiasm.

“Yes, it is,” he agreed with a nod. “I thought so myself the first time I visited it.”

“You’ve been there?” Joanna sat down.

“I’m there every Wednesday morning for an hour or two. When do you start?” Jake asked before taking another bite of pie.

“Tomorrow. But, what do you mean you’re there every Wednesday? What do you do there?”

“The same things I do daily at my office,” he replied. “I see patients who are sick or injured. The kids, I mean.”

“But…” She glanced over at Ina who was busy concentrating on the dishes in the sink rather than facing Joanna just then. “Ina, you didn’t tell me Jake was one of the people who worked there.”

“Didn’t I mention that?” Ina responded without looking up. “I meant to.”

Sure you did, Joanna thought. How convenient for Ina to forget that one piece of information. Joanna returned her gaze to the man seated beside her at the table. “Should I thank you for getting this job for me?”

“No, not at all,” Jake assured. “I didn’t know anything about this, and I’m not in favor of you working right now. Especially not at Smithfield. Putting yourself in a setting like that with all those troubled kids…it won’t be easy for you, Joanna. It will bring back bad memories of your own childhood.” He paused. “Are you sure you’re prepared for that?”

“I have to be. Social work is what I want to do. Being an advocate for those children is my career goal. I can’t help them if I’m not exposed to them, can I?” she explained, defending her choices.

Jake wasn’t pleased. She could see it in that shadowy frown that hovered at the corners of his mouth. But she could be just as determined as he could, Joanna assured herself and gave a slight but definite lift of her chin.