Samantha's Gift

“Samantha’s one of those?”

“Apparently. Her social worker did say she was having trouble adjusting. That’s probably why they gave her to Hannah.”

“I see. What else can you tell me about the Brody woman?”

“Well…” Rachel’s smile stayed. “She baby-sat for lots of folks here in Serenity who’re all grown up, now. Me included.”

“You’re kidding! No wonder you let her talk to you like that.”

“Hannah means well. And she was right. I should have called her so she wouldn’t worry. I was so worried about finding Samantha, I guess it just slipped my mind.”

“That’s understandable. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“I won’t. The only thing that bothers me is the way the small-town rumor mill is going to have fun with us.”

“Us?” Sean’s expression showed bewilderment. “What us?”

With a wry chuckle, Rachel shook her head. “You do have a lot to learn about living in a place like this, don’t you. There doesn’t even have to be an us for people to talk. By tomorrow morning, half the folks in town will be saying you and I are practically engaged. And the other half will be trying to decide if you’re good enough for me.”

She’d expected Sean to enjoy the lighthearted banter. Instead, he seemed upset. She pressed on. “Hey, don’t look so glum. I didn’t say it was my idea. It’s just how it is in a place where everybody knows everybody else, and half of them are related, besides.” That statement brought a further conclusion. “Oh-oh.”

“What’s wrong now?”

“I just had a horrible thought. Hannah’s my mother’s second cousin by marriage.”

“So?”

“So, I’ll bet Mom is the first one she calls.”

Sean huffed. “Don’t tell me you’re still worried about pleasing your mother at your age?”

“Hey. I’m not that old.”

He deliberately took his time looking her up and down and fully appreciating what he saw. Chances were good that he was at least seven or eight years older than she was, maybe more, yet they had to be contemporaries in spite of her youthful appearance. For starters, he knew this wasn’t Rachel’s first year of teaching. A person didn’t usually finish college and earn a degree until they were in their twenties at least, so she had to be halfway to thirty by now.

“You don’t look a day over sixteen,” he finally told her.

“Actually, I’ll be eighty-four my next birthday,” she said. Struggling to repress a giggle, she twirled in a circle to put herself on display. “Pretty good for an octogenarian, huh?”

“Excellent.” Sean was shaking his head in disbelief and laughing softly under his breath. “You certainly had me fooled. What’s your secret?”

“Clean living. I never miss a Sunday in church, either.”

“Very commendable.”

“I think so. Hey! Since you’re new in town, how’d you like to come visit my church?”

“Church and I don’t exactly get along.”

“That’s too bad. We won’t eat you, you know. We really do accept everybody, even sinners.” The astonishment in his expression made her chuckle. “That was a joke, Bates.”

“I’ll laugh later, okay?” He reached into his pocket for his car keys and jingled them in one hand. “You ready?”

“As soon as I go grab my purse,” Rachel said. “Wait here. I’ll just be a minute.”

Starting away she heard him mutter, “I don’t believe it.”

She spun around. “You don’t believe what?”

“You. You were driving all over the country without your license?”

“Guess I was. I told you Christians aren’t perfect. You’d better start believing me or I may have to keep trying to prove it to you.”

Rachel’s car was right where she’d left it, without so much as a hubcap missing—much to Sean’s surprise. A prankster had scrawled “Wash me” and drawn a happy face in the fresh layer of dust coating the lid of the trunk, but otherwise the car was untouched.

He parked as far off the roadway as he could without scratching his sedan on the brambles and small trees growing along the right-of-way, and got out. Rachel followed.

A closer look at her car made her sigh audibly. Her shoulders sagged. “Rats. You were right. I do have two flats.”

“Apparently.” Sean circled the car, assessing the damage. “Looks to me as if it’s going to be dangerous to remove the tires, even if we use both our jacks. The ground is too uneven here. The car wouldn’t be stable.”

“What do you suggest, then?”

“Calling a tow truck. If we left your car jacked up and drove into town with two of the wheels, any little thing could knock it over and damage the axles. Then we’d have to call a tow, anyway.”

Rachel was too exhausted to argue. She yawned. “Fine. Whatever. As long as I can get to work in the morning.”

“I don’t suppose you happen to know the number of a local garage that does towing?” he asked, reaching into his car for his cellular phone and pushing the power button.

She snorted cynically. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

Sean waited, growing impatient when she didn’t recite the number. “Well?”

“It wouldn’t be my first choice.”

“This is not a popularity contest. If this place can come get your car and fix the tires, let’s get on with it, okay?”

“Okay, okay.”

Rachel gave him the number, then watched as he made arrangements with the garage. To her surprise, Sean knew approximately where they were and gave credible directions, so she didn’t have to interrupt to correct him.

That was a plus. So was the lengthening day. If Craig Slocum had already gone home for supper, as she hoped, her personal involvement could be kept to a minimum.

And if not? She clenched her jaw, imagining Craig’s superior smirk when he discovered she needed his help. Since their failed engagement, Rachel had managed to avoid him almost completely. If he showed up this evening it would be the first time she’d spoken to him face-to-face since he broke her heart.

Her chin jutted out, her spine stiffened. If she had to face Craig, she would meet the challenge head-on. That man was never going to learn how deeply he had hurt her. Never.

Sean noticed Rachel’s growing uneasiness. When they heard the approach of a truck, her head snapped around and she stared in the direction of the sound as if expecting a stalking tiger instead of deliverance.