She found the tray and carried it to him. Standing beside him, she set the ice cream dishes on the tray as he filled them. The aromatic scent of fresh-brewed coffee filled the room, and she could hear Mark and Bud talking over the television in the other room. Mark laughed at something the older man said, and Bud’s deep chuckle followed.
A very domestic scene, she thought with a faint pang. It was going to be difficult to keep her children—Mark especially—from getting too close to these men. As tempting as it might be for them to think of Bud as a surrogate grandfather, they needed to understand there was really no connection between them, no obligation for Bud or Riley to keep spending time with them.
It was something she needed to remind herself occasionally, she thought as Riley’s hand brushed hers when he passed her an ice cream dish. The contact made a pleasant shiver run through her, as did the warm, almost intimate smile he gave her.
The O’Neal men were entirely too appealing. Especially this one. It would be all too easy for a woman who wasn’t very careful to allow liking to turn into more. Especially a woman with a historical weakness for charmingly irresponsible men.
Maggie woke up sick early Monday morning. Her temperature was above normal, and she complained of headache and nausea.
Because Teresa had been warned that a highly contagious virus was making its way through the school, it wasn’t hard to diagnose the illness. A quick telephone conversation with the doctor on call for the medical clinic she’d been using since she moved to Edstown confirmed her suspicion. She was told to make sure Maggie rested and drank plenty of fluids and was given instructions about the use of over-the-counter medications. The virus generally caused several days of discomfort, the doctor added, but rarely led to serious complications.
Reassured about Maggie’s health, Teresa began to worry about what to do with her for the day. Already she would be late for work. Normally she knew Marjorie wouldn’t mind her taking a day off to take care of her sick child, but this was the date for the monthly luncheon meeting of a large local civic club. Even then it wouldn’t have been quite such a problem had Shameka not been out of town for a family event, leaving Marjorie already one worker short.
Surely Marjorie would know someone who could either baby-sit, at least through the meeting, or take Teresa’s place at the diner. Marjorie knew nearly everyone in Edstown. She would surely come through.
“If you feel comfortable leaving Maggie with someone else while she’s sick, I’d really like to have you here,” Marjorie said when Teresa phoned her. “I know a couple of great baby-sitters, but no competent servers. Still, if you think you should stay with Maggie, we’ll get by here. Your child is definitely more important.”
Teresa hesitated a moment, then said, “I think she’ll be fine for a few hours. Do you really know a good sitter who would be available on such short notice?”
“I think so. I’ll make a call and get right back to you with the details. But, really, Terry, stay home if you need to. The Rotarians can wait a little longer between coffee refills this morning.”
It was the classic tug-of-war for any working mother, whether waitress or office worker or doctor—the need to be available to nurture her sick child and the obligation she felt to her job. Teresa knew Maggie wasn’t seriously ill, and she hated to leave Marjorie—who’d been so good to her—in the lurch.
“I can come in for a while,” she said again. “At least for the meeting, if you can suggest someone to sit with Maggie.”
“I’ll get back to you,” Marjorie repeated, and disconnected.
After making a quick call to the church where Mark and Maggie attended a before-school program to inform them that her children wouldn’t be attending that day, Teresa spent the next fifteen minutes getting Mark ready for school and herself dressed for work. Maggie had gone back to sleep, so she hadn’t had a chance yet to prepare her for a baby-sitter. She decided to let Maggie sleep until she knew for certain who the sitter would be.
Teresa couldn’t help being a bit nervous about leaving Maggie with someone new, especially when the child was sick, but she trusted Marjorie’s judgment completely.
“Why can’t I stay home, too?” Mark asked, dawdling over his cereal and fruit.
“Because you aren’t sick. And, besides, you’ve been looking forward to finishing your painting in your art class today, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. You’re really going to hang it on a wall?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see it.”
“It looks pretty good. I’m the best artist in my class,” the boy said matter-of-factly.
Distracted by a knock on her front door, Teresa decided to talk to her son later about displaying a bit more modesty. “Go brush your teeth and put on your shoes. I’ll find out who’s at the door.”
She certainly hadn’t expected to find Riley on her doorstep. Looking a bit sleep-rumpled, he gave her a lazy smile. “I hear you’re in need of a baby-sitter.”
“Marjorie called you?” And to
think Teresa had been thinking about how much she trusted Marjorie’s judgment!
“Yeah. She knew I wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on Maggie for a couple of hours.”
“But don’t you have to work?”
“I’m working at home today, writing a column. I don’t have to be anywhere until three this afternoon.”
“But—”
“It’s no big deal, Teresa. Marjorie said she really needs you at the diner this morning, and I owe her a few favors, so she called me. I’m happy to help out.”