Page 26 of Sweet Home

9

WEST

West walked slowly toward his parents’ house that evening, holding Elizabeth’s hand. Beside them, Dulcie’s new boots crunched in the snow.

It was strange how connected he already felt to her, in spite of their differences and the fact that they were hardly more than strangers. He suspected it had a lot to do with how she acted around his daughter. For all that Dulcie put on a brave face for everyone else, she wore her heart on her sleeve when it came to Elizabeth. West had seen her go from heartbroken to lighthearted and silly over the last day.

It was only during these last few hours since coming back home that he started finding her hard to read again. In fact, Dulcie had been quiet pretty much from the moment they left his office, and he couldn’t help but wonder if something had happened there that bothered her for some reason.

As far as he was concerned, it was just a normalconsultation. Sure, he had handled it casually, but that wasn’t such a bad thing, was it? It was what the situation called for, and his patients seemed to leave feeling happy enough.

Maybe she pictured me as a surgeon or something, showing off my power and knowledge with a lot of big words or fancy equipment. Maybe she’s disappointed that I’m just a regular small-town doctor.

Somehow the idea of disappointing her tugged at his heart, even though he had no reason to crave her approval. He had never been particularly worried about what other people thought about him in the past, so he wasn’t sure why he felt this way now.

It’s because she’s so beautiful,a little voice whispered in the back of his mind.You want to impress her. You’ve been alone too long.

He stole a glance over at her.

The new clothing brought out what he had already known—she was a lovely girl who held herself high, in spite of what he guessed had been a life filled with struggle.

Now that she wasn’t drowning in a too-big coat, she looked like any young woman in her twenties, until she glanced over and mesmerized him with that arresting blue gaze. Willa at the shop had known what she was doing, theprincess scarfdefinitely played up Dulcie’s big, blue eyes. Any man would probably be a little distracted.

Not me,West told himself sternly.I’m too old for her, and I know she’s in some kind of situation. Falling for her would be taking advantage.

But he couldn’t help but think about the way she hadbeen looking at him up until this afternoon. Of course there had been nothing inappropriate in her expressions, but earlier she looked at West like she couldn’t get enough of him, like he wasspecial.Her eyes told him that she thought he was strong, and kind and generous, a good person and a good father—all the things he aspired to be. It was addictive being looked at like that, and he was only human.

Well then I’ll just have to be better than human, he told himself firmly.

Seeing her go quiet like this only confirmed his reasoning. She was young and she had clearly been through a lot. The last thing she needed on her thin shoulders was the weight of someone else’s feelings or expectations.

“Swing me,” Elizabeth said suddenly.

He looked over to see her waving her free hand at Dulcie.

Dulcie’s eyes lit up immediately, instantly expelling whatever shadows had been haunting her.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked as she moved closer and took Elizabeth’s mittened hand.

“Yes,” Elizabeth said. “Swing me.”

Elizabeth had seen other kids getting picked up at preschool and walking off with two parents, sometimes swinging between them just like she wanted to now. It hurt West to think that she’d been wishing to do the same.

“Okay, then,” Dulcie said. “Is that okay with you, West?”

“Fine byme,” he told her.

“One, two, three,” Dulcie sang out.

Elizabeth hopped just as they lifted her up and she let out a squeal of delight that seemed to echo in the frosty air as she swung between them. It was such a happy sound that West could only smile.

Dulcie was smiling too, her eyes a little misty, though maybe it was just from the cold.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he told her, bringing up what he knew was one of her favorite topics.

“Do you know what we’re having?” she asked, looking just as excited about the idea of a big meal as he had hoped.

Whatever the reason for her scrawny state, it definitely wasn’t because she didn’t like to eat.

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