Page 10 of A Twist of Faith
The knot in her stomach twisted tighter. Waiting. “Think of it as a way that I can be neighborly right back to you and your family, and in the process continue to honemyskills.”
“Listen, Doc, I just don’t see how this’ll work. It’s clear as day that you don’t really wanna be around me, and I ain’t up for feeling like an idiot just to learn how to speak my own language better. If the folks up in Chicago don’t like what they see and hear as I am, then I’ll just look for something—”
“I can help you.” She moved to the top of the steps. “I could almost promise you that job, if you’ll let me work with you. Not just your accent, but your professional presence.”
He looked about as convinced as she felt. “I’m sure you’re real good at what you do, but I can’t ride into town for therapy more than once a week. I have a farm to run and two young’uns to care for.”
He doubted her? Oh, no … she would convince him now. She’d become an expert at fighting for herself. “I can see you here or at your home. It doesn’t have to be at the university. Besides this isn’t a professional arrangement, it’s ... a favor.” She smiled, but it felt awkward, kind of like her offer. “Since we’re neighbors and all.”
“I don’t know, Doc,” He shook his head. “I mean with two kids …”
Twochildren? His words finally registered. So he was married? A father of two? The adorable dog loving girl washisdaughter … of course.
“Listen, I gotta go pick up my boy and get on back home.” He placed his cap on his head and stared at her, long and hard, like he knew she was petrified … or lying. “Me or Mama will stop by in a couple of days to see how you’re settlin’ in. I’m sure Mama left her number by the phone, in case you need somethin’. Good evenin’, Doc.”
He touched the tip of his cap and slid into the driver’s seat. His truck disappeared in a haze of dust over the hill and the vacancy, even from Reese Mitchell, picked at her loneliness. She twisted her frightening feeling into one she could control—frustration. With Reese Mitchell. He doubted her abilities? She rested her hands on her hips and stared in the direction his truck vanished … for the second time. “We’ll see about that.”
By the time his interview came in November, not even his Mama would recognize him. He would have his new job, she’d earn her one-way ticket to Charlottesville, and with every piece of her research in tow. No strings attached.
Chapter 3
Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you’re driving at another."
(Pygmalion, Act 2)
“You gonna marry that girl?”
“What?” Reese’s daughter’s question shocked him so bad he almost slammed on the brake. “You’ve been hanging around your Aunt Emma too much and we can only handle one matchmaker in the Mitchell clan.”
“You don’t think she’s purdy?”
He scratched his chin and glanced sideways at Lou. Just the thought of marrying anybody tensed him from eyebrows to bootstraps. “I think you’re purdy and I ain’t gonna marry you.”
Lou shook her head of curls until they bobbed around her face. Even at seven, she was starting to leave the little girl behind and the thought sent a wrench-squeeze to his chest.
“You can’t marry me. I’m your daughter.” She sighed back against the seat. “Besides, I don’t have no job yet.”
Reese pulled the truck to a stop in front of his mama’s cabin, a grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. “Well, if you’re hankerin’ for a job, I think we can fix you up just fine.” He tapped her nose and leaned close. “I have a felled tree up in the pasture that’s gonna turn into some firewood and I can always use help with the load.”
Lou’s face scrunched. “Daddy, princesses don’t load firewood.”
“Is that so? Any princess who lives on a farm should be able to load firewood.”
She grew quiet as if considering his statement. He took the opportunity to snatch her by the waist and pull her out his door. “Are princesses ticklish?”
Lou‘s bright blue eyes grew wide and she squealed as Reece buried his head in her shoulder.
“You’re scruffy! You’re scruffy, Daddy.”
He growled and her giggle hit him square in the heart. Life hadn’t been easy, but he sure was blessed.
“There’s a whole bunch of noise out here.”
Reece’s mama hobbled forward onto the porch, her cautious steps reminding him of her injuries. White and gold hair swept up in a bun, with wild strands flying all directions.
“How you feeling?”
“Nothing worth all this fuss.” Grace Mitchell gestured with her head toward the inside of the house. “Rainey won’t leave me be and keeps following me around like I’m a young’un. I didn’t know if she’d let me go to the bathroom alone or not.”
