Page 36 of With All My Heart, Joy

Heat infused her cheeks, and she lowered her head. “Oh.”

The silence was thick until he spoke, his voice husky and tortured and yet still the same comforting sound she’d adored from day one. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t foresee any of this.”

She nodded, still not looking at him, and followed him from the room when he beckoned her at the door. What would she do without him?

“This is Becky.”

How had she ended up at the reception desk in the lobby? A perky mid-forties woman looked back and forth between Joy and Mr. Miller, clearly confused.

“Becky, can you schedule Joy with Marie on her earliest opening?”

“Uh…sure…” The woman was clicking through her screen, shaking her head and muttering when Mr. Miller—Isaac—reached into his pocket and pulled out a buzzing phone.

“I have to answer this. Becky will take care of you from here, okay?” He touched Joy’s arm lightly, thoughtlessly, as he turned away, the phone already at his ear, but Joy felt his touch like a jolt of lightning.

“How’s next Tuesday at four o’clock?” Apparently Marie, whoever she was, didn’t give up lunch for her clients.

A lump formed in Joy’s throat. She would miss Isaac Miller. She would miss him a whole lot.

Once her next appointment was scheduled with her new, unknown counselor, Joy left the building. Snow plummeted to the earth in sheets. On any other day, the beautiful sight would have lifted her spirits. But not today. Not after losing Isaac.

She didn’t expect to find him pacing on the sidewalk without so much as a coat, running a hand through his hair.

“No, no, I understand. I wish I could cancel the meeting, but this one isn’t up to me. I’ll try to find someone else, but Paisley doesn’t get on well with just anybody.”

Paisley. The name she’d read so often in Zak’s letters. Paisley was Isaac’s ten-year-old daughter. Isaac’s daughter had Down syndrome.

“Thank you for letting me know as soon as you could. I appreciate it. Bye.” Shoving the phone back into his pocket, he swung around and saw Joy, standing like a statue three feet away. His eyes instantly shuttered. He said nothing, only stood there looking at her. He must be freezing. If Joy remembered correctly, today’s forecast was a high of twenty-nine degrees and eight inches of snow.

“You need a babysitter tonight?”

His lips firmed together. They were a nice, full shape, framed by his beard and mustache. Clusters of snow clung to his hair, accumulating in fizzy specks in his facial hair and on his shoulders. “I have a board meeting tonight, but my neighbor has a fever. She’s great with Paisley. I don’t really have a backup.” He shrugged. “Not your problem. I’ll figure it out.” He moved as if he would go around her, and Joy’s hand shot out, clutching his arm to stop him. His forearm tensed, his muscles dancing beneath her grip. She quickly dropped her hand.

“I don’t have plans tonight. I would be happy to babysit Paisley.” It was a sincere offer. No strings attached. She hoped he knew she didn’t mean anything by it. At least, she didn’t think she did.

“I appreciate the thought, Joy. But Paisley has Down syndrome. She can be a handful for those who don’t know her.”

Joy didn’t know a whole lot about Down syndrome. But she’d been a ten-year-old girl once herself. “She’s still a ten-year-old kid. I think I can handle her for one evening.”

As Isaac regarded Joy, something soft crept into his eyes. Something that made Joy’s knees tremble. “If it really won’t inconvenience you, you would be a lifesaver.”

She hadn’t said it was convenient. She had a ton to do today. “What time do you need me?”

“Six o’clock. I live at 155 Ruby—” He cut himself short with a huff of laughter devoid of merriment or his usual gusto. “You know my address.”

Had it memorized, to be specific. “See you later, then.” Without a glance back at him, she walked to her car and got in, then sat without moving.

Zak was Isaac Miller. Isaac Miller was Zak.

She had not seen that coming.

Chapter Ten

When the knock came on his office door after counseling hours were over, Isaac was not surprised.

“Come in, Marie.”

His business partner stepped in and closed the door. “You were expecting me?”

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