The Forever Husband. Kathryn Alexander

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СКАЧАТЬ table, eating together for the first time in months. “I don’t know, but I’m wondering if maybe we should have ordered something else,” Hope remarked after sampling a bite of her sandwich. “Grilled cheese in a restaurant is hardly ever as good as homemade.”

      Eric watched a frown crease her forehead. “You’re probably right. But it looked better than the other choices.”

      “That’s true,” Hope replied with a brief smile. “Maybe we should have chosen another place to eat.” Then her smile faded. Maybe she shouldn’t have said something that hinted at more than he’d offered. She hadn’t thought how it might sound until the words were out.

      “Maybe so,” Eric agreed, easing the moment of tension he’d seen on her face. “You wanted to talk to me?” he asked. His curiosity was increasing.

      “Yes,” she agreed, “I do need to discuss something about Beth with you.”

      “She’s not sick—”

      “No, no, Eric, it’s nothing like that. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Hope responded. “It’s just that, she’s becoming something of a discipline problem at school. I’ve been with Cassie so much lately, I didn’t notice Beth’s behavior. When I picked her up at school the other day, Greg Shelton, the principal, took me aside and filled me in on some facts I wasn’t aware of.”

      Eric took a sip of his coffee. “And did Greg have some ideas on how to solve the problems?” Like spend the rest of your life with him, maybe? he thought unkindly.

      Hope frowned in response to his question. “Do you know him?”

      “No,” Eric said with a shake of his head. “But I’ve heard about him.” And about his needs as perceived by Grandma, Eric thought. “So, what did he tell you?”

      “Beth has been sent to his office twice this month.”

      “For what?”

      “At first, she was repeatedly talking when she wasn’t supposed to, then she was disrespectful to another child. But then it progressed quickly to intentional disobedience when she started refusing to do what her teacher told her to do. She lost her recess every day last week without telling me, and the notes her teacher has sent home to me—Beth’s destroyed them! Greg is really worried about what this is going to turn into if we don’t take some action. Soon. And so am I.”

      “I’ll talk to her,” Eric assured her. “But Beth is good at hiding her feelings, so it might not be easy to get to the bottom of this matter, even though I think we both know the root of it.”

      “Her sister’s illness,” Hope said. “But Beth is more like you in temperament than she’s ever been like me. I’m hoping you can help her in some way I can’t.” Hope looked down at what remained of her lunch as she gathered her thoughts. “Grace told me about her plans for the cruise when I saw her a little while ago. She said they’re leaving tonight for Florida.” She looked up. Now for the difficult part. “I appreciate your willingness to stay with us while they’re gone.”

      Eric stared into the gentle blue eyes that seemed even prettier now than in the years that had passed. “You don’t mind my being there?” he asked.

      “Eric, it’s not easy for me to admit this, but I really need your help,” Hope replied.

      He nodded. It wasn’t the answer he’d wanted, but it was an acceptable one—a place to begin. “I’ll do what I can, Hope. You know that.”

      “I know, but…I must be doing something wrong with Beth. She seems to want to be independent of me, and yet, honestly, I think she needs more of me than she gets.” Hope blinked hard, and Eric knew she was fighting back tears. “Being here for Cassie, substitute teaching and taking care of the basics at your parents’ home is about all I can deal with these days, Eric. Beth turning into a disciplinary problem wasn’t something I’d thought would ever happen, but it has. And, I feel like I’m not doing a good job as a mother.”

      “You’re exactly the mother she needs, Hope,” Eric stated quietly. He knew how hard she could be on herself. “But if she needs extra attention right now, then I’ll be there for her.”

      Hope wiped her mouth on her paper napkin. “Just spend time with her, maybe help with her homework like you did yesterday, watch her play ball…anything like that would mean a lot.” She studied Eric’s face without smiling, and wondered how he could have stopped loving her. After all they’d shared together? Then she realized she’d been silent too long. “I—I want to thank you.”

      “You don’t need to thank me for helping out with my own children—” he began.

      “No,” she interrupted. “I mean, I really want to thank you. Since our separation, you’ve not neglected the girls at all. I was afraid that—” She stopped, knowing she might be entering territory better left alone.

      “You were afraid that what? I’d not want to see my kids?” Eric prodded, his instinctive defenses kicking in.

      “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe I thought your new life-style would occupy too much of your time to allow room for the girls. I was very wrong.”

      “You were,” he stated with a hint of a smile. “And thanks. It’s generous of you to admit it.” His words were spoken gently and prompted no more than a slight smile from Hope.

      “Maybe we should go up to see if Cassie’s sleeping,” she suggested.

      “Okay,” Eric agreed. “I’ve had about all of this grilled cheese I can handle anyway.”

      “It definitely looked better than it tasted,” Hope commented as they both carried their trays to the trash can.

      A walk through the lobby and an elevator ride up to the fourth floor were all that stood between them and their daughter. Soon they were back in her room where they found Cassie sleeping soundly.

      Nurse Trudy appeared at the door. “She’s doing fine today. No fever at all.”

      Hope nodded. “That’s great. Thanks, Trudy.”

      “No problem, Mrs. Granston. I just like to keep the parents informed how the little ones are doing. Did you enjoy your lunch?” she asked, glancing toward Eric with a questioning look.

      “The coffee was much better than the food,” he responded, laughing. Then he turned to Hope. “If you need me, try calling the office.”

      “I will,” replied Hope. Eric leaned down to kiss Cassie’s forehead, then left for the real estate office to finish up the day’s business. He entered the hospital parking lot and he quickly located his truck. He’d have to find a way to work this out with Hope, he thought. And he’d have to do so on his own, he knew. After all, he hadn’t allowed God into his life for a very long time.

      Some days, though, the idea of having a Heavenly Father to turn to again sounded good. Very good.

      “It isn’t my fault if the teacher isn’t fair to me,” Beth complained. “She just doesn’t like me.”

      Eric repositioned his arm around Beth as they sat at the head of her bed, talking. Discussing the discipline issues with her was going as Eric had thought it would. Not СКАЧАТЬ