Gifts Of Love. Crystal Stovall

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      David sighed. “I might have a slight concussion, as well as some internal injuries. They’re going to keep me overnight for observation. We had a little run-in with a tornado tonight.”

      “My goodness, thank God you’re okay. And little Isabel, was she hurt?”

      At the sound of her name, Isabel started jabbering, and Reverend Peters turned toward Jessie. His shoulders relaxed instantly, and he said, “Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t Jessica Claybrook.” His glance bouncing between David and Jessie, a knowing smile lit his face. “Well, well…I’ll be.”

      Realizing the reverend’s thoughts were headed in the wrong direction, Jessie rushed in to explain. “By God’s grace, we happened to seek shelter in the same place tonight.”

      Reverend Peters’s smile merely deepened. Patting Isabel on the back, he looked at David as he spoke. “Your little girl couldn’t be in better hands than Jessica’s.”

      “Jessie’s been an angel tonight,” David agreed.

      The white curtain parted, and a nurse told Reverend Peters that his friend had been released. “Though I’m sorry for the circumstances, it was good to see you both. God bless you,” he said, hugging Jessie and Isabel, then shaking David’s hand.

      As soon as the reverend disappeared, David said, “I haven’t seen him since I was a boy, though my parents have kept in touch through the years.”

      “What a small world,” Jessie marveled. “He married both my sisters.”

      “We may have more in common than a highway overpass.”

      Though David grinned, Jessie could tell he was tired, achy and needed his rest. And so did Isabel.

      “I hate to impose on you…” David began.

      “Just tell me what you need. I want to help.” Jessie leaned forward for emphasis.

      “Normally, I’d call my parents. But they just left on an extended vacation in their RV, and I don’t want them rushing home for me. However, I’m sure one of my sisters will watch Isabel for the night.”

      “I’d be happy to call them. I don’t want you to worry about her. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of until I reach them. You need to concentrate on getting well.”

      “No arguments there,” David said, lying back on the bed. Jessie wrote down the numbers he quickly rattled off.

      Surprised by the telephone prefixes, Jessie hesitated at the curtain opening. “Your sisters live near St. Louis? Won’t it take them at least a couple of hours to get here?” Taking a deep breath, she made a quick decision. “Look, since it’s so late, why don’t I spend the night with Isabel? It’s the most practical and the easiest solution for both you and her.”

      David shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve already gone to too much trouble. You’ve been here for hours. I’m indebted to your kindness.”

      It occurred to Jessie that he might not trust her with his daughter. Isabel was all he had, and, after all, Jessie was a virtual stranger. “I understand you’ll be more comfortable if she stays with one of your sisters—”

      “No, it isn’t that,” David claimed, and the light in his eyes told her he trusted her. “You don’t owe me this. Really, I’ve got family that will help.”

      Jessie pressed her lips against Isabel’s forehead, then held the child close enough for David to hug and kiss her good-night. With Isabel’s arms anchored tightly around her neck, Jessie couldn’t help but say, “Please, let me stay with her tonight. We’ve all been through enough. She’s comfortable with me. It might be best for her.” And for me, Jessie thought.

      David stroked his chin between his thumb and fingers. “I really don’t want to impose.”

      “I want to do this for you. And if the situation were reversed, I know you’d do the same for me.” Somehow she sensed that about him. That he was the kind of man who’d help someone in need.

      David opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say no, she said, “Then, it’s settled. I’ll stay with Isabel for the night.”

      The orderly arrived to take David to a higher floor for more tests. As he wheeled him away, David said, “I’ll call you later.”

      “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be just fine.”

      How could she not be? She was holding in her arms the one thing she wanted most in the world.

       Chapter Three

       “I t looks like we are a family. At least for tonight,” Jessie said as she stored the personal items she’d picked up at her home in her father’s car and headed to David’s house. Her father, who’d taken a cab home, had arranged for her car and David’s to be towed to the garage, and a nurse had loaned her a car seat for Isabel.

      “We’re doing great,” she said to the sleeping toddler. “We’re doing just fine. This is going to be a piece of cake.”

      Then she hit a pothole she hadn’t seen in the dark, and the unexpected jolt woke Isabel, whose pout quickly escalated into a full-blown cry.

      Jessie tried to soothe the child with songs and soft-spoken promises, but nothing quieted her. And then Jessie made the big mistake—she told Isabel that before she knew it, her Daddy would be home from the hospital. The mention of David’s name upped Isabel’s cries by yet another decibel and started her begging for her “Dada.”

      Unnerved by the desperate sobs, Jessie made two wrong turns before she pulled into David’s driveway. As she parked the car in the garage, she momentarily rested her forehead against the steering wheel and wondered if she’d agreed to more than she could handle.

      Her prayer was quick and to the point. Lord, please help me comfort this child. If I can survive a tornado, surely I can survive Isabel’s bedtime.

      As soon as Jessie carried Isabel through the doorway, the child stopped crying. It was almost as if she knew she was home, and just for a second, Jessie felt the same peaceful familiarity.

      But that was silly, she thought. She’d never been in David’s home before. She had her own home, less than a half-mile away, that she loved.

      Having no time to waste on trivial thoughts, Jessie went straight to the kitchen, where she prepared a small bottle of milk for Isabel, just as she’d seen her sister Maria fix on many nights for her nephew. In the nursery, the milk quieted Isabel, and the child slipped off to sleep as Jessie gently rocked her.

      When she was certain Isabel slept soundly, she placed the child in the crib. Please, Lord, keep Isabel safe through the night.

      Leaving the nursery door slightly ajar, Jessie shuffled down the hallway. With everything under control, she took a quick shower. After changing into a nightshirt, she collapsed on the living room sofa and, too tired to find a bed, instantly fell asleep.

      Less than a half-hour later, Isabel’s cries woke her. Too softhearted to let the toddler cry herself to sleep, Jessie took her from the crib and cradled her in her arms. Entering СКАЧАТЬ