A Hope Undaunted (18 page)

She reached for her robe at the foot of the bed and then stopped, the image of her sheer nightgown in the mirror infusing a rush of heat to her cheeks. She hadn’t seen Jack in over a month and a half, and the thought occurred that a robe and nightgown might not be the wisest choice of attire. A lump bobbed in her throat. She had enough problems keeping him in line in the front seat of his car after every date; a midnight rendezvous on the back porch in her robe and nightgown would not be a smart move. Especially if Father happened to catch her.

She dressed quickly, then inched her bedroom door open, and quietly slipped down the hall, heart thudding wildly as she tread lightly past her parents’ room. Guilt stabbed within, but she quickly forced it away, determined to focus on her primary concern at the moment – meeting Jack on the back porch without her parents’ knowledge. With the tiniest twinge of regret at defying her father, she eased the kitchen door open with nary a squeak, completely convinced she needed to see Jack tonight. She didn’t want to flout her father’s will, but what choice did she have? There was no way she could allow an attraction to Luke McGee to continue, not with her future at stake. Her jaw hardened as she nudged the screen door open and stepped out on the porch. No, there was no question about it – Luke McGee’s kisses were pure poison . . . and Jack was the only cure.

His shadow rose from the swing at the end of the porch, and she sensed his excitement before she ever saw the look of longing on his moonlit face. He moved forward with a tender smile and swept her up in his arms, devouring her with a kiss that took her breath away.

“Gosh, doll, I’ve been crazy without you,” he whispered. A soft giggle bubbled in her chest and she kissed him back, reveling in the look of love in his eyes. “I’ve missed you too, Jack.”

He carried her to the swing and settled in with her on his lap, giving her a fierce hug before nuzzling her neck. “You have my word, Katydid – I will never miss your curfew again.” His mouth wandered back to hers and with a low groan, he eased her back on the swing with another hungry kiss.

With a palm to his chest, she chuckled and squirmed free from his lap, choosing to snuggle beside him while his arm tucked her close. Jack’s kisses were nice, but it was the way he made her feel inside that sent warmth swirling through her – his love, his doting, his undying
approval
. She breathed in the heady bouquet of her mother’s cottage roses mingled with the faint scent of Jack’s lavender cologne and sighed with contentment, grateful for the noisy trill of tree frogs and locusts that would obscure any noise. With a squeeze of his hand, she rested her head against his broad shoulder, always amazed at how secure and accepted she felt in his arms.

“So tell me,” she said in a breathless tone, “how was lunch with your father’s professor friend at Harvard?”

Jack’s laughter rumbled low and rich in her ear, and the return press of his hand indicated his excitement for the topic. “Gosh, Katydid, we are going to
love
law school – especially you.” He deposited a kiss on her head and hunkered down in the swing. The enthusiasm in his voice vibrated in the air along with the crickets. “Professor Morris talked about everything we could expect – you know, how hard it is the first year, reading case studies until your eyes sink into their sockets. And then it’s like learning a whole new language as far as terminology and logic is concerned. But man alive, the cases we’ll study – things right out of the headlines like the Scopes ‘Monkey’ Trial four years ago or
Meyer v. Nebraska
a few years back, which Professor Morris claims is a landmark case for parents’ rights.”

He leaned forward and grinned. “Not to mention the famous Persons Case going on in Canada right now, over whether a woman should be considered a person or not – can you believe it, Katie? Think of it – women’s rights – that’s right down your alley. I tell you, doll, I get goose bumps just thinking about it – how the path we’ve chosen will affect people’s lives for the better.” He squeezed her again, emitting a low chuckle. “Then, of course, there’s also the money we’ll make doing it.”

Katie swiveled to face him, fervor burning in her eyes. “Oh, Jack, I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want this – the chance to really do something with my life and help others in the process.” With a tiny squeal of joy, she lunged into his arms, rewarding him with a kiss that made him moan. She pulled away, her voice quivering with emotion. “Just think of what we’ll be able to do together,” she whispered. With a stroke of his cheek, she blinked to clear the sudden wetness from her eyes. “Thank you, Jack Worthington, for sharing my passion.”

He cradled her face in his hands, and the stark love and admiration she saw in his eyes was a balm to her aching soul. “Gosh, Katie, I can’t help myself. I’ve never met another girl like you, doll – so strong, so smart, so sure of herself. With most girls, it’s only the latest fashion or social function that interests them, but you – you have so much drive, so much passion . . .”

His eyes settled on her lips with the same starry-eyed look he always wore when she was around, and somewhere deep down inside an empty hole filled up, brimming over with his approval. She closed her eyes with a wavering sigh. Approval she seldom received from anyone else.

Especially her father.

“I love you, doll,” he whispered, and she felt the gentle touch of his lips graze against her skin.

With a rush of gratitude, she twined her arms around his neck, savoring the way he made her feel – loved, admired, respected.

Special.

He deepened the kiss, and she relented this time, allowing him to tug her back onto his lap without protest. With a gentle brace of her shoulders, he dipped her back in his arms, tingling her throat with the caress of his mouth.

“Oh, Jack . . .” she whispered, knowing full well she should stop, but too needy to care . . .

Somewhere through the haze in her mind, she heard the clearing of a throat, and with a sharp catch of her breath, she launched from Jack’s arms like a tadpole on hot pavement. Her breathing was as labored as Jack’s as she splayed a palm to her chest and gaped at her brother.

“Sean! What on earth are you doing here?” she rasped, the heat in her face conflicting with the coolness in his.

With his typical casual air, Sean slowly mounted the porch steps and deposited a bag at the base of the back door. He rose to his full height, and suddenly she noticed a basketball under his arm and sweat stains on his shirt. Beads of perspiration glistened on his face as he allowed a faint smile, but his usual gentle humor couldn’t mask the disappointment in his eyes. “I guess I could ask you the same thing, Katie Rose,” he said quietly, then cocked a hip to the wall. “I promised Father I’d drop off a part he needs in the morning, and I thought I’d do it on my way home after a game of one-on-one with Pete.” His smile faded away. “But I didn’t realize you’d be in the midst of some one-on-one of your own – ”

“We were just talking,” Katie said in a rush, the heat in her cheeks belying the truth of her statement.

Her brother’s lips curved just a hair as he assessed them through dubious eyes, his voice gentled by a trace of humor. “Some conversation, Katie Rose.” His gaze shifted to the man beside her. “Evening, Jack.”

Her whisper softened into a plea. “Sean, please – you’re not going to tell Father, are you? I haven’t seen Jack in almost a month and a half, and we were mostly talking, I promise . . .” She swallowed hard, desperation choking her words.

Jack slipped an arm around Katie’s shoulders to pull her close, his tone contrite. “Look, Sean, I love your sister, and nothing happened.”

Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “Go home, Jack. Now.” “You’re not going to tell Father, are you?” Her voice was as tight as the nerves in her neck.

With a weary sigh, Sean fisted the screen door handle and glanced up through lidded eyes, leveling a serious gaze in Katie’s direction. His gentle disapproval flamed her cheeks with shame as only this brother could. “Not if you promise never to do this again,” he said calmly, “and if Jack hightails it home right now.”

Relief flooded, and she nodded. Spinning on her heel, she gave Jack a quick hug and a nervous smile. “Go home, Jack. I’ll see you at the end of summer, all right?”

He shot her brother a hard gaze before cupping Katie’s face in his hands. He brushed her lips with his own. “I love you, Katydid, and you can count on it. You’re worth the wait, doll.” He squeezed her hand and shuffled past Sean, ignoring him as he lumbered down the steps.

Katie watched until he disappeared around the house, then sucked in a deep swallow of air before facing her brother. The look on his face made her heart sink. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

The screen door barely squealed as he opened it. He held it for her, studying her through tired eyes. He tugged on her hair and gave her a quiet smile. “No, Katie, I’m not mad . . . just a little disappointed, that’s all.” He waited until she moved past him into the house, and then quietly closed the screen door behind her. His eyes were gentle with compassion, but his words pierced her to the core. “You’re better than this, Katie Rose,” he whispered. He turned and descended the steps, his voice following behind. “Good night, Sweet Pea. Be sure and lock the door.”

She blinked, moisture blurring her eyes as he faded into the night, leaving her with an awful ache in her chest. Swallowing the shame in her throat, she slowly closed the door and flipped the lock with trembling fingers.

“You’re better than this, Katie Rose.”

Hand to her eyes, she slumped against the wood while her shoulders sagged in remorse.

No, she wasn’t.

At least . . . not to anyone but Jack.

“Well, it’s your lucky night, Little Bit. The girls want
you
to read them a story.” Collin wrapped his arms around Faith’s waist from behind and bent to nuzzle her neck. Her shoulders scrunched in ticklish protest, which only made him squeeze all the tighter. “Don’t try to fight me, Mrs. McGuire,” he breathed in her ear, “it’s a balmy summer evening, and I want time alone with you on the porch.” He chuckled and plucked the dishtowel off her shoulder and slung it over his own. “And we both know I always get what I want . . . and so do you, apparently,” he said with a wry smile. He butted her out of the way. “You read, and I’ll finish the dishes.”

Faith eyed the scalloped-potato casserole dish thick with baked-on crust. “Are you sure? The potatoes were in the oven way too long, and I’m afraid that dish may be crustier than you at the end of a busy day.”

His gray eyes narrowed as he rolled up his sleeves, giving her that slow smile that spelled nothing but trouble. He flicked her with the towel while his voice became a husky threat. “You best get those girls in bed and fast asleep, Little Bit, because there’s a full moon outside, plenty of stars, and the crickets are crooning.” He assaulted the casserole dish with the same intensity she heard in his voice, pausing to shoot her a look of warning. “I’ll be up shortly to kiss them good night, but then I want to sit on the swing . . .
alone
with my wife. Or I’ll be showing you ‘crusty.’”

She was still smiling when she ascended the stairs and entered the girls’ pink gingham room, their giggles and squeals not boding well for sleep. Propped against the doorframe with arms folded and a smile on her face, she watched her stepping-stone daughters – ages five, four, and three – with pride in her eyes as they tumbled on the bed. She was grateful they were so close, although it meant they insisted on sharing the same room. A fact which, Faith noted, usually kept their high-energy personalities more keyed up than not.

“What d’ya say we read our books in my room so we can play a trick on Daddy?” she announced, mischief curling the edges of her mouth.

Squeals bounced off the walls as the girls bounced off the bed with a riot of curls, frilly nightgowns, and giggles that melted her heart.

“Ooooo . . . what kind of trick, Mama?” Isabelle asked. Her eldest daughter grinned with an imp of a face framed by long auburn curls.

Faith snatched the chosen book from the nightstand, then grabbed two more for good measure and gave them a perky grin. She hefted her youngest in her arms and planted a wet kiss on her rosy cheek. “We’re gonna make Daddy growl like a bear, right, Abby?”

“Will he be mad like a bear?” four-year-old Delaney asked. Her freckled cheeks bunched with concern as she trailed her mother down the hall, toting a Raggedy Ann doll close behind. Faith tucked her to her side with a chuckle and then ushered them into her room. “No, Laney, Daddy will just be pretending, but it will be fun to watch, won’t it?”

She plopped three-year-old Abby onto the bed, then crawled in beside her, bracing herself as Bella and Laney charged in on top. She settled them down and reached for Bella’s book, and then led them in good-night prayers so they’d be all ready for bed. She’d gone through all three of the books when she finally heard Collin coming down the hall. Her stomach fluttered. “Shhh . . . under the covers,” she whispered. She tucked Abby close to one side while Bella and Laney cuddled on the other. “Remember, not a peep.” She flashed Collin a grin as he entered the room.