A Father’s Place by Marta Perry

Author:Marta Perry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2001-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Shock flooded Ellie—shock and fear. Quinn snapped away from her as if he’d been shot, and in an instant they were both running toward the stream.

Please, God, please, God. An incoherent prayer thudded in time with her racing steps over the rough ground. She stumbled once, and Quinn surged ahead of her. By the time she recovered her balance and hurried down the bank to the stream he was already ankle-deep in the shallow water.

Kristie, wailing, was on her hands and knees, her face muddy. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bank.

“Kristie, are you all right? Are you hurt?” His face was blanched with naked fear.

Ellie reached them and knelt beside the weeping child. “Kristie, honey, stop crying.” It took an effort to keep her voice calm. “We need you to be a big girl and tell us if you’re hurt.” She wiped the mixture of tears and mud from Kristie’s cheek with her hand. “Come on, now.”

Kristie gulped and swallowed a sob. “I—I’m wet!”

Some of Ellie’s fear subsided. “We know you’re wet, honey. But are you hurt?”

Kristie looked down at herself. “My new jeans are all muddy,” she said in a tone of outrage.

“The jeans will wash.” Quinn sat down abruptly, as if his legs wouldn’t hold him up any longer, and pulled his daughter into his lap. “Now, listen to me, Kristie. Does anything hurt?”

Kristie’s lower lip came out in a pout. “No. But my new jeans are muddy.”

Quinn’s gaze met hers over his daughter’s head, and his lips twitched. “That seems to be a recurring refrain.”

Ellie smiled, relief sweeping through her. “I think that’s a good sign.”

“It doesn’t explain what Kristie was doing in the creek.” He held his daughter back so that he was looking in her face. “Kristie? Didn’t I tell you not to go near the creek? Or out of sight?”

She sniffled. “I know. But Daddy—”

“Don’t ‘but Daddy’ me. I want to know why you disobeyed.”

“But I was just trying to help.” Her voice quivered.

“Help who?” Quinn looked around, as if looking for someone in need.

“Help you and Ms. Ellie.”

“I don’t understand.”

Quinn might not understand, but Ellie began to fear she did. If Kristie meant what she thought she meant, this was going to be uncomfortable.

“Remember the Bible story yesterday? About how God picked out Rebecca for Isaac to be his wife?”

Quinn nodded, still obviously puzzled.

“Well, you need a new wife, and I decided maybe God picked out Ms. Ellie to be her.” Kristie clasped her hands together. “I was helping by letting you be together without me. So maybe you’d kiss Ms. Ellie.”

She couldn’t possibly look at Quinn. Maybe she’d never be able to look at him again—or at least not until the memory faded of that moment when they were standing in the meadow, and she’d thought that kissing her was exactly what he planned to do.

She heard Quinn give an exasperated sigh. “Kristie, what am I going to do with you? I told you. I’m not looking for a new wife.

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