A Baby by Easter. Lois Richer
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is Wade’s daughter.” Darla giggled. “She’s nice.”
“I think Connie took Silver up to bed a while ago.” David held his breath, wondering if that would engender another explosion.
And that was exactly his problem. He worried too much about Darla’s temper and not enough about insisting she modify her behavior. But it was so hard to be firm with her. She was his baby sister. She’d lost so much since the accident. All he wanted was to make her world easier, to see her happy.
Still, it was his job to take care of her, no matter what. Which meant that tomorrow David would start scouting the agencies—again—to find someone to be with his sister when he couldn’t be.
Lowered voices drew him back to the present. Two heads, one dark, one blond, bent together as his sister laid out her plans for their impromptu party.
“Darla?” David waited until she lifted her head and smiled her dazzling smile at him. “I’m going to find something for Susannah to eat. Will you stay here?” He emphasized the word so she’d understand she wasn’t to leave the study.
“Okay.” Darla tore a piece of paper off the pad by the telephone and began scribbling. “Here’s our order, Davy. Crackers and cheese and soup. Chicken soup. Eighty-six percent of doctors say chicken soup is an effective aid in treating cold and flu.”
Darla had a knack for reciting television commercials verbatim.
“Cold and flu—is that what I have?” Susannah asked, tongue in cheek. “How do you know?”
“I’m a nurse. We just know.” Darla pulled the cover tighter around her patient’s shoulders.
David hid his smile at Susannah’s surprise.
“I thought you were a detective,” he said.
“Not anymore.” Darla glared at him. “Food, Davy. This child is starving,” she said in her bossy grandmother voice.
“Yes, ma’am.” He choked back his laughter. Darla had always been able to make him laugh. He headed for the door. “I’ll be right back.” He thought he heard a giggle from the blond woman before he closed the door, but it was quickly smothered.
David went searching for Connie and caught her between guests.
“There’s a woman in the study, a Susannah Wells,” he began, but got no further.
“Really? Suze? How wonderful.” Connie beamed with happiness. It faded a little as she glanced around the room. “We’re about to eat dinner. I can’t leave right now.” She thought a moment. “Bring her to the table, will you, David? I’ll get another place set.”
Before Connie could continue, David stopped her.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said softly. “I don’t think she’s well. She fainted when I opened the door and she’s been shivering ever since.”
“Oh, dear.” Connie looked distracted. “Cora just gave me the nod. I need to get everyone seated.”
“Then go ahead. Darla and I will keep Ms. Susannah entertained until you’re free.” David smiled at her. “Don’t worry. Darla has everything under control. She’s a nurse.”
“Ah.” Connie grinned in understanding and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “What would we do without Darla, David?”
“I don’t know,” he answered her, perfectly serious. “Go enjoy dinner and don’t worry about your friend. I’ll look after her.”
“You always look after everyone.” Connie touched his cheek. “Thank you for all you do for us. You’re a dear.”
David watched her hurry away. He couldn’t help but envy Connie. She and Wade shared the kind of home he’d always wanted—one filled with love and joy, hope and the laughter of friends and family. But he shook himself out of it. Having a family was a dream he’d given up.
For Darla.
He escaped to the kitchen. A whisper of concern that Darla might cause problems lingered at the back of his mind as he hurriedly filled a tray and carried it to the study. He hadn’t gotten what she’d asked for, but she would have to manage. He pushed open the study door—and froze.
“You could marry Davy. He would look after you. He looks after me.” Darla’s bright voice dropped. “He had a girlfriend. They were going to get married, but she didn’t want me. She wanted Davy to send me away.”
David almost groaned. How had she found out? He’d been so careful—
“I’m sure your brother is very nice, Darla. And I’m glad he’s taking care of you. But I don’t want to marry him. I don’t want to marry anyone,” Susannah said. “I only came to Connie’s to see if I could stay here for a while.”
“But Davy needs someone to love him. Somebody else but me.” Darla’s face crumpled, the way it always did before she lost her temper. David was about to step forward when Susannah reached out and hugged his sister.
“Thank you for offering, Darla. You’re very generous. I think your brother is lucky to have you love him.” Susannah brushed the bangs from Darla’s sad face. “If I end up staying with Connie, I promise I’ll see you lots. We could go to that playground you talked about—” Susannah suddenly lurched up from the sofa and stumbled toward the bathroom. The door slammed closed.
“What’s wrong?” Darla jumped to her feet. She saw him and rushed over. “What’s wrong with her, Davy? Did I do something?”
“No, sweetie. You didn’t do anything.” He set the tray on a nearby table, then hugged Darla close. “I told you. She’s sick.”
“But I don’t want Susannah to be sick. I want us to be friends and do things together.” Tears welled in Darla’s brown eyes. “Susannah doesn’t think I’m dumb. She talks to me like you do, Davy.”
David could hardly stand the plaintive tone in his sister’s voice. But he dared not promise Darla anything. Not until he’d learned a lot more about Susannah Wells.
As he hugged Darla, the sounds of retching penetrated the silence. Susannah sounded really ill. Maybe he should have ignored her wishes and called the doctor in anyway.
“Davy?” Darla peered up at him, her eyes glossy from tears. “Do you think she’s going to die like Mama and Papa?”
“No, honey. Susannah’s just sick. But she’ll get better.” He squeezed her shoulders, wishing he could make everything right with Darla’s world.
A moment later the bathroom door opened and Susannah emerged, paler than before, if that was even possible. She sat on the sofa gingerly, as if afraid she’d jar something loose.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“Of course you should have come.” Connie breezed into the room and wrapped Susannah in her arms. “I’m so glad to see you, Suze. But you’re ill.” She leaned back to study the circles of red now dotting Susannah’s cheeks. “I’ll call the doctor.”
“No.”
David noted Susannah’s quick intake of breath, the way she vehemently shook her head as her fingers clenched the sofa cushion. He wondered again why she was so nervous.
“But honey, you’re obviously unwell. Maybe you have a virus.”
Susannah began to laugh, but tears soon fell and the laughter turned to sobs. “I don’t have a virus, Connie.” She risked a quick look at David.
He understood immediately. He grasped Darla’s hand.
“We’ll leave you two alone.”
“No!” Darla jerked away from him and sat down beside Susannah. “I want to