Hope Leads the Heart
Chapter 8 First Guest
In spite of his aggravation with Nathan, Bill fully understood the need to help Joanna. He was happy that she and Nathan happened to be in the same place at the right time, because he was thoroughly enjoying watching this little "friendship" develop. As he watched the two of them sitting in front of the fireplace while Allie and he prepared dinner, Bill thought that it must have been fate that brought them together on this particular day. Nathan's shyness was melting away in the presence of the beautiful doctor and Joanna looked at Nathan directly, listening intently to every word he spoke. Yes, Bill watched them out of the corner of his eye and was very satisfied with what he saw.
Bill finished setting the table just as Allie was pulling biscuits out of the oven. It was her turn to make dinner and she had prepared stew along with the biscuits, filling the house with a wonderful aroma. Unaccustomed to cooking for visitors, she was a little nervous and insecure about making the meal for a guest. She wanted to make a good impression on Dr. Bryant. After all, this was the first time they had invited a guest for dinner in their new home and her dad had the most wonderful smile on his face!
Allie stepped into the living room and said, "Dinner is finally ready. I hope you like stew, Dr. Bryant!"
"Allie, please call me Joanna. All my friends do. I love stew, and it smells wonderful! These two bachelors are lucky to have you cook for them," teased Joanna.
Bill took that personally and retorted, "Now just a minute here! I'll have you know I cooked and ran the café in town quite successfully for years before I sold it to Minnie. We all take turns cooking here. It isn't ME who needs the support in the kitchen, but Nathan, on the other hand….."
"Awww, come on, Uncle Bill. Dad isn't THAT bad of a cook, as long as you don't expect anything too fancy. When the two of us lived alone, we didn't starve," said Allie, jumping to Nathan's defense.
"Thank you, Allie. At least one person in this family appreciates me! I think I hold my own in the kitchen, Bill." Turning to look at Joanna, Nathan said, "Don't try to hobble into the kitchen, Joanna. Let me help you."
Without waiting for her to protest, Nathan scooped her up into his arms and carried her over to a chair at the table. He turned it sideways a little. This gave plenty of room to rest her foot without bumping into a table leg or someone else's foot under the table. Joanna gave him a look of gratitude for being so considerate of her discomfort.
The foursome made short work of the delicious meal and Allie was very pleased at the way that it all turned out. Her dad and Uncle Bill talked about their plans for the Double M and Joanna seemed very interested in what they had to say. As if they had been lifelong friends, they all teased and laughed together. Allie liked being part of the adults' conversation as the doctor made a point of drawing her in to all the discussions. She told Joanna how much she enjoyed riding and fishing with her dad and promised to take Joanna on one of their trips when Joanna was able to ride again. While Allie had already decided she liked Joanna very much, she was even happier about the effect that the doctor had on her dad. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and they made each other laugh. Allie loved seeing her dad laugh again and again and again. It had been a long time…..
In spite of her protests, the three convinced Joanna that she should spend the night with them at the Double M. It was too dark and too late to drive into town and they worried about Joanna's ability to maneuver around in the rowhouse she called home. At least, all of the rooms at the Double M were on one floor with no stairs to climb and they DID have a guest room she would be comfortable in. It was Friday night and the clinic was not usually open for patients on weekends anyway.
Joanna said good night to Bill. As soon as Nathan carried her to the guest room, Allie thoughtfully lent Joanna some pajamas and helped her get settled for the night.
"Thank you, Allie," Joanna said graciously. "I feel so lucky to be in the company of your family, especially today, and I know we are all going to be great friends. I don't know what I would have done if your dad hadn't been riding that trail today. Nathan to the rescue!"
"Good night, Joanna. I'm so glad you could join us for dinner, and I am relieved that you are not attempting to ride home tonight. We are happy to have you. Pleasant dreams," said Allie as she shut the door.
"That will not be a problem at all," Joanna thought. She laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep almost immediately. A certain someone in a blue shirt, with blue eyes occupied her dreams that night.