CHAPTER THREE
Will put his hands on his hips as he stared down at Isabella.
Stubbornness was stamped all over the little girl’s face.
It had been one battle after another since she’d gotten up.
He’d suggested the wrong thing for her to wear.
He’d done her hair wrong. He hadn’t offered her the right things for breakfast. And the latest was his denial of her request to go to the manor and see Amy.
“We’re not going to the manor,” Will repeated, more firmly than the first two times he’d said it.
Isabella crossed her arms. “Why?”
“I have some work I need to get done. You can read or draw or watch television.”
“You’re mean.” She poked out her lower lip.
There had been more of these episodes lately, and Laurel and Violet had both suggested that his indulgence of her in everything was most likely the reason.
They had advised him to not give in to her every demand, but he had a feeling that was a bit like closing the barn door once the cows had already escaped.
It was a losing battle, and he was just about ready to phone Lance up to see if he could drop Isabella off to spend some time with Amy.
That would be the easy way, but even Delia’s parents had told him the last time they’d visited that he needed to take a firmer hand with her.
Their advice had surprised him since he figured they, of anyone, would understand why he found it difficult to say no to Isabella.
“I’m sorry if you think I’m mean, but the answer is no.” This sticking to his guns thing was not easy or fun. “You can bring your things into my office if you want to work in there with me, but we’re not going to the manor.”
With a final glare at him, Isabella spun on her heel and marched down the hallway to her room.
Will winced when her door slammed shut then let out a long sigh.
He really was the worst father on the planet.
Nothing he felt or did for Isabella was right.
He knew it was his guilt over how he just couldn’t seem to love her the way that Lance, Matt and Dean loved their children.
Every single time he looked at her, all he felt was guilt.
Maybe if Delia had wanted the baby as much as he had, he wouldn’t carry this burden of guilt.
But she had been distraught throughout the pregnancy.
There had been barely a day when she hadn’t said how much she wished she wasn’t pregnant.
It was his insistence that they have a family that had taken Delia’s life.
He could blame no one but himself, and Isabella was a constant reminder of his failure.
He knew it wasn’t her fault, but he just couldn’t get past the guilt and the feeling of responsibility for her mother’s death.
He ran a hand over his face and, with one last look at the closed door of Isabella’s room, Will walked into the study off the living room where he had a home office.
Sitting behind the desk, his gaze went to the picture he kept there of Delia and himself on their wedding day.
They’d married late in the afternoon on a beach in the Philippines.
The sun had just started to set as they’d been pronounced husband and wife.
It had been a whirlwind courtship starting on the first day of his short term mission trip to the Philippines.
There had been a huge potluck supper to welcome them the night his team had arrived.
Delia had attended it with her parents, who were also part of the mission.
He’d been immediately drawn to her beautiful smile and big brown eyes.
At first he’d thought she was too young for him, but after a few subtle questions, he’d discovered that she was, in fact, twenty-one.
They’d gotten to know each other really well, and when he’d had to leave at the end of the summer, it had been horrible.
They agreed to try the long distance thing for a bit since she was still going to be in the Philippines for several more months helping out with her parents’ clinic.
In the end, neither of them wanted to continue that for too long.
Without telling his parents or the rest of the family, he’d flown back to the Philippines after Christmas that year to surprise her.
He’d asked her father for her hand in marriage and once they had her parents’ somewhat reluctant blessing, they had decided to get married right away.
In some ways, he regretted not telling his family. He could have flown them all there to be part of the wedding, but it had been a complication he really hadn’t wanted at that point. Though his mother had never voiced how disappointed she was, he’d known she had been.
Will picked up the picture and stared down at it.
He thought he’d had everything at that point.
A wonderful wife. A career he loved. Enough money to make life easier.
And he’d felt confident he and Delia would continue to serve the Lord whenever the opportunity arose.
The only thing he had wanted to complete their life together had been a child.
Only the very thing that should have completed their family had torn it apart.
Hating himself for the thought, Will put the picture down and flipped open the file he’d put on his desk earlier with the expenses for their latest project. No doubt Isabella would be back for round ten soon. He needed to get work done while he could.
~*~*~
Amy sank down onto a chair at the table and let out a long sigh.
Her first breakfast for the guests had been an unqualified success.
Though she knew how to cook and bake all kinds of things, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually cooked a meal for strangers.
They had been generous with their praise, and she felt more confident about being able to handle the weeks ahead.
“Jessa said it was delicious,” Lance announced as he walked into the kitchen. “And I agree!”
“Thank you.” Amy stood up to take the tray from him. She set it on the counter and began to take the dishes off of it. “I have to say I’m glad it’s just the one meal a day I have to make for the guests. I about had a panic attack over this one.”
“I figured your mom would have made sure you were well equipped in the kitchen.” Lance filled a cup from the coffee pot. “As I recall, she was a great cook. My mom always used to tell us that we had Aunt Michelle to thank for anything good she made.”
Amy stuck the plates in the dishwasher. “Yeah. I remember Mom talking about how she taught your mom to cook when she and your dad got married.”
“That’s why I didn’t hesitate to give Cami the go ahead to ask you to come help out. I figured if anyone could handle what we have here, it would be you.”
“I hope your confidence in me isn’t misplaced. This is only day two,” she reminded him.
“Well, just to put your mind at ease a little., Jessa and I decided this morning to honor all current bookings at the manor, but to not take any further reservations until after the baby is here, and they’ve both had a chance to adjust.”
“So you won’t need me the whole summer?” Amy asked, strangely disappointed by the thought.
“Well, we have reservations scattered throughout the summer, so I’d like you to stay on as originally planned. Plus, I can always use some help with Julia, and I think Jessa enjoys the company when I’m not here.”
Lance’s phone rang, and as he answered it, he walked from the kitchen.
Amy finished cleaning up the remainder of the dishes then went upstairs to check on Jessa.
She found Julia curled up on the bed with her reading books.
Deciding not to interrupt, she went on to her room and settled down with her laptop.
She kept the walkie-talkie close as she wrote emails and chatted online with a couple of her friends.
It was definitely a slower pace in Collingsworth than what she was used to in Dallas, but she figured she could handle it for a couple of months.
The next morning, Amy went to church with Lance and Julia.
Jessa had insisted they all go after promising to not try to get out of bed at all while they were gone.
Still, Lance made sure they sat at the back of the sanctuary, and she noticed he kept his phone in his hand.
She enjoyed the service which was much like the ones at her church in Dallas, a nice blend of contemporary and traditional.
Once it was over, Lance left to get Julia while Amy waited by the front door for him.
She spotted Laurel and Rose headed in her direction and waved.
“We’re just swinging by the house to pick up a few things before we come to the manor,” Laurel said once they were close. “Vi and Dean ended up going into the city to see his folks, so they won’t be joining us.”
Amy had just opened her mouth to reply which she was tackled around the hips in a tight hug.
Having experience with those types of hugs, she quickly regained her balance and looked down.
She smiled at the beautiful little face staring up at her.
Running a hand over the girl’s glossy hair, she said, “Well, if it isn’t Miss Isabella. How are you today, sweetie?”
“I’m good!”
The girl seemed reluctant to release her, so Amy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Were you in junior church?”
“Yep. We learned about David and Goliath. Except I already knew that story.”
“Well, there are some stories you just can’t hear too often,” Amy assured her with a smile.
“Isabella.”
Amy looked up to see Will approaching them. The man looked worn out and stressed. Dark circles lay beneath his eyes, and he appeared even more tense than he had two days earlier. “Hey, Will. Did you lose something?”
His gaze met hers briefly before dropping to the girl still attached to her hip. “I think you can let go of Amy now, Isabella. We’re going to the manor for lunch, so you’re going to see her again in a little while.”