A Father for Zach. Irene Hannon

guess it hurts, huh, Mom?”

      “A little. But the doctor will fix it up and I’ll be good as new. Can you get your seat belt on by yourself?”

      “Sure.”

      He hopped into the backseat while she took her place behind the wheel and carefully lifted her injured foot inside. As she put the key in the ignition, she checked on Zach. He was already strapped into the car they’d driven up from Atlanta, eager for an outing—no matter the destination.

      She grimaced as she eased the car back, every little bump on the gravel drive reverberating through her foot. Zach was watching her face in the rearview mirror, his expression somber.

      “I guess maybe you should have worn shoes when you were carrying those paint cans,” he offered.

      No kidding.

      A tall, white-coated man with light brown hair entered the examining room at Cottage Hospital and smiled first at Zach. “Hey, big guy. How are you doing?”

      The youngster shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”

      “Getting tired of sitting around?”

      “Yeah.”

      “I hear you. Let’s get your mom taken care of so you can go home.”

      He turned to Catherine and held out his hand. Midthirties, she estimated as he approached the examining table, with an appealing compassion in his blue eyes. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

      “Christopher Morgan, Mrs. Walker. Sorry it took me a while to get to you. We were dealing with some victims of a car accident who needed immediate attention.”

      She took his hand. “No problem. So what’s the bad news?”

      “Two broken toes.”

      Her shoulders drooped. The verdict wasn’t a surprise, but she’d been hoping they might only be bruised. She’d even toyed with the idea of praying for that outcome, though she’d quickly dismissed that notion. Why bother? God hadn’t come through for her the last time she’d sought His help.

      “What does that mean in practical terms, Doctor?” She tried not to panic again, but it was difficult to remain calm when she had no idea how she was going to whip the inn into shape in time for her first customers.

      “No strenuous activity involving your feet for the next six weeks.”

      “I suppose climbing up and down ladders falls into that category?”

      He folded his arms across his chest. “Definitely.”

      She stared down at her elevated foot, which was surrounded by ice packs.

      “Are you gonna put on a cast?” Zach interjected. “You know, the kind people draw on?”

      “Nope. That’s the good news.” The doctor smiled at him, then redirected his attention to Catherine. “A hard-soled, sturdy shoe should do the trick. You need to protect your toes from further injury while they heal.”

      “I have some hiking boots.”

      “Those will work.”

      Good thing she’d thrown them into a box at the last minute instead of giving them to charity, as she’d been tempted to do, Catherine reflected. Although looking at them had evoked a bittersweet pang and reminded her of happy times never to return, the thought of cutting that link to David had been more painful than dealing with resurrected memories. So she’d kept them.

      “Now let’s talk treatment.”

      The doctor’s voice drew her back to the present, and she shoved her melancholy thoughts into a dark corner of her mind.

      “Expect quite a bit of bruising and swelling. Prop your foot on a pillow when you’re sleeping, and stay off it as much as possible for the next few days at least—no prolonged standing or walking. Keep your foot elevated above your head, if possible. That will help reduce the swelling. For the first couple of days, put ice on it for fifteen to twenty minutes every hour or two. You can use a plastic bag filled with ice, but be sure to put a towel between it and your skin. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you need it. Any questions?”

      “No.”

      He tipped his head. “I have one. Why did you ask about ladders a few minutes ago?”

      She combed her fingers through her hair and expelled a frustrated breath. “I’m renovating a house I just bought that I plan to turn into a B and B. We’ve only been here three weeks, so I haven’t gotten very far. And my first guests are arriving August 1.”

      “Are you doing the work yourself?” His eyebrows rose in surprise.

      “Yes. Or I’d planned to, anyway. It’s mostly cosmetic. Nothing too heavy, but it does require a lot of climbing up and down ladders.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll have to find someone to help if I want to be ready for opening day.”

      “I can help you, Mom,” Zach volunteered.

      She smiled and reached out to take his small hand. “I know, Zach. And you’re a good worker. But I’ll need someone a little bigger, too, to carry heavy things and climb the ladder.”

      “If you’re in the market for an extra pair of hands, I’d be happy to give you the name of my brother-in-law,” the doctor offered. “He’s new on the island, too. I know he has some training in carpentry and painting, and he’s already done some work at our church.”

      Catherine sent him a grateful look. “That would be great. Thanks.”

      The doctor pulled a prescription pad out of his pocket and jotted a couple of lines. Stifling a yawn, he gave her a sheepish grin and handed it over. “Sorry about that. I just got back from my honeymoon yesterday, and I’m fighting a little jet lag.”

      Honeymoon.

      The word conjured up a poignant image of white beaches, palm trees and a tall, sandy-haired man with love and laughter in his eyes.

      It also reminded Catherine where she’d seen the doctor before. She’d played at his wedding two weeks ago. He’d looked quite different that day, in a tux instead of a white coat. Besides, her attention had been on her son, not the bride and groom, whose happiness had brought back bittersweet memories.

      Somehow Catherine dredged up a smile. “Congratulations.”

      “Thanks. Let me help you off the table.”

      He freed her foot from the ice bags, waited while she gingerly swung her legs over the edge and supported her as she fitted her feet into her sandals.

      “Is someone waiting to drive you home?”

      “We drove ourselves,” Zach piped up.

      The doctor frowned. “Driving in your condition isn’t the best idea.”

      It was all Catherine could do to hold her tears at bay now that her foot was flat on the floor again—and throbbing with pain. How could two little toes possibly hurt this much?

      Summoning up a shaky smile, she brushed his concern aside. “I don’t have far to go. Besides, my car’s an automatic, and my right foot is fine.”

      “I’d feel better if you were a passenger instead of a driver. Isn’t there anyone you could call?”

      She didn’t miss the subtle glance he cast toward her wedding ring.

      “No.”

      At the finality in her tone, he capitulated. “Okay. I’ll have one of the aides take you to your car in a wheelchair. But no more driving for a few days. Deal?”

      “Deal.”

      Five minutes later, as Catherine maneuvered herself into her car with the help of the aide, she thought back to the doctor’s question about whether there was someone who could assist her.

      She