“I’d love to but, before I see them, I need to speak to John.”
John leaned against the doorframe. “Why don’t we grab a coffee, then make our way to The Welcome Center? We can talk and drink at the same time.”
Molly sent Zac a toothless grin. “You could hold ’Becca, too. But you have to make sure her head is okay ’cause it’s real heavy.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome.” Molly held Emma’s hand and looked at her brother. “Come on, Dylan. Let’s go and see ’Becca again.”
Dylan’s small hand slipped into his mom’s.
Emma’s gaze fell to the desk.
“Don’t worry about the receipts,” John said. “I’ll put them away.”
“That would be great. The pile on the left are in date order. The ones on the right still need to be sorted. If you put them in separate folders, it will make it easier to file them tomorrow.”
John smiled. “Consider it done. We’ll see you soon.”
After Emma disappeared into the hallway, Zac picked up a yellow folder. He looked at the dates on the invoices and carefully placed them inside.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” John took another folder out of a drawer.
“The Montana Board of Medical Examiners has officially signed off my paperwork, but I haven’t heard back from the hospital. While I’m waiting, would you like me to visit patients at The Welcome Center? It might take some of the load off Doc Reilly’s shoulders.”
“Will you have the time?”
Zac frowned. “I’ve got nothing but time.”
“I thought you were doing some maintenance around your property?”
“Most of it’s finished. While I was overseas, Mabel and Allan looked after my house. Apart from staining the deck, there wasn’t a lot to do.”
John took the folder out of Zac’s hand and added it to the one he was holding. “You could always sit back and relax.”
Zac couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken time out of his life to unwind. Even though he’d needed a vacation, he felt guilty when he was away from the refugee camps.
“I’m not that great at relaxing.”
“Not many of us are.” John left the folders in a drawer. “If you’re sure you don’t have anything else to do, we’d love to see you at The Welcome Center. Give Doc Reilly a call and see what works for him, then let me know.”
Zac followed John into the hallway. “It sounds as though Doc Reilly’s looking forward to retiring.”
“Has he shown you any pictures of his boat?”
“Not yet, but he’s mentioned it a few times.”
“Don’t be surprised if he invites you onto the lake. After his wife, his boat is his pride and joy.” John looked down at his watch. “We’d better grab some coffee before Megan goes home. You’ll be surprised by how much Rebecca has grown.”
An image of the babies in the refugee camps filled Zac’s mind. He was grateful Megan lived in a country where drought, war, and severe food shortages were almost nonexistent. Rebecca would have every chance of thriving. She would have a safe, warm home and parents who loved her.
It broke his heart to know that not all babies were born with the same opportunities—and there was nothing he could do about it.
Zac walkedinto The Welcome Center’s living room behind John. At least twenty people were drinking hot chocolate and enjoying each other’s company.
His heart leapt when he saw Willow. She was sitting beside Megan, holding Rebecca in her arms. Zac’s parents had often joked that it would take a miracle for them to ever hold his children. Up until now, he’d agreed with them. But seeing Willow with a baby made him yearn for a different life.
He wanted what most people took for granted—someone to love, to build a better life with. Someone who would always be there for him, no matter what.
