by Jayna Morrow
Sparrow choked. “Mom! Robin’s got five kids. You’ll be lucky if I have one, and that’s a long shot.” She did want a husband and kids, but she couldn’t see all that in her future. “In fact, I may never marry.”
The room was quiet. No one argued with her. They continued eating and seemed satisfied with her response.
Gabriel’s right eye twitched. Or was that a wink? The man was driving her crazy.
She hadn’t been in her house a full day, and already there were dishes to wash. Everyone had eaten and cleared the room. Now it was her job to clear the table.
Gabriel stood against the counter, munching the last bit of everything. “So your momma is ready for a little Sparrow Jr., huh?”
“Ha ha.” She rolled her eyes.
“Just kidding. I don’t see you as the marrying type anyway.”
Warm water splashed up when she dropped a dish. She pointed a soapy finger at his chest. “I’ll have you know that if I wanted to get married, I could. The fact that I’m not married is a choice.”
He put his hands up defensively. “Calm down. Marry. Don’t marry. If you choose to marry, better make it someone who likes being controlled.”
She flung soapy, wet water in his direction, but it was too late. He fled the room before she could make contact.
~*~
After a day of working hard and fast, Sparrow was grateful for an organized kitchen. Everything looked beautiful. In her family, every job well done ended with a big family meal.
Robin had the kitchen running like her restaurant, barking orders.
Gabriel was still hanging around, working with her dad and Garrett on some minor repairs. Even though he’d spent a good portion of the day on his porch, he’d pitched in as if it had been his plan all along.
She was doing her best to ignore him.
“You think Wren’s sunbathing and surfing on his days off?”
Conversation over dinner turned to her brother. “I’m sure of it.”
“He’s doing so well. Military life suits him.”
“He’s a great soldier in a line of great soldiers.”
A wave of nods and smiles went around the room.
“Look out, here comes the main course.” The scent of smoked meat wafted the air as her dad placed an aluminum pan full of his fall-off-the-bone ribs on the table. He’d been cooking them all day while they worked. The smoker was a housewarming gift to Sparrow from her parents. Her dad stood over the ribs with tongs in hand, serving them up with pride. Everyone clamored to fill their plates with delicious food.
Baked beans, potato salad, and rolls filled bowls on the table. Robin and her husband fixed plates for their five children first.
Gabriel’s full plate waited on the counter beside him. He cleared his throat and raised a hand. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to say a little prayer.”
“Yes, please. Go ahead.” Everyone cheerfully agreed. Everyone bowed.
“Father in Heaven, we are grateful for loved ones who are always willing to help when needed. When someone’s assistance is wanted and asked for, it’s a great joy.”
Sparrow’s forehead wrinkled. She didn’t like the way he emphasized the words wanted and asked for.
“And thank you for all this delicious food. Bless those who prepared it and those who will enjoy it. Amen.”
Conversation, clinking dishes, and chatter filled the next few minutes. None of which Sparrow participated in. Gabriel had given her a large helping of food for thought, and every time she swallowed, her belly filled with more tidbits of annoyance and frustration than actual food. She stood and carried her plate to the sink, her food barely touched. “Y’all don’t worry about cleaning up. I’ll do it tomorrow. The food was delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but where are you going? You only ate a few bites.”
“Back to my bedroom to make the bed and get things in order. I’m too anxious to eat.”
No one followed her. She had managed to pick a room no one else wanted to work in, so she stayed preoccupied for the remainder of the evening in solitude. With every item she put away, her breaths came easier and fuller. Muscles softened that had been tight. Her bed was all made and turned down, and it beckoned to her. She lay across the mattress and curled up. Just for a minute. Who was she trying to convince? She looked around at her room. Nothing could bring her down.
“Working hard I see.”
Strike that.
“Gabriel, I don’t want to get into it with you. You’ve been a great help, but I think it’s time for you to go home now.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. I only came over here to make sure my little brother didn’t injure himself. Then I kept helping because I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t a good neighbor.”
“Is that what you were doing when you said that prayer, making it look as if you’re a good Christian, too?” She instantly felt bad about that remark. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. You make me so angry.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
She was now sitting up on the edge of the bed. She crossed her arms and looked up at him. “Have you given any more thought about coming to the parenting meeting?”
“And there you go again. When will you realize that I don’t want your help? Kinda like you didn’t want mine today?” He shook his head. “Slade will outgrow this stage. Until then, everything is fine.”
“Really? How are things going with Slade?”
“He’s a handful, but I manage.”
Did Gabriel actually think he was fooling her? Everything he did was for show.
She only hoped that through persistence she could get him to communicate better. She’d continue going after him until he agreed to take the necessary steps to help his son. She just had to figure out the best way to go about it. Letting him believe he had the upper hand was of utmost importance. “Looks as though you’re doing a great job so far.” She patted his arm a couple of times as she passed by him.
“I’d like to see you do better.”
She pivoted in the doorway. He’d fallen right into her trap. “I accept the challenge.” Maybe her competitive upbringing would come in handy after all.
“Hey, Sparrow. We’re gonna head home. Micara is already warming up the car. She said to tell you bye.” Garrett waved through the door.
Gabriel went to Garrett and accompanied his brother toward the front door.
“Thank you both for all your help today. I know I’m gonna love living here.”
“I’m happy you’re renting this house and bringing it back to life.” Garrett smiled.
“I have a lot of plans for improving the place. One room at a time.”
“That’s the way to do it. Good night.”
“Good night.” Sparrow went to the living room.
Robin sat on the floor by the coffee table and organized magazines.
“Can I help?” Exhaustion softened Sparrow’s voice.
“Sure. I’m sorting the magazines by type and then by date.” She grabbed another stack and handed them to Sparrow. “Why do you have all these magazines anyway?”
“I save them for the teachers. They use them in their lessons sometimes.”
“I see. So organizing them is pointless?”
“Pretty much.”
“And you weren’t going to fight me on it?”
“I’m too tired to argue at this point. Just doing what I’m told.”
Robin glanced at the work she’d done so far and sighed. “I’ll just throw them back in the box.”
The job took just long enough for Sparrow to think about her life compared to her sister’s. There wasn’t much age difference, but she hadn’t accomplished nearly what her sister had. Robin had a business and was successful. She had a husband and children to love her.
“What now?”
“I got everything organized here.” Robin glanced around the room. “Some plastic tubs are sitting on the porch filled with things I think need to be p
ut up. You should go through and check them.”
“You’re probably right. I’ll check.”
A short time later, the tubs of holiday decorations were stacked against a wall in the back of the storage building. The building was small and musty and smelled of worms and wet dirt, probably because it had a dirt floor. Sturdy wooden shelves kept the tubs off the ground.
Sparrow put boxes away as she contemplated the day. She had always been a step behind her siblings. Her father was a good man, a military man who loved his family, but he was also stubborn and set in his ways. He wanted everything just so. She’d been determined her whole life to do things her way and still gain approval. Maybe that’s why she felt so drawn to Gabriel. He was a man much like her father. And like her father, he’d resisted every effort she’d made to get him to do things her way.
Thinking of Gabriel tired her out. But if she could help him get control of Slade, then he’d be worth keeping. Keeping? Gabriel? She shied away from that thought. But she’d never walked away from a challenge in her life, and she wasn’t about to start now.
6
Gabriel stood in the middle of his messy living room. He’d always considered himself a morning person, but not lately. Over the past few months, it had gotten harder and harder for him to get out of bed each morning.
Slade was fast asleep on the couch atop a pile of clean laundry. His shaggy hair covered his face, and his feet hung off the end. He still grasped the remote in one hand.
Gabriel’s heart pinched at the sight of his son sleeping in the living room instead of his bed. His eyes burned, but he shed no tears. None remained anymore. What kind of father was he to let his son fall asleep like that on a school night? Maybe Sparrow was right. It was time for him to get his life back together. “Slade, it’s time to get up.” He shook the boy gently.
Slade groaned and turned his head away. They’d gone through this routine as long as he could remember. Slade had never been a morning person.
How had his little boy become a fifteen-year-old so quickly? Hadn’t it been only yesterday when Gabriel had been a teenager learning how to be a father? Thank goodness his parents had stepped in and raised Slade until they died. Gabriel couldn’t handle a baby. He had been a baby himself.
“Slade, get up.” He shook him a little more vigorously this time, and the sleep-deprived teenager sat up and yawned. He was much more compliant in this disoriented state.
“What do you want for breakfast?”
Slade grumbled out a word that sounded like eggs-bacon-toast all jumbled into one. His MeMaw had prepared a hot breakfast for him every morning. The kid didn’t even know what cereal was until he came to live with Gabriel.
“Cereal, it is.”
He walked to the kitchen to get out the box of cereal, milk, bowl, and spoon for his son. Then he retreated into his bedroom to get ready for work. The rest of the morning went off without a hitch, and Slade actually made it to school on time. Maybe Miss Walker’s last little visit had made an impression on him.
He’d been doing a good job avoiding Sparrow. The fact that they were next-door neighbors made things tricky, but not impossible.
At first, he’d wake up Slade earlier than usual and head out to work before she flipped on any lights. Then Slade started racking up tardy slips, which triggered more attempts at contact from her. So he changed to a later routine, refusing to step foot out of the house until her driveway was empty. That worked for the mornings. Evenings took special care. Their daily habits seemed to line up. If he was outside, so was she. Every time he walked to his truck, he heard her keys jangling as she went to her car. They both spent a great deal of time on the porch at night. Inevitably, their eyes met.
He’d thought avoiding the pesky woman would be much simpler, but it hadn’t turned out that way.
Seeing her wreaked all sorts of havoc within—starting with annoyance, but ending with something far different. Intrigue. Curiosity. Wonder. Interest. Attraction.
The last one frustrated him to no end. Sparrow wasn’t his usual tall, blonde type. Her name said it all. Small birds, pale brown in color, with powerful beaks. Sparrow Walker was a tiny woman with light brown hair and brown eyes. She also possessed a powerful beak that chirped in his direction incessantly.
Not that she was a poor-looking woman. No, Sparrow was quite beautiful, and her intelligence only made her more so. And he hadn’t stopped thinking about the times their fingers had touched while they were untangling necklaces. He could have held that touch, laced their fingers together, and gotten lost in those lovely brown eyes, but she’d pulled back as if he’d shocked her with static electricity.
At work, he picked up a stack of papers and started putting them in order by month. This was Irelynn’s job, but he needed something to take his mind off Sparrow.
“Why are you re-organizing those vendor sheets?”
Irelynn hurried over and grabbed the stacks of papers. The smell of her perfume filled his nostrils, something similar to what Sparrow wore. He’d never noticed Irelynn’s scent until now. And he couldn’t get away from it. “I’m putting them in order by month.”
“I already had them in order by vendor. Never put them in order by month.”
“Who runs this place?”
“I do,” Irelynn said matter-of-factly. “At least parts of it. And this is one of those parts. We talked about this, remember?”
“Remind me of what we talked about.”
“If I’m to be in charge of certain areas, then I’m also in charge of the organization of those areas, so I’m not spending all my time trying to find things you misplace.”
“Oh, yeah. Guess my mind was somewhere else. Sorry.”
Irelynn was the only employee allowed to speak to him that way and get away with it. She’d started working for him several years ago and made herself so critical to the daily function of the dairy that he couldn’t do without her. She was irreplaceable. Until Slade was old enough to take his place in the family business, Irelynn Rafferty would remain second in command. And when that happened, he might just put Slade first, himself third, and keep Irelynn in second.
As for right now, he’d like to keep Irelynn on the other side of the building, so he didn’t have to smell her. He took a deep breath in. A rich, flowery smell tickled his nose. Sparrow Walker. The woman left him breathless. OK, more like gasping for air, but close enough.
“Hey.” She whacked the edge of his desk with the papers. “Earth to Gabriel. No more organizing.”
He opened his mouth to protest when his cell phone rang. He’d assigned Sparrow a particular ring tone. Every time she called, a robotic voice said, “Do not answer the phone.” He waited until it went silent before letting out the air in his lungs.
“Don’t you think you should answer that?”
“You heard what the robot said.”
Irelynn rolled her eyes and left with the papers. She obviously didn’t trust him with them. She left the door open, as usual. He got up, kicked it closed and then collapsed back into his desk chair, exhausted. When was the last time he’d had a good night’s sleep?
Picking up his phone, he stared at the screen. “Missed call from ‘do not answer’” filled the screen. Other missed calls from the same number showed up from earlier in the day, six of them spaced five minutes apart. The woman was blowing up his phone.
“Gabriel Hearth!” Her voice chirruped loudly through his office door, even as she pounded on it for good measure. He’d done his best to avoid her, but what could he do when she hunted him down? She should add bounty hunter to her resume.
Don’t you think you should answer that? Irelynn’s words stomped through his mind like a herd of dairy cows. If he had answered the phone, he might have avoided this confrontation. He wished his secretary had said something before he let the call go. The woman knew people almost as well as she knew cows. Not that he would’ve listened even if she had spoken up in time.
Sparrow flew through the door before h
e could get up to answer it and landed a few feet away. She splayed her fingers on the desk like little bird feet and leaned forward. “Slade has really done it this time, Mr. Hearth. I don’t want to suspend him, but I will if I have to.”
“What did he do?”
“He sneaked into the cafeteria pantry, swiped a bag of salt, and spiked the carafe of sweet tea. He tried to deny it, but we got him on a security camera. Tampering with food is dangerous.”
“That’s it? You got your feathers all ruffled over a prank?”
“I know you’re trying to downplay your son’s behavior to get rid of me, but it won’t work. He may have intended this as a prank, but we have students with special dietary needs and allergies. His actions are severe this time.”
“Calm down. I’ll talk to him.” Gabriel squirmed, uncomfortable with the entire scene. She was right, but he wouldn’t admit it. “And I’m not trying to get rid of you, Miss Walker. It’s just that you beat down my door every time Slade acts the clown in class, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I’m not buying it. Your actions speak louder than words. Yes, I call when he’s disruptive in class. But I also call for more serious matters such as excessive tardiness and absences, even grades. You avoid me about those too. Can’t you see that I’m trying to help you? I don’t think you fully understand the severity of the situation.”
“Reporting things that I already know isn’t helping me one bit. What do you want me to do? Take him over my knee and spank him?” He rose to his full six-foot-three-inch height.
She stood up straight as if doing her best to match him.
“And another thing, I think it’s time someone informed you that you don’t have all the answers. I’ve tried to get control of Slade. You can talk theory all day, but theory doesn’t get the job done.”
In a few breaths, her face went from rigid to relaxed. She had to be doing some kind of relaxation exercise. “You’re right, Mr. Hearth. I couldn’t possibly expect you to do something you don’t know how to do. That’s why you should come to my Behavior 101 seminar. I may not have all the answers, but if I were in your position, I’d try anything. You need to make a decision to figure out the source of the problem and help your son. If you promise to attend the Behavior 101 seminar, I won’t suspend him this time.” She straightened and stared him down.
