She slowly stood, her gaze never wavering from his, and opened her mouth to speak. Instinctively he drew back, derisive voices from the past rising up in a chorus of criticism. “Briley, have you had lunch? I can make you a sandwich.”
His chest tightened, his lungs refusing to draw air. How could she reach out to him in kindness when he’d openly stated his intention to broadcast her mother’s sins? He knew why. She possessed a merciful heart. She offered mercy even though he didn’t deserve so much as a shred of it.
He found his voice. “I’m not hungry. I just came in to pay my bill. So I can check out.”
“Check out? Today?” The dismay in Mrs. Z’s face was a knife in his stomach. “But I thought you would go to service with us one more time before you left.”
Mr. and Mrs. Kirkley pushed away from the table, and Mrs. Kirkley gestured for Nicole to rise, too. The woman flashed a smiled at Briley. “Alexa has work to do, so we’ll get out of the way.”
Mrs. Z rolled her chair toward the family. “You don’t have to hurry off, either. Why don’t all of you—Briley, you, too—stay the night and go to service with us in the morning.”
Mrs. Kirkley shook her head. “Oh, we couldn’t impose. Nicole just wanted to stop by on the way home and share her good news since you were all so kind to her when we were here before.”
“Besides,” Nicole added, “we hafta get back. The agent said he’d be calling to set up some gigs, and I need to clear my calendar.”
“Mm-hm, your calendar.” Mr. Kirkley hooked his elbow around Nicole’s neck and tugged her close. “It’s so cluttered, it will be a challenge to find an open day for performances.”
The girl grinned sheepishly and shrugged out of her father’s hold. Still smiling, the trio headed for the door. Mrs. Z accompanied them, but Alexa held back. She moved to the fold-down desk tucked in the corner of the room.
“It’ll only take me a minute to total your bill. Do you want to pay it now, or do you want me to mail the newspaper an invoice?”
The civil, professional way she addressed him took him back to his first day, when she’d instructed him to call her Miss Zimmerman and calmly deflected his flirting. If he’d known then how he’d come to admire her, respect her, consider her a friend, he would have insisted on a different place to stay. But it was too late now. The damage was done.
He whipped out his wallet and slipped the credit card free. “Put it on here.”
She grimaced. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a credit card machine yet. I can only take cash or checks.”
He didn’t carry a checkbook—who did anymore?—but there was an ATM at the convenience store. He could draw cash off his card. He put it away. “All right. I’ll get you cash. How much?”
She bent over the desk, wrote some figures on a small preprinted invoice, then tore it from the booklet and handed it to him.
He glanced at the amount. Something didn’t look right. “Is this for a week or for my whole stay?”
“Your stay.”
Briley shook his head in disgust. He’d paid more for a three-day weekend at a four-star hotel. “Are you sure that’s enough?”
“It’s what your boss and I settled on.”
Len had obviously taken advantage of her youth and inexperience. He jammed the invoice in his pocket and silently vowed to double it. Maybe triple it. Len could afford it, and she deserved a decent payment for the story … and the grace she’d shown him. And just how much is grace worth? The life of one Son. Cringing against a stab of remorse, he turned toward the passageway. He’d get cash, pay her in full, then take himself back to Chicago, where he could write his story and then forget about the people he’d met in Arborville.
Steven
Steven pulled into the convenience store parking lot and parked alongside the brick building, next to a fire-engine-red sports car. He hopped out and glanced at the familiar vehicle as he strode up the sidewalk. Briley must be picking up lunch, too. He’d laughingly confessed to developing a taste for the double-pepperoni pizza baked in the store’s oven.
The smell of pizza and fried chicken wafting on the breeze enticed Steven to hurry his pace. He hoped there’d be a couple of whole pies ready to go so he wouldn’t have to stand around and wait. He, Paul, Danny, and Anna—Grace were all hungry after their busy morning.
Inside, other customers crowded up to the pizza counter, and Steven stifled a groan. Obviously he’d be here for a while. He grabbed a Styrofoam cup and filled it with cola. He might as well sip while he waited his turn at the counter. As he secured a lid on the cup, Briley stepped up beside him.
“Steven, hi. I’m glad I ran into you.”
He didn’t sound glad, and he didn’t look it, either. In fact, he seemed haggard. Steven frowned. “Are you okay?”
“What?” Briley’s brows descended briefly, and then he laughed. One short blast of mirthless sound. “Sure. Sure, I’m fine. Just have a lot on my mind. But like I said, I’m glad I spotted you so I can tell you good-bye.”
Other customers jostled him. Steven poked a straw into the center of the plastic lid and moved away from the soda machines. Briley followed him. They stopped in front of a rack of potato chips, and Steven propped his hand on top of the rack. “I thought you were going to stay through December.”
Briley shrugged, gazing over Steven’s shoulder as if lost in thought. “Yeah. Initially I figured I’d need to. But I’ve got my story—I know what I’m doing—so it’s back to Chicago I go.”
Steven wished he knew what he was going to do. Anna—Grace hadn’t been too happy to stay at the house alone with Paul and Danny Aldrich, but she’d spattered primer on her skirt and resisted being seen in public even more than being left behind. Her reaction to the carpenter—to her father—bothered him. She was going to let one man keep her from settling in the town that could offer him a chance to do what he wanted to do. He swallowed a self-deprecating snort. Funny how that teaching position had changed things.
“Good for you.” Steven clapped Briley on the shoulder, hoping his enthusiasm seemed genuine. “Glad you accomplished your goal. I bet you’re happy.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.” But he frowned as he said it.
Steven sipped his cola, uncertain how to proceed. If Briley were a ten-year-old, he would know how to draw him out. He’d always had a way with kids. His mother laughingly called him a Pied Piper. But he wasn’t sure what to do for Briley. He cleared his throat. “So … when are you leaving?”
“As soon as I get back to the B and B, I’m gonna pay my bill and then head out.”
Steven raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Today? Now?”
Briley nodded.
“Why not stay one more night and go to service tomorrow so everyone can tell you good-bye?” At least four families had invited Briley over for meals, and the entire Zimmerman family had practically made him part of their clan. They’d all be disappointed if he took off without giving them a chance for a proper farewell.
Briley shook his head. “Nah. It’s a long drive. I want to get started.”
“Well, at least stop by my place and say good-bye to Paul and Danny Aldrich. They’re working there today. Mr. Aldrich will want to thank you for the help, and Danny will be plenty upset if you just take off without letting him know. He really likes you.”
Briley looked down, a sad smile curving his lips. “I like him, too. He’s a good kid.” He lifted his head. “Okay. I’ll swing by there before I leave.”
“Good.” Steven glanced over to the pizza counter and noticed it had cleared. He took a step in that direction. “I’m going to grab a couple of pizzas to take to the house. Have you had lunch?” He waited until Briley shook his head. “Plan to eat with us then. One last slice of Arborville pepperoni before you go home.”
Briley pulled in a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, then released the breath and nodded.
Steven bustled over to the counter. “One full double pepperoni and one full cheese, please.” He in
wardly added, And make it quick. He needed to get back and play buffer between Anna—Grace and Mr. Aldrich before she made a rash decision that could cost him his dreams.
Anna—Grace
The sound of an approaching vehicle brought an immediate rush of relief. Steven was back! Anna—Grace darted to the front window and looked out, but instead of Steven’s pickup, Briley’s sports car pulled up the lane. She sighed. She’d rather have Steven—she felt secure with Steven—but another person in the house to take Paul Aldrich’s attention away from her would help. What was that man’s problem? Arborville would not be big enough for the two of them if he didn’t get his odd behavior under control.
She opened the door for Briley and gestured him in. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Did you come to work?”
“Nope. To say good-bye.”
A boy-sized squawk sounded from the dining room, followed by the patter of feet. Danny careened into the room and slid to a stop next to Briley. “Good-bye? Are you leaving?”
Briley clamped his large hand over Danny’s head and tipped the boy’s face upward. “You didn’t think I’d stay in Arborville forever, did you?” He grinned, but Anna—Grace thought it seemed tense. “My job’s done. Time to head on.”
“But we’re gonna fish at the pond tomorrow, and I wanted you to come.” Disappointment colored the boy’s tone and expression.
Briley dropped his hand and looked away from the boy. “I’m not much of a fisherman, kid.”
Danny sagged forward. After his cheerful attitude all morning, his defeated appearance stung Anna—Grace. Just as she would have done to cheer Sunny, she slipped her arm around his shoulders and tugged him against her side for a brief hug.
Steven’s truck pulled up, and at the same time Paul Aldrich entered the front room from the hallway. He and Briley greeted each other, and Anna—Grace took advantage of the distraction to run out to the truck and welcome Steven back. He opened the driver’s door, and she stepped into the gap.
“Thank goodness you’re back. Briley Forrester is in there, wanting to tell you good-bye.”
Steven handed her a stack of two pizza boxes, then slid out, holding a fistful of paper napkins and a jug of fruit punch. “I know. I saw him at the store and invited him to eat with us. I can’t believe he’s leaving already.”
Anna—Grace appreciated the warmth rising from the boxes. The outside air was cool, but more than that, she felt goose-pimply from discomfort. “Instead of Briley, I wish Paul Aldrich would leave.” She frowned at the house, envisioning the people inside. “How can such a nice little boy have such a weird father?”
“Anna—Grace, that man is not weird.” Steven spoke so sharply, she jerked toward him in shock. He glared down at her. “Why are you so determined to dislike him?”
Chafed by his tone, she automatically defended herself. “I can’t help it. He puts me on edge the way he watches me. It’s been worse today. I’ve caught him spying on Danny and me, like he’s afraid I’m going to do something or say something objectionable.” She shivered. “I worried how people would treat me if they found out one of the fellowship members gave me up for adoption, and every time he looks at me I feel like he’s thinking, She’s the one. I hate it!”
Steven stared at her with his lips set in a grim line for several seconds. Then he dropped the items he was holding onto the driver’s seat of the truck, yanked the pizzas from her, put them inside the cab, too, and took hold of her elbow.
“C’ mere.”
He led her across the hard ground to the little toolshed between the house and barn. He guided her inside and then closed the door, sealing them in the dim, musty space. She shrank away from him, uncertain and more than a little nervous. “What are you doing?”
He set his feet wide and folded his arms over his chest. “I need to tell you something, and I didn’t want anyone overhearing. We’re safe in here.”
She didn’t feel safe. She pressed her back against the rough siding of the shed. “Tell me what?”
“You’ll have to get used to be being around Paul Aldrich because Arborville is his home, and I intend to stay here, too.”
“But I—”
“I know I said it was up to you, and I’m sorry if changing my mind feels high-handed. But there’s a chance for me to do something—be something—that means a lot to me. I don’t want to give it up.”
He made no sense. And she didn’t like the way he spoke to her, so gruff and forceful. What had happened to her sweet, gentle Steven? “W-what don’t you want to give up?”
In the muted light filtering through cracks in the siding, she watched him close his eyes and crunch his lips together as if a secret pain seized him. After several tense seconds he spoke, still with his eyes shut tight. “Teaching.”
Had she heard him correctly? “What?”
His eyes popped open. The blue pupils blazed with intensity. “Teaching, Anna—Grace. I want to be a teacher. Not a farmer, a teacher.” He stepped forward and caught her upper arms. “When my folks gave me this land, all I wanted to do was sell it so I could take the money and use it to earn a teaching degree. But I knew if I told them so, they’d be hurt. Kevin already ran off to do whatever he wanted. How could I do the same thing?”
Anna—Grace stared at him, her mouth slightly open. He couldn’t have surprised her more if he had picked up a stick and clonked her on the head. Her usually reticent beau continued, the words pouring out briskly and his chest heaving as if he were running a footrace.
“I hoped you’d decide you couldn’t live here. If it was too hard for you, my folks would understand why I sold the land. But Arborville needs a teacher. They need a teacher now. And I want to take the job. I wouldn’t even need a degree—not here. And even if it doesn’t pay very well, it won’t matter, because I can rent out the farmland and bring in money that way. So it makes sense to stay here, live in this house, and teach in the Arborville school.”
Anna—Grace stood in silence, with the fibers of her dress catching on splinters in the rough boards behind her, and digested everything he’d said. They’d courted for over a year, she’d known him her entire life, and not once had he ever mentioned wanting to become a teacher. Only weeks ago he’d promised her wherever she wanted to live, he would go, too. And now everything had changed. She was published to this man, but with only a few sentences—more words than he’d ever strung together at one time before—he’d become a stranger.
His hands briefly tightened and then dropped from her arms. He stood straight and gave her a firm look. “You’ve got to get over your revulsion toward Paul Aldrich. As I said, Arborville is his home. It’s going to be my home. And if we’re going to be married, it will be your home, too.”
Her heart ached. She loved him. But at that moment she didn’t know him. She pulled in a ragged breath. “Then maybe we aren’t going to be married.”
Briley
Where was Steven and that pizza? Paul and Danny had gone into the dining room to peel the painter’s tape from the woodwork, leaving Briley in the living room to wait alone. And he’d waited long enough. He’d said his good-byes. He should go pack his car and get on the road.
He stepped onto the porch, and Anna—Grace burst from a ramshackle building to the east of the house. Steven pounded behind her, calling her name, but she didn’t pause. She ran straight to the house and looked up at Briley with tear-filled eyes.
“Are you going to Aunt Abigail’s?”
He nodded.
“I’m going with you.”
“Anna—Grace!” Steven reached for her, but she ducked away and darted for the front door.
“I just need my jacket. I’ll meet you in your car.”
Briley sent Steven a questioning look, but the young man clamped his mouth closed and stomped toward his truck. He pulled out the pizzas and headed for the house, nearly colliding with Anna—Grace who scurried out with her head low. The two of them stopped, stared at each other for three seconds, then sidestepped a
way and went their separate directions.
Anna—Grace glanced at Briley. “Let’s go.”
In the car she hunched over her lap and cried. Briley considered asking if he could do anything for her, but fearful she might actually ask for his help, he decided it was better to stay quiet. He’d never been very good at handling weeping females.
When they reached the house, she straightened up and offered him a grateful look. “Thanks for bringing me back. S-Steven said you’re l-l-leaving. I … I wish I could go, too.”
And I wish I could stay. He gave a start. Where had that thought come from? He rubbed the underside of his nose with one finger and gathered his senses. “Did you two have a fight?”
She nodded. The ribbons of her cap were rumpled, strands of blond hair drooped along her cheeks, and tears formed twin tracks down her pale cheeks. She looked so forlorn, he couldn’t resist offering a word of comfort.
“Lots of lovers have quarrels. You’ll work it out.”
She sniffled. “You think so?”
He popped open the console and dug out a crumpled but clean napkin. He pressed it into her hands. “Blow.” She did. When she’d finished, he said, “Yes, I think so.”
She released a long sigh. “I’m not so sure. Steven … Steven’s changed.”
He needed to load his car. He didn’t have time to solve Anna—Grace and Steven’s problems, nor did he want to. But she showed no signs of vacating his vehicle. So he sat and let her talk, even though he suspected she was talking to herself rather than to him.
“Everything is all upside down. I thought I was following what God wanted for me, but now I’m not sure. I’m in this town where I have family, but I don’t know who they are. My mom and dad aren’t my real mom and dad. Steven isn’t the farmer I thought I was going to marry …” The tears started rolling again. She turned a look of misery on him. “I don’t know what to do.”
When Grace Sings Page 32
