A Mother's Secret

by Gabrielle Meyer

  “Really?” Chase shook his head in amazement. “The more I learn about my ancestors, the more I like them.”

  “I actually stopped by with some good news, Joy.” Pastor Jacob wore a long black coat and a black suit. He was probably ten years older than Joy, though he had a few more careworn wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth than other men his age. He carried a heavy weight as a single father and a pastor, but he did it with such grace and patience, Joy wondered how he kept his easygoing manner.

  “Good news?” she asked.

  He smiled a bit uncomfortably at Chase, though he didn’t suggest they speak alone. “We heard about your housing situation,” he said to her, “and I spoke to the elder board. We have agreed to take a special offering for you this Sunday at church and also give you the current balance available in the benevolent fund.”

  She stared at her pastor, uncertain what to say. “There are so many people in need in this community—I’d hate to take the benevolent money.”

  He waved away her fears. “The money is for those in need—and right now, that would be you and the children. You are a rock in church, so is Mrs. Thompson, and you both give so selflessly—plus, Morgan Asher was a faithful member who gave his tithes to the church his entire adult life. There was zero hesitation on the part of the board.” He pulled a folded check from his pocket. “I wish it was more—but hopefully the congregation is generous on Sunday.”

  Joy glanced at Chase and then back at the pastor. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll take it for the children,” Pastor Jacob told her.

  Stepping forward, she took the check—and then hugged her pastor. “Thank you.”

  He returned the hug. “Some days, being a pastor is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had.” He pulled back and smiled. “And then other days, like today, I get to do something that makes up for all those tough times.”

  Joy didn’t even bother to look at the check, because it didn’t matter what the number said. It was a gift from people who loved her and her family unconditionally. To her, the gift was priceless. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. “Are you hungry? Would you like to join us for chili?”

  “No, thank you. I haven’t seen Mags today and I’d like to eat with her at church.”

  Joy nodded in understanding and then opened the door for Pastor Jacob to leave. “Thanks again.”

  He grinned and nodded at Chase. “We’ll see you later.”

  “Goodbye,” Chase said. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “You, too.” Pastor Jacob left the porch and darted through the rain to his waiting car.

  Joy closed the door and faced Chase, the seed of hope growing stronger with each gift.

  “He seems like a good guy,” Chase said.

  “One of the best.” And not only because he was her pastor, but because he was one of those men who truly loved his congregation as Christ loved the church. He’d taught her so much in the past two years, she was beyond grateful that he’d answered the call to come to Timber Falls.

  “The more time I spend in Timber Falls,” Chase said as he leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, “the more I like it.” He met her gaze with an emotion she couldn’t identify. “I’m happy you’re raising the girls here. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  Neither would she—she just hoped they could stay.

  Chapter Nine

  “If Joy adopts me and is my forever mom,” Ryan said to Chase the next day as they stood at the bottom of Bee Tree Hill and Chase used his phone to take pictures for Mr. Tidwell, “who will be my forever dad?”

  The sun was already low in the sky and if Chase wanted to get enough pictures to satisfy Mr. Tidwell, he’d have to work fast. He’d already put off the task for too long and didn’t want Tidwell contacting his father.

  But Ryan’s question deserved attention.

  “I suppose that depends on who Joy marries one day.” The thought of Joy marrying another man didn’t sit well with Chase—especially when he thought about that man raising his daughters.

  It was an altogether new thought and feeling—one he didn’t like at all.

  They stood near the gazebo, facing the back of the mansion. The river ran behind them with the setting sun sparkling off the water.

  Ryan picked up a stick and absently broke it in half. “What if the man she marries doesn’t want us?”

  Chase put down his phone and squatted to look at Ryan, eye to eye. Right now it wasn’t about Chase and his feelings—he needed to reassure Ryan. “Joy would never marry someone who doesn’t love you as much as he loves her.”

  “What if I don’t like him?” Ryan asked, squinting one eye.

  “Buddy, you don’t have to worry about this.” Chase put his phone in his back pocket, giving his entire attention to the little boy who carried far too many concerns for a child his age. “God has a special plan for your life. The first part of that plan was bringing you to live with Joy. Only He knows the future. You don’t have to worry about what will happen. Joy, Mrs. Thompson and I will not let anyone hurt you—and Joy would never, ever marry someone who wasn’t kind and good, just like her.”

  Ryan looked at the river for a second, his eyes flickering with his thoughts. “What if I don’t get a forever dad?”

  Chase wanted to pull Ryan into his arms and promise him that his life would be perfect, that he would get everything he hoped for—but life was messy, unpredictable and wasn’t always fair. The best he could do was speak the truth in love. “Unfortunately, not everyone does.”

  Three ducks flew overhead and settled into the water nearby with a splash of their wings.

  “But I want one,” Ryan said quietly. “A lot of the kids at my school have dads.”

  “I wish you had a dad, too—but right now, I’m just thankful you have a mom who loves you with all her heart. And, if she’ll let me, I’d like to do things with you—like build your fort—that a dad gets to do with his son.”

  Ryan nodded, acting much older than his eight years. “Thanks, Chase. But I don’t think it’s the same thing.”

  “I know, buddy.” He put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, not having the heart to keep taking pictures.

  Ryan looked up at him, hope shining from his face. “Could you marry Joy and be my forever dad?”

  Chase was quiet for a second, remembering the last time he’d asked Joy to marry him. She had said yes, but then he’d left her without warning the very next day. He doubted she’d ever say yes to him again. “I don’t think Joy would marry me.”

  “Yes, she would.” Ryan nodded vigorously. “She likes you.”

  Chase grinned. “It takes a little more than that.” He didn’t want to encourage the conversation any further. “How about we head back to the house and see if supper is ready?”

  “Okay.”

  They walked across the sprawling back lawn and up the stone steps to the back of the house, talking about their plans for the tree fort. They finally had the walls up and would work on the roof next. The boys were being patient, though Chase knew they itched to get it done—and he wanted it to be finished so they had time to enjoy it before the end of July.

  A silver Porsche sat parked next to the back door near Joy’s minivan.

  Tom Winston was visiting again.

  Chase tried to school his features as they entered the kitchen and found Mrs. Thompson making a cold pasta salad for supper.

  “Where is everyone?” Chase asked.

  “Mr. Taylor just left for the evening, Joy and the girls are in the dining room with Tom—and I think the younger boys are playing with Legos in their bedroom.”

  “Do you need help with supper?” Chase asked—though he’d rather go into the dining room to see why Tom had stopped by.

  “I’m just finishing up this salad and then we’ll be ready to
eat.” She looked at Ryan. “But I think it’s your turn to set the table, young man.”

  Ryan moaned and went to the sink to wash his hands.

  Chase didn’t want to look too eager to check on Joy and Tom—but Mrs. Thompson was perceptive, and she nodded her head toward the dining room door. “Why don’t you tell them supper will be on the table in five minutes?”

  Chase grabbed a piece of pepperoni from her fixings and gave her a wink. “If you insist.”

  Pushing open the swinging door, he walked through the butler’s pantry and through another swinging door into the dining room.

  Joy and Tom sat side by side, a laptop open before them, while Harper and Kinsley sat across from them with their crayons and coloring books.

  “Chase!” Kinsley said, standing up on her chair. She grabbed her coloring book and held it for him to see. “I colored a chicken.”

  “Sit on your bottom, Kinney,” Joy told the little girl.

  Kinsley plopped back down on the chair, but she didn’t take her eyes off Chase. “You like my chicken?”

  Chase circled the table and looked at her coloring. “I do like your chicken—especially its purple wings.”

  “Mama likes chickens,” Harper supplied, holding up her own coloring book. It was a book of barnyard animals. “I color a chicken, too.”

  “You both did a great job,” he told the girls and then looked up at Joy. “I didn’t know you liked chickens.”

  She shrugged. “I visited a farm once when I was a little girl with my mom—ever since then I’ve wanted chickens.”

  “There’s an old chicken coop near the barn at the bottom of the hill,” Chase said. “You could have chickens if you wanted.”

  Joy shook her head and tried to laugh it off. “It’s just a silly childhood dream.”

  It wasn’t silly. He imagined it was one of the happiest memories Joy had with her mom and she’d somehow connected that with her love of chickens.

  “Hello, Chase,” Tom said.

  Chase nodded a greeting. “You two look busy.”

  They sat so close, their arms brushed one another as they looked at the laptop.

  Joy didn’t meet Chase’s gaze. “Tom agreed to help me find alternative housing.”

  “I told you not to worry about that right now,” Chase said.

  “It’s always a good idea to have options.” Tom crossed his arms. He wore a suit and his hair was combed to perfection. “If she wants to adopt those boys, she needs a place to live—and since you can’t guarantee that she can stay here, then I’ll help her find somewhere else to live.”

  “I’d guarantee it, if I could.” Chase crossed his own arms. “But you don’t need to help—Joy has me to do that now.”

  Joy’s head came up and she frowned. “I asked Tom to help me.”

  He’d misspoken—taken a liberty with Joy that she had not offered. He had no right to make any claims on her, whether he was the father of her daughters or not. But he couldn’t stand back and watch Tom weasel his way in, either. “Joy, if you needed help, you could have asked me.”

  “You told me I didn’t need to look for another place, so I knew you wouldn’t help.” Her voice was tight. “That’s why I asked Tom. He works with real estate all the time and has connections I don’t.”

  Tom didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to. It was clear by the smug look on his face that he felt he had won this round—if that’s what this was—a contest for Joy’s affection.

  But did Chase want Joy’s affection?

  If the jealousy he felt seeing Tom sidled up to her was any indication, he definitely didn’t want someone else getting her affection. But did that mean he wanted it for himself?

  The memory of holding her hand while they prayed the night before, and the pleasure he’d felt just being alone in her company while they ate, told him he did want her affection, more than he realized.

  It was dangerous to question his feelings for Joy—not only because he’d recently come off a long engagement, but because he knew how Joy felt about him. Instead, he said, “Mrs. Thompson sent me in to tell you supper will be ready in a few minutes.”

  “Are we eating chicken?” Kinsley asked, wrinkling her nose.

  Chase smiled for Kinsley and shrugged. “It’s a surprise.”

  He took her out of the chair and set her on the ground, then he took Harper. “I’ll help you wash up for supper.”

  Without looking back at Joy and Tom, he walked the girls out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

  He couldn’t stop Joy from spending time with Tom, but he could make Tom know he wasn’t needed.

  * * *

  Two days later, on Saturday morning, Joy stood on the back porch with her mug of coffee and watched Chase build the tree fort with the boys. Earlier that morning, she’d woken up to the sound of hushed whispers as they snuck out of the house to work.

  Now, as she watched, she smiled. Chase had frustrated her when Tom had been there to help the other night, but she knew he meant well. What was more frustrating, though, was the overwhelming lack of housing available in Timber Falls. Anything that was big enough for a family of seven was so run-down, there was no way she could fix it up and make it livable.

  She and Tom had searched for hours, but Tom had left with no more answers than when he’d come.

  As Joy watched the boys work on the tree fort, Ryan broke away from the group and ran up the long flight of stone stairs to the back of the house. He waved at Joy and came to the porch door. She had it open for him even before he clomped up the steps.

  “Chase said I’m supposed to get you and the girls to come outside and help with a special project today.”

  If he wanted her to help with the fort, he would be disappointed. She had plans to work on more grants and she needed to do some cleaning, too. “What does he need help with?”

  “He said it’s a surprise.” Ryan sighed impatiently.

  Joy took another sip of her coffee. “Did you eat breakfast?”

  “We took some bananas and granola bars with us to the fort.” Ryan jumped from one foot to the other. “Come on, Mom!”

  “Fine.” She would see what the surprise was and then come back and work. “I’ll get the girls and be there in a few minutes.”

  Ryan cheered and took off again.

  The girls were just finishing their cereal in the kitchen, so Joy washed them up, put their bowls in the sink and then told Mrs. Thompson where they were going.

  “Have fun,” Mrs. Thompson called after her.

  Joy walked down the hill with the girls at her side. The sun was bright, the air was warm and the earth smelled new and fresh. She held the girls’ hands and hummed “How Great Is Our God” as they walked.

  “They’re coming!” Ryan called out to Chase when he caught sight of Joy and the girls.

  There was a mad dash up the ladder as the boys disappeared inside their fort.

  Chase stood at the bottom, his tool belt around his waist, a grin on his handsome face.

  Just seeing him took her breath away. How long would it take for her to get used to him?

  She focused her attention on the tree fort, instead. The three boys stood at a window and waved like mad at her.

  With a squeal, the girls broke away from Joy and ran the rest of the way to Chase. He picked up Harper and tossed her in the air, and then he picked up Kinsley and did the same.

  Joy’s chest felt like it might burst at the sight of her five children and Chase, all of them happy and excited.

  “Is the fort finished?” she asked when she was close enough.

  “We just put in the last nail.” Chase’s face glowed with accomplishment. “We even put in a skylight.”

  Joy shielded her eyes with her hands to look up at the tree fort. “It’s amazing.”

  “I go up?”
Kinsley asked Chase, pulling on his hand.

  “When the boys come down, I’ll take you up,” Chase told her. “But it’s too small for all of us to go up at the same time.”

  “Is this your surprise?” Joy asked.

  “Not quite.” Chase’s smile grew even wider, if that was possible. “I have a project for the family to do today.”

  The way he said family made Joy’s heart speed up. Somehow, in the past couple of weeks, whether she liked it or not, Chase had become a part of her family.

  And she did like it—too much, in fact.

  “Come down, boys,” Chase called up to them. “Your sisters want to see inside.”

  The boys grumbled, but they came down, telling Joy all about the fort.

  While they shared their excitement, Chase climbed up into the structure and looked down at Joy. “Can you help the girls up? I’ll take them from here.”

  She nodded and helped Kinsley up the ladder first, handing her off to Chase. Then she helped Harper. It wasn’t terribly far from the ground to the tree fort, but it was far enough that Joy stood on the ladder with her head inside, and watched the girls as they ran from one window to the next, ohing and ahing over the views.

  Chase was too tall to stand, so he sat in one corner, his arm slung over his upturned knee. He caught Joy’s eyes and winked. “I think they like it.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  After a couple more minutes, Chase told the girls it was time to leave the fort. Kinsley cried, but Joy was able to take her out. Chase came down next with Harper, and they all stood on the ground.

  “Now, what’s the surprise?” Joy asked.

  “It’s in the barn.” Chase still held Harper. “Boys, let’s pick up the tools first and then head over to see the surprise.”

  Joy frowned, wondering what in the world he was so excited about. She’d been in the barn before. There was nothing but old tools, broken furniture and some potting supplies.

  The boys picked up their hammers and a box of nails, but other than that, they’d done a great job of keeping the space clean.