by Bree Cariad
Jonathon chuckled. “I’ll call the distributor and order a full bed and bedding that matches his current set tomorrow. I’m glad he’s willing to stay on. I was afraid he would force himself to leave the moment he turned eighteen.”
“He’s a hard worker, that one. Already he helps with the younger ones. And I’ll admit. It’ll be nice to have someone help me in the kitchen. Once he’s trained up, I’ll be able to help you with errands a bit more.”
“Do you think he’ll enjoy cooking?” Jonathon asked.
“He’s always asking me why I use certain spices or ingredients. Part of that is he’s inquisitive about the world around him. The other is he really seems to enjoy the kitchen. So yes, I do.”
“Hmm.” Jonathon looked out the window. “There’s that cooking school in town. They have classes and also full programs if I remember correctly. I wonder if he’d be interested in something like that.”
“He might. But to do that, he’d have to get a GED, and if he wants to be a therapist one day, that could change things.”
“Good point. But if you notice he really enjoys cooking? It’s something I’ll want to talk to him about. Both cooking and therapy are good for a person.”
“True enough,” Rolf said and smacked him on the arm. “Okay. I’m going to check on the kids. Anything else you need before I go?”
Anything else…. Jonathon smiled. “The Lord works in mysterious ways, Rolf.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
“Someone tried to slander Brecker in the paper.”
“What?” Rolf turned to look at him. “Who?”
“He thinks it was Todd Crelon.”
“Ah, the dufus.”
Jonathon snorted. “Him. Well, he sent a prayer up and a warrant was served on Crelon’s data. So he’s probably not going to have the time to bother Brecker for a long while.”
Rolf snickered and the way he did it drew Jonathon’s attention. Slowly he turned toward his best friend and narrowed his eyes. “Just what do you know about this?”
“Know?” Rolf said, sending him the kind of innocent look he never wore except when he was lying through his teeth. “I don’t know nothing.”
“Exactly. What do you know about it?”
“Ask me no questions, my dear friend. I have done nothing illegal or immoral. But you should know nothing.”
Jonathon blew out a breath and shook his head ruefully. “Are you ever going to stop protecting me?”
“Nope. I’m the Lord’s watch dog. While you’re serving Him and watching out for His kids. I’m watching out for you. Get used to it.”
With a smile, Jonathon reached out and grasped his hand. “Thanks.”
Rolf nodded. “Anytime, Jonathon. You know that.” He leaned in and they kissed before he left.
Loving Rolf was easy, Jonathon mused. It was too bad they weren’t physically attracted to one another. It would make things simpler.
With a long sigh, he dropped down into his chair and pulled up his emails. Time to finish the day so he could send everyone to bed and get some sleep. One look made him aware he would probably be up for hours. There was an email from Zach, which meant it was an update on Vaughn. Jonathon mentally crossed his fingers that for once, it would be good news.
The next morning, he took Aiden, Peril, and Sonja to their appointments. He now knew how much time to gauge for each, barring such things as fillings, so it went a little easier. Sonja needed glasses and all three of them had at least one tooth that needed filling. So he arrived home just after lunch with three chipmunks in tow.
After Rolf got them settled in the dining hall with mashed potatoes and Jell-O, he guided Jonathon into his office. “Bring up the paper’s website.”
Confused, Jonathon turned on his computer. It took a few minutes to get to the website and his eyes widened as the headline hit him. Councilman Todd Crelon Arrested for Fraud. “Whoa.”
“Yeah. I don’t think Brecker’s going to have to worry about being torn apart in the news. Crelon’s going to have to focus on his defense.”
Relieved, Jonathon shook his head. “I would never have wished anything like this on him.”
“That’s because you’re a good person. You usually find something good to say about someone, even if they’re busy trying to eviscerate you.” Rolf patted his shoulder. “I’m hoping this means that things will begin to quiet down a bit. We need to find more kids.”
“I know. I was thinking about that. Starting next week I’m going to talk to the heads of the other shelters in town as well as all the religious and civic leaders who will listen to me. I’ll start there and work my way down. We need to get our kids off the streets and here where it’s safe.”
“Speaking of, any news on Vaughn?” The question was gentle as he knew this was something likely to make Jonathon sad.
“Zach’s newest note actually made sense. They have officially diagnosed Vaughn as schizophrenic. That’s why he kept attacking himself. So they have him on meds that are leveling him out. The problem will be keeping him on them once he gets back.”
“Because he’ll think he’s cured and doesn’t need them.”
“Exactly. But at least that’s something we can keep on top of. We give all the kids their meds at the same time every day. We can make sure he swallows his and if he starts to act out, we’ll know he’s been managing to spit the pills out.”
“Any timeframe?”
“Zach says if things keep going as well as they have, by end of February.”
“Good. It’ll be nice to have him back. Oh and Kyle wants to talk to you.” Rolf squeezed his shoulder and headed back toward the kitchen.
Knowing what that was about, Jonathon stood up and went toward the reading room. That time on a Friday, Kyle should be reading. And he was. Deep into Aiden’s Call of the Wild by the looks of it. He looked up and grinned. “Afternoon, Reverend Jonathon.”
“Hey. Rolf said you were looking for me.”
Kyle got up and followed him back to his office. “Aiden said yes.”
With a smile, Jonathon nodded. “What are you going to do?”
“He thought a game sounded fun. So if we can have the game room….”
Jonathon had a hard time not hugging the boy. He was so cute with his crush. “How about from four to six? It will be before dinner and we’ll make sure everyone stays away. How’s that?”
With a huge grin, Kyle nodded. “Thanks. Uncle Rolf’s going to make us popcorn balls.”
“Those things are addictive. Watch out.”
Kyle laughed and headed back to do his reading. Figuring everything was, in that moment, taken care of, Jonathon went through the home and into his quarters. He closed the door and walked over to his bed and sat on the end. As he did every time he sat there, he stared at the calligraphy on the wall. The words of the Twenty-Third Psalm flowed through his mind and he allowed himself to relax into them.
“Father,” he whispered. Most of the time he prayed internally, but there were certain times that the only way to get out what he needed to say was to do it verbally. “Thank You for Your help. Thank You for removing the force that was trying to tear Brecker down. Thank You for the amazing kids You’ve sent to me. And thank You for the best friend a man could ask for.
“I feel so blessed with this calling, Lord, and am grateful beyond imagining for it. It fills me to overflowing daily. And yet sometimes I feel so alone, even when surrounded by Your love. Please, Lord, help me to put that feeling to rest. You have given me so much and I feel so ungrateful for asking for more.
“And yet I am,” he said with a soft laugh. “If I’m meant to remain unattached, will you remove this desire I have within for a partner to share everything with? I try to ignore it, but sometimes it overtakes me with a vengeance. I try to use logic and remind myself I had Paul. He was my forever and was taken away from me by people who were afraid. But that hasn’t worked since Brecker came into my life.
“I love You, Lord, and want no
thing more than to serve You with all that I am. Please let me know Your favor.” He closed his eyes and hummed an “Amen.”
Peace filled the room and tears dripped from his eyes. It felt like loving arms encased him and held him as he cried. No words were spoken, but he knew he’d been heard. “Thy will be done,” he murmured. He stayed in that peaceful silence for a long time until he felt he was needed, then he quickly washed his face and headed back into the main part of the shelter. It was time to focus on his kids.
The rest of the day was their normal. Cassie got cut on a piece of wire while out walking. Thankfully Thomas was there, so after Jonathon cleaned her up, Thomas stitched her and gave her a shot. Sniffles were abundant what with it being January. Everyone seemed to be suffering from a cold.
But even with the sneezes, groans, and tons of orange juice that was guzzled, they all got together for their regular Friday night movie. The monstrous television Brecker sent last summer was the perfect size for everyone to see. Kyle and Aiden sat in front of one of the larger chairs together and unless Jonathon was mistaken, they were holding hands.
“Fresh popcorn,” Rolf said as he walked into the room just as the movie started. “As long as you aren’t going to cough it up in the next second. Don’t want to waste good popcorn.”
The kids laughed and quickly filled small bowls and went back to their seats. In no time, they were lost in the Harry Potter film they’d chosen and Jonathon leaned back against the sofa. Life hadn’t stopped long enough for him to take a breather and over the last six weeks, had felt like it was on a track going downhill. But in that moment, Jonathon felt a small respite and fell asleep.
“Reverend Jonathon?” His eyes flashed open and he looked into Peril’s kind eyes.
“Yes?”
“Movie ended twenty minutes ago. Uncle Rolf said to let you sleep but I thought you’d be more comfortable if you went to bed.”
Surprised he’d fallen asleep, Jonathon nodded. “Thank you. I would have gotten a crick in my neck if I’d stayed there all night. Can’t believe I fell asleep.”
Peril grinned. “With how busy you are? You probably needed it.”
Jonathon patted him on the shoulder. “Go up to bed. I’ll turn the lights off once you get upstairs.” Of course, the lights were never completely off. They had lighting set up in all hallways that lit up the floor for those who had to get up in the middle of the night.
Once Peril went to bed, Jonathon made sure the deadbolt was in place on the front door and turned the lights off as he went. For the first time in a long time, as he knelt down to pray, he felt utterly calm from the start, with full knowledge that everything was truly taken care of and that all he needed to do was pour out his gratitude. So he did. And fell asleep kneeling by the side of the bed.
When he woke up Saturday morning, it was with a groan. He’d spent full nights on his knees before, but not when he was getting sick. He knew the signs. Every joint ached, his nose felt clogged, and his head beat with the force of a drum. He had the flu.
After taking a quick shower, he went into the kitchen. It was too early for the kids to be up, but the light was on and he found Rolf in the butler’s pantry putting things together for breakfast. “Morning,” he said.
Rolf turned around, took one look at him, and pointed back in the direction of his bedroom. “Bed. Now.”
“I’ll be fine. I just need some juice.”
“Uh huh. When you sound like that, you need to be in bed. So go. I’ll bring in some juice and toast. Go,” he said firmly when Jonathon didn’t move. With a sigh, Jonathon turned and went back to his room. His whole form ached and he groaned as he slid into bed. He couldn’t afford to be sick.
Rolf followed a minute or so later with a tray. “All right. I’ve got juice, toast, and a batch of my granny’s tea. As you know, it works better than any medication for flu out there. It tastes like death, but it does work.”
“Rousing recommendation,” Jonathon said and groaned as he tried to pull up into a seated position. Rolf put the tray on his side table and helped him up.
“Not surprising,” Rolf said. “You usually get sick in January or February. And with everything that’s gone on, your body needs a rest.”
“Sorry I won’t be much help today.” Jonathon took the glass of murky yellow liquid and took a sip. “It doesn’t taste at all.”
“Which means you’re really sick. Just wait until it starts making you well and you can taste it.” Jonathon managed a smile at the teasing, but his head hurt too much to laugh. “Don’t worry about today. Brecker will be here for a few hours with Aiden. The sun is supposed to be out and if the weatherman is ever to be trusted, it’s supposed to be in the fifties. The kids can have fun outdoors. And I’ve got people I can call if needed. You stay in bed and get some rest.”
“Thanks, Rolf.”
Rolf gave him a kiss on the forehead. “Low grade fever too.” He pulled a packet from his pocket and punched out two aspirin. “Take those. Eat and drink what you can and then sleep. I’ll check on you and bring you whatever you need.”
After Rolf left with the empty tray, Jonathon snuggled down in his bed and closed his eyes. Rolf was right. As he didn’t want to get any sicker, he followed his friend’s advice and slept. Odd dreams kept waking him up. He couldn’t remember what the dreams were about, only that they weren’t nightmares. It was like he was searching for something and couldn’t quite find it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brecker was up early on Saturday morning. He whistled as he took a shower and got dressed and as his espresso poured into the cup. His troubles with Crelon were over for now and he had a few hours with Aiden to look forward to. He fully planned on talking to Jonathon and telling him where he was at.
As it was too early to head to the shelter, he watched a movie on TV and paced around his place until finally nine hit and he knew everyone would be awake by the time he arrived.
Aiden ran out to greet him as he pulled up to the door. “Dad!” He wasn’t sure when it was exactly that Aiden had started calling him that, but it warmed him every single time he heard it.
“Aiden.” He laughed and hugged him. “The sun’s out. It’s a perfect day, don’t you think?”
Aiden looked up and nodded. “Uncle Rolf says we can all play and stuff outside if we want to.”
“Perfect. Let me say hello to Rolf and Jonathon and then what do you think to taking a walk? I’ve never really seen the grounds before.”
“Cool. And you can say hello to Uncle Rolf but Reverend Jonathon’s sick.”
“Sick?” Brecker stilled. “Cold? Or worse?”
“Sounds like the flu.”
He relaxed. “It’s winter time. Come on, kiddo. Let’s get this day started.”
Kids were scattered throughout the living room and hallways. They all greeted him as he passed and he took a few minutes with each one to see how they were doing. When he walked into the kitchen, Rolf looked up from washing the counter top. Peril was doing the dishes. “Hey, Brecker. Perfect day to be out.”
“I love it when winter does this,” Brecker agreed. “Aiden says Jonathon’s ill. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. He gets the flu every winter like clockwork. I’ve put him on my granny’s flu tea. It’ll shorten the symptoms and I’ve got to say. I think sometimes a person gets well just because of how bad it tastes.” Peril laughed and so did Aiden.
“Well, Aiden and I are going to check out the grounds today. When we get back, if he’s awake, I’d like to see him.”
“Of course. As long as you don’t mind the possibility of catching the flu.”
Brecker shrugged. “I don’t get sick. Even when surrounded by sick employees. I never seem to catch the bug.”
“Perfect. If you come back in time for lunch, you can take yours with Jonathon.” Rolf sent him what was unmistakably a knowing smile. His eyes stated clearly that whatever Brecker had to speak to Jonathon about, it had better be good.
&nbs
p; “That sounds perfect. Come on, Aiden. Let’s go.”
“Take some water with you. We’re on a bit of acreage here.”
It was warm enough that both of them held onto their jackets but didn’t wear them. “Do you have anything you want to know?” Brecker asked gently. “I’m an open book, kiddo. We’re going to be family and I want you to always feel like you can ask me anything.”
Aiden gnawed on his lower lip and then cast him a quick glance. “Why do you go by your last name?”
The question was unexpected and made him chuckle. “Very good question. The reason is kind of silly. The name my parents gave me was Brecker Hugh, but they always called me Hugh. I hated that name. When I ran away, I started going by just my first name. I was legally emancipated when I was seventeen. At the time, I was given the form to put down my new legal name. I didn’t read the directions and wrote down the name I chose. Brecker Court. Unfortunately, when I received my official court paperwork a few days later, it said Court Brecker. Turns out that the form said to put my last name first and then my first name. So….”
Aiden laughed. “So your name is backward.”
“Yep. And whenever I introduced myself, I said ‘My name is Court Brecker. Call me Brecker.’ And it stuck.” He chuckled again. “I’ve gotten so used to it, I hadn’t thought much about it in years. Silly, huh?”
“Do you ever use the name Court? It’s kind of a cool name.”
It was. And over the years, it had taken on a strange kind of aura and meaning to him. “I haven’t in the past. If I ever find someone to have a loving relationship with, I like to imagine I’d have that individual call me Court, but I don’t know. What if I didn’t answer when they called?”
Aiden grinned and then nibbled on his lower lip. “Reverend Jonathon said the adoption process will take months.”
