Through Thick & Thin

by Natasha D Frazier

  ∞

  Definitely not what I was expecting, Kensi thought as she pulled into the parking lot of Pepperton Quad. She admired her surroundings. The building was about ten stories high with glass windows covering the entire structure. It reminded her of something she’d see in a big city, not what she thought she’d see in a small town like Pepperton. The newspaper’s logo with the maroon-colored letters P and Q plastered across a large metal globe was strategically placed on the freshly manicured lawn.

  She had an 8:00 appointment and was greeted at the entrance of the building by Sandra Barfield, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Audience Development.

  “I’m Kensi Jacobson.” Kensi extended her hand.

  “Nice to meet you. We’ve all heard so much about you. Put that hand away, that’s nonsense. We are all family here.” Miss Sandra gave her a hug. Kensi felt like she was in the presence of a long lost relative. “Welcome to the Quad,” Sandra Barfield greeted Kensi as she led her up from the lobby to the conference room on the seventh floor. The Pepperton Quad was affectionately known as the Quad because it covered local stories and events from Pepperton as well as three small surrounding towns: Brandon, Millsville, and Stapleton. None of them was more than fifteen miles outside of Pepperton.

  “You’ll get started after Thanksgiving, but I wanted to meet you and give you a chance to meet the trainees and ask any questions you may have,” Miss Sandra began as she closed the door to the conference room behind her.

  Miss Sandra introduced the trainees, Mark, Jennifer, and Tyler, and gave them an opportunity to discuss their background. Kensi managed to muster up a bit of enthusiasm as she talked about her education and career in journalism without mentioning her recent disappointment. Although this wasn’t what she would have chosen for herself, she was starting to look forward to sharing her knowledge with the trio.

  Miss Sandra dismissed them and they all rose to shake Kensi’s hand before exiting the conference room. Kensi smiled and nodded as Miss Sandra took the opportunity to discuss her expectations. Not that she was excited to be there, but Kensi smiled because Miss Sandra’s voice reminded her of Blanche’s from the eighties television series, The Golden Girls.

  “Print is no longer working around here, so we’ll be transitioning to a digital platform soon. I’ll send you an e-mail that contains everything you need to know about our training timetable and your contract details. Do you have any questions for me?”

  “It sounds pretty straightforward, so I don’t have any questions right now.”

  Miss Sandra took that as an opportunity to talk more about Pepperton, the Quad, and anything else that came to mind, before taking Kensi around to meet the staff. She was greeted with friendly smiles, handshakes, and even a few hugs. Kensi appreciated the warmth she received, which was quite the opposite of what she had become accustomed to. She felt welcomed and that made it difficult for her to hold on to the grudge she’d been forming for even having to be there in the first place.

  “Let me know when you’re free for lunch or dinner,” Miss Sandra said, as she walked Kensi back to the elevator bank.

  “Indeed I will.”

  “I know just the place that’ll have you falling in love with Pepperton in no time,” Miss Sandra continued, flicking her wrist to check the time. “I should be going now. Speaking of food, my husband is probably acting like he’s starved since I didn’t prepare breakfast for him this morning. I need to make sure he’s squared away for lunch. I’ll be in touch my dear.”

  That went well, Kensi thought during her elevator ride back to the ground floor. Part of her was starting to look forward to her time in Pepperton. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  CHAPTER 3

  Kensi was scheduled to meet with Darren Shaw at 1:30 p.m. After her meeting at Pepperton Quad, she spent the rest of the morning reviewing her files and finding out what the internet said about him. Dressed in a featherweight sweater, blue jeans and a pair of flats, she grabbed her crossbody purse, notepad and tape recorder and headed for her rental car.

  It seemed that the average time to get anywhere in town took about less than ten minutes. Leaving at one would allow her a few extra minutes to jot some notes when she arrived at the school.

  There was only one car in the parking lot when she arrived. She didn’t expect many cars because the students were out for their Thanksgiving break. She grabbed her things and started up the concrete path, lined with green bushes and mulch on either side. She hadn’t been back to anyone’s high school since she graduated, and the front doors of Pepperton High School brought back many memories, decorated with well wishes for the holidays and school announcements.

  “You must be Kensi,” Darren said, opening the front door when she made it within ten feet of the entrance.

  When his principal told him that a journalist would be in town for a while to write the story about their holiday activities, he had no idea that the journalist would look like Kensi. The first thing he noticed were her beautiful almond-shaped eyes half hidden behind her glasses. Her hair, tucked neatly behind her ears, flowed down to the middle of her back. She wore very little makeup, if any at all, except for the tinted lip gloss. Her perfume captivated him as well. It was subtle and fresh, reminding him of powder. He smiled as he held the door open, assessing her.

  “Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shaw.”

  “Please call me Darren.”

  Kensi nodded and smiled, noticing that his teeth were even more perfect than they looked in his photo. His eyes were dark but warm and inviting. The photo didn’t do him any justice; he could have easily been a model with his strong features.

  “So I have to ask. Why not do this at home? It’s the holidays,” Kensi inquired as she followed him to his classroom. The echo of their voices could be heard in the hallway given the serenity of the atmosphere. Kensi took note of the championship trophies in the glass casing, holiday posters, and the scent that reminded her being inside of a school. They all seemed to have the same smell, at least Pepperton had the same scent of her former high school.

  “It’s easier for me to focus here. Not many distractions at home, but I guess this is just what I prefer. It’s usually filled with students and their chatter, but during vacation times, it’s like a sanctuary. I pray over the school, students and teachers while I’m here.”

  Kensi nodded again, her smile never leaving her face.

  Darren led her to his classroom, where he was putting together plans for the holiday event.

  “So is this where the magic happens?” Kensi inquired, glancing around the classroom, but her gaze landed on the papers strewn across his desk.

  “I guess you can say that. Have a seat.” He gestured toward one of the empty desks. He took a seat next to her instead of sitting at his desk. He clasped his hands together and began, “All right, what do you need from me?”

  “Let’s start with you. Tell me about Darren Shaw. How did you get started? It seems as if you’re the town celebrity, so just tell me all about yourself. Do you mind if I record our conversation?” Kensi asked, pulling out her tape recorder. After getting the okay from Darren, she hit record and placed the contraption on the desk. She propped her chin on her hands and listened intently, scribbling notes, even though she had the tape recorder running.

  Around the time his wife passed away, Darren was offered a coaching position in Pepperton. He’d done a phenomenal job turning around the athletic department of a small school in Houston and became a highly sought after coach. He loved Houston and probably would have never considered moving but after losing Jessica, there was no way he could stay. Everything in Houston reminded him of her. Their home. Their church. The parks he passed every day to get to work. The grocery stores they shopped in on Sundays.

  Having no family in Houston, he saw Pepperton as the perfect opportunity to start over. He didn’t want to be reminded that he lost the love of his life. Besides his own heart reminding him,
he had to see the looks of pity from his coworkers and church family. He needed time to grieve and it was killing him being fussed over at every turn.

  He and Jessica had talked about having kids. In fact, they were actually trying to get pregnant when she passed away. He had so much love in his heart for children and he didn’t want that to die, so he pledged to pour his love into the teenagers of Pepperton High School—those that would receive it.

  He had grown fond of the kids and wanted to do more for them and the town of Pepperton. That is when God gave him the idea of the town’s Christmas extravaganza, an event geared toward bringing the community together to celebrate the holiday season. He’d been hosting it for the past four years and the town had grown to look forward to it. It was now an annual event, something that he hoped would go on even after he left Pepperton, if he ever did leave.

  “Thanksgiving week marked the kick-off for the event. Up until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, all the students who want to participate have an opportunity to sign up for the activities they want to be part of, whether that’s decorating a float for the parade, volunteering at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, making gifts for parents, or performing in the Christmas theatrical production.”

  “And you do all of this by yourself?”

  “It has actually gotten so big that there is no way that I could pull this off by myself. Some of the other teachers and parents volunteer. This event brings the whole town together. It’s so amazing; I’ve never witnessed anything quite like it.” Before Darren moved to Pepperton, the town’s Christmas activities were limited to the Christmas parade that took place the Saturday before Christmas.

  Kensi agreed, but she wasn’t thinking about the event, she was thinking about the host. What an amazing man! A heart for God and children. Too bad she was there for work.

  “I’ll be tagging along here and there to watch you guys work. I’m not sure if your principal explained that to you. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Not a problem at all. You may just get swept up and help us out a little yourself.” Darren winked.

  “Hmmm. So do you have a theme?”

  “Not really. We’ve just sort of rolled with the activities, but never a real theme in place. Maybe that’s something you could do?”

  “Sure, I may be able to help with that.”

  “Now, since you’re going to be hanging around here, I must know who you are besides being a journalist. Tell me about Kensi Jacobson. You’ve basically gotten my whole life story. Let’s hear yours.”

  Focus, Kensi. This is business. Darren had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. Something about them made her want to stare into them forever. She blinked several times and glanced around his classroom before answering his question. She didn’t get too personal, but told him that she was originally from Virginia, where she went to college and how she landed her current position at the Big Apple Arts Chronicle.

  Darren wanted to know more about her, but for purposes of this project, it wasn’t necessary. He figured he would find out enough about her in the coming weeks. It came as a surprise that she intrigued him. He hadn’t thought twice about any woman since losing Jessica. Tearing himself away from his personal thoughts, he slid out of the student desk to get his file, including the list of students who signed up to participate in this year’s events.

  Now that the introductions were out of the way, it was time for him to start contacting the students and allowing Miss Kensi to see the process from start to finish.

  CHAPTER 4

  Kensi did not want to see another telephone after helping Darren place phone calls to the students who were participating in this year’s Pepperton Christmas. She had thought it would only take about an hour, but it took several hours to accomplish. From questions from parents to some students wanting to chat about how excited they were to take part in the event, she imagined that it must have been near dusk when they finished.

  “Fun stuff, right?” Darren grinned after placing the last call.

  “Busy work is more like it, but they all seemed pretty excited.” A smile spread across Kensi’s face as she thought of the joy that Darren was bringing into their lives.

  “So does that mean you’re going to join me tomorrow? I could really use the help; it’s not like I have my team together yet. Maybe you could help me get things sorted out.”

  “Umm, sure, I don’t mind.” Kensi didn’t have anything else to do, and being hands-on would allow her to develop her story.

  Darren enjoyed her company and wanted to see her sooner rather than later. He could have handled everything by himself, but since the event seemed to be getting bigger and bigger, having an extra pair of hands around couldn’t hurt. The fact that the owner of those hands was one of the most beautiful women he’d laid eyes on in a long time didn’t hurt either.

  Darren stood to walk Kensi out of the school. He was a little unsure of himself, and waited with his hands tucked in both pockets. He hadn’t asked a woman out since his wife died, so he wasn’t sure he even knew how to do it anymore.

  “Say, I know I’ve kept you here probably longer than you expected. Would you like to grab a bite to eat? Seeing as much of our town as possible could help with your story, I’m sure,” he added to appear more casual. He watched her as she gathered her portfolio and tape recorder. She was graceful about everything she did. He couldn’t help noticing all of the little things about her. He was lonely for lack of companionship all these years, and he wondered if she was as well put together as she seemed.

  “Food sounds really good right about now.” She had been planning to dine alone in a local eatery about a block away from her hotel but she enjoyed his company. Besides, it would give her another opportunity to see why this town found him so fascinating.

  Darren extended his hand toward the door with a slight nod of his head as Kensi strode past him toward the door. To stave off the awkward silence during their walk to the parking lot, Darren talked about plans for the next day—how the students would be separated by age and interest before the assignments were given and how he needed Kensi to assist.

  When they reached the parking lot, Darren opened Kensi’s door to help her inside. When she was safely inside and buckled up, he gave her a rundown of the route, although she would be following him. He walked the short distance to his car. When he started his car and pulled away, he exhaled, and realized that he’d been holding his breath. He smiled at the thought of Kensi. He was grateful that they met under these circumstances, because he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted otherwise.

  Some of his colleagues and church members had tried to set him up with what they thought was the perfect mate. He was past being set up at this point in this life. He didn’t think he could ever be with another woman after Jessica, but something about Kensi made him think twice about that.

  Darren took a different route than the one Kensi used to get to Pepperton High. As she drove behind him, she admired the beautiful live oak trees, thinking that they were much too green for this time of the year. She saw signage that read “Come one, Come all! Join us for Thanksgiving service and dinner.” That was new to her. She had never seen anything like that in New York. But then again, New York City was a thousand times larger than Pepperton. There was no way everyone could be fed.

  Millers Smokehouse. Kensi eyeballed the plain display stationed in front of a wooden building. She could smell what she recognized as mesquite smoke the moment she opened her car door. The scent of the barbecue tantalized her nostrils, making her stomach rumble.

  “I hope this is as delicious as it smells,” Kensi said to Darren as he walked over to her car door, extending his hand to help her out of the car.

  “Oh yeah! I’m sure it’s better than any barbecue you’ve ever had in your entire life.”

  “Life, huh?”

  “Trust me on this. This is pat-your-belly-give-me-seconds-thirds-and-fourths kind of good.” Darren laughed as he led her to the entrance, holding the
door open for her to enter first.

  “Sounds like you work for them. Is this your second job?”

  Darren chuckled at her assessment. “No, I just know good food, that’s all.

  “So what do you usually order?” Kensi stood in front of an easel reading the menu that had been written in chalk.

  “Sausage baked potato and a half rack of baby back ribs.”

  Kensi nodded and curled her lips into a slight smile before turning her attention back to the hand-written menu. She decided on a pulled chicken baked potato and strawberry lemonade. After placing their orders, grabbing a number and finding seats, Darren opened the conversation again, asking more about Kensi’s background and why she decided to become a journalist.

  Kensi loved that question and delved into the details behind her decision, explaining how she had always loved to read and write. She wanted to write stories that people wanted to read, but she also wanted to make a living while doing it. Becoming a novelist wasn’t enough for her—she didn’t have the patience to wait until her books got into the right hands in order to gain enough success to make a living while doing it. Although one day she planned to write a few books, now wasn’t the time. She enjoyed being part of the story and interviewing those whom she wrote about. Now more than any time in the past, she was getting to do that, even though she was nearly a thousand miles away from home.

  This definitely wasn’t the way she imagined it, but she convinced herself that she wasn’t being punished for not getting the promotion and that getting to come to Pepperton was actually what she needed and what she enjoyed.

  She could go on and on about the joy and purpose she found in her work, but she was interrupted when their food arrived. She excused herself and bowed her head to say a prayer of thanks for her food. When she finished, she noticed Darren staring at her with a smirk on his face.