Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2)

by Ashley Farley

  Julian spent the morning in his study, on the phone, working out the logistics so Katie could finish her school year from Charleston. When he mysteriously disappeared for most of the afternoon, she assumed he was down the street working on the Campbell project. Ellie and Katie spread her books out on the dining room table, and subject by subject, they made a list of the projects that needed completing before the end of the year.

  Ellie was grateful to see her husband in a pleasant mood at dinner. With a twinkle in his eye that she hadn’t seen for days, he announced that he and Katie would go to Spartanburg the next day to pick up more of her belongings and meet with her teachers about her schoolwork for the remainder of the year.

  Ellie was standing at the end of the sidewalk on Tuesday morning, waving Julian and Katie off, when Franny’s station wagon pulled up to the curb. Ruby hopped out and ran into Ellie’s open arms. She planted kisses in the girl’s frizzy orange hair. She felt a unique bond with this child. Ellie knew all too well what it was like to be a child all alone in the world, with no one to love her.

  Franny retrieved Ruby’s suitcase from the back of her wagon and approached them. “We’re here to support you, Ellie. Do not hesitate to reach out to me or anyone on my staff for whatever you need.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ellie said, flabbergasted. “This is amazing. But how did this happen without Julian’s paperwork?”

  “Didn’t he tell you? He came to our office yesterday and personally handed in his paperwork. He convinced Beth to expedite the process. Your husband can be quite persuasive. He had the connections to make this miracle happen.”

  Her heart swelled with love for her husband. He hadn’t mentioned a word. He’d succeeded in surprising her with the biggest gift he could’ve given her.

  Ellie smiled. “That sounds like Julian.”

  “Now,” Franny said. “Since you reside in the same school district, Ruby will continue at Peninsula Elementary. She missed most of last week. It’s best if she can return to school as soon as she gets settled.”

  Ruby tilted her head up to Ellie. “Can I go today?”

  Ellie brushed an orange curl off her forehead. “Of course you can. Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

  “No, ma’am. I didn’t feel much like eating at the home.”

  “Then you must be starving.” Ellie took Ruby’s suitcase from Franny. “Let’s go inside and see what Maddie has on her breakfast menu. After you eat, I’ll take you to school.”

  They bid Franny goodbye and turned toward the house.

  “Whoa.” Ruby’s mouth formed an O as she stared up at the house. “How many people live here?”

  Ellie paused at the front door. “Hmm. There’s my husband and me. My three-year-old twin nieces. My stepdaughter, Katie. And now you. Six people total—two big and four little.”

  She opened the door and stepped aside for Ruby to enter. Leaving Ruby’s suitcase in the hallway, she led the child to the back of the house. Maddie looked up from her griddle and the twins from their coloring when Ellie entered the kitchen with Ruby.

  “Mya, Bella, Maddie, I’d like you to meet a special friend of mine. This is Ruby. She’s going to be living with us for a while.”

  “Did your mommy go away, too?” Bella asked, her chocolate eyes full of concern.

  Ruby cast an uncertain glance at Ellie.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” Ellie answered for her. “Ruby’s mother had to go away, just like yours.”

  Maddie waved her spatula at the pancakes on the griddle. “Do you like flapjacks, Ruby?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ruby said, smacking her lips as she eyed the pancakes.

  Maddie cackled. “Good! I love a child with an appetite.”

  Scrambling off the bench, Bella and Mya nearly tripped over each other as they hurried over to inspect the newcomer. “Why is your hair that color?” Mya asked.

  Ruby smiled. “The same reason yours is brown.”

  “Why do you have spots all over your face and arms?” Bella wanted to know.

  “Those are freckles,” Ruby said, rubbing her arm. “My mama says my freckles mark the spots where angels kissed me when I was born.”

  “Come color with us,” Bella said, taking Ruby by the hand and pulling her over to the table.

  Maddie flipped the pancakes with her spatula. “You’re doing a good thing, Miss Ellie. It’s a crying shame the way some mamas abuse and neglect their chil’run. I don’t know what’s become of folks these days.”

  Ellie was struck by the irony that she had in her care four children abandoned and mistreated by their mothers when she was unable to have a baby of her own. “We’re a family of misfits, Maddie.”

  “Maybe so, Miss Ellie. But there’s a lot of love in your house of misfits.”

  Ellie went to the refrigerator and poured three glasses of orange juice for the girls.

  “Having additional people living in the house will create more work for you. I’m thinking of hiring someone to do the heavy cleaning, to lighten your workload so you can spend more time in the kitchen, but I wanted to discuss it with you first.”

  “I’m all for it,” Maddie said. “These old bones of mine been acting up lately.”

  “Do you know anyone who might be looking for a job?”

  “I may know of someone.” Maddie transferred stacks of pancakes onto three plates and added several slices of bacon to each. “I know a real sweet girl, honest and hardworking, who’s looking for work. Want me to bring her round one afternoon this week?”

  “Please! The sooner the better, with the twins’ birthday party next Sunday,” Ellie said as she delivered the plates to the table.

  “Is Ruby coming to our party?” Mya asked.

  “Of course she is.” Ellie sat down at the table with her coffee. “The twins are turning four on Thursday,” she explained to Ruby. “We’re having a party next Sunday to celebrate. My husband has invited the whole neighborhood. There will be children of all ages here, so you can make some new friends.”

  “I’ve never been to a birthday party before.” Ruby stuffed the whole slice of bacon in her mouth at once. “Will there be cake?” she asked with her mouth full.

  Ellie bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Of course! A party isn’t a party without cake. What kind of cake are we having, Maddie?”

  The housekeeper planted her hands on her hips. “You can ask me that all day long, but I ain’t gonna tell you. It’s a surprise. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “Aunt Ellie! Look what Ruby drew,” Bella said, waving a piece of computer paper in the air.

  Ellie took the paper from her and studied the drawing of a sailboat on the harbor. The child appeared to have more talent than she’d originally suspected. “This is really good, Ruby. You did a nice job of shading to give the appearance of the sun reflecting off the water.”

  Ruby smiled bashfully. “Blue’s my favorite color.”

  Ellie archived that information for later, when she planned to go shopping for Ruby’s room. “I can tell. I love the way you incorporated different shades of blue—teal and cobalt and a hint of periwinkle.”

  Ruby shoveled in a forkful of pancakes. “I missed a lot of school, Mrs. Hagood. Do you think I can finish my self-portrait today?”

  “Since you’ll be living with us, Ruby, I’d like it if you’d call me Ellie. Or Miss Ellie. Whichever you feel more comfortable with.” She sipped her coffee. “As for your self-portrait, I’m sad to say I’m no longer teaching your art class.”

  Ruby stuck her lower lip out in a pout.

  “Tell you what,” Ellie said. “Why don’t we bring your project home and finish it here?”

  Ruby grinned. “I’d like that, Miss Ellie.”

  “And I like hearing you call me Miss Ellie.” She took a sip of coffee. “You know what? I have a large studio over my art gallery downtown. Maybe we can schedule some workshops for your classmates over the summer.”

  “Really?” Ruby dropped her fork on her p
late with a loud clamor. “Do you mean it? That would be so much fun.”

  “Sure, I mean it.” Ellie was warming up to the idea. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Rose Bellamy’s face when she found out Ellie was providing art lessons for free to her students. “In that case, why don’t you ask them what days would work best for them? Can I count on you to help me organize the workshops?”

  “Yes!” Ruby said, rising up out of her seat a little. “Anything you need.”

  The sadness that had taken up residence in Ellie’s chest the past few days subsided just a little. She had parties to plan, art classes to organize, and bedrooms to decorate. She couldn’t possibly love these four little girls more if they were her own biological children. For however long they lived with her, she would do everything in her power to protect and provide for them.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Ellie

  Ellie spent much of the day on Tuesday shopping for and sprucing up Ruby’s room. Hers was the smallest of the five bedrooms upstairs, but Ellie thought it the most charming of all, tucked away in the back corner of the house with an abundance of natural light streaming in through two windows. Everything in the room was white—walls, lattice headboard, matching nightstands—which provided a clean canvas for the vibrant hues of greens and blues in the geometric shapes on the quilt, aqua shaggy rug, and pair of sea glass table lamps Ellie purchased on her shopping spree.

  She had everything in place by the time she went to pick Ruby up from school that afternoon.

  “The colors are like the Caribbean Ocean,” Ruby said with delight when she saw the room. “I’ve never been to the islands, but I’ve seen pictures on TV and always wanted to go.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Ellie said. She left her new foster child to unpack her meager belongings in the white lacquer chest of drawers.

  In spite of Fanny’s revelation that Julian had submitted his portion of the foster parent application, Ellie feared his response to Ruby’s sudden appearance in their home. But when they arrived from Spartanburg around six that evening, it was Katie’s reaction, not Julian’s, that surprised her.

  Ellie was helping Julian and Katie unload the odd assortment of duffel bags and plastic bins packed with clothes and other personal belongings from the car when Katie noticed Ruby sitting at Ellie’s desk in her studio. “Who is that girl, and what’s she doing here?”

  “That’s Ruby,” Ellie said. “She’s one of my art students, and she’s going to be living here with us for a while. I’m her foster mother.”

  “Does that make you her foster father?” Katie asked Julian, who had entered the hallway behind her with an armful of hanging clothes.

  “Yes, sweetheart, I will be her foster parent. And I’m looking forward to meeting my new foster daughter.” Julian dropped the hanging clothes in a heap at the foot of the stairs. “Ruby’s had a difficult time lately. Ellie and I are fortunate to be in a position to offer her a safe place to live, and we’re happy to have her here.”

  “That’s just great! I finally get to live with my daddy again and I have to share him with all these other children,” Katie said, and stomped off to her room.

  “Dinner’s in thirty minutes,” Ellie called after her. She turned to her husband. “Thank you for what you did, Julian. For pulling whatever strings you pulled to make this happen.”

  “It was worth it to see the smile return to your face. Anyway, the more children the merrier, in my opinion.” He smiled at Ellie with the love and kindness she hadn’t felt from him in weeks.

  “Our house of misfits,” she said in a soft voice. “I hope Katie will adjust.”

  He took Ellie in his arms. “She’ll be fine. She needs to learn how to share. Her mother has spoiled her. Laura has let her do whatever she wants, at least in most things—obviously not in letting her choose her own soccer team or honoring her weekend visitations with me. I get the impression that it’s easier for Laura to give in than say no.”

  She relaxed against him, comforted by the feel of his body close to hers. “Judging from the amount of stuff y’all brought from Spartanburg, she’s giving you full custody.”

  He planted kisses in the crook of her neck. “At least for the summer. I’m not sure what’s going on with Laura. She’s changed, and not for the better.”

  “For Katie’s sake, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Katie is fortunate to have a wonderful stepmother in you.” Julian held her at arm’s length. “I owe you an apology. It’s been a difficult couple of weeks, and I haven’t made it any easier for you. But I want you to know I’m sorry for that and I love you very much.”

  “And I love you. I’ve made my share of mistakes as well. I don’t like it when we fight. Can we make a pact to work together going forward?”

  He offered his hand, and they shook on it. “We’ll have to do something about your car. You can’t fit all of these children in that Matchbox of yours.”

  Ellie burst out laughing. “What’d you have in mind?”

  “A sporty SUV of some sort. One that has a third row of seats. I know a dealer who will work us a sweet price,” he said, his eyes full of mischief.

  She play-slapped him. “I’m sure you do.”

  “We have a lot to talk about. Let’s feed our brood so we can have some time to ourselves.” Taking her by the hand, he led her to the kitchen. “What’re we having for dinner?”

  “Maddie left a lasagna in the oven. Why don’t you set the table while I toss the salad?”

  Julian greeted Ruby with kindness when Ellie introduced them. Ruby blushed crimson, and then warmed right up to him as they worked together to put the plates, silverware, and napkins on the table. But when Katie joined them and they gathered around the table for the first time as a family, the air was thick with tension. After Julian offered the blessing, the twins babbled on about their upcoming party while everyone else ate in silence. Katie stared openly at Ruby when she scooped up her beans with her spoon. Ellie had noticed the girl’s table manners were lacking, but decided not to embarrass her by mentioning it tonight. She could work on it with Ruby after things settled down.

  “So . . . I mentioned it to Ellie, and she agrees that what this family needs is a week at the beach,” Julian said as he slathered butter on a slice of Italian bread.

  Katie’s head shot up. “Can we really, Daddy? Please, oh please. We can rent our same house on Sullivan’s Island.”

  Ellie’s heart sank. She loved the idea of spending a week at the beach with her new family, just not in the same beach house where he’d vacationed every year with his ex-wife and their child.

  “Not the same house, sweetheart,” he said. “I’ve found a house I think you’ll love just as much if not better. It’s right on the ocean and big enough for all of us to have our own rooms, even Becca if she’s willing to come with us.”

  “Who’s Becca?” Katie asked.

  “Our babysitter,” Bella piped in.

  “For the summer,” Ellie added. “She just graduated from the College of Charleston and is looking for a full-time job. She was on the sailing team. Maybe she can teach us to sail.”

  “Can GoPa come?” Mya asked.

  “Of course he can. Maddie too, if she wants. The house has a gazillion bedrooms.” Julian pinched off a piece of bread. “I’ve got a hold on the house for the second week in June. If everyone is in agreement, I’ll secure the rental with a deposit.”

  Katie raised her hand. “I’m in!”

  “Me too!” the twins chanted in unison.

  “What about you, Ruby?” Ellie asked. “What do you think about spending a week at the beach?”

  Ruby stared down at her plate. “I wasn’t sure I was invited.”

  “We wouldn’t go on a trip and not take you,” Julian said. “You’re part of the family now, Ruby.”

  “But I don’t know how to swim,” Ruby said in a small voice.

  “We can remedy that easily enough with swimming lessons this summer,”
Julian said.

  Ellie placed an arm around Ruby and gave her a little squeeze. “Knowing how to swim is not required for spending a week at the beach. We can paint and build sand castles and look for shells. How does that sound?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Good.”

  Ellie glanced across the table at Katie, who was studying Ruby with a softer set of eyes. For the rest of dinner, they talked about all the activities they would do and food they would eat while at the beach.

  When everyone had finished eating, Julian pushed back from the table. “Today has been an exhausting one for all of us. I’ll take the twins up for their bath while y’all do the dishes.” He scooped one twin under each arm and carried them, giggling hysterically, out of the kitchen.

  “We’ll need to go shopping for our trip to the beach,” Ellie said as she stacked the dirty plates and carried them to the sink.

  Katie positioned herself at the sink and began rinsing dishes. “I could definitely use a new bathing suit.”

  Aha! Just the response I was hoping for, thought Ellie.

  “Why don’t we go tomorrow after Ruby gets home from school?” She elbow-bumped Katie as she handed her another stack of dishes. “We’ll count on you to show us the good places to shop.”

  Katie’s ponytail danced across her shoulders as she bobbed her head up and down. “I can do that. So, Ruby, are you a pants person or do you like dresses more?”

  Ruby shrugged. “I never thought about it. I usually wear whatever my mother can afford to buy me from Goodwill.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open and her eyes narrowed, but she recovered quickly. “Then we’ll have to figure out what looks best when we go shopping tomorrow.”

  An hour later, as Ellie emerged from the twins’ room after reading two bedtime stories, she noticed Ruby’s door ajar and heard mumbled voices coming from within. She eavesdropped from the hallway.

  “What happened to your parents?” Katie asked.

  “My daddy’s dead, and my mama’s in prison,” Ruby said.