Family by Design

by Bonnie K. Winn

  “She’s not happy,” Lillian commented. “Someone should talk to her.”

  J.C. knew who that somebody was. Pushing back his chair, he met Maddie’s concerned gaze. She and Lillian remained silent as he left them.

  Back in his own apartment, he saw immediately that Chrissy’s bedroom door was closed. He knocked softly, but she didn’t reply. “I’m coming in,” he said in a voice loud enough to carry through the thick door.

  Curled in the window seat, Chrissy’s arms were crossed in silent defiance. It certainly wasn’t the first time she had displayed defiance, but this time he suspected it ran far deeper.

  “Pinker Belle,” he began, using the nickname he’d coined when she was a baby. He remembered how tiny she had been. Her face pink and crinkling into early smiles, she’d made every one around her happy since her first day on earth. Funny, he hadn’t planned to call her that … hadn’t used the moniker since her parents’ deaths. For at least the hundredth time he longed for his sister’s wisdom. “Want to tell me what this is about?”

  “I told you.” Her lip wobbled a bit more.

  “Your mom and dad loved going to church. I always thought you did, too.”

  “It’s different.”

  He knew in an instant what she meant.

  “God didn’t have to kill them,” she continued, her voice warbling.

  J.C. winced. “The Lord didn’t kill them.”

  “He let them die!” she accused.

  Differentiating wouldn’t help. “The Lord gave them both life, you, as well. We don’t always understand what happens to us, but He loves us, wants the best for us.”

  “Is the best letting Mommy and Daddy die?” Her lips no longer just wobbled. A wail erupted that broke his heart.

  Immediately J.C. pulled her close, patting her back, trying to comfort her. “It’s difficult for grown-ups to understand.” He remembered the anguish when his own parents had died. “It’s especially hard when you’re young.”

  “That’s no reason,” she sobbed.

  Knowing how keenly he felt the loss of his sister, he was all that more aware of Chrissy’s pain. He let her cry until the final hiccuping sob was gone and the last of her tears trickled away. She pulled away, then stared out the window.

  “Do you remember when your dad wanted to take off the training wheels on your bike?”

  She didn’t reply.

  “You hated the idea … it was scary. He told you that you had to give it a try. If you really didn’t like having them off, he would put them back on for you.”

  She scowled. “This isn’t the same.”

  “The idea is. I want you to attend church while you search for the answers.”

  “And if I don’t like it, I don’t have to go back?”

  That wasn’t a promise he could make. “We will talk it over again.”

  She balked. “That’s not fair.”

  He tucked a lock of unruly hair behind one ear. “Chrissy, you want to do what would make your parents happy, don’t you?”

  Reluctantly she nodded.

  “Going to church would make them happy. They believed very strongly that God was in everything we see and touch, from leaves on a tree to puppies to the bluebonnets every spring.”

  Chrissy took a ragged breath, her red-rimmed eyes puffy from all the crying.

  Considering how upset she was, he offered a compromise for the day. “Why don’t we go see some of those things today? I’ll pack a picnic basket and we’ll worship under the sky God created.”

  “With Mrs. Lillian?” she questioned.

  “I can ask. Next Sunday, we’ll go to services at church. Now, go wash your face.”

  J.C. explained the situation to the Carters and they were in instant agreement. Maddie offered to make the lunch. He drafted Chrissy to help gather blankets and lawn chairs so that she would have something useful to do that would distract her.

  It took a little time for Maddie to make lunch because her sandwich fillings were all gone from the day before. She had to help Lillian change out of her Sunday dress into a knit blouse and corduroy jumper, then change her own clothes.

  But in plenty of time for lunch, J.C. drove out of Rosewood to a perfect picnic area. The town park would have been fine, but J.C. wanted to put Chrissy right in the middle of nature. The glory of His work was always compelling.

  As spring gradually advanced toward summer, the days were bright with sunshine and cloudless skies. Buds dotted the flowering trees and the withered grasses of summer were ripe with new shoots, coloring the fields.

  Maddie helped him stretch out the hand-tied quilt beneath a canopy of newly sprouted leaves. She turned to glance at Lillian and Chrissy who were sitting side by side watching for white-tailed deer, wild turkeys or jackrabbits to run by on the brush-covered sloping hills.

  J.C. saw the concern in Maddie’s eyes. He hated to add to the worry she always carried for her mother, but he needed her help.

  She set the picnic basket on one end of the quilt. “I’m guessing no one’s ready for lunch yet.” Some of them had eaten a hearty breakfast not that long ago.

  J.C. held the other two lawn chairs, not quite ready to set them up. “I’m worried that Chrissy isn’t going to be easily convinced about going back to church.”

  Maddie’s gaze swerved again toward Chrissy. “You can see so much of your sister and brother-in-law in her.”

  Surprised, he drew his eyebrows together. “I didn’t know you met them.”

  “I didn’t. I’ve been in their house, which gave me a look into their personalities. But it’s mostly through Chrissy. Even though she hasn’t stopped acting out, she’s thoughtful, considerate. How many nine-year-olds would choose to spend their time with an older woman who has a failing mind? And Chrissy never loses her patience. If Mom rambles, Chrissy just listens.” Maddie smiled as Lillian offered Chrissy a butterscotch Life Saver. “Even though Chrissy prefers cherry candy, she always picks out butterscotch when we go to the store because she knows Mom likes it.” Maddie lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. “Your sister was like that, wasn’t she?”

  Exactly like that. For a moment it seemed as though Fran stood at his side, her voice soft. She understands you, little brother. Don’t let her go.

  “I hope I haven’t upset you,” Maddie continued, her eyes darkening to a grassy green.

  “They do change,” he muttered, fascinated by her eyes, the delicate blush of her cheeks, the way she pursed her lips when concentrating.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yes, Fran was like that.”

  “So, what are we going to do?” she asked quietly.

  It wasn’t a presumption, it was who Maddie was. Despite caring for her mother and running a brand-new business, he suspected it hadn’t even occurred to Maddie that Chrissy wasn’t her problem. “I told Chrissy she could see the Lord in everything around her. If she keeps seeing His wonders …”

  “She can believe again,” Maddie finished the thought for him.

  “That’s what did it for me,” he confided, thinking of his ex-wife’s betrayal, how his faith had faltered.

  Questions filled Maddie’s remarkable eyes, but she didn’t ask.

  “It was a while ago,” he explained, not wanting to spill the ugly details. Trust wasn’t all he had lost. He was ashamed of what had happened, the fact that Amy had tossed away their marriage as though it had been the kitchen trash.

  She seemed to understand his reluctance. “We’ve all had trials that test our faith …”

  “Look!” Chrissy exclaimed loudly. “A deer.”

  Realizing he had walked closer to Maddie than he had meant to, J.C. stepped back. The breeze stirred between them as though missing the near contact.

  The expression on Maddie’s face seemed to resonate his own thoughts. Surely not.

  “Did you see?” Chrissy asked. “Maddie? Uncle James?”

  “Missed that one.” He cleared his throat. “Find me another.”

  “Un
cle James!” Chrissy harrumphed but turned back to scrutinize the hills.

  J.C. carried the last two lawn chairs away from the tree, plunking one down beside Lillian, the other by Chrissy. He rationalized that he should spend this time with his niece, not that he needed to put distance between himself and Maddie. This wasn’t the time to get lost in his own longings. Yes, J.C. reminded himself, Chrissy needed all of his attention.

  Yet when Maddie lifted her face to watch for deer, he studied her profile rather than his surroundings. A rabbit would have to jump in his lap before he’d see it. She was pretty, but he’d known that since their first meeting. It was something more, something he didn’t have the courage to explore. Love with all its tricky complications had died for him after his divorce. Anyone with his track record would have to agree. Sure, he used to dream about the one perfect woman he could grow old with. But once the eyes dimmed and the skin lost its youthful freshness, what was left of that woman? Was her heart bigger than the sky? Were her morals higher than the Rockies? And her spirit? Her faith?

  As he watched, Maddie entwined her hand with her mother’s, giving an encouraging squeeze.

  “It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it, Mom?”

  Lillian looked over the budding field, the spring grasses stirring faintly. “Soon the bluebonnets will be gone.”

  “We can enjoy them now.”

  Content, Lillian leaned back, settling into the chair.

  As J.C. watched, he wondered. And wished it was his hand Maddie held.

  Chrissy’s birthday was approaching. And she had to decide whether she wanted a party at the Tea Cart or an outdoor gathering. Maddie and J.C. had been taking her on hikes and nature walks for weeks now. Chrissy reluctantly kept her part of the deal and didn’t balk at going to church. But she was still a work in progress.

  Maddie felt she was, too. Owen continued to annoy her every chance he got, and J.C. continued to ignore her. Well, maybe not ignore, but he didn’t interact the way he had. Apparently, she didn’t need to worry about her own weakness since he didn’t show a shred of interest. Relieved, that’s what she should be. Relieved.

  Then why was she so disappointed?

  Maddie sighed as she wiped off the shop counter.

  “Something wrong, dear?” Lillian asked.

  “No, of course not.” Maddie turned to Chrissy. “Are you leaning one way or the other about your party?”

  Chrissy climbed down from Lillian’s side and circled around the smaller tables. “Will everybody fit in here?”

  “Let’s see. There are eighteen kids in your class.”

  “If we have hot dogs, too, I could invite the boys. They might not come if they think it’s a tea party for just girls. And Lexi’s brother, Chance, won’t come if he’s the only boy.”

  “Good point,” Maddie agreed, holding up her fingers to count. “Your uncle, Mom …”

  “Lexi and Chance,” Chrissy reminded her.

  Maddie tapped her two next fingers to include them. “Every one should fit just fine. And because it’s your party, we’ll have an extra special menu, all your favorites and whatever little boys will eat.”

  “Uncle James used to be a boy.”

  Lillian snickered.

  Maddie coughed so she wouldn’t laugh, as well. “Then we’ll ask him.”

  “Hot dogs. Definitely hot dogs,” James decided. “Pizza’s good, too.”

  “Pizza?” Chrissy’s voice quickened in excitement.

  It would be a special treat because Rosewood didn’t have a pizza parlor. “I could make pizzas,” Maddie offered. “I’m guessing cheese and pepperoni would be the most popular.”

  “I like cheese,” Chrissy announced.

  “And I like pepperoni,” J.C. added the male vote.

  “Cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza. Hot dogs, of course. And your favorite cake—one layer chocolate, one layer vanilla.”

  “With your special frosting,” Chrissy chirped.

  “Both flavors?” Maddie questioned.

  “Uh-huh.” Chrissy reached for a dinner roll.

  J.C.’s fork paused midair. “Both?”

  “It’s all butter cream,” Maddie explained, “vanilla and chocolate.”

  Planning parties and menus wasn’t his thing. “There’ll be enough room for all the kids on a busy Saturday?”

  “It’ll work best if we plan for an afternoon party. The busiest time is from brunch until the early afternoon.”

  J.C. couldn’t imagine a swarm of nine-and ten-year-olds on a crowded Saturday, but Maddie didn’t look even slightly fazed. “I could grill the hot dogs,” he offered. They had a garden space in the back of the building. It wasn’t large, but there was plenty of room for the grill, a picnic table, chairs and a swing. “What else do you want me to do?”

  Maddie pursed her lips. “I’ll make a list … not just for you. A list of everything we’ll need to get done—decorations, favors, place settings …”

  “Presents,” Lillian added to their list.

  Lowering her glass of milk, Chrissy smiled.

  J.C. wiggled his eyebrows at her. “No peeking.”

  “Uncle James,” she moaned. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”

  Oh, but she was. “Remind me … you’re going to be thirty? Forty?”

  Chrissy rolled her eyes.

  Maddie chuckled and ruffled Chrissy’s hair.

  J.C. liked it when Maddie relaxed. With the shop closed and Lillian contented, Maddie shed her cloak of worry. Once upstairs in the living area, it was as though the rest of world was locked away.

  He sobered, remembering Owen’s intrusion. Unfortunately, not everyone else was locked out of her life.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wanting everything to be perfect for Chrissy’s birthday, Maddie decided to make an investment she had been mulling over. Costumes for children’s tea parties. She had planned on them when deciding to create the children’s corner, but she hadn’t bought them right off, having to consider the cost. As it was, buying costumes would stretch her already-mangled budget.

  Fortunately, Emma McAllister had continued to frequent the Tea Cart. Before she married Seth, Emma had operated a costume shop, Try It On. Once she was married, she had sold the shop to her former assistant, Tina.

  Emma came into the Tea Cart about twice a week while her twins were in preschool, often meeting friends for tea and her favorite tiny hazelnut cakes. Maddie was watching for her, wanting to discuss her idea while Chrissy was in school and couldn’t overhear.

  Just after ten o’clock, Emma pushed open the door, then inhaled deeply. “Fresh brewed tea and something with cinnamon. Yum.”

  “Apple tartlets,” Maddie explained. “I just took them out of the oven. It’s a new recipe I’ve made up, so I’m not sure how they’ll turn out.”

  “Can I be your guinea pig?”

  “Only if you let me treat.”

  Emma tsked. “Having been in business for myself, I can tell you that’s not very profitable.”

  “I’m hoping to intrude on your morning quiet time, and actually it is about business.”

  “How can I argue?” Emma grinned. “From the aroma, those apple things have to be delicious.”

  Knowing Emma’s favorite blend of tea, Maddie filled a teapot with leaves and boiling water. With Lillian happily chatting to one of the ladies in her Sunday school class, Maddie put the pot and cups on a small table nearby. “Is this okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  Back behind the counter, Maddie pulled out the tray of fresh apple tartlets and stacked some on a delicate pink glass dish. She added dessert plates, forks and napkins. Unloading it all on the café table, Maddie stashed the tray.

  “Is it okay for me to dive in while you talk?” Emma asked, eyeing the pastries.

  “Of course.”

  Emma took a bite, savoring it slowly, then sighing. “Oh, I wish you hadn’t come up with this recipe.”

  “Too sweet? Needs a touch of salt?”


  “Afraid not. Now I have one more goody that’ll glide from my lips to my hips.”

  Pleased, Maddie grinned. “Really?”

  “Taste one if you dare.” She took a second bite.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll talk instead.” Maddie waved toward the nook filled with small tables. “When I was designing the shop, with Seth’s inspiration, we planned an area for kids. As the idea grew, I knew I wanted to host children’s parties.”

  “It would be great for birthday parties,” Emma mused. “Girls especially.”

  “My thought, too. When I asked Chrissy who she wanted to invite, I thought it would probably be all girls, but she wants to invite her whole class. That got me thinking. I’d been envisioning fancy costumes for the girls, hats, gloves, fun things they don’t usually have. And when Chrissy mentioned the boys, I thought, why not? For costumes, I wondered about top hats.”

  “And little vests,” Emma mused. “Boys like lots of pockets so we could design them with extra ones. The bow tie could be sewn to one side and attached with velcro on the other.”

  “It’s doable?”

  “Sure. Great thing about costumes, you’re really only limited by your imagination. We never designed any outfits with special effects like fireworks, but just about everything else, including a dragon whose eyes light up. One of the main customers for Try It On is the local theater.” The theater costumes, along with Emma’s award-winning designer wedding gowns, had put her shop on the national map.

  Maddie quietly clapped her hands together. “Perfect! I want Chrissy’s birthday to be really, really special.”

  “I keep her in my prayers,” Emma said quietly. “Such an enormous loss for a little girl.”

  “Fortunately she has her uncle.”

  “And you.”

  Maddie shook her head. “I don’t do much.”

  Emma stared at her. “You’re kidding. Chrissy has improved by leaps and bounds since you’ve been in her life.”

  “She’s still traumatized.”

  “Healing takes a long time. I know that from personal experience.” Emma had come to Rosewood after being placed in the witness protection program. Formerly a prosecuting attorney, she had been targeted by the brother of someone she had rightfully sent to prison. Out for revenge, the man had tried to kill her by setting her house ablaze. She hadn’t been in the house, but tragically her husband and young daughter were. Fortunately, the arsonist was caught in Rosewood when he made a second attempt on Emma’s life. Pain had been tempered by her faith, but the loss was still part of who she was. Not turning it into anger, instead she had funneled it into compassion.