The Soldier and the Single Mom

by Lee Tobin McClain

  “Have you talked to Miss Minnie yet?” Buck asked.

  “We’re supposed to meet soon. She’s a busy lady.”

  “That she is.” Mr. Love smiled. “I’d be honored to help. That house is a very important place to a lot of people in this town. Very important.”

  “How do you mean?” Gina asked. “If you have time to tell us about it.”

  Mr. Love perched on the high stool behind the counter. “Falcon Station was the stop before our place on the Underground Railroad.”

  “I knew the guesthouse was a stop,” Gina said, “but I didn’t know there were others nearby. Is yours still standing?”

  “Standing, but not much more than that. The house is gone, but the old barn where travelers hid is still around, about ten miles up the road. Has a rose painted on the side that you can barely make out. Served to let folks know it was a safe place.”

  “I’ve seen it.” Buck remembered driving by during some high-school carousing. A couple of older boys had warned him that any spray painting, egg throwing or sign shooting should steer clear of the Old Rose Barn. In turn, he’d passed along the message to younger boys when he was a senior.

  “Could it be made into a national landmark, too, I wonder?”

  Mr. Love beamed at Gina’s interest. “I don’t know about that. It’s just one of those weathered, falling-down barns, though I’ve taken the kids and grandkids up there and told the story.”

  “Maybe we could see it sometime, too.”

  “You surely could,” the older man said, “but the Falcon home has plenty to keep you busy exploring. Have you looked for the secret treasure in the cellar?”

  “Treasure?”

  “Or something hidden, anyway. Never saw it for myself, but that’s the story.”

  Gina’s eyes lit up again, and she gripped Buck’s arm. “Have you explored the basement?”

  “No way. It has a dirt floor and nasty cobwebs.”

  “Wimp,” she said, scoffing at him. Her hand was still on his arm, her eyes full of fun. “Tell you what, soldier hero. I’ll protect you if you’ll go down there and explore it with me.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Will you hold my hand?”

  “If you’re good.” Her lips quirked up at the corners.

  Wow.

  Her phone pinged again, and the smile faded from her face. She took it out, read the message, frowned and shoved it back in her purse, hard.

  “Something wrong?” he asked as Mr. Love turned to assist another customer.

  “Nothing. No big deal.” She turned toward the rest of the store, straightening her shoulders, back to business. “Do you have a list?”

  “It’s all up here,” he said, tapping the side of his head.

  She rolled her eyes. “Great. Let’s see how much you remember.”

  They headed to the drawer pulls and wall anchors they’d come for. Buck made his selections, and when he turned back toward Gina, she stood transfixed in front of a rack of gardening supplies, rakes and hoses and shovels. She was holding a packet of seeds in her hand.

  He approached her. “You like gardening?” he asked.

  “Just think what could be done with the little yard in front of the guesthouse.”

  He wasn’t much for flowers, but he could imagine they’d look nice. The question was, if Gina planted flowers now, would she be around to see them blossom? Would he?

  “I wonder why they called it Falcon Station?” she asked him.

  “Miss Minnie’s last name is Falcon.” He lowered his voice. “Rumor has it that Mr. Love has been sweet on Miss Minnie for years.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “The elders in this community are very...”

  “Social? Romantic?” He grinned. “Something in the water, maybe.”

  Her phone pinged in her purse. And again. And again.

  She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then pulled out her phone and looked at it. Her hand flew to her mouth.

  “What’s wrong?” Buck stepped closer, wanting to protect her from whatever was making her look so scared.

  “They’re cutting off my phone,” she said faintly. “What am I going to do without a phone?”

  “Who?”

  “My in-laws. Bobby’s grandparents.” She shook her head back and forth, her expression despairing. “What am I going to do? They’re going to...” She trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut.

  Buck’s eyes narrowed. “They have some kind of control of your account?”

  She pressed her lips together and then nodded. “I didn’t think about it, but yes. I’m on their plan.”

  “Does your phone have a GPS?” he asked immediately.

  She shook her head quickly. “I disabled that right away, as soon as I left. And I blocked them from being able to see my call log and turned off location services. I just... I guess I wasn’t thinking about how they could cut off my phone. And it’s not like I’m a phone addict or anything, but I need Angelica to be able to contact me about Bobby. I need that phone for emergencies.”

  “Ma’am?” Mr. Love’s voice came from behind them. “We have some of those no-contract, prepaid cell phones.”

  She turned. “You do?”

  “Right over here.” He felt his way along the shelf to where a display stood. “Take your pick.” He put a wrinkled hand on Gina’s arm. “And if you’re ever in trouble, you’re more than welcome to seek refuge here at the store. We have a sitting room in the back with a refrigerator and coffeepot, and more than a few people have stayed a few days there over the years.”

  “Thank you so much!” Gina’s eyes went shiny. “I appreciate your kindness.” She fumbled at the phones in the display, picking up one, putting it back without looking at it and picking up another.

  “This one’s good. I’ve used these before.” Buck identified a simple phone and pulled it off the rack.

  “All right.” Her voice was faint.

  He was surprised that someone as competent and calm as Gina would get this upset over a piece of technology. “Look, it’s just a phone,” he said gently. “We can manage this.”

  “It’s not just a phone!” She spun on him. “They’re threatening... They want to...” She broke off, shook her head. “It’s not just a phone,” she repeated, her voice flat and dull.

  “Here. We’ll pay for it all together.” But as Mr. Love rang up their purchases and Gina bit her lip, and her phone buzzed repeatedly, Buck was worried. So far, her former in-laws had taken away her transportation and her communication. What was next? Did they have no shame about mistreating the mother of their grandchild?

  * * *

  After a day of trying to drown her worries in work and avoid Buck’s concerned glances, Gina hated to have to rely on him for a ride to pick up Bobby.

  She’d realized a few days back that driving without a license could get her in trouble. Her license had been stolen along with her money, and she couldn’t order a replacement without kicking all kinds of search engines into play. So when Buck and even Lacey offered her the use of their cars, she had to decline.

  She disliked the lack of independence, would have tried hard to find a babysitter in town, except that Angelica’s situation was so ideal: she was caring for her own baby and one other—gorgeous Amy Franklin’s nephew—in a big, comfortable farmhouse. More important, Angelica was warm and loving and so, so good to Bobby.

  Her own humiliation as she approached Buck, who was putting away plastering supplies, had to take a backseat to Bobby’s well-being.

  “Ready to go?” he asked, sparing her the need to ask. He was thoughtful that way. He seemed to anticipate what she might need and offer it, making it seem less of a burden and more of a friendly favor.

  Still, the dependency rankled. “Yes, whenever you’re ready, and th
ank you.”

  “No problem.”

  But when they arrived at the dog rescue farm, Buck stopped her from emerging from the vehicle with a hand on her arm. “I feel like you’re uncomfortable with accepting help. But that’s what we do around here—we help each other.”

  She twisted her hands on her lap. “Why are you doing so much for someone you barely know?”

  He opened his mouth and closed it, his eyes snagging with hers.

  “What?” Her heart was pounding.

  “You’re worth it. I don’t know who made you think you’re not, but you deserve to be helped and treated well.”

  Those words were like a balm to Gina’s soul, but she didn’t completely trust them. “I’ll go in and get Bobby and be right back out,” she said, her breath coming fast. “Unless you want to come in? It’s up to you.”

  “I’ll come in and say hello.” He was out of the truck and around to her side to help her before she could climb down herself.

  They walked into an idyllic scene. On the floor of the living room, all three babies sat, surrounded by toys. Amy’s little one, Tyler, was shaking a rattle. Angelica’s Emmie banged a truck on the floor, calling, “Ah-ah-ah.” And Bobby sat up straight, staring at Emmie, the monkey in a circle toy in his hand forgotten.

  On the comfortable couch, Amy and Angelica sat, keeping a relaxed eye on the babies.

  Bobby saw Gina and waved his arms, a huge smile breaking out on his face. She picked him up and snuggled him to her. Even though this situation was obviously good for Bobby, it was hard to be away from him all day.

  “Hey, Buck! Have we got a proposal for you!” Angelica glanced over at Amy and they both laughed.

  “Why do I feel like I’m about to get talked into something?”

  “We’re having a girls’ night,” Amy said.

  “And we want Gina and Bobby to stay.”

  “And we can drive them home after.”

  “So, thanks for bringing her out here, but—”

  “We’d invite you to stay, but—”

  Buck lifted his hands, palms out, and started backing away. “Hey, I get the message. I know when I’m not wanted.”

  At that moment, an ancient bulldog stood slowly from the dog bed where it had been resting and limped over to Buck. “See, Bull likes me even if nobody else does,” he joked, squatting down to scratch behind the dog’s ears.

  Gina tried to feel upset that they hadn’t even consulted her, just assumed she would stay, but truth to tell, she liked it. Liked feeling wanted, liked being around other women with babies. Liked having evening plans and something that felt like friendship.

  Buck, though, noticed the omission and beckoned her over to where he was squatting beside Bull. “You want to stay or come on home? I’m fine either way.”

  “I’ll stay.” She felt absurdly conscious that she was planning her evening with him the way you would with a husband. “If that’s okay with you, I mean, you drove me out here. But they said they’d bring me home...” She was babbling. She needed to stop babbling. She focused on Bobby, settling him back down on the floor beside the other babies.

  “All right. See everyone later.” With a final pat to Bull, Buck was gone.

  Turning to face two women she didn’t know well, Gina felt a moment of shyness, thrown back into a high-school world where, because of her dad’s eccentric lifestyle and lack of money for stylish clothes, she hadn’t fit in well with other girls. But Angelica stood and took her by the hand, tugging her toward the couch. “Here, hon, sit down. I’m just going to check on the salmon, and then we can pick up where we left off. You know Amy, right?”

  “We’re already friends,” Amy said, and Gina’s heart warmed. “Bobby’s so adorable.” She tickled his chin. “Wow, how many teeth does he have?”

  “Five, and I think he might be cutting another. He was super fussy last night.”

  “I hear you. That was us a week ago.”

  “You guys are having salmon? If I’d watched three babies all day, I’d barely be able to order pizza.” Gina sat down on the couch next to Amy.

  “She claims it’s easy. And low calorie. And if we’re good at dinner, we can eat the chocolate mud cake I picked up at the Chatterbox before I came out here.”

  Gina’s mouth watered. “I am so there. I love chocolate. But what’s the occasion?”

  “Actually, we’re second choice. Angelica was cooking for Troy and Xavier, but he’d forgotten to let her know they’d rescheduled a game for tonight. Basketball,” she clarified. “Troy coaches. So she called me and asked if I’d bring dessert. I stopped by the café for three pieces of cake, and presto...it’s a party. I think she tried to call you, too, but couldn’t get through.”

  That comment punctured Gina’s pleasure. She pulled out her phone, looked at it. “I sent texts earlier today. In fact, I sent you a text, to see if we could get together this weekend.”

  “Didn’t get it,” Amy said. “Did you forget to pay your bill? Because when that happened to me once, I could text, or it seemed like it, but nothing sent and I couldn’t receive messages or calls.”

  She’d sent the texts after the exchange with her in-laws, when they’d threatened to cut off her phone. So they had actually done it. That fast, she was severed from her old life. Suddenly, the salmon didn’t smell so good. Her stomach churned.

  The old bulldog came over and nuzzled at her hand, and she scratched his ears distractedly, trying to look on the bright side. She was actually slightly relieved that she wouldn’t be getting texts or calls from her in-laws anymore. And she could give Angelica the number from her new, no-contract phone.

  She could do this.

  The only thing that worried her was, if they’d cut off her communication so quickly, would they come for Bobby next, as they’d threatened to do?

  Amy was still looking at her quizzically, but Gina turned away, unsure of whether she could reveal any of her problems to these women she didn’t know well. Fortunately, Angelica called them into the kitchen and they picked up the babies and went in.

  “You have three high chairs?” Gina asked, surveying the neatly set table with chairs alternating with high chairs.

  “I’m married to a Hinton,” Angelica said wryly. “They have everything.”

  The farmhouse kitchen was warm and comfortable, even sporting a couch in the corner. They served themselves and chopped bits for the babies, and soon they were all digging in, talking like old friends. The kids babbled and guitar music played quietly in the background, and Gina felt her worries slide away.

  “So,” Amy said, turning to her purposefully, “I have an idea.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I want to rent a little space in downtown Rescue River, maybe start a craft and yarn shop.”

  “Wait a minute,” Angelica said. “You’re staying in Rescue River for sure?”

  “It’s a good place to raise Tyler, and I can’t go back to New York.” Amy didn’t explain why. “With this craft shop, I’d like to link it in with the town’s history. You’re helping to restore Lacey’s house and you know all about the historical-landmark stuff. Wonder if we could reclaim one of the old buildings in downtown and get grants to renovate it?”

  Gina’s eyebrows lifted. “That’s an interesting idea,” she said. “I’ve always dreamed of opening a shop for interior decorating, but I have no money to start something like that.”

  “That’s why we need grants,” Amy said. “I don’t have a lot to invest, either, but I would guess a couple of the buildings on the edge of downtown are dirt cheap. Some of them may have historical significance. Isn’t it worth checking them out?”

  “Probably.” Gina started to say more and then broke off. Could she be honest about her fears and limitations with these women?

  Sh
e wanted so much to belong. To have true friends, not just acquaintances impressed with her fancy home and car.

  But the more people who knew of her situation, the more likely someone would let slip some information that would lead her in-laws to Bobby.

  She couldn’t take that chance.

  “I... Everything about my life is up in the air right now. I don’t know how much help I can be.” To avoid the pain of the cold shoulder that would inevitably follow, she turned to Bobby and helped him spoon up some food.

  To her surprise, she felt a hand press her arm. “I understand problems,” Angelica said. “When I came back to Rescue River, my life was pretty messed up.”

  From her other side, Amy sighed. “We all have issues. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to be open about what happened to me in New York.”

  “Even if your problems are too big for you, they’re not too big for God,” Angelica said gently. “That’s what I had to figure out before I could really be happy. Really open my eyes to what was around me, all the good stuff.”

  “Good stuff like Troy?” Amy teased gently.

  “Exactly.”

  Gina felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. These weren’t judgmental high-school girls; they were real Christian women, who weren’t going to let the fact that someone didn’t have a perfect life push them away.

  Yet another reason she was glad she’d landed in Rescue River.

  “Speaking of men,” Angelica said, “what’s going on between you and Buck?”

  “You saw that, too?” Amy said to Angelica.

  Her cheeks warming, Gina grabbed a wet cloth and focused on wiping off Bobby’s hands and face. “Saw what?”

  “It’s not so much what I saw as what I felt,” Angelica said.

  “Vibes,” Amy agreed. “Major emotional vibes between the two of you. And I was glad to see it. Buck’s a nice guy.”

  “How long have you known him?” Angelica asked, and there was something in her voice, some guardedness that made Gina curious.