by JoAnn Durgin
A moment later, Sam had another thought. “Ms. Colton? Wait up a second.” At Sam’s call, Stephanie waited by the car, resting one hand on the top of the door as he approached.
“To be clear, you’re not telling us to stop any of the work here in the interim, are you?”
Stephanie shifted and lowered her gaze. “No. You’re free to continue.” The corners of her mouth twitched. “Read the report and I’d appreciate it if you’d advise Pastor Cheveyo to do the same. After Friday’s session, we may need to reevaluate our next steps.”
“TeamWork’s general counsel, Joshua Grant, will be in attendance at the hearing. Pastor Cheveyo might also bring legal counsel.”
“As you wish. Legal counsel’s not necessary since it’s an informal hearing, not an official judicial proceeding. But please feel free to invite whomever you’d like.”
“Joshua Grant happens to be one of our mission volunteers as well as our attorney.” Why that was important to add, Sam had no idea. For some reason, he wanted her to know.
Her gaze narrowed. “How nice for him. The more the merrier. Carry on, Mr. Lewis.” With that, Stephanie gave him a tight smile before climbing back into the car and closing the door.
“That was interesting,” Sam said as he walked back to where Marc waited. “Glad it’s over.”
Marc shook his head. “You can’t see it, can you?”
“What’s that?” Sam suspected what Marc meant, but he wasn’t feeding into it.
“You’re a beautiful man, Sam Lewis. Stephanie Colton couldn’t stop staring at you.”
“That was glaring, not staring. I probably came across as a little harsh, but she put me on the defensive.”
“Understood. She wasn’t exactly sunshine and roses.” Marc put a hand on his shoulder. “I’d suggest having Lexa by your side at that hearing on Friday afternoon, my friend.”
Sam grinned. “I’m sure Lexa will be there, but mainly because she’ll want to be there on behalf of TeamWork. We’d better get back to work now.” Removing the Stetson again, he headed into the church with Marc beside him.
“I’ve got to admire your stoicism,” Marc said. “Her TeamWonder concept has merit, don’t you think? Let’s be superheroes. Grab some capes, masks, and fly around the world saving souls.”
Sam laughed, appreciating his friend’s humor. “Have you been sniffing the carpet glue?”
“Hey, you’re the one who wore tights and a cape.”
“You’re never going to let me forget it either.”
“What do you think that was really all about?” Marc said as they resumed their work inside the sanctuary a few minutes later. “Do you think this project’s in any real danger of being delayed or shut down?”
“Not at this point. Sounds like a formality to me, but I’d still like to be there to support the One Nation Church. I’ll give the report a cursory read and then hand it over to Josh. He’ll let me know if there’s anything to worry about.” Sam frowned. “I’ll talk to Pastor Chevy and see if there’s any substantiation to Ms. Colton’s claims that he’s ignored the board’s attempts to contact him. In the meantime, our mission is to help finish the church building.”
Sam pounded the hammer into the wall with more force than necessary and he needed to be more careful. “If unseen forces are trying to thwart our efforts, they haven’t faced my TeamWork crew or the One Nation Church members.”
Marc grinned. “Amen.”
~~♥~~
Felipe plopped down beside Angelina later that afternoon. Startled, she closed the book and tucked it beneath her, praying he hadn’t noticed the cover. This is what you get for looking at that stupid book. Nothing like getting caught red-handed. Ashamed of herself, she leaned against the tree behind her and tried to calm her breathing.
Pulling a rubber band from the pocket of his shorts, Felipe wrapped it around his hair, fashioning it into a ponytail that reached halfway down his back. He had really nice hair for a guy—shiny and healthy-looking.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at the worksite now?” The tables and chairs arrived for the Sunday school rooms, and she knew he’d worked to unload and set them up at the church earlier in the day. She’d helped Amy and Natalie take the kids to the church nursery to help Gayle with the Noah’s Ark mural. Later, they’d shared lunch and played with the One Nation kids. The kids were all either napping or having quiet time at the moment.
“I’m on my break.” He grinned and nudged her shoulder. “I choose to spend my free time with you. That is, if you want. We can sin or whatever.” Laughing, Felipe leaned away from her when she slapped his arm. “Hey, stop doing that, will you? I’m only teasing. So, what’s up with you?” His voice sounded almost too casual and she wondered if he’d glimpsed the book.
Angelina pushed her braid behind one shoulder. “I’m on my break, too. I thought you were mad at me.” Was he hot and cold or what?
Felipe leaned against the tree beside her. “I was, but I got over it. I figure this work camp will go faster and a whole lot better if we’re not mad at each other, Angel.”
“Can you tell me why you stomped out of the dining hall this morning?”
“I felt like you were preaching at me. You made me feel kinda stupid because I don’t know stuff about the Bible. You’re the one who pointed out I haven’t had anybody tell me about it. Then I called you on the whole sin thing, and you turned it back on me.” He crossed his arms. “I’m not the one reading that nasty book. Just sayin’.”
What a hypocrite I am. A stab of guilt speared her. “I didn’t mean to make you feel stupid, Felipe. I can tell you’re smart, and I hope you can forgive me.” She inhaled a quick breath and knew she needed to come clean. “You’re right. I need to get rid of that book, but I’m not sure how to do it.”
“You’re forgiven.” With those words, a whole new kind of guilt sliced through her by how easily and quickly Felipe was to forgive her. A lot of people who claimed to be Christians were quick to judge and held grudges against others. And never seemed to get over them.
“Just throw the book away.”
Angelina shook her head. “Not safe. I feel like somebody would see it.”
“Burn it?”
“We can’t have a fire out here.”
“Why don’t you give it to one of the other ladies to get rid of it? To keep you from temptation and all that.” Something in Felipe’s eyes told her he knew she was sitting on that book.
Angelina shook her head. “Not on your life. No way I’ll admit that I have it, no matter where I found it. I’m sure they’d believe me, but as forgiving as the TeamWork group is, I’d be embarrassed for the rest of my life.”
“We could bury it somewhere.”
“Where? I don’t think that would work either. Someone would probably see us. I’ll figure out something.”
Turning toward her, Felipe raised one hand and gestured for her to do the same. “Repeat after me. I, Angelina Morris.” He lifted his brows, waiting.
With a sigh, she raised her right hand. “I, Angelina Morris.”
“Promise I won’t read any more of that book until the talented, smart, and handsome Felipe Hernandez can find a way to get rid of the temptation.”
She repeated his words, rolling her eyes and pretending to stumble over the flattering words about him. “You had a lot of fun with that, didn’t you?”
“Sure did.” When Felipe laughed, she realized how much she really liked the sound of his laughter.
“You need to relax, Angel. If everyone’s as forgiving as you say, then they won’t fault you.”
“Maybe I should just stick the book back where I found it.”
“Nah. Then in another twenty years, someone else might go through this.”
“I know.” It annoyed her that he was starting to sound like the voice of reason. Who was the better influence here?
“Hey, I found out that Mitch and Amy are brother and sister. And I could tell that Josh and Rebekah were related, but I d
idn’t know they were twins. I think that’d be awesome to have a twin, especially one who’s a girl. She could clue me in to how girls think.” He winked at her. “But that’s why I have you here. So you can tell me important stuff like that.”
“You are so random.” Angelina marveled at how his mind worked, switching from one topic to another in seconds. She watched as he scratched a spot on his left arm and then reached to scratch his leg just above the right knee. “Do you have fleas?”
“Very funny.” Smirking, Felipe scratched his neck and then his left arm again. A few welts were visible on his exposed arms and legs.
“A little tip? You might want to lay off the cologne. In a place like this, it’ll attract bugs, not girls. I think there’s probably Calamine lotion in the first aid kit in the kitchen. Or check with Lexa or Winnie. I hear Lysol works, too.”
He balked. “You trying to kill me? No way I’ll spray that stuff on my skin to seep into my bloodstream. Besides, I think that’s for sunburn, not bug bites. I might wear my cologne tomorrow night for the big dinner, though, in case I meet a cute Indian chick.”
Angelina stiffened. “That’s condescending in more ways than I can count. Besides, I think it’s more politically correct to say Native American.”
“You mean I can’t ask one of them to take me back to her teepee? Or is wigwam more politically correct for you?”
“You’re awful!” Angelina bit her lower lip so she didn’t burst out laughing.
“You’re jealous.” He nudged her shoulder and winked.
“In your dreams.” Although she’d never admit it, Felipe had hit uncomfortably close to the truth. “You’d better be on your best behavior when they come or you’ll embarrass all of us.” Angelina started to swat him but lowered her hand back to her lap. He was already bothered enough by the bug bites, so she’d give him a break.
“Oh, right. Heaven forbid I should embarrass any of the TeamWork people.”
Angelina counted to three under her breath. “What’s that supposed to mean? They’ve been nothing but kind and loving toward you. Please show some respect. A little gratitude wouldn’t hurt, either.”
“Hey, I respect them plenty, but come on, pretty girl. Nobody’s perfect. You know there’s got to be some skeletons hidden in their closets.” Propping his knees, Felipe reached between them and tugged out a tuft of grass. He watched as the blades sifted through his fingers and floated to the ground. “No matter how many degrees they have, or how fancy their houses are, everybody’s got skeletons.”
“If people have skeletons, then that’s between them and God, and it’s none of our business.”
Felipe slanted his gaze to hers and narrowed his eyes. “Answer this for me, Angel. Do you honestly believe God hears your prayers?”
That one was easy. “Sure. I know He does.”
“But how? I mean, it’s not like some big hand comes down from the sky and gives you stuff.”
“That’s because praying to God isn’t about getting stuff.” At least Felipe was listening as he repeatedly plucked out more tufts of grass. He always seemed to be doing something with his hands and rarely sat still. Was it a guy thing? A lot of boys her age did the same thing. In Felipe’s case, maybe it was some kind of restlessness inside him that prompted his nervous energy.
He nudged her shoulder again. “I’m waiting.”
“Remember how you asked me if I’d be your friend?” When he nodded, Angelina continued. “I’ve asked God to give me more opportunities to be your friend, and to be more understanding and patient.”
Felipe stopped tugging out grass and stared at the ground. “You prayed about something like that? And you’re not just talking about preaching to me? Not trying to convert me or whatever?”
That question was a little trickier to answer. “That’s the kind of prayer I know He can answer.” Maybe she should lighten up, like he’d suggested. “I’ll only preach if you ask. How’s that?” He’d asked her to tell him about Jesus, after all. She’d given him some things to chew on, and now was the time to lay off and give him some personal space. Sam always said to plant the seeds and then let God water them.
After brushing his hands down the front of him, Felipe jumped to his feet. “I’d better get going or one of the watchdogs will come looking for me. I promised Dean I’d do some work in the dining hall.”
“Like what?” Angelina started to rise to her feet. Remembering the book beneath her, she plopped back down.
“I’m supposed to sand down the corners of some of the tables. Joe Lewis got a splinter in his finger and the mothers asked for someone to check it out. You ever had a splinter, Angel? Those things hurt like crazy.”
He had a funny look on his face and darted a gaze to one side of her. He knows.
“A few. They’re like paper cuts and annoying as anything. At least your finger doesn’t hurt as much once you find it and pull the little bugger out.”
Tilting his head, Felipe surveyed her. “You’re cute.”
So are you.
“Especially when you ramble on about stuff.”
Angelina half-laughed, half-gasped. “You’re the one who rambles! And stop saying the word stuff all the time. You really should vary your word choices.”
Felipe’s smiled grew wider. “You’re even cuter when you tell me not to do stuff. How about that? I’ve got my own personal nag.”
Shaking her head, Angelina reached for a nearby tree branch and threw it at him. Felipe caught it with one hand and twirled it between his fingers. “I kind of like it when you get after me, Cherub. But I’ll deny I ever said that if you tell anyone.”
She glanced up at him, her cheeks growing warm. “Thanks. I think.”
“Want to come and help me? It’ll go quicker and be more fun if we do it together.”
“I should ask the ladies if it’s okay. You go on, and I might show up in a little bit.”
“Sounds good.” Felipe started to walk away but then looked at her over one shoulder. “Oh, and Angel? I hope you’re not getting any ideas by reading that book.”
“Ohhhh…” Leaning her head in her hands, Angelina groaned. Whatever possessed her to tell Felipe about that book? Caught in her shame by the one person she really didn’t want to know. Even more than Mama. The one solace was that Felipe wouldn’t tell on her and rat her out. Revealing her secret wouldn’t benefit him in any way. Would it?
On the other hand, she hoped he wouldn’t hold it over her head.
Chapter 14
~~♥~~
Clasping her hands around her knees, Marta grimaced when she touched her sore left knee. As she waited for the prayer circle to begin, she thought about how wonderful Eliot had been in tending to her earlier in the day. After carrying her all the way back to the camp from the church, he’d taken her into the dining hall, lowered her carefully onto a bench, and ordered her to stay put. For once, none of the ladies were in the kitchen, and the dining hall had been quiet.
Soon after, he’d come out of the kitchen with an ice pack. Straddling the bench, Eliot had gently pressed the ice pack to her knee. They’d talked a little and he’d been sweetly attentive. She liked seeing the gentle, sensitive side of this man. He’d stayed with her until she assured him she’d be fine and ordered him to return to the worksite. Twenty minutes later, he’d departed with a promise to check on her later.
The ice had soothed her knee and she’d reapplied it again before dinner. Feeling guilty, she’d rested and read a bit on her bunk in order to keep her knee elevated. Thankfully it hadn’t swollen much. If it had, she’d feel even worse about being so clumsy. Maybe she should stay away from tools and stick to projects that didn’t involve heavy metal objects.
Marta startled when she realized Marc was speaking. She leaned forward on the bench, eager to hear what he and Natalie had to share with the group.
“We have some news,” he said. “I think you all know patience isn’t exactly my strong suit.” Quiet ripples of laughter traveled aro
und the prayer circle. “Some of you also know Natalie and I had trouble conceiving our second child. During that time of uncertainty, we contacted an adoption agency in Boston. Natalie and I went through the extensive process—interviews, paperwork, home visits.”
“When I found out I was expecting, we never called the adoption agency to tell them to withdraw our application.” Natalie reached for Marc’s hand. “In case something happened with this pregnancy, we decided to keep it open as an option. We’d also indicated our willingness to adopt internationally.”
Natalie spoke again. “Before we left Boston, we got a call from the counselor at the adoption agency. The counselor told us there’s a child expected late next month who will need a home. A little girl whose mother is an unwed 15-year-old teenager. In…China.”
A few collective gasps fluttered around the prayer circle. Sitting beside her, Marta saw Eliot smile and nod. For some reason, his response pleased her. Her gaze traveled across the circle to Angelina. She was almost 15. Old enough to be pregnant yet young and inexperienced in so many other ways.
Marc spoke again. “China’s been widely considered as one of the best international adoption programs in the world. You might have heard there’ve been some scandals in the Hunan and Guangdong provinces of China with trafficking abducted babies. Since the beginning of this year alone, the counselor told me that more than twenty civil officials have been fired and baby traffickers have been sentenced to prison terms.”
“We agreed to pray independently about it and then discuss it again early this morning,” Natalie continued. “Neither one of us got much sleep last night. Not so much because the decision was a difficult one to make, but because we’re excited by how perfectly everything has fallen into place.” When her voice caught, she leaned against Marc’s shoulder.
“Not that we’ve ever doubted God’s perfect plan, and it’s obvious His hand has been in this whole process,” Marc said. “He’s blessed us with a lot of love to give, a nice house, we’re comfortable financially, and—”
