Kenton nodded earnestly. “We’re buddies. I just wanted to help. And you’re not wimpy. They’re just jealous because you’re smart and got the best grade on the report we had to do.”
Bennett turned in his seat, his face still sad and frustrated, but, at least, the anger was gone. His shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to be small. Wasn’t my dad big, Mom? Like Kenton’s dad?”
“Yes, he was, sweetie. I think you’ll get bigger too. Everyone grows at their own rate.” Emily drew him close and pressed her cheek to his head. “God made you like this, and I, for one, love you to pieces.”
Bennett groaned but then said, “Love you too.”
Emily turned to Kenton and took his face in her hands. She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “And thank you for being willing to help Bennett out. You’re a special kid, Kenton Callaghan.”
Kenton’s cheeks flushed as he ducked his head, and Emily felt her heart fill with sympathy for this boy and his brothers whose mother hadn’t seen them as special. She just wanted to gather the four of them into her arms and let them know that they were special and loved.
“Okay, boys,” Emily said as she pushed to her feet. She would have liked to prolong the moment, but these were ten-year-old boys. She was lucky to have gotten what she did. “Did you need some help, Kenton?”
Kenton sighed. “Yeah. Math. Again. I didn’t get it finished in class.”
“Can you work with him on it, Bennett or am I going to have to strain my brain?”
Bennett grinned as the last of his negative emotions seemed to slide away. “I’ll do it. Spare your brain.”
“Smart-aleck.” Emily ran her hands through both boys’ hair before returning to her supper preparations. If only all the world’s problems were solved so easily.
Chapter Eight
As Steve listened to Kenton share what had transpired with Bennett and how Emily had reacted, he couldn’t help thinking once again what an angel she was. And with her long blonde hair and gentle smile, it was more than just her actions that brought the comparison to mind. Which was probably not a good thing at all since he’d been the one to make it clear to her that he wasn’t interested in having a woman in his life.
Unfortunately, at the time, he had no idea what he’d been turning away. Of course, that was assuming that she would be interested in anything with him. None of her actions so far indicated anything of that nature.
“Dad, Bennett mentioned something about them going to Sunday school at their church. Can we go with them?”
Steve bit his tongue to stop himself from asking who he was and what he’d done with Kenton. “You want to go to church?”
Kenton shrugged. “Every night after supper, before we get dessert, the kids have to memorize verses for their Sunday school class. Bennett said they have a really good teacher.”
“Did you ask Emily about it?”
“Bennett asked her and she said that you would have to give your permission.”
“I’ll think about it,” Steve said, a little reluctant to agree right away.
They had regularly attended church until everything had gone south with Cheryl. He realized it had been difficult for the members of the church to understand what was going on, but it seemed too many had been willing to assume it was something he’d done to drive her away. After a while, it had just been easier to not go and have to deal with it all.
The next day, Steve brought all the boys with him when he went to Emily’s house since he had no one else to watch them. Not that the boys minded. They were excited to see their friends again.
As he began to work on the first job on his list for that day, Steve could see that Bennett was torn between wanting to help him and wanting to hang with Kenton. In the end, he sent him off with a promise that there would a job later on that day he could help with.
Though he had been determined to not think about how well his and Emily’s lives meshed together, it was hard to ignore it when it was right in front of him. Occasionally, one of the boys would come looking for him, but more often than not, he heard them going to Emily with things. And her responses—always gentle and loving—made his gut clench.
There had been so many changes in his life in the past couple years…did he need one more? And realistically, could he take on her four kids as easily as she’d taken on his? Maybe this was just more a case of acute gratitude for how she’d taken care of his boys. That had to be it. He was just so glad his boys were being cared for so lovingly.
“Are you going to take a break for some lunch?”
Her voice grabbed his attention and Steve looked up from the floorboard he’d been working on replacing at the top of the stairs. She stood partway up the staircase watching him, her slender figure encased in a pair of blue jeans and a loose sweatshirt that had a military designation on the front. No doubt it had been her husband’s. A good reminder that he needed to keep his thoughts and feelings in check.
“I’m good. It’s easier to just keep going when I’m in a rhythm.”
Her brows drew together briefly, but then she nodded. “If you change your mind, there’s food in the kitchen.”
When she turned and went back down the stairs, Steve watched her until she disappeared into the kitchen. Soon he heard the sound of chatter and laughter drift up the stairs. The pull to join them was strong, but he resisted.
She watched his kids.
He repaired her house.
End of story.
So why was he taking his kids to church the next day? At least, he’d turned down her offer to go with them. He’d told her that they would meet them there.
She and the kids were waiting for them when they walked through the doors of the medium size church. Steve didn’t know if the flutters in his stomach were from stepping foot inside a church again or seeing Emily.
“Hey guys,” Emily said with a big smile when she saw them. She wore a light, white sweater over a baby blue dress that made the blue of her eyes, even more, pronounced. Her hair hung in long curls over her shoulders. Yep, definitely an angel. “Do you want to come with me to drop the kids off at their classes?”
“Sure,” Steve said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Lead the way.”
They made a bit of a sight—the ten of them—as they walked down the stairs to the basement. Plenty of curious glances came their way, but Emily didn’t stop to chat with anyone until she got to the first room.
“This is where Kenton and Bennett will be,” she said as she waved to the man inside. “Hey, Gary, we have some visitors with us today. This is Kenton Callaghan. He and Bennett are in the same class at school.”
Gary came toward them, hand out. He shook Kenton’s and greeted him with a smile. Then he looked up at Steve, interest clear on his face. “I’m Gary Marshall. I’ll be teaching the boys’ class today.”
“Steve Callaghan,” he said as he took the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“We gotta keep moving,” Emily said. “Still have a few more to drop off.”
Makayla had disappeared at some point so the next class they went to was for Ryan and the twins. She made the same introductions there though the teacher, this time, was a woman. And their final stop was the class for Sammi and Tristan.
Emily dropped down to eye level with the two kids and took a hand in each of hers. “Sammi, you make sure that Tristan is okay. This is new for him, so you stay with him.” Then she looked at Tristan. “You’ll have fun in this class with Sammi, but if you need your dad, you just tell Sammi and someone will come get him, okay?”
Tristan nodded and didn’t protest when Sammi took his hand. Emily gave them each a kiss on the forehead before straightening. The teacher stood just inside the doorway, a questioning look on her face. No doubt she was wondering about Emily’s interaction with Tristan.
“I’ll see you in a little bit, buddy,” Steve said as he ruffled the curls on Tristan’s head. The little guy looked up at him, his blue eyes wide, and nodded.<
br />
“Lacey, this is Tristan Callaghan. His family is visiting with us today. If he gets upset, can you send someone up to let us know?”
“Sure thing, Emily.” Lacey smiled at them both before drawing the two young ones into the classroom. “I’ve got some fun things planned for today.”
“There’s a Sunday school class for adults, if you want to join, or if you just want to pick the kids up later, that’s fine too,” Emily said as they walked through the basement of the church to the stairs they’d come down earlier.
Steve was definitely torn. On one hand, the thought of heading back to the house and working on some of the boxes that were still sitting in the living room was appealing. However, it had been awhile since he’d been in church and maybe it was time for him to attend, even if it was for only one Sunday.
He nodded at a few people that passed them as he followed her up the stairs. “I think I’ll stick around. Just in case, you know, the boys need me.”
Emily smiled when he joined her at the top of the stairs. “That’s probably a good idea.” She tilted her head toward the doors of the sanctuary. “The adult Sunday school class meets in there.”
Steve didn’t miss the inquisitive looks that came their way as Emily led the way to a pew about midway down the aisle. He hadn’t really thought much about how it might look to show up with her, but he hoped this wasn’t going to subject her to gossip. From her own reaction to the looks, it didn’t appear to be something she was overly concerned about.
“Emily.” The deep voice drew Steve’s attention to the man who sidestepped into the pew in front of them, a wide smile on his face. “You’ve brought us a guest today.”
“Yes, this is Steve Callaghan. He’s new to the city, and I’ve been watching his boys after school. They’re downstairs in the kids’ classes. Steve, this is Pastor Lewis.”
The older man looked at him with a warm, friendly gaze as he held out his hand. “Welcome, Steve. I hope that you and your family will continue to join us for worship. If there’s anything we can help you with, please don’t hesitate to contact the church.”
Steve shook the man’s hand. “Thank you.”
Over the next several minutes, Emily introduced him to a few people who stopped to talk to her. All were friendly and welcoming, and as the Sunday school lesson started, Steve thought maybe he would consider attending on a more regular basis.
And by the time the service was over, Steve was even more convinced. The kids had come upstairs to join them after Sunday school for the first part of the service. They’d crammed into one pew since the kids all wanted to sit with each other, but then the younger ones had been dismissed for the junior church which had left them with just Kenton and Bennett. The service had been a mix of traditional hymns—which he knew—and worship songs that weren’t totally familiar to him.
What had stuck with him the most, though, was the pastor’s sermon. It wasn’t something he’d thought much about, but hearing the pastor speak of the father’s role in the family, it suddenly became more important. He recalled how Kenton had talked about the way Emily had the kids working on their Sunday school lessons and their verses and praying together. She had taken on the role of spiritual leader in her home in the absence of her husband, but it was a role he had ignored within his own family. The sermon had certainly given him something to think about.
Since he and the boys had come in his truck instead of walking, they said goodbye to Emily and her kids on the sidewalk in front of the church. Steve thought about seeing what they were doing for lunch, but something in the back of his head said that wouldn’t be a good idea.
She watched his kids.
He fixed her house.
And now they went to the same church.
But that was it.
Nothing more.
Chapter Nine
Soft worship music played as Emily read over the letter one last time before slipping it into the envelope she’d prepared. Once a month for the past three months, she’d sent out a letter to one of James’s former military buddies. She hadn’t known all of the men he’d served with, but there had been a handful that he’d been closer to than most. Those were the ones she was reaching out to.
The first letter she’d sent out had been to Erik Shaw. She had known him and his wife the best of James’s friends. Unfortunately, she’d lost contact with them in the midst of the move and setting up a new life. However, once she’d realized that she needed to know exactly what had happened to James in order to gain some closure, she’d reached out. Too bad he hadn’t responded and neither had the others she’d sent letters to. She only had two names left and neither were men she knew all that well, so the likelihood of them helping her out would be slim to none.
Emily sighed as she stared out the kitchen window to the back yard. The uneasiness regarding the unanswered questions surrounding James’s death had not lessened in the two years since she’d received the news.
Please, God, prompt someone to talk with me about this.
Knowing there was nothing more she could do but mail the letter and hope for the best, Emily set it next to her purse to stick in the post box when she walked to pick up the kids later. With effort, she pushed aside thoughts of James and began to prepare food for their supper. She’d gradually found out over the past few weeks what foods Steve’s boys preferred and what they didn’t like. Thankfully, it mostly fell in line with her own kids’ preferences. Tonight they would have tortillas. Since the kids got to make their own, it was always a hit.
Over the next couple of weeks, the boys adapted completely to Emily’s schedule. She even included them in the list of chores that her kids usually did. The first time she’d announced that they all had chores, she’d wondered if the boys would object, but they hadn’t. The only one who had vocally complained had been Makayla when she’d realized that her chore buddies were Tristan and Sammi.
“Why do I have to be with babies, Mom?” Makayla whined as she jerked open the drawer to pull out the silverware for supper.
“They’re not babies,” Emily said as she handed the plastic cups to Tristan. “Put those by the plates, sweetie.”
He nodded quickly, his blond curls bouncing. As with everything he did, he very precisely set a cup beside each plate that Sammi had already put on the table. This group set the table, the twins and Ryan cleared and Bennett and Kenton loaded the dishwasher.
Every night at precisely six-thirty, the boys left the house to climb into their father’s truck. Steve never came in, and Emily imagined he was eager to get home after a long day at his job. She’d toyed with the idea of sending dinner home with the boys for him, but that wasn’t part of their deal so she just left it.
He’d showed up each Saturday with the boys in tow and work around her house for a few hours. And on Sunday he and the boys walked in and made their way to their Sunday school classes like they’d been doing it for years. However, for their adult class, Steve chose to sit closer to the front than Emily did. She didn’t think he was avoiding her but perhaps was trying to prevent rumors from starting about the two of them.
She was there to help him with his children; he was there to help her with her house. Each of them was playing out their part of the deal perfectly. So why did Emily find herself wondering what it might be like to have…more?
“It’s Kenton’s birthday soon.”
The stage-whispered announcement had Emily looking down. Gabe stood next to her, a grin on his face. “Really? How soon?”
Gabe’s brow furrowed. “Maybe Friday?”
Well, that wasn’t too much help, but she had a feeling she could probably get the exact information from Bennett. She wondered if Steve was planning a party for him and if he needed any help with that.
After they were all gathered around the table to eat, Gabe made his announcement again.
“Gabe,” Kenton admonished. “You don’t need to keep telling everyone.”
“I love parties,” Gabe declared, h
is blue eyes sparkling.
Emily had discovered early on that Gabe loved anything that got his blood pumping so she could see why he was excited at the prospect of a party. “When is your birthday, Kenton?”
The boy ducked his head as he twirled spaghetti onto his fork. “Saturday.”
“Are you having a party?”
Kenton and Bennett exchanged glances.
“Well, I was kind of hoping to go bowling,” Kenton said.
“That sounds like fun. Are you inviting people from school?” Emily asked as she reached to move Sammi’s cup from the edge of the table.
“No. I don’t really know anyone well enough to invite.”
“How about from church?” Again the boys exchanged glances, and Emily lifted an eyebrow. “Bennett, you want to participate in this conversation?”
“Can we go bowling with them?”
“What do you mean?” Emily asked, her gaze going between the two boys at Bennett’s question.
“My dad was just going to take us, but I think it would be more fun if you guys came too,” Kenton said. “Then the twins and Tristan would have someone their age to play with too.”
Emily looked at Kenton. “Have you asked your dad about this?”
Kenton shrugged. “Not yet, but I think he’d be okay with it.”
Given their arrangement, Emily wasn’t so sure about that. “Well, here’s the deal. You talk to your dad about it and see what he says. If you’d rather do something with your friends, I’m more than happy to babysit the twins and Tristan.”
Kenton and Bennett exchanged glances again before Kenton said, “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
*
“You want to do what?” Steve glanced over at Kenton as he dumped a can of pork and beans into a bowl.
“Bowling.” Kenton sat at the table, his head bent. “I want us to go bowling with Bennett and his family.”
Steve set the bowl inside the microwave and started it up. He moved to put two slices of bread into the toaster before answering his son. “Why don’t you want to invite some of your friends from school to go with us instead?”
Love Blossoms: 7 Spring-Fresh Christian Romances Page 6
