Love Blossoms: 7 Spring-Fresh Christian Romances

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Once Steve left and Alice wandered back to her own yard, Emily helped the kids finish up with the flowers before sending them all inside to get cleaned up. They had some time before their four o’clock reservation at the bowling alley. She was happy that she’d managed to get a party package within Steve’s budget. She and the kids didn’t get a chance to do things like this too often, so they were all looking forward to it.

  “Bennett, you take the balloons. Makayla, you get the presents,” Emily called out as she placed the cake that they had made and decorated for Kenton into the plastic container to transport it.

  They had a private room at the bowling alley and they were providing hot dogs and drinks. Thankfully, they were allowed to bring in their own cake because Emily had really wanted to make one for Kenton. After spending some time with him, she’d discovered that he liked vanilla cake with chocolate frosting so she’d made up the cake and then let the kids help decorate. It wasn’t the most professional birthday cake ever, but it had definitely been made with love.

  It didn’t take long to get to the bowling alley, hopefully leaving them with enough time to decorate a bit before Steve arrived with the boys. Even though it was early, they were going to eat and open presents first and then bowl. The room had been booked for later so if they’d wanted to get the room at all, they had to take what they could get.

  “Don’t let those balloons go,” Emily cautioned Bennett as they made their way from the car to the bowling alley.

  The bowling alley was in the basement of a strip mall so they slowly made their way down the stairs. Once inside, Emily went to see if they could get into the room a little early. Thankfully, the manager accommodated her request and soon they were hanging the signs they’d made along with a few streamers and the balloon.

  “They’re here, Mom,” Sammi called from her position by the doorway. She’d been given the job of watching for the arrival of the birthday boy.

  “Okay. Everyone, get over here,” Emily said, waving them to her side. They clustered together waiting and as soon as Kenton walked in, they all shouted, “Happy birthday, Kenton!”

  The huge grin on Kenton’s face gripped Emily’s heart. In that instant, she realized that though there was a struggle within her regarding how she felt about Steve, she loved his sons. She looked over at Steve as he slung his arm around Kenton’s shoulders. Their gazes met for a moment, and Emily could see a tumult of emotion in Steve’s. She gave him a quick smile then noticed that there were more people with them.

  As the kids gathered around Kenton, Emily made her way to where Steve stood with an older couple. Steve hadn’t mentioned anything about additional guests, so she was curious about them.

  “Emily, this looks great.” Steve’s smile was warm, and it brought to life butterflies in her stomach. “Thanks for doing this for Kenton.”

  “It was my pleasure. We love a good party.”

  Steve stepped back and placed a hand on the back of the older woman beside him. “Emily, this is Sue and Terrance Wiebe. The boys’ grandparents. They wanted to see Kenton on his birthday so I invited them to join us. Hope that’s okay.”

  Wiebe. These must be his ex-wife’s parents.

  “That’s great.” She held out her hand, first to the woman, then the man. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

  Sue Wiebe smiled at her. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Emily was glad that even though relations were strained between the boys and their mother that their grandparents were still a part of their lives. “Well, let’s get this party started.”

  *

  As the party progressed, Steve tried to keep a tight rein on his emotions. The joy on his son’s face over a simple party had wrenched his heart. Though he’d tried to make their birthdays special over the years, Steve wasn’t sure that any party had elicited the joyful response like this one had for Kenton.

  And it was because of Emily and her kids.

  They’d hung birthday signs they’d made just for Kenton. They’d made his favorite cake and decorated it themselves as Sammi had been eager to point out. The table in the corner held several brightly decorated presents. In short, they’d shown Kenton that he was special and was worthy of their time to do all this for him. And God knew that his son—all of his sons—needed to know that.

  Was it okay that his feelings for Emily had started to grow out of gratitude for the way she treated his sons? Though he’d told her initially he wasn’t looking for a wife, Steve had known by the end of that first week that he wanted her in his boys’ lives. And now as he watched her interact with them and with his ex-in-laws, he knew he wanted her in his life.

  He’d been a bit concerned about inviting Sue and Terrance, but they had warmed right up to Emily and were having fun with all the kids as they played a few games that Emily had planned. He expected them to leave once they were done in the room and moving onto the bowling part, but to his surprise, they each got a pair of shoes and joined them at the two lanes they had as part of their party package.

  “How about you and Terrance take Kenton and Bennett, and Sue and I will take the little ones on our lane?” Emily suggested when they were trying to decide how to divide people up. “I think the boys would like to play without the bumper guards that we’ll need for the little kids unless we want a game of straight gutter balls.”

  Steve looked down at her and once again he found himself thinking of her as an angel. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that hung in loose curls past her shoulders. Her outfit of jeans and a light pink T-shirt wasn’t anything special, but to him, she looked beautiful.

  When her eyebrows lifted over her blue eyes, Steve realized she was waiting for an answer from him. “Uh, yeah. I think that’s a good idea. Sorry if it means you don’t really get to bowl a real game.”

  Emily laughed. “I haven’t bowled a real game since I was in high school. I have a feeling I’ll be as happy for the gutter guards as the kids will be.”

  The game with Terrance and the boys went smoothly while it was a bit more chaotic in the lane where Emily and Sue were. But both women were smiling and laughing and taking it all in stride. As he watched his ex-in-laws with Emily and the kids, Steve felt a rush of gratitude that they too had taken the time to be with the boys in spite of what had happened with their daughter since the kids only had one set of grandparents.

  Once they’d finished their games—he’d won on their lane and Sue had won on the other one—they gathered up their things and headed out of the bowling alley.

  “We really enjoyed this time, Emily,” Sue said as they stood next to their car. “Thank you for including us.”

  “I’m glad you could make it. It was so nice to meet you.” Emily stepped forward and gave the woman a hug which—to Steve’s surprise—she returned without hesitation. “Please feel free to stop by and say hi when you’re in the city next.”

  “We’ll do that.” Sue smiled but it was tinged with sadness. “I’m very grateful for how you’ve helped Steve out with the kids. I was worried when he said he was moving to Winnipeg, but I see now that he made the right choice. The boys are blossoming here in a way they never did where we live. I know that’s in part because of you, so thank you.”

  Emily crossed her arms and glanced over to where the boys stood next to Steve. “They are wonderful. We’ve all enjoyed having them as part of our lives. Right, kids?”

  Everyone laughed when Bennett, Ryan, and Sammi nodded their heads but Makayla cast a rather dubious look at Kenton, the twins, and Tristan. “Don’t mind Kayla. She’s in an I hate boys phase.”

  Sue smiled at her. “That will change soon enough.”

  Once they said goodbye, Steve drove back to his place with the Wiebes following them.

  “Did you enjoy your party?” Steve asked as he guided the truck through the early Saturday evening traffic.

  “It was fantastic,” Kenton exclaimed. “I couldn’t believe the stuff they had for me. The decoratio
ns and the cake. And the presents. Bennett got me that comic book I’ve been wanting forever. It was the best birthday party ever.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time. So you and Bennett are pretty good friends?” Steve was curious if their friendship extended into their school hours or if they were just friends while they hung out together at the McFaddens’ place.

  “He’s my best friend, Dad,” Kenton said seriously. “I know it might seem like we’re really different, but actually, we’re a lot the same too. Ever since that day when I told the bullies to leave us alone and Emily got him see I was just trying to help him, we’ve been best friends.”

  Warmth spread through Steve at his son’s words. He’d worried the most about Kenton adapting to a new school in the middle of the year and all that would mean with friendships that would already have been made. He was grateful that Bennett had been there to befriend him.

  Once they got to the house, the boys disappeared into the backyard to play before it got dark. Sue and Terrance followed Steve into the house, and he braced himself for whatever they might have to say about Emily and her family.

  “Emily seems to be a very nice young woman,” Sue said as soon as they sat down in the living room.

  “How did you meet her again?” This time, it was Terrance who spoke as he slid his arm behind his wife’s shoulders on the couch where they sat.

  Steve shared the story of how they’d met though he did leave out the part about him warning her he didn’t want a wife. “It’s worked out really well since she has kids in the same grades as the boys. She helps them with their homework in addition to feeding them supper each night.”

  “And you do work on her house in exchange?”

  “Yep. It’s an older home that was left to her by an aunt, and it needs quite a bit of work. I spend a few hours over there each Saturday fixing what I can.”

  “And her husband?”

  “He passed away a couple of years ago. He was in the military.”

  Sue nodded her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I did wonder since she doesn’t wear a wedding ring.”

  Steve looked at the woman in surprise. The last time he’d checked—which admittedly had been a couple of weeks ago—she’d still worn the simple gold band she’d had on the first time he’d gone to her house to help. Though he managed to carry on a conversation with Sue and Terrance, he found himself distracted by the idea that Emily might have taken off her wedding ring.

  And if she had…what did that mean?

  Chapter Twelve

  “Are you going to the Mom and Dad’s night out at the church on Friday?”

  Emily looked up from the sewing machine to see Steve standing a few feet away. She’d been so focused on the sundress she was making for Sammi that she hadn’t heard him come in. He’d shown up, as usual, that morning with a window that he said he was going to put in the bathroom. When she’d questioned him about the cost, he’d told her that it had been rescued from a renovation they were doing.

  Looking at him standing there with his hands on his hips, wearing faded, worn jeans and a black T-shirt, Emily had a hard time remembering what his question had been. “Friday? Oh, yeah, I’m planning to go. How about you?”

  “I’ve signed up to go as well.” Steve walked to the table where she sat and pulled out a chair. As he settled into it, he stretched out his legs and crossed his arms over his chest. “So I’m wondering if you have someone you could recommend to watch the boys. Are there girls at the church that could handle the four boys? Or even a teenage boy who could watch them?”

  “Why don’t you just bring them here?” Emily suggested before she’d actually run the idea through her brain. “I already have a sitter lined up, and I think she’d be capable of handling all the kids.”

  “Are you sure?” Steve frowned. “I don’t mind having someone come to my place. I just need a good recommendation.”

  “It’s not a problem. I was just going to order pizza for them for supper and they’d probably play games for most the evening.”

  “If you’re sure.” Steve rested his arm on the table as he relaxed back in the chair. “How about I cover the cost of the pizza and the babysitter as a thank you?”

  Emily sighed and picked up the dress to check the seam she’d just finished sewing before Steve had interrupted her. “I guess I shouldn’t even bother to argue about that, eh?”

  When she looked over at Steve, he grinned, deepening the smile lines beside his eyes and making his dimples pop. His gaze was warm as he shook his head.

  “No sense in arguing. I’m sure you don’t have many evenings where you get to enjoy the company of adults. I know I sure don’t.”

  Steve was very right in that observation. As a single mom, she didn’t get many “girl’s night out” type evenings or even evenings out with friends. Her friendships were all pretty casual with the women at work and a few at the church. She’d been looking forward to this event that the church had planned. Falling between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, they’d decided to make it a parents’ night out.

  Though Emily wished she had more friends, with four kids and a job, it was sometimes difficult to find time to fit socializing into her schedule. The ladies’ Bible study at the church was on Friday mornings when she worked so she couldn’t participate in that. Any evening social events were difficult to get to since she couldn’t afford to keep paying for a babysitter all the time.

  She’d come to accept that this was a season in her life when her children were to be her focus. It wouldn’t last forever and as they got older and to the age where she wouldn’t need a babysitter for them, she could maybe pursue a few more friendships. For now, though, the person she saw the most was Steve. And her heart was starting to feel ridiculously happy about that.

  By the time Friday rolled around, Emily’s heart was still ridiculously happy but her mind was a little less enthused. For one thing, the evening was not a date. It was two friends going to the same event. She had already assumed he’d offer to drive her, and she was going to accept. It would look weird if she declined his offer when they were both going to the same place and then returning to her house afterward. Friends offered rides, and friends accepted them.

  Friends.

  Of course, she’d never taken so much time trying to figure out what to wear for just a friend.

  “I like your dress, Mommy,” Sammi said when Emily came downstairs. “Pink’s my favorite color.”

  It wasn’t Emily’s favorite, but she knew it went well with her coloring and it was a nice spring color. She’d left her hair down which wasn’t the norm for her since it just got in the way most of the time. Over the past two years, she’d just let it grow, not wanting to spend the money on haircuts to just maintain a style, so it was the longest it had ever been since she was a little girl. She basically had two styles—down or in a ponytail. Since she was dressing up a bit, down was the style for the night. With the evenings still a bit cool, she slipped on the light sweater she’d brought downstairs with her.

  When the doorbell went, Bennett raced to answer it. His greeting was a little less enthusiastic when he realized it was the babysitter instead of Kenton. Emily moved to Bennett’s side to greet the girl, happy that she’d agreed to watch all eight kids.

  “Hi, Mrs. McFadden,” Andrea said as she stepped into the hallway. “Hey, Bennett.”

  “Hi, Andrea.” Emily took the teenager’s jacket and hung it up. “How are you doing?”

  The teenager shared a bit about what she had going on. Emily had always liked her and appreciated that she’d talk to her in such an open and friendly manner. It was how she hoped her relationship would be with her girls when they were Andrea’s age. Unfortunately, imagining Makayla at that age didn’t bring to mind such a relationship. Sammi, maybe, but Emily had a feeling that the teenage years with her older daughter were going to resemble a minefield.

  The Callaghans arrived shortly after, and the noise level increased significan
tly. Emily asked Andrea again if she sure she was up for it, but the teenager just nodded and smiled. The pizza she’d ordered earlier arrived just before they had to leave, so Steve settled the bill with the delivery guy while Emily sent the kids to get ready for supper.

  Once everyone was settled in the kitchen, Steve and Emily headed out the door. They walked side by side down the sidewalk to where his truck was parked in front of the house. He opened the door and held it while she climbed up onto the seat and buckled herself in.

  It had been forever since a guy had held a door for her. There had been no time for dates in the last few years with James, and anytime they were going in the van, they’d been more concerned with getting the kids into the car seats and properly buckled. There hadn’t been time for the niceties like opening doors for her. She’d understood and accepted it, but she had to admit that having Steve do that for her was nice.

  The parking lot at the church wasn’t as full as it was on a Sunday morning, but there was more than a smattering of cars there. Emily knew that in addition to the people who’d signed up for the evening, there were others who were in charge of making it happen. People who had volunteered to prepare and serve the food and then clean up. It would be the first meal she hadn’t had a hand in preparing in some way for the first time in a long time. If nothing else, she was looking forward to that.

  The basement was set up with six long tables that were beautifully decorated with candles and flowers and set with eight places each. Miniature white lights were draped around the room providing the only other illumination aside from the numerous candles on the tables. Someone had spent a lot of time and energy to make the basement look nice for the occasion. Nice and…romantic. Had they not realized that not everyone attending had a significant other?

  She took a step away from Steve under the pretense of looking more closely at one of the tables. It was natural to think that they’d sit together. They were friends, after all, and he hadn’t had much opportunity to make many other friends in the church just yet. A year from now he’d probably have a ton of friends and would have been able to sit with any of them, but right then, Emily felt a sense of responsibility for him since it was her invitation that had brought him to the church to begin with.