by Debby Mayne
“Four,” Tracy replied.
“Going on five,” Stacy said, correcting her. “Our birthday is in a couple months.”
“And we get to start kindergarten next year,” Tracy added.
Well, that explained part of it. But still. . .
“How about it, Jill?” Ed said. “I flip a mean pancake, and the girls do have a point. You have to eat. I promise it won’t take long.”
“Okay, I’ll go,” Jill replied.
Ed and the girls stayed a little while longer until Stacy started whining. “Time for a nap,” Ed said as he lifted one and took the other’s hand. “I left our address and directions by the register. We generally eat at six thirty, but come early if you can.”
Jill nodded. What else could she do? She’d been ganged up on without a chance for defense. If it weren’t for the children, she never would have agreed to go to their house.
She stayed at the shop until her posted closing time, then headed for the Mathis home in the Sandy Springs area. The neighborhood was older, but all the houses looked well maintained—especially Ed’s place. Shrubs lined the front, with a row of annuals that hadn’t given in to the cooler weather of autumn. She parked her car and said a short prayer that she wouldn’t say something stupid as she headed up the sidewalk. She wasn’t halfway to the porch when the front door swung open and both girls came bounding out of the house, nearly throwing themselves at her. She felt her heart flutter quickly.
Ed seemed as comfortable in his kitchen as he was at work. She was amazed at how orderly his home was, considering he had a couple of small children to deal with. And the pancakes were incredible!
“These are good,” she said as she mopped up the blueberry syrup with the last bite.
“Want more?” Ed asked, obviously pleased with himself.
She held up both hands. “I’d love more, but I’m so stuffed I feel like I might pop.”
Both girls doubled over in fits of giggles. “Don’t pop, Jill!” Stacy said. “That would be gross.”
Ed winked at Jill before turning to the girls. “Okay, kiddos, go play in your room for a few minutes. I want to chat with Jill before she leaves.”
To her surprise they did as they were told. Jill turned to Ed. “You’re doing a great job with them.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m afraid they might be missing some things without their mother here.”
Jill had no idea what to say to that, so she carried her plate to the sink. “Let me help you clean up; then I have to go.”
He took the plate and led her away from the kitchen. “I have the rest of the night to clean the kitchen. Why don’t we go to the living room and talk?”
Jill was relieved Ed sat on the sofa across from the chair she’d chosen. Once they started chatting, she felt as if she’d known him all her life.
After a half hour of relaxing small talk, Jill stood. “I really need to go. Should I go say bye to the girls?”
Ed paused, a contemplative look on his face, then shook his head. “They might try to find a way to keep you here longer.”
Jill laughed as she took a step toward the front door. “You have two very smart little girls.”
“I’ll walk you to the door before the girls come out and expect you to entertain them.”
“Thanks for everything, Ed. The pancakes were wonderful. The girls are sweet, too.”
All the way home she thought of how good Ed was with his girls. They were cute and sweet, but they were also a handful. And Ed was charming and fun.
That night Jill lay in bed rehashing the events of the day. She’d had more than her share of surprises. Meeting Ed had brought something into her life she’d never experienced before—a sense of community. Then she had to remind herself it was only temporary—that he’d soon be gone.
The next morning she took her time getting ready. When she arrived at the shop, she saw Ed had gotten there first and let himself in. He was waiting on a customer. She was about to take over when she heard the elderly woman’s response to him. “You’re such a sweet boy for showing me all those cookie jars.”
“You said you collect them, so it was the least I could do.” He gave Jill a wink and a wave.
The woman turned around and spotted Jill. “Is that your wife?”
Ed coughed, and Jill felt like hiding. He quickly recovered. “No, I’m just helping her out for a while until she gets everything settled. Did you want all of the cookie jars?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, dear. How can I pass up such a wonderful deal by such a charming young man?”
After she left, Jill glared at Ed. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
He looked at her sheepishly. “I’d just let myself in to do my work, and she followed me inside. I didn’t want to risk having you lose business.”
“What kind of deal did you give her? Twenty percent off?”
He shook his head. “No, all I told her was that they were a good value individually, but as a collection they were worth quite a bit more.”
“How did you know that?”
He pointed to the book by the cash register. “She came in and looked at them first thing. While she was walking around the store, I looked them up in your book. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, of course I don’t mind.” Ed’s kindness touched her heart, but she didn’t know how to tell him.
“I was starting to wonder.”
Jill leaned over and glanced around him. “Where are the girls?”
“The nanny’s back—at least for the time being. Her daughter’s due to deliver in about a month.”
He turned and went back to his work area, leaving her alone in the front of the shop. Lunchtime came and went without incident. The shop was busy all afternoon, so time passed quickly. Jill glanced up as Ed appeared shortly before she’d planned to leave.
“See ya tomorrow,” he said with a wave. He hesitated before he left. Jill stared after him, wondering what would happen once he and his friends finished their work. She’d long since given up the notion of letting him go and bringing in someone else to do the work. She trusted Ed, and the more she came to know him, the more she wanted him around.
❧
Ed knew he needed to get an early start the next morning because Mrs. Cooper was starting to make sounds about her daughter needing her very soon. He asked a neighbor to come in until Mrs. Cooper arrived.
He’d fully expected to be at the shop before Jill, but to his surprise her car was parked in front when he pulled up behind her. He walked in to find her moving some of the stock from the back room.
“Do wonders ever cease?” He grinned.
She glanced up. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re actually early today.”
She tightened her jaw but didn’t say anything. He could tell he’d annoyed her. Oh, well. He was here to do a job.
The shop phone rang, but he ignored it until Jill appeared. “It’s for you,” she said.
With a frown he took it. Mrs. Cooper told him she needed to drop off the girls because her son-in-law had just called and was taking her daughter to the hospital.
Jill remained standing there, staring at him. When he clicked the Off button and handed the phone back to her, she took it but didn’t budge.
“Well?” she said. “Is there a problem at home?”
“No, not a problem. Just that Mrs. Cooper is bringing the girls here, and I’m nowhere near finished.”
“That’s fine,” Jill said. “We have that box of toys they can play with.”
“But you’ve been around them enough to know that’ll only be good for a little while.”
She grinned. “Then I suggest you get movin’ on whatever project you’re working on now.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Smart man.” Jill pulled away from her spot leaning against the doorframe. “I’ll let you know when they arrive.”
Ed didn’t need anyone to tell him when his girls
arrived. Between Mrs. Cooper’s loud, husky voice and Stacy’s shrill bossiness, he knew the moment they walked in the door.
“Don’t you girls touch a thing,” Mrs. Cooper barked. “This store has a lot of breakables.”
He put down his hammer and ambled out to the front of the shop where Mrs. Cooper chatted with Jill. Stacy and Tracy had wandered over toward the stairs. He rushed over to the twins, took them by the hand, and led them away.
“But I wanna go upstairs.”
“Not now. I have to finish my work; then maybe I can take you.”
Stacy broke free of his grasp and ran over to Jill. “Jill, can you take me upstairs?”
Mrs. Cooper glared down at her. “Now what did I tell you on the way over here?”
Stacy planted her little fist on her hip. “Miss Hargrove’s store is filled with priceless antiques. She won’t like you if you break anything.”
Jill gasped as she turned to Mrs. Cooper. Ed understood his daughter had probably left out something. But Jill obviously didn’t know that.
“I’m sure Mrs. Cooper didn’t say it exactly like that,” Ed said.
“I certainly didn’t,” Mrs. Cooper agreed. “I told her Miss Hargrove would be very unhappy if the girls broke something.”
Ed noticed Jill’s relief. “That’s what I thought,” he said. “Jill, would you mind taking one of the girls up for just a minute? I’d like to have a word with Mrs. Cooper before she leaves.”
“I can take both of them,” Jill said.
Ed and Mrs. Cooper simultaneously said, “No!”
Jill took a step back. “Well, in that case. . .” Jill glanced back and forth between the girls, obviously trying to decide which girl to take.
“Stacy,” Ed said, “why don’t you go first? I’ll take Tracy up when I’m finished with Mrs. Cooper.”
That satisfied Stacy. She marched right up to Jill, held out her hand, and led the way to the stairs. Jill glanced over her shoulder with another look of helplessness as she went with Stacy. Ed saw her vulnerability, and it flipped his heart once again.
After Mrs. Cooper apologized and said she had no idea when she’d be back to help with the girls, Ed realized how much denial he’d been in. He’d known for months she was planning to do this, but until now it hadn’t seemed real. It was difficult to find substitute nannies for a day or two, but for an indefinite period of time? That would be next to impossible.
By the time Ed and Tracy joined Jill and his other daughter upstairs, he figured Stacy would have long since worn out her welcome. Instead he was pleasantly surprised by the sight of Jill showing Stacy some very tiny figurines in a corner beside a dollhouse. Stacy was actually behaving herself.
“Hey, you two,” he said to let them know he was there. “Must be good to have both of you so interested.”
Jill glanced up. “I was just showing her some fifty-year-old porcelain pieces.”
Tracy tugged at him to take her closer, so he complied. When he was close, he carefully let go of Tracy’s hand so she could see.
Finally, after the girls looked over everything that interested them on the second floor, Ed led them back downstairs. Jill was right behind them.
She remained in the front of the shop while he situated them beside his work area. Then he came up to thank her.
“I appreciate your understanding. Not everyone can handle my girls.”
Jill tilted her head to one side. “I don’t know why you’re so appreciative when you’re the one doing me a favor.”
“Well, I—”
“Besides,” she interrupted, “your girls are really sweet. I don’t see a single problem with either of them.”
“They have their moments,” he mumbled.
“Daddy!” Tracy hollered.
That caught both his and Jill’s attention. They went running back.
Tracy was standing on a chair, pointing at a cornered and frightened Tiger. “Look at the kitten!”
Somehow Tiger had slipped into the shop and stood shivering in the corner of the back room, obviously frightened by the noise. “That’s Tiger,” Ed said. “Be very gentle with her. She’s just a kitten.”
“Can we play with her?” Stacy asked as she reached down to touch the animal.
“Very carefully,” Ed answered.
While the girls were busy with the kitten, Ed told Jill he had something to discuss with her. Seeing the kitten reminded him she had termites.
The exterminator had told them the place was so heavily infested with termites that there was no way around tenting it. Then, after the tent came down, some of the flooring and walls needed to be replaced.
“What?” Jill asked.
With the girls right there and Jill looking tense, he decided to wait one more day. He wanted to finish his job at hand and discuss the severity of the problem with Jill when they were both able to talk.
“Can you be here early in the morning?” Ed asked.
Jill cocked her head to one side. “Like what time?”
“How about nine?”
She thought about it then nodded. “Nine is okay. I’ll be here then.”
“Good,” he said. “Now let me get back to my work, so I can take the girls home before they get rowdy.”
Fortunately the kitten kept the girls busy long enough for him to finish what he was doing. In fact, he had to drag them away when it was time to leave. Jill waved as they left.
All night the girls chattered about how much they loved kittens. “Daddy, please can we have a kitten or puppy?” Stacy asked.
“Not now, sweetheart,” he replied. “Maybe someday when you’re older.”
“Why not now?” Stacy said, scowling.
“I want you to be old enough to take care of an animal. You have to feed them and make sure all their needs are met.”
“We can do that.”
Ed sighed. “Not now, girls. Let’s get supper so we can go to bed at a decent time.”
The girls struggled with him for a little while, but finally they calmed down and did what he told them to do. He figured they were eager to conspire.
As soon as he had tucked them in, he grabbed his phone and punched in the number of his exterminator. “Hey, Ray, I need you to go to the Junktique Shoppe first thing in the morning. I’m ready to get an estimate for the fumigation.”
Ray chuckled. “Okay, what time do you want me there?”
“She’ll be there at nine, so I thought maybe you and I could meet at eight. Will that be enough time?”
“Sure thing,” Ray said. “I’ll see you then.”
Early the next morning the neighbor, Mrs. McKnight, agreed to come over as long as the girls were asleep. She liked the girls, but two of them had been too much for her to handle the few times she’d tried to babysit them.
Ed thanked her again and took off, hoping to arrive at the shop before Jill. Uh-oh, he thought as he turned onto the street. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was a quarter to eight, and both Jill and Ray were parked in front of the shop.
He ran inside the shop, but neither Jill nor Ray was there. One glance out the back window, and he spotted them. He made his way through the back door as fast as he could.
Just as he thought. He saw frustration written all over her face.
“How long have you known how bad it was?” Jill asked.
Ed shuffled his feet. “Awhile.”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “And when did you plan to tell me?”
“Soon.”
Her cheeks puffed as she blew out a breath, pulled away from him, and started pacing in the backyard. “I don’t know what to do.”
“The place needs to be tented.”
Ray nodded. “That’s the only way. I told Ed—”
“I’m doomed,” she said. “It seems like there’s no end to what’s wrong with this place.”
Ed tried to think quickly of a solution, but he couldn’t. All he could think about was how closing her doors long enough for the extermi
nator to fumigate the building could put her out of business. Since Ray was giving such a discounted rate, they couldn’t very well rush him. He was working it in between jobs. Ed had a warehouse she could use while the place was fumigated and repaired, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t go for it.
“I have a plan that’ll be a hassle, but it just might work,” he said.
Both Ray and Jill turned to him. He shot Ray a glance, so Ray excused himself, saying he had to look around a bit more and do some measuring.
After Ed told her about his warehouse, she shook her head. “How are we going to get all this stuff to your warehouse and back? There’s no way. Besides, I can’t take another handout from you.”
“Do you have any other ideas?” he asked. “If you want, you can rent the space while you’re there.”
She frowned and set her jaw as she thought about it. Then slowly she shook her head. “I’m sunk.”
“Maybe not. I can call some people from the church and—”
She held up her hands. “I don’t think so. I don’t know any of those people. Why would they want to help a complete stranger?”
“Because they’re nice people, and they want to do what the Lord calls them to do,” he said.
Jill obviously didn’t know what to say. She just stood there staring off into the distance.
After a long silence Ed finally said, “Well? What do you think about me calling some of my friends?”
She kicked the ground in frustration. “Do I have a choice?” She paused, then added, “And don’t forget I’ll pay you rent for the time I’m there.”
“Jill, you always have a choice. I’m not being bossy.”
“No, I realize that. It’s just that. . .everything’s so over-whelming right now. I had no idea running a shop would require so much work. It’s almost as bad as having a kid.” The instant those words left her mouth, her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She flapped her arms by her sides, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, Ed. Your girls are wonderful. You’re a great dad.”
Ed felt sorry for her. She thought she’d insulted him, when in an odd sort of way she’d just given him a huge compliment. She’d let him know she was aware of the responsibility of having kids. But what she didn’t seem to realize was that having a business wasn’t exactly an irresponsible endeavor, either.
