by Debby Mayne
“He’s not scared of anything,” Tracy said. “He knows he has Jesus there with him, and two little girls can’t hurt him.”
Maybe not, Ed thought, but two little girls sure can scare Jill.
The next morning Ed dropped the girls at the parsonage, thanked Emma profusely, and then headed back to the shop. Jill had brought in some boxes, and she’d already packed half of one row of shelves, with dozens more to go.
“This is going to take forever,” she said.
“Just wait until my friends arrive. We’ll have this place packed up in no time.”
Jill pressed her lips together, then went back to wrapping some fragile glass. Ed wanted to step in and help, but she looked just as fragile as the collectibles.
All day he felt as if he were walking on eggshells around Jill. She was in a strange mood. Every move she made seemed tentative, almost as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do next.
Shortly after lunch, she told Ed she needed to start dinner. He’d forgotten to tell her about the weekly church dinner, so he explained it to her now. “You’re welcome to join us,” he said.
She shook her head without a moment’s hesitation. “No, thanks. I’ll just go home. I’m pretty tired.”
Ed instantly felt bad because he knew it seemed like an afterthought to invite her. If someone had asked him under the same circumstances, he would have turned them down, as well. He made a mental note to keep trying, but not to wait until the last minute.
A few minutes after Jill drove away, he left the Junktique Shoppe and headed for the church, making one quick stop at a bakery on the way. The girls were playing in the parsonage yard when he pulled into the church parking lot. The instant they spotted him, they took off after him, squealing in delight. Emma Travers followed right behind them, telling them to wait until he stopped the truck.
“Daddy, Daddy! Guess what! There’s a stray cat at the church. Mrs. Travers says we can have her if it’s okay with you.”
“What?” he said as he turned his focus to the woman coming up behind the girls. “Did you say that?”
She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “Not exactly in those words.”
Ed sighed as he lifted the bakery box from the passenger seat of the truck. “Let me think about it, girls. In the meantime let’s get you settled inside. I brought brownies for the potluck.”
Stacy jumped up and down beside him. “Can I have a brownie now, Daddy? Please? If I promise to eat all my supper?”
Before Ed could say a word, Tracy shook her head. “You know Daddy’s not gonna let us have a brownie now. You have to eat your supper first.”
“That’s right,” Ed agreed as he opened the door with one hand and ushered his daughters inside while balancing the box of brownies with the other.
He helped the girls fill their plates with the healthiest food he knew they’d eat. Then he found them a spot at one of the long tables before he went back to get his own food. Emma was at the next table, pouring a glass of tea.
“Here ya go, Ed,” she said as she came around and handed it to him. “I want to apologize about the kitten. They were so excited when they saw it. Stacy said something about your new lady friend having a kitten named Tiger.”
Lady friend? Where had Emma gotten that idea? “Oh, you mean the woman who owns the shop? We’re just business acquaintances,” he explained.
Emma’s eyes sparkled. “I see.”
Ed accepted the glass of tea and thanked her for taking care of the girls all day. She smiled and said it was her pleasure.
“Okay, girls,” he said as he slid into position on the bench across the table from them. “Tell me all about your day.”
They both started talking at the same time, which gave him a needed break from his thoughts.
During the Bible study later, Ed focused on the topic of life’s challenges. He paid particular attention when the leader, Jonathan, suggested that during the biggest challenges people needed to learn endurance and dependence on the Lord. “As soon as we think we can control our lives, we’ve lost the battle.”
Ed lowered his head and stared at the floor, thinking about it. Matt’s wife sat next to him, and he could see her nudging Matt.
After the Bible study Matt approached him. “Hey, man, you okay?”
“Sure, I’m fine. I just have issues with the topic. I can’t seem to get past the whole control thing.”
“That’s my problem, too.” Matt chewed on his lip for a second before adding, “And I suspect Jill might have the same issues.”
It always appeared to come back to Jill these days, since she’d been the topic of so many prayers in their group lately. “Yeah, I bet you’re right.”
“And speaking of Jill, I think it might be a good idea to start moving her on Friday afternoon. We can get some of the big stuff then and at least set her up in the new digs. Then the rest of us can finish up Saturday morning.”
Ed nodded. “I’ll run it past her.”
After he socialized for a few minutes, he left the fellowship hall, fetched his girls, then headed home. They talked nonstop about one of the books their caretaker had read.
“Daddy, did you know Jesus had a brother?” Stacy asked.
“Yes, I did know that.”
“But Jesus and His brother weren’t twins like us,” Tracy said.
Ed didn’t have to say another word as the girls discussed how different it would be to have a brother or sister who wasn’t a twin. After they got home, they continued their conversation through their bath time and even after he kissed them good night. After he put the girls down, he slipped into bed with his Bible.
The next morning Emma arrived on his doorstep. “I figured you could use a sitter for a few hours this morning. Why don’t you run out so you can be back in time for lunch?”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “The girls aren’t even up yet.”
“Go on—scoot,” she said, practically shoving him out the door. “I know you have work to do.”
He took advantage of a free morning he hadn’t expected and stopped off at the courthouse to find out how the zoning of his new project was coming along. “Looks like the paperwork is almost all done,” the clerk said. “It’ll only be another couple of weeks, and you’re good to go.”
“Perfect,” Ed said. He left and headed for the shop, where Jill’s car was parked by the sidewalk leading to the front door.
When he walked in, she immediately started talking about how Matt and some of the other church people were moving her out early. He’d hoped to be the one to tell her, but she didn’t seem upset. In fact, she was more chipper than usual.
“Oh, and Mrs. Cooper called,” she said as she grabbed a slip of paper from the desk and handed it to him. “She said her daughter is in the hospital, and she’s coming back home until she delivers. She said she’ll stop by this evening.”
He was relieved to have his sitter back. He knew it was only temporary, but he couldn’t worry about that now.
He finished replacing a wall section and reinforced one of the beams, then left to run some more errands before he had to return home. Emma told him she planned to help out with the move.
When Friday arrived, Ed was glad to have Mrs. Cooper there with the girls.
He quickly headed back to the shop where Jill waited on the porch. They walked inside together.
“Ready for the big move?” he asked.
She shrugged and looked around the shop area. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
A customer walked in, took a quick look around, and said, “Are you having a going-out-of-business sale already?”
“No,” Ed said. “We’re just temporarily moving her to a different location so we can fix up this place.”
“In that case maybe it’ll be good if I do some shopping now. There won’t be as much to move.”
Ed laughed. Just how much could one woman buy to lighten the load enough to notice?
Eight
To his surprise the woman was a pr
ofessional decorator and made a substantial difference. She purchased quite a bit of glassware and some furniture that she said she’d have out of the shop as soon as her workers could get there later that afternoon.
“Some of these fabulous things will be in the finest homes in Dunwoody,” she explained. “Here’s my card. Let me know when you get settled. It’s certainly nice to have a new source of decorative pieces.”
Ed turned to Jill after she left. “A couple of more customers like her, and we won’t need people from the church to help move you.”
Jill was obviously delighted by her big sale. “At least I’ll be able to pay my bills for another month.”
The mood instantly lightened. They spent the rest of the day packing. The decorator’s people came to pick up her items, and then the remainder of the merchandise was loaded onto trucks.
By mid-Saturday afternoon everything had been moved, and quite a bit had been shelved. The new space turned out to be larger, so nothing had to be put in storage.
On Saturday evening one of the guys called and ordered a dozen pizzas. Ed watched Jill chatting and laughing with the women from the church as if she’d known them all her life. He felt a flutter in his heart when she looked at him with flushed cheeks and a sparkle in her eye. He’d never seen her so happy. And she’d apparently made friends with Jennifer Schwartz, one of the women who’d helped with the move.
Mrs. Cooper had been kind enough to watch the girls all day, so he needed to go home and spend a little time with them before they went to bed. He told Jill he’d see her Monday. She gave him a funny look then nodded. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded, smiling. “I couldn’t be better.”
❧
On Sunday morning Jill saw the look of utter shock on Ed’s face when he spotted her in the church lobby. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he asked.
“Is that a requirement?” she teased. “Do I need to tell you before I go to your church?”
“No, of course not,” he said, still obviously flustered. “It’s just that—.” He took a look around while several people gathered to greet her. “Never mind.”
Jennifer tugged on Jill’s arm. “C’mon—there’s a guy I’d like you to meet.”
As Jennifer pulled her away, Jill saw a flash of pain on Ed’s face.
It wasn’t until Jennifer stopped that Jill turned to her and said, “Well? Where is this guy?”
“Um, let me see,” she said as she glanced around. Then her eyes lit up. “There he is!” She pulled Jill toward a cluster of people standing around, talking and laughing. “Jill, meet my dad, the sweetest guy in town. Dad, Mom, this is Jill Hargrove. She’s the one who just opened that shop I was telling you about.”
It dawned on Jill that Jennifer had intentionally tried to make Ed jealous. She turned to Jennifer’s parents and shook their hands. They greeted her with open arms, making Jill feel warm inside. This was how life was supposed to be.
A little while later everyone wandered into the sanctuary to find a seat. Jill sat with Jennifer and her parents. Jennifer’s husband, Brian, sang, so he was in the choir loft. She had no idea where Ed was. She did her best to concentrate on what she was there for, but it was difficult knowing Ed was somewhere in the building.
She felt sort of bad because Ed had been inviting her to church practically since they met. And she’d kept turning him down, thinking that one day she’d eventually accept. After he’d left the shop the day before, Jennifer had come up to her and told her what time she was picking her up for church. She hadn’t given Jill a choice, so she didn’t argue.
This church was completely different than any she’d been to before. These people were truly joyful about their faith.
She thought back to some of her earlier experiences in church with her father. All she could recall were her father’s harsh words and the way he had her scared of God’s wrath rather than grateful for His love. If it hadn’t been for some friends from college who shared the Word with her, she’d still be running from the Lord. She’d pulled out an old Bible and started reading it regularly, using Bible study guides she picked up from Christian bookstores.
During the short time she’d known Ed, he’d shown a different side of faith from her father. He was gentle and kind—like the people from school. Her heart ached as she wondered if her father even knew any better than to present the gospel in such a hurtful way. Ed was obviously a wonderful father to his children and friend to everyone else, including her. She actually had a flicker of a romantic notion toward him, but she quickly squelched it. This wasn’t the time to feel romantic toward anyone—not when her business was so new.
A wonderful feeling of peace and contentment rose inside her as she sang the contemporary worship songs. Then they sang a traditional hymn she remembered from childhood. Jennifer nudged her, pointed to the next pew over, and grinned. Jill glanced over and saw Ed standing there, deeply immersed in his singing. A fresh bolt of attraction shot through her. She’d felt the attraction from the first time she saw him, but this was different. This was a feeling more intense than anything she’d ever experienced. It had more to do with who he was inside than the way he looked.
When she turned back, she saw the odd expression on Jennifer’s face. Heat suddenly rose to her cheeks. There was no doubt Jennifer knew exactly what was going on.
The pastor delivered an engaging sermon that kept her spellbound the entire time. Then, when the collection plate came around, she dropped in a visitor envelope with the meager amount she’d stuffed in there. One of these days I’ll be able to give more generously.
After church Jennifer invited her to join the large group for lunch at a nearby diner. “Who all’s going?” Jill asked.
“Everyone in the singles’ group,” Jennifer replied. “And a few of us married folks who used to be in the singles’ group.” She gave Jill a nudge. “Come on—Ed’ll be there.”
“Um, no, thanks. I have some things I need to take care of at home.”
Jennifer started to nod then stopped. She gently placed her hand on Jill’s shoulder and looked her in the eye. “You should come with us. It’s fun.”
Again Jill’s face heated up. “I know, but. . .”
“Ed’s a nice man, and I think he really likes you. I understand you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed by the built-in family, but you couldn’t find a nicer guy who loves the Lord more than he does.”
Jill was aware of that. Deep down she knew a very large part of her attraction to Ed was his faith. Jennifer was right about her being overwhelmed by the built-in family. As much as she enjoyed Stacy and Tracy, fear of the tremendous responsibility to them was second only to the similarities between Ed and her dad.
“I’m sure,” Jill said.
“Look—this is just lunch. We eat lunch and enjoy each other’s company. What’s the harm in that?”
Jill shrugged.
“If it’s any consolation, Ed doesn’t usually bring the girls. He’s part of a group of parents who take turns with preschoolers so they can each have some fellowship after church.”
“Oh, the girls don’t bother me,” Jill said too quickly. The instant she said it, she saw Jennifer’s lips tweak into a smile. To cover, she added, “I’ve watched them a couple of times, and they’re a lot of fun.”
“They can be a handful, too.”
“I’m sure.” Jill clamped her mouth shut to keep from saying the wrong thing.
“So will you go with us?”
Jennifer was quite persuasive and obviously wouldn’t let up. Jill nodded. “Yes, but just for a little while.”
Brian came up to them, put his arm around his wife, then looked at Jill. “How ya feelin’ after the move?” he asked.
Jill grinned. “I’ll probably recover about the time I have to move back.”
Rather than ride with Brian and Jennifer, Jill chose to follow them to the restaurant, a tiny café that offered a choice of three entrées and a slew of Southern-st
yle vegetables. Country biscuits and corn bread were in baskets on every table. The restaurant had only six tables, but each of them seated eight people. She was relieved when she found an empty chair fairly close to the door. That way she could scoot out when she wanted to leave and hope she wouldn’t be noticed.
She managed to avoid Ed until she decided to go home. She’d barely stood up when she saw him approach from the side. There was no way she could take off without appearing rude. She stopped, turned to him, and smiled.
“You have a very nice church,” she murmured.
“Thanks.” His forehead crinkled, and he looked stressed. “I needed to discuss something with you before I go pick up the girls.”
“Um, sure,” she said as she glanced around. Several people hastily turned away, so she knew they were watching. “Here?”
“No, let’s go outside.” He guided her with one hand and opened the door with the other.
As soon as they stepped out into the parking lot he stopped, and she turned toward him. “What’s up?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light in spite of the fact that butterflies fluttered from her tummy to her throat.
“Mrs. Cooper warned me that she’d have to pick up and leave on a moment’s notice,” he said. “I still haven’t found anyone to help with the girls.”
Jill tilted her head. “So what are you saying?”
He shrugged and looked around, then back at her. “I just wanted you to know in case something happens.”
She nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
Ed looked at her with an odd expression; then he side-stepped away from her. “Well, I guess I need to go back and tell everyone bye. See ya tomorrow?”
“See you then,” Jill replied as she headed for her car.
❧
Ed felt like the idiot of the year for making such a big deal out of nothing. They’d already discussed Mrs. Cooper’s daughter, and Jill was well aware of what was happening. She didn’t seem to have a problem with him bringing his daughters to her shop, so she certainly wouldn’t say anything about them now that she was in his warehouse. They’d known each other long enough for him to realize she was a decent woman with a heart. A big heart, in fact. The way she’d softened had puzzled him at first, but when he got over the surprise, he’d let down his guard and allowed himself to be swayed by her sweetness. Yes, he’d known her long enough to see many sides of her, and with the exception of her initial skittishness he liked what he saw.
