Double Blessing

by Debby Mayne

  She spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and studying magazines about collectibles. Then she thought about what to get the girls for their birthday.

  Throughout the next week Ed acted distant, although he was pleasant. He’d found someone to watch the girls during the day, so she didn’t see them. To her surprise and dismay, she missed them. Whenever she heard a child’s voice or laughter, her heart thudded until she realized it was only a customer’s child and not Stacy or Tracy.

  On Saturday she’d just finished helping a customer load an old wooden desk into the back of her SUV when Ed pulled into the parking lot with his daughters. She instinctively smiled when they bounded out of the truck, grins on their precious little faces, arms open wide, coming toward her at full speed. She squatted down and pulled them in for a hug as Ed stood behind them, watching.

  “The girls wanted to pick you up for their birthday party,” he said.

  “Thank you.” Jill stood, looked at each girl, and gestured toward her shop. “Come on in, girls. I have something for you.”

  They followed her inside to the little table in the back where Jill had put a stack of wrapped educational toys and games she’d picked up last time she went to the store. It took them about a minute to tear open the wrapping paper. “You got all that stuff for us?” Stacy asked.

  Jill nodded. “Who else would I get it for? You’re my favorite little birthday girls.”

  Tracy turned to Ed. “Daddy, is it okay if we play here for a little while?”

  Ed twisted his mouth in the comical way Jill loved, glanced at his watch, then nodded. “Well, I s’pose it’ll be okay. The party isn’t for another couple of hours.”

  Jill started to go back to her sales floor when she heard Tracy call out. “Can you go to church with us again?”

  Stopping in her tracks, Jill tried to make a quick decision. She couldn’t think of a single reason to say no—at least, not one the children would understand. And since it was one of the girls asking, she simply nodded and said, “Sure, if it’s okay with your daddy.”

  “It’s okay with Daddy,” Stacy said.

  Jill glanced over her shoulder at Ed. He held her gaze for a couple of seconds then nodded. “We’ll be out of town tomorrow, but I’d like for you to go with us next week.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  An hour before the party was due to start, they headed to Ed’s house so he could finish setting up. Jill helped the girls slip into their party dresses. Children from the neighborhood and church came by with their parents. The party lasted an hour, but it seemed much shorter to Jill. Once the last guest left, though, both girls went to their room and fell asleep right away. Ed asked his neighbor, Mrs. McKnight, to come in and watch the girls while he took Jill back to the shop where she’d left her car.

  “I had a wonderful time, Ed,” Jill said.

  Ed took her hands in his and pulled her closer. “Thank you for everything,” he whispered. She started to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go. Instead he leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the lips. Then he walked her to her car.

  She had plans to go to church with Jennifer the next day. Ed had taken the girls to their grandmother’s house to celebrate their birthday because she hadn’t been able to attend the party.

  The next week dragged by. As much as Jill loved her shop and handling the collectibles, she found herself wanting to spend more and more time with Ed and the girls. But now that he had broken ground on his property development in Ackworth, she saw little of him.

  The next Sunday finally arrived. As before, Ed waited in the truck while Stacy and Tracy went to Jill’s door. Only this time she’d expected them.

  “Here’s a surprise,” she said as she handed each of them a tiny stuffed animal.

  Their eyes lit up. “You got these just for us?”

  Jill nodded. “Absolutely, yes.”

  Tracy cuddled hers close to her chest with one hand and reached for Jill’s hand with the other while Stacy ran ahead of them, her arm outstretched with the stuffed kitten. “Looky, Daddy! Looky what Jill got me!”

  Ed gave her a puzzled look. “You don’t have to give them presents every time you see them.”

  “I know,” she said. “It’s just that I know they like kittens, and I saw these in the store, and—”

  “You couldn’t resist,” Ed said, finishing her sentence. “Yeah, I know how that goes. Happens to me all the time.”

  Ed hopped out to help settle the girls in the backseat, then slid back behind the wheel.

  “If you want me to quit buying them stuff, I will,” Jill said softly as she got in and buckled her seat belt.

  “Once in a while is nice,” Ed said. “But they just had a birthday, and I think the real prize is getting to see you.”

  As silence fell over them, Jill pondered his last comment, which she found immensely flattering. But was he talking about the real prize for the girls or for him? She knew the girls enjoyed having her around. They’d made that obvious. But how about Ed? Did he look forward to seeing her as much as she did him?

  “Whatcha thinkin’?” he asked as they turned down the street leading to the church.

  She shrugged. “That I’m grateful for your church and all the nice people who go there.”

  ❧

  Ed pulled into the parking lot, found a spot, then turned to look at her. She continued to soften each time he saw her. When he’d first walked into her shop she was defensive, and he suspected she could have been combative if tested. But now he’d seen her soft side, and it was incredibly appealing. Almost everything about Jill was appealing—even her tendency to be messy, which had bugged him to no end when he first met her.

  The sense of belonging washed over him as he stood next to Jill during the worship part of the service. When the pastor spoke, Ed slanted occasional glances her way and saw the intensity of her interest. Warmth flooded him as he thought about how absorbed in the Word she seemed.

  After church, as soon as they fetched the girls from their Sunday school class, Stacy said, “Daddy, can we get a kids’ meal?”

  “I don’t see why not,” he replied. He turned to Jill. “Unless, of course, you have to be home at any particular time.”

  She shrugged. “I really don’t have anything else to do today, so that sounds good. I haven’t had fast food in quite a while.”

  “Good. Then let’s go.”

  Jill chatted with the girls while he returned to his deep-thought mode. The cozy feeling he had was wonderful until he actually gave it some serious thought. He, Jill, and the girls seemed like family. The problem was—they weren’t. Was he setting the girls up for disappointment when Jill got tired of them?

  Ed ordered their kids’ meals and handed them to the girls.

  “Eat first,” he said. “Then you can play.” He turned to Jill. “Is it okay with you if we sit in the kiddy area? That way we won’t have to move when they’re on the equipment.”

  “Sure,” she said, taking her tray and heading to the small dining tables in the back.

  Stacy and Tracy scarfed down their food in warp speed. They were finished and had their spots on the table cleaned before Jill had time to eat half her sandwich.

  Laughing, Jill said, “Now I know what to do if I want a kid to eat.”

  Ed nodded. “It works.”

  ❧

  Jill felt as though she belonged. She was more relaxed than she could ever remember being.

  They spent the next hour watching the girls, chatting about church, and basically keeping the conversation light. Once in a while the girls came over to make sure Ed had seen something they’d done.

  “How about some ice cream?” Ed asked.

  Both girls nodded and hopped up and down. Ed took the girls to the counter and purchased a small ice cream cone for each of them; then he sat back down with Jill while the girls enjoyed their dessert before going back to play on the equipment.

  About a half hour later Stacy came over to them.
“Daddy, I want a cookie.”

  “No, honey, you’ve already had your dessert.”

  She glared at him, folded her arms, and stamped her foot. “I want a cookie.”

  Tracy was right behind her. “Please, Daddy, please. Can’t we have a cookie?”

  “No,” Ed said firmly. “One dessert is plenty. You don’t need that much sugar.”

  Then to Jill’s dismay both girls started screaming and throwing a temper tantrum. She’d never seen this side of them and shrank back in her seat.

  Ed tried to talk calmly to the girls, but it was obvious he wasn’t getting anywhere. Finally he took both girls by the hand and held on tight. “This temper tantrum is not acceptable behavior,” he said firmly. “So we’re going home now.”

  “No!” Tracy shouted. “I wanna play some more.”

  Stacy managed to break free of Ed’s grasp. She took off running toward the play area.

  Ed turned to Jill and offered an apologetic grin. “Sorry about this. Would you mind taking over with Tracy while I go get Stacy?”

  Jill gulped hard as Ed took Tracy’s hand and placed it in Jill’s. That terrible feeling from her own childhood hit her full force. Her father had rules that were so rigid she’d felt stifled. And here she was, participating in discipline. But she understood it now.

  Tracy kept scowling while Jill held tight to her hand. What bugged Jill was that Tracy wasn’t even looking at her. In fact, Jill was pretty sure Tracy hated her for being on Ed’s side, and that broke her heart. If it had been up to her, she probably would have given them the cookie. What did it matter, anyway? They hadn’t eaten that much ice cream. But then again she saw Ed’s side, too. The instant the tantrum started, it was a matter of principle. She realized Ed couldn’t let them have the upper hand when they behaved like this.

  Eventually Stacy got tired and gave in to her dad. He hoisted her up in his arms and let her snuggle against his chest, still sniffling from her full-blown tantrum. Tracy turned to Jill and held out her arms. Jill wasn’t sure what to do.

  After glancing at Ed, who nodded, Jill reached out and lifted Tracy onto her lap. Her heart warmed a little as the girl rested her head on her shoulder. This was a nice feeling. She sighed.

  Finally Ed motioned for her to follow him out the door. “Well, I s’pose it’s time to head on home for nap time. Ready?”

  Jill nodded. “Tracy, honey, would you mind walking? I need to carry my tray over to the trash can.”

  Tracy scrambled down, but she held on to Jill’s hand. With her other hand Jill discarded her wrappers and stuffed her tray in the slot. Then she walked Tracy out to the truck where she helped her into the car seat.

  She couldn’t avoid noticing the curious glances in their direction—from the beginning of the tantrum until now. Everyone probably thought she was part of the family. Ed started the truck without saying a word, so Jill settled back in her seat to regroup.

  They’d gone about a mile when Ed pointed his thumb toward the backseat. “They’ve zonked out already.”

  Jill glanced over her shoulder and saw two little curly-headed girls sound asleep in their car seats. The sight of them gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling she tried to ignore.

  “Sweet, huh?” Ed asked.

  “Yes,” she agreed. “About as sweet as I’ve ever seen.”

  “A little different from twenty minutes ago.” Ed snorted. “This is what happens when they get tired. Sorry you had to experience that.”

  When they reached the curb in front of her house, Ed turned toward her. “I think we need to talk.”

  Jill looked at him, waiting, without saying anything. She watched as he collected his thoughts.

  “I bet you thought I was an ogre back at the restaurant.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t think you were an ogre.”

  “It’s just that. . .I want them to understand how to behave in public.”

  “I agree.” As difficult as it had been to witness what happened, Jill really did feel that something needed to be done.

  “You do?”

  “Well, yes, but. . .” She shrugged. “Well, I might have given in and let them have a cookie, but you can’t very well allow temper tantrums in public like that.”

  Ed’s expression softened as he let out a deep sigh. “I’m glad you’re not upset with me.” He glanced down, closed his eyes for a few seconds, then looked back up at her. “Jill, I’m feeling. . .”

  She tilted her head. “You’re feeling what?”

  “I didn’t want to fall in love again, but since I’ve met you, well. . .” He shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

  She needed to know. “Since you’ve met me—what?”

  He looked at her tenderly then glanced away. “I’m afraid I’ve let down my guard and allowed myself to care too much.”

  Conflicting emotions collided inside her. She cared for him, too, but she wasn’t sure if the timing was right to let him know. She had no idea what to say next. “Um. . .I think I need to go now.”

  He blinked then nodded. “Okay, I understand. See ya tomorrow, bright and early.” She quickly made her way up the walk, unlocked her door, opened it, and then turned to give Ed one last look before going inside. The instant the door closed behind her, she felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion—and, to her dismay, loneliness. She thought about her relationship with her father and regretted not being more understanding. Had he just been overwhelmed with the responsibility of a child and not known what to do? Being with the twins was giving her a different perspective.

  As independent as she’d always been, Jill knew she was missing some very important things in life. One thing was easily rectified: a church home. She wasn’t positive yet, but she thought she’d probably found it. The other thing wasn’t quite as simple.

  She sank down in a living room chair, closed her eyes, and prayed.

  Dear Lord, I know I haven’t always been a faithful follower, so forgive me. Jill bumbled through the things she figured she’d done wrong in the Lord’s eyes, and then she asked for forgiveness. It felt awkward, but she knew the Lord understood. She finished praying, opened her eyes, and sighed.

  ❧

  When the girls woke up from their naps, they ran into the living room where Ed sat reading his Bible. He’d been trying to put everything into perspective since meeting Jill. He knew she loved his girls, and he suspected she cared for him, as well. But that wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to take risks—either with his heart or with his daughters’.

  “Daddy, where’s Jill?” Tracy asked.

  “I’m not sure where she is right this minute, honey, but we dropped her off at her house a couple of hours ago.”

  “Can we go get her again?” Stacy said.

  Ed chuckled. “No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  Tracy planted her fist on her hip and tilted her head. “And why not?”

  “We don’t need to smother her,” he said.

  “I don’t want to smother her,” Tracy said. “I just want her to come over.”

  “We need to let her have some breathing room, girls. Some space. Jill isn’t used to having people with her all the time.”

  “She said she likes us,” Stacy argued.

  “She does. It’s just that. . .” Ed wasn’t sure what to say. He lifted both girls into his lap at the same time. “You two are growing so fast I won’t be able to do this much longer.” That thought saddened him.

  “We ate all our lunch,” Stacy said.

  “But I’m still hungry,” Tracy added. “Can we have a snack?”

  Ed sighed. The girls were wonderful and one of the biggest blessings he’d ever had—even with the occasional angry outburst. But they sure did keep him running. “Sure, sweetie. Let’s go see what we can find in the kitchen.”

  Since it was a couple of hours until dinnertime he fixed them each a piece of fruit, a few graham crackers, and a glass of milk. They sat at the table in booster seats while he
pulled something from the freezer to thaw in the microwave.

  “Can we call Jill and ask her to come over for dinner?” Tracy persisted.

  “Not tonight,” Ed said firmly.

  “Okay, when?” Stacy asked.

  It was obvious the girls weren’t going to give up, so he thought for a moment. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, girls. Jill is a very busy woman.”

  “Too busy for us?” Tracy asked.

  What could Ed say to that? He finally said, “I can ask if she wants to go out to dinner with us one night this week.”

  “I want to eat here,” Stacy said. “You’re the bestest cook.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Ed said, “but I appreciate the compliment.”

  After their snack the girls ran to their room to play with some of the things Jill had given them. As he started preparing dinner, Ed thought about how he’d invite Jill to come over.

  The next morning he arrived at the shop early, thinking he’d be there and finished with most of his paperwork before Jill arrived. But she’d already unlocked the front door.

  “What brought you in at such an early hour?” he asked.

  He sensed an emotional distance as she shrugged without looking him in the eye. “I have stuff to do.”

  “Oh,” he said. He started to head back to his office when he remembered his promise to Stacy and Tracy. “The girls wanted me to ask you over for dinner one night this week. How about Wednesday?”

  Jill quickly looked up, but she didn’t say anything.

  “If Tuesday is better, we can do it then. Or even Thursday. The girls really want you to. This was their idea.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip for a second, sighed, then nodded. “I guess Wednesday would be okay. Want me to bring something? Remember—I’m supposed to be cooking all those dinners for you and Matt, and I’ve only done it a couple of times.”

  “There’ll be plenty of time for that,” he said. He felt relief mixed with a little guilt. He knew mentioning the girls was a dirty tactic, but he really wanted her to come over. “It’s just that the girls. . .well, you know.”

  “Okay, so tell me when you want me there.”