Letting the water wash over him, he cleansed his heart as well and prayed for a brighter day for all of them. Rona had troubled him, too, with her attitude toward the Lord, but he sensed that somewhere inside her God’s light still shined and he’d have to be patient and find the match that could light the flame.
He had strong feelings for Rona, and each time he admitted it to himself he experienced disbelief. What had it been? A week? Two weeks? How could he let his emotions loose in so short a time after having clung to them so tightly since Jill had died?
Nick finished his shower, amazed that he smelled coffee and bacon drifting up from the kitchen. Rona. She’d come over to prepare her breakfast. He’d promised to take her shopping today, but he wished she’d just eat with the family. He’d try to encourage that.
Dressed, Nick headed down the stairs and when he neared the kitchen, he heard voices. “Something smells wonderful,” he said, walking through the doorway.
Gary sat at the breakfast table, and Nick strode in that direction without making a fuss over Rona. He didn’t want to give his son any fodder for gossip. “Looks good,” he said, eyeing Gary’s scrambled eggs, bacon and toast along with a glass of milk.
“I poured your coffee,” Rona said from behind him.
Nick turned toward her as she approached him with a steaming mug. “Thanks. It’s great to wake up to food cooking.”
Rona didn’t say anything and returned to the counter.
Nick slipped into a chair and sipped his coffee, watching Gary out of the corner of his eye.
When Gary pushed back his plate, Nick spoke. “I’ll pick you up. What time are you out today?”
“I have exams all day.”
“I know. What time will you be done?”
“Two.” He looked away, then looked into Nick’s eyes. “Two-thirty. I have to clean out my lockers.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.”
As he finished the sentence, Rona set a breakfast plate in front of him, then returned with toast fresh from the toaster. He looked up at her and smiled, but she only gave a nod and stepped away again. Had she eaten? He wanted to ask, but today wasn’t the day to fraternize with the new housekeeper.
“Dad, do you have to treat me like—”
“Apparently I do.” He glanced toward Rona, but she’d slipped from the kitchen, giving them time alone. “When trust is broken, it’s not easy to repair it. Remember that. Now you have to earn trust.”
“You’re not perfect, Dad.”
“No, I’m far from perfect, but I haven’t broken my trust to you.” Muscles in his shoulders knotted with Gary’s attack. He sensed his son had something on his mind. “Get on with it. What’s bothering you?”
Gary looked down at his empty plate and shook his head.
“If you have something to say, then say it. Get it out in the open.”
“Mom.”
“Mom?” His head reeled with the look on Gary’s face.
“Maybe mom didn’t trust you or she wouldn’t have died. She wasn’t happy. She used to cry when you weren’t home.” His face jaw ticked with tension.
“Gary, I didn’t know.” Nick’s voice caught in his throat. But why hadn’t he known that? Why hadn’t Jill talked with him? What was she hiding? Had it been something he’d done?
Without commenting, Gary rose and hurried from the room, leaving Nick shocked by the comments. Was this why his son had been acting out? The accident had been three years ago and Gary’s attitude had changed the past two years. Or had he missed that, too?
Nick lowered his face in his hands and tried to think back. He remembered Gary had been quiet after his mother’s death and he’d thought that had been part of the grieving process. He should have taken Gary to a counselor. He should have—“Should haves” filled his mind. The past was over. He needed to do something now to make a difference.
When he lifted his eyes, Rona leaned against the counter, watching him. “Problems?”
He nodded, not wanting to talk with Gary around. She didn’t probe and Nick was grateful. He lifted the mug and sipped the lukewarm coffee. His appetite had slipped away and now he looked at the food with little interest, but Rona had prepared it for him and he wanted to try and eat something.
When her hand reached in front of him, he focused on her. She carried the plate to the microwave and popped it in. “I’ll warm it. Maybe you can eat a little,” she said. When the beep gave its signal, Rona returned his plate to the table.
She grasped his mug and carried it away while the scent of bacon and eggs livened his appetite enough to take a forkful. “Thanks.” Thanks for being here. Thanks for offering wise thoughts. Thanks for everything. The simple words couldn’t tell Rona how much she meant to him, especially now when he felt so alone.
The situation had flattened him. He considered himself strong and able to deal with every possible business confrontation, but when it involved his personal life, he’d crumbled and that troubled him.
The fragrance of fresh coffee wafted around him as Rona handed him the cup. “I’ll go back to my apartment and come down when you’re ready to leave. I think you need private time with Gary.”
“Thanks. We’ll be gone soon. You won’t be late for work. I promise.”
Rona always had the best solution to a situation. He needed to pray and to think. Gary’s accusations knifed him. What had he missed? Had Jill been so unhappy that she’d taken her own—No. Not Jill. A Christian had places to turn. Jill had—He reeled with his thoughts.
On Tuesday, Bernie told Rona he’d found a waitress. She heard the news with a mixture of relief and sadness, leaving Bernie and her co-workers, but she felt certain she’d remain friends with them and that felt good.
At the end of her shift, she hugged everyone, then walked to the pier ready for her new job. Nick had given her a hug when she told him she was now officially his employee. Though it sounded good, she’d begun to think of herself more as Nick’s friend and confidant.
Today, Rona had spent the morning setting up her cleaning schedule. She’d divided cleaning various rooms into days, plus finding time for laundry. She would prepare breakfast and dinner daily when the family was home. Nick worked late some evenings and hopefully he’d let her know when he’d be gone. Nick had been on her mind all morning.
Though Nick had told her to take today off, she’d spent some time in the house, locating the cleaning equipment and preparing for the next day’s work. Now she stretched her legs farther on the sofa, sipped her iced tea and stared out the window until her back ached, waiting for Nick to arrive home from Gary’s hearing.
She pulled her gaze from the windows and eyed her new home, still seeing the shine on the tables. Nick had done a great job for her. She hoped she could please him—please Nick and Gary—as much.
A motor hummed to the dock and she rose to peek out the window. They were back. From above she had a difficult time reading the expressions on their faces. From the distance, Nick appeared unsmiling and Gary walked with his head hanging.
Rona stepped away to avoid being seen. She hoped the hearing worked some kind of a miracle for Gary. Miracle. Since when did she think about miracles? She could have used a few in her life.
Hearing her caustic comment, Rona felt remorse. Nick’s confidence in God made her ashamed that she had been so down on her faith. He’d been right yesterday when he told her God didn’t always say yes. Good parents had to say no to their children sometimes to help them grow spiritually and sometimes to help them to become more appreciative.
Rona had spent a long time feeling sorry for herself, sorry for her situation, sorry for her family—except for her mother. Her mother had been a blessing. Miracle. Blessing. The words came so naturally to her since she’d come to Hessel. Nick’s influence. His faith came so easily to him, it seemed. It affected his actions and how he treated others. She’d seen it the first day she’d met him and many days since.
Listening for sounds on the stairs, Rona
crossed the room to the window and saw Nick and Gary heading into the house. Her shoulders slumped when they vanished inside. She’d thought Nick would come up and tell her what happened.
“Get a grip,” she told herself. How easy it was to forget she was an employee and not a friend. No one ran to tell their housekeeper the news except on TV sitcoms.
Rona lifted her glass from the table and rinsed it at the kitchen sink. She looked at the wall clock and leaned against the counter to think. She had to begin dinner in an hour, unless Nick had other plans. She could run over and ask or at least call him on the intercom she’d discovered her first day in the apartment.
Using wisdom, she returned to the sofa and picked up a magazine. Though she didn’t stop to read the articles, she hoped the activity would keep her from doing something stupid, like infringing on Nick’s time with Gary.
When she’d finished the magazine, she stood and searched for the TV remote. As she moved across the room, a tap sounded on the door and her stomach flipped. She spun around and strode to the door, hoping to conceal her emotion.
Nick stood on the landing, a flicker of hello in his eyes.
“How’d it go?” she asked, pushing open the screen door.
“Better than it could have.”
She motioned toward the sofa. “I’m relieved.”
He stepped inside. “So am I. It won’t be easy. Gary’s so withdrawn. I think he’s ashamed, but he’s covering it with quiet belligerence.” Nick sank into the sofa cushion and looked at the floor.
“Hopefully, that will pass.” She wanted to ask details, but she gave Nick time to calm his spirit.
Finally he lifted his head. “I prayed so hard and this time the Lord said yes.”
The Lord said yes. Nick deserved a yes. Rona joined him on the sofa but kept her distance.
“The judge gave him a fine that I paid, but he gave Gary two stipulations. First he has to pay the fine. He’s been ordered to get a job for the summer and turn the money over to me until it’s paid back. When I hand in his pay stubs and vouch he’s paid the fine, then his earnings from then on are his.”
“That sounds great. Gary’s sixteen. He needs to learn to work.”
“I know, and I’ve never asked him to, but—”
“But he will now,” Rona added, giving his arm a squeeze. “You wanted him to enjoy the summer, but he will. He’ll still have plenty of time to have fun.”
Nick nodded.
Curious, Rona waited for him to continue, but Nick only sat in silence. “And the second stipulation?”
His face brightened. “This one I’m grateful for. Gary has to do twenty hours of community work. Our church has teen service projects where the kids volunteer their time at the church and in the community. It’s perfect. We dropped by on the way home and our pastor will work with us on that. Gary wasn’t too happy about telling Pastor Al, but he finally agreed, and I’m comfortable with that. At least Gary will be using time helping others and getting together with some of the church teens.”
“Both conditions sound like a blessing to me.” Blessing. The word popped out again.
Nick looked at her as if he’d noticed. He reached out and rested his hand on hers. “Thanks for listening. I don’t want to talk about this with everyone, although I’m sure the whole town will know about it soon enough.”
“It’s not your sin, Nick. Sins of the fathers. Sins of the son. The Bible teaches that one doesn’t condemn the other. Each person is responsible for his own sin.”
He straightened as if surprised at the biblical references. She’d startled herself, too. She knew the Holy Spirit had His ways. She’d opened the door a crack and the Spirit had wheedled inside her.
“So what happens now?”
“Tomorrow Gary needs to look for work, and I want to find a way to get closer to him.” Nick rose. “I’ve bored you enough.”
She stood, too, as he headed for the door. “You haven’t bored me, and I’ll be in shortly to get dinner ready.”
“You don’t need to worry about that tonight. I think we’ll go over to Harbor Inn for dinner. I don’t want to sit here all night with Gary in silence.” He stepped closer to her. “Join us.”
“No. You two go alone. I’ll fix something here.”
He studied her face. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Nick took a step forward, then turned and put his hand on the knob, but before he opened the door, he faced her again. “Would you mind if I hugged you?”
“Hugged me?” Her heart revved into a fast gear.
He nodded. “Do you mind?”
Being held in Nick’s arms had been her dream. She shook her head and moved forward. “I don’t mind at all.”
He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. He drew her closer and lowered his face into her hair.
She felt his shoulders relax and his tension subside as they stood together in silence. Rona tightened her arms around him, her mind soaring as warning signals flashed. She closed her mind to the warning, then drew in the scent of wind in his hair and the touch of his hand against her back. Nick needed to be loved by his son.
Everyone needed to be loved.
Chapter Ten
Friday, Rona consulted her schedule and cleaned the upper rooms of the house—Nick’s office, a guest bedroom and Gary’s room. She’d discovered one large room over the downstairs storage room that would make a perfect game room for Gary. Nick had mentioned wanting to find things to do with his son and buying a foosball table or a pool table might be just the thing.
But her grand thoughts of creating a room for Gary and his friends vanished when she cleaned his room and found a book of matches and some cigarette ashes dropped on the carpet. She didn’t remember seeing a friend at the house, so she had to assume the ashes were Gary’s. Along with drinking, he’d added smoking to his list of negative behaviors.
Maybe Nick was right. Being the housekeeper put her in a bad position, not only dealing with Gary, but trying to decide what to do about the things she stumbled on that she’d have to tell his father.
Rona set the problem on a shelf. Giving it time might be the best. Now that Gary had gotten into trouble with the law, he might be more thoughtful about his behavior. Rona hoped she’d see a change. If she could talk to the previous housekeeper, she’d be able to ask what she’d run into and what she did about it. Nothing, she guessed, since Nick hadn’t mentioned Gary’s smoking or drinking until the accident had brought it to his attention.
She stored her cleaning gear and pulled a soft drink from the refrigerator. Tomorrow she’d work in the family room and tackle some laundry. Today her work was done, except for preparing dinner.
After setting her drink on the table. Rona wandered to the family room, standing between the two large columns that served as the room’s entrance. The archway was different and appealing. On the first day she’d arrived, Rona had admired this large room. It appeared lived-in and purposeful. She liked the serving bar that connected the room to the kitchen and the fireplace bordered by two windows.
She stepped through the columns and walked around the room, stopping at the fireplace mantel. She noticed the furniture needed dusting and so did the fireplace. Her gaze drifted along the mantel, admiring the candlesticks, then seeing photos of Gary when he was younger and one of Gary and Nick. Her gaze faltered over a spot that was dust free—the size of a picture frame. She speculated, but let it drop.
She moved to the window and looked outside into the spacious backyard surrounded by trees, dark leaves and some flowering branches that gave the landscape an ethereal glow.
For the first time, she spotted a lovely old secretary desk. She lowered the lid and eyed the pigeon holes with flowery note paper and feminine trinkets. Jill’s desk. She eyed the envelopes, longing to read the letters, then forced herself to close the lid. Instead, she pulled open the drawer. An address book lay to one side and a photograph turned facedown rested beside it.
Feeling uncomfortable looking through Jill’s desk, she replaced the photograph and closed the door. Nick must have put it inside, but why? She stood a moment, trying to find reasons, then let it go.
When Nick and Gary arrived home, she’d deal with dinner. Until then, her time was her own. She left the house and hurried back to her apartment.
Nick caught the mooring lines and tied them to the piling, then bounded off the dock and took Rona’s stairs two at a time. He rapped on the door and when she didn’t answer, he realized she was probably in the house.
He’d nearly reached the bottom step when her door opened.
“Nick?”
He pivoted on one foot and darted back up the stairs, unable to control his smile.
Rona’s face was knitted with a question and he didn’t wait to be invited in. He grasped the screen door handle and darted inside. “I can’t believe how things have gone.” He drew her into his arms and spun her around before he could stop himself. She’d felt like a feather in his grasp.
When he lowered her to the ground, Rona gazed at him wide-eyed. “I hope this is good news.”
Nick laughed at her playful comment. “It is.” He’d been about to apologize for the exuberant spin, but her flushed face and playful comment canceled his need to say anything.
She clasped her hands together. “So tell me.”
“Guess where Gary found work.”
Her brows bent to a thoughtful frown. “Church?”
“No.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Harbor Inn.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Bernie needed a busboy and part-time dishwasher. He starts tomorrow afternoon. Pastor called my cell and invited Gary to put in some volunteer hours there in the morning.”
Family in His Heart Page 11
