A Family's Hope: A Sweet Romance (Love in Millars Crossing Book 3)

by Carolyne Aarsen

  As a result, the ache perched behind her eyes all day had spread to her entire head, making it pound and throb.

  When she’d turned onto her street, she had been so tempted to keep going past the house and down the road to the highway. Away from responsibilities and the constant demands on a single mother trying to juggle family and work.

  But that was her ex-husband’s trick. Not hers. Not responsible Janie Corbett. And as a result, she had been attacked by a crazed dog that was now loose in her house. Her new neighbor was now on the stairs yelling into the house for his out of control hound, and her mother was staring at her as if this entire chaotic mess was her fault.

  Somewhere there had to be a lesson in all of this.

  “So how did that dog get in the house?” Tilly continued, pressing Janie for an answer.

  “I let the dog in, Grandma,” Todd said quietly. “He was looking at Autumn.”

  “Sorry, I’m going to get my dog,” Luke called out to her.

  Janie waved her hand at him. What did it matter if some strange man saw the inside of her house? As long as he got that dog out, she didn’t care.

  Tilly pulled back, her hands fluttering over her granddaughter’s face. “Honey, are you okay? Is she okay?”

  Though the edge of anxiety in Tilly’s voice echoed her previous fear, Janie resented the way her mother’s tone elevated the concern in her daughter’s face.

  “Autumn’s fine, Mom. Please, don’t fuss.”

  The look her mother gave her held a volume of unspoken fears and concerns laced with reprimand.

  “Don’t fuss? Don’t fuss? This precious child was bitten by Clyde’s dog only a few years ago. How could you forget that?”

  Janie felt suitably chastened and, at the same time, guilty. It had been Tilly whom Janie called after she took Autumn to the emergency room and Tilly who had shown up to give her the support she should have been getting from her husband, Owen.

  Even when Janie brought Autumn home, shivering with fear from being taken to the E.R., Clydewas still not answering his phone. Janie had had to call the SPCA herself to come and get the dog.

  “Cooper, come here,” she heard from inside the house.

  “Janie, shouldn’t you go in and help that man get his dog?” her mother asked.

  “And do what?” Why did her mother think she could do anything with that out-of-control dog?

  Tilly ignored Janie’s outburst as she held Autumn close. “And you, baby, how are you? That dog must have scared you half to death.” Tilly shot Janie an annoyed look.

  With her headache subsiding, Janie trudged inside to see what she could do.

  Inside the house, Luke stood at the foot of the stairs, one foot on the carpeted steps, his knee showing through a hole in his pants and the sleeves of his faded shirt rolled over his forearms.

  His long, brown hair, curling over his collar and his unshaven cheeks would have looked slovenly on some men, but the even planes of his face created an appeal not lost on Janie.

  And when he gave her a sidelong glance, she felt the vague beginnings of feelings so long dormant she hadn’t thought they even existed.

  “Sorry. Still don’t have the dog,” he said, an apologetic note in his voice.

  “What is taking so long?”

  “I didn’t think you’d appreciate a complete stranger tromping all through your house. Bad enough that my dog is.”

  “Well, go get him if you need to,” she snapped, her headache, her recent scare with her daughter and the disturbing way he was looking at her giving her voice a sharp edge. Autumn was fine, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She wanted the dog and this unsettling man out of her house.

  She heard a thumping sound from upstairs and then, thankfully, a few seconds later Suzie came down, holding a panting dog by the collar.

  And Suzie was doing something she hadn’t done for months.

  Her daughter was laughing. And not just a soft chuckle. No, this was a full-bodied laugh that made her eyes sparkle, her face light up and made Janie forget the skimpy skirt and tight T-shirt she was wearing that had caused such a huge battle only a few hours ago.

  “Here. I’ll take him.” Luke met Suzie halfway up the stairs and took the squirming dog from her. He looked up at Janie. “And again, I’m so sorry.”

  Her kids were okay and, from what she could see, no serious damage had been done to the house. And Luke wasn’t looking at her anymore. She just wanted to be alone.

  “Just go. Please.”

  “Does he have that ridiculous beast under control?” Tilly called out from outside. “Should I call 911?”

  Janie glanced down at the dog, now sitting with his head tipped quizzically to one side, water still dripping from his snout. He seemed harmless. The emphasis on seemed.

  “It’s under control, Mom,” Janie called over her shoulder. She arched an eyebrow at Luke, as if making sure.

  “I’m leaving now.” Luke had a firm grip on the dog’s collar, and Janie took a quick step back. “He won’t hurt you.” Luke’s eyes locked on to hers, and he tilted her a quick smile.

  As their eyes held that twinge returned, but she ruthlessly quashed it. Single mom. Three kids. One of them a hormonal teenager. As if she had any space for even the faintest hint of flirtation. As if anyone as good looking as Luke would even be remotely interested in her and her baggage.

  “Just make sure you keep that dog away from my kids, okay?” she said, disliking the harsh tone that self-preservation had put into her voice.

  Luke held her gaze, as if surprised at her anger. Well, he could stay surprised. She didn’t need to explain anything more to him.

  But in spite of herself, she watched as he made his way down the walk, his six-foot-something frame bent over the dog to control him.

  “Oh, my. Look at the mess,” Tilly said as they stepped back in the house. “This has got to be cleaned up immediately. And if you want to keep those flowers outside in good shape, they’ll need to be dealt with, as well.”

  Janie would have preferred to deal with the flowers and ignore the mess in the house.

  But her mother was already picking up the coatrack and clucking about the relatively minor disruption the dog had created.

  “Cooper was hilarious.” Todd plopped onto the couch, a grin splitting his face.

  “When I came upstairs, he was on my bed.” Suzie was still chuckling as she pushed a tossed pillow aside and sat on the floor.

  “Was he jumping?” Autumn asked.

  “No. Just sitting there, his head tipped to one side, looking like he was laughing.” Suzie’s smile shone like sunshine on a cloudy day.

  “That man had to drag him away,” Todd said. “I think the dog wants to play with us.”

  “You should have seen him in the kitchen after he’d been drinking out of the toilet,” Suzie continued. “He came running off the carpet and couldn’t stop. He slid right into the cupboard, feet up in the air. It looked so…so…” Suzie couldn’t continue, she was laughing so hard.

  Janie’s heart contracted at the sound of her children’s laughter, at their smiles and sparkling eyes. How long had it been since they’d been this happy?

  Since before Clydeleft, that’s when. In spite of his many failings as a husband, he could, at times, have fun with the kids. Make them laugh. Do goofy things with them.

  Things Janie never had time to do.

  “But then I had to bring him downstairs.” Suzie glanced at Janie, and she saw her daughter’s mirth subside. As if it was her fault the fun had ended.

  “What did the dog do on the bed?” Janie asked, trying to maintain the moment.

  “Nothing. He didn’t do anything.”

  Her voice had taken on a defensive tone that usually set Janie’s teeth on edge, but in this case, it cut her like a knife. Suzie had misunderstood Janie’s question.

  Suzie held out her hand to Autumn. “Let’s go play upstairs.”

  Janie felt a palpable cooling of the at
mosphere as Autumn and Todd walked with Suzie up the stairs.

  Messed up again, she thought.

  And for a moment the loneliness of parenthood settled on her like a musty old cloak. Always the boss. Always the cop, judge and jury. Always the one to end the fun.

  “I think I’ll be going,” her mother said, brushing her hands on a handkerchief. “You should check upstairs. I’m sure there’s going to be dog hair everywhere.” Tilly shuddered.

  “Thanks again for coming on such short notice, mom.”

  “That’s what mothers do when babysitters leave you hanging.” Tilly’s amber eyes took stock of her daughter. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Mother, you’re making more of this than necessary.”

  “I’m a little worried about that dog being next door.”

  “The town has a leash law. If Luke doesn’t keep him tied up, he’ll have the cops to reckon with.”

  “Well, he better keep it under control. The fence between the two yards isn’t that strong. He could easily cross it. And then who knows what will happen?”

  Janie had her worries as well about the fence and the dog, but if her concerns were put in order, these would be at the bottom of page four.

  For now, she had a family to keep going, a business to keep above water, a loan to renegotiate, a hot water tank that needed replacing, gutters that needed cleaning, a roof that needed to be reshingled, a wall that needed repairing…

  And stop. Focus on the now.

  “…and your father is going to be gone most of this month on some business, so if you need anything, I’ll be glad to help,” Tilly said.

  “Sure. Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the help.”

  Tilly’s smile softened. “I want you to know I’m praying for you. I know it’s been a year and a half since Clydedied, but I’m sure you still have your difficult moments.”

  And again Janie kept her reply vague. Her mother still didn’t understand that Janie hadn’t missed Clydesince he walked out on her and the kids three years earlier.

  Clydearound had proved to be more dangerous than Clydegone. Clydegone didn’t drain her bank account. Clydegone didn’t make her feel as if she and the children were a huge impediment to his happiness. Clydegone was a relief, and his death had morphed her from abandoned woman to widow, an infinitely more respectable situation.

  “I’m sure there are times you wish you had someone, though,” Tilly continued, laying her hand on Janie’s arm. “I keep praying that the Lord will bring someone into your life. Someone who can be a father to your children and a support to you.”

  And how was she supposed to answer that? The last thing Janie needed or wanted right now was a man in her life. A man would be one more obligation she didn’t have time for. A man would mean opening her life, once again, to the possibility of brokenness and rejection.

  No thanks. Her life was chaotic, but as long as she kept a rein on her various obligations and duties, she was okay. One tiny change would disrupt the precarious hold she had on her life right now. Her children were her first priority, and there was no way she was going to push them aside for a man.

  She gave her mother a smile to put her off the scent. “I’m so thankful for your and Dad’s support.”

  “You know your father would give you more…”

  “No, Mom, really. We’re fine.”

  “Just a suggestion.” Tilly pecked her on the cheek. “Now go and take care of those lovely children of yours.”

  And with that, Tilly left.

  Janie closed the door behind her mother and then leaned against it, sighing. What on earth had gotten her mother going on that particular tack?

  Surely not the man who had come barreling into her life just a few moments ago.

  Her thoughts slipped back to the man who had stood in her house. The man who had given her a crooked smile that seemed to hint at interest.

  Now’s a good time to shut that down.

  Then, as she pushed herself away, she caught the whiff of an unfamiliar scent that created the faintest sense of yearning.

  Aftershave.

  Chapter Two

  “So this weekend’s the only time we’ll have to work on Sunday?” Bert heaved the sheet of drywall into the metal bin behind the fence of the yard.

  “We need to get caught up.”

  Luke had to get this place done in three weeks. His partner, Gary, had arranged for an open house and had promised that it was going to be a big splash.

  No pressure. No pressure at all.

  “My missus wasn’t too happy until I told her I was getting double time.” Bert tugged on his gloves as he grinned. “Couldn’t get me out of the house fast enough after that.”

  They walked back to the yard, and as Luke bent over to pick up the second chunk of drywall, he heard a voice.

  “Where’s your dog?”

  Sounded like Todd, the kid from next door.

  Luke looked around for the owner of the voice he barely heard above the din of the skill saw.

  Bert poked Luke and pointed to the fence.

  “Do you have him tied up?” Todd called out again.

  Then Luke saw the hole where one of the vertical boards on his side had been broken off halfway up. The boy was kneeling, looking through the hole.

  “I’ll be back,” he said to Bert, pointing to the rotting pieces of plywood lying on the overgrown grass. “Pile all of this up in that garbage bin and throw those bikes in there, too.”

  Then he walked over to the fence and crouched down, to get on eye level with Todd. All he could see of the boy was one hazel eye, a freckled nose and a space where two top teeth used to be. “I have him in my holiday trailer,” Luke replied grinning at the boy.

  “Doesn’t he like to run around?” Todd asked.

  “Oh, yes. When I’m finished cleaning up this yard, it will be safe for him to run around in.”

  “My mommy always said this fence was no good. We had to stay away from it when we had our other neighbors. They were bad.”

  From the condition of the house and the yard, Luke wasn’t surprised at Todd’s assessment. “What was the baddest thing about them?” he asked, curious as to what constituted bad in Todd’s books.

  “They drank beer. I don’t think they were friends of Jesus,” he said in a solemn voice.

  Friends of Jesus. The quaint phrase made Luke smile. “So are you a friend of Jesus?”

  Todd nodded, then smiled. “Are you?”

  The question made a wave in the pool of guilt Luke had been mired in since his foster father’s death. When the God of all creation, the God who was supposedly so benevolent and loving took Al, the only person who had been true family to Luke, he stopped going to church. He couldn’t stand hearing the happy, joy, joy songs mocking his sadness. There didn’t seem to be a place for pain and loss in church.

  And today was Sunday, as the men working behind him had told him a number of times. As if he didn’t know. He was pretty sure very few of them were friends of Jesus either. Sunday was for fishing, in their eyes.

  “I think Jesus is a good person,” he said instead, reluctant to drag this innocent young boy into his own particular battle with God.

  “Can your dog come over to play with us again?” Todd asked, his question coming from left field.

  Luke’s knees were getting sore so he stood up and looked over the fence down to the boy below him, taking note of the flowerpots on the deck and the tidy yard. Not the best place for an overly playful lab. “I think it might be better if Cooper stayed in my yard.”

  “But I like to play with your dog.” Todd’s grin faded away as he stood up.

  Luke was pretty sure Janie wouldn’t let Todd come over to his yard, so he didn’t make that offer.

  “Hey, Todd, we have to get ready for church.” Suzie, the oldest girl, came out onto the porch. Her clothing was more sedate for the occasion. “Mom says…” Her voice eased off when she saw Luke. With a grin, she came running over. “Is your dog w
ith you?” she asked, grabbing the fence and leaning over it.

  “Careful,” Luke said. “I don’t know how good this fence is.”

  “Not good at all, according to my mom.” Suzie gave the boards a shake, and the whole fence listed farther.

  “Mom said she was going to fix it,” Todd said.

  “Except she can’t afford to,” Suzie added.

  Todd frowned. “Don’t let Mom hear you say that. She’ll get mad.”

  Then Suzie heaved a theatrical sigh. “Like she always does.” But Suzie let go of the fence. “Where’s Cooper?”

  “Until I get this fence fixed, he has to stay in the trailer,” Luke said.

  “He can play in our yard,” Suzie offered, a hopeful note in her voice.

  Then the porch door opened again, and Janie appeared on the deck.

  “Suzie. Todd. Come back to the house,” she called out, her voice sharp as she carefully made her way down the wooden stairs of her porch.

  Janie wore a narrow brown skirt and cream silk shirt, and her hair fell in soft waves on her shoulders. All dressed up for church, Luke figured, the faint niggle of guilt returning.

  Her eyes flicked from Luke to Todd to Suzie as she scurried over to her children, as if to protect them from the bad, dangerous stranger.

  “What are you two doing?”

  Todd looked down as he drew away from the fence. “I was just trying to see Luke’s dog,” he mumbled, toeing the grass with his shoe. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  Janie’s stroked her son’s hair. “That’s okay, honey.”

  “We didn’t do anything wrong,” Suzie complained, her voice edging toward anger.

  Janie’s mouth compressed into a thin line, then she forced a smile as she glanced at Suzie. “Of course not. But we do need to go to church.”

  Suzie heaved a dramatic sigh, then flounced off, her skirt bouncing as she walked.

  As Janie turned to him, Luke held up his hand as if in defense. “I didn’t lure them over here. Promise. I was just cleaning up.”

  Janie shot a quick glance over her shoulder, as if to make sure her children were in the house, then turned back to Luke. “I’m sure you didn’t, but at the same time, I would prefer it if you could keep your distance.” She caught one corner of her mouth between her teeth, effectively ruining her lipstick, as if she was biting back other things she wanted to say.