Entertaining Angels
Page 10
The boys took off, and Renee had to make a couple of trips into the tree to take her new things inside. When she finished, she put everything away. Then, while kneeling, she sat back on her heels and surveyed her temporary home.
Hey, she even owned art. A small, framed picture of a fox hunt would soon adorn a wooden wall, once she found a nail and hammer.
She was also the proud owner of a battery-operated handheld fan, which was going to come in handy if it ever got hot.
“Oh, God,” she muttered. “Please let me get into a real house before summer.”
She checked out the Mickey Mouse alarm clock they’d brought, guessing it to be about ten. She set it, then wound it up. But she didn’t hear any ticking sound. Maybe it was the silent kind.
Next, she glanced at the three-legged footrest. She wasn’t sure what she would do with that. Use it as a chair, she guessed.
All in all, the tree house was beginning to feel like home, although she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She sure didn’t want it to get too comfy.
As she folded up her bedding and set it aside, she thought about the boys who knew her secret. She sure hoped she could trust them.
She also hoped Jason didn’t get in too much trouble with his mom, especially since he might decide to trade news about her for leniency. Kids did that sometimes.
But at least his mother wouldn’t spank him. That was good to know.
Renee had gotten a few good licks in her life—some of them were real humdingers. But that was a long time ago, back when she stayed with the Haydens.
Now there was a woman who believed in spanking, whether it was her kid or someone else’s. But it wouldn’t do Renee any good to stew on the past. Not when she was trying hard to start over and create a decent future.
She glanced at the clock, wishing it was more accurate. If she found someone who was wearing a watch before she came home, she’d reset it.
Still, she didn’t think it was eleven yet. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go to the church early. If she showed up before the others did, she could always volunteer her time to help. At least until she got a job, of course. That way, she wouldn’t feel like a freeloader and would be making some kind of contribution, especially if she kept sneaking extra buns and things.
She had a feeling that guy, Pastor Greg or whoever he was, saw her take those rolls yesterday. She’d almost pulled them out from under her shirt, apologized, and given them back. But her granola bars were gone, and the bread had made an okay breakfast this morning.
So she climbed out of the tree house, wishing she had a way to lock it up, now that she was acquiring some household belongings, and headed toward the church.
When she reached the soup kitchen, she noticed the door was open. So she eased inside. “Hello? Is anybody here?”
A woman with curly brown hair, the one who’d been wearing a red apron and serving food yesterday, poked her head out of the kitchen doorway. “Oh, hello there.” She wore a friendly smile as she strode toward Renee. “It’s a bit early, but you’re welcome to come in and wait.”
Renee shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “Well, actually, I thought if you needed some help, I could do some chores. You know, to pay you back for the meal I ate yesterday?”
“Well, that’s really nice of you.” The woman wiped her hands on her apron. “My name is Dawn. And if you’re willing, I’d be happy to put you to work.”
“Cool.”
The aroma of tomato sauce, garlic and basil filled the air, and Renee’s stomach growled in response, as she followed Dawn back to the kitchen. “What are you serving today?”
“Spaghetti.”
“Oh, yum. My favorite.”
“Mine, too,” Dawn said. “We’re also having salad, garlic bread, and vanilla ice cream for dessert. So this is your lucky day.”
Renee sure hoped so. She hadn’t had much luck in the past, and it seemed as though she might be due for a break.
On Sunday morning, as a favor, Barbara came by for a couple of hours to sit with Gram so Kristy could run some errands. She’d also offered the use of her car, since Gram’s sedan was still on the blink.
“Be sure to pack a lunch while you’re at it,” Barbara had said. “That way you can spend an hour or so at the park. I’ll bet Jason would like that.”
With her schedule, Kristy didn’t get as much quality time with her son as she’d like, so she gave the woman an appreciative hug.
Barbara had been a blessing, and Kristy wished her and her husband all the best. Harry was still in contention for that promotion, although a decision hadn’t been made yet.
“This is really just a long shot,” Barb had said. But sometimes those paid off.
Kristy wouldn’t stress about that now, though. She needed to focus on her driving.
As she turned onto Bedford Parkway, she spotted a group of teenagers huddled together. She figured it was just a bunch of kids messing around and didn’t think anything of it—until she noticed Jesse in the middle of them.
One boy, a tall, shaggy-haired blond, gave the homeless man a shove that nearly knocked him off his feet.
She reached for the prepaid cell phone she carried in her purse, a luxury item she only intended to use in case of emergency. If she didn’t have Jason in the car, if she …
Oh, for goodness sake. Who knew when the police would arrive? And she couldn’t just sit by and let them harass the poor guy like that.
She set the phone in the console, laid on the horn, and pulled over to the curb.
As the boys turned toward the noise, she rolled the window down far enough for her voice to be heard. “What in the world are you guys doing?”
The blond teen, his baggy pants riding low on his hips, turned to her and crossed his arms. “We’re telling this guy that he needs to go somewhere else to live.”
“Why? What did he ever do to hurt you?”
“He’s homeless,” another kid said. “And it’s all because of that dumb soup kitchen. It’s drawing them all into Fairbrook.”
“If you don’t leave him alone …” Kristy picked up her cell phone and flashed it at them. “I’ll call the police.”
“Yeah, well he’s a transient, and there’s vagrancy laws, you know. And these lazy guys ought to all be rounded up and locked away until they clean up their acts and get a job.”
“Jesse,” Kristy said, much the way she spoke to Jason when her temper was wearing thin. “Get in the car.”
“Yeah, he needs a ride to the city limits,” the big-mouthed kid said.
Shifting their stances in a cocky manner, the other boys chuffed, as Jesse strode toward the car.
Kristy unlocked the door for him, and he climbed into the passenger seat.
She hit the lock button, then blew out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She shifted the automatic transmission into drive and pulled back into the street.
Once they were on their way, she nodded toward the rear of the car. “What was that all about?”
“I was just heading toward the church when that mouthy kid took it upon himself to discourage me from settling in Fairbrook.”
“I’m sorry they gave you trouble.”
“It’s not your fault. You can’t do anything about someone else’s attitude. You can only change your own.” Jesse looked over his shoulder at Jason and offered him a smile. “Hey, there. How’re you doing?”
“I’m okay.”
Kristy wasn’t sure if it was a good thing Jason had been in the car or not. But she’d definitely talk to him about the situation later. She certainly didn’t want him to grow up to be as heartless as those teenage boys had been.
As she proceeded down the road, she glanced across the console at Jesse. “Is the soup kitchen open on Sundays?”
“Yes, but not until one o’clock, and then they just pass out boxed lunches. But that’s okay. A sandwich and a cookie will hit the spot.”
She supposed it would.
“You’re going to be a bit early,” she said.
“That’s okay.” Jesse pointed toward a man striding across the parking lot and heading for his car. “I’ll just hang out and talk to Pastor Craig.”
The sun glistened off the golden strands of the young minister’s hair, and Kristy was struck by his sturdy build and his all-American good looks. But she turned her head before anyone realized her gaze had lingered a bit too long on him.
She wasn’t ready to get involved with another guy. And while she planned to find someone decent the next time around, someone who would be a good father and husband, she knew better than to set her sights on the cream of the crop. To her, that’s exactly what a preacher was.
How was that for setting her sights over the top?
Even if she was open to dating a guy like him—and she certainly wasn’t—he’d never be interested in used goods.
Jesse reached for the doorknob. “Thanks a lot. And not just for the ride.”
“No problem. I’m glad I came by when I did.”
Jesse, who stood before the open passenger door, leaned his head back into the car. “Before I go, do you mind if I share a story with your son?”
Kristy had no idea what he was going to say, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt. “Sure, go ahead.”
Jesse dropped to one knee. “Once upon a time, there was a widowed king who had it all—land, gold, power. But the love of his life was his daughter, a baby girl who was just a toddler. He spent every moment of his free time with her—until war was declared upon his kingdom.
“The king knew the only way his soldiers would win is if he rode with them, but that meant leaving his beloved daughter in the care of three others—a nursemaid, his highest ranking political advisor, and a priest who planned to build a new chapel in the kingdom.
“The nursemaid was an attractive woman, and he hoped that she would not only love and care for his child in his absence, but also teach her how to be a lady of the finest measure. The advisor was one of the wisest men in the kingdom, so the king instructed him to teach the girl all she would ever need to know, since she would one day take the throne.
“But the king wanted his daughter to be more than wise and beautiful, which is why he chose the priest. He hoped the holy man would guide her heart in all that was pure and just and true.”
Kristy glanced at Jason, saw him listening intently, his eyes wide with concentration. And she pondered the possible reasons Jesse had wanted to share this particular story.
To entertain her son as a repayment of her kindness?
Jesse clicked his tongue and slowly shook his head. “But unfortunately, the nurse was so pretty, she spent enormous amounts of time in front of her looking glass, admiring herself. And the advisor grew busy, running the kingdom in the king’s absence. The job was important and demanding, and he decided he couldn’t spare the time for one small child, when so many important men needed his attention.
“Even the priest got caught up building the chapel, using the daylight hours to construct the building and his nighttime hours working on sermons that would reach the heart of every person in the kingdom and fill the pews each Sunday. So the little girl was left to herself much of the time.”
Jesse glanced at Kristy—to check and see if she was listening to the fairy tale, she assumed. And she had been. Yet the intensity in his gaze suggested there was far more to the story than its entertainment value.
A beat later, he resumed the tale. “It wouldn’t have been so bad, had the king returned when he’d hoped he would. But the war was long and brutal, and the king had to stay away from the palace for years on end. Still he believed—and trusted—that he’d left his daughter in the best of hands.”
“But he didn’t,” Jason said. “The people he left her with didn’t do their jobs.”
“You’re right. They were each given an assignment, but they failed the king. And before you know it, the child grew up. Time took a toll on the nurse, and her skin began to sag, her hair turned gray. Yet she focused even more on her appearance, bemoaning what she once had been. The advisor thrived on running the kingdom and forgot there’d ever been a real king. And the priest, who’d built a beautiful chapel and had amassed a large congregation, was amazed at all he’d accomplished in his life, and he soon grew busy counting the gold coins that poured into the offering box each week.”
“What happened to the girl?” Jason asked.
“She grew to believe that she was unimportant and had very little value.”
“That’s sad,” Jason said. “Nobody taught her the stuff they were supposed to.”
“That’s true, and for a while, she let others steal her sense of worth.”
“What do you mean?” Jason asked.
“The girl didn’t know anything about fashion or how to fix her hair, but when she took a close look in the mirror, studying her features rather than admiring herself as the nursemaid had done, she realized she was pleasing to the eye. And even though she didn’t have an education, she’d learned something important already, just by growing up the way she did. She’d come to see that an overabundance of vanity, pride, and greed could twist a person’s soul and make them forget their true purpose in life.
“Then, as she began to search her heart, she became aware of something staggering, something eye-opening. Something she should have known all along and had nearly forgotten.”
“What was that?” Jason asked.
“That she was a princess, the child of a king, a young woman whose father loved her beyond measure. Yet for a while, she’d let others assign her value. And it wasn’t until she stood tall and demanded her place in the kingdom that she received all that was her due.” Jesse straightened and got to his feet, his hand still on the edge of the car door.
“That was kind of a weird Once-upon-a-time story,” Jason said. “It wasn’t like the other ones.”
“I think it is.” Jesse smiled and turned to Kristy. “You’ve got a lot going for you, Princess. Don’t ever sell yourself short.” Then he closed the door and turned toward the church, leaving her to wallow through all he’d said.
And all he hadn’t.
As she finally began to pull away from the curb, she glanced through the passenger window and saw Jesse heading toward Craig.
She wondered what kind of a story he had for the preacher.
Chapter 8
Craig removed a box of paper plates and napkins from the trunk of his car and snapped the lid shut. He’d just started toward the soup kitchen when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned toward the sound and spotted Jesse coming his way.
The man still hadn’t shaved, and he wore the same dark jacket, even though today wasn’t as cool as it had been recently. It seemed safe to assume he didn’t have a closet in which to keep his clothes.
Craig noted that his smile appeared forced, but he returned it just the same. “Hey, Jesse. How’s it going?”
“Not too bad. How about you?”
“I’m settling in.” Craig nodded toward the modular building at the back of the property. “I was just heading to the soup kitchen. Come on, I’ll walk with you.”
Jesse fell in step beside Craig, a bit of a shuffle to his stride. “You working in the kitchen today?”
“I’m supposed to be off this afternoon, but I still want to check in with Dawn and make sure everything’s okay.”
“Folks sure appreciate having the opportunity to eat here,” Jesse said.
“The church saw a need and stepped up to the plate. Sometimes people just need a little assistance until they can get back on their feet again.”
“You know,” Jesse said, “speaking about those needing help, I talked to a guy the other day. And he’s trying to organize a group of disadvantaged kids into a baseball team.”
&
nbsp; Craig transferred the box to his left arm so he could reach for the door knob. “That’s good.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. So if you’re free next Saturday afternoon, you might stop by the ball fields and see what he’s doing with those kids. I bet he’d appreciate any help you could give him.”
Craig had never mentioned his baseball days to anyone in Fairbrook and didn’t intend to. “I’m not much of a coach.”
“Aren’t you?” Jesse asked, as he followed Craig into the soup kitchen.
“You mean because I’m a pastor? I guess, in a way, I am.” Yet, in all honesty, Craig felt more like a batboy. He slowed beside one row of tables. “Why don’t you have a seat. I’ll see if I can rustle up a lunch for you now. There’s no point in making you wait if the food is ready.”
“Thanks.” The shaggy, bearded man pulled out a chair and sat.
“I’ll be right back.” Craig took the box into the kitchen, where Dawn and a blonde teenager were packing up disposable lunch boxes. It was the same girl who’d eaten here yesterday.
“Hey,” he said, placing the cardboard box on the counter. “We’ve got some help today.”
“Isn’t that great?” Dawn smiled at the teen. “Thanks to Renee, we’ve got most of the work done already.”
“That’s good because we’ve got our first guest. I didn’t see any reason to make him hang around outside.” Especially with some of the locals complaining about the “bad element.” But Craig let that go unsaid while Renee was within earshot.
Dawn reached for one of the small boxes they’d packed with a sandwich, an apple, and a chocolate chip cookie. She tucked in the tabs, closing it, and handed it to Renee. “Would you mind taking this out to our guest?”
“Not at all.” Renee reached for one of the plastic bottles of water. “Should I take him one of these, too?”
“Yes, would you please?”
When the girl disappeared, Craig eased closer to Dawn. “How’d you manage to snag a helper?”