A Season of Love

by Kim Watters

  “This one here is Sadie. She’ll be here for almost two years.” God willing he’d still be open then. More delays in funding meant he would have to pull more money out of his savings account to continue the renovations, because with more dogs coming in, he had to have more room.

  “She’s adorable,” Holly whispered. He noticed her gaze dart toward Cameron, who had wedged his hand between the metal bars of the cage door and continued to scratch Bear behind his ears. “Maybe I should consider getting Cam a dog. In the future.” Her sigh washed over him, filling him with that need to protect her from her thoughts. Ironically, he was part of the problem, not the solution, since her reprieve lasted until just after the holidays.

  “Where are the rest of the dogs?” Cameron asked.

  “Two dogs are showing up this afternoon and the other two arrive next week.”

  “What happens if you get another dog? There won’t be any room.” Holly turned to face him.

  “I’m well aware of that. I’ll have plenty of room once I move to the permanent place.”

  “But in order to move there, you need money. Like the rent from the storefront.” Holly dipped her head and clenched her fists. But when she made eye contact with him again, resolve and resignation slid into her eyes. “What you’re doing is a noble thing, Ethan. I’ll vacate immediately so you can get another renter in there.”

  “It’s going to take a lot more than those kinds of funds. The past-due rent isn’t going to make that much of a difference. My original offer still stands. You have until December 31.”

  For a moment Ethan stared at the empty kennels and again envisioned himself in his new place with twenty-four kennels occupied and his sanctuary fully operational. Somehow he sensed the woman who barely grazed his shoulder and the boy kneeling in front of the other kennel would play an intricate role in this if he managed to pull it off.

  The Lord worked in mysterious ways.

  “Come on, the door should be dry by now. Let’s put the primer on and then we’ll come back and take the dogs outside for a bit.”

  “Aw, just a few more minutes?” Cameron whined.

  “We’ll come back.” Ethan held his ground. The integral part of the intervention was taking a firm hand and making sure the preteen knew who was boss.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, they all stepped back and looked at their handiwork. Holly grinned and scratched the back of her neck. “Now I know why I leave the painting to the professionals. Your area looks much better than mine.”

  “And mine.” Cameron plopped his brush back into the paint tray.

  “It’s primer. It won’t matter, anyway. Not once the topcoat goes on. I’ll show you a quick, easy way to do it when we get to that step.”

  “It’s a good thing you placed cardboard along the bottom. It saved the concrete driveway from the wayward drops.”

  “Yeah, it’s a lesson learned the hard way.” Ethan grabbed the brushes and rollers to rinse off with the hose. “If you study the driveway enough, you’ll see the drops of paint from the first time I painted it six years ago when I bought the house. No matter how careful you are, you always make mistakes.”

  Funny. He could forgive himself for certain mistakes, but not others. But then again, a little paint on the concrete couldn’t even compare to five people losing their lives because he was distracted. Careless.

  If only he could wash away his guilt as quickly as he did the primer. The stream of water cleared. After shutting off the tap, he stood and shook everything out. “Good job, Cameron. We’ll make a painter out of you yet. There’ll be lots of painting needed in the new offices of the sanctuary. What do you say? Wanna come on board?”

  “Sounds like too much work. Can I go back and play with Bear now?”

  Ethan couldn’t help but smile. At least the kid was honest. Cameron would probably rather go to the dentist than do any more painting, but at least he had energy for the dogs. Exercising the dogs took a lot of time, time Ethan could use for paperwork, or raising money, or cleaning up the kennels, if he didn’t make that part of Cameron’s responsibilities. “Just make sure you put him on the leash hanging on the wall before you take him outside.”

  “Sure thing. Thanks, Mr. Pellegrino.” Cameron spun around and sprinted away, leaving Holly and Ethan to follow at a more leisurely pace.

  “It’s sunny today, so it should dry quickly. Then we can do a coat of paint. If that doesn’t cover it, I’ll do another one tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow? But I thought we’d get it all done today.”

  He watched Holly swipe her fingers across her old sweatshirt, leaving gray streaks of primer in the process. That and the tiny splotches sprinkling her hair only added to her charm. It was all he could do not to try to remove some of the bigger blotches, but after his earlier thoughts about her surfaced, he knew that it wasn’t a good idea. Instead, he focused on Cameron.

  “That had been my plan, but keeping you here all day wasn’t part of it, either. I forgot about factoring in the time frame of letting the coats dry in between applications. Cameron will have fulfilled his obligation after the first coat of paint.”

  “But—”

  “If I do another coat, that is my own choice, okay? You have enough going on. Let’s just keep it at that.”

  Holly reflected on his words. He understood, and that scared her more than the thought of losing the shop. Because if she ever decided to let go of what she had with Jared and started dating again, Ethan would be the kind of man she’d choose to go out with. But she wouldn’t. Involvement with another man would only open herself up to more heartache and pain, especially if something happened to him. Besides, she needed to concentrate on her son and his needs. Once he was grown, she could focus on her own.

  “I haven’t seen Cameron this excited in a long time.” Since before Jared’s death. “Thanks for giving him the chance. I’m sure he’ll do a great job with the dogs. And I doubt he’ll give you any trouble with his homework if he’s got something to look forward to afterward.”

  “He doesn’t like doing his homework?”

  “Not lately. Or pick up after himself, or do any of his chores.” Her sigh filled the space between them. “There’s a lot of things he used to like to do but not anymore. His attitude these past few months has been...for lack of a better word...challenging.”

  Holly had to get a grip on it, or the spray-paint incident at Ethan’s was only the beginning. Some days she didn’t know where to turn. Jared would have told her to look upward and let everything rest in God’s hands. Yet He hadn’t answered her prayers to keep her husband alive. What made her think He’d listen to her now?

  “I’ve worked with kids before. I’ll see if I can get through to him.”

  He put his hand into his pocket but pulled it out empty. A pained expression flickered across his face, quickly restrained and replaced by one of resignation.

  “Is something wrong? Did you hurt yourself?” She placed her hand on his forearm and compassion infused her. Only a bit lower and she could touch his hand. His injured hand. Did she want to go there? Only confusion answered her.

  “No. I’m okay. I used to always have candy for the Afghan children. Sometimes I forget where I am. I don’t carry it anymore.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Ethan moved her hand from his arm and squeezed it gently before he let it drop. “What’s there to be sorry for? For some reason God spared me but left me a reminder that He’s in charge. Despite my teachings in order to be a lay minister and everything I’ve witnessed, I forget.”

  Unsure of what to say next, Holly trudged along beside him the rest of the way to the back of the house in silence. What could she say that wouldn’t sound phony or unbelievable?

  * * *

  Holly paused in the parking lot of the shingled one-stor
y redbrick building. Despite her almost weekly attendance, she still felt uncomfortable since her husband’s death. This had been Jared’s church, his parents’ church and his grandparents’ church before him in the old building that now housed the youth center and other Sunday school classes. It was as if they knew she didn’t have the same beliefs, that she’d shut down her connection with God the same time He’d taken Jared away. Some days she felt the eyes of the congregation staring at her, drilling her as she sat in one of the back rows, as if they blamed her for her husband’s death.

  That wasn’t too far from the truth.

  Beside her, Cam shifted in his seat and refused to take off his seat belt. “Do we really have to go?”

  “Yes, we really have to go. I let you sleep in, so you’re stuck with the traditional service today. Come on, we’ll go grab brunch after we’re done.” Not that she could afford it, but both of them needed some sort of treat. The Sunrise Diner wasn’t too far from the store, and it catered to the folks who didn’t have a lot of money to spend, unlike the more touristy places on the square.

  Afterward, she’d drop her son off at his friend Tyler’s house while she opened the store for a few hours since Mindy wasn’t feeling well today. If the sunny weather held, the afternoon should be somewhat busy and she could reduce her inventory by making a bunch of sales. That would be less for her and Cameron to pack after Christmas.

  If they even had a Christmas. So far she’d had no response to her seasonal decorating flyer, but it was still early in the season. She’d thought her idea had been a good one. Apparently, it wasn’t.

  The butterflies in her stomach increased with each step. She joined the streams of other worshippers entering the church, yet Holly still felt the isolation despite the beige welcome mat by the door. It was probably more of her own doing than anyone milling around her, though.

  She and Cam wandered inside, stopping only to pick up a bulletin on their way through the door and into the interior. Grabbing one of the last open pews on the left side of the aisle, Holly sank down and stared at the tall white candles that graced the two candleholders on each side of the pulpit. Christine Preston, one of the store owners on her side of the street, made them, along with some of the other candles in other areas of the church.

  Mrs. O’Leary, in her usual bright, tropical attire, sat behind the organ to her right, the pull of the music impossible to ignore. On each side of the building, three large, narrow windows allowed sunlight to stream in, casting a kaleidoscope of color on the stairs leading up to the altar.

  Too bad her mood didn’t match the tranquil setting. Especially when Ethan stepped through the double doors and sat down on the pew next to Cam. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” Of the few open seats left in the sanctuary, why did he choose to sit with them? As a local, he had to know a lot of people inside. But when he tilted his head and spoke into her son’s ear, her heart fluttered at the sight of her son’s grin. Whatever Ethan told him had adjusted his attitude. For the time being, anyway.

  And here Holly thought the man would only help during the hours Cam was at the dog sanctuary. Apparently, she’d been wrong. She flashed him a smile, but sitting with him, despite her widow status, would have the tongues of the town gossips wagging. The last thing she needed was another rumor getting back to Cam, even if there was no truth to this one. Her son had taken her closing the shop after the holidays well, but he had yet to think about the alternative of how she was going to earn money. Or if he had, he hadn’t mentioned a word to her.

  But Holly thought about it constantly, even when she should be concentrating on the service. Moisture gathered on her palms as she dug into her purse to retrieve her paltry offering. Despite her problems right now, there were people worse off than her. She still had a roof over her and her son’s heads and could still put some food on the table.

  “So who’s ready for Thanksgiving?” Pastor Matt rubbed his stomach and glanced at the front row, where his wife and two teenage boys sat.

  The congregation laughed. Everyone knew the pastor appreciated food. They were barely into the start of November, but Holly had been more focused on Christmas than anything else. Like last year, she’d bring a pumpkin pie and loaf of homemade bread to her friend Kristen’s house for the big meal.

  “So in that spirit of Thanksgiving, along with the offering you’ve just given, I’d like to take some time to reflect on the meaning of a stuffed turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes by reading you the passage Thessalonians 5:16–18. ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ Notice it says ‘in all.’ And we know that God is there with us to help us through it all. And for that we have to be thankful.”

  Holly suddenly realized she was thankful for more than she thought. She had her house, her son and her friends. Her gaze drifted over Cam’s head to where Ethan sat. Could she include him in her circle? Her cheeks warmed at the thought, especially when his lips turned up at the corners as he glanced her way.

  “Now, during this time of thanksgiving, we start to think about our wants and needs.” Pastor Matt continued, and Holly faced forward, determined to listen to every word the pastor spoke, instead of dwelling on the man who might be able to help her with her son. “Not that there is anything wrong with that, but sometimes we don’t go to the right place to get those needs met. Do you turn to friends? Family? Significant others? Shouldn’t you be turning to the Lord first?”

  Maybe that was Holly’s problem.

  Instead of blaming the Lord for taking Jared from her because there was nothing that could be done about it now, she should be turning to Him to help her sort things out. Let Him help her with her needs instead of trying to figure everything out. Maybe that was why Ethan had been brought into her life. Still, letting go of the past and moving forward challenged her way of thinking and wasn’t going to happen overnight, despite Pastor Matt’s comforting words.

  * * *

  “Great sermon today, Pastor Matt.” Ethan stepped into the refreshment line behind the man with the receding hairline that had started to gray at the temples.

  “Did it help you?” Matt looked at him compassionately. “So often I think I’m not getting through to the congregation.”

  “It did.” Ethan clutched his hands. He’d prayed along with everyone else that by letting God attend to his needs he’d be able to better deal with everyone else with more compassion, mercifulness and forgiveness, Holly and Cameron included.

  “Good.” Matt patted him on the back before he grabbed a plate. “Now I can enjoy my snack knowing I’ve done my job with at least one of my flock. Was there something else you wanted to discuss? Like how you can better participate in your church family?”

  Ethan knew this was coming. Every week since his return, the pastor had brought up the subject. This time, though, he was prepared. “In a way. I have a new raffle item for the Charity Ball next weekend.”

  “Good. We’re always on the lookout for more stuff. What is it?”

  “Holly Stanwyck is starting a seasonal decorating business. She’d like to raffle off her services.” Ethan glanced over his shoulder, looking for his tenant. He hadn’t exactly told her earlier that this was the idea that he had for increasing her new business, but if she left a stack of cards out with the raffle item, it was another way for her to get her name out there. Of course, he probably should have checked with her first. Now he had to tell her just what he’d volunteered her for.

  Since it was his idea, he’d go along and help with the project as best he could. He had no decorating sense, but he could follow directions. If all worked well, maybe some of her skills would rub off on him when it came to accessorizing the office and waiting area for his new sanctuary.

  “That’s great. Get me her donation information so I can put it out with the other items befo
re this weekend.”

  When Holly came into view with Cameron in tow, Ethan excused himself. “I’ll get one of her flyers and deliver it tomorrow.”

  “One more thing before you go. Have you thought about helping out with the Youth Ministry?”

  Ethan rubbed his good hand along the back of his neck. His gaze darted to Cameron before he made eye contact with Pastor Matt again. “I have. But I think I need to do it on a smaller scale than what you have envisioned, and not just within this church. There’s several misguided youth here in town that could use some intervention. I plan on utilizing them at the sanctuary and teaching them God’s word, as well.”

  Pastor Matt clapped him on the back again. “That’s a great idea. And I think I have an excellent candidate for you if you haven’t discovered him yet.”

  “Cameron Stanwyck?” Ethan set his plate down on the counter and placed a few pieces of fruit and half a poppy-seed muffin on it.

  “That’s the one.”

  Cameron had a reputation. Not good. It looked as if his intervention had come just in time. Ethan’s hand shook a bit as he picked up his food. After everything that had happened, was he ready for this? Yes. He’d make sure he had no distractions this time when he supervised Holly’s son and any other boy he had out at the farm. He spied her in the thinning crowd. “I thought so. I’ll get you that information about Holly’s service this week.”

  Weaving his way through the room, Ethan planted himself next to Holly. “I have something I need to discuss with you. How about some breakfast? These snacks just aren’t cutting it.”

  Cameron grunted his approval.