Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope

by Debra Ullrick

  A female cardinal hopped its way over to them. Erik picked up a French fry and tossed it to the brown bird, tinged with red on its crest, wings, and tail. It chirped its thanks, snatched it up, and flew away.

  Within seconds a male cardinal with its bright red crest, black face, and stout red bill swooped down. The bird’s loud what-cheer-cheer-cheer snagged Olivia’s attention. She tore off a piece of bread and tossed it to the bird. The bird flew a couple of yards away, then cautiously trotted back to the morsel. It pecked at the bread. While eating that bite, another bird swooped down and joined it. The second bird, a much more aggressive cardinal, stole the piece she’d thrown. Olivia laughed as the first bird looked up in stunned puzzlement.

  Erik’s gaze swung to her. She quickly tore off another piece and tossed it toward the incredulous bird. It hopped to the bread, and this time it snatched up the other piece when another bird headed toward it chirping what-cheer-cheer-cheer so loudly that Erik wanted to cover his ears.

  Olivia bent her neck back and gazed high into the tree branches above them. “I didn’t even know there were any birds in this tree when we sat down.” Joy lit her face. “But boy, once that first one showed up, now there’s a small flock gathering.” She giggled as she watched the birds fighting over the French fry he’d just tossed.

  Whatever happened earlier to make her so sad had disappeared like the fried potato stick they’d fed to the birds.

  “They’ll stay here as long as someone feeds them.”

  She looked at him and then went back to her hamburger although she more picked at it than ate it. “Do you feed them often?”

  Erik tossed another fry and leaned his elbows on the table. “On Saturdays mostly. Whenever I work on the Mad Masher, I eat out here. In fact...” He stood and grabbed his French fries. The birds flew back into the tree. Erik lowered himself onto the grass and patted the spot next to him.

  Puzzled but curious, Olivia slid off the bench and parked herself beside him, but not too closely.

  He extended a French fry toward her.

  She tilted her head and looked at him.

  He reached over and turned her palm upward. Ignoring the tremor shimming up his arm, Erik placed the fry in her hand. “Hold your palm flat on the ground, and one of the birds will come and eat right out of your hand.”

  Olivia jerked her hand back, clutching it to her chest. “No, that’s okay.”

  Was that fear in her eyes? Where had the joy from a few minutes ago gone? Erik turned his body to face her. “Are you okay?”

  “There’s those words again.” Her nervous smile made him want to wrap her in his arms and make whatever had her so fearful and fidgety disappear. “It’s just that—”

  When she looked away from him, Erik couldn’t help himself. “It’s just what?” he asked, purposely keeping his tone soft. Whatever was bothering her, he wanted her to know she could trust him because the one thing that rose up in his spirit repeatedly was Olivia needed a friend.

  She looked back at him, and Erik saw the question in her eyes. “Whatever is bothering you, Olivia, you can trust me.”

  A quick frown took over her features before they returned to normal. She drew in a deep breath. “When I was growing up, my—” she paused as her gaze slid out to the day around them. “One of my chores was to feed the parrot. But this parrot wasn’t friendly. Every time I fed it, it bit me.” As if in a fog, she looked at her hands. “His beak was razor sharp.”

  Erik followed her gaze. Thread thin scars covered her forefingers and thumbs, and anger rose in him. What kind of parent kept a bird that attacked a child?

  Her gaze returned to his. “I don’t mind feeding birds from a distance, but there’s no way I want one to come near me.”

  What do I do here, Lord?

  Don’t say anything. Just show her it’s okay to feed them.

  Erik pulled a French fry out of its paper sleeve and laid the fry in the palm of his hand before lowering it onto the grass. He watched her, watching his hand.

  Within seconds one of the cardinals swooped onto the grass and skipped its way over to Erik. The bird hopped onto Erik’s hand and pecked at the French fry. Once it had eaten a couple of bites, it snatched up the rest, and flew off.

  Uncertainty and anxiousness flitted across Olivia’s face.

  He repeated the process a few more times. Each time Olivia looked surprised, and her taut shoulders loosened with each snatched up morsel.

  “Ya wanna try it?” Erik asked softly.

  Olivia trained her wide-eyed gaze on him.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered. “Trust me. He won’t hurt you.”

  Finally she nodded, and Erik handed her a fry.

  Her attention went back toward the bird. She laid her hand flat on the ground. Each step the bird took closer to her, Olivia yanked her stiff neck backward another notch. The bird hopped onto her hand, and a small gasp escaped Olivia. The bird leapt back, then cautiously came toward her again. This time when it hopped onto her palm, Olivia stayed stock-still. Her attention never swayed from the bird. Was it due to fear that if she looked away the bird might attack her like the parrot had, or was it fascination? He hoped it was the latter, but he refused to ask and risk breaking the enchantment of the moment.

  A quick peck and it held a small piece in its beak. Soon another bird came, chased off the other one, and hopped onto Olivia’s palm. It, too, took a piece, then fluttered away. In the blink of an eye, another bird landed on her palm and snatched the last of the fry.

  When it was gone, Olivia relaxed. She turned and looked at him. A slight curl lifted the corners of her mouth. One thought came to his mind—childlike innocence.

  Neither spoke as he one-by-one handed her the fries until they were all gone, then he stood and helped her up.

  “Wow. That was amazing.” She sighed deeply before looking at him. “Thank you. That was so fun.” She glanced at her watch. “Oh, I’m sorry.” The guilt on her face was so cute. “It’s nearly one thirty.” She quickly gathered up their trash. “I’ll work late tonight to make up for it.”

  “Olivia.” He softly laid his hand on top of hers to still her skittering. “It’s okay. I know the boss. And he doesn’t mind.” He smiled and winked at her. “And you don’t have to work late. After all, I’m the one who brought you out here and got ya ta feedin’ the birds. So, if anyone should have to work late, it should be me.”

  He picked up his Coke and downed the rest. “Thanks for having lunch with me.”

  “No, thank you. That was so sweet of you to bring me lunch.” She glanced toward the lawn where the birds hung several yards back. About five of them still skipped over the grass, stopping to peck at something every so often. “I know where I’ll be eating my noon meals from now on.” She transferred her focus on to him and smiled. “Well, I’d better to get back to work. I wouldn’t want to get fired the first day on the job.” With that she finished gathering the trash and jogged toward the shop, hollering over her shoulder. “Thanks again, Erik.”

  “Anytime,” he whispered. “Anytime.”

  ♥♥♥♥

  Olivia stepped into the air-conditioned shop and dropped the trash into the barrel right inside the door. She shut the door and leaned against it. That was the nicest lunch she’d had in a long time. Not once had she thought of Hammond throughout the meal.

  Hammond, she sighed.

  The door swung open, throwing Olivia forward. She scrambled to regain her balance but couldn’t. Her knees and hands slammed against the concrete floor.

  “Olivia!” Erik quickly knelt before her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there.”

  Olivia twisted her body around, sat on her backside, and folded her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. Her hands and knees stung.

  “Are you okay?”

  She forced a smile to her lips. “Do you notice how often you say those words to me?” Bypassing the pain, she forced lightheartedness into her tone, and grinned.r />
  Erik didn’t return her smile. Concern flooded through his eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  Olivia shifted her hands behind her back and started to push herself up. Quicker than a heartbeat, Erik leapt up and helped her to her feet. A warm sensation flowed through her arm, surprising her with its intensity. She gazed up at him briefly, then shrugged from his grasp. “Thank you.” She brushed the back of her pants and knees off.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” His concern was duly noted, and she appreciated it even though there was no need for it. After all, no real harm had come to her. And besides, how was he supposed to know she was leaning against the door? The need to put his mind at ease pressed into her.

  “I’m just fine. Really.” She sent him a reassuring smile. “That’s what I get for sloughing off. I should have gotten right back to work and none of this would have happened.” She laughed, hoping to make him feel better. But her effort failed. He didn’t even crack a smile. Not knowing what else to do to erase the worry from his handsome face, she finally asked, “Did you need something?”

  His forehead creased with confusion. “What?”

  “Did you forget something?”

  He stared at her for a moment. Obviously, still upset about knocking her to the floor, it took a minute before dawning lit his features. “Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “I almost forgot to ask if you wanted to come to my house for dinner.”

  “Dinner?” He wanted to have dinner with her? Her eyelashes connected numerous times.

  “Yeah, as in,” he held his hand in the air, dipped it, and brought it to his mouth as if he was eating, “you know, dinner.” He smiled.

  Olivia pondered his invitation. Maybe she shouldn’t eat so many meals with her boss. It was sure to invite ideas that she didn’t want any part of. Sure, he was trying to be neighborly and all, but she didn’t want anything to jeopardize her job. As much as she enjoyed his company, she decided to put an end to the invitations.

  “Thanks. But I have plans.” It wasn’t a lie. She had planned to open a package of Ramen noodles and then take a swim. After all, Erik told her she could use the pool and facilities here whenever she wanted.

  “Oh.”

  At the sound of his disappointment, Olivia’s attention flew to Erik’s.

  His broad chest heaved, and he released a weighty sigh. “Well, while you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing, don’t worry about me. It’s okay. Really. I can face Mickie’s wrath all by myself.” He dragged out the word ‘all’ and sighed again. Only this time his sigh had a much more dramatic flare to it. That, and the mirth in his eyes, caused the laughter to bubble up and spring out of her like an unexpected geyser.

  “Well, I guess we can’t have that now, can we?” Why was it so hard to just tell him no? Olivia didn’t know why, but she found she couldn’t turn him down no matter how good her intentions were. “Okay, I’ll change my plans. What time?”

  “Six-thirty.” He stepped closer. “Listen, I don’t want you to feel manipulated into coming to dinner. I was just teasing about Mickie. The woman loves to give me a hard time.” Erik rubbed his chin. “I just thought with you being new here and all that you might want to spend some time with a friend.”

  Friend? Is that what they were? Was it safe to have her boss as her friend? More to the point was it safe to have this boss as her friend?

  ♥♥♥♥

  Thursday morning brought with it heavy overcast skies and thunderous rain. Storms like this used to bother Olivia. They always reminded her of the cloud of doom that seemed to hover over her life. But that was changing. Everyone here in Charity had been so nice to her.

  Several neighbors had stopped by to welcome her and even brought her gift baskets laden with snacks, fruit, crackers, cheese, a variety of bagels, cookies, nuts, chocolates, coffee, and a tin of different flavored teas. Some brought her casserole dishes and salad fixings. Along with the abundance of food Erik had stocked in her refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards when she first arrived, she now had enough food to last her a couple of months or more. Olivia couldn’t stop her lips from turning upward. It was so nice to not be hungry or to have to eat Ramen noodles every day. Not that she didn’t like Ramen noodles, she did. She loved them. But just not every day for months on end.

  After she drank her Red Raspberry Zinger tea and ate her toasted raisin bagel smeared with butter, Olivia grabbed the windbreaker Audra had given her for Christmas last year, and headed out the door toward the shop.

  She stepped inside the massive building, shook off her wet jacket, and hung it on a hook. With three monster truck bodies to finish, she got right to work.

  Late yesterday afternoon, she had finished painting all three fiberglass bodies in a medium shade of blue. While they were drying, she had reassessed her canvas—the monster truck—and had made a few changes to the mock up drawing she’d done in pencil. Then she had drawn a preliminary color mock up using a Strathmore illustration board. Her favorite brand.

  Today, she hoped to transfer the picture onto the doors, using grease pencils and a projector. She pressed her hand over the length of her face. Lands o’ Goshen, she still had a lot to do.

  Good thing Erik’s next monster truck race wasn’t until next weekend, and that he’d told her not to worry about getting them done by then because he would use the same fiberglass bodies he’d been using. She sighed with relief because she still had to mask the areas with Frisket film and masking tape and airbrush in a rough up on the truck. Plus, the most time consuming part was yet to come—gradually adding in the detail work.

  And finally, she would apply several coats of clear coat paint. That was the most arduous and the most rewarding part. Roughing up each layer with sandpaper, so that the next layer of lacquer had something to stick to, was the arduous part. Applying the final layer of clear coat was the rewarding part. Well, that, and being able to stand back and admire the deeper, and slightly darker, creative masterpiece. Artwork was something she absolutely loved doing. And speaking of, she’d better get back to it. With any luck at all, she’d have at least one of the trucks done by next week.

  She heard the shop door open. Without looking she already knew who it was. Every morning Erik stopped by before heading out to work.

  “Good morning, Erik.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not Erik.”

  Her neck stiffened. Olivia closed her eyes and willed a tolerant attitude into herself. She was going to need it. She eased around and forced a smile onto her face. “Morning, Ben.”

  The last three mornings, Ben Hobbs had stopped by on his way to the pit crew shop next door. Each time he did, it was minutes after Erik left. Something about that made her uneasy. Why, she didn’t know. Ben seemed like a nice enough guy even though he strutted around like a proud rooster. His light green eyes and dark brown hair were an attractive combination. But he didn’t tempt her. Besides, there was something about him that… That what? Reminded her of Markus? Her spine scrunched up and down at that thought.

  Only a mere three feet separated them now. Feeling claustrophobic by his nearness, she stepped back. He stepped closer.

  Her brain scrambled for a solution. Knowing she had lots to do, she got right to the point. “Is there something I can do for you?” As soon as the question left her lips, Olivia wanted to snatch it back.

  A gleam sparked through his eyes. “No, I’m just being friendly.”

  Yeah, she just bet he was.

  “I figured with you being new to the neighborhood and all that you’d like some company.” Again with the gleam in his eyes.

  Not yours. She wished he’d just go away and leave her alone.

  “Olivia, I wondered if…”

  Olivia’s attention shot to the door as Ben whirled.

  Erik looked at her and then at Ben. “Morning, Ben.” He headed toward him.

  “Morning, boss.” Ben took a full step backward.

  Again Erik’s gaze vacillated between her and Ben.

  B
en faced her although he was visibly nervous now. “Well, I’d better get to work or the boss here,” he jerked his head toward Erik, “might fire me.” An uncertain smile crooked his mouth.

  “You got that right,” Erik joked, but the joke didn’t quite meet his eyes. Ben must have noticed it too because he quickly worked his way to the door.

  “See ya later, Olivia.” With that he slipped outside. And boy was she ever relieved that he did.

  ♥♥♥♥

  Erik watched Ben leave. He wondered what the man was up to and if there was something going on between him and Olivia. When he stopped by the mechanics shop to talk to Ben, Ted told him that Ben was probably at the paint shop again. Erik didn’t even wait for an explanation. He rushed right over here.

  He locked eyes with Olivia. Was it just his imagination or did she seem more relaxed than she had when he first walked in?

  “Is Ben bothering you?”

  Olivia’s eyelids lowered. “Not really.”

  “Not really as in ‘Yes, he is,’ or not really as in ‘No, he isn’t’?”

  ♥♥♥♥

  What should she say? Olivia didn’t want to cause any trouble, but something about Ben gave her the willies. While she mulled over how to answer him, Erik stepped closer. “I can see he makes you uncomfortable. I’ll talk to him.”

  Her wide eyes blasted upward. Fear snaked around her spine. If Erik said something to him, would it make matters worse?

  “Hello.” Adell’s chipper voice shattered her thoughts.

  Today must be Olivia’s day for visitors.

  “Hi, nephew.” Adell floated toward them. She stopped long enough to give Erik a brief hug before pulling Olivia into her arms. This woman was quick. “Hi, Miss Olivia. I stopped by to see if you’d like to have lunch with me today.” Adell glanced over at Erik. “You can come too if you’d like.”

  The bubbling, bouncy woman manufactured enough energy to create a small whirlwind, and happiness emanated from her. Olivia envied Erik having such a sweet person like Adell for an aunt.