Mom in the Middle

by Mae Nunn

  She clapped her hands once and rubbed them together. “Shall we get busy?”

  “Absolutely!”

  The time they spent together was further confirmation of Casey’s high-spiritedness. No wonder she was a workaholic. The woman had the energy to burn brightly for eighteen hours a day with enough left over to power a small generator!

  Her ideas were endless, too. While she seemed to honor the original dream for the playground, she threw out an innovative suggestion for a quiet meditation area adults could use when the kids were not around. She also recommended a Vacation Bible School art project for later that summer and offered H&H as the materials sponsor. The little ones could work together on a sculpture that would be their unique vision of Christ reaching out to the children. A resting place for the helpless. Perfect.

  Aside from the mile-wide assertive streak that made her so competitive, Abby was beginning to think Casey was perfect, too. They’d warmed to each other quickly and Abby could tell Casey would be a loyal friend. Maybe this was what it was like to have a sister.

  Hmmmmm… A sister. Was that just one more way Guy was trying to help her out? Was she intended to become an honorary member of the gaggle?

  Hours later they rested on a concrete bench beneath the shady canopy of a spreading live oak tree, and recapped what remained to be accomplished. Casey checked items off her growing list, as she drew a time line on her pad and noted what had to be done before their Mother’s Day dedication.

  “Casey?”

  “Hmmmmm?” Her head was lowered over her work, curls obscuring those intensely blue eyes.

  Abby kept her voice casual, needing a few answers but not wanting to tip her hand too far.

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. Do you pitch in like this for all of your brother’s lady friends?”

  The sable corkscrews bounced with the motion of Casey’s head popping up, her eyes seeking Abby’s.

  “Gosh, no! Guy hasn’t introduced a woman to us since college. Isn’t that amazing? He’s always kept his romantic involvements away from the family to prevent anybody from getting the wrong idea about his intentions. He shares a funny story about one of them now and again, but only after they’ve moved on. So it caught all our interest when we heard ‘Abby this and Abby that’ over and over.” She winked. “Obviously, there’s a very special friendship between you two. We may have to declare you and Dillon honorary members of the Hardy clan so the whole family can get to know you.”

  Abby’s temples pounded as blood rushed to her head. She prayed her face wouldn’t flush and give away the pleasure she felt knowing this was something unique for Guy, just as it was for her. Of course Casey meant it innocently, had no idea Abby had pipe dreams of more. How would it feel to be loved by a big family?

  But more importantly, how would it feel to be loved by Guy?

  A breeze ruffled her bangs, trailing them across her eyes. She pushed them back from her face, glanced up, her gaze locking on the low white fence that surrounded the pecan sapling. It was young and vulnerable, just like Phillip had been when she’d known him as a boy.

  Phillip. She hadn’t thought of him in days.

  Oh, Father, how can I be so forgetful? My sweet Phillip has been gone such a short time and his memory is already slipping away from me. How can I be so infatuated with Guy that I can’t keep my mind on the precious friend who loved me with his last breath?

  A slender arm draped across her back. A soft hand cupped her shoulder and pulled her close.

  “You okay, kiddo? I don’t think you heard a word of what I just said.”

  She’d completely tuned out Casey’s chatter, fixed on her private thoughts. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  “I was telling you we should lay tiles instead of trying to pour a walkway. That would be much faster and free if we use discards from the H&H stockroom. We always put the seconds and mismatched tiles aside to be recycled but it’s still high-quality material and there’s no reason I can’t donate it to New Harvest instead. What do you think?”

  Abby needed to unburden, but this was Guy’s sister and they were just getting to know one another. She should probably make an appointment with her pastor but didn’t want to wait that long.

  “I have some stuff on my mind that I have to work through before I can make any more decisions today.”

  Again, there was a comforting squeeze, then Casey spoke.

  “If you need to talk, I’m a good listener. I spent most of my childhood being a fly on the wall. You can’t possibly say anything I haven’t already heard at least once from one of my older sisters,” she encouraged. “And even though you’ve probably experienced more of life’s setbacks than I have, I do have a few years on you and can probably give you some sage feedback.”

  Instinct told Abby she could trust this woman.

  “You know I’m building this playground as a tribute to my late husband, right?”

  Casey nodded. “That’s what Guy said.”

  “Well, it just occurred to me that I haven’t thought of him for several days.” Her chin drooped. She was ashamed to look Casey in the eye. “How can I be such a hypocrite? I’m trying to create a place to keep Dillon from forgetting the father he’s never known, and I’m already losing touch with the memories of the boy who was my best friend for most of my life. I feel like such a failure.”

  “Oh, Abby, you’re not a failure at all. You’re just experiencing one of God’s tender mercies. He’s mending your heart.”

  Could it be that simple? “You think so?”

  “Yes, I do. You’ve always heard time heals all wounds, right? Well, that’s because in His incredible wisdom our God created us with the ability to forget the sting of pain after a while. The longing for what was lost may linger for a very long time, but we eventually get past the physical ache that makes us think we can’t go on. I’d guess that since you can go a few days at a time now without thinking of…”

  “Phillip.”

  “If you can go a couple of days without thinking of Phillip then your heart is on the mend. You might even be ready to consider letting somebody new into your life.”

  Abby straightened away from the kindly embrace. After their conversation the night before, she was determined not to give the impression that she was indeed another one of Guy’s doomed hopefuls.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon, though you may be right about the healing. What I feel these days is more akin to guilt than sadness.”

  “Well, you haven’t done anything to feel guilty for so don’t bother with that emotion. It’s a monumental waste of energy that Satan uses to distract us from our purpose.” Casey stood, brushed down the front of her khaki shorts and glanced at her wristwatch. “I know you need to get home soon and Guy will be back to pick me up any minute now. So, let’s go over your plans one more time to make sure I understand what you want, then I’ll be able to come back tomorrow and get started.”

  Abby stood and wrapped Casey in a brief hug. Though she was younger, shorter and broader than Guy’s sister, Abby felt a kinship that had nothing to do with age, shape or size, and everything to do with being one in the body of Christ.

  “I should have my head examined for offering you my pullout sofa till you can find a place of your own.”

  The siblings sat across the rented dining-room table from one another that evening. The fragrance of green curry wafted from white containers as they heaped Thai food on paper plates.

  Casey was in one of her probing moods and Guy found himself on the receiving end of her questions, as usual. He preferred solitude and quiet at the end of the day, some peace to concentrate on his art. Tonight there would be none of that. The roomy two-bedroom apartment H&H leased for him during his stint in each new city was shrinking by the moment. Casey was a fizzy drink that had been shaken too hard. Her effervescence filled a room to overflowing, gobs of popping bubbles in her wake. Yet again Guy feared for the poor schm
uck who fell in love with his kid sister.

  “If you’d put a bed in that second room instead of spreading your amazing array of toys out everyplace, I could just stay here with you.”

  “Those are artisan’s tools, not toys,” he reminded her for the umpteenth time. Just because she had no artistic skill of her own, she poked fun at his. The day he was stationary enough to blow glass, not just cut and solder it, she’d truly be amazed by what kind of “toys” would be required.

  “And as much as you’re welcome to visit, staying here is not an option, Rebecca Thelma Casey. After sharing a bathroom with you girls for all those years, I’ve earned my personal space. Besides I need all my equipment with me so I can finish the piece I’m doing for Mom.”

  He’d proudly shown Casey the colorful display of frosted yellow daffodils and gleaming orange tiger lilies. The four-foot-square pane of intricate glass would eventually replace a window in the family kitchen back home. It would be a radiant reminder of summertime when their mother sat at her breakfast nook during the freezing Iowa winters.

  “I have to hand it to you, bro. You’ve definitely put the gaggle on notice that this Mother’s Day your gift is the one to beat.” She popped spicy calamari into her mouth.

  He shook his head. “I have another project I have to do first. I’m shooting for Mom’s birthday at the end of June. I’ll be back home by then and I can install it myself. She’s been after me for years to do this for her so I can’t wait to see her face the first time she gets a look at it.”

  “Then you really are planning to go home in a couple more weeks?”

  “Well, yeah. There’s easily three months of planning at corporate before I have to move down to the Galveston site.”

  “And what about that sweet girl and her family?”

  Guy’s chopsticks stilled, spring roll halfway to his mouth. He narrowed his eyes, deciding whether to play dumb or come clean.

  Maybe halfway was best.

  “Sweet girl, huh? Considering you were full of suspicions yesterday, you sure have become a fan overnight.”

  “Trust me, I still want to see the final report on the Reagans, but if first impressions pan out I agree we don’t have any long-term worries.”

  Several things assaulted Guy at once. The report the family was waiting on. He had to do something about that, and soon.

  Then there was the conversation he’d had with their insurance agent that morning. Don Quinn was the owner of the independent Iowa firm. He’d worked with H&H since the beginning and stuck with them even after the arbitration with the Grossmans that had cost a small fortune to settle. Don was adamant that the coverage provided on the Reagans case was far beyond fair and equitable. The injury had not been a result of negligence on the part of Hearth and Home. It was confirmed by the Reagans own surgeon to be a spontaneous fracture, not uncommon in a woman Sarah’s age. Given the recent history of payout, Don stood firm in his refusal to offer a gratuitous settlement beyond what was contractually required.

  Sarah still had months of physical therapy ahead of her that would not be covered. It would add up to tens of thousands of dollars Shorty could never pay. That could ultimately jeopardize their only significant asset, their home. Guy was prepared to cover it all out of his own pocket, but how could he do that without offending the Reagans? And if he told them the truth of his conversation with Don, would they take their case to their attorney after all? Even a claim that was doomed from the start could tie up the family for months in litigation and run up a huge tab for the lawyers involved. If that happened, the family sure enough would know he’d rolled the dice and gone outside of their agreed upon procedure that was designed specifically to protect H&H.

  A procedure required because he’d messed up in Nashville.

  And if all that wasn’t enough, there was the matter of Shorty having turned surly again. Abby said mood swings were just part of day to day life with the multiple sclerosis, but this one seemed to be settling in for a while. Shorty had been grumpy and argumentative today, not wanting to work out the details of their reconstruction plans that should be well underway.

  Guy checked his watch, wondered if Dillon was already down for the night. If he hurried…

  “Don’t you agree?” Casey tapped the edge of Guy’s plate with her chopsticks.

  “Huh?”

  “What is it with people tuning me out today?” she demanded, her face turned to the ceiling as if expecting a celestial response.

  Guy smiled at her mock frustration. “Sorry. I’m listening now.”

  “I said for being so young Abby really has a great head on her shoulders. She’s a darling girl. And by the way, she has one whopper of a crush on you that’s stopped her from thinking about Dillon’s father for days at a time.”

  “She told you that?” He held his breath.

  “Not in so many words. Are you gonna eat that last bite of calamari?” Without waiting for a response, Casey speared the fried squid with the tip of her chopstick and raised it to her open mouth. As she munched, she continued, “And don’t think for a minute, Alexander Theodore Guy, that I don’t see the same look in your eyes. You’ve got a thing for that the cute little blonde and it has nothing to do with professional obligation. Admit it.”

  “You know me better than that.” He ducked his head and busied himself with his meal. Maybe playing dumb would have been the best choice after all.

  “Sooner or later, you’ll talk.” The Warden nodded her head, certain her prisoner would eventually fess up.

  “There’s just nothing more to say on that subject, that’s all.”

  “If you say so, bro.” She winked. “How about pulling out the sofa and helping me make up the bed before you leave?”

  “It’s almost eight. What makes you think I’m going out again?” The woman had a sixth sense. Scary.

  Under the table she tapped her bare foot against his ankle.

  “You’ve still got your boots on, cowboy. My guess is you’re going to drop by and see if there’s anything you can do tonight to help out that little filly.” She shook her head. “And I sure hope she turns you down. There needs to be at least one woman in the world who doesn’t want Guy Hardy to come to her rescue.”

  Nope. Casey wouldn’t let him off the hook. Ever.

  But, Lord, please let her be wrong about Abby.

  Chapter Twelve

  From her comfortable position in the rocking chair, Abby heard truck wheels grind to a stop in the driveway, then the slamming of a heavy door. Dillon responded immediately, squirming in her lap where they’d been snuggled for ten minutes to quiet him for the night. She should be annoyed, since it was almost time to put her son down. Instead her heart shimmied in her chest at the thought of a visit from Guy.

  She kept her seat, waited for the knock, didn’t want to seem as if she’d been expecting him. But truth be told she’d been thinking of him since they’d said their goodbyes at New Harvest. At home, during their favorite dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese, Dillon had pointed toward the front door and asked for Guy repeatedly. It was the same pitiful way he called for his Cookie Monster doll when it fell out of the crib at night.

  Her spirit was torn and the wound worsened by the minute. Just as Phillip would never come home, Guy would never be hers. And she’d discovered never was a long, long time. He could only be a friend passing through her life, helping to smooth the way as much as she’d let him. That was all he was willing to give and she had to accept it just like the hopefuls who’d gone before her.

  Besides, he didn’t even think of her as more than another sister. How sick that she wanted him to do otherwise.

  Knuckles wrapped softly. He was a considerate man.

  “Guy!” Dillon shouted. He wiggled hard for his mama to release him. She rocked forward, settled him on his bare feet and watched the light of her life waddle across the old wooden floor. When he reached his destination, he slapped both palms hard against the surface and called with glee, �
�Guy!”

  The single word from Dillon spoke volumes about the condition of his tiny heart.

  A low rumble of laughter could be heard through the hollow core of the door. Abby released a sigh and knew the wonderful flutter of butterfly wings that always accompanied the sound of Guy’s voice. She threw the dead bolt and opened her home to the only man who’d ever made her feel such things.

  With the abandon only a child can display without embarrassment, Dillon launched his stout body against Guy’s legs. Chubby arms wound tightly around shins and a small happy face burrowed into faded blue jeans.

  “Guy!” he squealed. The delight was enough to lodge a lump the size of Dallas in Abby’s throat. Her baby desperately needed a daddy and he mistakenly thought he’d found one.

  Guy squatted and opened his arms to Dillon, who didn’t hesitate. The two melted together, held each other tight and exchanged noisy raspberry kisses as if their forty-eight hours apart had been a lifetime of separation. Guy stood, hugged Dillon to his chest and locked eyes with Abby.

  His were shiny, welled up with unshed tears.

  The sight took her breath away. This incredible man loved her son.

  Oh, Father, if he could only care about me that way.

  Guy cleared his throat, blinked hard and stole another noisy helping of neck sugar from the toddler who was completely content to be pressed against the broad chest.

  “Hey, leave some for his mama,” she teased to help all of them past the emotions of the moment.

  “Are you kidding?” He jostled Dillon, getting shrieks of delight for his trouble. “This bruiser is one quarter nails, snails and puppy-dog tails and three quarters honey-puffs cereal. He has enough sweetness to last a lifetime.”

  “You’re pretty sweet yourself, you know that, Mr. Hardy?” She smiled up into his incredible blue eyes, wondering if he had any inkling how her heart was tap dancing.

  He shifted Dillon to the crook of one arm, opened the other and waited.

  But not for long.

  She stepped into the comfort of Guy’s embrace, snaked her arm around his middle, pressed the side of her face to his chest and listened to the wild thumping inside. The three of them shared their first group hug and Abby committed the moment to treasured memory in case it never happened again.