Reaching Her Heart: A Christian Romance (Callaghans & McFaddens Book 8)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “Would you like me to use a blow dryer to get more of the wetness out?” Sierra asked. “And then I could braid it if you like.”

  Though Shayna would have preferred to go right to bed, she knew it was wiser to not do so with damp hair. “Yes, please. The blow dryer is in the cupboard in the hallway.”

  Within minutes, Sierra was slowly working a brush through Shayna’s hair as she blow-dried it. Shayna wondered at the two girls—young ladies, really—who had come to help her. Not many would be happy to come and spend the night in a stranger’s home, helping them dry their hair. She could see the giving heart within Sierra, one she’d become familiar with in Tristan as well.

  They reminded her of Lorne in that regard. He was always more than happy to give of his time and what little extra money they had to help those on the street. He had always made sure their personal needs were met, and the bills were paid, then the rest went to buying food and warm clothes to give to those who lived on the streets. Particularly the First Nations teens who had run away from their homes on the reserves thinking life in the city would be better.

  Once her hair was dry, Sierra dried her shoulders and arms, then bent to dry her legs. “Can you finish dressing?”

  Shayna nodded. “Thank you. For helping me—us—out tonight. I’m thinking most people your age would rather be out with their friends.”

  Sierra gave her a wide smile as she got to her feet. “As it turns out, I have my best friend here with me, so it’s all good.”

  By the time Shayna was dressed and had brushed her teeth, it was all she could do to make the short walk to her bedroom. Sierra waited there just outside the door.

  “Is there anything else you need?”

  “Just sleep, I think.” Shayna hesitated then asked, “Did you and Danica need anything? Is the bed okay?”

  “It’s all perfect,” Sierra assured her. “Danica locked all the lower doors. There’s no alarm system, right?”

  Shayna shook her head. “Just the locks.”

  “In that case, I’ll let you get to bed.” Sierra’s gaze went to where Timothy now lay sleeping in Shayna’s bed. “If you need anything, send Timothy to get us. Otherwise, we’ll see you in the morning.”

  Danica had joined them in the hallway. “I hope you manage to sleep okay.”

  “Thanks. Me too.”

  After they said goodnight, the two girls headed down the hallway to Lisa’s room. All that was left there now was the bed and a dresser. Lisa had taken the remainder of her things on her last trip to visit them. Shayna had washed the sheets and blankets, thinking to have them fresh if Lisa spent the night, but as it turned out, she had left for her mom’s after they’d enjoyed supper together.

  Once under the blanket on her bed, Shayna finally let herself relax, blowing out a long breath. She turned off the lamp on her bedside table then turned her back to the doorway, hoping the pain pills she’d taken after brushing her teeth would kick in soon.

  Tristan waited for a text from Danica letting him know that she and Sierra were awake before he headed to Shayna’s. Normally, he would have gone to the show home, but he’d let Holly know he wouldn’t be there that day. As it was, this close to Christmas and with the weather so cold and snowy, the likelihood of anyone stopping by was pretty slim.

  Danica had let him know that she’d found the makings for coffee and breakfast, so after taking the time to remove all the snow from his car, he didn’t stop along the way. He was eager to see how Shayna was doing. No doubt she would feel the effects of the accident in ways she hadn’t the night before.

  Once at the house, he parked on the street. He texted Danica to let her know that he was there, and then, before he took off his outerwear, he went into the garage through the door that Danica had unlocked for him and found a shovel. He cleared the snow from the short driveway so that Danica could easily drive her car out of the garage when she needed to leave.

  By the time he made it up to the main floor of the townhouse, Timothy had joined the girls in the kitchen.

  “Do you know how to make pancakes?” Timothy asked.

  Tristan grinned as he joined them. “Timothy loves pancakes.”

  “And bacon,” Timothy added.

  “Right. And bacon.” Tristan doubted that Shayna had any bacon and kicked himself for not having thought to stop and pick some up.

  “I do know how to make pancakes,” Danica said with a smile. “My mom taught me how.”

  “Is your mom still sleeping?” Tristan asked as he sat down next to Timothy.

  He nodded. “I slept with her, but I was quiet when I woke up, so she could sleep more.”

  Tristan rested a hand on Timothy’s shoulder. “You’re a good son.”

  Timothy beamed at his words.

  “Do you want coffee, Tris?” Sierra asked. “I think I know how to work this, and I found some coffee in the cupboard.”

  “Yeah, a cup would be good, if you’re making some.”

  For the next little while, the focus was on getting breakfast ready. Timothy had hopped off the stool he’d been sitting on to help Danica pour the batter onto the small griddle. Meanwhile, Sierra managed to make a pot of coffee and slid Tristan a cup.

  “I apologize in advance if it’s too strong. It kinda looks like it might be,” she said with a grimace.

  “Strong is just fine,” Tristan told her. In fact, it was probably better. He’d tossed and turned throughout the night and was still dragging even though he’d been up for over an hour already.

  He should have stopped at Tim’s for coffee and hot chocolate, but he’d been so focused on getting there, it hadn’t even crossed his mind. Once again his focus wasn’t doing him any favors.

  After a couple sips of the definitely too-strong coffee, Tristan got to his feet and helped Sierra set the table. They set a place for Shayna too though she still hadn’t come downstairs.

  Once the table was ready, Sierra said, “I’m going to go check on Shayna. Make sure she doesn’t need anything.”

  “Don’t wake her,” Tristan said.

  Sierra nodded then disappeared up the stairs. Tristan wasn’t sure if he wanted her to reappear with or without Shayna. He knew she needed her rest after what she’d been through, but he also wanted to see her to make sure that she really was okay.

  When Sierra returned without Shayna, the rest of them sat down at the table. After Timothy said grace, they began to eat from the mountain of pancakes Danica had made.

  “Do you think you made enough, sis?” Tristan asked.

  Danica shrugged. “I figured that we could freeze the rest, so Timothy could have some for breakfast whenever he wanted.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Timothy said. “Sometimes Maman will buy me some frozen ones, but they’re not as good as these.”

  Tristan had to admit the pancakes were good, but that was no surprise since Danica followed the recipe their mom had used every time she made pancakes during their growing up years. It pleased him to see Timothy enjoying them now, and he was grateful once again for his sister’s willingness to help out.

  “Maman!” Timothy scrambled off his seat and headed for the stairs.

  Tristan looked over to see Shayna slowly making her way to where Timothy waited. She wore a pair of plaid pajama pants and a large hoodie, and her hair was draped over one shoulder in a braid. But it was the bruises on her face that drew most of his attention. As he’d suspected, the day after was looking worse for her.

  “It smells wonderful,” Shayna said as she slid into the seat Timothy had led her to.

  “I hope it’s okay I used your ingredients to make them,” Danica said, sliding the plate of pancakes toward her. “Timothy said they were his very favorite.”

  Shayna smiled and reached out to run her fingers through Timothy’s uncombed hair. “They are that. Definitely.”

  “Would you like some coffee?” Sierra asked. “Or something else to drink?”

  “I can get it.” Shayna started to get to
her feet, but Sierra stood instead, resting her hand on Shayna’s shoulder.

  “Let me get it for you. What is it you’d like?”

  “Tea. Thank you. It’s in the cupboard above the toaster.”

  While Sierra prepared the tea, Shayna put a pancake on her plate then added syrup. Her movements were slow, but Tristan wasn’t sure if it was because she was still half asleep or because she was in pain.

  “How are you feeling this morning?” Tristan asked.

  She sighed, resting her fork against the edge of her plate. “Sore. It’s worse today. Like everyone said it would be.”

  “Can I get you something for the pain?” Danica asked.

  Shayna shook her head. “I took something already. I feel like I really overdid a workout after not going to the gym for a super long time.”

  Danica laughed. “Oh, we know that feeling, don’t we, Tris?”

  “Only every single winter, when I play hockey for the first time after having not played for several months.”

  “You play hockey?” Timothy asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

  “I do. Not as well as my brothers, that’s for sure, but I usually play once or twice a winter.”

  “You’re due for your game in less for a month,” Danica remarked then turned to Timothy. “We usually have a rink set up in the backyard of our family home each winter, and on Boxing Day, our family and close friends come together to skate and play at least one game of hockey.”

  “Do you know how to skate, Timothy?” Sierra asked as she set the cup of tea she’d made in front of Shayna.

  Timothy shook his head. “I never really wanted to learn.”

  “I didn’t either,” Tristan said, “But my dad made us all learn so that we could play hockey. So while I can skate and play hockey, I’m not that great at either.”

  “Maybe I can learn now,” Timothy said as he looked at his mom and then Tristan.

  “We’ll see,” Shayna said as she used her fork to cut a piece of pancake off. At first, Tristan wasn’t sure if she’d actually eat it, so he was glad when she did.

  In fact, she went on to finish the whole pancake, although she didn’t take a second one. She also finished the cup of tea that Sierra had prepared for her. It gave Tristan a little hope that she really was feeling okay.

  Once it appeared everyone had finished eating, Sierra and Danica began to clear off the table. Tristan took over rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. When Shayna tried to help, Sierra waved her off.

  It didn’t take long for the three of them to get the table clean and the dishes cleared away. After that, Sierra and Danica gathered up their things to leave. Tristan walked down the stairs to the garage with them.

  “Everything went okay last night?” Tristan asked as they walked into the garage.

  “Sierra ended up helping her the most,” Danica said as she put her bag in the back seat of her car.

  “I just made sure she was okay when she took a shower, then helped her dry her hair.”

  “Thanks so much for staying the night. I really appreciate it.”

  Danica frowned as she came back around to where Sierra and Tristan stood. “Not that I minded helping out, but does she not have any family or friends close by?”

  “Not that could help her out. Her roommate just moved out a month or so ago, and from what I understand, Lisa was the main person who helped her with Timothy.”

  “Is she going to be okay tonight?” Sierra asked.

  “I think so. The doctor just wanted someone to monitor her for twenty-four hours. I’ll stay with them today and see how things progress.”

  “Well, let us know if you need help again,” Danica said.

  Tristan nodded then opened the front door of the car for Sierra. Once the girls were in the vehicle, Tristan stepped back and pushed the button to open the garage door. As the cold air rushed in, he realized that he should have put on a pair of boots. Instead, he stayed by the door, waiting until Danica had backed the car out and headed down the road leading away from the townhouse before pressing the button to close the garage door.

  When he re-entered the kitchen, he found Shayna and Timothy sitting at the table together. Tristan sat down with them. He knew from his own experience that days off were often used for running errands. If that was true for Shayna, he wanted to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

  “Is there anything you need done today?”

  Shayna started shaking her head, but then Timothy said, “What about the groceries, Maman?”

  “Oh. Yeah.” She lifted a hand and rubbed her forehead. “I usually pick up a grocery order on Saturdays. I finalized the order on Thursday to be picked up today.”

  “Do you have a specific time you need to be there to pick it up?”

  Shayna nodded. “Anytime between one and three.”

  “Okay. Anything else you need to take care of today?”

  “No. Nothing that can’t wait.”

  “How about Timothy and I go get the groceries for you? You can just lay low and take it easy.”

  “Don’t you have to be at the show home?”

  Tristan shook his head. “Holly is handling it herself. Between the weather and the focus more on Christmas shopping, I don’t think many people will be stopping by.”

  “Are you sure it’s not a problem?” Shayna asked. “You’ve already done so much.”

  “Don’t think about that right now,” Tristan said. “You’re going to need a little help in the next few days. Just accept that.”

  She didn’t look happy about it, but she nodded nonetheless. “Thank you.”

  “Why don’t you go lay back down?” Tristan suggested. “I’ll hang out here with Timothy.”

  With a nod, she got to her feet then after ruffling Timothy’s hair, she made her way to the stairs and disappeared up them. Tristan stared after her, trying to figure out what he should do for her and Timothy. Part of him felt he should take over everything until she was back on her feet, but that really wasn’t his place. They’d just barely moved from acquaintances to friends.

  “Can you help me?”

  A touch on Tristan’s arm drew his attention, and he looked down at Timothy. “What do you need?”

  “I still need to work on my project for the science fair. Can you help me?”

  “Sure,” Tristan said, deciding that was something he could definitely lend a hand with. “Why don’t you go get the information about the fair and what you’ve come up with already?”

  Timothy gave an eager nod before leaving the table to run upstairs. Tristan got to his feet and went to pour himself another cup of the coffee Sierra had made. He left enough space at the top of the mug to add a healthy dollop of milk to dilute it slightly. By the time Timothy reappeared, Tristan was back at his seat and a quarter of the way through his coffee.

  For the next hour, Timothy brought Tristan up to speed on the project and what he’d hoped to do. Keeping in mind that this was an elementary science fair and that Timothy should do the work himself, Tristan asked leading questions hoping they’d make the boy think, but he didn’t offer any outright suggestions himself.

  The kid was as sharp as Tristan had suspected, and he had no doubt he’d have one of the best—if not the best—projects at the fair.

  “Have you got all the supplies you’ll need?” Tristan asked.

  Timothy gave a quick shake of his head. “Maman said that we’d get them after Christmas.”

  “Let’s make a list now and maybe we can pick them up while we’re out for groceries. One less thing for your mom to have to worry about.”

  The boy nodded, but his brow was still furrowed. “Can we do one other thing while we’re out?”

  “Sure. What do you need?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Tristan figured Timothy’s request would have something to do with McDonalds or wanting more pancakes, especially with him sending furtive glances to the stairs.

  Instead, the boy said,
“Lisa usually takes me to get Maman something for Christmas, but she’s not here now. Do you think you could take me?” Timothy dug his hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small coin purse. He opened it and upended it, dumping coins out on the table. “I have money I’ve saved.”

  Tristan stared at the money, feeling the impact of their meager total like a punch to his gut. He’d never known that level of poverty before, even as a child. At Christmas, his dad always gave them money to buy a gift for their mom, and in turn, their mom had given them money to buy a gift for their dad.

  Once he was old enough to work, he’d had plenty of money to buy them gifts on his own. Seeing this young boy saving up coins he’d no doubt earned from lost teeth and maybe extra chores, was a harsh reminder to Tristan that he was beyond privileged, and he took that far too much for granted.

  If nothing else, his interactions with Shayna and Timothy had shaken him out of the bubble he’d somehow ended up in. Not that he was unaware of the hardships of people in the world. However, being aware of them was different from having them right in his face.

  Three years ago, they’d faced the reality of having his brother kidnapped in the Middle East. While that had ultimately ended in a positive way with his brother’s release, the experience had opened their family up to a reality they never would have thought they’d have to face. Then they’d had Dalton up and leave, and as a result they were dealing with the fear and uncertainty of having a young loved one out of touch with them.

  But the situation with Shayna and Timothy had definitely been a wake-up call for him. His personality and skills lent themselves to a reclusive lifestyle. He could spend his time designing at his job—often with earbuds in place to block out distractions—and then go home to play around on his games. Usually he spent enough time with family at work and at the Sunday dinners that they were willing to let him just live his life mostly alone.

  They knew of his propensity to focus to the exclusion of other things in life. As long as his mom saw him once a week and spoke or texted with him a couple of times between family dinners, she didn’t force him from his bubble. When he was present with the family, he was present, focusing on their time together.