“Maybe you should move to the other side of the table, young man.” Lorrie Ann grimaced. Did she just use the term young man? “You’re Vickie’s son, right?”
He shrugged his skinny shoulders, dropping Rachel’s hand and moving over. “I hear you drive a real sick car.”
Lorrie Ann looked back the way they had walked. “Would it be easier if I just drove around to the tennis courts? You need to elevate your leg, Rachel.”
Celeste scooted next to Seth, looking in his notebook. “What you writing?”
“Celeste, you come with me.” Much to her surprise, she caught a grateful smile from Rachel. She felt way in over her head when it came to dealing with children and wondered what crazy bug had gotten in her brain that had made her agree to take care of these two.
“Seth is Rachel’s boyfriend.”
“Uh...does your dad know about them?”
“Nope.” And with that one loaded word, Celeste skipped ahead.
Chapter Ten
A shirt landed on Lorrie Ann’s head, blinding her for a moment. Raising her face to the loft, she caught the next piece of flying clothing before it hit her. “Hey!”
Rachel laughed as she sat with her leg high on pillows. “That’s Celeste’s idea of gathering up the laundry.” She turned her face to the loft. “Don’t forget my purple shirt with the black threading. I want to wear it for Spirit Day.”
Lorrie Ann opened the closet with the stacked washer and dryer and started the water. “What about your dad’s clothes?”
Rachel shrugged but kept her face in the book she read. The sky opened up and a downpour of girls’ clothes flooded the living space.
“When was the last time you did your laundry?” Lorrie Ann asked as she picked up the small shirts, jeans and socks mixed with towels and sheets. “We’re not going to get all this in one load.”
She looked up to see Celeste swing from the top of the stairs.
“Celeste Rebecca Levi, walk down those stairs!” Rachel yelled before Lorrie Ann could say anything.
“I’m going to Jenny’s pj party this weekend. We’re going to sing and practice for the play.” Celeste brought a basket over by the washing machine and started putting the sheets and towels in a pile.
“You can’t go this weekend,” Rachel said. “I’m going to Kendal’s bowling party. It’s a sleepover.”
“Why can’t you both go to your parties?” Lorrie Ann closed the lid and faced Rachel, puzzled over the girl’s concern.
“I don’t want to leave Daddy alone for a whole weekend.”
“Oh, that’s sweet, but I’m sure your dad can handle it. He’s a grown man, and sometimes adults like to have their own time.”
“Not Daddy. He told me he loves having us home with him and it’s too quiet when we are both gone. Anyways, some of the ladies in town might use it as an excuse to bother him.”
She thought of his invitation for Saturday. Maybe it wasn’t a date so much as him wanting company. But why her?
“Well, he did ask me to go to Kerrville with him.”
“You?” Rachel’s voice sounded alarmed. Lorrie Ann decided not to take offense. Rachel cared about her father and wanted the best for him. She agreed. A wild child from L.A. was not it.
“We’re just friends, Rachel. I’ll be heading back to California soon.” She put water in the kettle to make tea. “It sounds like you both have great plans for the weekend. Your dad would feel bad if you canceled because of him.”
Celeste took her hand and led her to the other side of the L-shaped couch. “I told everyone you put my outfit together and did my hair. They liked it.” She jumped and clapped her hands together. “I have a great idea. We can have a sleepover here, with you. You can do our hair and help us dress up. It would be fun.”
“Daddy won’t allow it. You know that.”
“But if Miss Lorrie Ann stays then it’s okay.” She looked back to Lorrie Ann. “Daddy doesn’t think it’s smart to have our friends overnight because we don’t have a mom. But if you stayed it would be okay.”
“No, we have a mom. She’s just not here,” Rachel snapped. “She can’t spend the night. It would cause even more gossip. You’re such a baby.”
Celeste planted her fists on her small hips and stomped a zebra-striped boot. “Am not.”
It never occurred to Lorrie Ann all the land mines a single father had to step around, and being the local pastor just made it worse.
“I’m sorry, Celeste. I don’t think it would be a good idea. Most of the moms don’t really know me either.”
Celeste crossed her arms. “You could still help with the pageant.”
“You know what? I think I will. It’s not as if I have anything better to do while I’m here. Sitting around will drive me crazy.”
Clapping, Celeste jumped up and down. “Yay!” With a shout, she threw herself at Lorrie Ann and wrapped her small arms around her neck.
“But she will drive you crazy.” Rachel shook her head and grinned at her little sister.
Turning back to sit down, Celeste stuck her tongue out. “I will not.”
Lorrie Ann sat in the corner with a throw pillow under one arm. Celeste quickly crawled next to her as if it was the most natural thing in the world to curl up in Lorrie Ann’s lap.
“Will you tell us more of your story?”
“My story?” Her forehead wrinkled between her eyes. She couldn’t imagine Pastor John being happy with her telling them stories from her past.
“Yeah, the one about the lost baby princess.” Celeste nestled deeper into Lorrie Ann. “The mother wolf protected her in the forest.”
“Oh, that one. Well, let’s see. We were deep in the forest, right? Far away from the village, an old lady lived by a river. The people in town whispered about her weird behavior, evidence of her craziness.” Lorrie Ann ran her hand through Celeste’s silky strands. Glancing over at Rachel, she smiled. The girl’s book lay open, but Rachel had her head back, gazing into the heavy rafters.
“Is she a scary old lady?” Celeste whispered.
“Oh, no, but because she was different, people stayed away. She wore every piece of jewelry she had collected over the years. The gold and silver rattled every time she moved.”
“She didn’t have a sister or husband?” Celeste asked.
“No, she lived alone. When she found the baby lying in the tangled roots of her favorite tree, she thanked God for the precious gift of a child she thought to never have. The old lady loved the baby but feared someone would hurt her, so they stayed deep in the woods. The secret princess grew strong. Her only playmates were wild animals of the forest.”
“Didn’t she want to play with other kids?” Rachel asked without ever looking at Lorrie Ann.
“Yes, she did, and as she got older she would ask about the world beyond their little cabin. She loved the woman she called Grandmamma, but in her heart she knew there was more.”
Celeste turned so she could look up at her. “What about her daddy? Was he looking for her?”
“Celeste, if you would stop asking questions Lorrie Ann could finish the story.”
The younger sister stuck out her tongue at Rachel. “You asked a question, too.”
Lorrie Ann couldn’t hold back the laughter. “You girls fight over the silliest things.” A high-pitched whistle filled the cabin. “Come on, Celeste. You can help me make tea.”
Celeste jumped up. “But what about her daddy—was he sad?”
“Of course. Every day people would come from far and wide to report sightings of his daughter. Many even brought in little girls, claiming they had found the lost princess. However, he knew a secret that would prove to him his precious jewel had been found. With each proving false, his heart would grow a little tighter. But every year on the day
of her birth he sent out five hundred doves, each with a message to her.”
Celeste opened the refrigerator door, and Lorrie Ann put the iced tea in to keep cold. She added the garlic bread to the oven and took off the foil lid to the lasagna.
When they finished, Celeste pulled her back to the sofa. “Did a dove ever find her?”
“A few found their way to the forest, but the old lady chased them off. By now, almost twenty years had passed and the girl no longer wanted to wait to discover the world. Late one night she packed a bag and climbed out her window.”
“Wait—if she was twenty, why did she have to sneak away?” This time Rachel turned to her and frowned. “She’s old enough to live on her own.”
“But the old lady wouldn’t let her leave, right?” Celeste rubbed her hands together. “She was afraid of being alone.”
“That’s part of it. She also knew someone wanted to hurt the princess. She wanted to protect her from the dangers of the world.”
The door opened, and all three turned their heads.
“Daddy!” both girls said at once.
Celeste ran to her father. The little girl’s unguarded joy gave Lorrie Ann images of what she had missed as a young child.
John swung his more energetic greeter to his hip and kissed her on the cheek as she tangled her arms around his neck. “Hey, monkey. Mmm...the kitchen smells good.”
“I helped Miss Lorrie Ann make dinner.”
He slid his daughter to the floor. “You didn’t need to start supper.”
His gaze focused on Lorrie Ann. She made herself stop chewing on her upper lip and smiled. “You have enough casseroles in your refrigerator and freezer to feed a family for three months. We just threw one in the oven with the garlic bread. You want some tea?” She moved to get the pitcher, avoiding his probing eyes.
He chuckled and moved into the living room to check on Rachel. “A blessing or a curse of being a single dad in a small town? Every female in the area has a desire to feed us.”
“Poor you. Well, I’ll be going home. Rachel did her homework, and Celeste started a load in the washer.”
John gave his daughter a quizzical stare. “You did a load of laundry?”
“Yes, I did! Miss Lorrie Ann helped me. But I separated the towels and whites like Rachel told me.”
“Good job.” With a smile that created a long dimple on his left cheek, he turned his attention to Lorrie Ann. “Why don’t you eat with us.” He hung up his jacket in the closet and pulled his tie loose. “I’m sorry. I told you I’d be home by five and it’s almost five-thirty. You’re probably ready to get outta here.”
“Stay, Lorrie Ann!” Celeste grabbed her hand and started jumping up and down. “Tonight’s game night. We can have four!”
“Stop embarrassing yourself, Celeste,” Rachel scolded from the living area.
“Settle down. Lorrie Ann might have other business to take care of.” John mouthed a sorry to her.
“No, no. It’s okay. The smell of warm garlic butter has my mouth watering.” Maybe it wasn’t the food as much as the man.
“Good. We always seem to be the guest. We never get to serve from our table.” He headed to the kitchen. “If I ever get our house on the ranch finished, we’ll get to invite everyone to our home. I’ll make the salad.”
“Um...” All of a sudden, she felt as if she was playing house with Pastor John Levi, but instead of the dolls Yolanda used to have, this was with real children.
A family of her own had always seemed out of her grasp. She’d tried to force it with Brent, but look where that had gotten her.
Did God want her to see what she had given up? Lorrie Ann looked around for something to do so she wouldn’t feel awkward. “I can chop something.”
“Too late—all done.” He held up an empty bag of precut salad mix. “What does it say about a society when we are too busy to cut some carrots and lettuce?”
The timer went off, and Rachel started making her way to the kitchen table.
Once seated, they joined hands and prayed. The feel of John’s strong hand wrapped around her smaller one, while Celeste held her other, gave her a lump in her throat. She repeated each word of the family prayer and stored them in her heart.
After the prayer, easy chatter about their day filled the room. Lorrie Ann remained silent. She didn’t want to destroy the warm, cozy ambience at the family table. For a moment in time, she was the mom of this beautiful family. Then guilt snaked its way up to her stomach. She wasn’t their mom, and she had no right pretending even for a minute. This was the dream she never even knew lay buried in her heart, the dream she’d sacrificed at the altar of fame and success.
John laughed at something the girls said then turned his attention to her.
“What do you think, Lorrie Ann?”
“I, um...wasn’t listening. Sorry.”
“That’s okay. So, how did the first day of pickup duty go?” he asked with a friendly smile as he took another bite of lasagna.
Oh, with everything else she had forgotten, she needed to talk to him about Rachel’s boyfriend. She had wanted to speak to him privately so as not to embarrass Rachel. She looked at both girls. They suddenly concentrated on their food.
“This isn’t good. Who’s going to tell me what happened? Celeste, did you cause problems?”
“It wasn’t me. It was Rachel. She has a boyfriend!”
A frown creased his forehead. “Rachel? That can’t be true.”
The preteen had her hands under the table, her face focused on her plate.
John moved his glare to Lorrie Ann.
With a sigh, Lorrie Ann answered the question in John’s eyes. “It wasn’t that big a deal. After the playground cleared we couldn’t find her. She was waiting on the other side of the school, sitting at the picnic tables.”
Rachel picked her head up and looked at her dad. “That’s where Amy always picks me up. Every day after school. Then we get Celeste off the playground. Celeste gets to play for a while, and the traffic clears out. It’s what we did. I forgot to go to the car lineup today.” She turned to Lorrie Ann and gave her a glare that rated off the charts. “That’s all.”
Celeste popped up on her knees. “No, that’s not all. She was sitting with Seth Miller.”
John tilted his head and raised his eyebrow.
“He’s her boyfriend.” In a singsong voice, Celeste chimed loudly. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
The shock on John’s face would have been comical if not for the tension in the cabin.
“They were holding hands.” Celeste made kissy faces at her big sister, unaware of their father’s mood change.
“You’re a baby!” Rachel yelled, leaning forward.
“Well, you were!” Arms crossed over her chest, Celeste flopped back in her chair.
“You’re eleven years old.” John’s strong voice silenced the room.
“I’m almost twelve,” she whispered after a period of quietness.
He looked at Lorrie Ann as if he somehow wanted to blame her.
“You know the rules about boyfriends.” He covered his plate with the dinner napkin.
“We aren’t dating, Daddy. We were just...holding hands.” She buried her chin into her chest, which muffled her last words.
“How long has this been going on?” His jaw flexed.
“He asked her Wednesday night.” Celeste provided the answer.
“At church? You’re grounded.” His sharp reply came fast.
“Why?” Tears hung in her eyes now. “I haven’t done anything wrong. We...we...just held hands. He asked me to the homecoming dance.”
“You’re not going.” John stood, taking his empty plate to the sink.
“Daddy, you already said I could go!”
“
With your friends, not Seth.”
“He is my friend.”
Lorrie Ann felt like crying. Everything had been so perfect until she’d ruined the night. “I’m sorry.” She started gathering the leftovers. “They were just sitting on the bench writing in a notebook.”
“We were doing our English homework,” Rachel mumbled. “May I go—” she looked up to the loft then around the cabin “—to your room? Please.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Yes.” John sighed and reached his hand out to cup his daughter’s face. “I love you, but you’re too young to date. We’ll talk about this later. From now on, you will go straight to Lorrie Ann’s car.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lorrie Ann started running water in the sink. “I ruined the family dinner.”
He carried the remaining dishes to the counter. “No, you didn’t. That’s what families do. We laugh, love, fight, work it out and start all over.” John braced his arms on the tile edge next to her. “Actually, this might be the first time Rachel has broken any of my rules.” John started drying the dishes as she washed.
The domestic job had her feeling warm inside.
He set the towel down and turned to her, one hip rested on the edge. “Man, she’s almost a teenager. I don’t think I’m ready for a teenage daughter. I don’t know how I’m going to do this without Carol. If I had my way, I’d just lock the girls away. What do I know about teenagers? Carol was the only girl I ever dated. I didn’t even have a sister.”
“You’ll be fine. I personally think dads are the key to raising a self-confident girl.”
He leaned in closer, about to say something. Her gaze stayed on his eyes, waiting.
“Daddy, tonight’s game night. Can Lorrie Ann play with us?”
They both pulled back.
“Oh, no. I think I’ve done enough damage for one night. I’m going to be heading home.”
John’s golden eyes pierced her. “Why don’t you play with us. You can pick the game.”
Lorrie Ann wanted to linger, but what frightened her most was the desire to stay forever. He needed a stable woman in his life, not a walking disaster.
Lone Star Holiday Page 10
