The Orphans' Blessing

by Lorraine Beatty

  Zach whirled around, smiling as he recognized the voice of Buck Sullivan, his brother Dean’s lead carpenter and foreman. “Hey, man. It’s good to see you.”

  They shook hands. “I saw your car out front and thought I’d stop in and check things out. I’ve been wondering about this place since Maddie bought it.”

  Zach exhaled a deep sigh. “Yeah. If it was up to me, I’d scrap the whole thing, but Maddie’s sister and the kids are determined to finish what she started.”

  “I think that’s great. Shows initiative.”

  Zach grimaced and set his hands on his hips. “Right.”

  Buck grinned. “Could you use some help?”

  “Are you offering?”

  “Sure. Your brother was into this closet thing. He talked about it a lot. I can find some time to lend a hand. My way of paying tribute to him. He was a great guy. A good man to work for.”

  Zach slapped him on the shoulder. “That would be great because Madeline’s sister wants to manage this whole deal and she doesn’t know the first thing about remodeling. And I could use some guidance. It’s been a while since I’ve done any serious construction work.”

  Sophie returned and Zach introduced her. “Buck, this is Maddie’s sister, Sophie. Buck worked for my brother for years.”

  Sophie extended her hand and Buck took it, holding it a bit longer than necessary. “I’m pleased to meet you. You’re a nice surprise.”

  Sophie chuckled softly. “A surprise maybe, but I’m not sure how nice it is. So you worked for Maddie’s husband?”

  Buck smiled and nodded. “His oldest employee. He and Maddie were good friends. They’re greatly missed.”

  “I wish I could have met him.”

  “I told Zach I’d be happy to help out. This project was important to Dean and Maddie.”

  Sophie smiled. “Oh good. I can use someone with experience to help me keep things on track. I must admit I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

  Buck pulled out a business card. “That’s where I come in. I’ll walk you through everything. Call me if you have any questions. I’m between jobs at the moment so I’m available anytime.”

  Zach glanced at the two of them. They had forgotten he was even there. “I have the blueprints over here, Buck, if you’d like to take a look at them.” He walked away.

  Buck followed but not before saying something quietly to Sophie. Zach had never known the man to be so chatty. He spread out the blueprints again, grateful for the assistance of a skilled builder. It would make the project go faster and he was anxious to get it completed quickly and with little fuss.

  As he and Buck went over the specifications, Zach’s confidence grew. His plan for the remodel and Buck’s advice were in line. Apparently he hadn’t forgotten all his father had taught him. They set a time to get together and lay out a schedule for construction and decide which subcontractors to hire. They shook hands and Buck walked off.

  Zach rolled up the blueprints again and went in search of the kids. He didn’t want them hanging around here too long. It wasn’t safe. He found them and Sophie at the front door talking with Buck. Sophie was giggling like a schoolgirl.

  He didn’t remember Buck being so amusing. He’d always found him the stern, serious type.

  Buck ruffled Linney’s hair, gave DJ a fist bump and smiled at Katie before shaking Sophie’s hand. Again. And holding it a little longer than necessary. Again. Maybe he didn’t need the man’s help after all. Zach could manage on his own. No need to keep Buck from a paying job.

  * * *

  The children were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Today was demolition day at the station and they were ready to break down walls and tear up floors. No matter how many times Sophie explained it to the kids, they still believed that they were actually going to swing sledgehammers and pry up wood flooring. She had a plan in place to let them do a small amount of physical destruction but not like they’d seen on those home shows on TV.

  Zach entered the kitchen as she was starting the dishwasher.

  “What has the kids all hyped up? They’re acting like it’s Christmas Eve or something.”

  She chuckled softly. “It’s demolition day.”

  Zach narrowed his eyes. “You’re not thinking they’re going to help, are you? Because that’s out of the question.”

  Sophie dialed back her irritation. “They have to be part of this, Zach. That was the whole point in reviving the project. We can’t leave them at home while all the work is being done.”

  “I’m not having them around a demolition site. It’s dangerous.”

  “I’m aware of that. But I have a plan.” She picked up a plastic sack and fished out a pair of safety glasses. “I found these in children’s sizes and I bought hard hats, too.”

  Zach shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s not going to work.”

  “Just hear me out. I already checked with Buck and we picked out a spot in the southwest corner of the store where they can break through a wall and pull up a few loose floorboards. They can’t get hurt and it’ll make them feel like they really contributed. They’ll only be there a short while and I’ll take them over to Rachel’s after so they won’t be around the dangerous stuff. I wouldn’t allow that.”

  “Good. Wait. You talked with Buck?”

  She nodded. “He’s been helping me understand the remodeling process. Oh, I meant to tell you, we picked up the building permit, and the Dumpster should be delivered this morning.”

  “Buck is on the ball, I see.”

  “Actually, I arranged that,” she clarified. Zach didn’t look happy. She’d expected him to be relieved, or maybe grateful.

  “We’re ready.”

  The children darted into the kitchen each holding a bright green hard hat. Linney had hers strapped onto her head. She kicked her foot out. “I’m ready.”

  Sophie winced at the stern glare Zach shot in her direction. Thankfully he didn’t comment. He just said, “I’m going on ahead. See y’all there.”

  Zach walked out and Sophie began to think her attempts to keep the children involved in this project might be harder than she expected. She admired his desire to protect the children, but they had to feel they had a part in their mother’s project or it wouldn’t mean anything. Surely he understood that. And if he didn’t, she’d make it abundantly clear to him. After all, this was about the children honoring their mother.

  Zach was talking with Buck when she and the children arrived at the old station, and he didn’t look happy. He was probably still complaining about letting the children do minor demolition. He didn’t seem to understand that they needed to participate in this remodel as much as possible. She was convinced there were plenty of things they could do that would make them feel part of things and not put them at risk.

  Buck looked over as they entered and waved, gesturing toward the wall they had determined was a good place for the children to smash around without getting hurt. She handed each a small hammer and instructed them to secure their hard hats and safety glasses, then gave them directions on what to do.

  With big smiles they attacked the wall with their hammers, making little holes in the drywall. Buck and Zach came to stand beside her. Buck rested his hands on his hips, smiling at the children’s enthusiasm. Zach stood stiff and disapproving.

  DJ yanked off a large chunk of drywall and let out a whoop of triumph.

  Zach stepped forward. “Good job, kids, but that’s enough for now. We’ll finish the rest.”

  DJ lifted his glasses. “Aunt Sophie said we could pull up some floors, too.”

  Zach shot a glare in her direction. She ignored him.

  “Right in here. I’m not sure the girls are strong enough but we’ll see.” She handed DJ and Katie a scraper. Buck demonstrated with a larger one.

  Buck patted DJ on the back. “
DJ, why don’t you scrape and the girls can pick up the pieces and toss them in the trash can.”

  Their enthusiasm for the work didn’t last long. Linney plopped on the floor and Katie dropped her scraper. “This is hard.”

  DJ leaned his arm on his scraper handle. “I want to keep going. There’s lots more to get up. Besides, I’m here to work, not horse around.”

  Sophie collected the girls’ hard hats and safety glasses and went in search of Zach. “I’ll take the girls to Rachel’s. Be right back.”

  “No need. Buck and I can handle it. I think there’s a couple more guys coming soon to help.”

  “I have some design decisions to make and I can’t until the demolition is done,” Sophie countered. “I’m in charge here, remember. At the very least, I can clean up debris.”

  “Uncle Zach, I want to stay,” DJ protested. “I can’t learn anything about carpentry sitting at home.”

  Sophie could see Zach determining his response. “DJ, I’m not sure there’s much you can do right now. You can be of more help later.”

  DJ frowned. “No! You promised to teach me the job. Like Dad was going to do.”

  Sophie’s pulse raced. “Zach, if you promised, then you have to follow through.”

  He glanced between them, then sighed. “Fine. I guess you might as well hang around and learn from the ground up.”

  Sophie sighed in relief. For a moment she’d feared Zach would go back on his promise, and the one thing she couldn’t tolerate in others was breaking a promise. It was the ultimate betrayal in her point of view.

  * * *

  Linney hugged Zach’s neck, then kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for letting us help with the demolition today, Uncle Zach. It was really fun. We took down a whole big wall.” She spread her arms wide.

  Zach chuckled. It was hardly a whole wall, more like a small patch, but he wasn’t about to ruin Linney’s joy. “You did a good job, Linney Bug.”

  “Can we do more tomorrow?”

  He pinched her cheek and smiled. “Probably not. But next time we need an extra hand, I’ll let you know.”

  “Good. I’m going to help do lots of stuff on Mommy’s closet ’cause I’m bigger now.”

  Zach’s heart twisted. She was getting bigger every day and he wished with all his being that her parents were here to see it.

  “Good night.” She dashed off down the hall and pounded up the stairs.

  Zach rested his head against the back of the recliner and closed his eyes, only to open them again when he caught a whiff of Sophie’s subtle perfume. He always knew when she was close. He opened his eyes and waited for her to speak.

  She took a seat at the edge of the sofa. “We accomplished a lot today.”

  He nodded. “It helped that we had a couple of volunteers show up.”

  “Our little volunteers had fun helping to take down that wall.”

  “That’s all the girls have been talking about.”

  “They were thrilled to help. Thank you for letting them participate. It was very important to them.”

  Zach caught her gaze. “Yeah, well, I’m glad you had it all worked out ahead of time. There wasn’t much danger of them getting hurt on that wall.”

  “That’s what Buck thought. And look how much happiness that small job gave the children.”

  Zach pressed his lips together. Since when was Buck an expert on kids?

  “How did DJ do after we left?” she asked. “He hasn’t said much.”

  “He worked hard. Mainly helping clean up debris.” He’d been pleased and proud of his nephew’s work ethic.

  “He’s really determined to learn and follow in his father’s footsteps.”

  “I know. I’ll teach him all I know but Dean was the master carpenter.” Zach had often marveled at his brother’s talent. He could do amazing things with wood, from building a kitchen cabinet to a small jewelry box. He hoped DJ had inherited his brother’s ability.

  “So what do we tackle tomorrow?” Sophie shifted back on the sofa, drawing her feet up under her. She reminded him of Katie when she was reading a book. She always curled up that way.

  Zach lowered the footrest and stood. “Nothing. I have a couple of flight lessons to give at the airfield tomorrow and I have a charter scheduled for a week from tomorrow.” He started to walk away, willing himself to ignore her sweet intriguing scent.

  Sophie rose from the sofa and followed him. “Friday? That’s Katie’s birthday.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes. She mentioned it several times while you were away. I’d like to do something special for her. I know she’ll be feeling her parents’ loss deeply that day.”

  “Fine with me.”

  “Will your charter flight be over by dinner time?”

  “It should be. It’s an up-and-back to Boise.”

  “That’s up in Idaho. That’s really far away. Won’t that take a long time?”

  “Not at five hundred miles per hour.”

  Katie hurried into the room and looked up at Sophie. “Did you ask him about my birthday yet?”

  She slipped her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Yes. You’re all set.”

  “Cool. Thanks, Uncle Zach. I have the day all planned out. We’re going to have a big breakfast, then Aunt Sophie and Linney and me are going to go shopping and then we’re going to get a chocolate cake with lots of chocolate icing, and Aunt Sophie is going to make Mommy’s favorite meal for supper, then we’ll all watch my favorite movie. Promise you’ll be here?”

  “I promise. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” His heart tightened. Her first birthday without her parents. It wasn’t right. But he would do all he could to make it a good day.

  Katie hugged him tight, reluctant to let go. He’d learned that it was a sign she was struggling so he held her close until she was ready to release him. She smiled up at him, her sweet face filling him with a swell of love.

  “We’re going to decorate the whole house. It’s going to be spectacular.”

  She hurried off and Zach glanced at Sophie. Her expression wasn’t one of happiness as he’d expected. She looked irritated. He raised his eyebrows.

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Zach. Promises are very important to children.”

  “I’m aware of that. I wouldn’t have told her I’d be here if I thought I couldn’t be.”

  “I hope not. Broken promises are never forgotten.” She left the room, leaving him wondering what she’d meant. She was clearly upset but he wasn’t sure why. There’d been a tone in her voice that concerned him. It was tinged with sadness. What had happened to her? There was a lot he didn’t know about the surprise aunt. Maybe it was time to start learning.

  * * *

  Sophie retreated to her room, her heart rate gradually slowing. Zach said he would honor his promise to Katie and be home for her birthday party. Would he? Did he have any idea how important promises were to children? Did he understand that a broken promise was a wound that never healed? She had a lifetime of broken promises to prove it.

  Closing her eyes, she sent up a prayer that Zach would keep his promise. When she opened her eyes, her gaze landed on the well-worn Bible she’d found in the small side table in her sister’s room. The book was filled with scribbles, notes and underlined passages. Sophie had never seen a Bible like this. In her aunt’s home, the Bible wasn’t to be defaced in any way. Aunt Billie considered it a holy item and to be treated with reverence. Maddie’s Bible bore testimony to her daily reading of the Scriptures and the insight she gained from the verses. It was also giving Sophie a glimpse into her sister’s thoughts.

  Lifting the leather-bound volume, she settled in to continue her nightly reading. Spending time in the Word was always a comfort to her, but seeing the notes in Maddie’s own hand and meditating on the passages she’d highlighted gave her h
ope that she’d find the answers to some of her questions about her sister’s actions and motives.

  So far she’d found no explanation for the long silence between them. However, the proof of her true heart was revealed in her children, and the more time Sophie spent with them, the more she understood what was important to Maddie: her family.

  It’s what Sophie hoped to gain, as well. Her recent infection and resulting hysterectomy made having a child of her own impossible, but she held out the hope of being part of Maddie’s family. And God willing, one day she’d find someone who would love her and perhaps consider adopting a child with her.

  Closing the Bible, she prepared for bed. She had too much to do now to waste time dwelling on the past. She had to decide on the decor of the store and had plans to execute for Katie’s eleventh birthday party. Everything had to be perfect. Her niece was a sweet young girl and she deserved a special party.

  Sliding under the covers, Sophie curled on her side, her gaze resting on the novel she was reading. She and Katie were alike in one way. They both devoured books. Aunt Billie had called Sophie a bookworm.

  That was it. The perfect theme for her niece. Books and reading. Tugging the covers up to her chin, she smiled, her mind already swirling with ideas. She couldn’t wait to get started. She’d make sure it was perfect. Nothing would go wrong. Unless Zach broke his promise.

  But their uncle was a good guy. He wouldn’t fail his niece.

  Early the next morning, Sophie’s cell phone ring tone woke her. She had no idea why her friend Angela was calling.

  “Is it too early? I forget that Mississippi is on Central Time.”

  Sophie curled onto her side. “No. It’s fine.”

  “I’m dying to know how things are going down there.”

  “Okay. The children are wonderful. We’re getting along great, but their uncle is another matter.”

  “Uh-oh. Tell me more. What’s he like?”

  “Serious. He seems to have a permanent scowl on his face and he resents any comments or suggestions I make.”

  “He sounds like an ogre.”