“How much?”
Luke leaned back and gave him the eye. “Doesn’t matter. And it’s none of your business. But more than you get for allowance in a whole month.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. And then Joanna handed it right back to you—a gift—as soon as she figured out it had once belonged to your mom. You understand what she did?”
“Yeah.” He looked at the floor.
“Joanna didn’t do anything wrong, Mateo. Do you understand that? She had no way of knowing that was your mother’s jewelry box, and even if she had known, your mama took it to that store exactly so someone could buy it.”
“Okay.”
“I know you didn’t understand how it got there, but I think you owe Miss Joanna an apology.”
Mateo’s face screwed up and his shoulders heaved. Luke pulled him into a hug and let him cry. When the tears had turned to shuddering breaths, he leaned away from Mateo, still sitting on the floor. “I want to tell you something. And … it might not mean much to you right now, but I’ll probably tell you this story every once in a while, just to remind you. And I think the older you get, it’ll mean more.”
Mateo sat like him, except he propped his sun-browned elbow on the floor, making his hand a pedestal for his chin. Luke had his full attention now.
“I want you to think about what happened with that jewelry box … trinket box.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it started out with your mama. We don’t know where she got it … maybe from your dad. Or maybe it belonged to her mama. But for some reason, she needed to sell it. And knowing her like I did, knowing that money was sometimes pretty tight, I have a feeling she sold it for you. To feed you, put a roof over your head, or maybe you needed new clothes for church that week. Who knows? But one thing I do know, you were always way more important to your mother than any thing could be. So even though she liked that box, she made a sacrifice when she sold it. For you.” He tousled Mateo’s hair. “You tracking with me so far?”
He nodded.
“So, that jewelry box ends up at your mom’s favorite antique store. And then a long time later … we’ll probably never know exactly how it all went down … but along comes Miss Joanna. She sees your mama’s jewelry box and it catches her eye. She doesn’t have a lot of money either, but for some reason, she feels like this box is worth paying the price they’re asking. So she buys it and brings it home to her cottage.”
Mateo listened, enrapt, as if he didn’t know the ending to the story.
“Now along you come and wind up in that very same cottage where the jewelry box is. But now, if Joanna had put that box in her bedroom, or her dresser drawer, or even given it to one of her sisters as a gift, this story might have a different ending. But no, Joanna puts it in her bathroom, and wouldn’t you know it, it just so happens that when you’re in that cottage, you have to pee!” He couldn’t stop the grin that came at this more earthy juncture in the story.
But Mateo’s eyes grew round. “It almost seems like God made me have to pee, doesn’t it?”
Luke nodded his head solemnly. “That very thought crossed my mind. The Lord works in mysterious ways.” He held back laughter at his own joke. “But here’s the thing, Mateo. It crossed Miss Joanna’s mind too—that maybe God had something to do with this whole thing.” He’d spoken with her briefly on the phone while Mateo got ready for bed. Her gracious response to his apology had buoyed him.
“Maybe Mama had something to do with it too.”
Luke hesitated. “I’m not sure how that all works, buddy. But who knows? Maybe she did.”
“Something for the list, huh?”
“The list?”
“You know. Our list of memories about Mama.”
“Ah, of course.” A stab of regret came. They hadn’t added anything to the list in a long time. “Yep. I think this is definitely something for the list. But not tonight. You’ve got school tomorrow.”
“Awww …”
Luke hopped up and pulled Mateo behind him. “Time to hit the sack.”
Mateo climbed into his bed. “G’night.”
“Good night, buddy. Hey …” He pulled the covers up around the boy and squeezed his shoulder, trying for a casual tone. “One more thing. I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but Joanna is becoming someone pretty special to me. She told me she wondered if maybe God used that jewelry box—trinket box—to make a connection between her and your mama—because of you. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah … I think so.” Mateo’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly beneath Luke’s touch.
Luke took in a breath, feeling a little awed by the story he’d unfurled for Mateo. And a lot in awe of the story’s heroines. “Well, if you don’t, we’ll tell the story again soon. I think it’ll all come together.”
Mateo looked up at him with an embarrassed grin. “Is it ’cause Miss Joanna might end up … you know—” He made a smooching sound, then covered his face.
Luke laughed and ruffled the dark head again. “Too soon to tell, buddy. But if I were a gambling man—and I’m not—but if I were, I’d bet a gazillion dollars.”
He prayed he wasn’t betting on a long shot.
CHAPTER 41
JO HAD BARELY GOTTEN IN the house after work on Wednesday when she heard a car coming up the lane. She hobbled to the window to look. Phee’s car pulled up to the cottage. And by the time her older sister rang the doorbell, Britt was right behind her, having walked over from her cottage.
Jo answered the door laughing. “Somehow I knew you’d be over to get the whole scoop.”
Phee looked relieved. “I was a little worried about where things were headed. So everything’s okay?”
“You worked things out?” Britt’s expression matched Phee’s.
“I don’t remember when you guys left …”
“Mateo was accusing you of stealing his mom’s jewelry box,” Phee prompted. “I didn’t want to leave, but Quinn thought we should.”
Jo nodded. “It was probably better that you did. He was pretty upset.”
“But Luke set him straight?”
“Well … turns out the box was his mom’s. At least I’m pretty sure Mateo was telling the truth.”
Britt frowned. “So how’d you get it?”
“I bought it at Annie Laurie’s. I’m guessing Maria sold it to the shop. Probably needed the money.” She shrugged. “I gave it to him.”
“To Mateo?” Britt sounded surprised.
“That was really sweet of you, Jo.” Phee looked like she might cry.
She shrugged again. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
“So how are you feeling about the whole Luke-Mateo thing by now?” Phee put a motherly hand on Jo’s arm.
“I feel … torn, I guess. Not about the Luke half. He called to apologize after they got home.”
“Aww … I like him so much, Jo.” Phee’s declaration sounded more like a plea.
“Me too!” Britt crowed. “He’s a great guy.”
Jo knew her sisters had left unspoken: I like him so much better than Ben. She appreciated their discretion, and she agreed. But just because he was “better than Ben” didn’t mean he was the right one. There was still Mateo. “Luke is a great guy. You’ll get no argument from me. But I’m not sure it’s fair to Mateo for me to even keep seeing him.”
“You’re still … against him.”
Jo almost wanted to laugh at Britt’s downhearted expression.
“I’m not against Mateo.” She was chagrined to realize that she had been against him in the beginning. She’d thought only of her own desires. But last night she’d gotten a glimpse of how wounded the poor kid was. And she was ashamed of how she’d behaved toward him. It was a wonder Luke had the patience to put up with her.
“It seems like maybe you’re … softening toward him a little?” Phee’s question was tentative, as if it might upset Jo.
“If I’m honest, I’m still not
crazy about the idea of dating a guy with a kid … responsibility for a kid. I’m not crazy about the idea of sharing Luke. And I know—at least while we were just dating—that I’d have to come in second in a lot of ways. And it might sometimes feel that way even if we got married.”
“That’s true. And it would be to Luke’s credit. You have to admire him for that, Jo. Even though I know it would be hard.”
She sighed. “The thing is, I realized last night that seeing Luke with Mateo is exactly why I fell for him. Because of Mateo, I could tell that Luke was someone who would stay through thick and thin, who would sacrifice his own happiness for that of others, and give his very life for what he knows is right.”
Her sisters were nodding like a couple of bobbleheads.
She gave a little laugh. “I don’t know how I couldn’t recognize that before. How I’ve ever thought I wanted anything other than that? I’m so sorry it took going back to someone like Ben for me to figure it out.”
“Have you thought about this, Jo?” Phee’s pleading expression was so like their mother’s. “In just a few years—what, only five or six?—Mateo will have graduated from high school and likely be living on his own.”
“What? That can’t be right. Six years?”
“He’s twelve now, right …” Phee eyed Jo as she did the math.
“Wow. You’re right. In some ways that seems like a long time, but I guess … If the next six years go by as fast as these past six have. Wow.”
“Mom and Dad always said the older you got, the faster the years flew. Boy is that true.” Phee shook her head and Jo had to wonder if she was doing her own math. She still hadn’t said anything about a baby on the way. Jo was starting to wonder if she’d imagined it all.
But she just nodded, still taken aback by the realization of how short Mateo’s time with Luke would be in the whole scheme of things. “I guess, really, it wouldn’t be that long before it was back to just me and Luke.”
“Well, you’ll probably have a baby of your own in the house by then.” Phee’s knowing smile gave away more than she likely realized.
“And just think, Jo,” Britt piped up, “if Mateo gets married young, you could be a grandma by the time you’re forty.”
“Britt!” Jo and Phee shouted in unison.
Phee scowled at Britt. “You are no help at all!”
“I’m only kidding!”
“And besides,” Jo said. “I don’t think we’d call Mateo’s kids our grandkids. I think we’d be more like a favorite aunt and uncle.”
“I wondered if Luke planned to legally adopt him. No?”
“He has thought about it, but I think he decided not to make it legal. They’ve had the Big Brother relationship all this time, and it would be hard to change that. And now that he has legal guardianship, he has essentially all the rights of a parent—at least until Mateo turns eighteen.”
“That makes sense,” Phee said. “Especially since you might have a baby—or two—of your own by the time Mateo is out of high school.”
“A baby or two. In six years …” She looked at Phee, thinking she’d given her sister the perfect opening.
But Phee wasn’t biting.
Still, the thought of carrying Luke’s babies filled her with joy. And she had to admit, she would get a kick out of seeing Luke as a daddy. Watching the way he was with Mateo, Jo had no doubt Luke would be a wonderful father. And because of watching Luke, Mateo would probably be good with a baby too.
Britt’s expression turned serious. “Phee said in six years Mateo would be out of high school, but think about it, Jo … Once he starts high school, he’s not going to want to hang out with you guys much anyway. And that’s only two years away.”
She knew Britt was trying to make up for her “grandma” comment earlier. But the thought of Mateo in high school blew her mind equally. “Wow! I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of all this. All I could see was … right now. And it’s been hard.”
“I know, but with time, you’ll adjust.” Phee’s smile gave her hope. “There are no guarantees it’ll get easier, but I have a feeling you’re going to love life with Mateo.”
“He is kind of growing on me. He’s a good kid. He really is.”
“Maybe it’s not exactly how you pictured your life going, but then, it’s not exactly how Luke—or Mateo—pictured theirs going either.”
She knew Phee’s comment wasn’t intended as a reprimand, but it stung nevertheless. And deservedly so. She’d been self-centered and thoughtless, while Luke and Mateo had borne far more difficult things with grace and dignity.
“You three have a lot in common,” Britt said. “You can help each other through.”
“Oh, you guys. How did you get to be so wise?”
Phee shrugged. “What can I say? It just comes naturally.” A funny look came to her face, then a smile bloomed. “And speaking of what just comes naturally—”
Jo pushed herself off the sofa and cheered. Finally! “I knew it! I knew it!”
Britt’s face was a mask of confusion. “What is going on?”
“Phee is—” She clapped a hand over her mouth. When would she ever learn? This wasn’t her news to share. This was Phee’s moment. But if her sister didn’t hurry up and spill the beans, Jo thought she might explode! “Tell her, Phee!”
“Wellll …” Phee dragged out the word deliciously while Jo stood there beaming. “Here’s the deal, Aunt Britt, Aunt Joanna …”
Britt’s jaw dropped and her gaze went to Phee’s stomach. “No way! Are you serious? You’re pregnant?”
“Due at the end of March.”
“Finally!” It was all Jo could do not to jump up and down like a jack-in-the-box. “It’s about time!”
Phee started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“How can you say ‘It’s about time’? We practically got pregnant on our honeymoon!”
“Seriously?” Jo hadn’t really thought about how soon it was after the wedding when she’d found those books in the Barnes & Noble bag. She’d snuck the bag into Phee’s car the next day, and her sister was apparently none the wiser. She hugged her sister again. “I’m just so stinkin’ happy for you guys!”
Britt still sat on the sofa with a stunned look on her face. “Did you know, Jo?”
“I guessed.”
Phee eyed her. “Seriously? How? I’m not even showing yet.”
“You’ve been looking a little pudgy,” she teased.
“Really?” Phee pulled her T-shirt across her flat belly and studied herself in the mirror over the mantel.”
“I’m only kidding.” Jo’s face heated. She was digging herself a hole she might not be able to get out of, and she didn’t want to spoil Phee’s big moment. Jo had escaped having to pretend to be surprised because Phee’s announcement truly had surprised her. Someday she would tell her sister the whole story, but today wasn’t the time.
Phee laughed again. “I was going to wait a while to tell you guys because … well, it happened so soon, but it’s been killing me not to be able to share it with you!”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful.” Jo shuffled across the floor and despite the hated boot, did a little dance.
Phee joined in and after a few minutes they landed, breathless, on the sofa on either side of Britt.
Phee sighed. “Quinn and I said all along that we didn’t want to waste any time starting a family. After all, Quinn will be forty-three by the time this baby gets here. But we didn’t really plan on a honeymoon baby.”
Britt finally found her voice. “That just makes it all the more special.”
“Have you told Dad?” Jo couldn’t seem to stop smiling.
“Not yet. I wanted to tell you two first. We’ll probably call Dad tonight.”
“Grandpa.” Britt laughed. “Can you just picture it?”
Jo sighed. “Oh, Phee, Dad is going to be thrilled!”
They curled up in a row on the sofa, all talking at once, dreaming an
d planning for the future they would share.
The only thing that could have made this precious moment better was if Mom had been here to share in the glorious news. But if Heaven had a balcony, then no doubt she was peering over that railing, cheering right along with them.
Still, a twinge of sadness crept in. Would Luke—and Mateo—be a part of this future she and her sisters were dreaming of? Could she even be happy if he wasn’t?
“Hi, Joanna.” Luke stood on the step outside the screened porch, his hand raised in greeting.
“Luke …” She opened the door, desperately wishing she’d waited another ten minutes before changing into yesterday’s wrinkled gardening clothes after work. “Come on in.” She looked past him, wondering if Mateo was waiting in the pickup. But the vehicle appeared to be empty.
He stepped through the door she held for him, but stopped short inside the screened porch. “Mind if we just talk out here? I’ll try to … keep it short.”
“Sure.” She frowned, not liking the seriousness of his tone. And the fact that whatever he had to say could be kept short. “Is everything okay?”
He nodded, but not convincingly. “I’m sorry I didn’t call first. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“No. I was just heading out to the garden.” She watched him, equal parts of worry and curiosity growing inside her.
He pointed to the hated boot she still wore on her ankle. “How’s your foot?”
“It’s okay. A pain in the you-know-what though. I’ll be happy to get this stupid thing off.”
“I bet.” He angled his head toward the new porch swing that hung by heavy silver chains from the pale blue-painted ceiling. “That’s new, isn’t it?”
“Quinn and a buddy of his hung it just last night.” She went to sit on one side of the swing, hugging the armrest. “If you trust these chains, you can help me test it.”
At his skeptical look, she quickly reassured him. “Don’t worry. It safely held three sisters last night.” It was all she could do not to add “including a pregnant sister!” But Phee had asked her and Britt not to tell anyone else yet.
He lowered into the opposite side of the swing, looking up at the massive hooks that held the chains. Tossing a little grin her way, he pushed off with his legs and set them swinging. The swing creaked and groaned, but it held.
Chasing Dreams Page 28
