by Gail Sattler
Moving the materials for the playscape was considerably less work than lugging 160 rolls of sod. By the time Shanna returned after picking up Matthew from kindergarten, Brendan had the frame in place. The children, and Boffo, too, sat still, fascinated, as he put the set together piece by piece. Their eyes lit up when the slide was in place. He warned them not to touch the pieces of the fort section that he’d laid out in the order he needed for assembly. Even though it nearly killed them, they obeyed.
For once, Boffo didn’t take off with any tools, allowing Brendan to finish the playscape in record time. He poured the cement around the posts, then helped Matthew and Ashley write their names. Brendan finished the job by writing the day’s date.
“That’s it,” he said as he swiped his hands down the sides of his jeans. “All I have left to do is put the swing up when the cement is set, paint it, and we’re done. So today, you can look at your new playscape, but don’t climb on it quite yet.”
While the kids squealed and ran around the playscape, snaking underneath the fort section and circling the support posts, Brendan looked at the faded fence.
His feelings of self-satisfaction faded.
When he’d first started this job, he’d mentally noted its poor condition. Shanna had asked him to repair a few sections that were at the point of falling down, but no more. Harry had been very clear not to mention any extra work that he thought should be done, because she simply couldn’t afford it. Fixing up the yard and making it presentable for her business clients was all he was to do. But now it wasn’t enough. After the new playscape was painted, the fence would look even worse by comparison.
He walked across the freshly laid lawn and poked at a section of the old fence. Many of the boards at the back were starting to rot because they’d only been painted on one side, which was the worst thing anyone could do. By next year, especially if they had another windstorm, a section or two would come down.
Just painting the fence wouldn’t be good enough. She needed a new one.
He turned to watch Shanna through the window, alternately hunched over her computer, then digging through the second box of his disorganized receipts and paperwork.
He knew that when he was done working in her yard, it would be at least another month before she was finished with his bookkeeping and tax returns. Of course, the deal for Shanna was the cost of her time, while he’d had to pay actual money for the materials. Still, this was more than a job or just a barter for services rendered. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, and the only thing in his power to change was her yard—it was his contribution to brighten her future.
Until the fence was as good as the rest, the project was incomplete, whether she agreed or not. But at the same time, he had other projects contracted—projects that paid the wage he needed to pay his rent, car payment, and groceries. Projects that he’d promised to have completed by specific dates.
He hated to, but he had no choice. He’d already crossed the line from business-only to personal. Now it was going to get even more personal.
Brendan pulled out his cell phone and typed out a text message. He cringed as he hit Send, telling himself he was only doing this because he had obligations to meet and promises to keep.
It was done.
❧
For the first time in months, Shanna was alone.
She’d taken both the children to visit friends for a few hours. Brendan was away on his lunch break.
The yard was deserted except for Boffo, who was lying in the cool, new grass, sleeping in the shade of the new playscape. Boffo let out a quiet “woof” in his sleep, his tail thumped, and he again quieted in his doggy dreamland. She wondered if he was dreaming of going to dog school with Brendan.
Brendan.
The dog liked him and the kids loved him.
Shanna didn’t know quite how to feel about him, except that he made her nervous.
Brendan was a laborer. Everything he did required physical force and strength. She’d never seen such muscles except on bodybuilders on television infomercials, which probably weren’t even real. But Brendan’s strength and power were very real. The speed at which Ray had retreated when Brendan confronted him was proof of that—and her best incentive never to be on the wrong side of Brendan’s fury. It was a lesson she’d taken too long to learn with Roger, and it was a mistake she’d never repeat.
Shanna had tried to act like the good wife she should have been, but she didn’t know how. Most of her friends were also newlyweds, and they were too starry-eyed from being recently married to give her any practical advice. The only example of a long-term marriage she had to follow was that of her parents, but Shanna didn’t want her marriage to be like that. Her mother couldn’t do anything to make her father happy. Shanna had countless memories of her parents fighting, with her mother always coming out the loser. As a child, she had rationalized what she’d seen, likening such scenarios to a parent punishing a bad child. As an adult, she now knew how wrong that was. She’d never seen her father hit her mother, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. Her mother spent a lot of time crying. She seemed to live her life for the sole purpose of not making her husband angry.
Shanna didn’t want her marriage to be the same, so she made sure she’d married a man who wasn’t a perfectionist like her father—she didn’t want to be partnered with someone who would think nothing she did was good enough. Instead, Roger became bored with her, then frustrated. Then he began pushing her around, and the cycle continued. In the end, she’d married a man not much different than her father. Roger’s death hadn’t relieved her of being victimized. Roger’s whole family was the same, including his parents, and his brother was the same way to his wife that Roger had been to her. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and everyone had to know it.
She’d easily fallen in love with Roger. He oozed power and masculinity. He made her feel safe, because no one would dare confront him. But then she’d learned the hard way that she couldn’t confront Roger, either. To him, confrontation meant disagreeing with him. She would never again be so blind or so gullible. She would never let herself fall into that trap again. When she began dating again, she would seek out a man who was quiet, understated, and gentle, whose biggest strength was his faith, not his might.
The chime on her wristwatch sounded, signaling it was 1:00, the official end of Brendan’s lunch break. Right on time, his pickup pulled up to the front of the house.
The sound roused Boffo from his sleep. The dog bounded to the gate, then sat waiting. His only movement was his tail swooshing behind him.
Shanna could barely believe Boffo’s good behavior. Brendan was doing wonders with the dog in a remarkably short amount of time.
He was also doing wonders with her children. She’d bartered good behavior from them, and even a few household chores, for the privilege of spending time with Brendan in the yard. Even better, by taking the children into the yard while he worked, Brendan was helping her get more done by keeping them busy. He was teaching Boffo to be not only a good pet, but a potential watchdog, as well. And if it wasn’t her imagination, the playscape was much larger than what she thought he’d originally described. A truckload of wood had arrived this morning, which meant Brendan wasn’t just replacing the one section that was ready to fall down; she was getting a whole new fence.
She didn’t know how she could ever pay him back. The only thing she could do was to do more work for him, which meant spending more time with him. And that was exactly what she didn’t want. She’d fallen for his type before; only this time she knew the risks and her own mistakes, and especially her weaknesses.
This time, Shanna was going to put a stop to it while she could. Already she regretted that he’d seen her vulnerability with Ray. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful for everything extra that Brendan was doing, but it was time to stop him from becoming any more involved with her personal life. She would thank him for his help with the dog, but she would take Boffo to dog school herself an
d pay for babysitting. She would find something else for her children to do instead of letting them pretend to help him work. The second he came into the yard, she would also tell him that while she appreciated his offer, she really didn’t need a new fence and that their business together was nearly complete.
The gate opened and Brendan stepped inside, but before she could speak, a second person walked in behind him. A woman was with him. Both Brendan and the woman stopped. He rested one hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Shanna, I’d like you to meet my mother.”
Five
Shanna’s heart stopped beating.
She remembered when Roger had introduced her to his mother. Looking back, that was her signal that Roger intended to make the relationship serious.
She didn’t want a serious relationship. She didn’t want any relationship. Especially not with King Kong.
“Hi,” she said, unable to keep her voice from coming out like a strangled squeak.
“Shanna?” Brendan asked, stepping forward. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
Shanna shook her head, then nodded as she gulped in a deep breath of air, trying to force her heart to start beating again. “I’m fine,” she choked out. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking of. . .something.” She turned to his mother. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
His mother smiled and extended one hand. “My name is Kathy. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. I’m so sorry.”
Absently, Brendan lifted his hand and stroked his beard. “I have another project to start today. My mother often does painting for me when I need help. If you don’t mind, I’m going to leave her here and pick her up on my way back.”
“N–no. . .I don’t mind.”
“Great. I just have to get the paint out of my truck.”
The second Brendan disappeared, Kathy started talking. “I’ve heard a lot about your new playscape. As usual, it looks better than Brendan described it. He’s too modest with the things he does. I see he’s done a lovely job of your yard, too.”
Even though she’d already looked at it a million times, Shanna took in the transformation, still barely able to believe it was real. The ground was now perfectly even, and the grass was green and lush. A row of small shrubs—azaleas, rhododendrons, some rosebushes, and a few ferns lined the back fence, completing the picture. Brendan told her he’d selected these particular plants so she could have a beautiful array of flowers from early spring until late fall.
The two rock gardens splashed more color into her yard. These were planted with hardy dark green shrubs and a rainbow of pansies. They were both artistic and beautiful. The corner flower bed was constructed with plastic covering the ground and plants poking out from cut holes, the plastic covered by mulch. Brendan had explained that he’d done it like this so she wouldn’t have weeds to pull from around the plants.
In both corners he’d planted a couple of bushes. She couldn’t remember the technical name he’d given her, but the common name was butterfly bush. Over the years they would become big and lush, and for most of the summer and into the fall they would be loaded with cascading purple blossoms. This was one of Brendan’s favorite perennials because it was hardy and fragrant. As the name implied, it would attract butterflies. Around both trees he’d planted a mixture of bright blossoms—carnations, marigolds, petunias, and a number of others she couldn’t remember the names of. He’d said this was the only place he’d planted annuals because he’d also planted a variety of bulbs for the earliest of the spring flowers—daffodils in all their color variations, tulips, and crocuses. She just wouldn’t be able to see those until next year. And as a special touch, under the eaves, he’d hung a few pots of brilliant pink and white fuchsias that were supposed to attract hummingbirds.
“Uh. . .yes. . .he’s done a great job.”
Brendan returned with two cans of paint, far too much to cover just the playscape—probably enough to start work on the fence when it was completed.
He checked his wristwatch. “I’ll see you at 5:00.”
He was gone before she could respond.
Kathy waved one hand in the air. “Don’t mind me. Go back to work. Don’t be afraid to let the children into the yard. I’ll keep them off the wet paint. I know I’ll enjoy their company while I do this. I’m not even going to call it work. I love painting even more than I love knitting. I can tell you that it’s much more difficult to find a painting job than it is to go to the store and buy a couple of skeins of wool.”
Shanna glanced toward the empty playscape. “Actually, my children aren’t home. As you can see, it’s just me and my dog.”
Kathy turned her head to watch Boffo, who was sitting at the gate Brendan had just left through, waiting for him to come back.
One corner of Kathy’s mouth tipped up. “So that’s the. . . uh”—Kathy paused and cleared her throat—“large dog he’s been taking to Jeff’s obedience class.”
Shanna’s cheeks warmed, thinking that Brendan had probably used other words to describe Boffo. “That would be him.”
Kathy rubbed her hands together. “This is getting better. And it’s making more and more sense.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He talks differently about you than his other landscaping clients.” Kathy giggled. “He said that you and I would get along like peanut butter and jam.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’m just repeating what he said.”
Memories of what Roger had said about his mother poked into Shanna’s mind. Roger had also told Shanna that his mother would like her, although not in that way. At the time, Shanna had been flattered. It had been less flattering when Roger’s mother started asking too-personal questions, then began snooping around her house to see what kind of wife Shanna would be to her precious son. In hindsight, Shanna now knew that Roger’s mother was looking for someone who would be a perfect housekeeper, because Roger was such a slob. Roger had laughed it off, and not long after that, they were married.
However, this time Shanna wasn’t meeting the mother of a man she wanted to marry. This was the mother of someone with whom she had made a business agreement—and Shanna wanted it to stay that way. Yet, despite her hesitations, her impression was that Brendan didn’t have any hidden agenda with leaving his mother to paint the playscape. Kathy was simply there to work. There was even the possibility that since his mother said she enjoyed painting, Brendan was doing his mother a favor by providing something she liked to do.
The smart thing would be to back off and not answer any personal questions—and only let Brendan’s mother into the house when she had to use the bathroom.
Kathy picked up a can of paint and a brush. “So, tell me, Shanna, do you knit?”
Shanna’s gaze met Kathy’s and held. Her impression of Kathy was that, unlike Roger’s mother, Kathy was sincere, and her question wasn’t personal; it was simply to start a light conversation. In a way, Kathy reminded Shanna of an older version of her pastor’s wife. “I knit a little,” Shanna muttered, not wanting to be rude. “I’m not very good.”
Kathy pried the lid off the paint can. “I knit a lot. If you want, I can help you. I have boxes of adorable patterns in my collection that kids fall in love with.”
“Really?” Shanna asked before she could stop herself. When Kathy looked up and smiled, something inside of Shanna started to melt. Brendan’s mother wasn’t grilling Shanna about how she spent her time. She was just offering to help.
“Yes,” Kathy replied. “I have patterns from beginner up to advanced.” She smiled again, the crinkles at the corners of her eyes reminding Shanna of one of the elderly ladies at church whose biggest joy in life was spending time with younger women, either nurturing them or just having fun.
Kathy looked at her, waiting, until Shanna felt awkward about not responding. “I’m definitely a beginner,” she mumbled. “I tried and tried, but it wouldn’t work, so I gave up.”
“You probably gave up too soon.
All you need is someone to show you how. We have a ladies’ group at my church that gets together for coffee once a month, and many of the ladies bring their knitting. I’ve shown a number of them how to do the pictures, and I could show you, too. Don’t be shy. I don’t bite.”
Guilt surged through Shanna’s heart. She had been completely unfair, as well as judgmental. Brendan’s mother wasn’t there to spy on her; she just wanted to be friendly.
Shanna gathered her courage. “Matthew has a friend who gets new sweaters with all his favorite cartoon characters on them. He was so disappointed when I couldn’t do it.”
“Most of the ones for young children aren’t that difficult. The secret is using a ruler.”
“A ruler?”
“I’ll show you. Brendan will be here to pick me up later, but I can always come back in the evening myself. Or another day.”
Shanna nibbled on her bottom lip. Matthew would be deliriously happy to get a sweater with a picture on it, handmade by his mother. Ashley didn’t have a favorite cartoon character, but she loved sheep or anything with a sheep on it. A friend had given Shanna a pattern to knit a toy sheep, but she hadn’t been able to figure it out. If Kathy could knit pictures into a sweater, surely she could help Shanna knit a sheep.
Dear Lord, please tell me I’m not being foolish to trust this woman. Tell me that I’m doing the right thing.
She had to rely on God, that He was opening a new door that led to a place where she would be safe.
“As long as it’s not too much trouble, that would be nice. Thank you.”
Kathy smiled warmly. “I think it will be fun. Now you get back to work in your office, and I’ll get busy. I’ll see you later.”
Shanna returned to her desk, but instead of checking her client’s expense figures, she watched Kathy painting. On first impression, she liked Brendan’s mother. Thinking about Kathy’s offer, Shanna knew she really did need a friend. While the women at church were nice, and she certainly enjoyed herself every few months when she participated in a function with them, she wasn’t close to anyone there. Mostly, it was her own fault. When she was married to Roger, he hadn’t wanted to go to church. He’d go only on Christmas and Mother’s Day. Other than that, she took the children on her own. All the ladies there were married, so she felt awkward at family functions without Roger. And while she had some fellowship, she didn’t have anyone she could really talk to or any true friendship. The issues she had to deal with weren’t something she could share, so she kept mostly to herself.