A Mom's New Start (Love Inspired)

by Margaret Daley

  “I’d like to travel. One of my friends goes on a vacation every summer. I get jealous when he brings back tons of pictures of places I would like to see.”

  “You’ll have time.”

  “Yeah, when I grow up. Mom’s said that to me before. I don’t think she’ll ever leave here. New Orleans, Jackson and Mobile are about it for her.”

  A bark from Sadie, wedged between Cody and Brady, demanded their attention.

  “I haven’t forgotten about you, girl.” Brady scratched her behind her ears.

  “She sure has taken to you.”

  “Yeah, I understand her.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I know what it’s like to have everything in your life disturbed, unsure. She needs to feel loved, that I’ll be here for her.”

  Turning toward the boy, Cody draped one arm over the steering wheel. “Everyone needs that.”

  “I know Mom loves me, but how do you not get scared when everything changes so quickly?”

  “That’s a good question. I try to keep my focus on the Lord. He’s my strength when I need some. Sorta like Sadie turning to you. She’s finding you’re her strength.”

  “I am?”

  “Who does she come to all the time? You. You’re giving her the stability she needs after what she went through. Stability comes from within, Brady. It isn’t a house or a physical object. All that can be rebuilt like we did at the church today.”

  Brady stared out the windshield while petting his dog. “So you’re never scared?”

  “I didn’t say that. I get scared just like you. That’s going to happen. It’s what happens after it that’s important. How you deal with the change, the fear.”

  “Have you ever been through a hurricane?”

  “No. But I have been in a tornado when my family lived in Oklahoma. We were living in what people called tornado alley. That spring there were two that struck near us.” One of them took his mother. “I know what fear is.” And deep sadness and guilt. His mother wouldn’t be dead if she hadn’t been coming after him.

  Brady lifted Sadie and nuzzled his face against her side. “I don’t want to go through another hurricane. We were holed up about an hour north of here, and it was bad there. Uncle Keith wouldn’t leave so Kim stayed while Mom took Anna and me to Hattiesburg. We didn’t sleep the whole night as the storm blew. Mom worried about Uncle Keith and Kim. She had a hard time keeping Anna calm. I had to act brave. But I wasn’t brave inside.”

  “And neither was I when the tornados came through my area.”

  “Is that why you try to help people after bad things happen?”

  “Yes. I know what they’re going through.” Cody didn’t like to relive that last tornado that took his mother, but each time he used that experience to help someone else the pain of his loss eased for a while. Then the guilt would return—every time he let thoughts of his mother into his mind.

  “I guess that’s your apartment up there.” Brady nodded toward the balcony where Maggie and Hannah, glasses in hand, peered down at the car.

  “Yep.”

  Brady pushed open the car door while carrying Sadie. “Wait till Mom hears I get to keep my water gun.”

  Cody chuckled. The moment of connecting with Brady was over, but they were taking small steps forward at least. “I’m not sure she’s going to be as thrilled as you are.”

  “Wise of Mom. She may never be safe out in the garden again.”

  Cody exited the car with Sadie’s cart in tow. “Just wait to use it when I’m not around.” When he said that and thought about leaving Hope for his next assignment, a few seconds of dread chilled him in the hot sun.

  Chapter Ten

  “Is Hannah there?” Cody asked the second Maggie came on the phone Sunday afternoon.

  The urgency in his voice alerted her that something was wrong. “No. What happened?” She checked outside the kitchen window to make sure his sister hadn’t come.

  “She called Aaron. I left the room, not wanting to eavesdrop on her conversation. Now I wish I had. The next thing I heard was the front door slamming closed. When I went outside, I saw her getting into her car, crying. Her tires actually screeched when she drove out of the parking lot. By the time I got my keys and ran to my car, she was gone. I didn’t see which way she went. I was hoping she was at your place.”

  “I wish she was.” She walked into the dining room and peered out that window. Nothing. “She told me she called him yesterday and left a message. I thought she was going to wait until he called her back.”

  “When we came home from church, she was quiet. Didn’t say anything at lunch either even when I tried to get her to talk. I knew something was bothering her, but she wouldn’t say anything to me. That’s why I thought she might have come over to talk to you.”

  “Sorry. Any other idea where she might have gone?”

  “No. I’m just going to drive around. Maybe I’ll find her.”

  “I’ll help. I’ll drive around this part of town and you take the west end. I’ll call you if I find her.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do the same.”

  Maggie grabbed her purse and headed for her car. She tried to think of a place Hannah would go. She went to Broussard Park and walked out to the lighthouse. A couple families had gathered at the picnic area even though it was over ninety degrees and humid. Some teens were shooting baskets on the court. Kids were climbing the equipment on the playground. She even looked toward Hope Community Church. But there was no sign of Hannah or the used car she’d bought.

  When Maggie got back into her Dodge, she replayed the conversations she’d had with Hannah lately. Yesterday she’d been talking about the hotel and the pier that ran along one side of it. Hannah had commented how much she liked to go out there at lunch and eat her sandwich.

  She called Cody. “Have you found her?”

  “No, and I’m running out of places to look.”

  “I’m going to the hotel she’s working on in Biloxi. I know it’s a long shot, but we were talking about it yesterday.”

  “Fine. I’ve got a couple more areas left.” Tension roughened his voice. “If you find her, call and I’ll come.”

  Thirty minutes later Maggie parked at the end of the pier next to the hotel under construction—beside Hannah’s car. Once she spied Hannah herself out on the pier she called Cody.

  “I found her at the hotel pier where she’s working.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Let me talk to her. Go home. I’ll either call you to come or I’ll bring her home.” When that suggestion was met with silence, she continued. “I know what’s happening to her. I can relate.”

  “Okay.” The word was drawn out as if it had been difficult to say.

  As Maggie strolled toward Cody’s sister, Hannah faced the sea, the breeze whipping her long blond hair about her face. Her posture, hunched over the railing, conveyed a woman struggling with her emotions.

  “Hannah, are you all right?”

  Hannah’s shoulders rose and fell. Her hands dropped from the railing and flexed at her sides. Slowly she rotated toward Maggie. “He accused me of trying to trap him into a marriage. Told me there was no way he was going to be forced to marry me. That was before I could say more than ‘Hello, this is Hannah.’” Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears.

  “I’m sorry. Didn’t you tell me y’all were talking about getting married?”

  “Yes. Not right away but in a year or so when we both had better jobs and could save some money.”

  “Then what he says doesn’t make sense. He’d been planning to marry you anyway.”

  “Maybe. Maybe it was all talk.” A wet track ran down her cheek, and Hannah brushed it away.

  “Why did you call him? I thought you were going to wait for him to call you.”

  “After listening to your pastor talk today about letting go of hurts in the past, I’d wanted to tell Aaron I understood he had been scared when I broke the news to him. I still wanted
him to be in his kids’ lives, even if he didn’t want to marry me. I didn’t want them to miss out on having a dad.”

  “Did you tell him that?”

  “No, he hung up on me before I got the chance. I’m not calling him back. I’ve done all I can. It’s just that—that...” The tears returned to stream down Hannah’s face.

  “What?”

  Hannah sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I want my kids to grow up with a father. At least I had one, even if he was gone a lot. I’d wished he was around more, but I knew when he returned, he’d always do what he could for me. I don’t want my kids to have a hole in their lives even before they’re born.”

  “Is that the way you felt?”

  “Sometimes. I don’t want to go with Cody, traveling from place to place, but with my brother, at least my boys would have a man in their life.”

  “You’re having boys? Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

  “I was still trying to get used to the news the doctor told me Friday. For months I’d been dreaming I was going to have girls. I’d talked myself into believing I could handle girls by myself because I know how females think. Now I’m not sure. I hated sports in school. I was never a tomboy even if I became an electrician. How am I going to do all of that for not one but two sons?”

  Maggie put her arm around Hannah. “C’mon. Let’s head back to Hope. We’ll leave your car here and I’ll tell you about a few of my same worries when Brady was born.”

  “I’m sorry you came all the way over here. I know Cody worries about me. Probably for good reason. Lately I’ve been crying all the time.”

  “Welcome to the world of being pregnant. I could tell you stories about that, too.”

  By the time Maggie pulled up to Cody’s apartment, Hannah had laughed, shared a little more about Aaron’s treatment of her and her dilemma concerning her brother. She wanted to stand on her own two feet but also realized the huge change about to occur in her life with the birth of her twins.

  “Thanks for listening to me, Maggie. I think with all that is happening the worst part is that I can’t decide what to do. I don’t know what is best. I have such a strong urge to stay here, but...” Hannah looked out the windshield and swallowed hard.

  Maggie removed the key from the ignition. “You don’t have to decide right now. Give it time. The right answer will come to you. Pray about it. If you decide to go with Cody, you can always change your mind and return. I promise I won’t forget you.” Nor your brother.

  “That’s true. I don’t see Zane’s work slowing down anytime soon.” Hannah looked up at Cody’s apartment. “I guess we’d better go let Cody know I’m all right.”

  “I’m surprised he isn’t out here.”

  As Maggie mounted the stairs with Hannah to the apartment, Cody opened the door, his eyes soft with concern. “We decided to ride back together. Your sister will need a lift to work tomorrow.” She followed Hannah inside, wanting to make sure the young woman was truly all right.

  Near the hallway to the bedrooms, Hannah swung around. “I’m tired. I’m gonna lie down. Thanks, Maggie, for making me feel like a normal pregnant woman.” She gave Maggie a quick hug then disappeared down the corridor.

  “A normal pregnant woman?” Cody murmured behind her, only a foot away.

  His husky voice, laced with a trace of humor, sent goose bumps spreading down her body. “You know all those hormones rampaging through us, making us cry at the slightest thing.”

  “Ah, that ‘normal.’ I’m glad this is only temporary.”

  “You and thousands of other men.”

  His chuckle tingled along her neck as he moved past her into the living room. “Would you like some sweet tea? I know how much you love it.”

  “No, but we should talk.”

  He turned toward her. “Thanks for helping Hannah. Frankly I wasn’t sure what to say to her. I’m not real rational when talking about Aaron with her. If I ever see him...” He waved his hand toward the couch. “Never mind. I don’t think we’ll see him anytime soon.”

  “I don’t think so, either. He made it clear to her that he didn’t want to have anything to do with her or his children.”

  “Legally he may not have a choice.”

  “True, and Hannah and I talked about that on the way home. She doesn’t want to pursue financial support from Aaron. She’s determined somehow to make it on her own. By the end of the ride, she’d decided her sons will be better off without him in their lives—even a little.”

  “Sons? Is that what the doctor told her Friday?”

  Hannah nodded. “I thought she had told you.”

  “I didn’t realize she would find out on Friday. The last time she went they couldn’t tell.” The corners of his mouth lifted into a grin that reached deep into his eyes. “Two nephews. I like that. I wasn’t sure about what to do with girls. But boys I know a thing or two about.”

  “It has Hannah a little nervous. The way you feel about girls is the way she feels about boys.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll help her.” He sat beside her on the couch, facing her, his arm along the back cushion. “But why didn’t she say anything to me Friday night?” The grin dimmed, his eyebrows crunching together.

  “I think probably because she still doesn’t know what she wants to do when you need to leave.”

  “This should cinch it. Her sons need a male in their lives. It won’t be their father but I’m perfect. Uncle Cody. I like the sound of that. Maybe I can pass along what I’m learning from Brady about fishing. I never thought I would get into it, but I’ve been enjoying myself.”

  “I’m glad you are. Brady seems to be, too. But I need to point out there are a lot of girls who like to fish, too. You could do that with nieces as well as nephews. I’m telling you because the doctor couldn’t tell on the second baby for sure. He was hiding behind his brother.”

  “But you think it’s a boy.”

  “I’m only saying that because probably it is unless they aren’t identical twins.”

  As if he dismissed that possibility, Cody mused aloud, “Two boys. I’m liking that more and more. I also played football. I could get them involved in that, too.”

  Laughing, she took his hand to get his full attention. “I suggest you quit planning your nephews’ childhoods. Hannah may have her own opinion. You’ve already got them fishing and playing football. When are they going to play with friends, study?”

  The light in his eyes brightened. “After guitar lessons.” A smile curled the corners of his mouth. “I had dreams as a teen of being a rock star. They didn’t last long, but putting together a band while I was living in Biloxi my sophomore year was fun. I wonder what happened to it. I had to leave a few weeks before we were going to perform at our first party.”

  “You didn’t keep up with any of them?”

  “No. I found a clean break was easier when leaving a town.”

  The matter-of-fact way he said that last sentence sliced through her heart. Today it was so easy to keep up with people even half a world away. She didn’t want him to walk out of her life and not ever hear from him again. Her hand slipped from his, and she leaned back, putting more space between them.

  Maggie rose. “I’d better go. I left without telling anyone where I was. Not that I have to, but they may begin to wonder if I’m going to fix dinner tonight.”

  “Before she’d left, we had decided I was grilling steaks tonight while Hannah made a salad and baked a couple potatoes. Not particularly difficult.” In one fluid motion, he was on his feet and closing the gap between them. “Thank you for helping me. When Hannah starts crying, I don’t know what to say to her. The other day I found her sobbing at a commercial on TV.”

  “Some of them are tearjerkers.”

  “This wasn’t. It was about buying a certain dog food.”

  “But remember she’d like to have a pet. That might have been what was behind it.” She backed away a few steps before she surrendered to her desires and invited her
self to dinner.

  “Do you have to fix dinner tonight? I can get another steak thawed pretty fast.”

  “Yes,” she said so quickly it even surprised her.

  Cody blinked several times. “I know that was last minute, but...”

  The creases on his forehead enticed her to smooth them away. She clenched her hands so tightly, her nails stabbed her palms. “I’d love to some other time. You’ve got your dinner planned and so do I.” Another pace back and she could breathe a little easier. Her heartbeat calmed—slightly.

  Unfortunately her hen was still in the freezer. She checked her watch and winced. She might have to rethink dinner, but the one thing she was sure about was that she couldn’t spend the evening with Cody. She was beginning to see why he cut all ties when he left. There was some wisdom in that method.

  As she moved toward the exit, he mirrored her steps. It just wasn’t fair. How was she supposed to keep her distance when he kept breaching her personal space?

  As she reached for the door, he leaned against it, effectively stopping her from opening it and fleeing down the stairs. His shoulder cushioning against her escape route, he loosely folded his arms over his chest. “How about a steak dinner next weekend? No last-minute plans.”

  A date? No. Yes. “Let me check my calendar. I never know with Brady what’s going on.” The statement even sounded lame to her. Her son hadn’t done much of anything this summer so why was next weekend any different?

  “Fine. Just let me know. I’m flexible.”

  I’m flustered. “Okay. I’ll talk to you this week at City Hall.” She put her hand on the knob to turn it.

  But he still lounged against the door. When he covered her hand and tugged her toward him, she was in deep trouble. Her heartbeat increased its tempo, pounded against her rib cage. Its pulsating throb thundered through her head. Hannah probably heard it and would be in here any second to interrupt what Maggie knew was coming next.

  A kiss.

  When his lips touched hers softly, she nearly sank to the floor. She clutched his arms and gave into the sensations he produced in her. He wrapped her in his embrace and deepened the kiss. Her lungs deprived of air, she finally turned her head slightly.