by Judy Baer
“Don’t equivocate. You’re out of a job.”
“Listen, honey, I’ve been a professional caregiver since the day I graduated from college. That’s when Dr. Harvey hired me to help care for his ailing father, remember? Until recently, Family Affairs had a waiting list of clients who’d asked specifically for me. It’s just that there have been fewer inquiries into professional home care since the recession. More and more people are choosing to care for parents or grandparents themselves because of the cost. There will be another job soon, Trisha.”
Doubt had clouded Trisha’s features. “I know, I know, God will provide. But what do we do in the meantime? Go on a bread-and-water diet?”
Hannah had tried to respond slowly, careful not to say anything that might jar something loose inside her, like the frail walls that were keeping her composure in check.
“If things pick up, Family Affairs will consider rehiring staff.” She’d worked at Family Affairs ever since she had gone back to work after Steve’s death.
Trisha had been about to speak, but she stopped when the front door again flew open.
“Hey, Trisha, did Mom tell you about the field trip our class is taking tomorrow? It’s going to be awesome!” Danny kicked off his boots, shed his parka and dropped his Spiderman book bag on the floor. Then he threw himself onto the couch between his mother and his aunt. “Right, Mom?” His green eyes, so much like his father’s, glowed as he looked up at his mother.
“Yes, terrific.” Hannah’s voice sounded oddly strangled in her ears.
He looked at her quizzically but didn’t pursue it. Instead he took Trisha’s hand. “Can I have popcorn and hot chocolate for my snack?”
“Sure, little buddy. Let’s go.” Trisha had allowed herself to be led into the kitchen.
Hannah had waved them away, behaving as if what they’d been discussing was unimportant. But it was important. Their budget was figured down to the penny. That had already been underscored by her inability to provide her son with forty-two cents for a field trip. What would happen to them now that she was out of a job?
She groaned and pounded on her pillow.
She had received three nasty collection letters in the mail. Never before had she felt so shamed. Granted, she’d been late to pay her bills, but she’d been sure she’d have the money soon. She’d never had a bad-check notice in her life—until now. How had things fallen apart so quickly?
Because, of course, they’d been living from hand to mouth ever since Trisha had started school. Her sister had applied for scholarships, but none were forthcoming. She held her small job as a waitress, but her studies were demanding. Every penny Hannah earned went toward bills. They had no cushion left for an emergency of any sort. She’d become the working poor and it grieved her terribly. What would Steve have thought? He’d been a fanatic about paying bills on time. He would never have let them get into this fix, but what else could she have done? Now, she’d had to move into the Matthews’ house and out of the house to save it.
In her new, still unfamiliar bedroom, Hannah fell asleep and dreamed that she and Danny were moving across a vast desert, all their worldly possessions strapped to the back of a cantankerous camel. Sandstorms came and went. Every oasis turned out to be a mirage and she awoke with her mouth parched. She didn’t want to know what a dream expert might say about that.
* * *
In the quiet of his office the next morning, Tyler replayed the scene with Irene last night.
He had to give Hannah credit for averting disaster by offering her help. If Irene had left, he would have been in a world of hurt. It only underscored how important it was that this young, delicate woman could handle Lily. The odds were against her, considering Lily’s track record.
He was sorry, too. He liked the feisty redhead. She was definitely the prettiest caregiver they’d had, but the delicacy of her looks belied the spine of steel she exhibited. He found himself wishing to see her outlast his grandmother’s imperious demands. Time would tell, he decided. Until then he’d silently cheer Hannah on.
“Morning, sir,” his secretary Melanie had greeted him when he’d arrived. She’d picked up a sheaf of papers. “Things to sign. You’ve also got a lot of phone calls to return. Several new manufacturers have contacted us recently looking for an export agent. Your attorney has been calling. He’s looked over those documents we sent to him and he’s found a couple irregularities he’d like corrected before you sign them. There’s a new wholesaler in Spain who wants to talk to you, and those catalogue companies we contacted have sent their bids. Oh, yes, and one of the freight forwarders wants you to look at the new shipping rates before he books cargo space.”
She drew a breath before continuing, but Ty held up his hand. “Don’t tell me any more. Just give me the things that needs immediate attention. When I’m done with that, I’ll take the stuff that should have been done last week.” He scraped a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry to flood you with this first thing.”
“It’s hardly your fault.” He took the papers she handed him. “Don’t put any calls through for a couple of hours—especially from Lily. She has got help at home now. I’m going to have to wean her from calling on me.”
She looked at him with surprise. “Yes, sir.”
Ty lost himself in work, and when he glanced at the clock it was already one in the afternoon. Because Melanie hadn’t sent through any calls, he’d taken care of many of the tasks before him. He wondered how many times his grandmother had called and how irate she was that she hadn’t been let through.
Melanie was back from lunch and opening mail. The office was surprisingly serene. She turned around when Ty entered and handed him a list of phone calls to return.
He glanced at the list. “I see you haven’t listed my grandmother. How many times did she call?”
“None, sir.”
“What?” He wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.
“She didn’t call at all.”
“I wonder if something is wrong.” Then he stopped himself. He’d hired Hannah St. James to keep Lily busy. She was obviously doing it. He shouldn’t, like Lily’s old saying went, look a gift horse in the mouth. Surely someone would contact him if anything was wrong.
“Order me some lunch and have it delivered, will you? As long as it’s quiet I’d better keep working.”
He wandered back into his office and sat down feeling strangely bereft. He’d been on edge ever since Lily got hurt and then, suddenly, he wasn’t needed. It was exactly what he’d wanted, but it felt strange.
The empty feeling reminded him of all the things he’d passed up in order to live the life he had. Sometimes he wondered if he took Lily’s care too seriously. But she was the mother that his own mother was unable to be. Lily had been a socialite until he’d come to live with her, and she’d turned her back on all of it to nurture him. He had done the same for Lily.
It really hadn’t been that much of a sacrifice. After his fiancée Anita’s death, he’d never planned to marry again anyway. He believed that the kind of love they’d had never struck twice. They’d had what his grandparents had experienced. They were soul mates, best friends. He’d lived his life not believing he’d ever meet another woman like Anita.
He still felt he was to blame for her death. Anita had gone to Paris in part because of him. She’d gone to buy her wedding dress. She and her maid of honor had planned their shopping excursion down to the last detail and were so excited they talked of nothing else. After they’d found a dress, they rented a car to tour the countryside. They’d planned to be gone a week. A farmer’s truck stopped in the middle of the road with a flat tire, a quick turn of the steering wheel during which Anita lost control of the car and they would never return.
He hadn’t felt good about her going, but she was so looking forward to it that he hadn’t had the heart to say so. If only...if only what? He had forced her stay home? Everyone, including Anita’s family and his grandparents, would hav
e told him he was being ridiculous. So he’d let her go and she’d never come back.
Hannah, he realized, was the first woman since Anita who appealed to him on more than a professional level.
To change the track of his thoughts, Tyler picked up another pile on his to-do list and dug in.
A soft knock on the door made him look up. Melanie peeked around the door. “I’m leaving now. Is there anything else you’d like me to do before you go?”
“Already?” He looked at his wristwatch. Six o’clock? “How did that happen?”
“No calls from your grandmother, perhaps?”
“I hope the house hasn’t gone up in flames,” he said wryly. “I can’t imagine how Lily’s new caregiver kept her off the telephone.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a winner.”
He was surprised to be able to agree.
When he reached the house, it was gleaming with light, lamps on in nearly every room. As he walked from the garage into the kitchen he could hear music playing—old music. The tunes of first “A Tisket, A Tasket” and then “Over the Rainbow” came floating from the back of the house, garnished with peals of laughter.
Chapter Seven
Tyler eased open the door and looked inside. What he saw made his jaw drop.
Lily and Danny were ensconced at the kitchen table dropping cookie dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper as music poured out of the radio. Irene, who was usually gone by this time of day, was at the other end of the table polishing silver. Hannah, in a vast white apron that dwarfed her small figure, was stirring something in a large, steaming pot on the stove. The entire house smelled wonderful—baking cookies, spicy sausage and chalky silver cleaner—and brimmed with energy. The place had done a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn since yesterday. It felt like the home he’d known as a child—full of light, music and fun. How had Hannah managed that in a single day?
Lily barely had time to look up and greet him.
Danny waved a teaspoon in the air. “We’re making oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies. They’re my mom’s specialty.”
“They’re delicious,” Irene agreed. “I’ve had three and ruined my supper.”
Ty walked to the stove and bent over Hannah’s shoulder to see a creamy white soup in the pot. He could smell the sweet-savory sausage, the aroma of the cookies in the oven and a hint of lavender, which was no doubt Hannah’s perfume or bath powder. He didn’t know which of the aromas he liked best. The lavender was particularly enticing.
* * *
He felt large and towering as he stood over Hannah. She was almost five feet five inches tall but very slim. Her wrist bones were slight and appeared fragile, her fingers long and slender. Her hazel eyes sparkled with fun. She’d pulled her rusty auburn hair back with a ribbon, but small tendrils had escaped and curled around her face in the steam.
Ty felt an odd twist in his gut, as if she was another person he needed to protect, but he shook it off. Hannah was plenty tough. After all, she’d kept Lily out of his hair all day. As he stood by her, another emotion overtook him, one he’d least expected—romantic interest. He wanted to put his arms around her and bury his nose in that red cloud of hair.
Pulling back, he stammered, “When will we eat?”
“It’s ready now. As soon as Lily and Danny finish dropping the cookies, I’ll set the table.” She turned around and her shoulder brushed against his. Ty stiffened at the light, pleasurable touch. She, however, didn’t seem to notice.
“Irene, will you join us? I made plenty of soup and baked enough bread sticks to feed an army.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t. I usually don’t...”
“Stay, Irene,” Ty said, “unless you have to cook dinner for your husband.”
“He’s not home tonight. Bowling with his buddies.”
“Good. Set a place for yourself.”
The woman smiled broadly. Ty couldn’t remember the last time Irene had really smiled. Hannah was making miracles.
* * *
Hannah felt a surge of cozy domesticity she hadn’t experienced in a very long time, not since Steve had been alive. Granted, she cooked for Danny and Trisha, but Trisha often didn’t come home until long after Danny had eaten. Hannah wasn’t quite sure when they’d begun eating in shifts rather than sitting down at the table to eat as a family. It had happened gradually, she supposed, or she might have put a stop to it. Then again, a lot of things had gone by the wayside since Steve had died. It saddened her to think of it, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She had people to care for right now. That would have to fulfill her need for more family.
Irene put away the silver and set the table. Danny filled glasses with ice and water. Lily folded napkins. Hannah handed Ty a plate of homemade breadsticks and began dishing up bowls of soup.
When they sat down, Danny immediately put his hands together and lowered his head.
“Would you say the blessings, dear?” Lily murmured, glowing with pleasure.
“Dear God,” the child began, “thanks for my mom’s good Italian soup. And thanks for this awesome place to live. And the airplanes on my ceiling and the Lego...”
“Amen,” Hannah said, knowing that if she didn’t intercede, Danny could find things to be grateful for till bedtime.
They lingered over coffee and cookies, chatting, until Danny yawned. Irene glanced at the clock on the wall. “Mercy, me! It’s eight o’clock. I’d better go home or my hubby will beat me home from bowling.” She turned and beamed at Hannah. “I haven’t had such fun in a long time. Thank you for dinner.”
“Anytime, Irene. I like to cook. I know you usually leave a meal for Lily, but I don’t mind cooking.” She glanced hesitantly at Ty. “If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Mind?” He looked pleased. “How could I mind? But you don’t have to, Hannah. That wasn’t part of the agreement.”
“If I live here, I expect to feed Danny and myself. No use always doubling up on meals.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Lily interrupted. “And Ty will see what a good cook you are.”
What did that have to do with anything? Hannah wondered.
“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Lily added. “Ty’s grandfather always said so.”
Quickly changing the subject, Hannah said, “Danny, go upstairs and take a shower and get into your pajamas. Irene, I’ll clean up in the kitchen after I’ve gotten Lily settled upstairs. Thanks for your help.”
“How did you get down the stairs, Gram?” Tyler asked.
“With a crutch on one side and Hannah on the other. She said I didn’t need to be trapped in my room every day.”
“Well, how about I do this to get you upstairs?” Tyler leaned over his grandmother and swept her into his arms. “Hannah can carry the crutch.” In a moment, Lily was back in her room. Ty deposited her on the bed and left her with Hannah.
The elderly woman was exhausted from her day, Hannah realized. Lily, probably for the first time in years, was ready for bed by 9:00 p.m. Hannah said good-night and closed the door behind her.
In Danny’s room, Hannah kissed her son good-night and listened to his prayers. Before she could ask her son how he liked it here, Danny volunteered, “This is a great place, isn’t it? I wish we could live here all the time.”
“And leave our house and Trisha?”
“This is a way nicer house. And someday Trisha will get married and move away. You said so yourself.”
“But not anytime soon, probably.”
“Why not? She’s graduating next year.”
That set Hannah back on her heels. It was true, but she hadn’t wanted to think about it. She’d given so much of her life to her sister that the idea of Trisha moving away was almost unimaginable. Soon it would be just she and Danny, and then... A wave of loneliness washed over her. Danny would go to college and she’d be completely alone.
Steve had been the love of her life, her soul mate. She couldn’t imagine a man she cou
ld love more. And if she couldn’t have the type of affection and devotion she’d once known, she wouldn’t marry again. She’d never allowed herself a spark of attraction to another man, unless she counted today.
Back in the kitchen, Hannah was surprised to find Ty at the sink rinsing dishes. “I can do that.”
“So can I.” He began to load the dishwasher. “I would have starved long ago if I didn’t know my way around a kitchen.”
“What’s your specialty?” Hannah picked up a sponge and wiped crumbs off the table.
“Panini sandwiches. Pile everything I can find in the fridge on a piece of thick bread, squash it all together with another piece of bread, butter it and smash it in the panini maker. The Iron Chefs have nothing on me.”
They cleaned the kitchen in companionable silence. Ty poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Hannah. “I think I’ll have a couple more cookies before I go to bed.” He glanced at his watch. “Which, by the way, will be at a decent time for a change.”
“Lily was already half asleep when I left her room.”
“She obviously needs much more activity than she’s been getting.” He studied her, his dark eyes hooded and unreadable. “You’re good at what you do, aren’t you?”
“I like to think so. I have a passion for the elderly.” Hannah considered the fervor she felt to make the world a better place one aged client at a time. She believed God had created her for this task. Honor your father and your mother—and those of others. Look after the widows in their distress. Even with no living parents of her own, those words resonated in her heart.
“I think I’ll hit the sack,” Ty said with a yawn. “Lily may not go to bed this early again for a long time.”
“Lily won’t be a problem, I promise. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” It surprised Hannah to realize as she looked at Ty that she meant it with all her heart.
* * *
His head hit the pillow with Hannah’s words echoing inside his skull. Lily was her charge now. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. This meant he could finally get some work done. He’d made a dent in paperwork today, but even that wasn’t the most pressing thing he had to accomplish. He’d put off visiting numerous manufacturers and customers and had several messages from his accountants and attorneys to tend to.