by Debby Mayne
Bethany managed to pull Claude and Marvin away from the chess table to help her unload the boxes. Howard took it upon himself to be second-in-charge.
“Put it over there, guys.” He pointed to the farthest table. “We have to make sure there’s plenty of room for everything else.”
Claude opened his mouth, but Marvin shook his head, and he closed it. Of the three, Marvin was the oldest, and he apparently had the wisdom to know when to argue and when to fold. At least that was the case this time.
It took them less than half an hour to unload the SUV and categorize Bethany’s contributions on the tables, thanks to the system Gina had set up. That woman could definitely give Pamela some competition in the leadership department. Bethany was sure it didn’t hurt that Gina was drop-dead gorgeous and sweet to people when they offered their help. These guys would clearly do their best to move heaven and earth if she asked them to.
Out of the corner of her eye, Bethany noticed Howard and Claude inspecting some of her most recently donated items. Claude mentioned that his sister collected Hummels, but Howard seemed more interested in the handmade objects. Marvin stood back, his arms folded, looking at everything spread out on the tables.
Gina came up to Bethany and whispered, “Do I need to keep an eye on these guys? Pamela says we’re missing some things.”
Bethany had known Howard, Claude, and Marvin all of her life, and she’d never heard any of them accused of dishonesty. “I don’t think it’s them. Maybe we need to find a place to lock up the most valuable things. There’s not enough room in the cabinets here.”
Gina nodded. “I agree. I asked the mayor for a room in City Hall, but he said no one in Bloomfield is dishonest and not to worry about it.”
Bethany laughed. “Of course, he’d say that. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s more of an ambassador than a realist.”
“I wonder . . .” Gina walked around the table, paused, and tapped her chin. “Nah, never mind.”
“What?”
Gina contorted her mouth. “We have a closet where we can store some of it. Jeremy wanted to add shelves and turn it into a toy closet for Lacy, but that can wait until after the festival is over.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Bethany said. “But you should probably discuss it with Jeremy first.”
“In the meantime, if you really think those guys are honest, I can ask them to guard the loot.”
Bethany laughed. “They’ll do anything for you, but be prepared for them to trip over each other to report what they saw.”
“Yeah, I know, right?” Gina grinned. “I think it’s very sweet, but sometimes they try so hard to be helpful that they get in the way.”
A week had passed since Pete spent the day with Bethany, and he still couldn’t get her response to his apartment out of his mind. She didn’t say a word, but her expression told him everything he needed to know about what she thought. From the way her eyes slowly squinted and her jaw tightened as she walked through the apartment made him wish he’d taken her someplace else. She hated the way his place looked, and her reaction mattered to him more than he thought it would.
He stood in the center of the living room and slowly turned around, taking it all in. He couldn’t say he blamed Bethany. The apartment looked downright sterile. There wasn’t a single item that identified him or said anything about who he was.
Deep down, Pete was a sensitive guy, but if an alien stopped by for a visit, he’d think Pete was cold and not the least bit sentimental. Maybe he’d pick up a few things from the festival to liven up the place a tad. There was always an excellent selection of decorations at the garden club rummage sale booth. He had no idea where to start, but he didn’t want to ask Bethany, since she was the one he wanted to impress. So he called his mother.
She chuckled. “Why wouldn’t you get Bethany to help you out? I’m sure she’d love it.”
“I want to surprise her.”
“Okay, let me think about it. In fact, I might even have a few things put away in the attic.”
He groaned. “Not Granny’s junk. That stuff looks like it came from a little old lady’s house.”
“That’s because it did.” His mother paused. “Okay, we can go shopping for some frames and some nice prints of fishing or something else you like. I’ll make you a couple of throw pillows for your couch.”
“Let me pick out the fabric,” he said. “I want it to look manly.”
“I’m all for fixing up your apartment, Pete, but I don’t think it’ll make that much difference in how Bethany feels about you.”
Now that she mentioned it, he realized Mom was probably right, but he’d already decided it would make him feel better about coming home to his apartment. As it was, even after living there a few years, he still didn’t have a sense of belonging. But until now, he didn’t much care.
“Would you like me to get a few frames and put some of your old class pictures in them?” she asked.
“No, I’ll do that. I don’t want pictures of me, but one of you and Dad would be nice.”
She giggled. “That’s sweet of you, but you don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I want something that makes me smile, and seeing your pretty face will definitely do that.”
Another giggle escaped on her end of the phone line. “I have one of your father and me at last year’s Fourth of July celebration.”
“Perfect! And I’ll go through some of the pictures from school and find one with a bunch of my buddies.” He glanced at his watch. “Gotta run, Mom. See you soon?”
“Yes, I’ll be in the office in the morning. I’m doing payroll this week.”
The bookkeeper was on vacation, and his mother knew the office better than anyone, so she always filled in when they were short-staffed. After they hung up, Pete thought about what else he could do to make the most visual impact on his place. Then he remembered some of the things Bethany had reluctantly donated. That’s where he’d start shopping during the festival, and he’d make sure to pick up something he knew she liked.
Bethany hadn’t been to a garden club meeting in a while, but when Gina asked, she didn’t want to say no. So she agreed that it would be fun to ride together.
Gina called from Bethany’s driveway. “I’m here.”
“Be right out.” She grabbed her purse and coat on her way out the door. When she got to Gina’s car, she saw the humongous portable file box on the backseat. “Looks like you’re ready for anything.”
“I’m nervous,” Gina said. “Pamela wants me to give a detailed report, and I’m afraid I’ll leave something out.”
Bethany laughed. “I don’t think you have a thing to worry about. You seem to have everything under control.”
Gina sighed as she backed out of the driveway. “I sure hope so. This is such a big project for my first, and I certainly don’t want to blow it.”
When they arrived at the meeting, the roar in the community center drowned out individual conversations. She headed toward the back of the room, but Naomi approached, took her by the arm, and led her closer to the front. As she glanced around the massive space, she saw that Sherry’s gaze had settled on her.
“I’ll go sit with Sherry, if you don’t mind,” Bethany said.
Naomi glanced over her shoulder. “Of course, I don’t mind. I think it’s a good idea to socialize with more folks close to your own age.” Her voice lowered. “I’ve been a little concerned about Sherry. She tends to hang out with us old biddies, and that’s not healthy for someone her age.”
“Stop worrying so much about everyone.”
Naomi shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s the mother hen coming out.”
Bethany left her mother, crossed the room, and slid into the seat beside Sherry. “I have to admit, I feel like a fish out of water here. Did you know I didn’t inherit any of my mother’s gr
een thumb genes?”
“I’m not exactly the best gardener either,” Sherry admitted. “If it weren’t for your mother, I probably wouldn’t even be allowed in the garden club.”
Bethany knew this about Sherry, which she found comforting at the moment. “I think tonight’s meeting will be mostly about the festival.”
“It’s all about the festival. You should see Pamela’s notes.”
“That bad, huh?” Bethany sighed. “At least it’ll all be over soon.”
A squawking sound came from the back of the room, announcing Pamela and Andy’s entrance with Murray. “One of these days, someone’s going to start charging that bird for membership. He seems to have as much to say as anyone here.”
Chapter 21
By the time Sunday rolled around, everyone in the garden club felt confident that the festival would run smoothly after Gina’s thorough and entertaining presentation. Even Pamela was impressed. On her way out, Naomi had asked Bethany to pick her up for church on Sunday.
“This place is packed.” Bethany glanced around the church, looking for enough room in a pew for herself and Naomi. The one where Naomi normally sat was taken.
“Pastor Brunswick’s on vacation, so John’s preaching the sermon today.” Naomi pointed to a pew behind a group of teenagers who’d uncharacteristically clustered toward the front of the church. “Why don’t we sit over there?”
Bethany nodded. It made sense that with popular youth pastor John Currey, preaching, the kids would sit up front to show their support. When he first arrived in town, the girls swooned over his dimpled good looks, and the guys respected him for his athleticism. The youth attendance in the church had been dwindling before he came, but once he started his programs, youth membership skyrocketed. Now they continued to have steady growth.
The sermon was on accepting change during the different phases of life. As he related 2 Corinthians 5:17 to accepting the change that comes from faith and being new in Christ, Bethany pondered what it meant to her. She’d been a Christian ever since she could remember, but she still felt cleansed as she experienced change that the Lord had inspired. She opened her Bible to the verse John had quoted and read it again. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Those powerful words sent goose bumps over her entire body. Change could come in so many different forms and to different degrees based on where each person was in her faith; there was no doubt the Lord was working on her. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she saw her mother watching her, a look of understanding written on her face.
After the service, Naomi tugged at Bethany. “I need to get home right away.”
“Can you give me a minute to talk to John and let him know what a great sermon he preached?”
Naomi shook her head. “No. We need to leave now. You can call him later.”
Bethany looked longingly at the line that had formed. John smiled at all the folks who wanted to shake his hand and offer their gratitude, but she wouldn’t be one of them.
“Okay, let’s go.” Bethany reached into her handbag, pulled out the keys, and took off after Naomi.
All the way to the Village, Naomi fidgeted, first with the hem of her top and then with the handle of her handbag. Something was up, but Bethany knew if her mother didn’t want to talk about it, there was nothing she could do.
When they came within sight of the Village entrance, Naomi cleared her throat. “I have a favor to ask.”
Okay, here it comes, Bethany thought. “What’s that?”
“I need a ride someplace. Can you wait for me to grab something?”
Bethany laughed. “Where do you need to go, and what do you need to grab? I can help.”
“Never mind that. Will you wait for me?” Naomi glared at her daughter with annoyance.
“Okay. Do you need some help?” Bethany pulled the car into the driveway closest to her mother’s apartment and stopped.
“No.” Naomi got out, leaned over, and pointed her finger. “Wait right here. Don’t go anywhere.”
As Bethany waited, she pondered what could possibly be going on. Naomi definitely had something up her sleeve, but she couldn’t imagine what it could be.
Pete thought his mother acted strange all during church. He kept glancing over at her, but she never looked him in the eye until he started to leave. “Stop by the house on your way home,” she said. “I have something for you.”
He didn’t have anything else to do, so he nodded. He figured she’d probably gathered some items to decorate his apartment. Even if he didn’t want to use them, there was no point in hurting her feelings since she’d gone to the trouble. Besides, she’d probably ask him to stay for lunch, and he was hungry.
She finally met his gaze, offered a shaky smile, and then quickly glanced away. “I better run. See you in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be there.” Pete stood on the church steps and watched his mother skitter toward the car where his dad stood waiting for her.
“That sure was invigorating.” The sound of John’s voice behind him caught his attention. When he turned around, he saw the youth pastor smiling at him. “I love working with the youth, but it’s nice to step out of my comfort zone once in a while and preach to the whole congregation.”
“You did a great job,” Pete said as he ambled toward John. “No one would ever guess you were outside your comfort zone.”
John chuckled. “You can’t even imagine how far outside it I was. Have I ever told you how shy I was when I was a teenager?”
“I had no idea.”
John nodded and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons I do so well with kids. I understand what they’re going through, so when they come to me, I relate my own experiences.”
Pete nodded. “And that’s what you did with the sermon today, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s the only way I can preach. I have to feel it.” He pulled a hand out of his pocket and touched his chest. “And man, did I ever feel it.”
As they chatted for the next half hour, Pete realized John could have been talking about him too. As a teenager he’d been shy in certain situations, particularly with girls, but now he considered himself a reserved adult—something he assumed was the transformation of shyness. He wondered, though, if he never had taken the steps to get out of his own comfort zone, and all he’d done was rename the way he related to people.
John finally glanced at his watch. “I need to head on out. Let’s get together sometime, like for pizza or something.”
“Sounds good.” As John turned to leave, Pete headed toward his truck. If he didn’t hurry, his mother would wonder if he’d changed his mind and start calling his cell.
He’d barely started the engine when his phone rang. He glanced at the number. Yup. It was his mom.
“Where are you?”
“Still at the church. I have to stop by my apartment for a minute, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He heard voices in the background, and none of them sounded like his dad. “Who all is there?”
“See you in a few minutes, Pete. Hurry up.” Click.
At least he knew his hunch was correct. Mom was up to something, only it wasn’t what he initially suspected. It involved other people, most likely Bethany, but he wouldn’t find out for sure until he got there. He’d gotten used to the scheming, and Bethany seemed to find it amusing, so he wasn’t worried.
The second he turned onto his parents’ street, he spotted several familiar looking cars—one of them Bethany’s. He smiled as he scanned the different vehicles and thought he recognized Andy’s, John Currey’s, and Brad Henderson’s. His mother should have told him she was having a party.
He parked as close as he could and sat in his car for a moment to pray. Lord, Y
ou’re obviously working on me. Please help me understand whatever it is. You know how hardheaded I can be. Pete opened his eyes and sighed. Time to go face whatever his mom had planned.
As he drew closer to the house, he could hear squawking, and then suddenly, as he stepped up onto the porch, a loud thudding sound. “Don’t open the door!” Andy’s voice boomed, stopping Pete in his tracks.
He wasn’t about to open the door after that, so he scooted over toward the big picture window and peeked into the dining room. Murray sat perched on top of his mother’s china cabinet, and Pete’s mom stood below, with hands folded and her face scrunched in concern, while Andy reached up toward Murray with a carrot stick.
Andy caught sight of Pete and motioned for him to go away. Pete decided he’d probably be safe going around to the back of the house and letting himself in through the kitchen.
With all the stealth he could muster, Pete opened the back door barely wide enough to slip in, and he quickly closed it. As he tiptoed toward the commotion, he noticed one person hanging back right outside the dining room.
“Bethany?” he whispered. “What happened?”
“Your mother was showing something to Pamela in the china cabinet, and next thing I know, Murray flew into the dining room with them. Your mom sort of freaked out when he got close to her china, and that’s when things got crazy.”
Pete thought for a moment. “Maybe I can do something.” Yesterday he would have hung back and worried that he might be overstepping his boundaries, but after the sermon, he figured the time had come to step out of his comfort zone.
He walked right into the dining room, went up to his mother, placed his hand on her shoulder, and said, “Andy and I can take care of this. You and everyone else go on into the kitchen.”
“But—”
Pete gently took her by the arm and pulled until she went on her own. He motioned to the crowd. “C’mon, everyone. There are way too many people in here, and it’ll make it that much harder to corral Murray.”