by Debby Mayne
She pouted. “But I want a mommy, and she’s nice.”
Stacy jabbed her. “How would you know if she’s nice? We don’t even know the lady.”
Tracy turned to Ed. “Is she nice, Daddy?”
“She’s very nice. But that doesn’t mean she has to be your mommy. She can be our friend.”
The rest of the night was spent discussing how they could do things with Jill as friends without making her their mommy. Ed had no idea what Jill would say, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Besides, he didn’t think she’d want to disappoint two very sweet little girls.
The next morning when he arrived at the shop he felt out of sorts. Jill had brought in some food, and she was sticking it in a microwave he hadn’t seen before.
“Where’d you get that?” he asked.
Jill opened her mouth, but Matt stopped her. “I bought a new built-in for the house to surprise my wife, so I brought the freestanding one here for Jill.”
“I offered to pay him,” Jill said, “but he won’t take it.” She sighed. “So I’ll just have to make breakfast, too.”
Matt chuckled. “At this rate maybe you should have a café in the back of your shop.”
“Now that’s a thought,” Jill said with a smile.
Suddenly Ed’s day turned brighter—simply because Jill smiled. His heart melted at the warmth that lit up her face.
“I got a special deal on some prefab cabinets,” Matt added. “One of the contractors I worked with on the last job had an extra set. They were dirt cheap, and I offered them to Jill. She’s still trying to decide.”
“Take them,” Ed said. “You could use some cabinets.”
Tension overtook Jill’s face. “You said they were cheap, but you never did say how much.”
“Practically free,” Matt said as he glanced down.
Jill saw right through that. “I know they weren’t free. Just give me a price.”
“Pay me fifty dollars, and we’ll be even,” Matt said. “Hey, I gotta run. I have work to do. You can give me your answer later.”
Ed was well aware the cabinets cost more than fifty dollars, but he wasn’t about to interfere with his friend’s generosity. Matt hadn’t lied, but he sure had avoided Jill’s question without giving a direct answer.
“Is fifty dollars too much?” Ed asked after Matt was gone.
She tilted her head and gave him a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. “I’m not stupid,” she said.
“No, I realize that. But if Matt’s offering you some cabinets for fifty bucks, you need to take him up on it.”
“I hate being a charity case.”
Ed decided to change the subject. “My girls loved their goodies. Thanks.”
Jill offered a half smile. “I’m glad. You’re very welcome.”
“I never realized how something as simple as a box filled with trinkets would make them happy.”
“I’m sure there are some things we both need to learn.” The softness of her voice warmed his heart.
“Yes, I’m sure there are.”
❧
The morning flew by for Jill. She had a steady stream of customers, most of them referrals from friends who’d been in before. People in Atlanta obviously loved antiques and collectibles. “This place is so charming,” one woman said. “I hope you do well, dear.”
Jill cut a glance over to Ed. She saw that he’d heard the woman, and that pleased her.
After the morning crowd thinned out, Ed stopped by the desk. “I’m going to lunch. Want something?”
“No, thanks. I brought a salad.”
He offered a clipped nod. Once he was gone, Jill flopped into the chair beside the register desk. She was exhausted, and it wasn’t just because she’d worked so hard all morning. Just being near Ed wore her out.
After giving herself a few minutes to recover, she headed back to the kitchen area that she hadn’t seen since early morning. To her dismay, not only was the kitchen spotless, but a row of cabinets had been installed. She hadn’t given Matt her final answer yet. Why wouldn’t these guys let her make decisions for herself? Why did they assume they knew what was best for her?
She steamed and stewed until Ed returned from lunch. He took one look at her, dropped his smile, and took a step back. “Oh, no. What did I do now?”
Jill gestured around the kitchen. “Why, Ed?”
He shrugged. “I had to have someplace to put stuff, and they were right there in the back. It was easy, and I figured you couldn’t pass up such a good deal.”
As much as she hated to admit it, the kitchen was starting to take shape. All she needed to make it a full, serviceable kitchen was a range. But she wasn’t about to mention that, or she knew one would appear.
“Okay, I s’pose you’re right. But from now on please give me time, and let me decide what I want in my shop. I’m a grown woman, and in spite of what you might be thinking, I’m responsible.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, she realized what she’d said. Although she’d fought tooth and nail about being tied down, she really was a responsible adult. She wasn’t nearly as flighty as her father had always made her feel.
Ed’s expression was unreadable. Finally he nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I apologize. From now on you call the shots. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
Jill groaned. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant was—”
“That’s okay. I understand. And I totally agree. This is your place. Matt and I have no right trying to muscle our opinions through. Want me to rip out those cabinets?”
“No, of course not. I know a great deal when I see one. I’m keeping them. I’ll give Matt fifty dollars when he comes back.”
❧
Ed decided to tell Matt to cool it on his generosity since Jill would obviously bend over backward to repay them. They didn’t need to add to her financial stress.
He went about his business while she assisted customers. Every time she entered the room where he was working, he had to fight the urge to watch her. Once, when she came back to get ceramic angels from the shelves he’d built, he found himself comparing her features to the angels’—and she won hands down.
Marcy had been softly pretty, too. But Marcy would never have ventured out on her own as Jill had. Then he remembered something important. Jill didn’t exactly have a choice. Her mother had died when she was a child, and her father had died recently. She didn’t have anyone, so she was stuck fending for herself. That very thought gripped his heart.
Ed had gradually started seeing more in Jill than her crusty exterior. She was soft inside, and he found her internal fortitude endearing. In fact, he admired how she not only pulled herself up to whatever she needed to do, but she also had a heart for her customers and seemed sincere when she offered her assistance.
That evening Stacy and Tracy greeted him with their chubby little arms open wide and expectant looks on their faces. “Sorry, girls. I didn’t bring anything home today.”
Tracy backed off, still pouting. Stacy, however, looked him squarely in the eye. “We wanted you to bring Jill home with you. Did you tell her you were making pancakes?”
“Pancakes are tomorrow night, squirt. Tonight’s hamburger night.”
She grinned. “Oh, then you can bring her home with you tomorrow night for pancakes. You make the bestest pancakes in the whole world.”
Ed chuckled. “I’m not sure Jill even likes pancakes.”
“Everyone likes pancakes,” Stacy said with authority.
After dinner he read a story to the girls, then told them they could play for a few minutes before they got ready for bed. He went into the living room to pray and reflect.
His heartache over losing Marcy during their birth still hung over him, but the pain had dulled a little. Marcy had left such a wonderful part of herself behind in the girls. Although the girls were identical in looks, they had different personalities. Stacy was similar to her mother, all bubbly and lighthearted, with a to
uch of bossiness. Tracy was more like him—quiet and brooding with tendencies toward perfectionism and control. Both girls were very intelligent and had similar interests. And to his utter delight they got along great, sticking up for each other no matter what.
A year after Marcy’s death people in the church had started introducing him to women they thought would be perfect for him. But no one could ever take Marcy’s place.
“Daddy!” The shrill voice snapped him from his trance.
“Huh? Something wrong?”
“We’re thirsty,” Stacy said. Tracy stood beside her, nodding.
He quickly stood, took them by the hands, and led them to the kitchen, where he got them each a glass of water. “Time for bed, girls.”
After they put on their pajamas, he went to their room to hear their prayers. Tracy wouldn’t let go of his hand when he stood to leave.
“Can we come to your work tomorrow?” she asked.
“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Please?” Stacy begged.
“No.” Ed went to the door. “Let’s get some sleep.” He heard them whispering as he walked to his room, and he knew they’d be up to something soon.
The next morning Ed was the first person to arrive at the Junktique Shoppe. Jill came in an hour later, laden with grocery bags.
By late morning his senses were accosted by the smell of Italian sauce. He dropped what he was doing and headed into the kitchen, where she stood over a two-burner hot plate, stirring sauce in a large pot. He’d have to hand it to her for ingenuity.
“Where’d you get the burner?” he asked.
“I had it in college. It was in a box in my spare bedroom.” She stirred a few more times, then put on the lid. “Hungry?”
He grinned. “I am now.”
Matt came walking in a few seconds later. “Something smells awesome.”
By lunchtime Jill had a couple of tables cleared and plates lined up for a nice spaghetti lunch. She seemed pleased with herself as a half-dozen workers helped themselves to seconds, and some even had third helpings.
“Where’d you learn to cook like this?” Matt asked.
“I always cooked for my dad. He liked dinner on the table every night, and since I got home from school before he came home from work, that was my job.”
Ed sensed that she hadn’t particularly enjoyed cooking for her dad, but he knew she felt good about this. So he remained quiet as everyone else oohed and aahed over her fabulous culinary skills. She jumped up to assist customers when they walked into the store, so the workers used that time to nudge him. One of them even said, “She’s a keeper, Ed. Better latch on to her.” Ed quickly changed the subject.
Once everyone had finished, Ed helped Jill clean the kitchen. “Lunch was great,” he said as he dried the last of the dishes. “I was wondering. . .” He looked at her as she turned to face him, her eyes wide. He had to swallow hard to continue. “I promised the girls I’d make pancakes for supper tonight. Would you like to join us?”
She fidgeted with her hair before shaking her head. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Not tonight.”
Ed nodded and put the leftover spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator. Once everything was done, he returned to his project in the back room.
Every once in a while he heard the bell on the front door, but for most of the afternoon the place was quiet. He was startled when he glanced up and saw Jill staring at him.
“Need something?” he asked.
“I hate asking you to do this, but I have to run over to the bank. I’ll only be gone a few minutes. Would you mind—?”
“Watching your shop?” he asked, finishing her question. He wanted to kick himself the instant he did it. It used to annoy Marcy to no end.
Jill grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
She obviously didn’t mind. He let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll be glad to. Is everything priced?”
A look of amusement covered her face. “Yes, and I don’t mind if you want to give a 20 percent discount. I’ve got it built into my prices.”
“That won’t be—.” He stopped himself. “I’ll do what I can.”
“Thanks.” She waved as she turned to leave.
Five minutes after she left, the place became swamped with business. And then, right after he closed the register after a large, multi-item sale in the hundreds of dollars, in walked Mrs. Cooper, the nanny, with his daughters on either side of her.
“Hey, Daddy!” Stacy said as she let go of Mrs. Cooper’s hand and ran toward him. He bent down and scooped her into his arms while Tracy held on to the nanny’s other hand and looked around the room.
“There’s a lot of stuff in here,” Tracy said in awe.
Flustered, Mrs. Cooper gently shoved Tracy toward him. “I hate to do this to you, Ed, but I have an emergency at home, and no one else from the church could cover for me.”
“That’s fine. In fact, I’ll put them to work.” And maybe Jill won’t freak out.
In a matter of seconds, Ed found himself in Jill’s shop with his daughters looking around, probably wondering what they could play with first. A brief panic filled him until he made a quick decision to knock off early and resume his work the next day. And he’d leave as soon as Jill returned from the bank.
A half hour passed, and Jill still hadn’t arrived. Then another half hour went by. Ed had heated up some of the spaghetti for the girls, which killed a few minutes. But he could keep them out of trouble for only so long before he needed to do something.
Finally, an hour and a half later, she breezed in. She looked as if she was on the verge of apologizing when she suddenly stopped, looked at the girls, then glanced up at him, her mouth wide open.
“Daddy, is this Jill?” Stacy asked, breaking the silence.
“Jill, meet my daughters, Stacy and Tracy.” He motioned toward Jill. “And this is Jill Hargrove. Mind if they call you Jill?”
Jill slowly shook her head, but she didn’t utter a word. Both girls stared right back at her without speaking. Finally Ed knew something had to give. He turned to Jill.
“The nanny had an emergency, so she dropped them off here. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m knocking off early.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jill said. “They’ll be fine here.”
Ed wished she hadn’t said that in front of the girls, but obviously she didn’t have much experience with children. Tracy tugged on his arm. “Can we, Daddy? Please?”
“Uh. . .”
Jill gestured around the shop. “I’m sure I can find something to keep them occupied while you finish your work for the day. It’s the least I can do.”
By this time Stacy had found the glassware and spotted a demitasse set. “Oh, look—some teacups.”
Jill’s eyes widened as she scurried to their side. “Hey, I’ve got something even better back here.” She motioned for them to follow her to the back room, and they did. Ed was right behind them.
“Cool!” both girls said in unison.
Jill had pulled out a box filled with more colorful, girl-type trinkets. “This is more stuff from that same estate sale in Roswell,” she explained. “You girls can have whatever you want.”
“We can take it home with us?” Stacy asked.
Ed stepped up. “I have an idea. Why don’t we keep it here for emergencies—at least until I’ve finished fixing everything.”
Jill looked up at him, hesitated a second, then nodded. “That’s fine.”
Ed and Jill let the girls help them carry some of the things to the area where Ed had his workshop set up. “Hey, Jill, that b’sketti was good,” Stacy blurted out. “Daddy said you cooked it.”
“By the way,” Ed said, “I fixed them some leftovers. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, of course I don’t mind,” Jill replied. “I have some cookies in the cupboard.”
The girls snapped their attention to Ed for approval. “Later,” he said quickly.
Jill made a face and whispered, “Sorry. I never know what to say around kids.”
“You’re doing just fine,” he replied. She was doing better than fine. He could tell the girls liked her.
Ed knew it was only a matter of time before they got curious and tried to wander, so he kept a close eye on them. To his surprise they stayed occupied for a couple of hours.
❧
Jill occasionally sneaked a peek back at Ed’s daughters. They looked so much alike it was confusing—until one of them opened her mouth. Then she knew who was who. The quiet one was Tracy. They were both obviously smart, but they were different in how they showed it. Stacy made noise every time she moved. She suspected Tracy could be standing right behind her and she wouldn’t even know it.
When the bell on the door sounded, she assisted a couple of browsers who were just looking. They each bought something small, which was fine because Jill knew they’d be back. She was about to get some more merchandise to fill in the empty spaces when she heard a shuffling sound behind her.
“Jill?”
“Yes?” she said as she turned to face the little girl—the quiet one.
“Do you like our daddy?” The little girl stood there looking up at her with wide-eyed wonder.
Six
Jill cleared her throat. “Why, uh, yes, of course I do.”
Tracy tilted her head. “Then why won’t you eat pancakes with us?”
“Um, I. . .”
Ed suddenly appeared. “Tracy, honey, Jill is a busy lady. I’m sure she has other things to do.”
Tracy held out her hands. “But she has to eat, doesn’t she?”
Both Tracy and Ed turned to her. He shrugged with an I-give-up look on his face. Jill didn’t like being put on the spot, but how did she tell that to a four-year-old?
Finally Jill sighed. “Yes, I have to eat.”
“Then come have pancakes with us,” Stacy said from behind.
Was this normal behavior for four-year-olds? She wasn’t sure, but they acted awfully old for their age.
“How old did you say you were?” Jill asked.