When she got to the office, she opened the door and smiled at the secretary sitting at her desk. “Good morning. I’m Tiffani. I’m going to be the new fundraising coordinator.”
“I’m Brittany. It’s so good to meet you! I’ll show you your office.” Brittany, a peppy young girl who didn’t seem much older than her late twenties, jumped up and led the way to an office down the hall.
Tiffani could see Adam sitting at his desk in the office across from hers. She sat down behind the desk and powered up her computer. Looking around at the walls, she saw that all the pictures were of the ranch and the past fundraising events they’d had. Opening her desk, she had pencils, paper, and everything else she would need to get started.
“Thanks, Brittany.”
“You’re welcome. I’m here to help you and Adam. If you have any questions, just ask. I’ll make phone calls or file for you. Pretty much anything you need is my responsibility.”
As soon as Brittany had disappeared, Adam got up from his desk and walked into Tiffani’s office, closing the door behind him. “I need to explain about last night.”
Tiffani shrugged. “There’s nothing to explain. You kissed me. I liked it. You didn’t.”
“That’s not true.” He made himself comfortable in the chair across from hers, his mind racing to find a good way to explain what had happened. “When I kissed you, I felt all my emotions along with yours. I’m used to that, but I’m not used to feeling so much. I’m a Christian, Tiffani. I believe that sex before marriage is wrong…but that one kiss made me doubt my convictions. I had to get out.”
She blinked at him a couple of times before feeling the heat rise from her neck all the way up to her hairline. “I see.”
“That’s why I ran away. I felt way too much. I wanted to feel more and more, and I knew that wasn’t a good idea.”
“I’m…not sure how to respond to that.”
He shrugged. “I’m not either. It’s definitely outside my realm of experience. But I want to see you outside of work. Soon. Will you go out with me Friday night?”
“I don’t know…I don’t think we should be alone.”
“We won’t be. The ranch does a Friday night cookout for all the boys. They have to take turns cooking during the week, but on Fridays, Mom makes a humungous potato salad. She does brownies and other desserts. We buy chips. And we make a huge brisket or we make burgers or hot dogs. The boys love the break from their regular routine, and the food is wonderful.”
“And that’s what you want to do? What about s’mores? Does anyone make s’mores?”
He nodded. “I’m not sure what Mom has planned for dessert this Friday, but I’ll put a bug in her ear. I’ll walk you home after, but I won’t come in. Being alone with you really isn’t an option for me.”
“We’re alone now!” Tiffani wasn’t sure if he was going to get up and run again.
“Yes, but Brittany is in the outer office, and she could walk past and see us, because I left the door open. Also, I’m in work mode.” He shrugged. “I’m going to take you around the ranch today, and show you everything you need to know about. I’m even going to show you the cabins. I’ve found that sometimes it’s good to have pictures of the boys’ rooms on the internet as part of our website.”
“Can I take pictures of things I think we should include?”
“Absolutely! You can’t take pictures of the boys, because they’re in foster care, but you can take pictures of the ranch and everything here.”
Tiffani nodded. “I can do that.”
She was a bit concerned about being alone with him on their walk, but if they were in plain sight of everyone, they should be fine. She had strong feelings for him already. Maybe they were just lust, but they were definitely there.
“Let’s go, then.” He stood up, opening her door. He walked down the hall and explained what they were doing to Brittany. “If we’re needed, send me a text.”
“I will. Are you going to just show her the ranch? Or take her into town and introduce her to Pastor Stevens?”
“I didn’t think of that. Yeah, I’ll introduce her to the pastor and others who work for the church. I’ll probably take her to lunch while we’re in town. Don’t expect us back until about one.”
“Will do, bossman.”
As they left the building, Tiffani asked about Brittany. “How long as she worked here?”
“She and Gideon went to school together. They dated for a bit, but she thought he was too secretive and broke things off. When she graduated from high school, her parents were killed in a car wreck. She has two younger sisters she has custody of now. Dad offered her this job immediately, and she’s worked here since. So, I guess about ten years? Maybe eight? I don’t know. Close to that.”
“She seems really nice.” Tiffani felt her heart going out to the younger girl. She wished she knew how to make everyone’s life better.
“Brittany’s very good at what she does. She seems to anticipate my every whim. If I want some filing done, she does it before I come into work. It’s almost eerie at times.”
“I think that’s a good secretary. I appreciate you sharing her with me.”
“Oh, definitely. I’m good at sharing.” He walked toward the boys cabins with her. “We have six of what we call cabins for the boys. They’re really houses, but calling them cabins makes them feel more rustic and ranchy.”
“Is ranchy a real word?” she asked.
“It is now.” He opened the door to the first. “Six boys live in each cabin. There are two house leaders in each home. This is the one where Benjamin and Caleb work.”
She thought back to their conversation the day before. “Benjamin’s power is he makes things grow, and Caleb is the one who senses when the boys are in danger, right?”
“Right.” He led her through the home. “The boys share rooms. We put two boys per room, and try to get boys who are around the same age together. The leaders move houses every two months, but the boys stay put from the day they arrive until they move. We try to make their lives as permanent as possible, even though we all know they’re in foster care.” He opened one of the doors to a bedroom. “This room is shared by the two youngest boys in this house. My brothers share the master bedroom here.”
As he wandered through the house with her, he pointed out different things. “House meetings are held every Saturday in the living room. The boys bring up any concerns they have, they deal with assigning chores, and they do a Bible study with it. We’re a Christian family, and we raise the boys to be Christian as well.”
She nodded, looking around the area. The house was definitely set up for the purpose of having a group of boys living there. The décor was all very masculine as well. “I bet the boys love it here.”
“They all grow to love it. Most hate us when they first arrive. They’ve been taken from everything they know and everyone they love, and most know they’ll live here until they graduate from high school.” He shrugged. “Our newest boy, Nick, is still in the ‘hating us’ stage. We’re working with him, but he’s not a fan of the place. I’m going to take him to pick out a kitten as soon as he gets home from school.”
“A kitten? The boys are allowed to have pets?”
“We actually encourage it. Each boy is assigned a horse they take care of, but if they have a small animal as well, they learn to take care of others. Once you can put another being’s needs ahead of your own, it becomes easier to assimilate. You learn to care about people. Not all foster care setups are this way, but we are.”
Tiffani nodded, liking his reasoning. “And where will he pick a kitten from? The local shelter?”
“No, we had a barn cat who had kittens. She came in one day already pregnant, so we’ll wait until the kittens are weaned and then go get her fixed. I’m letting Nick pick from the four kittens she gave birth to.”
“Is there an extra for me?” Tiffani had always wanted a kitten, but her mother had been allergic.
Adam grinned at h
er. “Absolutely. You need to learn to take care of a pet too.”
She laughed. “I think I’ll be just fine at taking care of it.”
“Come with us then. I’ll go get him from his chores around three and take him to the cat. He will pick his favorite, and then he’ll have to take it home with him. He’s an animal lover. That’s how we’re going to eventually break through to him. Good kid. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“I would love that. Come get me before you leave the office. I want to get pictures of the kittens too.”
“Remember he can’t be in pictures. We’ll go over now so you can get pictures of the kittens…but remember, he gets first pick.”
“Of course he does. That makes perfect sense to me.” Tiffani would have let him have first pick even if it hadn’t already been promised to him. She’d always put her own wants and needs behind those of others. She’d learned from her mother to do so at a young age.
“Good.” He left the house, carefully making sure the door was shut tightly behind him. “We rarely lock doors on the ranch, because we want to let the boys know we trust them not to get into each other’s stuff.”
“That makes sense.” As they walked, she noticed how tense he was keeping himself. She wondered what it would be like if he kissed her again, right there on the ranch, and she felt her heart skip a beat as they walked.
“Stop thinking about that. Please.” He kept his eyes facing forward, but she knew exactly what he meant. Her emotions were coming in loud and clear to him.
“I’m sorry, Adam. I didn’t do that deliberately.”
“I know you didn’t. I’ve never felt this much for someone before, so it’s very strange for me. I want to spend all my time kissing you, but we know that’s not a good idea after last night.”
“No, it’s probably not.” What was she thinking? She had work to do, and work didn’t include making eyes at her boss.
He opened the barn door for her, and she followed him to a stall. There were several cows in the stalls, and she wondered why they weren’t with the rest of the herd. “Are these cows sick or something?”
“They’re all injured in some way. My brother Ephraim is taking care of them, so they’re in the barn all day.”
“I haven’t met any of your brothers yet.”
“Oh, you will. Soon you’ll be overrun with us McClains.” He looked around for Ephraim, spotting him in with the kittens. “You’re about to meet one right now.”
Ephraim spotted Adam walking toward them and stood. “Hey, Adam. And you must be Tiffani, our new fundster.”
“Fundster?” she asked, confused.
“I like it better than fundraising coordinator. Don’t you?”
“I guess I do.” She grinned, holding her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too!” He eyed her for a moment. “You don’t happen to want a kitten, do you?”
She laughed softly. “Actually, that’s part of why I’m here. I want to get a picture of the kittens, and then I’m going to come back this evening when Nick gets his kitten to pick out one for myself.”
“Great!” Ephraim was obviously pleased to be able to place another kitten.
Tiffani knelt in the hay and looked at the four kittens, all curled up sleeping against their mother. “Did they just nurse?”
“Yes, but they all know how to eat cat food too. They prefer to nurse still, because it’s comforting for them, but it’s time for mama to be fixed.”
“Is there a vet in town you’ll take her to?”
“There is a vet in town, but I will fix her myself. I have a small surgery here in the barn.”
“Really? Are you a veterinarian? Why do I not know that you are doctors? Are any of the rest of you doctors?”
“Daniel’s a doctor.” Ephraim shrugged. “We have a psychiatrist, a veterinarian, and a medical doctor in the family. Good ways to disguise our gifts.”
“Gifts is a good way to put it!” Tiffani grinned over at Adam. “You should call them gifts. Makes them easier to understand.”
Adam grinned down at her. “I will call them gifts forevermore.”
Ephraim watched the two of them, smiling. “Dad’s always right, isn’t he?”
“He is.” Adam didn’t want the conversation to keep going the way it was. “Do you have a favorite kitten?”
“I like the little black and white one. He’s so sweet looking. I also like the calico, but not quite as much. If Nick wants the black and white kitten, then I will get the calico, and I’ll still be thrilled, because I’ll have a new kitten.”
“I’m glad you’ve decided. It will make things a lot easier when Nick comes down later.” Adam held his hand down to help her up. “Do you want to get a picture of the kittens? When they’re asleep is the very best time.”
“I’m sure they run around like little crazy beasts every chance they get.” She stood and used her cell phone to snap a photo of the kittens. Then she took another of Ephraim holding one of the kittens against his chest and talking quietly to it. She was surprised at the love on his face with the animal. “Do you do better with large animals or small? Or does it matter at all?”
“It doesn’t matter. They all seem to respond well to me. I don’t specialize in either, because I love them all.” Ephraim shrugged. “It’s my gift.”
Adam looked over at her, taking her hand. He didn’t like the way she spoke so easily with his brother. “Are you ready? We have a lot more ranch to see today.”
“I’m ready. Let’s head out.” She followed him from the barn, surprised that he was holding her hand, but she said nothing about it.
“Let’s go see the fairgrounds. I know that’s not really the correct title, but that’s what we call the area where we have the fundraiser every year. Makes it easier for everyone involved.”
“Sounds good.”
Chapter Five
At around eleven, Adam stopped in his tracks, wiping the sweat from his face. Early October was still a very hot time in the hill country of Texas. “I’m ready to give this up for now. I’ll finish the tour tomorrow, but I want to take you into town to meet the pastor and his staff. They’re the ones who help us with everything.”
“How did you get a church sponsorship?” Tiffani asked, walking along beside him to his truck.
He grinned. “We’ve had a church sponsorship since we took over the boys. It was back in 1912. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother heard of a fire at the orphanage in Bagley, our closest town. My great-grandmother insisted that she had to have all the boys and take them to live with her. The orphanage was run by the church, but they didn’t have money to rebuild, so my great-grandfather agreed, even though they knew they’d have seven sons of their own. So the church continued to help sponsor the boys even after they moved here to the ranch. That’s how the boys’ ranch was born.”
“I think that’s amazing. Why was your great-grandmother so determined to take on other people’s children?”
“She was an orphan herself. She was adopted by a wonderful older couple when she was in her teens. At least that’s how family folklore tells it. I’m not sure how true it all is. I know her name was Penny Sanders, and she loved the boys.” He stopped next to his pick-up truck and unlocked the doors.
She slid in, nervous about being alone with him. “How far is it to Bagley?”
“It’s a ten-minute drive. You don’t have to be nervous around me, Tiffani. I won’t ever hurt you.”
Tiffani looked at him with surprise. “Using your gift again?”
“I can’t shut it off. I wish I could.” He drove out of the ranch roads and headed toward Bagley. “We can do our small shopping trips in Bagley. There’s not much there, but it’s better than nothing. For the big trips, we have to drive to Nowhere.”
Tiffani watched around her, trying to memorize the way so she wouldn’t have to ask for directions or get help. When he stopped at the church, she realized he hadn’t made one turn. The church was on th
e same highway as the ranch.
“Do they know we’re coming?” she asked.
Adam shrugged. “No idea. They know I stop in regularly, though, so it won’t be a problem.”
Together they headed into the church and went to the pastor’s office. Adam knocked, and they heard the call, “Come in!” As soon as they stepped inside, the pastor smiled. “Adam!”
“I brought my new fundraising coordinator to meet you. Of course, Ephraim is calling her our fundster.”
The pastor shook his head. “That boy has always been very strange.”
“Not my fault!”
“No one said it was.” The pastor shook his head at Adam. “I’m Pastor Stevens. It’s good to meet you.”
“I’m Tiffani Simpson. I understand I’ll be working with you at times.”
“Yes, you will. Is there anything I can do for you now?”
“I’m wondering if you have any ladies in the church who craft…” Tiffani didn’t see a reason to wait to ask for what she wanted for the boys.
The pastor laughed. “Of course we have women who craft. What kind of craft are you looking for?”
“Anything marketable. I’m thinking of having crafts sold at the fundraiser—more than that, they’ll also be raffled off, making more money.”
The pastor nodded, smiling. “I’ll put out the call on Sunday. We have a whole year to prepare, so we can get some good stuff.”
“Thank you, Pastor.”
“Adam will give you my number. If there’s anything at all we can do, we’re willing.”
As they left, Tiffani was elated. She loved knowing that she had the full backing of this church. “He’s so sweet.”
“Yes. He baptized me a very long time ago. I have a lot of respect for Pastor Stevens. Everyone here does. He’s a good man.” He took her elbow and steered her toward a small café there in town. When they walked in, there was a white board with the specials of the day written on it. Chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, all smothered in white gravy was the special that day.
Adam (Seven Sons Book 1) Page 4