Light the Fire

by Mary Manners

“Ouch, that hurts!” Cody laughed, too. His gaze slid across a table where she’d set out supplies for creating green eggs and ham. “So, what can I do today?”

  Rena reached for a whisk and pressed it into his hands. “How good are you at scrambling eggs?”

  He twirled the whisk as if it was a revolver and he was Doc Holliday. “I’ve been through the honors classes at the College of Egg Scrambling. Passed with flying colors, too. What more do you need to know?”

  “That about covers it.” She grinned. “Grab a bowl and the carton of eggs and you can get the scrambling started while I read. Then we’ll let the kids add food coloring and make the inevitable mess.”

  Cody bowed with a flourish. “Your wish is my desire, Miss Whiskery—in a good way, mind you—Cat.”

  Rena stroked the penciled whiskers, which were beginning to itch. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

  “I may be persuaded. We’ll negotiate the terms later.” He winked and chills of anticipation ran down Rena’s spine. Ever since she’d spoken with Pastor Marcus, a peace had settled over her. She sensed a change, however slight, blossoming in her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt different, hopeful.

  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you...Psalm 55:22 sang through her head. Pastor Marcus had written it down for her, along with several other verses. But that one stood out. How had she so easily forgotten to cast her cares on Him?

  She watched Cody as the kids flocked around him at the table while they prepared the eggs. He had the attraction of a magnet, and didn’t seem to mind when one enthusiastic little stirrer splashed egg yolk onto his shirt, or when another splattered his tennis shoes with green dye.

  When Story Hour ended, she didn’t know who was more disappointed—Cody, Seth…or her.

  “Thanks for helping me.” Rena wiped the tables and pushed in chairs. “You’re an excellent egg scrambler, Mr. Jamison.”

  “Yeah, Uncle Cody. The green eggs were really ’licious.” Seth rubbed his belly for good measure.

  “You should know. You ate three helpings.”

  “Now can I have the chocolate chip cookie you promised?”

  Cody nodded. “I’m amazed you can find any room for it, but yeah. We’ll walk over to the bakery as soon as we’re finished helping Miss Rena clean up.” He tossed Seth a wet cloth. “Go wipe that table, OK?”

  “Yes, sir, Uncle Cody.” Seth skipped off to the table at the farthest end of the room.

  “I need to get out of this costume.” Rena grimaced and rubbed her face. “The make-up is starting to itch.”

  “Hang on a minute.” Cody pulled her toward him. “I’ve never kissed a girl with...um...whiskers. Do you mind?”

  She remembered the last time he’d asked to kiss her, and waited for a wave of fear to rush in. But all she felt was longing. “If I let you, do you promise never to mention the whiskers again?”

  “Ah, you drive a hard bargain.”

  “Take it or leave it.”

  “I’ll definitely take it.”

  When his lips, warm and inviting, brushed hers, Rena didn’t try to pull away. Instead, she leaned into him and placed a hand on his chest, enjoying the feel of his kiss and the gentle touch of his hand cradling the nape of her neck. When she finally, reluctantly, stepped away, a slow grin lit Cody’s face.

  “Whiskers? What whiskers?” His voice was husky.

  Rena pressed a finger to her tingling lips and laughed.

  ****

  “Sammy!” Seth barreled through the front door of their two-story rancher to greet the dog as he loped up the walk beside Cody. The boys let loose war whoops as they wrapped their arms around Sammy’s massive neck and rubbed their faces in his fur. “Let’s go play!”

  “I think I’ve just been thoroughly insulted.” Cody sulked as he watched the boys climb on Sammy’s back, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Sammy obliged, going belly-up for a good scratching. “They act like I’m invisible.”

  “You’ll get over it.” Jeanne flashed him a grin from the doorway where she stood with Tommy in her arms. “Come on inside. Dinner’s almost ready.”

  Cody followed her into the living room, strewn like a battlefield with a variety of toys and video gaming equipment, and then on into the kitchen. “What’s on the menu tonight, sis?”

  Jeanne brushed the wispy bangs of her blonde pixie cut out of her eyes. Cody was still getting used to this new look. Caden had loved the long golden tresses she’d sported through all of their dating years and into marriage. But soon after he died, she’d had it all cut off. It was too much to take care of, along with three growing, impossibly energetic boys. While Seth sported dark hair, Jackson and Tommy had inherited Jeanne’s flaxen color. But all three boys had Caden’s round, sea-blue eyes.

  Juggling Tommy on one hip, Jeanne took a bowl from the cabinet over the sink. She set it on the counter and found a serving spoon in one of the drawers. “We’re dining on chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese, with some mixed vegetables thrown in for good measure.”

  “Perfect.” That particular combination—well, minus the veggies—was one of the boys’ favorites and easy for Jeanne to prepare on her tight schedule.

  “How’s work going?” Jeanne handed Tommy to him and went to the stove to spoon the warm, creamy macaroni into a serving bowl. Steam swirled through the air.

  “Good. I just scored not one, but two new contracts with fairly large firms.”

  “That’s great, Cody.” She paused to glance at him. “Caden would be proud of what you’ve done with the company since...”

  “I know.” He squeezed her shoulder gently before turning to call the boys from the living room, where they were arguing over who was going to saddle up Sammy first. “Hey, sport. Hey, little man. Come wash up for dinner.”

  Feet slapped the hardwood floor like an explosion of firecrackers as the boys came running.

  “Can Sammy eat with us?” Seth’s face was smudged with blue magic marker. He’d been into the coloring books again.

  “We’ll make him a place on the floor by the door, OK?” Jeanne’s love for her sons clearly overshadowed the exhaustion in her eyes.

  “But Mo-om!” Seth crossed his arms over his chest. “He likes to sit in a chair like us.”

  “No.” Her tone said it was fruitless to argue. “He’ll break the chair. Now go wash up before Uncle Cody eats all the macaroni. You know it’s his favorite.”

  “Oh, all right.”

  Jackson scurried over. “I’ll bet Sammy loves macaroni and cheese best.” He scrambled into a chair and propped his elbows on the table. “What do you think, Uncle Cody?”

  “I’d give it two thumbs up.”

  “Well, I think he likes chicken fingers better.” Seth puffed out his chest. “They taste way better than slimy mac and cheese.”

  “What about vegetables?” Jeanne questioned as she set a bowl full of them onto the table. “They get my vote.”

  “No way. Yuck!” That was one thing the boys heartily agreed on.

  “We’ll have a contest to find out,” Jackson challenged. “Come on, Sammy.”

  “Before you start the contest, wash up.” Cody handed Jackson the liquid soap. “Hit the hall bathroom.”

  “Yes, sir!” The boys echoed in unison. They sprinted down the hall and Cody heard the rush of water in the bathroom. The liquid soap dispenser clattered to the floor as they jockeyed for position at the sink.

  Cody settled Tommy into his high chair with a sippy cup full of milk while Jeanne prepared a plate of food for Sammy, who stood drooling at her feet.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” He noted the shadows beneath her eyes, the slump of her shoulders. “You look wiped out.”

  Jeanne reached into the oven and pulled out a pan of crispy chicken fingers. Their pungent aroma filled the air. “Tommy hasn’t been sleeping very well lately. He’s teething again and it seems to be worse during the night. Last night he woke up just after midnight,
howling. No amount of rocking soothed him.”

  “Do you want me to hang around tonight? I could do the night shift with him so you can catch up on your sleep. I’ll sack out on the couch.” He’d done that a few times for her in the days following Caden’s death. They’d both stumbled around in a fog back then, and had leaned on each other through the most difficult times to stay strong for the boys.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be OK. The offensive tooth has finally popped through, so he’ll probably zonk out tonight.”

  “OK. But if you change your mind, just let me know.”

  “I will.”

  Cody helped her get the food on the table while the boys, smelling of lemon soap, their shirtfronts drenched, scrambled into their chairs. He figured the bathroom needed a good mopping. He’d check it before he left. One less thing for Jeanne to worry about.

  “Can I say grace tonight?” Seth asked.

  “May I,” Jeanne admonished. “And, yes, you may.”

  He dipped his head and the others followed. “Dear God, bless this ‘licious food Mama cooked. Thank you for Sammy and Uncle Cody. And for Miss Rena. She tells really good stories. Amen.”

  As heads came up, he quickly added, “Oh, P.S. Make Tommy quit cryin’ all night, OK? Mama’s real tired. Amen again.”

  Cody bit back a grin as he passed the bowl of macaroni and cheese. “Good job, sport.”

  “Who’s Miss Rena?” Jeanne scooped a spoonful of vegetables onto each of the boys’ plates despite their protests.

  “She works at the library. She wears whiskers.” Seth put a hand over his plate to stop his mother’s onslaught of vegetables. “And I saw Uncle Cody kiss her. Ooh, gross!”

  Cody brushed too-long bangs from his nephew’s forehead. “You don’t miss a thing, do you, sport?”

  “Uh uh, Uncle Cody. I’m a de-de—”

  “Detective.” Jeanne prompted. “Whiskers? And Uncle Cody kissed her? Oh, my!” Her gaze pierced Cody. “You’d better spill all the details, mister.”

  Cody shrugged and spooned a second helping of macaroni onto Jackson’s plate. “I took Seth to story hour this morning. Rena works at the library. She’s a friend of Kyle and Kelsie’s. That’s all.”

  “I see.” Her inquisitive eyes told him she guessed there was much more to the story. “And you just met her this morning? You walked right up to her and kissed her for no good reason, except that you felt like it?”

  Cody leveled her a look. “You know better than that.”

  “Yes, I do. So why am I just hearing about her now...today?”

  “She’s real nice, Mama.” Seth diverted the conversation as he stuffed a spoonful of macaroni into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and washed it down with a gulp of milk. “She dressed like the Cat in the Hat and we made green eggs and ham and it was sooo yummy!” Milk dribbled down his chin. “Oh! And Uncle Cody almost had to stand in the corner for a time-out because he was acting silly. Miss Rena said so.”

  “Ah, so the plot thickens.” Jeanne’s eyebrows disappeared beneath blonde wisps of hair as her eyes widened in surprise. “My, but this is getting more interesting by the minute.”

  “Yeah. But not me, Mama,” Seth continued. “I didn’t almost have to go to time-out. I was good.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Look!” Jackson pulled himself up on his knees in his chair and pointed across the kitchen. “Sammy ate everything, even the vegetables.”

  “Ooh, gross! I hate veg-veg—” Seth stumbled over the word.

  “Vegetables.” Jackson finished. “Me, too.”

  “Too bad you guys don’t like vegetables, since they make you grow up big and strong.”

  “Like you, Uncle Cody?”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll have more!” Jackson reached for the bowl. “I wanna be like you, Uncle Cody.”

  “Me, too!” Seth held up his plate. “Can I have more, Mama? Please?”

  Jeanne laughed and gave them each another spoonful.

  “Can we go to Story Hour again next week, Uncle Cody?” Seth chattered on. “I want to see Miss Rena again.”

  Cody nodded. “Great idea, sport. Let’s write it on the calendar, OK?”

  “OK. Will you play Legos with us after dinner?”

  “Sure, I’ll play...after we all help clean the kitchen for your mom. She going to take a walk, or a bubble bath, or do whatever she wants to relax for a little while.”

  Jeanne sighed and wiped congealing cheese from Tommy’s face. “That’s an offer I can’t refuse.”

  “Go on, then, scoot.” Cody took the washcloth from her hand. “I’ll wash Tommy and take care of things here. Don’t come back for at least an hour. We men have everything under control, right guys?”

  “Right!”

  He hoisted Tommy from the high chair. “Come on, buddy. You keep Sammy company while we do the dishes.” He set the baby on a blanket on the floor beside the dog. “Grab a towel, little man. You’re going to dry tonight.”

  “Yes, sir, Uncle Cody.”

  “If Jackson’s gonna dry, can I wash?” Seth tugged the hem of Cody’s T-shirt. “Can I, Uncle Cody?”

  Cody sighed. It would have been so much easier to plop the two of them in front of the TV with their favorite DVD and clean the kitchen himself. But that hadn’t been Caden’s way of handling things, and Cody wanted to carry on the tradition.

  “Sure, sport. Get the stool. We’ll finish this job together.”

  Seth sprinted across the kitchen. He grabbed the stool and scooted to the sink.

  “I can’t reach the soap.”

  Cody handed him the dish detergent and Seth squirted a stream into the sink.

  “Whoa, sport, that’s enough.” Bubbles billowed into the air. “Grab the sponge and start scrubbing.”

  Cody’s mind wandered as he watched the boys do the dishes. He thought of Rena. Her kiss had ignited a desire deep within him. Even now, his heart pounded at the memory. He thought of the way she took turns rocking Jilly and the other kids while she read, and wondered what it would be like to see her rock her own child—their child—with a story or a soothing lullaby.

  The feeling lingered as he scooped Tommy into his arms and breathed the distinct baby scent of peach-fuzz hair. These boys were his brother’s, but Cody loved them with a depth he hadn’t imagined possible. His desire to protect and be a part of their lives came as naturally as breathing.

  His heart longed for a child of his own. And Rena was the one he wanted as a mother to his child. But it would never happen, at least not if she refused to trust him… to share what had happened to her child. She had to learn to trust him. There was just no other way.

  He shook his head and turned his attention back to the boys. Kids—marriage—where had that come from?

  “Good job drying tonight, little man.” Cody mussed Jackson’s hair. “Your mom’s sure gonna be proud when she sees how this kitchen sparkles.”

  Seth tugged at Cody’s pant leg. “Let’s play Legos now, Uncle Cody. You promised.”

  “OK. Head to the living room and dump them out on the floor. Last one there’s a rotten egg!” He hung the dish towel over the oven handle to dry and switched off the light. His mind wandered back to Rena. Maybe she was doing the dishes, too. What would it be like to share the little chores, the daily burdens...?

  Later, with the boys settled into bed and Tommy finally sleeping, Jeanne walked Cody to the door. “I want to meet her, Cody, this woman you kissed in front of my son in the public library.”

  He hesitated, and turned to face her. “I don’t know, Jeanne. It’s...difficult.”

  “Anything worth having is, you know.” She smiled wistfully. “Tommy’s birthday is coming up. The boys and I are planning a little party. You know—the first birthday cake in the face and all that. Bring this Miss Rena, OK?”

  “OK, I’ll ask her.” He leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek. “I love you, you know.”

  “Yeah.” She
gazed toward the heavens. “Caden is smiling right now. I can feel him. I know.”

  Cody didn’t doubt it. The two had shared a bond that was strong...and boundless.

  Light the Fire

  13

  “You need to try the strawberry vinaigrette salad,” Kelsie gushed. “It’s incredible.”

  “I think I’ll have half a club sandwich, too.” Rena closed her menu and set it on the table.

  “That sounds good. I’ll have the same. And let’s get an appetizer.” Kelsie’s wedding ring glinted beneath muted restaurant lights. “I don’t know why, but I’ve been ravenous lately. I just can’t seem to get enough to eat.”

  “You are positively glowing.” Rena sipped water with lemon. “Married life must agree with you.”

  “More than I ever imagined. I thought it might be hard settling into the normal routine of everyday life. You know, the work schedule, laundry, cooking dinner, and all that. But Kyle and I are proving to be a good fit.”

  “He’s a good guy, Kelsie.”

  “Yes, he is.” She touched her wedding band. “And speaking of good guys, how are things going with Cody?”

  “Slowly, but that’s OK.”

  “Yeah, if you’re a turtle.”

  “I talked to Pastor Marcus last week.”

  “You did? How did it go?”

  “It was really...amazing. I feel...” She picked at her napkin. “Well, I can’t explain it. We prayed and I just feel different...new.”

  “I know what you mean. It’s like all the bad stuff’s scooped out and all that’s left behind is good...clean.”

  “Exactly.”

  “It’s a start. You should tell Cody...about what happened with Allie.”

  “I know. It’s wrong to keep a secret like this...but I’m still afraid.”

  “Remember what you told me when I started dating Kyle, and I didn’t want to tell him I’d been engaged before, and that I broke it off?”

  “Yes...a firm foundation can’t be built on quicksand. My dad told me that when I was little. Never rush into things...lay the foundation right with truth and honesty.”

  “He’s a wise man...and you were wise to share that with me. Kyle and I keep no secrets, and that brings us strength. Now...I pass the advice back to you.”