by Carol Voss
But she’d wait a little longer. She certainly didn’t want to frighten the mother into moving them. And when she could handle the kittens, she’d put a stack of Stella’s old towels under them and remove the top one daily to help the mother keep them clean, a tip she’d read on the internet.
Glancing at her watch, she decided she needed to get a move on. She quietly let herself out of the shed, hurried back to her Suburban in the driveway and climbed in behind the wheel. A sheet of yellow paper taped to the dashboard with duct tape caught her attention. In Tony’s bold handwriting it said, Here’s my cell number in case you need me.
He had been worried Saturday night when he’d found her helping Eric change his tire. A smile unfurled inside like rose petals. Yesterday, he’d gone to church with her and Hannah again. He really seemed to get into the service. And afterward, he’d even let Hannah persuade him to stay to sample the doughnuts during Fellowship. Maggie liked having him in church with her…a lot.
She reached for her phone and punched in the numbers on the paper. Two rings. She envisioned him climbing over rubble to get to his cell. Or maybe he had to put down the crowbar or his hammer to get the phone from his jeans pocket.
Three rings. “Yeah,” he said gruffly.
She struggled to remember why she’d called. Other than to hear his voice, that is. “Thanks for your number.”
Heavy silence for a couple beats. “Make sure you use it.” His voice had taken on a serious undertone.
“I’m using it right now.”
“Where are you?”
“In my Suburban in the driveway.”
His low chuckle made her feel warm inside. “While I have you on the phone, will it work if I borrow your truck this afternoon to pick up lumber in Eau Claire?”
“I’ll be working at the greenhouse later. I’ll leave the keys in the ignition.”
“Thanks.”
She frowned. “But why are you going to Eau Claire for lumber with Clyde’s lumberyard in town?”
“Clyde’s? I need lots of lumber, Maggie, not just the few scraps Clyde carries.”
“You haven’t seen his new place north of town? He stocks almost everything, and he’ll order if he doesn’t have what you need. Builders around here say his prices are reasonable, too.”
“Thanks, I’ll give him a call, see if he can help me out. Now get to work.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
“And Maggie…”
“Yeah.”
“Have a great day.” He hung up.
She sat with the receiver to her ear, staring into space. The memory of how she’d felt that day in the attic when she’d realized he was staying jolted through her with ferocious clarity. Drawing in a deep breath, she pushed the End button on the phone, the memory fading in the cold light of reality.
Tony was here now, but for only a couple of months.
Thank You for guiding him to stay awhile. But he’ll be leaving as soon as he has Stella’s house fit for her to come home.
Please help me remember the leaving part.
* * *
That evening, Maggie sat on Hannah’s bed sharing a bowl of popcorn with the teenager and having an overdue girl-talk session. She couldn’t help feeling partially responsible for Hannah’s lapse the other night. She’d been so focused on Stella and Tony since he’d been home that she’d neglected Hannah. She needed to get back on track with the girl and reestablish the rules her parents had relayed to Maggie during their phone call.
So far, they’d discussed the most flattering shades of lipstick according to Hannah’s friends, the importance of wearing sunscreen, Hannah’s grade point average and her future plans to go to UW Eau Claire. “I’m glad you’re thinking beyond high school, Hannah. You’ll be a sophomore this fall, right?”
Hannah nodded. “My older brother says sophomore year is easier than being a freshman.”
“Did he say why?”
“He says I’ll know what to expect.” Hannah sighed. “Freshman year was pretty much up for grabs every day. First semester was like…the worst.”
Maggie nodded. “Things are changing so fast, it’s hard to figure out where you belong. Is that what you mean?”
Hannah nodded pensively.
One of the things that stood out Maggie’s freshman year was her parents’ refusal to allow her to date. They said she was too young. But Tony was a junior and he played sports, so he’d been part of homecoming and prom courts which required he take a date. When her parents wouldn’t budge, he’d asked Rachel. And Maggie had been beside herself with jealousy and the injustice of the situation.
Looking back, she realized freshman year had been her last year of being a carefree girl. Sophomore year, she’d gone to special classes in Eau Claire with a group of other pregnant girls. She’d do whatever she could to keep Hannah from going that route. “You know, Hannah, when I called your mother, she said you aren’t allowed to date yet.”
Hannah squinted. “We pretty much hang out in groups…except for a couple people.”
“Wouldn’t you call going to the movie with Lucas a date?”
“Well, yeah, I guess.”
“Different sets of rules is only one reason eighteen and fifteen aren’t a good age combination.”
“Lucas isn’t eighteen yet. Anyway, I might agree with you if I didn’t know Lucas. He’s great.”
“Did you tell him your parents don’t allow you to date?”
She shook her head.
“Because you want to be cool?”
“I guess. I really like him, Maggie. He’s so cute…plus he’s very nice and considerate. He even opens the car door for me.”
“Hannah, Lucas has more experience with life. With girls. He drives. He’ll be going to college this fall.”
“He’s going to West Point.”
“Really?”
“He’s very smart.”
“I’m sure he is. But your parents don’t let you go out on dates at home, which means I can’t let you date here. Your mom agreed you can occasionally watch a movie with Lucas either here or at his grandma’s, but that’s it.”
Hannah frowned, her bottom lip protruding in a pretty pout. “You don’t trust us.”
Maggie had no intention of letting the conversation go in that direction. “I’m merely following your parents’ rules.”
“But you’re young. I don’t think my parents remember being young.”
Maggie smiled. “Maybe they regret some of their choices when they were young, and they’re trying to keep you from making the same mistakes.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask them.”
“Do you regret things you did when you were young?”
To the depth of her soul. She sighed. “Yes.”
“Like what?”
Maggie shook her head, the ache in her chest making it hard to breathe. She offered Hannah some popcorn, using the moment of distraction to compose herself.
Hannah took a handful. “What things?” she repeated.
“Things I would give anything to change. Unfortunately, I’ll never be able to do that.” She set down the bowl.
“Did those things involve Tony?”
Maggie jerked to look at the girl. “Why do you ask that?”
“I don’t know. You two seem to have something, like, really deep going on between you.”
Obviously, Hannah was more observant than Maggie had realized. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We grew up next door to each other.”
“I think…well…it’s like you love each other.”
Maggie swallowed. She tried to say something, but she couldn’t manage the words. The clock on the dresser ticke
d out the seconds.
Hannah munched her popcorn, the rhythm of her chewing synching with the clock. She watched Maggie, her expression curious and a little dreamy as only a fifteen-year-old could pull off. “Do you think you and Tony will get married someday?”
Maggie shook her head and tried to laugh, not that she succeeded. “That’s never going to happen, Hannah.”
“Why not?”
“Because Tony and I are very different. For starters, he likes to travel the world, and I love Noah’s Crossing. He’s just not into family and roots and the things most important to me. We can’t change who we are. You’ll understand when you get older.”
“I thought love was supposed to overcome everything.”
Maggie had thought that when she was fifteen, too. “Ideally. Problem is, we live in the real world.”
Hannah traced the pattern in the old quilt on her bed, her expression growing more serious. “Maggie, do you believe God has a plan for your life?”
Maggie considered her question. It was hard for her to believe God had planned for her parents to die when she was only a girl and needed them so desperately. She didn’t want to accept that God had planned to give her no option but to give away her baby either. She knew she and Tony were responsible for making choices that led down that road.
Looking into Hannah’s open, expectant face, Maggie understood she needed to give the girl an answer. And she needed to be honest. “I think we spend our lives making choices. Some good, some not so good. I don’t know about anybody else, but I guess I’m still trying to figure out what His plan for me is. Does that make sense?”
“I guess.” Hannah nodded. “I know we need to trust Him…no matter what happens. I mean, Job lost everything, and he still trusted God.”
This kid thought about Job at fifteen? Maggie didn’t know if she even knew who Job was at that age.
“I think God has a plan for everybody even if a person doesn’t know what it is,” Hannah said with the confidence of youth. “I don’t think He wants you to be alone, Maggie. I think His plan is for you and Tony to be together.”
Maggie stared at the girl. She had a distinct feeling she was coming out of this conversation with more to think about than Hannah was. So much for her coaching the fifteen-year-old. She only hoped Hannah’s thinking carried over to her feelings for Lucas.
And the decisions she might have to make.
Chapter Thirteen
“The black one’s a male.” On his knees by the box in the shed, Tony gently set the tiny, helpless kitten near his mother. “How about Darth Vader? Vader for short?”
The mother cat began licking her offspring as if checking to make sure he was all right.
Kneeling beside Tony, Maggie petted the mother cat she and Hannah had named Snowball. “What do you think, Mommy? Do you like Vader?”
“I like it.” Hannah carefully cuddled the gray kitten with white ears. “I think this sweet little girl should be Whisper.”
“Perfect,” Maggie agreed. “So the white female with gray boots like the mother is Boots, the all-gray female is Ginger, the gray with white ears is Whisper, the black little guy is Vader.”
“And tiger stripe could be Shadow,” Hannah said.
“You know…” Maggie gave Tony a little smile. “I think he looks more like a Terminator.”
He laughed. “Perfect.” He picked up the tiny tabby, noting his little belly was as round as his siblings’. Their mother was doing a great job of feeding her litter.
“Terminator?” Hannah sounded horrified. “But he’s so little and sweet.”
“Let’s hope he grows into his name,” Maggie said. “He’ll have to keep up with Darth Vader, won’t he?”
Hannah shrugged. “I guess.” She set Whisper near the mother, who licked the kitten thoroughly. “It must be so weird for them not to see anything, don’t you think? How much longer before they open their eyes?”
“Soon. When they’re about ten days old.” Tony set Terminator down, so the mother could check him out.
“When she’s old enough, do you think I can take Whisper home with me, if my mom says it’s okay?”
Maggie frowned as if she hadn’t considered giving any of them away.
Not that Tony was surprised. Maggie held on. To houses, people and, apparently, kittens. “The vet says they need to nurse for at least eight weeks, but twelve, even fourteen can be beneficial.”
Maggie looked relieved.
“But feeding six cats will get expensive,” he reminded. “Plus annual shots and stuff.”
Maggie sighed. “I read on the internet that because we don’t know if the mother was vaccinated or not, we should get that done now. She should also be wormed to protect her and the kittens.”
“Neutering all of them will be expensive, too.” Tony looked at Hannah. “There’s a lot of responsibility that goes with a pet.”
Hannah nodded. “But I’m making money this summer.”
“Think about it,” Maggie said. “If you decide that caring for a kitten is what you want to spend your money on, we’ll talk more about it.”
Hannah smiled. “Great.”
Maggie met Tony’s eyes as if she knew very well it was a done deal in the teenager’s mind.
“Lucas said his grandma loves cats. Maybe she’d take one, too.”
Maggie’s head jerked to look at Hannah.
He put his hand on Maggie’s shoulder and gave her a smile. “It’ll be okay.”
But she didn’t return his smile. She just looked sad.
You’d think she was contemplating giving away her own child.
* * *
Maggie took in a hot, humid breath of attic air as she tapped the nail with her hammer to set it. Holding her breath, she hauled the hammer back and whacked. Yet another nail bent in half. She wanted to stamp her foot. Instead, she impatiently dragged off her leather work gloves. “What is wrong with these things?”
Tony took the hammer from her—again. He grabbed a nail from his tool belt and positioned it on the two-by-four. “Tap it softer to set it.” He demonstrated. “Hold off with your super-punch. Just give it a thump to drive it deeper, then haul back and let fly.” He drove the nail into the board like a champ and handed the hammer back to her. “Try again.”
With a determined huff, she took the hammer from him, pushed at her hard hat, adjusted her eye gear, juggled the hammer from one hand to the other to tug her leather gloves on again and grasped another nail from her tool belt. “These work boots aren’t just heavy, they’re hot. Are you sure I need all this gear?”
“Yeah. If you step on a nail, it could go right through your tennis shoes. And you need the jeans and long sleeves to keep you from getting scratched and full of slivers. Can’t have that, can we?”
“Can’t we?”
He squinted. “Ready to work?”
She swiped the back of her hand across her damp forehead. Concentrating fiercely, she set the nail this time, and gave it a measured thump which sank the thing a little more without bending it. Then she drew back and whacked. A few more whacks and the nail was in, nearly straight.
“Good girl.” He shot her a half grin.
She liked that grin. And now that she’d experienced a bit of success, she was determined to get serious about helping. After all Tony had done up here, it was the least she could do. She grasped another nail. Placed it, tapped, thumped, whacked—in. Wow.
“You’ve got it.” This time, he gave her the full grin.
She grinned right back.
“I’ll cut a support beam.” He pointed at the expanse of blue sky overhead. “Think you can help me nail it in place up there?”
“Sure.” She took in the height, the ladders at either
end of the high dormer, the backyard far, far below. A little dizzy, she focused instead on the new plank floor at her feet. She could do this. Of course she could.
He moved a few steps away, picked up the electric saw and bent over a thick board balanced between two sawhorses. Saw buzzing, it voraciously cut where he guided.
She watched his large, expert hand guide the saw until the power tool stopped making racket. “Okay, Maggie.”
She scooted to his side and lifted one end of the long board. It weighed much more than she’d anticipated.
“Too heavy?”
“Nope.” Clumsily, she shifted the hammer in her fingers and dropped it into the tool belt she wore.
He strode over to the far ladder, glancing back to check her progress.
She shuffled behind him and stopped at the nearer ladder.
“Careful,” he coached, stepping on the bottom rung.
Hanging on to the board with one hand, she grasped her ladder for dear life, lifted her foot, gained the rung, then another and another.
“Good. Don’t look down. Now jut the board against that smaller one.”
She tried to ignore the view far below as she put all her strength behind hefting the board into place.
“Can you hold it there with one hand and get a nail and your hammer out of your tool belt? Be careful not to lean back and lose your balance.”
She leaned her full hundred-ten pounds into one arm to hold the board in place and fumbled in the belt compartment for a nail. Her muscles were so tense they were trembling. How in the world had Tony done all this work by himself? Obviously, those impressive muscles of his weren’t just for her to appreciate.
She pounded her nail, and it actually worked. As she got the hang of things, she began to relax a little. They both pounded away, climbing down to move the ladder when need be. Tony pounded nails three-quarters of the way to her quarter, but who was counting?
“You’re doing great,” he encouraged. “You can finish up the nailing here while I cut another beam.” He climbed down and left her hammering.
Apparently, he’d decided she could be trusted not to fall. Humming a little tune, she tapped, thumped and whacked away until she realized the saw was not buzzing. She looked over her shoulder.