Daddy Next Door

by Carol Voss

  “I doubt she is, but I’ll call to make sure.” While Alyssa and Della visited, he hit speed dial, checked in with Hope and signed off. “She says everything’s great. She’s reading, and Joey’s taking his nap.”

  “Wow. In that case, do you have gooseberry pie this time of year?” Alyssa asked.

  “Sure do,” Della answered. “Several regulars wouldn’t have any other kind, and we always have plenty of gooseberries around here and plenty of pickers looking to sell them for me to freeze. I’ll get you both some pie if you like.”

  “Make mine pecan,” Coop said. “With ice cream. Alyssa?”

  She nodded.

  Della hustled off to fill their orders.

  Coop moved closer to Alyssa in the giant booth. “Never would have thought you’d like gooseberries. Too sour for me.”

  “I love their tartness. Gram used to take me gooseberry picking and bake pies with our harvest. So good. We picked gooseberries on an older couple’s farm. Friends of Gram. Sometimes, we’d get watercress there, too.” She laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “One day, Gram reached too far and fell in the creek, and the man pulled her out. The water was so cold, spring fed, she said. Anyway, the water temperature made my hands hurt, so I was worried about her. But Gram and her friends thought the whole thing was hilarious.”

  Coop chuckled, enjoying hearing Alyssa’s happy memories with Emma.

  “Oh.” Alyssa frowned. “I forgot to ask Lou about thrift shops in town. Do you know anything about them?”

  “Locals say the best selection and deals can be had at Fred’s Antiques and Collectibles. I hear Fred lives to bargain with his customers.”

  “Does he ever.” Della approached the booth, a plate of pie à la mode in each hand. She set the plates on the table in front of them. “People tease Fred about being independently wealthy and in business only to bargain.” She bustled away.

  Alyssa took a bite of her dessert. “Mmm.”

  Coop nodded, swallowing his mouthful of ice cream. “You planning to shop for furniture at a thrift store?”

  “If I can find a decent sofa, I’m going to try to sew a slipcover for it. I’m thinking I’ll stick with cottage chic.” She took another bite of pie.

  He ate his pie, but he couldn’t deny his attention was focused on the woman sitting in the booth with him. Sure, he saw her at home, but seldom without the kids around. He loved the kids, but he was enjoying having her to himself for a change. “I have no idea what ‘cottage chic’ is. Sounds intriguing, though.”

  “All I know about it, I saw in a decorating magazine. It looks child-friendly, and I think it will suit my budget. Anyway, it reminds me of the way Gram kept the cottage, so I love that.” She took another bite.

  “Let me know when you want to go shopping, and I’ll drive you. That way, you’ll have my truck to haul home what you buy.”

  Alyssa blinked. “I didn’t think of that. But I’ve never been in a thrift shop before, so I don’t know that I’ll be able to find anything I need. You certainly have more important things to do than browse in a thrift shop with me.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “Can’t think of a thing.”

  “But it will probably have to be during your work hours.”

  “I don’t chain myself to the newspaper, you know. So unless you’d rather shop alone, might be fun.”

  “Then you’re on.” She went back to finishing off her dessert, then suddenly looked up. “You know what?”

  He shook his head.

  “I’m pretty sure Gram’s friends, that older couple I mentioned?”

  He nodded.

  “I think they were Zebadiah and his wife, Viola. I’ll have to ask him.”

  “Want to stop there on the way home?”

  “Do you think Hope will mind if we stop for a few minutes?”

  “She’ll be fine. Shouldn’t take long. You think Zebadiah will answer the door if I’m with you?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Well, can’t hurt to give it a try.”

  “Okay. I think I’ll take a gooseberry pie to him.”

  A short time later, gripping Robbie’s carrier, Coop stood beside Alyssa on Zebadiah’s wraparound porch.

  Pie in hand, she knocked on the door. “Zebadiah, it’s Alyssa, Emma and Charlie’s granddaughter. I brought Ben Cooper with me. Remember, I told you I’d like you to meet him?”

  Silence.

  Alyssa turned to Coop.

  He raised his eyebrows. “I don’t hear anything, do you?”

  Shaking her head, she turned back to the door. “I have one of Della’s gooseberry pies for you. It’s delicious. Made me think of you and Viola and Gram. She used to bring me to your farm to pick gooseberries, didn’t she?”

  Still no sound inside.

  “Do you remember the day Gram fell in the creek trying to get watercress? And Viola was there. And you pulled Gram out. That was you, wasn’t it?”

  The door slowly opened, and Zebadiah stood there with his grumpy face on as usual. “I didn’t think anybody but me remembered my Viola.”

  “She was as pretty as her name. That was me with Gram. When I was a little girl,” she said excitedly.

  “You sure were a serious little thing. So worried Emma would catch a cold.”

  “I was. I loved her so much.”

  Coop was touched by the interaction between Alyssa and the reclusive old man. Judging by the way Zebadiah responded to her, Coop wasn’t the only one who sensed her depth and compassion.

  Zebadiah looked at Coop as if he’d just noticed him. “You the Cooper who runs the Courier?”

  “That’s right.” Coop offered his hand. “I’m Ben Cooper. Glad to meet you.”

  Zebadiah frowned at Coop’s hand, then reached out with a strong grip. “You come to take a look at my generator?”

  “Sure.”

  “Don’t want this little lady to worry about me. She’s just like Emma.”

  Coop grinned. “She cares about you. Want to show me that generator?”

  A half hour later, Coop drove toward home, Zebadiah’s ancient generator in the back of his truck. Because its problems were beyond Coop’s expertise, he’d convinced Zebadiah to let him take it to a repair shop with the promise that he’d have it or a new one back before the next storm.

  But right now, he was fortunate his truck knew the way home because the woman beside him held his full attention. He was really enjoying her excited chatter about Zebadiah’s “breakthrough,” as she called the old man’s asking Coop for help with the generator. He searched his mind to figure out a way to spend time with her again without the kids. “You ever snowshoe?”

  She shook her head.

  “Want to try it?”

  “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

  “Lots of fun. I was thinking, snowshoeing is probably the best way to get those Christmas trees for the fund-raiser from Harold and Lou’s tree farm.”

  “Great. Does Hope snowshoe?”

  “Too slow for her. She likes to ski.”

  “Can we take the boys with us?”

  He met her eyes. “Wouldn’t work the greatest, especially pulling the trees out after we cut them.”

  “Oh. Right.” She nodded in understanding, but she held his gaze a little too long.

  Was she trying to figure him out? Or was she realizing that snowshoeing would mean they’d be alone? “Will it be too soon to get the trees tomorrow afternoon while the committee is working on the Victorian? We can leave the kids with them for a while.”

  “The fund-raiser is only two weeks away, so getting trees tomorrow should be fine.”

  Thankfully, she didn’t object to being alone with h
im. That fact gave him a little jolt of confidence. Maybe he wasn’t out on this limb all by himself after all. He’d like to believe that.

  Because the more he got to know her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. In spite of Hope’s closed attitude. Would she change her mind? What if she didn’t? He blew out a breath.

  “Something wrong?” Alyssa asked. “You sound worried.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Can I help? Somebody told me recently I’m a good listener. Oh, yeah, it was you,” she teased.

  “Just a problem at work,” he fibbed. Better to fib than to hurt her feelings by telling her his daughter couldn’t wait for her to move out. Hurting either her or Hope wasn’t something he ever wanted to do.

  Chapter Ten

  A fire crackled in the fireplace. Smells of pumpkin cookies Alyssa baked after she and Ben returned from the committee meeting and seeing Zebadiah filled the house. Hope had opted out of baking but had helped with cooking supper. Ben hadn’t given his daughter a choice about stringing popcorn for the fund-raiser’s Christmas trees.

  With so much to do before Thanksgiving weekend, Alyssa could certainly use the help. She carefully pushed a popcorn kernel along her length of thread.

  “This is really a dumb idea,” Hope grumped from the other end of the couch. “My popcorn broke again.”

  “Give it a little patience,” Ben coached from his chair by the fire. “Now that I have the hang of it, I’m making up for lost time.”

  “I don’t think my garland will be a foot long.” Hope grabbed a handful of popcorn from the big stainless-steel bowl on the hassock and bent her head over her needle and thread again.

  “Oops. Looks pretty crooked.” Ben held up his twisted, squiggly garland and peered seriously at it.

  Alyssa tried to squelch her smile. He was trying so hard. “Do you think you could be pulling the thread too tight?”

  “Maybe that’s it.” He set about trying to loosen it. “How many of these things are we making?”

  “Thirty or so should be enough.”

  His head shot up. “Are you kidding?”

  “Afraid not. I’ve never made one before either, which is why I’m very glad for your help.”

  “And we’re happy to lend a hand.” He flashed his irresistible grin.

  Which didn’t help at all. Because all she could do was grin right back.

  He chuckled.

  Even worse. Because, of course, all she could do was chuckle.

  “What’s so funny?” Hope asked.

  “It’s sad, really.” Ben ditched his smile. “This garland is proof positive that I don’t have a crafty cell in my body.”

  “I don’t either,” Hope said glumly.

  “Neither do I.” Alyssa held up her perfectly centered eight popcorn kernels. “At this rate, maybe I can make a six-foot string by Christmas. Maybe.”

  “Let’s hire somebody to do it for us,” Hope suggested.

  “Even if we could find somebody to hire, we’d never live it down,” Ben said.

  “What’s really sad is Lou wouldn’t even consider this a craft. That’s probably why she thinks we can do it.”

  They all laughed, which was better than grumping any day.

  “Thirty or so.” Ben made a face. “We’d better hunker down and figure out what we’re doing.”

  “I just remembered, I have a book report due.”

  “When?”

  “Next week,” Hope mumbled. “Unfortunately.”

  Ben shot his daughter a sardonic look. “Nice try.”

  Joey zoomed through the living room, arms raised to fly Braveman to the rescue, then he zoomed back into the kitchen. Digger’s toenails clicked on the hardwood as he trotted to keep up with the boy.

  Robbie cooed and kicked in his Pack ’N Play, making sure he was part of the excitement.

  “Alyssa, I’ve been meaning to ask where your parents are staying when they come for Thanksgiving,” Ben said.

  “In the cottage with us. I called the B and B, but Mrs. Hendrickson is still recuperating.”

  “They’re welcome to use my guest room.”

  “I appreciate your offer, but I’ll give them my room, and I’ll sleep on the sofa I hope to buy before then.”

  “Maybe you can find a hide-a-bed,” Ben suggested.

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll have to see.”

  “Well, the guest room-offer stands, so if you change your mind, let me know.”

  “I’m doing the nursery at church tomorrow,” Hope said. “Can I ask Joey if he wants to come with me?”

  Alyssa looked up from her project. “I think he’d love it, Hope.” She thought about church. She’d dealt with some of her emotions regarding Cam’s funeral with her visits to the sanctuary this week. Could she handle going to a service? She hoped so. “I think Robbie and I will tag along to church with you, too, if that’s okay.”

  Ben looked up, smiled. “Great. We’d love to have you.”

  “When are you moving to your cottage?” Hope asked brightly.

  “Tony says he’s right on schedule, so it should be done in another week.”

  “We’re going to miss you and the boys,” Ben said kindly.

  “We’ll miss you and Hope, too.”

  Hope kept her head down, working harder than ever on her garland.

  Well, she couldn’t blame Hope for wanting her dad to herself again. She was glad Ben hadn’t prodded his daughter to say something she didn’t feel. That would be even harder to deal with than Hope’s obvious silence.

  * * *

  “Good morning.” Glad to have made it through the service with a minimum of tears, Alyssa reached out to shake Pastor Nick’s hand.

  “Good morning, Alyssa.” He smiled at Robbie who’d slept through the entire service. “Looks like I put your baby to sleep.”

  Alyssa smiled. “You gave me a lot to think about.”

  “Yes?”

  She nodded and moved on.

  “Great message.” Ben shook the pastor’s hand.

  Ben walked with Alyssa toward the nursery to collect Joey and Hope. “Did you enjoy the sermon?”

  Was he asking a rhetorical question? Not normally his style. Still...

  He chuckled. “Your silence is deafening.”

  “I’m not sure how to answer your question,” she explained honestly.

  “The truth would work.”

  “Well, how can we ever live up to God’s expectations?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these...ye have done it unto me.’” She drew a breath. “Essentially, Jesus is saying we are our brother’s keeper.”

  “Essentially. God is perfect love.”

  She nodded. “But that’s what He expects from us? Perfect love?”

  “That’s what He wants for us because He loves us. He wants us to rely on Him because with Him, all things are possible.”

  She nodded. “I’m afraid I have a long way to go.”

  “Don’t we all?” He opened the nursery room door for her to step inside.

  Joey ran up to them. “Hope says we can have doughnuts in the fellship room.”

  Alyssa looked to Ben for verification.

  “He’s right. Hope needs to stay until all the parents pick up their children. Then she has Sunday school. But I’ll take you and the boys home whenever you want to leave.” He motioned to his daughter. “Pick you up later.”

  She nodded as she helped a cute little girl with red pigtails into her jacket.

  Alyssa smiled at Hope, but the girl turned away. She should be used to Hope’s big freeze by now, but it hurt every time. Would she ever find a way to reach her? Maybe wh
en she moved?

  “Do you know where the doughnuts are, Ben?” Joey asked excitedly.

  “Sure do.” Guiding Alyssa and Joey down the hall, Ben turned to her, concern in his eyes. “Doing okay?”

  She smiled. “Doing fine.”

  “I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

  Had he seen her tears? She reached out and laid her hand on his arm to let him know she appreciated his concern. “It’s mostly the hymns that get me.”

  He nodded as if he understood. “Music can do that.”

  They walked into the fellowship room abuzz with people. A bank of windows allowed a lot of natural light into the generous room. Several murals of biblical scenes graced the walls, and a stone fireplace stood in one corner with a cluster of comfortable chairs facing it. Another corner sported children’s tables and chairs. Several adult-size tables laden with goodies were pulled away from the wall and spaced for easy access. Alyssa began helping Joey make his choice.

  Ben laid his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “I need to talk to some people about the Burkhalter project.”

  With his touch stealing her breath, she met his gaze.

  His rich brown eyes crinkled in a smile just for her, and warmth flushed her neck and cheeks.

  Not good. She glanced nervously away. Why was she reacting this way?

  Questioning her with his eyes, he took his hand from her shoulder. “You okay?”

  She seriously doubted it, but she nodded anyway.

  “I won’t be long.” Frowning, he turned and walked away.

  Drawing a stabilizing breath, she lifted her fingers to her burning cheeks and glanced around to get her bearings.

  “Mommy, I want that one and that one and that one.” Joey pointed out his choices.

  Alyssa scrambled to switch into mother mode. “Uh, Joey, let’s start with one doughnut.”

  “But I’m really hungry,” Joey whined.

  “If you’re still hungry after you eat one, you can choose another one.”

  “’Kay. Then I want that one.” He pointed to a chocolate doughnut with gooey frosting and colorful sprinkles, the biggest, messiest concoction on the entire serving tray.

  “I think you found the very best one, Joey.” EMT Liz looked at Alyssa. “Is everything okay?”