It wasn’t until Serenity mentioned something about the school giving Gideon a backpack that his full attention was jerked towards her. “What was that?”
Her brows drew together. “Last Sunday, we found a backpack leaning against our front porch. It had a ton of school supplies in it along with snacks. Someone put a sign on it saying it was from Hope Academy.” Her eyes narrowed. “Was it not?”
Aaron shared a look with Zane. “As far as I know, the school’s never done that. Even if they did, I think they’d have given it to you during the introductory tour. I doubt they would have dropped it off at your house.” Serenity seemed nervous and he rushed to put her at ease. “I didn’t mean to worry you. It’s probably something new they’re trying this year.” Or maybe one of her family members left it there to surprise them?
Serenity nodded. “That makes sense. It was certainly a big help and Gideon will use everything they put in the backpack.”
The bright smile she offered him was completely captivating. He spent the rest of their time together finding ways to make that smile appear again.
~
Several days later, Aaron stepped out of the air conditioned school and into the humid warmth. He stopped and squinted at the late August sky. A wall of dark clouds approached from the distance. That, in addition to the unusually heavy feel to the air, suggested thunderstorms were on their way.
Ready to go home and relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening, he headed for his black Volkswagen at the back of the parking lot. Movement snagged his attention. He zeroed in on a pair of legs sticking out from beneath an older Kia, the engine running. Almost certain he knew who those legs belonged to, he knelt down on one knee and lowered his head to the pavement.
“Serenity? What are you doing?”
She scrambled out from under the car and stood up quickly. Brushing her hands off on her pants only added to the dirt smudges already there. “Shhhh! Listen.”
Aaron spotted Gideon sitting in the back seat of the car and thought maybe she was referring to him. A moment later, the faintest meow reached his ears. “A cat?”
Serenity nodded quickly. “I think it’s a kitten. It’s stuck up under my car. I can’t drive home knowing it’s under there. What if that kills it?” Her eyes brimmed with concern and her voice shook. “I was trying to reach it so I could pull it out.”
There were several strays in the area. One of them must have had a litter of kittens and one had crawled up under the car to get out of the sun earlier that day. It was the only explanation he could think of. “Can you actually see it when you’re under there?”
“Yep, right over the rear tire.”
She was watching him, her face full of hope, the storm clouds reflected in her eyes. How could he not offer to help? He set his messenger bag on the ground. “Let me give it a try.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to get filthy. I’m hoping I’ll be able to coax it out.”
He held back a chuckle, imagining her under there calling, “Here, kitty, kitty,” and waiting for the feline to jump down on its own. If the increasing volume of the meows was any indication, it wasn’t likely to come out willingly. And he wasn’t about to leave her out here in the parking lot with the storm rolling in.
Gideon opened a car door and jumped out. He ran around the back and joined his mom. She put a hand on his shoulder. “The Music Man is going to try to get the kitty out from under the car and then we can go home.” The boy looked at him expectantly.
Show time.
He eased himself under the edge of the car. The cat’s cry for help was much louder and he quickly saw two reflecting eyes staring back at him. As long as the cat didn’t try to wedge itself in any further, Aaron was sure he could pull it out. Avoiding claws might be a different story.
“It’s okay, we’re going to get you out of here. And let’s try to remember never to climb up under a car again, huh?” He kept his voice soothing as he reached for the cat, his hand closing on the scruff of its neck. A panicked mew along with an attempt to scramble away from him resulted but he kept a firm hold as he eased the cat out of the space it’d crawled into.
Aaron felt the sharp pebbles in the pavement against his back as he moved out from beneath the car and stood. They got the first real view of the small animal in his hands.
A pair of blue eyes stared at the three of them, wide and uncertain.
Serenity reached for the cat and he transferred it to her. “Poor little thing. I think it’s Siamese.”
“At least partly.” There was no mistaking the coloring of the fur in combination with those eyes. He couldn’t recall seeing a stray Siamese, but then it could have wandered from almost anywhere.
She tipped the animal slightly before bringing it to her chest with both hands. “She’s a girl.” It wasn’t long before her breathing slowed and she relaxed.
Gideon reached up and touched her softly. He ran a hand over the cat’s head and she closed her eyes. He patted his chest and reached his arms out.
“Oh, big guy, I don’t know. She might run off.” Gideon patted his chest again. Serenity relented. “Okay, but hold her close to you so she feels safe.”
Aaron watched as the boy took the animal in his arms in a much gentler way than he’d expected. The kitten rubbed her little head against the bottom of Gideon’s chin and started to purr. Aaron’s little brother had liked cats, too, even though their parents had refused to get one. Though Kenneth hadn’t been quite as gentle with them as Gideon was now.
Serenity seemed stunned. “He’s always liked my brother’s dog, but never got attached to him. He seems to like this kitten, though.”
“The feeling appears to be mutual.” He brushed some dirt off the back of his arm. “What are you going to do?”
“How can I not take her home now?” She put a hand on her son’s shoulder. “What do you think, Gideon? Should we take her home and she can be our cat?”
He turned, held the cat with one hand, and pulled the car door open with the other.
Serenity chuckled. “Gideon. Look at me. Does that mean yes? You need to tell me.” He nodded once and climbed into the vehicle. “There we have it.” She turned her attention to Aaron. “Thank you so much. I appreciate your help. I’m sorry your kindness got you all dirty, though.”
Aaron brushed at his pants and shrugged. “It’ll wash. I’m glad I could help. Make sure you take her to the vet, though. Get her checked out.”
“We will. She seems young enough, it’ll be a couple of months before we’ll need to get her spayed.”
She helped Gideon get buckled into his booster seat and closed the door again. The kitten was content on his lap.
While she was turned away from him, Aaron spotted a leaf caught in her hair and some debris clinging to the back of her shoulder. Before he changed his mind, he took a step closer to her. “You have something in your hair. Here, let me get it for you.”
She froze as he extracted the leaf, amazed that the silky strands were even softer than he’d imagined. He swept it to the side and lightly brushed off the debris. The contact was brief, yet it felt as though it’d seared his skin. He cleared his throat and took a step back. “There you go.”
“Thank you.” She turned around slowly and clasped her hands tightly in front of her.
Aaron glanced at the sky, the storm front moving steadily closer. “You’d better get going or you’ll get caught in the rain.” They both needed an escape from the moment — from whatever it was that’d just happened. Was he the only one affected? The questioning look in her eyes said he wasn’t, or maybe that was wishful thinking.
Either way, she broke eye contact. “Same with you. Thanks again for your help. With everything.”
“You’re welcome.” He lifted a hand in farewell and watched as she climbed into her vehicle and disappeared across the parking lot.
The image of her shapely legs sticking out from underneath the car and the way her eyes had reflected the clouds in t
he sky didn’t come close to disappearing from his mind.
~
Serenity and Gideon ducked into a pet store on the way home to get a few supplies. She bought a pan for a litterbox, a small thing of litter, and a little bag of cat food. Her limited funds didn’t allow for anything else and she’d already determined to use dishes they owned to hold the food and water.
By the time they got home, the storm was upon them and rain came down in sheets. She rushed Gideon and the kitten in before going back to get everything else.
They changed into dry clothes and set up the litterbox, food, and water before the kitten got any ideas on somewhere else to do her business. The little thing appeared grateful and used her new facilities immediately.
At least she appeared clean, especially after getting wet in the rain. Serenity would have to see how she was going to squeeze a vet visit into their budget.
Gideon stretched out on the floor, rested his chin on an arm, and watched as the kitten started to eat. The smile on his face told her she’d done the right thing by bringing the little animal home.
Her mind flew to Aaron and the way he’d looked, holding the kitten in his large hands. A tickle on her shoulder blade made her shiver. Even though she was still cold from getting soaked in the rain, she could have sworn some residual warmth from his touch remained. She caught a hint of his aftershave — something woodsy and unforgettable.
She rotated her shoulders in an attempt to push the thoughts from her mind. The guy had an amazing singing voice, he was friendly, he taught music to special needs children, and he rescued kittens.
Serenity frowned. Seriously, there had to be a catch. There was always a catch.
Chapter Eight
Did you get the kitten settled in okay last night?” Aaron paused at the table where he and Serenity usually ate lunch at. He didn’t see her when he got to work and had been looking forward to the break all morning.
Serenity smiled up at him. “We did. I’ve only ever had dogs. Let me just say that a cat is a lot easier to litterbox train than a dog is to house train.”
Her chuckle brought a smile to his face. There was something about her laugh that always made him want to join in. Her hair fell loose down her back. He remembered what it was like to touch it the day before and flexed his hand.
“I’m glad to hear it. And was Gideon as excited about the cat after you got her home?” He slid into the chair across from her, setting the bag of food down on the floor at his feet.
“Oh, yes. He didn’t leave her side until I insisted it was time for bed. She slept with him last night.”
Aaron thought about Gideon and somehow the interaction didn’t surprise him. He was still trying to get to know the boy, but had discovered several times that Gideon would become concerned if another child in his class got upset. He could see how caring for a kitten would be good for him. “Did you name her?”
“I went with Kia. It seemed fitting.”
He laughed. “That’s a perfect name.” He took in the plain sandwich that was still wrapped in front of her and the little bag of chips. She’d eaten the same thing for lunch since the first time he sat down with her in the breakroom. She usually didn’t seem to mind, but he’d caught a wishful look on her face a time or two when he brought leftovers.
When he had a few extra minutes, he decided to get takeout from one of the popular Mexican restaurants in town. He reached across the table and moved her food to the side, setting the bag down between them.
Her eyes widened as she took in the bag and then studied him. “What’s this?”
“Lunch.” He suppressed a grin at the confused expression on her face. He got a couple of paper plates out of a cabinet and handed her one.
“You bought me lunch?”
“You’ve got to have a break from sandwiches. Please tell me you eat something else at home.”
Her cheeks grew pink. “We do. Funds are a bit limited right now. But we eat and that’s more than good enough.” She took in a deep breath and her stomach let out a long growl. Her face went from red to crimson.
Aaron laughed loudly. He pulled out a stack of tortillas and a container with grilled chicken and vegetables, refried beans, rice, and toppings. “This place makes some of the best chicken fajitas in town.” He pushed the tortillas towards her. “Dig in.”
Her hesitation was momentary before she did just as he asked. When she’d rolled everything up in the tortilla and taken a bite, her eyes closed and she moaned. “You weren’t kidding. These are amazing.”
He took a big bite and nodded his satisfaction. This was a good call. After polishing his fajita off in a few bites, he rolled up another one. He was even happier to see that Serenity ate a second fajita as well.
When she leaned back in her chair and rested her hands on her stomach, her eyes twinkled. “Thank you. Now I don’t have to eat for a week.”
Aaron raised an eyebrow at her. “They’re good, but not that good. And you’re welcome.” He made a third fajita. “Who knows, maybe I’ll bring some again next week, Tuesday instead. Isn’t Taco Tuesday a thing?” He winked. Serenity gave him a warning look but said nothing. He chose to take that as agreement. “What are your hobbies?”
She blinked at him as though he’d asked a question in another language. He hadn’t expected her hesitation over what he thought was a simple inquiry.
Serenity tapped the cover of the book on the table near her. “I read. Does that count?”
“Absolutely.”
“What about you?”
The words came quickly and he suspected she was trying to deflect the conversation from herself. He thought about asking her what types of books she liked to read, but decided to go with her distraction.
“Most of what I do is music-related. My job here plus playing at church. There’s a group of guys there that I play basketball with occasionally. Not that I’m great, but it’s fun. Do you play?”
“I don’t. Or at least I haven’t for a long time. It’s funny because my brother and sister do. They’re always trying to convince me to join them. Now that they’re both married, they’ve got two on two. They don’t need a fifth.”
Serenity stopped talking suddenly and Aaron suspected she hadn’t meant to give quite as many details. He had the feeling she didn’t experience a lot of fun in her life.
The need to replace the frown on her face with a smile was so strong, he knew he ought to put some distance between them. Especially with Cynthia’s blasted guidelines hanging over their heads. But there was something about Serenity and the way he was drawn to her that refused to let him do that.
“Well, maybe it’s time you played again.” He gave her a wink. “I’ll let you know the next time we throw a game together.”
~
It was Friday night and Serenity was lounging on her futon, a book discarded next to her. Gideon was in bed and Kia was curled up in a little black ball between her ankles. She let her cell phone rest against her ear. “Do you want to hear something funny?”
“What’s that?” Lexi managed to get the words out before she started coughing.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“You sound like Lance. I’m fine. It’s a head cold.”
Serenity knew that but worried anyway. It was hard not to, especially after witnessing all her sister went through last year. She mentally prayed and released her fears. Or at least the bulk of them. “I know. You’d better make sure you get some extra rest.”
“Yes, Mom.” The sound of Lexi blowing her nose came across the phone. “Sorry. What’s funny?”
“I’m bored. I can’t remember the last time I was bored.” Serenity laughed, the sound disrupting Kia. The kitten yawned widely, stretched her paws out, and then curled up again.
“I’d say that’s a good thing. You’ve been so busy working that you haven’t really had a life.”
“Gee, thanks for that.” Serenity rolled her eyes and blew out a puff of air. “I’ve been reading a lot
.”
“And that’s great. But you need a hobby.”
Was it a bad sign that the second person in as many days was commenting on her pathetic existence? She wanted to get annoyed at Lexi, but it was hard to do when she wasn’t wrong.
“What do you suggest?”
“Besides finding yourself a handsome man so you can start dating?”
The first thing that came to Serenity’s mind was a certain Music Man with piercing blue eyes. She sat up quickly, the movement disturbing Kia. She stood lazily, shot Serenity a nasty glare, and jumped to the floor.
“Yes, besides that.”
Lexi laughed, the sound flowing into a cough. When it had quieted, she said, “You used to crochet. Do you remember that? You could pick it up again. We can always use tiny hats for the preemies here at the hospital. Maybe you could start up an online store and make a little side money.”
“Are you serious? I haven’t crocheted since I was fifteen.”
“I thought you were bored. YouTube has a wealth of tutorials.” Lexi started coughing again.
Serenity had to admit the idea held some appeal. She could make gifts for her family for Christmas in a few months.
“Listen, Lexi. You need to go and get some rest. That cough sounds horrible. Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”
There was a pause and she could hear the exchange of voices before Lexi came back on the line. “I’m sure, but Lance is insisting. He has an appointment for me tomorrow afternoon.”
Lance must have taken the phone from her because his voice reached Serenity’s ear. “Tell her, if she doesn’t go to the doctor willingly, I’ll pick her up and carry her there myself.”
Serenity chuckled. “I’ll do it. You’re a good guy, Lance.”
“Make sure to pass that along, too.”
She was still laughing when Lexi got her phone back. “Go to the doctor. It doesn’t hurt. Get some meds and get to feeling better, huh?”
“I will. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Finding Faith (Love's Compass Book 4) Page 5