Touché. She’d outmaneuvered him. To refuse an invitation now would be rude. “You’re welcome to come. The seventeenth, right after church. Shiloh Lake.”
Shelby smiled. “I’ll be there.” She stood and carried her plate from the room.
Matt followed, stopping beside her at the kitchen sink. “You want to tell me what that was all about?” She didn’t look at him.
“I love your parents. I wouldn’t miss a celebration in their honor.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
She turned and smiled. “Oh?”
Matt crossed his arms over his chest. “Suddenly you find our small town relaxing and you might stay on? Ellen seemed surprised by that.”
“I don’t have a specific date to go back.” She shrugged, reaching across him for another plate. “And I am starting to relax. I ran into an old friend yesterday, and I’m looking forward to spending time with her.”
He caught a whiff of her perfume and stepped away. “Why are you really here, Shelby?”
She tossed the dishrag into the sink. “I told you. I’m here to rest and visit my grandmother.”
“No.” Matt shook his head. “There’s something more to it.”
Ellen breezed into the kitchen clicking her tongue. “I’ll handle those dishes. Go outside and enjoy this beautiful day.”
Matt turned and placed a kiss on Ellen’s cheek. “It was delicious as usual. Thank you.”
“I love having you. I also love cleaning up my own kitchen. Now scoot.”
“We need to be leaving anyway. My mom is having a birthday party for my uncle Hank this afternoon and we still have to pick up a present.”
Ellen glanced over her shoulder. “Tell the judge happy birthday for me.”
“Will do. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ellen, when I pick up the kids.”
*
Shelby rested her head against the chain supporting the front-porch swing. The gentle swaying motion soothed her troubled thoughts. Once again she was forced to adjust her assumptions about Matt. He wasn’t a handyman; he taught college students. The battered van wasn’t his job; it was his ministry. What gnawed at her most was his pointed question on why she was really here. Maybe she should tell him she was on medical leave and be done with it. But what if he refused to let her watch the kids? What if he wouldn’t even talk to her anymore? The thought saddened her. For all her intent to avoid him, now that they had reunited she didn’t want it to end again.
The front door creaked as Ellen stepped out onto the front porch. “Well, it’s good to see you relaxing without all those electronic gadgets in your hands.” She eased down into the wicker rocker facing the swing. “What are you going to do the rest of the afternoon?”
“I don’t know. I’m feeling lost. I don’t know what to do with myself. For the first time in fifteen years, I have no direction. I have nothing to keep me busy.”
“Well.” Gramma chuckled softly. “If it’s keeping busy that you want, there’s plenty to do around here. I have a garden out back you could work in. Or you could volunteer to help with Matt’s ministry.”
Shelby smiled and shook her head. “I’m not handy with tools.”
Gramma raised her eyebrows. “Your hand fits a rake, doesn’t it? Not all the work they do is repairs.” She stood and started back inside. “You can come help me with my scrapbook. All the things you need are right there on my desk in the corner of the living room.”
“Thanks, Gramma, but I’ll find something to do.” Her gaze traveled to Matt’s house. She’d better find it fast. She would not spend all her spare time thinking about Matt Durrant.
Chapter Six
Strange how one phone call could change so many people’s lives. Gramma had only been gone an hour, but already the house felt sad and empty. Gramma’s sister, Aunt Naomi, had fallen and broken her hip and her family had asked Gramma to come and stay with her during her recovery. After a hectic couple hours of packing and rearranging Ellen’s various responsibilities, she’d left for Baton Rouge.
Gramma’s absence not only left Shelby in charge of babysitting Cassidy and Kenny; it had opened up a new issue. Her health. She had to tell Matt the truth. She couldn’t keep this from him now. He was already worried about his kids being hurt by her leaving. If something happened to her while she was watching the children, she’d put them at risk. She wasn’t looking forward to breaking all this bad news to Matt when he got home. Once he knew about her heart problems, he would probably end her relationship with his kids. She hated to face that, but better now than when she’d totally lost her heart to them. She couldn’t really fault him for wanting to spare his kids further trauma. But her own heart would be wounded in the process.
The afternoon loomed ahead, long and empty. She’d considered texting Matt about the change in babysitting arrangements, but she decided this kind of news was best done in person. The children would be home in a couple hours, so she’d take care of them and explain it to Matt when he got home. In the meantime, she had to do something to keep busy. The thought of telling Matt about Gramma leaving and her heart condition was making her anxious.
Shelby wandered through the hall into the living room. There was no sense trying to work; things at Tween Scene were still in limbo. She’d already gone walking with Pam early this morning and discovered that having a friend to talk to made exercising more enjoyable than she’d ever imagined. But what did she do now?
Her gaze fell on the table in the far corner. As she drew closer she saw that it was Gramma’s scrapbooking project. The large book was filled with family photos, each page decorated with colorful papers and tiny ornaments. Beside the book was a clear plastic box. Shelby opened the lid to examine the contents. It was filled with all the things she would need. Paper, scissors and tiny decorations. The creative pages reminded her of the yearbook and the amateur magazines she’d made in school. She’d been skeptical when Gramma had suggested working on the scrapbook, but it might be fun. It might help her remember why she wanted to be involved with magazines in the first place.
The afternoon went surprisingly fast. It wasn’t until the clock struck the hour that Shelby realized it was time for Cassidy and Kenny to get home from school. Dabbing a bead of glue on a small ribbon, she carefully laid it on the corner of a photo as the bus pulled up at the end of the drive.
*
Shelby’s anxiety about talking to Matt disappeared in the enjoyment of being with the children. They’d had plans to walk the trails today, but a sudden rain shower had squashed that idea. Cassidy had suggested baking cupcakes and Kenny had embraced the idea, digging out all the sprinkles, colored sugar and anything else he could find to put on top of them. The result was a messy kitchen and breakfast table crammed full of goodies. Cassidy was pulling a freshly baked pan of cupcakes from the oven when Matt walked in the door.
“Hey, Dad. We’re making cupcakes for dessert.”
Matt set his briefcase and other items on the desk, glancing around the room. He was smiling, and Shelby took that as a good sign.
“So are cupcakes the main course tonight?” He glanced over at her.
“No. We pulled out one of the casseroles Laura left. I hope that’s okay.”
“Fine. How did it go today?”
“Good. I really enjoy watching them, Matt. They make it fun and easy.” No sense postponing the news. “But we need to talk.” She moved to the far end of the kitchen.
A deep troubled frown appeared on Matt’s forehead as he joined her. “Something wrong with the kids?”
She quickly reassured him. “No. nothing like that. It’s Ellen. She had to leave town suddenly. My great-aunt broke her hip and Gramma went to Baton Rouge to take care of her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. How long will she be gone?”
“A couple weeks, I’m afraid. Which brings me to the babysitting situation.” It was clear from the expression on his face that it had sunk in. She would be the sitter from here on out.
/> He slipped his hands into his pockets. “I see. So what do we do?”
“Matt, I like being here for the children after school. We get along well together, and I’m perfectly willing to continue watching them. If you’re all right with it.”
Matt looked over at his children, who were busy decorating the cupcakes. Giggles and teasing conversation filled the air. She watched as his troubled expression slowly changed into affection. “Okay. But I have to be able to depend on you being here every day.”
She tried not to be offended by his words. She understood how deeply he loved his children and how much he worried. “You can. But there’s one more thing I need to make you aware of. Can we step outside?”
Matt frowned. “Okay. Let’s go out to the front porch.” He turned and faced her as soon as the door closed. “What’s this about?”
“You’ve asked me why I came back to Dover. I came to stay with my grandmother because I’m on medical leave.” She saw Matt tense, his eyes darkening. “I had a very mild heart attack caused by stress. Nothing serious, but it was a wake-up call. I was ordered to change my lifestyle and rest or the next time could be serious.”
Matt’s jaw flexed rapidly. “So you’re saying you could have a fatal heart attack at any time?”
“No. There’s nothing wrong with my heart. But I do have to make changes, take better care of myself. I have a family history of heart disease. I wasn’t going to tell you since Gramma was doing the babysitting, but knowing how you feel, and what your children have been through, I thought I should tell you.”
The muscle in his jaw flexed rapidly again. “I don’t know what to say. This changes everything.”
“It doesn’t have to. My condition is treatable and stable. I’m on medications, and I’m following the doctor’s orders.”
“And what happens if you have a heart attack while you’re with my kids?”
Shelby clasped her hands together, trying to stay calm. “The likelihood is remote. But that’s why I told you. I’ll be happy to keep watching the kids until you can find someone else. But I’m perfectly capable of caring for them. And I want to. I really like them, Matt. I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.”
“What if you can’t help it?” Matt paced off, running a hand through his hair. “No. This won’t work. I’ll find someone else.”
Her worst fear had come true. “I’m sorry. But I couldn’t continue babysitting and not let you know.” She moved to the door. “Let me know how you want to handle this. I’ll be here tomorrow unless you’ve made other arrangements.”
Matt crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. The grim set to his jaw told her he was struggling with the news. There was nothing left to say. After a quick goodbye to the kids, Shelby went home, relieved that there’d been no confrontation, no angry words. But her news had shifted their relationship and she could only pray that Matt would let her continue to watch Cassidy and Kenny until he found someone else. She hadn’t realized how much a part of her life they’d become until now.
*
Matt went through the evening routine in a daze. Shelby was sick. A woman standing at the edge of death. This couldn’t be happening again. He’d been concerned about Shelby walking out on his kids, now he had to worry about her dying. His mind flooded with memories of helplessness, pain and wrenching loss. He wouldn’t survive it a second time. As soon as the kids were settled he would call his dad. He needed advice.
It was nearly two hours later before Matt had a chance to call his dad. He paced the kitchen, waiting for him to answer.
“Hey, son. What’s going on?”
Matt took a deep breath. He was sure his dad would agree with him that he could not let Shelby watch his kids. “Remember when you said you thought Shelby looked tired? Well, turns out she’s not back in Dover just to visit Ellen. She’s on medical leave. She’s had a heart attack and was sent here to rest up.”
“What? But she’s so young.”
Matt paced the room. “She said it was brought on by stress.”
“Well, that would make sense given her line of work. So how serious is this? Has she had surgery or anything like that?”
“No. Nothing like that. She said it was a very mild one and she was told to rest and change her lifestyle. But, Dad, she’s watching my children every day. She’s alone here with them. What if something happens?”
“Then your mom and I are right here to step in. But I think you might be worrying for nothing. From what you’re telling me, her condition doesn’t sound serious.”
How could his dad say that? “She’s had a heart attack. That sounds serious to me.”
“Don’t anticipate trouble before it happens. There are all levels of heart disease, and most are manageable. But if you’re so concerned, you could get someone else to watch them.”
“That’s the problem. There isn’t anyone at the moment.”
“Then why not let things go on for the time being? I know your mom is busy with her campaign and I’m at the store all day, but we’re still only a few blocks away. Tell Shelby to call us if she has any problems. Have a little faith, son. Relax and take it one day at a time.”
Matt hung up the phone, his thoughts swirling like a hurricane. His father had always given him sound advice, but he wasn’t sure he could follow it this time. How did he take things one day at a time when each day held the potential for disaster?
*
By Thursday afternoon, Shelby had renewed hope that things between her and Matt were going to work out. He’d questioned her about her condition, wanting assurances that she wasn’t going to suffer another attack unexpectedly. She promised him she would call one of his parents the moment she experienced any symptoms. He had finally agreed to let the situation stand. In the meantime, he would continue to look for another babysitter.
It was more than she’d hoped for. Apparently he’d come to terms with things because he’d come home in a good mood the last few nights. He’d even asked her to stay for supper again. He’d fired up the grill and the grilled chicken had been too good to resist.
Today the children had opted to stay with her at Gramma’s house. After releasing Chester from his cage, they’d gathered on the porch to discuss the day.
“I painted pictures at school and the teacher put them up on the wall.”
“That’s wonderful, Kenny. What did you draw?”
He stooped down and hugged his furry dog. “Chester. He’s my best friend.”
“What about you, Cass? Anything exciting at school today?”
The girl shrugged. “Molly got some new nail polish. It was yellow. Way cool. My teacher Miss Jenkins is getting married and she said we could all come to the wedding.”
“How nice of her. When is the wedding?”
“Not till next summer. But we had to do collages about things we like, so some of us added wedding dresses to them. Did you ever do a collage?”
“I did. In fact, putting a magazine together is a lot like that. I’m working on my gramma’s scrapbook and it’s not too different. I’d love to see what you’ve done. Did you bring it home?”
“No. It’s for the open house tonight.”
“What open house? At school?”
“Yes. I brought the paper home for Dad to look at.”
“Are you sure he saw it? Because I don’t recall him saying anything about an open house. What time does it start?”
“Six-thirty. But it goes for an hour or so.”
“Honey, he doesn’t even get home until that time.”
Cassidy grew edgy. “I know I told him. Everybody’s parents are going to be there. It’s like a huge deal.” She scooted off the swing and darted inside, returning a few moments later with a wrinkled paper in her hand and a worried expression on her face. “I forgot to give this to him. Now he won’t be there and I won’t have a parent to show up.” Tears welled up in her blue eyes.
Shelby motioned for her to sit beside her, taking the paper and scanning the info
rmation. Unless he could get off work early, there was no way he could get home and to the school in time. “Kenny, do you have an open house tonight, too?”
He nodded. “Did you tell your daddy?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Cassidy was weeping now. “I wanted him to see my collage and talk to my teacher. I’ll be the only one there without a parent.”
“Now, don’t worry. We’ll get it all sorted out. I’ll text your father, and we’ll see what we can work out.” A few minutes later her cell rang and she took the call, walking to the far end of the porch so she could talk privately. “Matt? I’m sorry to bother you, but I just found out about this a few minutes ago.”
“Why didn’t she tell me sooner?”
Frustration was evident in his tone. “Is there any way you can leave early?”
“No. Not today. In fact I might be a few minutes late. I have a meeting with a student after classes.”
There was an obvious solution, but Shelby was reluctant to suggest it. One glance at Cassidy’s sad face made up her mind. “Matt, why don’t I take the children to the school and you can come directly there as soon as you can? That way they’ll feel better knowing you’re on your way and I can stand in as the—” She didn’t want to use the word parent. “The adult representative in the meantime.”
The long silence on the other end of the phone spiked her anxiety. “All right. But are you sure you want to do this? It’s a big imposition.”
“No it’s not. I’m curious to see the things the kids talk about every day. It’ll be fun. As soon as you get there I’ll leave. I don’t want to see them disappointed.”
“Neither do I. Okay, I’ll get there as soon as I can. And, Shelby, thanks. This’ll mean a lot to the kids. And I appreciate it, too.”
Cassidy and Kenny warmed to the idea and quickly helped get ready. After a quick meal and a change of clothes, they arrived at school with plenty of time. Shelby followed Kenny to his room first, admiring his artwork. She’d have recognized Chester anywhere. The little boy had captured him perfectly, scruffy tail and all.
She met his teacher and explained that his father was coming later and he’d probably want to speak with her. Cassidy was fairly jumping out of her skin to get to her room. Once there she darted off, then came back with two girls in tow.
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