He smiled. She remembered. “Yes. I moved here the summer before my senior year. Mrs. Elliot was my foster mother. She was a special person. Knowing her changed my life.”
“Did she leave you the home?”
“No. But after she passed, her children decided to sell it. They contacted me to see if I was interested. I jumped at the chance.”
“Weren’t you worried about coming back here given what happened? I mean, weren’t you afraid people would talk?”
“There was a risk, but the town has nearly doubled in size, and not many people from back then still live here. I wanted to come home to someplace I had a connection.”
Her gaze locked with his and he saw understanding in the blue depths. They recognized a mutual need. Each possessed a deep desire for security and permanence, and an attachment to a physical structure signified that longing. A house was important to them. Now more than ever he wanted to help Annie get her house in shape. He wanted her to feel secure and safe.
“Mom!”
The twins raced across the lawn as though a tiger was chasing them. Ryan was waving a paper in his hand and Tyler smiled from ear to ear. They dashed up onto the porch and skidded to a halt.
“Can we play? Please?”
Tyler nodded eagerly. “Please, Mom. It’s a real team.”
Annie took the paper and scanned the information. “A soccer team?”
“Yeah. Can we join?”
“Johnny and Steve are going to play, and Hunter too. They played last year.”
Jake recognized the yellow notice. He also noted Annie’s hesitation. Given what she’d just told him, she might be worried about the cost. He hoped she’d say yes because he would enjoy coaching her boys.
“I guess it would be okay but I need to know more about this.”
“What do you need to know?”
Annie looked at Jake, her lips parted slightly as realization dawned. “Are you the coach?”
“Yes, I am.”
The boys high-fived each other and shouted. “Way cool. When do we start?”
Jake perched on the low brick retaining wall on the porch. “Next week.” He shifted his gaze to Annie. “It’s a recreation team. They learn how to play the game, and about sportsmanship and being team players. Nothing overly competitive. The cost is minimal and we only play a handful of games.”
She was still hesitant. He wanted to encourage her to let the twins play, but decided to let her come to her own decision. His heart went out to her. She’d had it rough and he understood her defensive nature. Her aunt’s inheritance must have seem like a gift from above.
“Okay. Sign us up.”
Jake smiled as the boys hugged Annie and cheered. She still looked doubtful as if she wanted to change her mind. “Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.”
She shook her head. “I know, but they’re behind the curve when it comes to sports. They’ve wanted to play but the cost of uniforms and equipment was too much, and we didn’t have good health insurance. I couldn’t afford for them to get hurt.” A small smile reflected in her blue eyes. “Thanks to my aunt, I can afford to buy them whatever they need now.”
“They’ll be fine, Annie. Promise.” He’d have to make sure to look out for the twins so she wouldn’t worry.
Mostly he was glad he’d have another reason to spend time with her. He should be backing off, but the more he knew her, the more intrigued he became. Any serious relationship was out of the question of course, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy having her as a friend. A tiny voice in his head taunted him. He could lie to himself all he wanted, but deep down he hoped they might become more. Even if that hope was futile.
* * *
Jake pulled into Annie’s driveway a few days later, watching as she hurried down her porch steps. She wore her hair down today and it floated softly when she moved. Her smile was warm and welcoming as she climbed into his vehicle. He wished she would look at him that way all the time. He reminded himself to stay focused. “This won’t take long. We just have to go by and pick up a donation.”
“Our first of many, I hope.” She smiled at him. “How did you find out about it? Did you call them?”
Jake steered the SUV down Birch Street, toward the main highway. “No, it’s from the father of one of my players.”
After a short drive Jake pulled into the large lot of a four-story office building, with Bancroft Industries displayed prominently across the top.
Annie walked beside him, her gaze traveling upward to the sign and then down to the perfect landscaping. “I hope this is a sizable donation.”
“We’ll know shortly. Brad Bancroft said he’d leave it with his secretary.” True to his word the secretary outside his office on the top floor handed Jake an envelope with a bright smile. He contained his curiosity until they were outside the building. He peeled open the seal, slipped out the check and exhaled a slow whistle.
Annie leaned closer. “How much?”
He handed it to her, watching as her blue eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh my. Does this mean we’re done?”
Jake chuckled. “If only. No, but it’ll go a long way.”
Back in the car, Jake felt Annie’s eyes on him. He knew she was gearing up for more questions. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Why exactly did you need me? You could have picked this up all by yourself. Unless you’re afraid of big buildings.”
“We’re a team. Teams do things together.” Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her blond bangs. He was a lousy liar. “Okay. I wanted you with me. You’re good company. I like you. You’re interesting and fun.” He tensed, waiting for a biting comment in return. He’d revealed too much and she was likely to pop him for it.
“Really? Well, you’re interesting too. For example, you don’t seem like the kind of guy who would teach sixth grade.”
She thought he was interesting? That was an encouraging sign. “You’re right. I’m not. I took this job at Jefferson because it was the only one open when I moved back. I prefer to teach and coach at the high school level. I taught and coached at a Christian school in North Louisiana for a number of years. We went to the football state championships every year.”
“Impressive.”
“As a matter of fact I’ve applied for a high school job in Hastings that’s opening up next year.”
“I’ll pray that you get it.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Would she really pray for him? The idea created a warm spot in a corner of his chest that lingered long after he dropped her off at home. They set a time to start approaching the local businesses for donations and sponsorships, and he found himself unusually eager to get started.
Things were easing up between them. Maybe the truce was going to work after all.
* * *
Annie turned off the faucet, frowning at the trickle of water that seeped from the spigot. She’d have to see if she could fix it. The repairs for the old house were adding up and that didn’t include hiring someone to remodel the kitchen, update the bathrooms and replace the old windows. She’d had big plans, but it looked she would have to rework them. Jake had offered to help. There’d been several times as she worked around the house she could have used his strength, but she hadn’t been able to get up the nerve to ask him.
Hearing her sons’ voices at the back door, she went to investigate, mentally donning her referee hat, expecting to end an argument. She stopped short of the door when she heard their hushed conversation.
“You tell her.”
“No, you.”
“No. You can talk to her better than me.”
She opened the back door. The twins were standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the small back porch, looking guilty as sin. She crossed her arms over her chest and assumed her best mom scowl. “What have you two done?”
Tyler answered
first. “Nothing,”
Ryan said, “Honest, Mom.”
Annie crossed her arms over her chest. “Any time you add the word honest, I know something is up.”
Tyler suddenly moved, and a furry brown head pushed between the boys. The dog looked up at each boy as if waiting for a response.
“Whose dog is that?”
The twins glanced at one another. “Nobody’s.”
Ryan nodded. “He followed us home from Hunter’s.”
“He has to belong to someone. He looks too well cared for to be a stray.”
Tyler looked at her with a sincere expression. “We asked all over and no one owns him.”
Annie stooped down and ran her hand over the dog’s collar, finding a small tag attached. “Did you happen to notice the dog tag?” The name Sam was written on the front and a phone number was engraved on the back. “Hmm. Look at that. Identification. His owners are probably looking all over town for him.”
Tyler looked crestfallen. “We were hoping to keep him.”
Ryan looked pitiful. “I always wanted a dog.”
Annie felt their pain. They’d been wanting a dog for a long time. “We’re going to call his owner so he can come pick him up.”
The boys took the opportunity to give Sam some love while they waited. A half hour later Ryan and Tyler were the proud owners of one very large brown-and-black mixed-breed dog.
Annie stood beside Denise at the kitchen, watching five excited kids playing with their new pet in the backyard. She’d brought over some dog food for Sam until Annie could get to the store.
“How did this happen again?”
“I’m not exactly sure myself. I called the number on the tag and the woman who answered said Sam was supposed to be picked up by the pound because her father was moving into a nursing home, but the dog ran away. She said the boys could have him. Now I’m stuck with a dog I didn’t want.”
Denise giggled. “But the boys are really happy.”
As if summoned, they entered the kitchen, their faces lit with joy. “Mom, can Sam sleep with us tonight since he doesn’t have a real dog bed.”
“Absolutely not.” The responding groans were pitiful. “He can sleep in the laundry room for now.” At least the animal seemed well behaved, which meant someone had trained him.
When bedtime rolled around, Sam was settled in a snug corner of the laundry room with a bowl of kibble, a dish of fresh water and several old blankets. Pulling the boys away from their new pet was a struggle, but Annie managed to get them upstairs, holding strong against the fervent pleas to spare Sam a long, lonely night without human companionship.
She slipped under the covers and replayed the boys’ excitement over finding Sam. The big shaggy mutt wasn’t the kind of animal she’d imagined for the boys, but it made them happy. Rustling and scraping from the hallway brought her to full attention. Was someone in the house? A muffled giggle revealed the source. Quietly she got out of bed and walked to her bedroom door and slowly opened it a crack. Two shadows moved along the hallway, heading for Tyler’s room at the back of the house, with one big shaggy dog in tow. She started to order them to take the animal back downstairs but then changed her mind. It was only one night. What would it hurt to let them sleep with Sam?
Tonight she would turn a blind eye, claim ignorance and indulge her twins.
* * *
The sanctuary at Covenant Church was quickly filling up when she and the boys arrived. Denise and her family were already there, seated midway down the aisle. She guided the twins to the pew behind them. She’d found a church home here, a place where she could worship and be refreshed and find the faith to get through the next week.
Today she hoped to find some clarity for her jumbled thoughts and emotions. She’d come to Hastings with visions of living a life of happiness and security. But so far it had been filled with surprises and confusion. She needed to find a balance between the blessing of inheriting her aunt’s estate and the burden of keeping Jake captive to Aunt Margaret’s need for punishment. And then there was the inexplicable series of events that had embedded Jake into her life.
The music began and Annie closed her eyes, setting aside her problems and focusing on the service. She’d come to feel at home in this church. It was her once-a-week stabilizer. Her time to get outside the craziness of her life right now and find peace.
Her tension drained away amid the familiar liturgy, and the choir anthem moved her spirit and touched her heart. The ushers started up the aisle and she realized Jake was one of them. He looked different today, dressed in dark gray slacks and a crisp light blue button-up shirt. Thankfully Jake passed the plate on the other side of the aisle, eliminating the need for her to acknowledge him. But that didn’t stop her gaze from seeking him out and her mind from thinking about him.
The pastor stood up and greeted everyone, and Annie turned her attention to the sermon.
As a longtime believer she’d become accustomed to sermons often touching upon the very thing with which she struggled, but sometimes the scriptures hit home with too much force.
“How many of you are withholding? I’m not talking about income tax or savings. I’m talking about the things we withhold from the people in our lives. Love. Forgiveness. Truth. Acceptance. Understanding. We’re all guilty of it. Why is it so hard to let go of these things? What are we afraid will happen if we love someone, or forgive them? What scares us about knowing the truth or accepting them?”
Annie kept her gaze trained on her lap for fear that anyone would see the guilt in her eyes. The truth was painful to hear. Technically it was her aunt who was withholding freedom from Jake, but she was responsible for perpetuating the arrangement. She did have an answer to the pastor’s question about what she was afraid of—losing her home and her security.
When the service ended, Annie made her way to the door after speaking with Denise and one of the teachers from her school. When she reached the entrance, Jake was standing beside the assistant pastor. She started to duck away but the minister stepped around Jake and held out his hand, a warm smile on his face. “You’re Mrs. Shepherd, aren’t you? I’m Reverend Evans. Jake has been telling me all about you and your twins. Welcome to Covenant.”
“Thank you.” The pastor leaned closer. “Jake and I were foster brothers. We go way back.”
Annie had no idea how to respond to that.
“I hope you’ll find a home with us. And you know we have special programs for children the age of your twins.”
“I saw that. I’m sure they would enjoy it.”
“Good. I’ll look forward to seeing them.” She glanced at Jake again. What was his reaction to the sermon? Was he angry? Discouraged? She could read nothing in his expression.
What she did know was that she had a lot to think about.
Chapter Six
Since school had started, Annie’s efforts to clear out her new home had slowed considerably. Thankfully all the excess junk had been disposed of, but there were still little clusters of things needing to be sorted through. Her new plan was to designate one small area to tackle each day. Today she’d picked the laundry room. The number of wash loads had increased since school had started and she needed space to sort and fold.
She pulled open the largest cupboard and counted five boxes of supersize detergent. At least she would save money in that area. Something else was behind the boxes so she shoved them aside, her heart sinking when she found several bottles of alcohol. It wasn’t the first time she’d stumbled across a bottle of liquor hidden in odd locations around the house. She remembered her aunt as a teetotaler dead set against any consumption of spirits. Now she was beginning to think her aunt had developed a secret drinking problem. Just another indication of how hard it had been for her to lose her only child.
Annie pulled the bottles from the back of the cupboard and carried them to the
kitchen sink. There was no way she would keep this stuff in her home. Yesterday she’d found five jars of applesauce shoved inside the buffet in the dining room. The applesauce she’d make use of; the booze, however, had to go.
The more she decluttered the place, the more she was convinced her aunt had suffered from a serious mental illness. Grief had taken hold and never let go. As a believer she would have thought Aunt Margaret would have taken comfort from her relationship with the Lord. Sadly, it looked like she’d lost her faith along with her child.
She uncapped the first bottle and cringed as the foul-smelling liquid disappeared down the drain. How could anybody drink this stuff?
“Annie. The boys told me to come on in. Hope that’s okay.”
“Jake.” The sound of his voice brought a smile to her face and a sudden shift in the atmosphere of the room. He was impossible to ignore. “Of course.”
“Am I interrupting something?”
She upended the bottle, the liquid gurgling as it drained through the narrow neck. “No. Just getting rid of more of Aunt Margaret’s secret stash.”
“You’re pouring it out?”
She nodded and picked up another bottle. “I’m beginning to think my aunt may have been in the early stages of dementia or something. And apparently she was also a closet drinker. I found these in the back of the laundry room cupboard.”
She glanced over her shoulder. Jake had the most curious expression on his face. She couldn’t decide if he was puzzled or shocked. He met her gaze and then quickly looked away, shifting his weight as if uncomfortable with her scrutiny. “Why not just toss them in the trash?”
His voice sounded odd too. “Because people have been known to go through trash cans, looking for this sort of thing, and I don’t want anyone to find it and do something stupid. I don’t want that on my conscience.” Annie emptied the bottle and dropped it into a garbage bag before washing her hands.
“I just stopped by to see if tomorrow would be a good time to start our door-to-door ad campaign.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his back rigid.
“Tomorrow is perfect. Denise is taking the twins to her parents’ farm for the day.”
Their Family Legacy Page 7