“I’m ready to get that gross dirt-beige color off the walls.” Dylan rolled his eyes.
“What color did we get?”
Harley chuckled. “Maniac Green.”
Harley and Kerry walked into the room, eager to get started. Dylan hung back and walked with Jake. He looked troubled. “How’s your dad doing?”
Dylan shrugged. “He has good days and bad. Being on parole is harder than I thought it would be. I figured Dad would use the second chance to get his life straightened out, you know. But he just can’t stay away from the boats or the booze.”
Jake had never been a gambler, but he understood all too well the hold an addiction could have on a person. He thought about Annie’s confession regarding her husband. He hated to think of her struggling to keep a roof over her head and then having her husband gamble it away. How could any decent man allow his wife and family to suffer that way?
Jake turned his attention back to Dylan. He’d tried to help the boy whenever possible. He’d even attempted to talk to the father, but found little cooperation or encouragement. Still, he promised to do what he could to keep Dylan’s dad out of trouble. A short while ago he’d met Dylan at one of the riverboat casinos and they had convinced Mr. Fields to leave. If he’d been caught in the gambling hall he’d be in violation of his parole, something Dylan wanted to avoid.
Jake hadn’t said anything to the young man but he feared it was only a matter of time before that happened. Mr. Fields didn’t seem interested in rehabilitation.
Had Annie’s husband tried to reform? He had a dozen questions now. And he was more determined than ever to be there to help her and the twins.
“Thanks for coming to get my dad last week. I know driving down to Biloxi was a long way to go, but he’s been doing really well this week.”
The boy’s eyes were filled with hope. Jake prayed it wouldn’t be dashed. “Glad to hear it. Is he making his meetings?”
Dylan shoved his hands into his pockets. “I think so.”
Jake felt certain that Mr. Fields wasn’t going regularly. “Don’t get discouraged. Battling any addiction is a long roller-coaster ride.”
“Was it like that for you?”
He took a deep breath. He worked with the teens to help them see the pitfalls of the choices they make, but he still found it hard to open up about his addiction. “I still have bad days here and there.”
“But you made it. You’re cured.”
How he wished that were true. “No such thing as cured. But it doesn’t draw me like it used to.” Unless he was slammed in the face with it like he’d been at Annie’s the other day.
“So there’s hope for my dad.”
“There’s always hope.” He pointed to the church steeple. “Just remember to keep praying.”
Jake followed the teen in the door, offering up a prayer of his own for the Fields and one for himself because he was always only one bad decision away from taking a wrong turn.
Chapter Seven
Eavesdropping was a trait Annie detested, but here she was finding reasons to putter around in the kitchen so she could overhear Jake in the dining room as he worked with Tyler on his math assignments. Maybe she could pick up some pointers on how to relate to her sons. Then she wouldn’t need Jake’s help.
She moved away only to hear giggles from Tyler. He never giggled when she was helping him. She frowned in disgust at the leak in the kitchen faucet, which was steadily getting worse.
Tyler and Jake entered the kitchen a few minutes later. “Mom, I think I’m getting the hang of this math stuff.”
She smiled, ignoring the twinge of envy in her chest. “That’s great, sweetie.” She glanced up at Jake, who was staring at her with an enigmatic expression. She wished she could read him better. She never knew how her words affected him, if at all. It was as if he was deliberately keeping his emotions masked. She understood better now why the other teachers called him mysterious.
Jake leaned against the counter. “He’s doing well, Annie. I think we’ll have him up to speed in a few more weeks.”
“Does that mean I’m not stupid?”
Annie smoothed his hair from his forehead. “I never thought you were, sweetie. I’m sorry I didn’t get you a different tutor sooner.”
“I’m not. Coach is the best teacher ever.”
A smile shifted Jake’s firm lips before his gaze landed on the sink. “Looks like you have a nasty leak there.”
“It’s getting worse. Could you recommend a good plumber?”
He waved off her suggestion. “No need for that. It’s probably a bad washer. I can fix it. Do you have a tool box?”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that. Really.” Why was he always the one to jump in and save the day? She was perfectly capable of saving her own day.
“It’s no big deal. Besides, a plumber will run you a hefty sum for a few minutes’ work.”
She debated. Inch by inch Jake was becoming more and more involved in her life. Still, she didn’t like to spend money carelessly. “Well, all right. But I don’t think we have a toolbox.”
“Yeah, we do.” Tyler ducked past Jake. “Ryan and I found one in the garage.” He dashed out, calling for his brother.
“I appreciate this. Really.”
“Happy to help. That’s what friends and neighbors are for.”
True, but why did all her help come from him? It was like he’d decided to be their private watchdog, looking out for anything that might need taking care of. Under other circumstances she’d feel flattered and even special, but she still had such mixed feelings toward Jake. She kept wondering if all his kindness was because he was hoping, if he was nice enough, she would cancel his yearly obligation. Unfortunately, that couldn’t ever happen. She wasn’t about to be thrown out on the street again.
The twins reappeared, Ryan lugging an old battered metal toolbox. “Will this work?”
Jake took the box, set it on the counter and opened the lid. “Wrench, screwdriver and washers.” He examined the black plastic loop, which held an assortment of orange rubber rings. “They’re old but they should do the trick.” He glanced at the boys. “I could use a few helpers if it’s okay with your mom.”
She hesitated, but decided the worst that could happen was water on the floor. “Sure. I’ll just leave you to your work.” Unable to completely relinquish control, she took a seat at the breakfast table to watch the repair.
Jake rubbed his hands together. “Okay, fellas. Faucet washer repair basics. First, turn off the water.” He showed them how to go under the sink and shut off the water flow. Then he demonstrated how to pop the plug on the top of the faucet to access the screw that held it in place. Jake was a natural with kids.
Her two young plumbers hung on Jake’s every word and action. He even let them do much of the work. Before she knew it, the faucet was fixed and the boys were exchanging high fives. It had taken all of twenty minutes to replace the washer. She was glad she hadn’t called a plumber.
“Look, Mom, we fixed it. We’re plumbers.” Tyler turned the spigot on and off a few times. Ryan grinned happily. “This is so cool. We could get jobs as handymen.”
“You got any more leaky stuff we can fix, Mom?”
Annie chuckled. “Not at the moment, Ty.”
The boys wrestled the toolbox back to the garage. Annie met Jake’s gaze, the twinkle in his eyes and his crooked grin sent warmth into her cheeks. She looked away. Jake’s delight matched her boys. He had enjoyed the plumbing lesson as much as they had.
“You have a couple of great kids. You’ve done a good job with them.”
“Thank you.” She searched for something else to say. His compliment left her with conflicting emotions. She appreciated the confirmation, but she knew the other side of the situation. Growing up without a father left a hole she couldn’t fill.
&n
bsp; “Thank you for letting them help. You boosted their confidence and taught them a new skill. They’ve missed having a man in their life to teach them.”
“Anyone would have done the same.”
“No. They wouldn’t. You explained each step quietly and calmly. Their father rarely spoke to them in a civil tone. He only had one volume—loud and condescending. The boys could never do anything right in his eyes.” A wave of shame and regret overtook her. She should never have confided that to him.
“I’d be happy to spend more time with them.”
“No.” The word came out too quickly, forcing her to explain. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to become too accustomed to you being around. I mean, you’re not their father—you’re their teacher and coach. You have a life of your own and you won’t always be here, so I think it best if we don’t do any more of these male-bonding kinds of things.”
He studied her for a long moment. “What are you afraid of, Annie?”
It was disturbing the way he could read her emotions. “Nothing. I just don’t want them thinking they can run to you for everything. I’m their mother.”
“So this is about jealousy.”
“No. Don’t be ridiculous.”
His eyes darkened. “Then it’s about me. You don’t want me around the boys because of what you think I’m like.”
“No. I’m just trying to protect my boys from disappointment.”
“Them or you?” Jake set his jaw. “I get it, Annie. You’re just like your aunt. You can’t let go of the past, can you? I thought we agreed to set the past aside. But I guess that’s too much for you.”
“That’s not true.”
“Of course it is. Why else would you keep my sentence going?”
Jake’s eyes were dark and accusing. She searched for the right words to explain without admitting her real reason. He wouldn’t understand and he’d be furious if he knew. It still came down to choosing between Jake’s sentence and a home for her boys. Her boys won every time. She shouldn’t have to feel bad about that. “I told you I have my reasons.”
The twins entered and went to Jake’s side, looking up at him with wide-eyed admiration. “We put the tools away.”
Ryan looked at her. “Coach said that part of learning to do repairs is putting things away.”
Jake ruffled Ryan’s hair. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Thanks for your help, boys.”
Annie crossed her arms over her chest, acknowledging Jake’s departure with a silent nod. She’d handled that badly. It was something she did frequently with him. Her thoughts became muddled whenever he was around. Probably because of her guilty conscience. The more she got to know him, the heavier her agreement weighed on her spirit. She’d have to apologize to him in the morning.
She turned on the faucet to rinse out a glass, keenly aware of the now repaired leak. He’d done her a favor and she’d slapped his hand away. He was a nice man. But how could she trust that he’d always be that way?
Tyler came and stood beside her at the sink. “Mom, why don’t you like Coach?”
“I like him.”
“No, you don’t. You get all stiff and mean when he’s around.”
She’d have to be more cautious about her behavior. “I don’t mean to. It’s just that we don’t know him very well and it pays to be cautious around strangers.”
“You weren’t cautious around Miss Denise. What’s the difference?”
How could she explain to Tyler, not only her history with Jake, but the way her senses reacted whenever he was near or when she thought about him? “None. I’m sorry. I’ll try harder to be nice.”
“Good. I like Coach a lot. It’s like having a real dad.”
Ryan picked up an apple from the bowl on the counter. “Yeah, it’d be cool if he was our dad. We’d do all kinds of fun stuff.”
Annie felt a need to defend her husband. “Your father loved you.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Tyler grunted. “If he loved us, he would have been home.”
“And he wouldn’t have said mean stuff all the time.”
Their words were like a knife to her soul. She’d tried to protect them but there was only so much she could do. “Your father had a disease.”
The boys exchanged a knowing glance as they left the room. She heard them in the hall, conspiring to find more repairs around the old house for coach to do. Her twins’ hero worship for Jake was growing and she doubted if there was a thing she could do about it.
Her fears were confirmed the next morning when the boys announced that they wanted to build a doghouse for Sam. She’d given them a deadline for Sam moving his sleeping quarters from the house to the yard, intending to purchase a sturdy doghouse. The twins proceeded to gather up scraps of wood, nails and hammers from the garage to use.
Not wanting to discourage their initiative, she’d agreed. Unfortunately she watched them nail the boards together with determination only to have them fall apart the moment they stood them upright. They needed someone with experience to help them.
She knew someone who did. Jake. The problem was asking for his help. Doing so would be lowering another protective layer between them and, given their situation, that wasn’t wise. Was it?
She stared out the window again at her sons’ futile attempts. Setting her concerns aside, she picked up her cell phone and dialed his number. Within moments, he was at her door, toolbox in hand.
“Jake the handyman to the rescue. What do you need repaired?”
He smiled and came toward her, causing a blip in her pulse. His smile lit up his eyes and added another layer of attractiveness. He looked good in cargo shorts and a T-shirt that emphasized the breadth of his chest. And he seemed very happy to be here. She glanced away.
“It’s the twins. They want to build a doghouse for Sam.”
“An admirable goal. Where has he been sleeping?”
Annie sighed. “He’s been taking turns in the boys’ rooms, but it’s time for him to move outside.”
“And they want to build the house themselves.”
“Yes, but they have no idea how to go about it. Neither do I. I thought since you let them help with the plumbing, you might know something about building a doghouse. I hope you don’t mind me calling you. They’ve tried so hard but I can’t help them.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve been wanting you to ask for my help for a long time.” He grinned and headed out the door. “Hey, fellas, what are you working on?”
What had he meant by that? Why did he want to help her? Annie watched from the window as he spoke to the boys. They listened in rapt attention to everything he said. The scene warmed her heart. It’s what she’d always wanted for them. A strong father figure to teach and guide her sons, and show them how to work with their hands and accomplish what they started out to do.
Yet a part of her resented Jake’s interference. She didn’t want him showing her boys how to use tools. That’s something they should learn from their father, only Rick had never shown much interest in teaching his sons anything other than card games and how to smash a beer can on their foreheads. She should be grateful for Jake taking time with her twins. She wanted to stay irritated with Jake, but seeing the way the boys had relished the small plumbing job, and their pride when they’d finished, was hard to deny. She couldn’t help but wonder how it would be if Jake were their father. But that could never happen.
* * *
Jake glanced at the window where Annie was watching them. Was she merely curious or was she wary of him spending time with her boys? It didn’t matter. She’d called him to help and he couldn’t be happier if Annie had suddenly ended his sentence. For her to reach out to him, seek his help with her boys, signaled a huge change in their relationship. She trusted him enough to help her kids. Annie d
idn’t trust easily. Was she ready to be trusted with the truth about her cousin and that night?
Jake turned his attention to the task. “First off we have to figure out how big to build your doghouse.”
Ryan spread his arms wide. “This big. Sam isn’t tiny.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “How many inches is that?”
Ryan shrugged.
Tyler grinned. “We have to measure first, right?”
“Bingo.”
“Do we get to use tools? Like a big old power saw?”
Ryan let out a yelp. “And a nail gun.”
“Absolutely not.”
The trio turned to look at Annie, who had brought out drinks for them.
Jake stood and took a drink from the tray. “How about I do the cutting and you guys can help with the rest? But I think they’re old enough to try their hands at a cordless drill with a little help and close supervision, of course.”
Two pleading voices rose in the air. “Please, Mom!”
Concern darkened her blue eyes, but Jake could see her wavering. She would do anything to make her boys happy.
“Fine. But I don’t want to see any blood, do you hear me?”
Jake walked with her to the back door. “Annie, I won’t let anything happen to them. This is a great way to teach them how to apply math in real life, don’t you think?”
She glanced at the twins and then met his gaze. “I suppose.”
A few hours later a sturdy doghouse stood in the middle of the yard. Jake and the twins exchanged fist bumps and admired their handiwork. Sam had quickly claimed his new home and was stretched out inside.
“Thanks for helping, Coach.”
Ryan echoed his brother’s gratitude. “Yeah. It was like having a dad help us.”
Jake’s throat constricted. Did they miss having a father that much? “My pleasure, boys.”
Tyler touched the roof of the unpainted structure. “Our dad never did stuff with us.”
The sadness in the child’s voice broke Jake’s heart. Before he could respond, Annie joined them, her eyes bright with pride and a huge smile gracing her lovely features.
Their Family Legacy Page 9