She started laughing. “Did I give you the impression I’m a workaholic or something? I promise, I’m not but I want to be able to get this turned around for y’all quickly so that the Brothers are compensated for what they lost and I am prepared to spend the little bit of extra time that will take to accomplish that fact. Most of the time once the girls go to bed I’m at loose ends anyhow, so I may dabble some in the evenings, at least until we get caught up.”
He looked at her and saw the determined look on her face and realized she wasn’t going to back down. “Fine. Just not all night long, okay?”
“Okay, I promise.”
***
They finished up around three and went back to get the girls. Seeing how happy they both looked took a weight off her shoulders that she wasn’t aware she was carrying.
“Hi my babies!” she said, crouching to allow them to come into her arms so she could hug and kiss them. “Did you have fun today?”
Jabbering commenced and she caught a few words, mostly from Melora, that let her continue talking to them both. “You colored? And learned what a circle was? You’ll have to show Momma when we get home what things we have in the kitchen that are circles, okay? C’mon, now, Mr. Zeke has been driving Momma around all day and needs to get home so he can watch his son run a cross country meet.”
Taking their hands, she walked over to their cubby and got their bag. Looking over at the instructor, she asked, “Would you prefer if I brought some labeled clothes for them to leave here? Or do you want me to bring a bag every day?”
“Whichever is easiest for you, ma’am. If you bring some labeled clothes, we’ll have them in the event of any accidents, and we have a washer and dryer here so we can wash any soiled clothes and put them in the bag so you aren’t faced with a smelly bag at the end of a long day.”
Angelina laughed and said, “I would appreciate that a lot. Okay, I’ll bring them some extra clothes tomorrow to leave here “just in case” and I will also bring their bag every day. Did they do okay today?”
“They were great. A little shy at first, but once they saw the other little ones playing, they jumped right in.”
“I’m glad. Say goodbye girls,” she said, prompting them to use their manners with their new teacher.
“Bye bye Miss Jenny,” the girls sing-songed.
“Bye, Cailyn. Bye, Melora. You two be sweet for your Momma tonight, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Zeke held out his hand and wasn’t surprised when Melora put hers into his much-larger one. She looked up at him and said, “Hi, Mr. Zeke.”
“Hello, pretty girl. I’m glad you had a good day today. Do you like your new playhouse?”
“Oh yes, we play and play. It’s a lot of fun.”
“I’m glad,” he told her as they crossed to the truck and he helped get her into the carseat.
Driving Angelina and her girls back home had his mind thinking of things he wasn’t sure he should be thinking, at least not so early. But there was something about her that drew him in and so he sent up another quick prayer that God would give him a sign.
Chapter Ten
Angelina pushed back from her desk and stretched with a sigh. It had been a long week but she had made some serious headway getting each of the businesses’ books back on track. She had spent a lot of time online doing some vendor searches and finally found vendors willing to set up accounts the way she wanted that would best benefit each business. She had gone to lunch with Eva a few times, and she also met the rest of Eva’s stylists. All of them were thrilled with the vendors she had found, and after more discussion with Zeke concerning the upcoming Premiere in Orlando hairshow, she had mentioned it to Eva. She knew from her friend, Debbie, that those hairshows helped stylists improve their skills, with classes that covered advanced techniques and skills. She chuckled remembering Eva’s ear-splitting shriek of excitement followed by her proclamation that Angelina’s hair was forever “on the house” for getting that perk for them.
Gathering the files she would need for the morning’s meeting with Zeke, she backed up and shut down her computer, then went and got something to drink before she checked on the girls one last time. Now comfortable in yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt, she reclined in bed and read. She felt content for the first time in a long time and knew a lot of it had to do with the local President. He wasn’t intrusive, but was always around and had made himself available to her frequently as she had come across areas of concern. She had spent the day before at the garage so she could understand how their inventory worked. It seemed that basic supplies like oil filters and oil and spark plugs, that sort of thing, were stocked rather haphazardly. After pouring over customer receipts, she saw that they could do better ordering in bulk and once she pointed that out, Zeke had one of the Brothers rearrange an area of the stockroom to hold the supplies she ordered. They came up with a way to alert her when another order had to be placed and she was thrilled to see that even the mechanics themselves were happy about making their lives easier.
As she drifted off to sleep, a word wafted over her soul, kinsman-redeemer, and it left her wondering what God might be trying to tell her.
***
She woke the next morning and could feel the beginnings of a migraine. Since she knew it would only get worse, she took the milder of the two medicines she had hoping it would stave off the worst of it until she could get done with her meeting. She took a quick shower and proceeded to get ready before going in and waking up the girls.
“Good morning, Mellie and Caycoo. How are my babies this morning?”
Watching them wake up was something she wouldn’t tire of soon she thought. Melora tended to be “awake” as soon as her eyes opened while Cailyn was more like a little sloth, slowly moving around and usually not very communicative until she had been awake for an hour or two. This morning, however, they both got up easily. There was a field trip to a local petting zoo with baby animals and they were excited about seeing the animals.
Breakfast done, she got the girls cleaned up and was checking their bag when the doorbell rang. “Come in, it’s open,” she called out. As Zeke opened the door, she could see the frown on his face and quickly said, “I knew it was you from the sound of the truck. I didn’t unlock the door until just a few minutes ago.”
“Cherub, you still need to be safe and check the door, yeah? You’re a woman living on her own and even though it’s a safe town, things happen. Promise me you won’t do that again, okay?”
When he put it like that, it made sense she thought. “Okay, Zeke. I promise.”
“Good. Now, where are those two pretty girls? I have a surprise for you two today since you’re going on a field trip!” he asked as he pretended not to see the two little girls standing there, giggling. “Ah, there you are! Do you want to go see what’s in the truck?” he asked.
“Yeth Mr. Zeke!”
“Please Mr. Zeke!”
Taking both girls by a hand, he looked at Angelina and said, “I’ll get them in and buckled while you lock up, yeah?”
She smiled softly before saying, “Thank you.”
He walked out with both girls jabbering about their upcoming day and got them into the back seat, telling Cailyn to climb over to her seat as he buckled Melora into her carseat. Both girls finally buckled in, he grabbed the bag that was in the front seat and opened it up to give them both a pair of little girl sunglasses full of sparkles, both were heart-shaped but one was purple and the other was pink. He was helping them make sure they were on properly when Angelina got to the truck. “Oh look at the movie stars in the backseat!” she called out as she opened the passenger door.
“Hold on, Cherub, and I’ll help you,” Zeke said.
“Okay. Trust me, I need a ladder to make this climb,” she replied.
He walked over to her and tucked an errant hair behind her ear before saying, “Ready?”
She nodded then felt his arms around her waist as he l
ifted her up into the truck. “Thank you, Zeke.”
“You’re welcome, my Cherub.”
My Cherub? That was different she thought smiling to herself. Please, God, let this headache hold off until I get home.
As he got into the truck, he thought he caught a flinch from Angelina and he took another look at her. She looked like she was in pain so he asked, “Cherub? You okay this morning?”
“Ah yeah, I sometimes get migraines but haven’t had one in months. I was caught by surprise this morning.”
“Do you have anything you can take?”
“I have two different medicines, one causes me to sleep and the other doesn’t. Since we were meeting this morning, I took the non-drowsy one.”
“Has it helped at all?”
“A little bit. I’ll take the other one when I get back home.”
“We could have rescheduled this morning,” he finally told her as he navigated to the daycare.
“I’ll be fine, Zeke, promise.”
***
The girls dropped off, they headed to the diner for their breakfast meeting. Once again, looking over the reports and notes she had made, he was impressed with her thoroughness. It appeared she had gotten vendors together for each business so that bulk orders could be placed that had free shipping or even in some cases, decent percentages taken off when a certain amount was ordered. He looked up at her and winced when he saw the pain in her eyes. She never said a word but he noticed she didn’t eat much either.
“These look good, Cherub. How about I sign the checks and we’ll drop them off quickly. Then you can go home and take the other medicine, yeah?”
She sighed before saying, “That might not be a bad idea. This one is shaping up to be rather ugly. I’m sorry.”
“Then let’s get this show on the road. The sooner we’re finished, the sooner you can start feeling better.”
***
Making their rounds, she was pleased that each manager liked the suggestions and advised that she would get their inventory sheets on Monday so that she could begin the process of placing orders for them.
As he headed back to her house, he got the sense that she didn’t need to be left alone, so when he pulled in, he got out and helped her out. He walked in behind her and said, “Cherub, don’t think you need to be left alone for some reason and I try to heed those nudges I get. You go get comfortable and take your medicine so you can lay down, yeah?”
By now, the pounding in her head had been joined with nausea and auras around her eyes. She merely nodded and then headed to her room. When she stumbled into the wall, she found steady hands helping her into her room and directing her to the edge of her bed. He took off her shoes and then asked, “Where are your comfortable clothes?”
“Hanging…a pair of yoga pants is hanging up behind the bathroom door,” she finally stammered out.
He got her pants and then, when she wobbled some more, he quietly said, “Trust me, Cherub, yeah?” before he removed her jeans and helped get her yoga pants on. He tried not to think about how soft her skin was or how nicely she was packaged, but he was a man after all. Once she was changed, he got her into bed and then asked, “Cherub, where is your medicine?”
“Kitchen cabinet above the coffeemaker.”
“I’ll be right back.” He went into the kitchen and found the medicine then grabbed a bottle of water. Back in her room, he had her take the pills and then, without thinking, smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead. “Sleep, Cherub. I’ll be here.”
***
She woke up disoriented, an after-effect of the medicine. However, she was headache-free and that was worth the few seconds it took to reorient herself to the here and now. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw it was after seven and panicked-the girls! Climbing out of bed, she redressed in her jeans and slipped on her shoes and then headed down the hall, stopping when she reached the end and heard the giggles coming from the family room.
As she passed through the living room, she saw a large foot hanging over the end and glancing at the couch, realized it was a teenaged boy. Hmmm, must be Thad she thought as she grabbed a blanket and covered him. He looked like his dad only younger and she realized he would be a heartthrob in a few years, if he wasn’t already.
In the family room, she stopped in the doorway and stared. Zeke was sitting on the couch with both girls curled up on either side of him and they were watching “Frozen”.
He heard a noise and glanced back, thinking Thad was there. Seeing Angelina, he unwound himself from the two little girls and walked over to her. “Hey, Cherub, how are you feeling?” he asked, taking her face in his hands and looking down into her eyes.
“What? Oh, much better, thank you. How…how did the girls get home?”
“I went and picked them up and then we went and got Thad after his practice. Picked up some dinner as well and put yours in the fridge. C’mon, let’s get you fed, okay?”
“I…uh, thank you, Zeke. Now you know why I take those as a last resort. They really knock me out.”
“It’s okay, Cherub. I’m glad you’re feeling better. Do you get them often?”
“Uh, usually once a month,” she stammered.
He thought about her answer as he herded her into the kitchen. With the flush on her cheeks, he figured that they likely struck close to her monthly cycle and decided he wouldn’t embarrass her further by probing any more. Helping her get settled, he went to the fridge and pulled out a plate of food and put it in the microwave. “I hope you like meatloaf and mashed potatoes and green beans,” he finally said.
“Comfort food? Absolutely. Nothing better,” she responded. “Did the girls…they haven’t been any problem, have they?”
“Not at all. And they’ve managed to charm Thad. In fact, I think they wore him out.”
“That’s possible. Did they have fun today?”
He started laughing as he regaled her with the stories they told while coming home and was rewarded by the giggles she couldn’t contain as she visualized their adventures. “Thank you, Zeke, for everything today.”
“My pleasure, Cherub. Can I ask a question?”
“Uh, sure.”
“What all have you done for your migraines?”
“Well, I had a neurologist down in south Georgia, but I guess I need to find another one up here. That’s a heckuva commute just to go to a doctor’s appointment,” she stated.
“I reached out to Eva and she gave me a few names for you to call,” he told her. “Also, she apparently gets them from time to time and utilizes a chiropractor and a massage therapist. Might be something worth you looking into, yeah?”
She looked at him with a shocked look on her face, not believing that this man would go to the trouble to do some research for her. “Uh, I don’t know what to say. My doctor back home was more of a traditionalist and wouldn’t listen when I would ask about different therapies to try. I don’t mind taking the medicine but with the girls, it’s hard so there have been times when I’ve had to power through.”
Power through? Remembering the pain she was in earlier he said, “Cherub, I can’t fathom how you managed to do that because I saw how much pain you were in earlier, remember?”
“You’re a single parent, Zeke. You know how it works-sometimes we do what we have to do despite how we are physically feeling. I’m fortunate, however, that I had Renda when things got really bad, so I wasn’t always alone.”
“Well, I’ve written down the name of Eva’s doctor for you. Make sure you call, yeah? I don’t want to see you suffering if there’s something that can be done to prevent it.”
Kind wafted through her soul. Looking at him, she said, “Thank you. I’ll call Monday.”
“So you never said, is Tally watching the girls for you tomorrow night?”
“What…oh, yes. She’ll be here around five or so, what time does it start?”
“If it’s okay with you, I’ll come pick you up around five thirty.”
“I�
�I can drive, Zeke.”
“I know you can, Cherub, but I want to take you.”
“Oh.”
He could see the confusion and doubt running across her face and decided to lay his cards on the table. “Cherub? I’m interested in you and thought this would be a good first-time date since we would be surrounded by Brothers and their old ladies.”
“You…you are?”
“Yes I am. If you…you’re not ready to see people, please let me know.”
She thought about it for a few seconds and realized that while she would always miss Laser, there were so many things she liked about Zeke-she felt comfortable around him, he was easy to talk to and had an even-tempered demeanor, he didn’t shy away from making tough decisions, and he was good with her girls. “No…the time for mourning is past, Zeke. I know Laser wouldn’t have wanted me to grieve my life away and besides, I have two living, breathing reminders in the other room that he was a part of my life, right? I’d like to go with you as your date.”
He silently exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath, before saying, “Then it’s settled.”
Hearing silence from the family room, she looked at him before flying into the room, only to stop short. It seemed that Thad had woken up, stumbled into the family room and on the couch, only to fall asleep again. The girls had cuddled up to him and the three of them were sound asleep with the movie still playing. Zeke pulled his phone out and snapped a few pictures and then went over and gently extricated Melora from her spot on Thad, while Angelina picked Cailyn up. Tip-toeing out of the family room, they headed down the hall where he helped her get the girls ready for bed and tucked in.
Back in the kitchen, he saw she had barely eaten and asked, “Do you want me to heat it back up for you? You didn’t eat very much.”
“No, I’m okay. For whatever reason, that medicine makes me lose my appetite so I’m good with what I did manage to eat.” With that, she took the plate and covered it and put it in the fridge. Turning, she saw he was right behind her and she stopped short.
Her Kinsman-Redeemer Page 7