by Debby Mayne
Amber Stanford and Caroline Short stopped in, pretending to shop but spending more time at the register asking how she felt.
“We saw you at the fellowship hall door last night, but when you disappeared so quickly, we wondered what happened,” Amber said.
“Nothing happened.”
“C’mon, Sherry.” Amber exchanged a glance with Caroline and looked back at Sherry. “You can tell us.”
“I’m fine, really.”
Caroline tilted her head as she reached out and touched Sherry’s cheek. “You look a little peaked.”
Amber shot a sharp look in Caroline’s direction. “It’s probably just a bug. All kinds of things are going around.”
After they left, Sherry thought about what she’d say to the next person who asked. She didn’t want to lie, but she wanted to end this concern as soon as possible.
Busybody Winnie Simpson more blatantly stormed through the door, waltzed right up to the register, and glared at her. “We want to know what’s going on with you, Sherry Butler. Did Brad do something to tick you off? ’Cause if he did, one of us needs to have a talk with that boy.”
Sherry’s throat constricted. She paused and gave Winnie a helpless look. “No one needs to talk to Brad about anything.” That’s when it dawned on her that one person did need to talk to Brad. After all this concern, no doubt he caught some of it too. At least she could explain things, even if it hurt. “Except me.”
“You want to talk to Brad?” Winnie pulled back. “Whatever for?”
“Yes, I do want to talk to him.”
“Want me to tell him to come see you?”
Sherry slowly shook her head. “No, I’ll call him when I get off work.”
“Just let me know if you need my help, okay? You know I’m on your side. One thing I always told my kids is the woman is always right, and when a man figures that out, he’ll be much happier.”
Sherry smiled. “I’ll be just fine, but thanks, Winnie.”
Business slowed in the afternoon, with the exception of a few more people who were curious about last night. She didn’t realize so many people had been watching, but she should have known better. This was Bloomfield, after all. As soon as she got home, she called Brad. His voice mail kicked in after the fourth ring, so she left a message asking him to call her right back.
She made a salad and sat down at the kitchen table to eat it when her phone rang. Without looking at caller ID, she grabbed it, hoping to hear Brad’s voice, but it was Samantha at Fontainebleau.
Naomi doesn’t waste time.
“We just got notice that one of our two-bedroom apartments overlooking Lake Bliss will be available the first of next month.”
“I thought all of your apartments were on a one-year lease, and they were all booked.”
“They are, but we let people out of their lease when there’s an out-of-town job transfer.”
“Weren’t there a couple of other people on the waiting list?”
“There were.” Samantha paused. “Would you like to see it?”
Sherry hadn’t expected to be put in this position so soon, but at least she’d already made up her mind to make the move. “I guess. Should I come over there now?”
“No, we’re closed. I just stayed late to catch up on a few things, and I’m leaving soon. Can you stop by sometime Monday?”
Sherry glanced at the calendar. “Yes. Nan is opening the shop Monday, so I don’t have to be there until noon. I can come before work.”
“Good. I’ll see you Monday morning.”
After Sherry hung up, she sat back down at the table and stared at her salad. Even though she’d decided to move, things were going a bit fast for her comfort.
BUT NEVER DID CALL, so she went to church a few minutes early with frayed nerves. He’d be there, and so would everyone else who’d been at the potluck, all wondering about her behavior.
Fortunately Naomi met her at the edge of the parking lot. “I see you’re back to wearing dowdy clothes that do nothing for you.”
“They’re comfortable.”
Naomi crinkled her nose. “Let’s cut this nonsense and get to what really matters. We need to get your house ready to sell so you can move quickly on that apartment.” So she was right; it was Naomi.
“What do we do first?”
Naomi held up her hand and pointed to her pinky. “You start in one corner . . .” She traced a line to her thumb. “. . . and work your way to the opposite corner. I’ll take care of the details.”
No point in arguing with her, since Naomi had already gotten the ball rolling. “Okay, just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ll tell you lots to do.” Naomi smiled and waved to someone behind her. “Looky who’s comin’ our way.”
Sherry turned around and spotted Brad making a beeline for them. Her tummy fluttered.
He didn’t even bother faking happiness as he walked toward them with purpose, his jaw firmly set, and his shoulders tight. “I got your call, so let’s talk.”
Naomi backed away. “I gotta run and get a spot. See you inside in a few.” She scurried away and disappeared into the crowd.
“So are you ready to tell me what happened?”
“I’m sorry about Friday night.” She shrugged and glanced sideways at him, and then she looked down. She didn’t want to drag Theo into her problems, so she’d decided to take all the responsibility for her reaction. “I didn’t want you to think you did anything wrong. It’s just that I’m perfectly happy all by myself. I’ve always been so independent, and I don’t think I can change. Besides, there’s no point in trying to change what works.” She forced a smile.
“What works?” He blew out a breath of exasperation. “Are you saying that what you’ve been doing all these years is working for you?” Before she had a chance to answer, he added, “Are you happy?”
Sherry wasn’t sure she knew what happiness was. “Yes.” She jutted her chin and looked directly at him.
“Then I guess there’s no point in my hanging around where I’m not wanted.” He held her gaze for a few more seconds before doing an about-face and walking away.
She waited a moment before going into the church. As soon as she walked in, she spotted Naomi standing in the aisle, waving for her to join her.
“I . . .we . . .” Sherry sighed.
Naomi nodded her understanding. “We can talk about it after church.” Sherry started toward her usual place, but Naomi tugged at her arm. “You’re sitting with me.”
She pointed to her regular pew. “But I always—”
“Change, remember? This is the best place to start.”
“But—”
“No buts.” Naomi glanced up and pointed heavenward. “Nothing bad will happen. You have all the protection you need.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sitting on the opposite side of the church closer to the front made Sherry a bit uncomfortable, but she had to admit, the different view widened her perspective. She’d never seen that the carved design went all the way to the bottom of the pulpit. The lighting was different from this angle too. Not only were the choir robes bluer than she realized, the detail in the banners matched. Even the music sounded different over here.
As the preacher spoke, she watched his face and realized she’d never even noticed his expressiveness before. Sitting this close to the front felt downright invigorating. And it made her wonder what else she’d been missing.
Naomi draped her arm around Sherry during the closing hymn, creating a cocoon filled with peace and warmth. Afterward they placed their hymnals into the pew pocket and faced each other.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Naomi smiled.
“No, in fact it was pretty wonderful.”
“I thoug
ht you might enjoy a different view.”
Sherry crinkled her nose. “Another example of how I’ve fallen into a rut.”
“No kidding. Have you ever thought about how deep your rut has gotten?”
“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it.”
Naomi chuckled. “You got that right. Let’s go to my place and talk.”
“Don’t you want to have lunch at the Main Street Café first?”
Naomi tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as she studied Sherry’s face. “What do you normally do for lunch on Sunday?”
“You know I always go to the Main Street Café.”
“Right. And that’s precisely why we’re not going there. It might take a while, but I aim to pull you out of that rut, and then I plan to give you a taste of life outside your very small world. How’s that sound?”
The thought of it created an unsettling feeling in the pit of Sherry’s stomach, but she couldn’t deny that her life needed freshening up. “I don’t know how I’ll deal with it, but I’ll do my best.”
“Good. Now let’s go. I put together a platter of cold cuts, fruits, and veggies, and that’s all I could think about the last fifteen minutes of church.”
“Naomi!”
The older woman waved her off. “Don’t go gettin’ all saintly on me, girl. I heard your stomach growling.”
“Busted.” Sherry gestured toward her car. “I’ll follow you to the Village.”
“Okay, but wait here just a minute. Gina, Jeremy, and Lacy are coming, too, so I need to make sure they remember how to get there.”
Sherry should have known it would turn into a small party. Naomi never liked to leave anyone out. Half an hour later Sherry and Gina were on their way from the Village visitor parking lot, with Jeremy and Lacy right behind them.
“Are you okay?” Gina asked as they approached the sidewalk leading to Naomi’s apartment.
“Yeah, why?”
Gina shrugged. “You seem different . . . sort of tentative about things.”
No point in pretending with anyone now. Even if Gina didn’t already know about her, Bloomfield was a small town, and someone would tell her. That might as well be Sherry.
She looked at Gina. “In case you didn’t know, Naomi’s trying to rock my world with changes.”
“Oh, I’ve seen that.” Gina nodded her understanding. “And I can totally relate.” She lowered her voice. “After Jeremy lost his job, I felt like my world had totally fallen off its axis.” They reached Naomi’s door. “Even though it hurt, it brought some things to light, and Jeremy finally admitted he was miserable in his job and wanted to leave. I think this might have been God’s way of—”
Gina stopped talking when they heard Lacy skipping toward them. Jeremy followed right behind, a grin on his face, shaking his head. “Our daughter sure is a handful.”
THE DOOR FLUNG OPEN, and Naomi pulled Sherry and Gina’s family inside. “It took you long enough to get here. I’m starvin’.” She leaned over to greet Lacy with a hug. “And how’s the little princess doing?”
Jeremy winked at Gina, and he turned to Sherry. “She got that right. The princess is doing great, but her minions could use a break.”
“Then why don’t the two of you go find something to do this afternoon after lunch so Lacy and I can hang out?”
Lacy’s eyes lit up. “Daddy, I wanna hang out with Miss Nomi.”
Jeremy looked at Gina, and she nodded. He turned back to Naomi. “Sounds like a plan.”
Gina touched Sherry’s arm. “Would you like to join us?”
“No, of course, not.” Naomi vehemently shook her head. “She’s going to be busy.”
The table had already been set, with a place of honor for Lacy. The brand new booster seat still had the sticky label on the back. “I wanted to make sure you liked this one before I removed it,” Naomi said. “I can exchange it for the other one they had at the store.”
“I love this one!” Lacy climbed up the chair and into the seat. “Purple is my favorite color!”
Jeremy tilted his head and comically looked down at his daughter. “I thought pink was your favorite color.”
“Pink is my other favorite color. And yellow and green and blue . . . but not dark blue.” She shook her head and frowned. “It’s too . . .” She made a face. “. . . dark.”
Everyone laughed. “I’m glad you like so many colors, Lacy. That makes it easier to buy presents for the bir—” Naomi stopped herself when Gina cut a warning look her way. “Want me to help make your sandwich, Lacy, or do you want to do it all by yourself?”
Gina stepped forward and reached for Lacy’s plate, but Lacy pushed her away. “I can do it all by myself. I’m a big girl. I’ll be four soon.”
Naomi smiled. “Yes, you are a big girl, and I’m very proud of you.”
Everyone else agreed that they were all proud of Lacy before sitting down at the table. Once they were all settled, Sherry noticed one extra place setting. A sinking feeling came over her as she realized what was happening, but she didn’t have a chance to say a word before a knock sounded at the door.
Naomi hopped up from her chair and made a beeline for the door. “I’m so glad you could make it, Brad.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Brad glanced around the room and smiled when he saw Lacy. The instant his gaze locked with Sherry’s, she knew he’d been taken by surprise too. His smile faded as he spoke to Naomi.
“Looks like you have quite a crowd. I’ll come back later.”
Naomi grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the table. “Oh, no, you don’t, Brad Henderson. I invited you for lunch, you accepted, and we’re about to eat, so sit down.” She pointed to the vacant chair next to Sherry. One of these days Naomi’s scheme would backfire, but Brad did what he was told. Naomi returned to her place at the table and reached for the hands of those on both sides of her. “Now who wants to say the blessing?”
Lacy bounced around in her booster seat. “I do.”
“Then go right ahead, Lacy, so we can eat.” Naomi winked at her. “You remember what I taught you last time you were here, right?”
Lacy nodded before closing her eyes and bowing her head. “Thank you, Jesus, for bringing all of us together. Thank you for my mommy, my daddy, Miss Nomi . . .” She paused, so Sherry opened one eye to see what Lacy was doing. She’d lifted her head and looked around the room, then closed her eyes again. “. . . and Mr. Brad and Miss Sherry. Please bless this yummy food that we’re gonna eat right now. Amen.”
“Good job, Lacy.” Brad gave her a thumbs-up. “I couldn’t have done it better.”
Lacy added a pickle to the sandwich she’d started making. “Looky, Miss Nomi. I made this sammich all by myself.”
“You sure did, sweetie, and it looks delicious.”
After Lacy took her first bite, Naomi turned to Jeremy. “So how did the interview go?”
Jeremy nodded toward Brad. “Thanks to him, I might have a job.”
Naomi leaned back in her chair with a self-satisfied expression. “We take care of each other in Bloomfield. So when do you plan to make the move?”
“As soon as I get the final word on employment.” He glanced over at Gina. “But there’s still one issue we can’t seem to get past.”
Naomi’s forehead scrunched. “What’s that?”
Gina rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Jeremy doesn’t want to live in an apartment, but we can’t afford most of the houses we’ve looked at.”
He sighed. “I’d really like a house with a yard so I can put up a swing set for Lacy.”
“Oh, that’s not a big deal,” Naomi said as she lifted a carrot stick and crinkled her forehead as she thought. “We’ll find you something both of you will love.” As she nibbled her sandwich, S
herry could practically see the wheels turning. Naomi was up to something.
Naomi looked at Sherry. “So are you excited about that lake-view apartment at Fontainebleau?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it, and . . . I haven’t seen the apartment yet.”
Naomi lifted a finger. “Don’t think too long, or you might miss out on a great opportunity to shake things up.” She tilted her head toward Sherry. “Remember what we talked about earlier?”
Brad remained quiet throughout the conversation. Sherry wondered what he was thinking.
“They’re really nice apartments.” Gina filled her plate with vegetables. “But Jeremy likes to tinker with stuff, and he wants more space.”
Jeremy glanced over at Gina, then Lacy. “Can you blame a guy for wanting a house for his family?”
A grin of satisfaction crossed Naomi’s lips as she lifted her glass. “Let’s make a toast to moving forward with life and embracing change.” She winked at Sherry. “And letting the Lord show us ways to do it.”
Sherry cast a quick glance in Brad’s direction and caught him watching her. With a shaky hand, she lifted her glass and forced a smile.
She didn’t have much of an appetite, but she managed to eat enough to keep anyone from commenting. Every once in a while, she spotted Gina looking at her curiously, but she darted her glance away each time. She was relieved when everyone finished eating so she could help clean up and leave.
“Stick around,” Naomi said. “Lacy and I are good playmates.”
“I really need to get home, but thanks.”
Naomi insisted she take some of the food home with her. Rather than argue, Sherry agreed. Box in hand, she headed for the door. “Brad, why don’t you help her to her car?”
“I’m fine,” Sherry said. “That is, if someone will get the door for me.”
Naomi gestured for Brad to go. Jeremy stepped up to help, but Naomi cut him a look that made him draw back. Gina giggled, but quickly covered her mouth.