His mother told him that had he broken up with her because he wasn’t in love with her, they would have understood and supported the decision. But they knew Logan was head over heels in love with the girl, and they couldn’t understand why he did it. His father assumed it was because he wanted to sow some wild oats in college and expected Lizzie to wait for him, which was just plain stupid in Hank’s mind.
“Never let a woman like Elizabeth Manning sit around waiting. Someone else will come and win her heart. She’s too good of a catch.” Hank had already loved Elizabeth like a daughter, and had it not been his only son who’d broken her heart, he would have planted a fist in the man’s face who hurt the lovely Lizzie.
Originally, that was part of what kept him away—the look he’d received from his parents, and even his sister. He couldn’t stand the displeasure in their eyes. His original plan had been to go to college and then work for a couple years in marketing before coming home and helping out with the family store. He had stayed away so long because it was easier.
Even the townsfolk had been upset with him for breaking Lizzie’s heart.
Now that he was back and had seen Lizzie—Elizabeth—he knew he had to do whatever it took to win her back, or at least her friendship. Logan had had many friends over the years, but none were as good as Elizabeth. While yes, he did miss her lips on his, what he missed more was her friendship. The way she always supported him and helped him make good decisions. He never should have made that decision without her input. He knew what she would have said, but it was too late to lament over what might have been.
Now it was time to repent for his mistakes and be a friend to Liz… Elizabeth, and maybe in time she would forgive him.
Logan moved one section over and picked up the bags of dry dog food and stacked them on the shelf. “Yes, Leah. I want my Lizzie back. But I know I can’t make it happen. God has to intervene in this situation. I bungled it so badly ten years ago that I need His heavenly help.”
Leah patted his back. “Good. I know just what we need to do to get her away from Max and back in your loving arms.”
He turned around quickly and held up his hands. “Whoa, wait a minute. I don’t know about any of your plans. They usually blow up in my face. I think we should wait on God to work this out.”
His sister shook her head. “Don’t you understand anything? Sometimes God uses others to help you out. It’s not like he’s going to come down in human form again and work to get Elizabeth back to you. He uses others to do His work. Like me.” She beamed, and Logan couldn’t help but laugh.
“That may be, but what do you think He’s going to have you do? I was thinking it was a heart issue for Lizzie. She needs to forgive me. You can’t make someone forgive another person—only God can do that.” Logan knew forgiveness had to come from the inside of a person’s heart or soul. Not even his meddling sister could get Lizzie to change her heart.
She put a finger to her chin and looked up. “Hmm, that may be, but first you need to show her that you care. Right now she only sees the Logan Hayes from ten years ago who yanked her heart out and stomped on it before he walked away. You need to show her that you’re here to stay, and you want her forgiveness. That you still love her.”
He chuckled. “And how do I do that?”
With a saucy smile, she walked away and glanced back over her shoulder. “Leave it all in my hands, big brother. It will all work out.”
Logan wasn’t sure if he should be happy or afraid of what Leah was up to. All he knew was that he needed help. If God did choose to use Leah to help him, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Chapter 9
All week long, Elizabeth and Max had been playing phone tag. They only had a couple of very brief calls. No conversation had been long enough to discuss the issue of Elizabeth going to Bozeman to help the homeless. Not to mention the fact that Elizabeth wanted the conversation to be face to face and not over the phone.
By the time Max had come back to town, a week had passed. On Friday night they were to attend a church BBQ fundraiser for the harvest festival. That would be the first time she had seen him in person since their argument. She did not want to discuss the topic in front of the entire town.
“Max, when this is over, what do you say we find a quiet spot in the town park to continue our discussion from earlier?” Elizabeth whispered when no one was close enough to hear.
“What discussion?” He furrowed his brow and acted like there was nothing to discuss.
“The one about Bozeman and helping the homeless. Surely you didn’t mean those horrible things you said.” She looked around to make sure no one could overhear what they were talking about and plastered on another fake smile. She was getting very tired of having to do so.
“I thought I made my feelings very clear. Didn’t you understand?” Max smiled and nodded at one of his clients who was coming near.
“This isn’t over. We have to discuss this further.” She turned around and walked away before Mr. Jones got close enough to hear her. She had no desire to begin the argument anew in public. They were going to discuss this issue that night.
Chloe had been sitting far enough away that Elizabeth didn’t notice her, but her twin sister saw the exchange between the two and knew exactly what that particular smile meant. Leah was also sitting next to her.
“Chloe, I think it’s time we stepped in and got our siblings to talk things over.” Leah took a bite of her very tender and juicy strip steak. Today’s beef had come from the Triple J Ranch, and she knew their meat was the best in town, maybe even the state. She hoped there would some left over to take home for her pops as well as for lunch the next day. Nothing was better than a cold steak sandwich.
Her mouth watered with the smoky flavors of the grill and steak. The meat practically melted in her mouth before it went down.
“Mmm, this is good. Your ranch always provides the best steaks for the BBQs. Thank you.” Leah shrugged when she noticed the sauce dripping from her fingers and licked them clean. Then she wiped her hands on her napkin and chuckled at her lack of manners.
“Thanks, and I completely agree. Let’s hurry and finish up, then take a walk. We have to do something before those two lose their chance to be together.” Chloe finished her steak and downed the last of the sweet tea in her cup before standing to throw her trash away.
“Here, let me get that plate for you, Mrs. Merkle. Do you need anything else?”
The elderly lady smiled, and with a shaking hand gave her empty plate to Chloe. “No, I’m good, young lady. Thank you for your help.” Mrs. Merkle took a napkin and dabbed her mouth like a proper lady would have a hundred years ago. For all Chloe knew, Mrs. Merkle might have been one hundred, or pretty close to it.
“Those Manning girls have always been so polite and helpful.” Mrs. Merkle smiled at Cindy Macon, who sat next to her.
Mrs. Macon, the founding member of the Diner Divas, nodded, and the pink pouf of hair on her head wiggled but stayed in place due to all the Aqua Net she had sprayed on her hairdo before leaving the house. “Yes, yes they are.” She watched as Leah and Chloe walked away and knew those two young ladies were up to something. Something she wanted in on.
“Alright, with the tensions between Max and Elizabeth, now might be the best time to step in.” Chloe stopped next to the small river flowing on the outskirts of the park and looked back at the main picnic area.
Leah narrowed her eyes and watched as Elizabeth walked away from Max with her fake smile on, but she turned directions when she was about to approach the spot where her brother, Logan, was standing and chatting with a few of the elderly men who enjoyed playing checkers and chess inside the store. “How are we going to get them to talk? She can’t even stand to walk near my brother, let alone talk to him.”
Elizabeth’s twin twirled a lock of hair around her finger and nodded. “I think we need to find a way to get them locked in a room or something. I don’t think Elizabeth will agree
to be in the same room as your brother again. At least not any time soon.”
Nodding, Leah agreed. “Do you think we could lock them in the overstock room at the store?”
“Do you have a lock on the outside of the room?”
“We do.”
Chloe thought about it for a minute, then asked, “How will we get both of them inside together at the same time?”
“Well, I could easily get my brother in there. All I have to do is ask him to get something from inside the room. But getting Elizabeth inside while Logan is still there might be an issue.” Leah bit her lower lip and considered ways to trick Elizabeth.
Chloe tapped a finger to her chin and stood up straighter when a light went off in her head. “I got it! You tell Logan you need something heavy from the room. Then text me the moment he leaves your side. I’ll be close by with Elizabeth. I’ll tell her I need to show her something at your store.”
Leah held up a hand. “Wait, how are you going to get Elizabeth to willingly come into the store? She knows that Logan’s working there now.”
“Don’t worry, I got it covered. Just text me when he heads into the storeroom and I’ll be right there with my sister.” The gleam in Chloe’s eyes told Leah she had something fun planned.
Leah wasn’t the least bit worried about getting her brother to do what she wanted. She probably could have told him her plan and he would have agreed. From what she had seen the past week, Logan would do just about anything to get a few minutes alone with Elizabeth.
What she worried about was whether Chloe could deliver Elizabeth to the store. If they couldn’t get her into the room, then their plan would fail for sure. She wasn’t even sure if getting the two of them into a room would help matters or make them worse.
All she could do was hope and pray that if they were forced together, then maybe Elizabeth would forgive Logan and they could get back together again.
“Let’s try this for Tuesday afternoon. What do you think?” Leah looked out and noticed her brother heading her way. “Shh, Logan’s coming.”
“Sounds good,” Chloe agreed, and began thinking how she could wrangle Elizabeth into the overstock room at the general store before Logan stopped next to his sister.
“Ladies, how are you both doing this fine afternoon?” Logan had been watching them out of the corner of his eye and knew they were up to something. But he wasn’t sure if it was going to be bad or good.
His sister was great at manipulating situations, and he wondered if she was going to cause a scene or if her machinations were about something outside of the BBQ. He narrowed his eyes when his sister smiled at him. When Chloe’s smiled matched hers, he knew they had something in the works.
Logan weighed his options and decided to let the cards fall where they may. “I hope you two aren’t up to no good.”
Leah put a hand to her chest. “Who, me? You know me, I’m always as sweet as an angel.” She batted her eyelashes, making herself look even guiltier.
When Logan chuckled, both girls giggled and left him standing alone by the water.
Elizabeth had kept her eyes on Max as she walked around and greeted the townsfolk. When she saw that Max had finished his conversation with his client, she made her way to him as he walked toward her.
“I think we need to talk.” She looked around and took his hand in hers before heading to a storage shed behind the picnic grounds. Elizabeth led Max behind the shed.
He looked around for prying eyes or ears, then let go of her hand. “What didn’t you understand? I don’t want you anywhere near the homeless people—it’s too dangerous. Especially now that that guy has threatened you and your friends.”
“Are you upset because you think I was in danger? Or do you really believe that nonsense you spewed about the homeless not being worthy of my help?” She tilted her head as she waited for his response.
He took a deep breath in through his nose and slowly let it out of his mouth to calm himself down. It would do no good to get into an argument while half the town was only a few hundred yards away. “I do believe that the homeless are where they want to be. If they wanted to work and make a living, they could. They just choose not to work.”
Elizabeth held up a hand. “Wait, you think all homeless could work but that they choose not to? Really?” She put both hands on her hips and stared at the man in front of her.
Who is this man? He seemed so nice and helpful with the church and with others in town. Why does he hate the homeless so much? Elizabeth couldn’t understand what Max had been saying; it was so incongruous with his actions.
“Yes, I do. There could be a handful of people on the streets who really couldn’t do anything else, but for the most part, all who are homeless are in that situation because they’re lazy and choose not to work.” He emphasized the not to drive home the point of it being their choice, not a situation they had no control over. Max really did believe what he said.
“Look, I’ve seen homeless people turn down day jobs and keep sitting on a street corner begging for money. Then they take that money and spend it on drugs. If they really wanted to get their act together, they would stop using drugs and get themselves cleaned up and search for a job. There are a lot of agencies around to help those who truly want help.”
“But Max, not all homeless are on drugs. I agree, some do drugs and don’t care to get themselves cleaned up. But I think that if they had someone to care about them and help them, they could get cleaned up and get off the streets. I don’t believe any of those living on the streets really want to be there. Some have mental issues that make it difficult for them to fit in with society, so they take to the streets where they can be anonymous. However, if given the chance I think a good portion of them would straighten up and get a job to support themselves.” Elizabeth hadn’t met many homeless people, but she had watched them. Sure, some of them were more into drugs than actually getting a job, but most did want to get off the streets and become active members of society. The problem was that they didn’t always have the skillset they needed to get a job.
With the advancement in computers and technology, so many unskilled workers had lost their jobs, and there wasn’t anything else they could do. More and more automation or outsourcing had caused large groups of people to become unemployed. Those who had lost their jobs to technology didn’t always know how to combat the issues and find employment.
Elizabeth screwed up her lips and huffed. “Most of the people living on the streets just need a little hand to help them get back on their feet. Some could use job training, others could just use help with writing a resume, or a computer to use for applying for a job. I think we could help get a lot of people off the streets with just a little bit of love and some help with job placements.”
Max shook his head. “No, I’ve seen others try to help homeless get real jobs and they weren’t interested. They think it’s easier to live on the streets and do what you want than it is to actually work.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not true of all the people who are stuck on the street. How can you think like this? I don’t understand you. When it comes to the church and others around town, you’re always one of the first to step up and help. But when it comes to people who could really use your help—help that just might change their lives for the better—you turn your back on them. How is this?” She threw her hands in the air in frustration.
He heaved a heavy sigh and looked her in the eyes. “Elizabeth, you’re just too gullible. The homeless are selfish and lazy. They only want others to do the work for them. It’s easier to live in a tent in some back alley and beg for handouts than it is to get an actual job and take care of responsibilities like an adult. You’re too nice to understand them. If you give them money, food, or clothes, they’ll never get off the streets.”
“You’re wrong, Max. I agree that some are like that. Probably Big Bart is just like what you described, but most of those living on the streets are there because something happened
to them and they couldn’t get out of a hole. It may have been something they did on their own, but without anyone to help them, they won’t be able to get out of it. All they need is a little love and understanding. Then maybe, just maybe, they can get a job and an apartment and begin contributing to society once again. The more homeless who get off the street, the fewer men there’ll be like Big Bart. He could be forced to get a real job and pay taxes like the rest of us if he loses too many of the homeless he threatens to do his bidding.”
Max interrupted. “I’m sorry, but you’re wrong. If you help those people, they won’t try to get a real job. They’ll keep draining you and never take responsibility for themselves. Then men like Bart will continue to make money off the backs of those who beg for him.”
She shook her head and sighed. “I don’t understand you. I thought you were a nice guy who wanted to help others. But you only seem to want to help those who can help you in return. That’s not generosity, that’s selfishness.”
Max’s nostrils flared, and he took two steps closer to Elizabeth. With clenched teeth he whispered, “That’s not true, and you know it. I just don’t think it’s helping the homeless when you keep giving them handouts. Even Jesus said we should teach people to fish for themselves, and not to just give them fish.”
“He meant that we should help our brothers and sisters to get jobs so they can take care of themselves, yes. But He also said we should help the poor. If we can help the poor to eat and clothe themselves while we’re teaching them to fish, then all the better. But we can’t look away from the homeless and treat them like trash. That will only reinforce the way they look at themselves and keep them down. We have to build them up so they can learn to fish for themselves.” She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and began to wonder if Max was right for her or not.
Second Chance Ranch Page 7