by Lois Richer
“He still pushes me away,” she said to Grant.
“I think it’s because he doesn’t want to admit he’s not totally self-reliant,” Grant explained. “To have to rely on someone else is a weakness he can’t yet accept.” The longing on her face touched him and he had to stop himself from comforting her physically “Can you collect the twins and take them to the truck? I want to speak to Teddy for a minute.”
“Sure.” Dahlia looked pleased by the opportunity to interact with Arlen and the twins.
Grant moved away, watching as she approached Arlen. He wanted to remind her that Arlen would respond better to firmness. But he stemmed the urge, mentally willing the boy not to hurt her.
“Grant wants me to get the twins in the truck, Arlen,” she said softly. “Would you mind helping?”
“Okay.” He glanced at the redheads nestled against either shoulder, eased their sleeping bodies a bit, then rose. “I can carry them.”
“Are you sure?” When he nodded, Dahlia led the way to the truck.
Grant couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation, but when the interior truck light came on, he saw yearning on her face. He also saw a softening in Arlen’s hard eyes as he eased Glory onto the seat, leaving Dahlia to belt her in while he tenderly carried Grace to the other side. After fastening her seat belt, Arlen brushed his knuckles against her pink-flushed cheek then carefully closed the door.
Dahlia moved beside him. She said something and Arlen’s mask slid back in place. He nodded, jerked away from the hand she’d placed on his shoulder and quickly strode to Laurel’s van, a lonely figure in the faint light of the remaining coals. Dahlia gazed after his retreating figure, tears on her cheeks.
Laurel had said Teddy was deeply involved with Lives. Maybe he could help make Dahlia’s dream come true. Grant arranged a meeting with Teddy.
Then back at Grant’s place, Dahlia helped him put the twins to bed.
Grant gazed at their sleeping faces, reliving the terror that had filled him when they’d gone missing. It couldn’t happen again. They needed him. He adored them as he’d never imagined he could. He could not lose them.
When he returned to the living room, Dahlia confronted him. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
Grant didn’t soften what Kurt had told him. It was better she know the whole truth up front. He laid it out as plainly as he’d been told.
“If it’s hopeless, why did you let us put up that hut tonight?” Her face showed the strain she usually hid. “If the track isn’t going to happen—”
“Because I think it can happen,” he emphasized.
“Grant, I don’t have any more money. I’m already scraping the budget to get this track functional.” She flopped into his armchair.
“So we’ll fundraise,” he told her. “We’ll plan some events to raise what you need to complete the project.”
A rush of joy filled Grant when the stress lines around her eyes eased. Finally, this was something he could do for Dahlia.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me, Grant.”
“Yes, I do,” he said softly. Dahlia had never looked lovelier than she did now with her mussed hair, her face almost devoid of makeup. Grant was surprised by how much he wanted to kiss her.
“I promised I’d do my best and I intend to,” he said, try to rid himself of the image of Dahlia in his arms.
Don’t let me fail her.
Dahlia’s green eyes locked on his then shifted. Surely she hadn’t read his thoughts? But why did she seem so nervous.
“I promised to help you find a mom for the twins,” Dahlia said, speaking quickly. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Come to the store tomorrow at five and I’ll introduce you to Carolina.”
Did he want to meet Carolina? And even if he did, how could she compare to Dahlia? Bemused by his thoughts, Grant followed her to the door.
“Thanks a lot for helping tonight.” Her hazel eyes barely met his.
“Thanks for helping me look for the twins today. You’re a good friend.”
At the word friend, an odd expression flickered across her face. Then she said good-night and climbed into her truck. Grant watched her taillights disappear.
She was a good friend, but Dahlia Wheatley felt like a lot more than just a friend to Grant.
However, Grant couldn’t afford to consider more than a business partnership with any woman, especially Dahlia. Sooner or later he’d fail her, and hurt her. His past was a guarantee of that.
And Dahlia was too special to be hurt by his inadequacies.
It was better if he end his wayward thoughts about her. They could only be friends. No matter how lovely she was.
Chapter Nine
“So let’s review what we’ve got for the fundraiser so far.” A week later, Grant stood before the men he’d met at Lives, who he’d come to consider friends. “Kyle, you have a turkey shoot planned?”
“Adults and kids,” Kyle confirmed. “Preceded by a barbecue chicken dinner supplied by Polar Bear Pizza. Half the tickets are already sold.”
“Great. Now, Teddy. Your idea?” Grant was thrilled about how quickly people had come together to help Dahlia.
It certainly said a lot about how Churchill felt about her. Not that he was surprised.
“Free accommodation for six people over Christmas and New Year’s at my hotel in Vancouver,” Teddy said.
“That’s very generous.”
And on and on it went. Projects organized by men who saw opportunity in Dahlia’s project. Humbled that they’d chosen him, the newcomer, as their leader, Grant thanked them.
“Dahlia’s done a lot for Churchill. It’s about time we gave back to her.” Kurt shared a grin with the other men. “I’ve arranged for the shoulders of that road to be built up. My company will cover materials, but we need contractors and equipment.”
“I know a couple of guys who could do the work,” someone volunteered. “But we’d have to pay for the equipment.”
“Maybe we could rent the town’s.” Rick spoke from the back of the room. “The church’s benevolent fund could cover that.”
“So the road work can begin right away with Kurt in charge.” Grant waited for his nod. “Any other ideas?”
A man Grant didn’t know rose.
“Jack Campbell. My wife, Alicia, and I will sponsor a Thanksgiving Day dinner at Northern Lights Lodge. We’ll ask for donations to the go-kart track.”
“Great idea. Not having to cook a big meal on that day is probably a dream for lots of ladies,” Grant enthused.
“I always said this is a community beyond all others,” Dahlia spoke from the back of the room, startling many who hadn’t realized she’d arrived. “You’ve all proven me right. Thank you so much.”
“The question is, will all this raise enough money?” Teddy asked.
All eyes turned to Grant.
“There’s no way to know that yet,” he said. “But if we can’t raise enough money to complete the track before freeze-up, we’ll put everything on hold and continue to fundraise through the winter.”
“Oh, but—” Dahlia bit her lip, her disappointment obvious.
“The boys would have lots of time to get those karts you found operational—that is, if we could find a garage or shed where they could work, and a teacher,” Grant said, hoping someone would have a solution.
“And if we can get them here,” Kyle added.
“Anything else we need to discuss?” When no one responded, Grant rose. “Let’s meet in a week to discuss our progress.”
The group broke up. Grant looked for Dahlia but couldn’t find her, so he hurried out of the town hall. He had less than fifteen minutes left in his lunch hour before starting his class at the high school and he hadn’t yet eaten the peanut-butter sandwich he’d packed this morning. Then, his car door opened and Dahlia slid inside.
“I just wanted to say thanks again,” she said. “And to bring you this.” The unmistakable aroma of fried oni
ons on a hamburger made his stomach rumble. “I figured you wouldn’t have much time for lunch but I thought we could eat together. Okay?”
“Very okay,” he agreed as he unwrapped the foil bundle. He opened it, took a bite and closed his eyes. “This tastes so good.”
She grinned, took a bite of her own and then blinked. “I forgot,” she mumbled and reached into her bag to produce two bottles of lemonade. “I brought these, too.”
“Perfect.” Grant savored the tang of his lemonade as it slid down his parched throat.
“I’m surprised you’ll eat with me after my matchmaking failures. I truly had no idea that introducing you to Carolina would bring so many questions. Believe me, I didn’t know she was going through a third divorce. She never talks about her personal life.”
“She was just being cautious,” Grant said, suddenly not quite as hungry as he’d been. “But Ida—now that lady scared the daylights out of me.”
“Me, too.” Dahlia shuddered. “I was also very embarrassed.”
“Why?” Grant grinned at the way Dahlia ducked her head and hid her eyes beneath her lashes. Her cheeks were hot pink.
“Ida seems like such a sweet, quiet woman. She adores her Sunday school kindergarten group so I thought she’d make a good candidate. But when I heard her pumping the twins for information about you, I could hardly believe it.”
“Given her shock at the twins’ answers, I guess I’m not the kind of father she expected.” Grant burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry about asking you to meet those two ladies,” she apologized again. “I know I promised I’d help you find someone, but—”
“Maybe we should give the whole matchmaking thing a rest for a while,” he interrupted.
Dahlia’s eyes darkened to emerald. The confusion he saw in them grabbed at his heart.
“I still want to find a mom for the girls.” He struggled to find the right words. “But we both have so much on our plates right now. I want to help the Lives boys as much as I want to see your project succeed.”
“And?” Dahlia waited.
“I have to work with the school students as well as ensure the twins properly settle into their lives here,” Grant said. “Maybe this isn’t the right time to be thinking about changing yet another part of their lives.”
“And you said you didn’t know anything about being a father.” A faint smile tugged at Dahlia’s lips. “Yet you make these responsible, well-thought-out decisions about your girls’ welfare. Hate to tell you, Grant, but that is fatherhood.”
“Those aren’t the important decisions,” he protested.
“Aren’t they?” She gathered up their trash, then caught his gaze. “I don’t believe there are any unimportant decisions when it comes to children. God blessed you with the twins. I’m pretty sure He knew what He was doing.” She pushed open the door and stepped out of his car. “I’ll see you later at Lives.”
“Thanks for lunch,” he said, marveling at the way Dahlia could cut right to the heart of the matter. “Will you be there by five o’clock?”
“Provided I can get away. I hope we finish with the last of those weeds today so Kurt can start on the road edges. Bring the twins.”
“I’m not sure about that. Aren’t the polar bears around right now?” Worry pricked at him. “I don’t want to endanger them.”
Dahlia shook her head as she chuckled. “Arlen’s appointed himself the girls’ personal protector. A bear wouldn’t get within ten feet of the twins.” With a wave she was gone.
Grant drove to the school.
Dahlia is so sure about You. Why is it I never feel sure of anything? Is it because I’m not as close to You as I should be?
The prayer slipped out without thought, surprising Grant with how good it felt to confide in God again. He decided to get up half an hour earlier in the morning so he could return to reading his Bible before the day started, a habit he’d learned from Eva.
Maybe then God would help him gain assurance about his decisions.
Though Grant wondered if he’d ever reach Dahlia’s level of certainty about God, past thoughts that had once reminded him that when he’d needed God as a child, God hadn’t been there, were now coming less frequently.
Maybe if he kept trying, one day he’d get as comfortable with God as Dahlia.
Grant decided there was a lot he could learn from her. She never ceased to amaze him.
*
As Dahlia tugged at the remaining weeds along the old road, she hummed a little chorus from church. Every so often she glanced over her shoulder just to be sure no furry white polar bear crept up on her—and then mocked the silly fears Grant had raised. The bears hadn’t yet returned to Churchill or a notice would have gone out. The unseasonably warm days seemed to have slowed everything, including their arrival. Anyway, the fence protected her.
After a while, she forgot about everything but the beauty of the day as she silently worshipped God.
“You’re making great progress.” She jumped and turned to find Grant studying her, a smile threading through his voice. “It doesn’t look like you need me,” he said with a grin.
“I’ll take all the help I can get. Feel free to grab a weed. There’s no shortage.” Her eyes widened when she noticed the girls trailing behind him, their faces sad. “What’s up with those two? They’re usually bouncing.”
“They thought Arlen would be here,” Grant explained. “They’re crazy about him. I promised them that if they behaved they could come and see him. If he doesn’t show, I’m in deep trouble.”
“And here I thought I was their favorite person.” Dahlia faked a frown. “Oh, well, as long as they pull weeds, I won’t be offended.”
“They might pull the tops off,” he said. “But that’s the most you should expect.”
Dahlia couldn’t stop the laughter that spilled out. Grant was such fun to be with. She couldn’t remember feeling so comfortable with another person in a long time. His sense of humor matched hers, and she loved to make him laugh. She refused to think about the days after the project was complete when she wouldn’t see him nearly as often.
“Here comes our help,” she said as the Lives boys arrived.
Dahlia watched as Arlen joyfully embraced the twins, then showed them how to remove a few tiny weeds with the miniature spades he produced.
“I’m sorry, Dahlia. I imagine it must hurt to have him snub you.”
“It does hurt. But I’m trying to leave it with God and let Him sort out the ways and means.”
“It’s as easy as that?” Grant took the huge weed she’d pulled, added his own to the pile in the middle of the road.
“Easy?” Dahlia took out her frustration on another weed. “It’s not easy at all,” she huffed as the roots came free. “But trusting God means believing He will handle things for my best interest. If I worry, I’m second-guessing Him and that’s not trust.”
“I second-guess God all the time,” Grant admitted, continuing to work beside her.
“It’s an easy habit to fall into. We tend to fall back on the easiest route. If we’d only trust, we’d realize that’s far easier than worrying.”
“I’m beginning to realize that.”
As Grant worked silently beside her, she realized that he was changing, gradually building the faith he’d once claimed he’d given up on. She prayed for him silently as they worked side by side for the next half hour. They paused only for occasional checks on the twins, who were enjoying their time with Arlen.
When the sun set and it grew too dim to work, Laurel coaxed everyone back to Lives, where they gathered around the big kitchen table to eat Sara’s stew.
The boys joked about the go-kart track until Rod asked Laurel, “Is the track a sure thing? Or is there a chance we’re doing all this work for nothing?” He frowned. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“Grant and Dahlia are the project leaders,” Laurel said. “Let’s hear what they have to say.”
“When I first began t
his project, I projected costs with the information I had.” Dahlia met each boy’s gaze directly. “At that point I had enough funds to complete the project. Since then I’ve been told more work is needed. Grant is spearheading a community group that is raising funds to meet expenses. Grant?”
Dahlia listened with burgeoning pride as he explained the fundraisers.
“You guys could help by making posters for advertising for the various events,” he suggested. “If you could spare a few minutes to help out, we’d appreciate it. But you have to clear everything with Laurel first.”
“What about the machines?” Arlen demanded from his place between Grace and Glory. “What’s the point of doing all this work on the track if we haven’t got anything to run on it?”
“There are used machines sitting in Thompson until we have funds to transport them here.” Dahlia focused on Arlen. “We’ll need a place to repair them. Perhaps you could ask around.”
“Me?” He glared at her. “This is your project.”
“No, it’s a project designed to benefit those who come to Lives.” With all eyes focused on her, Dahlia’s cheeks warmed, but she refused to back down from Arlen’s unspoken challenge. “It will take participation on your part to make it happen.”
“I might not be here by the time it’s working.” He glared. “Why should I help?”
“Why wouldn’t you?” Grant challenged. “Why should Dahlia stick her neck out to do this for you?”
Dahlia could see the boys were listening. Keep going, she mentally begged Grant.
“Let’s think about this some more,” he said. “What is the point of giving to others? Isn’t it easier to grab for yourselves and let the other guy fend for himself?”
“Easier, maybe,” Rod agreed. “But aren’t people stronger when they work as a group?”
“Why?” Grant leaned back and waited.
“Because groups are always more powerful than a single person,” Rod said. “That’s why I got into a gang.” The other boys laughed, but they knew what he meant.