A Future for His Twins

by Susanne Dietze

  From the back seat, the kids asked more questions than she could untangle, most of which they had no answers to. The moment Tom parked the car in front of her store, Faith unbuckled her seat belt. “I’d better go.”

  Tom pulled his keys from the ignition. “We’re coming, too.”

  “Are you sure?” She opened her door, admitting the choking odor of smoke into the vehicle. This might not be the best place for kids.

  “We’ll keep our distance, but I need to know what’s going on.”

  While he leashed Roscoe, she let the kids out, praying all the while no one’s home had been lost in that little neighborhood across the bridge, just past the old schoolhouse. May no one be hurt, Lord. Please.

  They made their way down the street. Faith couldn’t see any ambulances, although a police car blocked Main Street between Emerald’s Restaurant on the right and DeLuca’s Pizza on the left. Two bright red fire department vehicles were parked askew, blocking the bridge over the creek. On the other side of the bridge, a smaller white and red truck had parked, Fire Investigations emblazoned on its side.

  A few more steps through the gathering crowd and then she could see. The sight robbed her of breath.

  The schoolhouse was gone. All that remained was a steaming, smoking pile of charred debris.

  * * *

  Tom’s hand went to his mouth.

  He gathered the kids closer to him and looked for a familiar face among the crowd. Kellan, the bookstore manager, wasn’t too far off. Tom lifted a hand. “Kellan, hey. Was anyone hurt?”

  The man with floppy blond curls shook his head as he stepped closer. “No, thank God. This could have been so much worse.”

  In other words, the rest of Main Street could have burned down, too, endangering lives and destroying livelihoods, as well as historic properties. “Hate to think about it.”

  “This is unsettling, for sure. Oh, hey, Faith.” To Tom’s surprise, Kellan enveloped Faith in a one-armed hug. “What a blow.”

  “It’s awful. And your store is just feet from the schoolhouse. I’m so glad God protected you. Do you know what happened?”

  Kellan held on a half second too long for Tom’s liking. “A cigarette butt in the weeds, maybe? Who knows?”

  Faith’s eyes welled with tears. “Such a shame.”

  It was, but all Tom could think of right now was how much it ached to see her face etched in sadness. And he felt a strange, powerful ache, too, not over the schoolhouse, but what could have happened had she been inside it today, had he got his way when he initially suggested she put the museum there.

  “I am so sorry, Faith. When I think how hard I pushed you to occupy the schoolhouse, paying no mind to whether or not it was safe?” He wished he’d been the one to hug Faith a few seconds ago. He’d look like an idiot if he did it now.

  “To think we’d planned to restore it.”

  Kellan shook his head. “I didn’t know you were thinking of fixing it up.”

  “We just talked about it a few hours ago. Oh, Maeve.” Faith shifted away to reach out to the ample-figured woman with the gray bobbed hairdo who ran the yarn store. “Can you believe it?”

  Maeve hugged Faith hard. “A bit of our history, up in smoke.”

  The twins shifted against Tom’s legs, as if ready to move on. There wasn’t much more to be learned here anyway, but Maeve looked at him with sharp blue eyes. “You’re Tom Santos, aren’t you? I’m Maeve McInnis. I run In Stitches, the yarn store.”

  “Nice to meet you.” He shook Maeve’s warm hand. “These are my kids, Logan and Nora.”

  They shook her hand to his relief. Sometimes his kids weren’t always the best at remembering to use good manners, but they were working on it.

  Maeve looked like the sort of woman who didn’t miss much, and by her appraising glances at him, she’d undoubtedly heard about his and Faith’s competition for the old livery up the street. She didn’t say a word, though.

  Maybe she didn’t speak because Kellan couldn’t stop talking all of a sudden. “How’s Bettina?”

  “Sassy. How’s Frank?”

  “Lazy.” They shared a secret sort of laugh.

  Faith looked down at the kids. “Bettina and Frank are sister and brother. Kellan is the one who introduced me to Bettina in the first place.”

  “Is Frank teeny like Bet-teeny?” Nora asked.

  “Frank is bigger.” Kellan held his hands as if an invisible football had been placed there. “I probably feed him too much.”

  “Our dog eats a lot but he isn’t fat. See?” She patted patient Roscoe on the head.

  Maeve grinned. “Your Roscoe reminds me of my old pooch, Attila. Sweetest dog ever. Say, I have some craft kits in my shop that could use child testing. Could you two help me out so I know how long they take to make?”

  Faith met Tom’s gaze. “I can take them, if you want. I don’t need to see any more of this.”

  “I don’t, either—”

  “Say, Tom,” Kellan interrupted. “Would you be interested in joining the Wednesday men’s Bible study? We meet at six a.m. at Del’s Café, right up there.” He pointed to the restaurant two doors up from the yarn store.

  “We’ll see you in a few minutes, Tom.” Faith took the kids’ hands. “Bye, Kellan.”

  “Bye, Faith.” Kellan brushed a curl off his forehead. “As I was saying, there are a dozen of us from different churches. Good group of guys.”

  “I’d be interested, sure.” Nice to know Kellan was a man of faith, too. Before he could ask more questions, though, he caught sight of his frowning parents weaving their way through the crowd to him and Kellan. Mom’s forehead wrinkled and Dad’s eyes, so much like Tom’s, narrowed into slits. Was this what he looked like when he was perturbed? Scary.

  He hugged his parents and introduced them to Kellan, who they knew by sight.

  Mom didn’t waste time being polite, though. “Tomás, where are my grandchildren?”

  “In the yarn store.”

  “Alone?” Mom started muttering and moving toward In Stitches.

  “They’re safe with Faith.”

  His words stopped his mother.

  “Faith’s great,” Kellan added, probably in an effort to reassure Tom’s parents that the kids hadn’t been sent off with a monster. He had no clue his parents’ concern wasn’t Faith’s ability with kids, but rather the fact that she was a single woman. “Anyway, I’d better get back in the store. I left my teenage helper in there and I don’t want to leave her alone too long. See you folks around.”

  “Bye, then.” Tom took a deep breath, bracing for his parents’ inevitable scolding. It’d be better if half the town didn’t overhear, so he tugged Roscoe’s leash and led his parents away from the crowd to the sidewalk by the restaurant. “I can tell you’re upset.”

  Mom didn’t answer but pulled her shiny blue and pink shawl tighter around her shoulders. To her, this was casual dress.

  Same with Dad’s ironed jeans and starched shirt, which were as stiff as his posture. The only thing moving was his mustache, a clue that he was working his jaw—his most telling sign of stress. “Elena told me how the kids invited Faith Latham on the hike, and you couldn’t get out of it without being rude, but why are they still with her?”

  “Kellan invited me to a Bible study, so I got stuck out here. She and Maeve were really nice to get them out of the smoke.”

  His mom didn’t look relieved. “You promised not to date.”

  “I’m not. Honest.”

  “Does she know that?” Mom poked him in the collarbone with a sharp acrylic nail. “If she has designs on you, stuff like this will only encourage her.”

  That was almost funny. “She does not have designs on me, Mom. Trust me.”

  “You’ve got plenty of money, Tom, and a nice house. Of course, she has designs on you.”
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  “You’ve pegged her all wrong. Things like that aren’t important to Faith.”

  “Rob, you talk to him.” Mom rubbed her forehead. “He’s not listening to me.”

  Dad rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe she has designs, maybe not. But the kids could get attached to her, and you know it’s not good for them to bond to someone who will not be a permanent part of their lives.”

  “If I get the old livery, Faith and I will be next-door neighbors. But even if I don’t, she goes to the same church the kids and I do. No matter what, she’ll be part of their lives.”

  “You need to be careful, mijo,” Mom added. “She seems to be around a lot, and you promised you’d focus on your job as a parent.”

  “I don’t need the reminder about where my priorities lie.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Seriously, I was thinking about it not five minutes ago. And this is not the place to have a discussion like this.”

  “I don’t care where we have this discussion, if you’re going to act like you did in San Francisco.” Dad’s voice was low, but emphatic.

  Every single thing in his life was different than it had been in San Francisco. He rubbed his mouth, holding back the first words that leaped to his tongue, praying for new ones.

  “Look, I know your concern is based in love for the kids. And for me. But I assure you, I am a hundred percent focused on Logan and Nora. Faith is a friend. Sort of. I mean, this was a good opportunity to set our rivalry aside and show the kids how adults should handle conflict. But that’s all it is.”

  “If you say so.” Dad didn’t look the least bit convinced.

  Maybe it was because Tom himself wasn’t so convinced after today. He liked being around Faith more than he should.

  But it didn’t matter what he felt or thought he felt. There was nothing between him and Faith, or any woman. Not now and not for the foreseeable future.

  Right, God? The kids come first. Not Tom’s feelings.

  “I’m going to get the kids. See you tomorrow. You’re coming to church with us, right?”

  “Sure.” Dad didn’t seem thrilled.

  Tom forced a smile for Dad, kissed Mom’s cheek and tugged Roscoe’s leash.

  Was the dog welcome in the yarn store, as he was in Faith’s shop? Tom let out a frustrated exhalation. He’d have to take him in for a second to get the kids.

  He opened the door, stepping into the cozy shop that smelled of wool. Lurking by the door with Roscoe, he searched for Faith and the kids, but they were too deep in the store to spot. He couldn’t see Maeve, either, but a redheaded woman to his right poked through bundles of yarn displayed on an aisle endcap. “I’m so glad the schoolhouse is gone,” she said to the brunette with her. “Now the restaurant behind it can finally offer creek-side patio seating.”

  “Seriously,” her friend said. “There’s old-fashioned charm and then there’s taking it too far. Like the antiques store. It’s like my grandma’s garage in there.”

  Tom’s stomach sank. Faith and the kids had been in the aisle. Faith walked right past the women, but her face was blotchy and pink. She’d heard every word.

  “Oh, hi, Faith.” The brunette’s syrupy tone didn’t fool anyone.

  “Hi, Rhonda.” Faith glanced at Tom and led the kids straight out of the store. Tom and Roscoe followed her quick pace up the sidewalk toward her store. That woman’s words must have cut Faith to the quick.

  “Faith,” he started, catching up to her.

  “See our crafts, Daddy?” Nora lifted a lilac-hued fabric pillow for his inspection. “It’s for the next time I lose a tooth. I put the tooth in this pocket here so it’s safe.”

  “Here’s mine.” Logan’s pillow was blue. “We stuffed it and Miss Faith sewed mine shut while Miss Maeve sewed Nora’s.”

  “They’re great, guys.”

  “They are.” Faith grinned and let go of their hands.

  “Faith, can we discuss what just happened in there?” Tom jerked his thumb back at the yarn store. He was so angry he didn’t care that the kids could hear this line of discussion. “Those women don’t know what they’re talking about.”

  “Everyone’s entitled to an opinion.” She glanced at the kids, clearly not wanting to say much around them. “And they’re right about the schoolhouse. Nothing lasts forever.”

  “Love does,” Nora said.

  Faith smiled at that. “You’re right. But things? Not so much.”

  This was a far cry from the Faith who championed preserving the old, the Faith who found a story in the town they lived in, as well as the objects in her store. How could he encourage her?

  All he had to go on was his own experience. “This has been a huge disappointment, but it’ll all work out. Even when you have no idea how or when.”

  He was living proof of that. He had no sure answers about his store yet or how he’d manage to raise his kids on his own. But God held the future, and Tom clung to that with all his might.

  “You’re right. Sometimes it’s hard to be patient and wait for God to unfold things, though.” Faith didn’t meet his gaze. “Thanks for the nice day. I’d better go check in with Angie.”

  Tom wanted to chase after her. To talk this through. He didn’t want their day to end like this.

  But with a brisk wave for the kids, she hurried off toward her store.

  Chapter Ten

  Faith’s Finds wasn’t just Faith’s business, it was also her home. So the moment she entered the shop and took in the familiar scents and sounds of the place—lemon polish, creaking wood floors, the soft whisper of the fan—her shoulders relaxed.

  Angie looked up from the computer, anguish in her eyes. “Faith. You know about the schoolhouse?”

  “Yeah. It’s gone.”

  Angie gave her a quick hug. “I stepped outside when the firetrucks roared down the street, but I didn’t stay out there to watch. Do they know what happened yet?”

  “I don’t know. I saw the fire investigator’s truck, though, so they’re looking into the cause.”

  “It’s such a shame.” Angie sighed. “The only silver lining to this is you can’t put the museum there now, no matter how hard Tom pushes.”

  “Believe it or not, Tom finally understood that, as well as how neat the schoolhouse was on its own. He offered to help me make a proposal to the city council asking them to restore the schoolhouse for its own sake, because it is—was—part of town history.”

  “No.” Angie’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

  “Really.” Faith rubbed her temple. “Not that it matters now.”

  “So, other than the fire, your day went okay, then?”

  “Great hike, yeah. We visited the daffodil spot at Mulder Ranch, as well as the old Raven Mine. The kids are a hoot.” Faith glanced around to see if she could slip upstairs for a few minutes. Customers were few enough that Angie could handle things in here. “I’d like to clean up, if that’s all right.”

  “Of course. I’m leaving right at five tonight, though. Ender is taking me to dinner and a movie.”

  “Sure.” The store closed at five o’clock in the off-season, and Faith didn’t need Angie to tidy up.

  She let herself through the gold cord on the staircase and marched to the second floor. Each step seemed heavier than the last, and not just because she’d been using different muscles today on the hike.

  It was like her heart was sinking.

  She’d known for years she was far fonder of antiques than other people were. Her sister, Chloe, and her parents were Exhibits A, B and C. But coming home to the smoldering ruins of the schoolhouse hurt. So did overhearing those women.

  Shake it off, Latham. You’ve been through this before.

  At Faith’s entrance into her apartment, Bettina’s small gray head lifted above the arm of the beige fabric wingback. Fa
ith crossed through the small royal blue–painted foyer to the living area, which she’d decorated in navy and neutral shades. The sleepy cat’s eyes narrowed with the confused look of a creature, animal or human, disturbed from deep sleep. It was so cute Faith couldn’t help but smile.

  Bettina purred as Faith gently rubbed her silky triangular ears. “You make things better, don’t you, baby girl?”

  That was one thing God had taught Faith when He put Bettina in her life. Pets were a special kind of balm, soothing her wounds on difficult days. She’d never experienced that as a kid, but she was glad for it now. She’d have to thank Kellan again, next time she saw him, for placing Bettina in her arms four years ago.

  The Lord had given her so much. A business, a home, a church and friends. Her family might not be the most supportive—Chloe still hadn’t returned Faith’s call—but Faith knew they loved her, deep down.

  Even if she’d like them to show it a little differently.

  Had God put the Santos family in her life, too? That might be a stretch, considering she and Tom were competing for the same building. There were blessings even in that struggle, though. The kids were funny, bright and sweet, and being around them made her smile.

  Tom made her smile, too, but that was definitely not something she wanted to think about.

  Bettina meowed, dragging Faith’s attention to the present. “Yes, I thank God for you, too. Do you want to go back to sleep, purr-ball?”

  In answer, Bettina tucked her nose beneath a paw.

  Her spirits lighter, Faith freshened up, changing into clean jeans, a floral blouse and ballerina flats. The store didn’t close for another twenty minutes, so she could get some things done before Angie left. She’d stepped onto the staircase landing when her cell phone buzzed in her jeans pocket.

  Faith didn’t recognize the number, but it was local. “Hello?”

  “Faith? It’s Jason Witt from Sparky’s.”

  The electrician she’d talked to about fixing up the mid-century desk. “Hi, Jason. How are you?”

  “I had a cancelation, and I wondered if this would be a good time for me to look at that desk you told me about.”