Ready-Made Family (14 page)

“I wish you could come meet my puppy, Ben. But Grandpa would run you clean out of the yard,” Reece said, after the hostess filled their drink orders.

Ben’s eyebrows lifted. Amelia’s face flamed. “Reece!” Amelia shook her head sternly. “Not polite.”

Amelia wanted to melt into the woodwork. She also wanted to go clobber some sense into her dad. It was no secret to Amelia that he was prejudiced against Asians and so staunchly against interracial relationships that he’d threatened all her life that if she got into one he’d disown her.

Sipping, Ben studied her above his glass. She felt he deserved an explanation.

“My father can be cruel to people who are different.”

“Meaning he’s racist?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Amelia said.

“Then what
would
you say?” Kindness never left Ben’s face or tone. He leaned forward.

Amelia drew a slow breath and stared into Ben’s eyes. “No one else in my family agrees with my dad, nor do we share his opinion. Ever since he came back from Vietnam, my mother says he’s disliked people of Asian descent.”

Ben’s expression didn’t fluctuate. Amelia expected him to get defensive or angry. But he nodded evenly like he understood.

How? When she didn’t understand herself how he could feel that way? Maybe the war traumatized him somehow. Amelia didn’t know. But she hoped God would work it out. God. She had been thinking about Him more and more.

To her surprise Ben’s face broke out into a witty grin. “Guess that means you’ll have a hard time taking me home to meet the parents, huh?”

Amelia’s throat constricted because it just now dawned on her. She’d never be able to take Ben to meet her parents’. Ever. And if Ben was insinuating he wanted a relationship with her, she may indeed have to choose between Ben or her parents. Because if things got serious with Ben, things would seriously implode with her dad.

“What are his views on interracial relationships?”

Gulp. “Not good.”

“Ouch.” Ben studied her. “That could be a problem.” His gaze intensified.

“Excuse me. I—I need to visit the restroom.” She fled there, wondering what on earth he meant by that.

He couldn’t possibly mean the two of them. Could he?

And if he meant what she thought, then she had every reason to reel over the repercussions. If Ben was in the picture romantically, there’d be no father-daughter restoration. Period.

Ben had a point. Not until this moment did she consider the future conflict that would await them if their friendship continued to blossom into something deeper. A part of her still couldn’t wrap her mind around Ben being interested in her. Yet another part could hardly deny it. After all, she knew she’d make a good wife someday. She just didn’t know if a decent guy would ever give her the chance.

Maybe one was.

The very possibility made her breathless with delirium.

Hard to imagine how such a deep bond had formed in so little time. But they’d been nearly inseparable since her car wreck. And here she was giving Nissa advice. Yet Ben was worlds apart from Nissa’s fiancé.

If Ben fell for Amelia while seeing her at her worst, then he was definitely keeper material. She certainly wasn’t brave enough to bring up the subject first.

As she returned from the restroom, a sign on the French doors caught her eye.

Kitchen Help Wanted.

Kitchen help. If she got the job, she wouldn’t have to drive or spend gas money. That sounded perfect! Excitement welled up in her like she hadn’t experienced since before leaving North Carolina. She rushed to the counter. Hope soared.

“May I have an employment application?”

“Sure.” The man handed her a form. “Questions?”

“What kind of kitchen help do you need?”

“Dishwasher. The one we have leaves for college in the fall.”

Thank goodness they didn’t need a cook. Amelia wasn’t stellar in the culinary department. “Do school buses run by here?”

“Yes, matter of fact they do.” The man handed her an envelope addressed to the Bed and Breakfast. “If you’re unable to return it in person this week, mail it back in the envelope. We’ll phone you for an interview next month if interested.”

Next month! That was too long. Maybe they’d move it up.

“Thank you.” Amelia slipped the packet inside her purse and headed back to the table.

“Ben, would you mind if Reece and I rode with you to town? I’d like to check on my car then put in applications.”

“Sure. I have an hour before I need to be at the Drop Zone. We can snag a local paper. I’ll show you around town before dropping you off.”

“Mind if I give them your cell number until I get a phone?”

“Sure. In fact, keep the phone until you get your own.”

“Thank you. The garage is in the middle of the business district, right?”

He nodded and wiped his mouth. “It sits on the main road that runs through Refuge, which is aptly named Verbose Street because people gather at shops and cafés all up and down it to talk. Everything’s within walking distance. Police station sits across the street and lots of people commute by foot around town. It sits miles from the shady area of town. You and Reece should be safe.”

“I hope the car’s ready soon, so I can tell potential employers I’ll have no trouble with transportation to work,” Amelia said, as Ben pulled up to Eagle’s Nest after showing them around town.

“Gus Johnson works fast. After my mandatory meetings, I’ll find you and we’ll grab dinner. So be thinking about where you and Reece want to eat.” Ben opened the door for them.

“I’d like to try those curly fries as long as your leg.”

“Then back to the B and B it is. See you later.” He drove off.

Water bottles and a tiara in tow, Amelia and Reece walked around Refuge for hours. Amelia kept track on paper, but lost mental count of how many jobs she applied for. Her mind drifted back to the Bed and Breakfast position. Of all the places she’d applied, that would be her dream job. But since when did she ever get her first choice?

Pray, then trust and believe.
Amelia could almost hear Glorietta’s favorite five words as if she were right here whispering them in her ear.

Pray, then trust and believe.

Okay, fine. Here goes.

Amelia knelt beside Reece. “You want to pray with Mommy about a job?”

Reece nodded. Amelia took hold of her hand. “God, it’s been too long since we’ve talked. I am thankful for everything you’ve done.”
Like when you protected me from losing Reece after the assault.
“As you probably know, I’m really in need of a job. And, we’d really like to live in Refuge.”
That B and B position seems so perfect. And-and I wondered if I could have it.
“Amen.”

There. She prayed. “Oh, I forgot, please help me to trust and believe. Amen.”

“Mommy, you forgot to say ‘in Jesus’ name’!”

Amelia smiled. “I left the most important part out, huh? Wanna say it with me?”

Reece nodded. “Please give Mommy a job so Shasta can come live with us again. Bearby misses him even though Shasta chewed his ears off and Mommy had to sew on new ones. In Jesus’ name.”

Amelia blinked back tears and quelled laughter. “In Jesus’ name,” she whispered. “Amen.”

Exhausted of heat and possibilities, she headed to Eagle’s Nest to check on her car and wait for Ben. This time, unlike that day at the hospital, she knew in her heart he’d show.

But would God come through for her, too?

“I
mighta been wrong.”

Rattle noises clanked from Amelia’s car when Gus Johnson, the mechanic, cranked the starter. She’d hoped to be able to drive it today, since the body work was done.

She trailed him to the front. “What do you mean?”

“She’s worse than I thought. Motorwise, anyhow.”

“How bad?” She stared beneath the open hood into a confounding maze of coils, tubes, metal and rubber.

“I’m afraid she’s on her last leg. I’m doin’ all I can to fix her but truth is, she needs a new engine. I’ve used as many donated parts as I can. So I won’t have to charge you except for labor, which won’t be nothing since my clock fell off the wall and busted my addin’ machine.”

“Donated parts?”

“Yes’m. Folks been coming by all week, dropping off new and used parts, in hopes I can use them on your car.” He pointed to a small mountain of parts accumulated in the corner.

“That pile is big enough one could don a pair of dented bumpers and ski down it, huh?”

“Yeah. Or a car hood and sled down it. Who told people?”

“Can’t tell. Sworn to secrecy.”

Had to be Ben. Or maybe Miss Evie. Then again, could have been Glorietta. Or Nurse Bailey, or Officer Stallings. Or even a tag team of Doctors Callahan and Riviera. According to Miss Evie, they’d all been calling to check on her well-being this week, which she’d spent applying for jobs and getting acquainted with Refuge…and Ben. Everyone seemed concerned for her and Reece’s well-being…except her own parents.

Amelia wanted to cry. “Does anyone in Refuge not know about my fender bender? The entire town has a kindness conspiracy. Including you. There’s no way I’m not paying for the repairs.”

A toothless grin answered her. “This community, we’re an Acts Chapter Two kinda town. On the matter of payment, my office could use a good cleanin’. For havin’ a little one, your car’s about as pristine as I’ve ever seen. Plus, I know those caricatures you drawed me took a chunk of your time. Everybody’s been asking about them. I saw you drawed Miss Evie one too.”

She’d drawn one for Glorietta and the ambulance crew who came to her aid, and also the police officers who’d helped her. “It’s my way of showing thanks.”

“Well, let me know how much you want for ’em. Because everbody that walks by here asks. You got business cards?”

“No. But they can call Ben’s number for a quote. And I’d love to clean your office. What all can I do?”

“Whatever you got time for. Mainly, carpets could use a good vacuumin’ and windows a shine. Supplies are in the closet by the bathroom.” He stooped back under her hood.

“That’s it?”

He adjusted his oil-covered cap. “If you still have git-upn-go after tacklin’ that, feel free to straighten my desk. Organization isn’t my strong suit, and I’m pert-near tired of scooping papers around to find my phone when she rings. Think you can handle all that?”

“And more. You have a filing system in place?”

He grinned. “Can’t say as I do. But you look like you’re rarin’ and ready to go. So I gotta feelin’ I’m about to acquire the aforementioned filing system.”

“Can Bearby and I help, Mommy?”

“I’ll find something you can help with. Let’s get started.”

“Just watch the little one around the oil and stuff. Hate for her to eat it or get covered up like a dipstick.”

“I won’t let her or the oil out of my sight.”

“You’re a right good mama.”

His words riveted her to the spot and crashed waves of emotion over her. “Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”

“Maybe I do.” He stood silent a moment. “I lost my daughter to a car wreck under two years ago. My wife just a year ago to cancer. She never stopped grievin’ our daughter.” He swiped a hand over his face. “I’d give anything to be able to tell both of them one more time what good mamas they were. Least they’re together again now. And I’ve got my grandkids. Twins.”

“Wow. Your daughter carried double-deckers, huh?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled and pulled out a demolished wallet. “She got me this wallet when she was seven. Don’t reckon I’ll ever part with it.”

“I don’t blame you.”

Unfolding it, he pulled out pictures of two toddlers. “They hafta have a nanny because their daddy’s military. In fact, that enamored airman fella who drops you off here—”

“Enamored?”

“Yeah, Benjamin. The one who’s been a courtin’ you—”

“Courting?”

“You got oil in your ears or something? Boy can’t take his eyes off you. Anyway, his team leader was recruited by my son-in-law, Aaron Petrowski, when Joel was young. From here originally. Returned a couple years back. Married a local
teacher. Petrowski’s my claim to fame. He’s brass, see? Pulled military strings to get the PJs set up in Refuge. Aaron was a PJ too. Them boys are the unsung heroes of the Air Force. And most of ’em like it that way. Ain’t the types to hype themselves up in the public eye, but you can bet your bottom dollar they’re some of the most superbly trained operatives in the world.”

He pulled out another picture from his chest pocket. “This is their mama.” The picture was as worn as the wallet, telling Amelia he pulled it out an awful lot.

“I’m so sorry for your losses. Do you have pictures of your late wife?”

His eyes brightened. He waved a hand around him. “All these? Are her. Some of her and me and the family, that was before—” He took a hard swallow. He stuffed the boys’ pictures back in his wallet. Then studied his daughter’s photo once more before tucking it back where it belonged…close to his heart. “But hey, I’m quite sure you got better things to do than listen to an old man jabber.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m quite sure I don’t.” In fact, there was nothing she wanted to do more than lend empathetic ears to words that desperately needed to be said. She slid an upside-down bucket over and sat. And listened. And he talked. And talked. And talked.

She caught glimpses of a life changed forever in the blink of an eye. Then he stumbled over the sentence that stunned her when he told her his daughter and he had had a falling-out and hadn’t spoken for weeks before she died. His words of regret rocked her to the core.

Only in her case, it wasn’t too late to reconcile.

Then he talked about how Ben’s team rallied around him and Petrowski in the aftermath of grief.

And now she was even more enthralled with Ben.

And with possibilities she never dreamed possible.

Reece had grown antsy, so she needed a diversion. “I’ve
got a few hours to kill. Looks like you could use quite a hand around here. I think your phone rings more than the Refuge operator’s. I could answer it for you a couple days a week.” That would also enable her to be a regular sounding board.

His frosted brows rose. “How much’d that cost me?”

“Nothing. I’d do it for free. Donate my time since you’re working so hard on my car.” By the looks of the place, she doubted he could afford to pay her.

“Why sure. I’ll never turn down help. In fact, come on. Let me show you the office.”

She and Reece followed him into a cluttered storage room.

Scratch that. This
was
the office.

Oh. My.

“As you can see, the biggest wreck of all’s in here.” He chuckled, so her shock must have shown.

He scratched stubble on his chin. “Notepad’s on the desk which is…somewhere. If you can find a pen in that mess I’ll know there’s hope. My business partner up and flew the coop on me. He took care of all this racket. I took care of the cars. I’m no good at organization.”

“But I’ll bet you can make a dinged-up car sing.”

That made his eyes sparkle. “Yes’m. I can. Refuge has a wildlife preserve in it. Many businesses stick with the theme. When you answer the phone, you say, ‘Eagle’s Nest.’”

“Will do.”

He turned to go but stopped at the door and faced her. “I’d be right proud if you were my daughter. Offering to pay your own way when you don’t have to. That’s mighty kind. You were raised right. Not too many like you around nowadays.”

Tears pricked Amelia’s eyes. She turned away from Gus, who her heart had endearingly adopted as her mechanic, and hid her face from Reece before she burst into tears.

No, her father wasn’t proud of her. Not in the least. He’d ridicule her for even being in an establishment such as this.

Two hours later, Amelia had neat piles of messages for the mechanic, separated in stacks. To Do. To Call. To Ask. She’d cleaned the office top to bottom and filed every paper in sight. Disinfected the bathroom, floors, scrubbed walls and every conceivable surface with supplies she’d found in the closet. She’d even cleaned that. Decluttered then organized it. Then found hardware to finish putting up utility shelves someone had started but never finished.

Reece was handing her one more screw to drill into the wall when a throaty sound from behind made her pivot on the ladder.

Ben leaned against the doorframe, hands pocketed, watching. Her cheeks flamed even more than they were from working amid heat in this office. Aware she was covered in sweat and nine kinds of grime, she swiped a hand across her forehead.

By the multiplication of his grin, she must have smeared the grease instead of removed it. “I—I planned on washing up in the sink, but wanted to get this shelf hung first.” How long had Ben been standing there? How did he sneak up on a person without being detected like that?

He pushed off from the wall and sauntered toward her. “Didn’t know you were so mechanically inclined.”

“I’m not, really.” She waved a vague hand at the shelf, trying to get his bold and unabashed attention off her and onto something else. “This is pretty basic stuff.”

He peered around the immaculate room. “Basic? I haven’t seen the place look this good since Gus’s brother died.”

“Oh! My goodness. When he said his partner flew the coop, I didn’t realize that’s what he meant.”

“Yeah, Gus downplays a lot. Like someone else I know. You’ll never cease to amaze me, Amelia.” Coming closer, he stepped up the ladder until they stood nose to nose.

“M-may I ask what you’re doing?” Amelia asked in a shaky voice when he just stood there.

“Standing on a ladder getting ready to ask a girl slathered in grease to date me. And hoping like crazy she’ll say yes.”

Reece giggled in the background.

“Date?” she squeaked.

“I want to get to know you better. That’s usually why people date.” He grinned.

Her heart raced her thoughts, which never quite caught up.

“I—I want to get to know you better too. I—I like you. A lot.”
Please say you like me too, Ben. Please, please say it.

He studied her intently for a moment while she thought her lungs, heart and hope might burst from holding their breath.

Then that slow grin she’d grown so fond of spread across his face like Miss Evie’s sweet apple butter on homemade bread.

“I like you, too, Amelia.” He stepped even closer. “A lot.”

Time suspended. His breath hovered over her cheek, forehead, and her eyes then lingered there. Warming her the way the mysterious music did coming from behind the Bed and Breakfast.

The singing and guitar strumming that lulled her to sleep every night. She’d grown to suspect it was Ben, just because her amateur sleuthing had clued her in that the music started after he either left her and Reece’s unit, or when he pulled in from wherever he went on the evenings he didn’t spend with them.

The look on Ben’s face right now had a mesmerizing effect. For the first time in a long time, she felt vibrant and alive.

“Is Mr. Ben gonna kiss you, Mommy? Because it seems like he wants to. That’s the way movie people act right before they smooch.”

Ben’s grin widened and mischief entered his eyes.

Speech evaded Amelia. Because in truth, she couldn’t deny having dreamed what kissing Ben would be like.

The ladder step creaked as Ben shifted his weight, putting
his back to Reece. “But since I’m incurably honest, I have to admit I came here to give you a hand. Not a kiss.”

Genuine disappointment crept through her.

Until his gaze ignited in earnest and seared a slow path down her face, danced over her lips and strolled back up again. “But the latter isn’t such a bad idea, either.”

Amelia let loose the breath trapped in her lungs.

Reece jumped up and down. “Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her! Even Bearby says you should!”

Heat flashed to Amelia’s face and she tried to peer around Ben to unleash The Mommy Look. But he shifted again, effectively blocking her. If it were possible, he leaned closer, leaving only inches between them. He raised his arms above, on either side of her head, bracing them on the top of the ladder and angled his face down.

He inched in and brushed a gentle kiss on the brow bone just left of one eye. As feathery as the contact was, her skin felt branded.

He’d kissed her eye, he’d kissed her eye, he’d kissed her eye. Oh. Kay. He’d only kissed her eye. She peeked. He stared. And his kinetic expression boomed thunder-loud and lightning-clear. She didn’t need words to read the message that burned like lasers in his eyes.