Forever in My Heart, page 2
part #2 of Montana Skies Series
At the sound of footsteps at the back entry, Marj parted the café curtains and looked out. “Well, would you look at that? Our new neighbor is coming over. He must have smelled the cookies.” She hustled to the cupboard for another mug, but Laureen shivered.
The boys seemed blithely interested in nothing more than the snack, but Laureen wasn’t convinced. Somehow she didn’t think Pete Long was here for milk and cookies.
Wondering what she was in for, she hurried to the back door. Through the screen the man looked stern and forbidding. The creases in his cheeks deepened toward the tightness at the corner of his mouth.
“I knew it,” she muttered. “I just knew it.” Was there any chance some of Marj’s fresh cookies would soften him up? She doubted it would be that easy.
Pushing aside a feeling of doom, she concentrated on smiling welcomingly as she pulled the door open. “Come on in. We were just having coffee.”
“I think we need to talk. It won’t take more than a minute of your time.”
She tried not to grimace, but the man certainly had the ability to look stern.
Searching for her friendliest smile, she stepped aside. “Come on in.” She waved him toward a chair.
He stepped into the room, his gaze checking out each boy.
Davey scoped out the man for a second then returned to his cookies. To an outsider things might have seemed innocent, but Laureen saw the three pairs of feet under the chairs stop swinging and noted how Kyler nibbled at his cookie.
She knew she was in trouble. The question was, how bad?
The quiet shivered up and down Laureen’s spine; then Marj set a cup of coffee at the empty spot on the table. “You’re just in time for cookies right out of the oven.”
“Thanks.” Pete sat but continued looking from one boy to the next.
Three pairs of feet swung in bike-peddling haste.
Laureen was about to say something scintillating—just as soon as she thought of it—when Pete cleared his throat. Three little boys gulped. Davey and Kyler bent lower over their now-empty glasses while Michael scowled at Pete.
“I think you boys have something you need to tell Laureen.” He took a cookie and bit into it. “Good cookies,” he said, deep dimples flashing in his cheeks as he smiled at Marj.
She grinned. “World’s best.”
He turned back to the boys. Laureen could almost feel sorry for them the way he studied them so unblinkingly. Not that the two younger ones noticed. They avoided looking anywhere except at the top of the table directly below their noses. As for Michael, after one glance, he settled back into his chair, fists clenched in his lap.
Sensing things were about to erupt, Laureen decided enough was enough. “Michael, have you boys been up to mischief?”
Michael frowned at her. “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Pete opened his mouth to speak, but Laureen held up her hand to stall him.
“I’d sooner hear it from you than from Mr. Long,” she said to the boys. “Davey, Kyler?”
The younger boys lifted their heads, eyes wide.
Seeing the silent confession on their faces, Michael took control. “We went into his yard again.”
Laureen nodded. “I see. Just into his yard? You didn’t do anything but go in? Nothing more?”
Three little heads ducked.
Laureen sighed. She’d do anything to avoid trouble with the neighbors, especially a certain one who left her feeling tongue-tied and gauche. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
So what if he gave the impression of unmovable strength? Something she suddenly and unexpectedly craved.
What was the matter with her? He was only a man. She’d seen plenty of them in all shapes and sizes, most recently at the lake.
No doubt that was part of her problem. Every man she’d seen on her holiday was part of a couple—walking hand in hand or sitting at a small table, head bent toward the woman across from him. Watching the couples made her realize how alone she was. Almost isolated. She’d put it down to missing her work.
Now that she was back at work, she could forget those feelings.
Her next-door neighbor sat across the table, hands cradling his cup, to all appearances patiently waiting for someone to say something.
That someone would be me, she decided. “What did they do?”
“Upset my lumber pile.” He drank his coffee with all the soberness of a judge imparting sentence.
Her breath whooshed out. She’d had visions of major vandalism. Graffiti on the garage wall. Or a fire in the middle of the lawn. “That’s it?”
He set his cup down with a firmness that made her squirm as much as any of the boys. She had no intention of giving him a chance to explain about trespassing or damages and jumped in with both feet before he could speak.
“I don’t mean you shouldn’t mind. They shouldn’t have been over there, and they know it. Don’t you, boys?” Three heads nodded vigorously. Three pairs of eyes pleaded silently for her to be lenient. “In fact, I think we’ll have to discuss some form of—” She broke off, deliberately leaving the sentence unfinished. It wouldn’t hurt them to wonder what was going to happen. Maybe a little mental suffering would nip this business in the bud.
“Marj, would you take the boys out to play while Mr. Long and I discuss this?” At the tense look in Kyler’s eyes she squeezed his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “We’re not going to hurt you, honey.” Knowing the other two had heard, she smiled reassuringly and patted their backs as they followed Marj out the door.
2
Pete waited as Laureen spoke to the boys. All he wanted was to make it understood his place was off limits. How hard could it be to watch three little boys? It was her job. When he’d bought the house, he’d been told of the group home next door.
At first he’d balked. Then the couple who owned the house had said not to worry; it was only little boys, and they’d had no trouble with them. None at all. Hmm. Wonder how much truth was in their words. So far he’d had plenty of trouble. Seems every time he turned around they were sneaking in or out. And now this. He didn’t want to make matters worse. But neither did he want to have to wonder about his stuff or worry that one of them might be injured. This was Freetown. People didn’t bother to put everything under lock and key. And he didn’t want to have to start doing so, but the way things were going. . .
Laureen hugged the smaller boy. The one with the lighter coloring. The kid seemed to have lost his voice as a result of guilt over his part in the mess in Pete’s yard. Or perhaps it was because of her attention.
He studied her over the rim of his cup. Dark hair bouncing away from her shoulders in a flip and catching the light in glittering strands. And there was something unusual about her eyes. Blue and shining, like liquid love pouring out unfettered. When had he ever seen a more beautiful smile?
He took a gulp of coffee that went down too hard.
Marj headed outside, and Laureen talked to the boys. She touched the two older ones on the back, her palms almost holding them. As if she couldn’t get enough of them.
His interest grew. These kids weren’t even hers.
“Now.” She nodded as she returned to the chair across from him. “Let’s talk.”
Slowly he set his cup down. “It seems to me the boys should be taught to stay in their own yard.” He hadn’t meant to say it like that. He knew they must be a handful. These kinds of kids always were.
“They are taught.” Her smile seemed to carry no animosity. In fact she seemed amused. Not a bit unhappy or sorry about her failure. “But teaching and enforcing are two entirely different things.”
“Well, they can’t keep getting into my things.”
“I agree. I hope they haven’t done any damage.”
“Nothing serious.” No senseless destruction. It looked more like a good dose of curiosity. They just had to find out what he kept under the tarp. It must have been a real disappointment to find nothing but wood. Laureen insisted he tell her precisely what they’d done. “It’s not a big deal,” he concluded. “As long as they stay out of my yard from now on.”
“I’ll certainly do my best. But I think they must be held accountable for trespassing and upsetting the lumber pile.”
“For sure.”
She nodded. “The least they can do is stack it all back. I will personally supervise and make sure they do it right. Is that okay?”
“Okay with me.” He’d no sooner said the words than he wondered what had come over him. He’d come to make it clear his yard was off limits. Now he was practically inviting them back. How had that happened?
He put the last mouthful of cookie in his mouth. They really were great. He’d blame his loss of rational behavior on the delicacies. Fresh from the oven. Almost too good to be real.
And the drawings tacked to the bulletin board. It was all so—so—well, it was like a home. And what did he expect? A hospital? He didn’t know. All he knew was this was not a family. These kids were not ordinary kids. They had destructive possibilities beyond the imagination of most kids.
So why was he letting them back into his yard? He needed his head examined.
“Hurry up.” Michael waved the others boys to follow as he raced down the alley toward Pete’s house.
Laureen narrowed her eyes as she followed them. They seemed awfully eager to be off to do a chore.
They exploded through the gate and skidded to a halt.
Laureen followed, feeling only slightly less disheveled than the three panting boys.
Pete waited, standing there as if he were bracing himself for a storm.
Laureen grinned. The three boys did sort of take one by storm. She clapped her hands. “Okay, boys. You’re going to clean up this mess.” It wasn’t as bad as she imagined. Varying lengths of lumber tumbled across the ground behind the garage. A blue tarpaulin lay folded neatly against the wall. The scent of pine and cedar filled the air.
Pete held out three pairs of gloves. “Put these on first. No point in getting a sliver.”
The boys took the leather gloves. Three pairs of hands disappeared into gloves way too big for them.
Michael, eager to be the first ready, reached for a board, and the gloves fell from his hands.
The other two, faces set in serious expression, held their hands aloft to keep the gloves on.
Laureen chuckled. They looked like surgeons about to remove some vital organ.
Pete met her eyes and grinned so briefly she wondered if she had dreamed it; then he bent and grabbed the end of a board, his arms cording with muscles. “Michael, help me put this on the pile.”
Laureen practically stared. When was the last time she’d seen Michael move with such eagerness? He grabbed the end of the board and carried it to what remained of the stack.
The two younger boys, not to be left out, grabbed a smaller board and followed. Davey tripped. It was like watching a house of cards tumble down. Davey dropped the board as he went to his knees. Kyler’s eyes grew wide as the board jerked out of his grasp. He stumbled and fell backward. The board flipped upright then crashed down on the ground with a thunk. Kyler sat on his seat looking as if he might cry. Davey’s eyes glazed over. Michael glowered at Pete.
Pete curled his fists and planted them on his hips. His expression remained impassive. “Okay, fellas. We better get organized. “You”—he pointed to Michael—“move those to one side. You”—he nodded to Davey—“you stack up those shorter pieces. And you”—he curled a finger at Kyler—“you can help me pick up these longer pieces.”
They scampered to do his bidding.
Laureen watched them work.
The boys concentrated on following his instructions. Every board had to be just right. And each time they straightened, they glanced to Pete to see his reaction. Apart from the occasional “Good job,” he simply nodded. But it seemed as if the boys thought it was a touch from heaven. She’d never seen them work so cheerfully. Or seem so eager to please.
Laureen studied Pete more closely. Something about this man appealed to them. He didn’t fawn over them trying to make them like him. In fact he hardly smiled, but his sternness wasn’t unfriendly. It seemed, instead, to radiate patience and understanding.
They were almost finished. Michael pushed at the end of a board to align it precisely in the stack. Davey nudged the pile with the toe of his shoe as if to say, “There. Stay in place.”
Pete stepped back, Kyler at his side.
Laureen smiled as she saw Kyler’s stance and his hands in the too-big-gloves planted on his hips—a perfect imitation of the way Pete stood.
“Let’s cover it up, and then we’re done,” Pete said.
As they moved away, Kyler picked up something. From where she stood, Laureen thought it looked like knots out of the wood.
Kyler turned them over and over. He gave Pete a furtive glance then sighed and dropped them.
“You can have them,” Pete said. “Anything on the ground you boys can take. It’s just scrap.”
Kyler retrieved the two knots, walked slowly across the yard, his gaze on the ground until he found what he wanted and picked up another small piece.
Michael—and Davey, under Michael’s direction—found long thin pieces and challenged each other to a sword fight.
“Let’s finish first,” Pete said.
By the time they had unfolded the tarp and covered the pile securely, a plan was born in Laureen’s mind.
Over the fence she saw Marj come out and called her over. “Boys, you go home with Marj, and she’ll get you a drink.”
“Thanks for your help,” Pete said. He turned to Laureen. “Would you care for something? Coffee? A soft drink?”
“Something cold would be nice, thanks.” Perfect, she thought. This will give me a chance to talk to him and get his help.
Pete grabbed two cans of pop from the fridge and hurried back to the patio where Laureen sat waiting. Now that the little guys were gone, he could concentrate on her. Instead of concentrating on not thinking about her. Which was pretty hard to do. She seemed to be everywhere. Helping one of the boys. Giving a word of encouragement. Smiling. Laughing. There was something about the way she poured her love and affection on those kids that made him want to know her better. He handed her the drink and sat across from her, feeling suddenly tongue-tied when she smiled at him, her blue eyes flashing.
“Thanks.” She snapped open the can. “You’re very good with the kids, you know. I’ve never seen them so cooperative and eager.”
He didn’t think he was different from most people. “I treated them as I would any of my men.”
Her smile widened. “I guess that’s why they respond so well to you. You make them feel grown up and responsible.” She tipped her head and studied him. He liked it that she didn’t hide her curiosity by looking at him through her eyelashes. Nor did she look away from his own steady assessment. It was hard to guess her age. Late twenties? Early thirties? She seemed to have a knowledge in her eyes beyond her years. No doubt she’d learned some hard lessons working with these kids.
Then she sat up straighter. “Have you had experience working with kids?”
“Me? Un uh.”
“What do you do with all that wood?” She nodded toward the now-tarped stack. “You a carpenter or something?”
“It’s only a hobby.”
“What do you make?”
“I’ll show you.”
She jumped to her feet. “Great.”
He opened the garage door and waved an arm. “My shop.” What would she think of his fine tools and the projects he had underway?
The first thing she saw was the clock he was making as a gift for his parents.
“You did this?” She bent over it a few minutes then turned and saw the piece he was carving. It was only a simple bird figure. Supposed to be an owl, but carving wasn’t as easy as it looked. She picked it up and ran her finger along the shape. “It feels so light.” She circled the shop, studying each tool, asking him about them.
Then she was back facing him. “This is only a hobby?”
He nodded. “I’m a plumber by trade.”
“Really? Looks to me like you could make a living doing this sort of thing. What took you into plumbing?”
“My parents wanted me to be a dentist like my uncle Manly.” He laughed. “I said I’d sooner stick my hands in sewer pipes than in people’s mouths.” He shrugged. “So I did. For a while anyway. Now I do prefab setups for new construction. It’s a good business.” He told her about the crew who worked under him and the contracts he had.
Suddenly he realized how much he’d talked about himself. Yet she seemed genuinely interested.
They wandered back to the patio and sat drinking their pop. He leaned back enjoying the peace of his backyard. “What about you? What brought you into your work?”
“I was raised in a fine Christian family. I knew everyone wasn’t as fortunate as I was, but the year I was in eighth grade I became good friends with Gina, a foster girl who was my same age. My aunt and uncle were her foster parents. Our homes were on the same block so we practically lived in each other’s houses.”
She looked down at her pop can as she turned it back and forth. “Gina told me what it was like to be moved from place to place. I still hear the pain in her voice when she said she could usually count on being moved just before Christmas or summer holidays.”
Pete wanted to reach out and still her trembling fingers as the pop can turned faster and faster. Yeah, he derided himself. That would no doubt settle her tension real quick. A touch from a stranger should be enough to make her bolt out of her chair and run for home.
“ ‘It’s because no one wants somebody else’s kid to ruin their holiday,’ Gina said. ‘No one wants us forever.’ I actually cried when she said she’d give anything to belong somewhere.”
Laureen shivered then pushed the pop can aside and leaned back in her chair. She smiled, but her eyes didn’t gleam the way they did when she smiled at the kids.
