Life-Changing Love, page 4
“I’m helping someone.” An eyebrow twitched, and his eyes held a look of challenge. “Find that hard to believe?”
“No, I-I don’t know. Helping someone do what?”
“You’re always judging me, thinking I’m so bad. I’m just helping the Finns build their house.”
“You’re helping build a . . . ?” Roland tried picturing it. What did Jarret know about building a house? “Who are the Finns?”
“They go to your church. Don’t you know them?” he said, his tone accusing.
“No.” Roland had only recently returned to Sunday Mass, attending the church they’d gone to as a family years ago. He knew almost nobody there, just the kids who went to River Run High.
“I know the Finns.” Peter came up beside Roland. “They’re a big family. Homeschoolers. Lots of kids. I get the impression they’re kind of poor. I guess I remember someone saying they’d outgrown their house and were building another. I didn’t know they were doing the work themselves.”
The car lurched forward. Jarret stared ahead blankly. “It’s cheaper that way.” He turned his eyes on Roland again. “If you care so much, why aren’t you helping them? I’m sure they could use all the help they can get.” He gave a cold grin and took off.
Roland stared, dumbfounded.
“Wow. So that’s a major shock.” Peter kicked a stone into the curb. “Your brother’s helping people. Doesn’t seem possible, does it?”
“No.” Roland held his aching side as he gazed down the street. “Think we should help, too?”
“I don’t know. Feel up to it after that sucker punch? Let’s go to Caitlyn’s. She’s just down the road. Of course, you already know that. I saw you looking for her as we passed.” He grinned.
“I was not.”
Chapter Six
Caitlyn
Mya, of all people, liked Roland. Beautiful, bubbly, blonde Mya Taylor just had to like Roland West. Caitlyn couldn’t stop thinking about it as she stood out in the backyard. It so distracted her that she only heard half of what Zoe said over the cordless phone from the kitchen, and she only pushed her little sister on the swing with half of her regular enthusiasm, and she only kept half an eye on Stacey and David in the sand box. It was a good thing Mom had little Andy in the house. He would probably have rolled off into the neighbor’s yard unnoticed.
“So, is there? Should I bring them? Please say yes,” Zoe said over the phone.
“I’m sorry. What’d you say? Is there what?”
“You’re not even—”
Priscilla lurched back in the swing, burst into song, and rammed Caitlyn with her head. The phone slipped. The screen door opened and David, covered in sand, stepped a foot up into the house.
“Wait, David. Stop!” Mom would kill her. Caitlyn dropped the phone into her skirt pocket and dashed for David.
“I go potty,” David said, desperation in his tone.
“Just . . .” Gripping his wrist, Caitlyn slapped sand from his shins. “. . . one . . .” She brushed sand off his hands and arms. “. . . second.” She ruffled his hair, finding it relatively sand-free. “There. You can go in the house.”
She turned to find Stacey and Priscilla digging in the landscaping.
Caitlyn sunk her hands in her hair, turned heavenward, and groaned. Then she remembered the phone in the pocket of her skirt. And Zoe.
She dug the phone out and pressed it to her ear. “Hello? Zoe?”
“Oh my word,” Zoe said. “Do you live in a zoo? It sounds crazy over there.”
Caitlyn made threatening gestures to get the girls back into the sandbox where they were allowed to dig. They ignored her. “It is crazy. It’ll calm down after dinner. What were we talking about?”
“I was talking about my blow dryer and flat iron, wondering if your campground has electricity. You, however, were distracted, and I doubt it had anything to do with your siblings.”
Determined to get Stacey out of the landscaping, Caitlyn stomped over, grabbed her ponytail and tugged. Stacey whined but got up and slunk to the sandbox. Priscilla made a mean face, propped muddy hands on her hips, and followed Stacey.
“Why do you think I’m distracted?” Caitlyn said to Zoe.
“I don’t think, I know. It’s Mya. Just when you get a crush on someone, she zeroes in on him. I know I’m right.”
Caitlyn hated to admit it. Was she that transparent? Did Roland know she liked him? He probably liked Mya. Mya was going camping, too. Why had she invited her? “Do you think it’s wrong to un-invite someone to something?”
Zoe laughed. “You don’t have to worry about Mya.”
“I don’t?”
“No. Roland already knows you. He’s your friend, right? Maybe he even likes you the way you like him. You just need to find out. But you should probably find out before Mya finds out how he feels about her.”
Caitlyn groaned. If Roland had the slightest interest in Mya, Caitlyn didn’t stand a chance.
“Cait-lyn,” Mom sang through the back screen door. “There’s someone at the front door.”
“I’m watching the kids,” Caitlyn shouted, feeling defeated. “Can’t you get it?”
Mom opened the screen door, a dishtowel in her hand and Andy on her hip. “David’s in the house. Your sisters will be fine. Besides, it’s for you. It’s Peter and one of his friends.”
“One of his—” Caitlyn’s eyes popped. Her heart skipped a beat. She pressed the phone to her ear. “Zoe, I have to go. I think Roland’s at the door.”
“Well, get to work, girl.”
Caitlyn handed Mom the phone as she stumbled into the house. Then she saw them. Sure enough, Peter and Roland stood on the other side of the front screen door. On the way to the door, she smoothed her dress and hair. Something gritty . . . Oh! She still had sand on her hands. She took a second to shake her hair out then pushed open the front screen door.
“Hi,” she said in a strange whispery voice that she’d never used before.
Peter gave her the once-over and smirked. Something on her was out of place, but he probably wouldn’t tell her what until later.
Roland looked only at her eyes. “Hi.” He spoke in an equally whispery voice.
They smiled at each other for a full second, Caitlyn’s heart going wild.
“What took you so long?” Peter plopped down in one of the two lawn chairs on the porch. “Sit down, Roland. She’s not gonna invite us in. It’s chaos in there.”
Roland blushed and sat on the top step of the porch. His hand shot to his side, a sudden look of agony crossing his face.
“Are you okay?” Caitlyn asked, concerned.
“Me?” Roland glanced from Caitlyn to Peter, giving Peter a look she couldn’t interpret. “I’m fine.”
Peter laughed. “He just got sucker punched by—” Eyes on Roland, he shut his mouth and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Caitlyn hopped up to sit on the porch rail. She wished she’d been watching Roland so she could’ve seen what look or sign he gave to make Peter shut up.
“Who punched you?” she asked Roland. “Do you hurt? Do you want some ice?”
He shook his head. “I’m all right. It was nothing.” He averted his gaze, which Caitlyn took as his way of saying he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Are you thirsty? Can I get you something to drink?”
“We’re not staying long,” Peter said, still smirking as if he were up to something. “We’re resting up.”
“Resting up? For what?”
“Hey . . .” Peter’s expression turned serious. “Did you know the Finns were building a house?”
“The Finns? From church?”
“Yeah. We’re going over there. We’re gonna help.”
“You are?” A wave of jealousy struck her. Peter planned to help Roland with a project. “Can I help? What are you going to do?”
Peter and Roland exchanged glances.
Roland shrugged. “He never said.”
“Who never said?” Caitlyn asked Roland.
“Jarret,” Peter answered. “Jarret’s over there. Helping. Weird, huh?”
“Why is that weird?” She looked from one to the other.
“You don’t know Jarret,” they said together.
“Hey, did you talk him into going camping?” Peter asked Roland.
Roland shook his head. “He says he has too much to do.” His gray eyes flickered as if something occurred to him. “Do you think he meant working on the house?”
Peter nodded. “Yeah, that’s where he’s been going in his grungy clothes, right? He’s working on their house all this time, and here we’re thinking he’s up to no good. Kinda makes you feel like a judgmental scab, don’t it?” He grinned.
Roland shifted his position but still held his aching side. “Yeah. Maybe if we help get the work done, he’ll go camping with us. I know he misses Keefe.” He gazed out at the road.
Caitlyn’s heart melted. “Can I help, too?” She slid off the porch railing and dropped down by Roland. “If we all help, it’ll get done that much sooner.”
She immediately thought of a whole bunch of people who would love to help. The Catholic youth group!
They had recently taken the name Fire Starters which, understood in light of Luke 12:49, was the perfect name for their group. I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already!
A few weeks ago, they had only eight regular members. Since last week, they had over twenty, not even counting their non-Catholic friends who sometimes joined them. This all happened after Dominic Miato, a friend of Peter, was miraculously healed through the intercession of Saint Conrad. Caitlyn had witnessed the miracle herself, had even been a part of it, and she still couldn’t get over it. Dominic had lost the use of his legs in a car crash and had been in a wheelchair for years, until just last week. Roland and Peter got the idea of praying for him using a relic of the saint. Caitlyn had joined them, and before their very eyes, Dominic had stood up and walked. Actually walked! Every time Caitlyn thought about it, her heart skipped. She couldn’t stop telling people. Not that she had to. Everyone knew Dominic. He always drew attention, racing down the school halls in his wheelchair. So when he walked into school last week, everyone was amazed.
The youth group had been on fire ever since, growing in members, praying more, praising more, and helping with more projects. They believed God had set a fire in their hearts and their job was to pass it on, thus the name Fire Starters. Would Mr. Finn mind a group with that name helping on his house?
Chapter Seven
Caitlyn
As Caitlyn rubbed a sheet of sandpaper against a patch of drywall mud on a wall in the dining room, she pondered the goodness of God. A few days ago, the Finns were worried about making the dates on their house contracts. Now all that had changed. In addition to Peter, Roland, and Caitlyn, a good number of Fire Starters came to help. In fact, so many people had shown up to work on their house that Mr. Finn walked around in a state of near shock, not sure what to do with himself.
Caitlyn’s motive for helping wasn’t as pure as others, like Roland and the Fire Starters—and even Jarret, who seemed unbelievably kind all of a sudden—but she considered this opportunity a gift from God.
Like a dream-come-true, she had worked by Roland’s side for the past three days, staining doors, painting walls, and raking dirt in the back yard. It had made her feel shy, being so close to him. But one of the principles of courtship was to develop friendships, right?
Of course, if he ever actually wanted Caitlyn for his girlfriend . . . then what? Panic. Would he have to ask her parents’ permission? Would they have to spend their time together playing Monopoly with her sisters? Oh well. One step at a—
“Hey.”
Caitlyn turned to see Jarret West standing directly behind her.
He wore a fluorescent orange tank top, ripped jeans, and a blue bandana over curly hair. Drywall mud streaked his stubbly jaw and his forearms. The first day they came to help, Jarret told everyone he’d spent most of his time at the Finn’s taping and mudding drywall and how he’d developed an impressive skill in such a short time. Mr. Finn agreed with Jarret’s boastful self-appraisal, adding that Jarret had almost singlehandedly mudded every room in the house once the professional drywall installers had shown him how. Of course, Mr. Finn had something nice to say about everyone’s work. Caitlyn couldn’t imagine anyone doing any wrong in his eyes. He was so happy to have the help.
“Is something wrong?” Caitlyn said.
Jarret nodded, one eyebrow cocked, his expression saying she should know better.
Caitlyn glanced at the wall she sanded, not sure what it should look like. It was her first sanding job.
He laid his hand on hers, the one holding the sandpaper, and made her sand the wall in a circular motion. “You can’t go side to side. You make ruts that I’ll have to go over with more mud. Go round and round.”
Caitlyn swallowed hard, wishing he’d take his hand off hers. Where was Roland? “Okay. I got it.”
He let go, and the hint of a smile passed his lips. “Good.” His gaze dropped to her skirt and stayed there as he spoke. “Ain’t you got any jeans? You’re a little dressed up for dirty work.”
“I’ve got jeans.” She found herself saying, “They’re new though, and I’ve never really worn them before. My best friend gave them to me for Christmas last year.”
She should’ve just said yes. She didn’t owe him an explanation.
Jarret chuckled. “I’m sure you’ve got something other than a dress to wear here.”
Caitlyn looked at her skirt. Tan with pale flowers and a few bleach stains, made of thin, woven cotton, it hung down past her knees. She’d bought it over a year ago from a second-hand store, not realizing it had a big slit in the side. But it was so comfortable she kept it anyway. “It’s a skirt, not a dress, and it’s old. I wear it around the house, especially when I clean.”
“You’ve worn a skirt here every day. What’s wrong with jeans?” His upper lip curled on one side. He probably thought she was strange.
“Nothing. I just don’t wear them.” Why should she have to explain herself to him? So she only wore skirts and dresses. So what? If she wasn’t the only girl in the dining room, he probably wouldn’t even be talking to her.
His gaze bounced all around her face then lingered on her mouth.
Did she have something on her lips? Powder from sanding maybe? She wiped them and checked her finger. White drywall dust covered her entire hand, except for the tip of her finger. She huffed, knowing she’d just transferred white powder to her mouth.
He smirked and reached toward her face. “Want me to get that for you?”
Irrational panic swelled inside her. “No!” She backed into the wall. Then facing away, she wiped her mouth with the inside of her t-shirt neckline. When she turned back, Jarret was already stooping over a bucket of drywall mud on the other side of the room.
Deciding to check her face in a mirror, she dropped the sandpaper, wiped her hands on a rag, and headed for the bathroom.
Pushing the door open with her hip, she stepped into the cool, dark room and sighed. The lights flickered on automatically. The workers had finished the bathroom first. With its bright walls, shiny white porcelain, sparkling fixtures, and pale turquoise tiles around the tub, she could stay in it all day.
She looked herself over in the huge, spotless mirror over the sink. Fine white dust covered her hair and top. Not wanting to mess up the bathroom, she let it stay, but she did wash her mouth and hands. Then she stepped from the peaceful bathroom and set out in search of Roland and Peter.
Caitlyn strolled back through the entryway, avoiding the dining room, and passed through a group of chatty, giggling girls in the kitchen.
Before she rounded the corner, Peter’s voice came from the family room. For some reason, she stopped and listened.
“I tell you he’s out there hitting on her.”
“I’m sure she can take care of herself,” Roland said. “What’re you worried about?”
Caitlyn dared to peek. The family room looked great, having received a final coat of warm blue paint and new beige Berber carpet yesterday. Roland faced the far window and scraped off new-window stickers. Peter stood on a ladder, holding a little bucket and a small paintbrush, touching up the creamy trim.
“Worried? I’m not worried,” Peter said. “I’m just saying. You’ve never admitted it, but I can tell how you feel about her. You really don’t care if Jarret hits on her?”
Caitlyn sucked in a breath and withdrew from view. Were they talking about her? Peter could tell how Roland felt about her? How did he feel about her?
“He can try all he likes. He’s not her type,” she heard Roland say, his tone confident. “Is he? You’ve known her longer than me. I don’t think she’d like a guy like him.”
The ladder squeaked. “Well, why take any chances? Do you like her or not?”
“Sure, I like her.”
Caitlyn’s heart leaped. Then she heard Peter say, “Why not make her your girlfriend before someone else does? She’s not exactly ugly. Clumsy, yes. Silly, sure. But not ugly.”
Heat slid up her neck. She glanced into the kitchen to make sure no one noticed her spying.
Peter thought she was pretty? Really? In all the years they’d known each other, growing up as close as siblings, he’d never once hinted that he thought she was pretty. In fact, he always made fun of her appearance, comparing her long red hair to Raggedy Ann’s and saying she was thinner than a toothpick. He had an endless supply of rude comments about her.
Roland spoke again, and Caitlyn’s heart sank. “I’m only fourteen. I’m not ready for a relationship right now.”
“Well, maybe she is. Maybe she wants a boyfriend.”
Roland made no audible reply, but Caitlyn didn’t wait around to hear more. Tears threatening to burst forth, she took off for the bathroom again. Roland didn’t like her like that. He didn’t want her for a girlfriend.
Caitlyn closed the door behind her, hid her face in her hands, and fell onto her knees before the light clicked on. Before the first tear fell.
