Instant Father Page 8

  “He what?” Bridget shrieked, causing Charlotte to immediately regret seeing her cousin.

  “Bridge,” Charlotte warned, glancing around to see what kind of attention her cousin’s outburst had brought. “Please don’t make me sorry that I told you.”

  “Sorry.” Bridget lowered her own voice. “But, really, Char, this is kind of a big deal. How do you feel about it?”

  Charlotte didn’t respond to that. There wasn’t any point, because it would only lead to talk about obligations and family, and would lead her thoughts to Anna, the one person she wanted most to talk about, the one person no one ever wanted her to mention.

  “I don’t know how I feel,” she admitted, suddenly afraid that telling Bridget had stirred up more questions than it was going to answer.

  “You like him, though, right?” Bridget prodded. “I mean, I can think of a lot worse things in the world than being kissed by Paul Belvedere.”

  “He’s a nice enough guy,” Charlotte said. She wasn’t going to try to explain the jolt she had experienced when their lips had touched.

  “I guess I’m making the choice not to overanalyze it,” she finally said, knowing it was a cop-out. “I have other things on my mind. I have to complete the application for that missionary work position, for one thing.”

  “You haven’t filled that out yet?” Bridget said, surprised. “You’re usually so on top of things. Char, are you sure your heart is really in it?”

  “It is. It’s such a good cause. Maybe I just want to make sure I do everything right. I do know I want to do more with my life.”

  “But not romance?” For all her breezy exterior, Bridget did have a way of getting to the point.

  Charlotte was spared having to answer by the appearance of Seth at their table with a pot of coffee.

  “How’s your evening, ladies?” he asked. “Some more decaf for you?”

  After they had exchanged a few pleasantries and turned down the tempting offer of apple pie, Seth continued on to the next table and Charlotte took the opportunity to steer the conversation in another direction.

  “Have you heard that Mavis is looking to rent an apartment here in town?”

  “No, I hadn’t heard that. I still wonder what the deal with them is.”

  “I don’t really know. I have the feeling they’re coming out of a bad situation. Anyway, I hope they find whatever it is they’re looking for.” Charlotte couldn’t put it into words exactly, but she meant more than just a place to live.

  “I hope so, too,” Bridget said. “Listen, Char, I’ve been meaning to tell you, Mom says that she’s worried your mom’s health is getting worse.”

  “I know,” Charlotte said. “Dad has been worried, too. I’ve been trying to check in with her more often. Thanks for letting me know.”

  Charlotte felt slightly ashamed of herself. Sometimes she forgot that, for all of her interest in fashion and dating, there was a sensitive and observant side to Bridget, too.

  She took a sip of her coffee and felt a sudden pulse of awareness, then she realized that Paul was standing beside their table. It was only natural that others in the café would be aware of it, too, but he didn’t seem to care and didn’t even greet Bridget before saying, “I need to talk to you. Can you come outside with me, please?”

  * * *

  Paul saw Charlotte dart a quick glance at Bridget, who gave a little shrug. At first she didn’t move, but just as he was wondering if he would have to ask her again, Charlotte followed him outside.

  They took a few steps away from the café entrance so that they weren’t blocking it and they were also away from the gazes of the café customers.

  “I just...wanted to apologize for what happened earlier,” Paul said. “I truly don’t know what got into me.”

  Charlotte wasn’t quite able to look at him, and her appealing bashfulness caused an inner struggle not to take her in his arms and kiss her again.

  “I wasn’t upset,” she said, “just caught off guard. I wasn’t exactly sure what to think, but...” Her violet eyes swept up to his and nearly undid him. “I thought about it most of the afternoon.”

  “You did?” The idea of that shouldn’t please him, not when he’d come to make amends. But it did.

  “Don’t worry,” Charlotte said, “I didn’t neglect the students.”

  “I’m not worried.” Strangely, he realized that he hadn’t been worried about Tyson’s day. His thoughts had been preoccupied with other things.

  “Where is Tyson?” Charlotte asked.

  “He’s at a playdate at Max’s. I’m on my way to get him.”

  “I’d better get back inside,” Charlotte said. “You know the rumor mill will really be churning now.”

  They exchanged smiles of acknowledgment.

  But instead of going back inside the café, she lingered, and he had the impression that she was in no rush to end their time together. He didn’t want it to end, either. He checked the time.

  “Could I... I mean, would you mind if I joined you? I have time before I have to pick up Ty.”

  “Are you willing to risk the gossip?” It was a joke, but there was a real question behind it, too.

  “I’ll risk it,” he said.

  It felt easy and natural to sit with Charlotte and Bridget as they chatted. They didn’t put pressure on him to say much, which he appreciated, and he was glad of the opportunity to get to know more about Charlotte.

  Some of their conversation focused on church, but only in the way that it was a natural part of their lives, so for the first time in forever, he wasn’t uneasy with a faith-based conversation.

  There had been a time in his life when he had enjoyed church and believed that he could find hope there. To live life without faith in anything was feeling less and less like a good option. Maybe it was time that he considered inviting God back in.

  Chapter Ten

  Charlotte faced the rest of the week feeling more settled. It had been a pleasant surprise when Paul had asked to join her and Bridget for coffee at Seth’s. She hoped that he was starting to feel like a part of the community. But still, the memory of their kiss lingered, and she questioned exactly why it was so important to her that he feel at home in Green Valley.

  Bridget, to her credit, hadn’t bombarded her with questions when Paul had finally left the café to pick up Tyson. She’d just noted that she thought he was a nice guy.

  For Charlotte, it didn’t matter one way or the other, because she wasn’t looking for anything right now.

  Though it was becoming more difficult to convince herself that was true.

  The next day on her lunch break, Charlotte found a quiet place and phoned her mother.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you doing today? I just wanted to say hi.”

  “How nice of you to make time to check in, Charlotte,” her mom said. “I heard you had coffee with your cousin last night. It’s good when you girls can get together.”

  Though there was nothing amiss in the words, Charlotte felt a slight twinge of the perpetual guilt that hounded her.

  “Have you had any updates from the doctors?” she asked.

  Her mother sighed wearily. “No, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced that these doctors aren’t worth much. I’ve even had your father take me to a specialist in Regina, and they can’t pinpoint a cause. But there has to be some reason why I feel so unwell most of the time.”

  “Have you considered that it could be stress?” Charlotte asked cautiously. “Both Dad and I want you to slow down and stop thinking you have to serve on every committee that comes along.”

  “Now you sound just like those ridiculous doctors,” her mother huffed. “I’m not just some silly woman who doesn’t know anything about my own health.”

  Charlotte took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly and opened them again.

&nbs
p; “I know, Mom. Listen, I have some things to do, but I can pop by later and we can talk more about it.”

  “I don’t want to put you out of your way.”

  “You’re not. I’ll talk to you later.” Charlotte snapped off her phone.

  She decided to use what remained of her lunch break to walk to Dudley’s and buy an envelope and a stamp. It was time to mail out her application before she allowed doubts and demands to overcome her.

  But she didn’t have the feeling of satisfaction she’d been hoping for when the envelope slipped from her fingers into the post office box. She hoped that she was headed to a place where she could make a difference and not simply running away from her responsibilities here.

  During afternoon recess, Rena popped her head into her classroom and said, “Hi. I just saw Mr. Millis, and he asked if you can see him after school.”

  Charlotte looked up from the spelling tests she was marking and nodded briefly. She was distracted by a troubling number of mistakes on Tyson’s test. She’d thought he was making progress, but now she wasn’t so sure. She would have to keep an eye on things and see if additional tutoring was needed. She would mention it to Paul, too, as soon as she could.

  Then, like a delayed reaction, she wondered why the principal wanted to see her.

  “Did he say what it was about?”

  “Nothing too pressing,” Rena said. “I think you’re getting a new student in your classroom next week.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Thanks, Rena.”

  It had to be Michael. She was sure of it, and she worried about the potential impact. Not just in her classroom but in her relationship with Paul.

  * * *

  It took Paul time to realize that the unfamiliar feeling he was experiencing was happiness. He could not remember the last time he had even considered letting his guard down and becoming part of a community. But now he knew it was because of Charlotte and the kind of comfort and trust he felt when he was around her.

  Since he had managed to squeak through high school and graduate, he had wanted nothing more than to be invisible. So he had chosen to live in larger cities where he could avoid getting close to anyone and could leave at a moment’s notice when others got too close and asked too many questions.

  All that had changed with the tragic deaths of Erica and Ross, and being suddenly thrust into the role of Tyson’s guardian. For Tyson’s sake he was willing to make changes to his life, but he had never considered before that such changes could be good for him, too. He loved teaching the classes at the church’s community center; it gave him a feeling of purpose and accomplishment. As far as he knew, Tyson had no complaints at school, but he trusted that Charlotte would let him know if he did.

  At night, after he had tucked his nephew in and gotten ready for bed himself, he felt something rising up within him: not a prayer, exactly, but the slightest inclination to start talking to God again.

  He enjoyed the way Charlotte had taken up the habit of popping into the garage on her lunch hour to show him new items she had bought for her house and he liked to banter with her over her purchases.

  Sometimes she popped in simply to chat. Those were his favorite times of all.

  The days passed in this pleasant way and September came to an end. On a Tuesday early in October, the lunch hour came and went and there was no sign of Charlotte. Paul told himself not to overreact. Her visits were something that he looked forward to, but that didn’t mean he had the right to expect them.

  Still, he had to focus on the other customers and not let his eyes keeping straying to the door or experience a jolt of anticipation each time the bell signaled that someone else had come into the garage.

  He particularly had to stifle disappointment when the bell ushered in Olivia Meissner. He’d managed to steer clear of her as much as possible in a town the size of Green Valley. She made him feel like she could see all of his secrets.

  “How was your weekend?” he asked her, mindful of customer service, while at the same time fervently hoping that she didn’t have a complicated request of some kind.

  “It was fine,” she replied tersely. “My daughter-in-law cooked Sunday dinner, which was nice for a change.”

  Mrs. Meissner had just come in to pick up a couple of car air fresheners, which to his relief, Paul was readily able to assist her with. She took them and was quickly on her way.

  Although brief and not exactly unpleasant, the encounter had nonetheless left Paul feeling exhausted. He realized that he was starting to count on Charlotte to add some light to his day, and when she didn’t show up, it was a good reminder to him not to depend on anyone.

  Besides, the months before she left for her mission work would speed by and then she’d be gone. It was best to face facts and start getting used to her being gone.

  “Are you okay?” Harold asked him as he was preparing to leave to pick Tyson up from school. “You seem a bit off today. Don’t get me wrong,” he hurried to reassure Paul. “No complaints about your work. It just looks like something’s bothering you.”

  “I think I’m just a little tired,” Paul said. “And run-down. I might be catching one of those colds going around.”

  “Or maybe you’re wondering where that pretty schoolteacher is today?”

  Paul looked at Harold, but there was nothing in the older man’s face but kindness and encouragement.

  Still, he wasn’t sure how he felt about his own expectations, let alone the opinions of others, no matter how well intentioned they might be. So, he simply said, “No, I’m just tired. If you need me back for anything, I can drop Ty off at Mildred’s and come back.”

  “Nope, I’m good. Go home, rest up.”

  Paul had developed the habit of waiting for Tyson right outside the classroom door. At first it was because he felt protective and never wanted his nephew to worry that he wouldn’t show up. He still felt that way, but now there was the added incentive of being able to chat with Charlotte. He loved hearing the way she spoke to the children that let them know she expected the best from them and was going to be patient until they reached that point.

  Today, however, still feeling as if things weren’t quite right, he lingered a bit farther down the hallway, making sure to keep an eye out in case Tyson didn’t spot him right away.

  The bell rang, and soon children started to stream out into the hallways, laughing and jostling one another despite the warnings from the teachers to be orderly. He spotted Rena and resisted the urge to ask her if she knew what Charlotte had done on her lunch break.

  Then he saw Tyson and waved so that he would see him. The little boy headed toward him without the usual spring in his steps. Apparently, it was an off day for everyone. Then, Paul was unpleasantly surprised to see a sullen-looking boy following a few steps behind Tyson.

  Michael.

  Well, that explains it, he thought grimly. Charlotte was avoiding him because she knew he would be upset that Michael was now in Tyson’s class and she hadn’t said a word to him about it.

  The logical part of him knew that Charlotte had no obligation to discuss her students with him, but he couldn’t help wishing that she felt their friendship had warranted her mentioning it.

  Chapter Eleven

  As they walked home together, Paul asked Tyson, “How was school?” He didn’t want to say anything about Michael, but he hoped Ty would raise the topic on his own.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “Anything new?” he prompted cautiously.

  Tyson shrugged. “What’s for supper?” he asked.

  “Burgers and a salad. You can toss the salad.”

  Paul waited but Tyson just said, “Okay,” and when their house was in sight, he ran ahead, causing his backpack to bounce up and down in time with his steps.

  He jumped and squirmed on the doorstep while Paul unlocked the house.

  �
�I haveta go to the bathroom,” he said and made a mad dash as soon as the door was open.

  “Really?” Paul said dryly. “I couldn’t tell.”

  Maybe he was reading too much into things, he mused while he got out ingredients for the salad and waited for Tyson to come into the kitchen. Maybe it was only the need for the bathroom that had caused his nephew to seem anxious.

  “Did you wash your hands?” he asked automatically when Tyson came back into the kitchen.

  “You always ask me that!” Tyson protested, but he held his hands up for inspection.

  “Good job, bud.” Paul pulled a stool over to the counter and lifted Tyson up, then ran a bit of water into the sink and got him busy rinsing off the lettuce. Then he opened the fridge and took out the plastic wrap–covered tray that held the hamburger patties he had made earlier. He put a pan on the stove on medium heat and placed the patties into the pan. As they began to sizzle, he tried one more time to see if Tyson would say anything about his new classmate.

  “So, how are the other kids at school? Lots of fun at recess?”

  “Me and Max can’t wait until it snows,” Tyson said. “We’re gonna see who can build the biggest snowman.”

  If Tyson was able to focus on his friends and not on one boy that he didn’t get along with, he could do the same.

  “Maybe Max could come over after supper,” he suggested. “If it’s okay with her parents. Then you could help me rake up some leaves and jump in the piles. What do you say?”

  “I say yes!” Tyson shouted enthusiastically. He resumed washing lettuce with added vigor, and Paul stopped him just in time from adding dish soap.

  Paul breathed a sigh of relief. The idea actually took care of two things: although the more pressing one was ensuring that Tyson stayed happy, the Hansens had been good enough to invite Tyson over to play with Max a number of times, sometimes when Paul had other things to do, and he wanted to make sure that he extended the hospitality in return.