Chapter Two

 

Mac left First Bank of Farthington with a weight lifted from his shoulders, albeit a temporary one. He paid the past due mortgage on his parents’ house, warding off all foreclosure proceedings.

He could kick himself for not seeing the problem sooner. If Mom hadn’t accidentally left the certified letter on the kitchen table, he might not have discovered their dire financial situation until too late. Thank You, God, for letting me see that document. No adult child wanted to know their parents had money problems, but it beat the alternative of not knowing, especially when he had the means to help.

Still, it wasn’t fair. His dad worked hard his entire life, right up to the time of his stroke. Mom, too. With all the kids out of the house, they should be enjoying this season of their life, not scrambling to make ends meet.

How did that even happen?

Kids. College tuition. Second mortgages. Weddings. Medical Bills.

Mountains of medical bills.

It’s a shame he couldn’t carry them on his insurance through the board of education as a way to return the sacrifices they’d made for him. Goodness knew they’d spent a small fortune on him over the years. A tonsillectomy when he was eight, a broken arm at ten, another broken arm at twelve, and a concussion at fifteen. That didn’t count all the doctor visits for normal childhood stomach bugs and colds, food to feed a growing boy, and extracurricular activities.

At least he’d earned a lacrosse scholarship to offset some of those costs. A smile crossed his lips. He’d had a blast at college, maybe too much of a good time. His days of partying lacked drunken nights and casual dating, but social activities took priority over his education. That was, until the end of his sophomore year when he nearly failed a class and lost his scholarship. After reality hit, he’d buckled down and finished his last two years on the Dean’s List.

He started his truck, but his phone lit up before he put it into gear. If the light hadn’t caught his gaze, he’d have missed the call. He’d have to remember to turn the volume up after he took the call from his youngest sister. “Hi, Tam.”

“You sound happy and chipper. Does that mean good news?” Tamera paused for an answer after not giving a greeting.

He didn’t blame her—he’d been on pins and needles waiting for confirmation from the bank officer. “The house is in the clear. Payments are current.”

“You are the best brother ever. Thank you.” The relief in her voice regressed to concern. “For how long though?”

“I’ll stay here until Mom and Dad get back on their feet. If I’m not paying rent on my own place, I can afford the payments.”

“I wish we could help, but…”

It may have been due to a bad connection, but Mac thought he heard her sniffle. “It’s okay, Sis. You have your own set of problems going on.”

“Why does life have to be so hard?” Her hiccups and raspy breaths made her crying obvious.

His chest constricted. He wanted to help his baby sister and brother-in-law, but they stubbornly refused any financial assistance. “I’ve been praying John will find a job soon.”

“Thanks.” She blew her nose. “One of the men at church gave him some hours helping with a landscape company. It’s putting food on the table and keeping the power on but not much else.”

“Let me help. If not for you and John, at least let me do it for Mercy.”

“You’ve done enough. I appreciate the diapers you sent.”

He forced a straight face as though Tamera would be able to see him through the phone. “I didn’t do anything.”

A weak laugh trickled from Tamera. “The receipt had your billing information on it. At least Faith didn’t try to hide her help.”

“Oh.” Next time, he’d make sure the gift was sent anonymously, but he was glad his other sister had stepped in to help as well, even though she lived halfway across the country.

Her voice dropped an octave. “Thank you. It meant a lot to me.”

“How’s my favorite niece?” He changed the subject, sensing her tears were about to start again. “Did she take those first steps?”

“Not yet, but she’s trying.”

“I miss my Mercy girl. Tell her Uncle Mac loves her.”

“Why don’t you come over tomorrow afternoon and tell her yourself?”

He did a mental check of his calendar and couldn’t think of any plans. “I might. Mom is taking Dad for a rare trip to a friend’s house after church.”

“Really?” Her astonishment echoed over the line.

“It surprised me, too, but I’m glad. Getting out and socializing will help Dad.” He paused, deliberating if he should continue. “I only hope he behaves.”

“He will. I’ll say a prayer. Do you know if Mom’s home? I need to ask her something.”

“Should be.” He caught a glimpse of the time on the dash clock. “I’ll let you go call her. I told Phoebe I’d stop by at noon to change her oil.”

“Oh?”

He didn’t need to see her to know her eyes sparkled with her own ideas of romance, but he quickly dispelled them. “Sorry to break it to you yet again, but Phoebe and I are friends. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Under her fake cough was a word that sounded suspiciously like liar. “Whatever you say.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He ended the call, shaking his head and laughing.

His entire family was convinced he’d marry Phoebe one day. He took their teasing in stride since they kept it a family joke. Fortunately, they never made their comments in front of Phoebe—he didn’t want her embarrassed buy their crazy notions.

Not that dating Phoebe would be crazy. When he did meet someone and fall in love, he could only hope it was a woman like Phoebe. Down-to-earth, family oriented, intelligent, funny, and devoted to God. Beautiful with or without makeup. Any man would be blessed to have her as a wife.

Why not you?

Why not him? He’d asked himself that question many times, but they had a good thing going with their friendship. She’d never shown a romantic interest in him, so why complicate matters by suggesting more?

He drove home to Jasper Lake, realized he’d forgotten his tools, swung by the house to pick them up then drove to Phoebe’s. When he pulled into her driveway, he squelched his envy. The cabin she rented was everything he wanted in a house from the surrounding pines to the exposed beams to the wall-length windows. He’d been saving for a down payment, but his parents’ struggles dipped into that, a fact he didn’t begrudge.

Still, he couldn’t tamp down the longing for his own home. The duplex he’d rented outside of town was nice, but he wanted more than a single bedroom and eat-in kitchen that also served as a living room as well. He wanted a home where he could start a family and watch them grow. A wry smile curved his mouth. Maybe he should find a wife first and stop jumping ahead of himself.

A movement caught his attention. He glanced up and saw Phoebe walking toward his truck with a confused expression.

“Everything okay?” she said when she reached his door. “I saw you pull up several minutes ago.”

He inwardly cringed, not realizing he’d been sitting that long. “I was admiring the landscape.”

Her gaze swept over the property. “If not for my discount from work, I’d never be able to afford it, but I love this place. It’s why I can’t quit.”

“Are you thinking about it?”

She chuckled. “No, I love my job, but just saying.”

“It’s a nice benefit.” He slid out of the driver’s seat and stood to his feet. “Where’s the oil?”

“I set it behind my trunk.” She pointed in that direction. “Do you want to eat first? I made a pot of chicken noodle soup.”

The mention of soup brought awareness of the air’s chill. “That sounds great.”

“I have a fresh loaf of French bread to go with it.”

“You made it?”

Her hearty laugh said it all. “I stopped by the boardinghouse this morning to see Hunter, but forgot he had a speaking engagement this weekend.”

“How’s he doing?” He’d always liked Phoebe’s only brother but wished Hunter had made better life choices for the sake of his parents and siblings.

“Amazing.” She shot a contented grin before walking toward the front door.

Walking beside her, he shortened his strides. “Who is he speaking to this week?”

“A crowd of teens at a youth rally Elijah organized.”

“The one advertised in church?”

She pushed open the door and answered over her shoulder. “Yes. Eli and Trixie took a group of thirty teens from our church, and they’re expecting over five hundred to attend from across the state.”

“That’s incredible.” He followed her inside and closed the door behind him.

“Hunter’s nervous. It’s the largest crowd he’s spoken to yet, but they need to hear his message. Especially with homecoming at school next week.”

A shudder coursed through him. “It scares me when I hear students talk casually about their weekend parties. Sometimes I think I’m just old, but then I remember my high school years and see a huge difference between our generations.”

She nudged him in his ribs. “You’re twenty-eight, not exactly an ancient relic.”

“Might as well be for how well I relate to my students.”

“Whatever.” She strolled to the stove. “You’re the cool teacher.”

His own laugh caught him by surprise, causing him to choke on it. “Says who?”

“Trixie and Elijah have mentioned several times that the youth group admires you and your name comes up often in a good way when they talk about school.”

He crossed his arms, letting the compliment sink in. “Interesting.”

“You sound so doubtful. Even if I hadn’t heard it from my sister, I could see last night at the auction how much the students respect you.” She lifted the lid from a pot and dipped a ladle into the soup.

“Maybe they actually do listen behind those blank stares I get during class.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You listen to them and care about them. That goes a long way with teens.” She stirred the soup then lifted the ladle for a sniff. “Perfect.”

“Being a teen is hard. Sometimes they need a break and a moment of grace.” He drew in a long breath, letting the savory aroma tickle his nostrils with pleasure. “If a student forgets their homework, I’m not going to berate them. If they fail a test, I’ll work with them until they understand the material. If they need to talk about home life, then I’ll listen.”

“That’s what makes you different. Being a teacher is your calling, not a job.” Several drops of broth splashed over the bowl’s edge when she transferred the soup from ladle to dish.

He reached for a dishrag by the sink and handed it to her. “Speaking of jobs, are you ready for the big movie star arrival?”

“Yes and no.” She handed him the bowl then dipped the ladle into the pot again. “The movie will bring a tremendous boost to the town’s economy, but with it, chaos as well.”

“It might not be as bad as you think.” His statement fell flat to his own ears. He’d heard little else the last few days since the rumors had started to fly.

“The media frenzy has already started.” Carrying her bowl to the table, she grimaced. “I had three calls from the press while I was in my office for three short hours this morning. Paula at the front desk said she’d been fielding calls for two days.”

“To be honest, I’m surprised the secret lasted this long.” He sat catty-corner from her and reached for the spoon before realizing it was missing.

“Oops. I knew I forgot something. The crackers, too.” Phoebe jumped, pulled two spoons from a drawer, and reached into a cabinet. “I think the non-disclosure agreements helped keep the silence. Few businesses would risk the income over spilling the beans.”

He took a tall stack of saltines and crumbled them over his soup bowl. “Do you find it odd they’re pairing a debut actor with the likes of Deena Frasier?”

Tilting her head forward, she blew on a spoonful of soup. “A little, but what do I know.”

“I wonder if Deena’s at all like the press has made her out to be?”

Phoebe’s eyes clouded, and she scowled. “Are you going gaga for her too?”

“No, I was just curious.” He didn’t understand her negative reaction, but he wouldn’t pretend to know the mind of a woman.

“The truth probably lies in the middle. No one can be as perfect as the media once made her out to be, but I doubt she flipped a switch one night and became the monster they currently make her out to be.”

“True.” Sensing a sore subject, he immersed himself in eating his lunch.

Every time he glanced up, he caught Phoebe starting at him with an unreadable expression on her face. Something didn’t sit right in his gut, but he couldn’t place what it was.