Chapter 3
The next morning, everything went as Sarah expected. No one said a damn thing to Tobias, and she was grateful. She knew her son was kicking himself for missing Bridget’s funeral, and he needed space to come to terms with his wife’s unforeseen death and instant single-fatherhood. However, when she watched as Tobias left early in the morning, whistling without saying a single word to anyone, she started to second guess her decision.
The doorbell rang, and Sarah kept her worry to herself. Though when Amelia walked in rolling her eyes and gently shaking her head no, Sarah wondered how much worse it could get.
The woman walking behind Amelia was a twenty-something medically altered plastic figure with the biggest set of silicone boobs any of them had ever seen, but it was her less than flattering attire that raised the eyebrows of the Shenandoah women. The low-cut tank with daisy duke shorts emphasized all her unnatural, medically assisted attributes. They were literally looking at a life-size Barbie Doll.
It didn’t take long for the Shenandoah women to understand that not only did this woman have her body drastically altered but apparently the woman inhaled too much anesthesia. She was literally the stupidest woman on the planet and it took her no time to make intentions clear. Considering she kept looking around the spacious living room, the Shenandoah women could clearly see her salivating over some of the priceless antiques. She was only there for…money and social prestige.
“And how long have you been a nanny?” Annalise asked because the others were desperately trying to control their urge to throw the gold digging tramp out on her fake ass.
“Oh, not long. I heard through my friend Clara, she is the daughter of movie producer Mathias Tonnage. You know the one who just produced the multimillion dollar movie, the Herring. Anyway, Clara told me, that she was at this bash last weekend where she met Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum. Well, she heard from someone she couldn’t remember that Tobias’s wife got killed or something and that he was all alone now, grieving. I am really good with grieving men. Anyway, she told me that he needed someone.”
“Ah.” Annalise said smiled sweetly, “Just so we are clear, you are here because?”
“Oh, to find out if Tobias and I get along. Is he going to be here for the interview? I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Thank you for coming by, we will let you know,” Sarah said quickly getting to her feet. She wanted this person out of her sight before any of her unattached sons set their eyes on her.
“Well, just let me know, okay. I have a party to go to tonight and I have to get ready.” The tramp said as she was ushered out the door.
Sarah returned to the living room with her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “This is not a good start. When is the next applicant going to arrive?”
“The next one should be here at ten.” Amelia said getting to her feet, “I need a drink.”
“Make that two,” Sarah replied.
Arriving promptly at ten in the morning stood Ms. Agatha Winfred, with her spiked jet-black hair, silver chains, tattoos and pale face that made the evil queen from Snow White look like a freaking Girl Scout. Her interview only lasted five minutes, because when she said that children should be seen, not heard and she intended to raise Elizabeth with a firm grip on reality, and never let her forget that her mother died to bring her into this world, it took all the Shenandoah women plus Thomas to hold Amelia back from beating the hell out of this woman.
“I guess she won’t be getting the job,” Jackson said from the hallway drinking a beer.
“Shut up Jackson and give me that.” Amelia said taking the beer from him, “You’re supposed to be watching the kids.”
“I was until Pop and Taylor decided they needed ice-cream. I thought babies weren’t allowed to eat Ice-cream.”
“Oh my God… I am going to kill him!” Sarah said leaving the room hurriedly with Annalise and Gabriella in tow.
As the day weighed on, the Shenandoah women interviewed every degenerate, socialite, gold-digger, and nuisance in the surrounding area. The day was a total bust. None of the women they interviewed was a fit.
As the last person left, the ladies stretched and sighed.
“This isn’t working,” Gabriella said rubbing her back.
“There has to be a better way of doing this. At this rate by the time we find someone suitable, Elizabeth is going to be eighteen.” Amelia advised.
“Why not just take her back to Tennessee with us?” Annalise suggested hopefully once again.
“Sweetheart, Tobias needs to take responsibility for Elizabeth. Taking her with us absolves him from everything. That’s what he wants.” Truman said walking into the room sitting next to his future wife.
“But we can’t just leave her here with him. He doesn’t even acknowledge her. And when he does, all he does is lose his temper and walks away. How is that healthy for Beth?” she questioned.
“It’s not, but jackass needs to stop thinking he is the only one in his life. Beth stays here with her father.” Truman advised.
“Well, I don’t like it.” Annalise huffed.
“Like it or not, we all agreed to find Elizabeth a nanny. So, put your thinking caps on, because we leave in two days.” Thomas said to the room.
“Why not order one from one from a company?” Taylor suggested.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Timothy asked confused.
“You know, like ordering takeout…I read that there are these companies that you call and order a nanny by telling them what you’re looking for. Well, they have this big database, and they find someone to fit your needs.”
“What kind of magazines are you reading, dumb ass? There is no such thing.” Timothy laughed.
“Actually, there is. Theo and I used a service while we lived in Denver after the twins were born. But the problem with those is the girls are generally foreign-born and can barely speak English. It took me almost eight months to get the boys to stop speaking Cambodian.” Gabriella said leaning against her husband.
“Well, I still think we need to take Tobias out back and beat the shit out of him. I have never seen a more nonexistent father in my life. He just goes on about his business as if the child wasn’t even there. What kind of father does that?” T.H. Shenandoah mouthed off putting his two cents in. When the whole room looked questioningly at him, he sighed, “Sorry, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”
“You do that, Pop and you might make it back to Montana in one piece,” Jackson said walking in eating a sandwich.
“Jackson, you’re supposed to be watching the kids. What are you doing in here and where did you get that sandwich?” Amelia asked getting to her feet.
“Uh, the nanny made it. It’s really good too.” He said sitting next to Timothy.
“What nanny?” Gabriella asked sitting up concerned.
“The nanny in the backyard, she is feeding the kids. She brought sandwiches for everyone. Go help yourself.” He said taking a bite.
Everyone around him stood and started talking all at once.
“You left your nieces and nephews with a stranger, are you crazy?” Sarah shouted.
“Boy, where is your head?” Amelia said angrily.
“Andrew doesn’t like strangers.” Annalise said worried, moving quickly with the others to get the kids.
“Boy, you stepped in it this time. Those women are gonna skin you alive.” His father said taking the other half of his sandwich taking a bite, “Damn, this is good. You said there was more?” he asked.
“Yep, she brought a whole bunch.”
They all converged in the backyard and stopped in their tracks. There sitting on a blanket with, the children was a young woman, with curly golden blonde hair, that fell down her back. Dressed in a simple floral summer dress, she sat with the children as they all laughed and ate. Giggling, Abby and Savannah played nicely with their nephews, Garret and Henry, while Andrew sat quietly next to the woman holding Elizabeth.
There was no fighting, no yelling, and no screaming. All the kids were eating and enjoying themselves in the warm afternoon sun.
The woman in question was telling them a story and they were captivated by her. Her soft voice was soothing as she held their attention.
She saw them before she finished and smiled, waving them all over. “Did you know that rabbits like licorice?” she asked the kids as the adults walked over. “Please, come join us. The children and I are enjoying lunch alfresco. I brought plenty, please find a seat.” She smiled.
She watched as all of them, as they all sat down. She handed them all a paper plate, and when they all had their plates full, she noticed that they all were staring at her.
“Okay children. Your parents have arrived. Now before we can all eat, we must do something. Remember what I showed you?”
She watched as the older ones nodded and soon bowed their heads.
“You may go ahead, Abby.” She whispered as she too bowed her head as Abigail said a small prayer over the meal they were about to eat. She wasn’t surprised when the adults quickly followed, and she smiled when at the end they all said ‘Amen’.
As she helped the children get settled with their food, she spoke, “My name is Grace Thomas. I know you must be concerned about some stranger with your children, but when I arrived, I heard all the yelling and screaming from the backyard. I figured everyone was out back. When I saw that the children were unattended, I thought it best that I stay back here with them, untill an adult arrived.”
“Their uncle was supposed to be watching them,” Amelia said looking at Jackson.
“Did you know that an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain?”
“Excuse me?” Amelia asked confused.
“Oh, I meant no disrespect. I was just trying to say that generally, some men don’t mind looking after children, but their brains are incapable of handling more than one thing at a time.”
Grace smiled when all the women immediately laughed and nodded their heads in agreement. “I am sure the young gentleman is wonderful with the children, he just seemed overwhelmed.”
“She called me a gentleman.” Jackson said bashfully, but quickly shut his mouth when Thomas smacked him upside the head, “You're about to be a dead one too.”
“You said your last name is Thomas, how interesting,” Gabriella asked intrigued.
“Please Gabby, not now.” Theo sighed.
“What? It’s too big to be a coincidence.” She smiled.
“All right, I am starting to agree with Gabby, this is getting freaky,” Timothy said cautiously taking a bite.
“I guess I should tell you a little about myself. I am twenty-six years old from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in child psychology. I am the oldest of three children. My father is a preacher at the First Assembly of God, in Tulsa and my mother is active in the church and community.” She began, and stopped when Andrew began to fidget, “It’s alright Andrew.” She soothed him, running her hands over his arm, “You don’t have to eat it.” She smiled.
“He doesn’t like to be touched.” Truman and Annalise said in unison.
Grace smiled, “Did you know that Autistic children crave the same stimulation as other children. They just need a different approach. Isn’t that right Andrew?” she said as she slowly raked her trimmed nails softly down his arm. She watched as the stimulation eased his tension and wasn’t surprised when he offered her his other arm.
“How did you do that?” Truman asked.
“Children are children Mr. Shenandoah, regardless of impairment. Andrew is just like any other kid. He wants to be accepted. Though his surroundings inhibit him sometimes, it is ultimately up to him to overcome those inadequacies.” She informed him softly, “You see, my brother James is Autistic. I grew up teaching and learning from him. Today, he is a construction worker for our Grandfather and this fall he is marrying his high school sweetheart. So, you see, Andrew can do many things, he just has to adapt to society because society will not make allowances for him…Oh, I almost forgot, I have a letter for Amelia Shenandoah.” Grace informed the adults as she reached into her basket producing a white envelope.
She smiled when a woman with long auburn hair, wearing jeans and a plaid purple shirt reached for it saying, “I’m Amelia.”
“Nice to meet you, this is for you.”
Everyone watched as Amelia opened the letter and began to read,
Dear Shenandoah Family,
If you are reading this, then my worst fear has happened. I am so sorry to dump all of this on you and the family, but I literally had no choice.
A couple of months back, I found out that my pregnancy was in trouble. I was told by more than one doctor to abort, but I couldn’t do it. I knew what it was going to cost me, but I had to take the chance, that just maybe, all my wishes would be answered. I pray that my daughter is healthy and loved. If she is, then it was all worth it.
I know what a hardship this must be for all of you, and for that, I am truly sorry. I never did understand the dynamic that made up the Shenandoah family, but I do understand love. I am hoping that the love you brothers feel for each other is strong enough to help Tobias threw this because we all know, he does not handle stress very well.
As for my daughter, I have sent help. My cousin, Grace. She is a sweet, loving, caring person, so unlike me, but I trust her to watch over and raise my daughter. I am sure Tobias is capable, but that man is too selfish to even consider raising a newborn. Also, I am sure all of you are eager to get back to your own familiesunless you are all camped out in my house…you are, aren’t you?
Anyway, Grace Thomas is the daughter of my mother’s sister. She basically never left the farm, if you pardon the pun. Raised as the daughter of a small-town preacher, Grace has been sheltered and raised to be a loving, devoted housewife. She is smart, funny and little shy. Other than her “Did you know?” quirk, she is the opposite of me…and I believe a perfect fit for the Shenandoah’s.
Yes, Gabriella, I know the significance, so please close your mouth. You were right about the familiarity of names within this family. I knew early on that I wasn’t a good fit, and I want to thank every one of you for at least making me feel welcome. But Gabriella’s right and when I had to start making plans, Grace immediately came to my mind. Of course, imagine my surprise when I really thought of her last name, Thomas! Wow…so, If Gabriella and I are correct, then everything will work out in the end.
As for my beautiful little girl, please tell her about me. Let her know that her mother loved her so much and only wanted her to live. Tell her that I fought for her and did everything I could to ensure that she was born healthy, happy and loved.
I am going to miss you Shenandoah’s and yes, even Tobias.
Bridget Pearson
“Oh, that little sneak, I had a feeling she was up to something, always trying to fix everything. That was Bridget.” Grace smiled then took a bite of her apple.
“What are we going to do with this? We can’t show Tobias. He’ll flip.” Gabriella asked, looking at the letter.
“If you require my input, I say show him. He is probably a lot stronger than he lets on. He is just angry right now and confused.” Grace offered, and then closed her mouth when all eyes turned to her. She never did like being put on display, and the way they were all looking at her made her feel as if she overstepped some imaginary boundary. “Sorry, it’s not my place to speak.”
“No, it’s fine,” Sarah said, smiling sweetly at her. “My son is difficult at times and you are right. I too, believe he is scared.”
“Scared?” Thomas rebuked. “Mom, Tobias is the least scared of all of us. That man isn’t afraid of anything. You do remember what he did to get Truman back, right?”
“Yes Thomas, I remember, and it was very brave of Tobias to do that. However, what you all fail to understand is that Tobias may seem strong on the outside, but on the inside, he is scared. He’s scared to be a single father and raising that baby girl all on his own. Since he was eighteen, all Tobias ever had to worry about was himself. Now, it’s not just him anymore. He is going to have to learn to share his life with his daughter and he doesn’t know how. As a first-time parent it’s scary enough when you have a partner, but when you’re alone everything seems multiplied. Tobias needs to learn that he can do what needs to be done.”
“Sarah honey, that boy is the most shellfish brat we have. You can’t mean what you just said.” T.H. Shenandoah stated.
“You of all people should understand T.H... Tobias is just like you. You two are more alike than all our sons combined. Why you panicked and had your own mother come to take care of Truman and Thomas for one day, while I went to visit my sister. I was gone for one-day T.H., and you panicked.”
“I did not panic. I had things I had to do.”
“You had to take care of our sons, but you panicked and flew your mother out.”
“I had a ranch to run.”
“And, Tobias has a company to run.”
Grace quietly listened as Mr. and Mrs. Shenandoah talked about the merits of being a loving and present father. Though she didn’t think it was right to air their laundry in front of a stranger, yet Bridget did tell her that the Shenandoah family was odd and outspoken.
Grace was sad that she lost her cousin and she was going to miss her dearly. She would have been at the funeral if she didn’t have to pack everything and fly from Oklahoma to California. But she made it and Grace was sure Bridget wouldn’t mind knowing that she had given up her life in Oklahoma to come raise her second-cousin.
She wasn’t shocked when she received the letter from Bridget’s attorney asking her to raise her daughter. Bridget was never the motherly type, and the whole family knew that Bridget’s mother would never agree to raise her granddaughter. Mrs. Pearson was not about to give up her status and Golf Club membership to raise another child. Of course, Grace’s parents would have loved to raise the little girl, but taking care of James and the church’s needs took a lot out of them. So that left Grace.
Her parents weren’t too happy about her moving to California, considering they believed it was the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. But, Grace reminded them that it was Bridget’s last dying wish, and according to God, if she could help then God would expect her too. Her father tried to argue but her mother gently said, “It’s God’s will, Samuel. Grace has been called and she must respond.” With that, the argument was over, and Grace was now sitting on a blanket with her littlest cousin in her arms.
Elizabeth was a sweet little thing and she did look a lot like her momma. Grace couldn’t help but notice the stubborn set of her chin, so much like Bridget, even down to the little blonde curls on her head. Elizabeth was going to grow into a beautiful young lady one day and Grace was excited to watch it all happen. However, there was the elusive Tobias Shenandoah, whom she hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. Bridget told her in several letters what kind of husband Tobias turned out to be, and now a widowed man, and apparently, his own family concurred. Yet, armed with all the knowledge, Grace got the feeling that Tobias was much more than he let on. It was more than a gut feeling, but then only time would tell.
Now if she could just get the Shenandoah Family to stop bickering and leave her too it.
Tobias was tired when he came home. He knew he stayed longer at the office than needed, but his family was still ensconced in his home. When he left in the morning for work, they were still giving him the silent treatment. Well, all except for his mom.
He entered his home and froze.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Never in all his days had he ever known the Shenandoah Family to be silent as the night. Yet, looking around, he couldn’t find anyone, let alone hear any of them. Making his way into the kitchen, he stopped when he spotted a pretty blonde at the stove singing quietly to herself as she stirred a boiling pot before her.
What kind of seventh hell is this? Tobias thought to himself. Not that he was complaining. The woman was stunning. Great figure, tiny waist, firm bouncy ass, and legs. Holy crap did the woman have some shapely legs. He wondered where she came from when it hit him.
His brothers.
Those idiots were trying to mess with his head with a woman who looked like Bridget. This was their payback for missing Bridget’s funeral. If they thought this woman was going to be able to make him feel any worse, they were in for a shocker!
Pissed, Tobias walked up right behind the woman and asked gruffly, “Who the hell are you?” That was when he should have rethought his approach because the young woman screamed, jumped and spun around so frantically, she spilled the contents of the pot all over him.
“Son of a Bitch!”
“Oh dear,” she whispered grabbing a towel and quickly tried to clean up the mess currently running down his scorching leg. “Look what you made me do.”
“I made you do!” Tobias shouted. “I repeat. Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Grace Thomas,” she responded as she knelt before him, trying to get the hot liquid off his pants. “I’m Bridget’s first cousin on her momma’s side. We grew up together in Oklahoma. You must be Tobias Garret Shenandoah, Elizabeth’s father. I am your daughter’s second-cousin by marriage on her momma’s side and her Nanny. I came as soon as I could. I would have been here sooner, but my plane was delayed in Houston. Then I got rerouted to Cincinnati. From there, I flew to Denver, where the plane hit a bird and I was forced to stay the night. That’s why I missed the funeral. I caught a morning flight to Los Angeles, but I had to wait for a flight to San Francisco. But I am here now, as God willed it.”
“Excuse me?”
“For what?”
Tobias had never been more confused in his entire life. He only caught half of what she said, tuning out what didn’t make any sense. Yet, it was her face that kept him captivated. When she talked, her soft green eyes sparkled with delight. He voice was soft, almost angelic like. He could listen to that voice forever and never tire when he remembered she asked him something.
“Huh?” He asked a little dazed and confused. “Stop what you’re doing and stand up. I can’t think straight with you kneeling before me like that. It gives a man ideas, when he doesn’t want them.”
Doing as he instructed, she stood up and said, “You said excuse me? Do you need to go somewhere?”
“No”
“Then why do I need to excuse you?”
Now he was really confused. Rubbing the back of his neck, he took a deep breath, got back on track and asked again, “Who hired you?”
“Bridget.”
Okay. Now he needed a drink because he could have sworn the beautiful woman standing in his kitchen just said that his dead wife hired her but for what?
“Where’s my family?”
“They went to the movies. I didn’t think it appropriate for a newborn to go out into public yet, so they took the older kids and are planning to get something to eat afterward. I was making you something to eat before you scared me and made me dump it all over you. Would you like me to make you something else? I can cook anything, you like.”
“I don’t like strangers in my home.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’re related. In the eyes of the Lord, we are family.”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you sure you don’t need to go somewhere? We can talk later.”
“What, no,” Tobias said closing his eyes in frustration. Before she could say another word, he simply asked, “What is your name?”
It was a simple question. One anyone could answer without explanation, or so he thought.
“I’m Grace Thomas. Bridget’s first cousin on her momma’s side. We grew up together in Oklahoma...”
Tobias held up his hand, cutting her off. He did not want to hear her long explanation again. As it was, he was getting a migraine just standing in the same room with her.
“Your name is Grace Thomas.”
“I said that already.”
“Bridget’s cousin from Oklahoma.”
“Have you been drinking? Drinking around a newborn isn’t conducive to raising a child. You could inadvertently give your daughter liquor instead of milk, making her as intoxicated as you. Did you know that with a newborn, one little sip can cause dramatic harm? I’ve studied instances in foreign countries where they actually give alcohol to children under the age of two, and it has dire consequences.”
“Please stop talking!” Tobias shouted too loudly causing his head to pound louder and as if God himself wasn’t done taking his pound of flesh, and to make matters worse, his family chose at that exact moment to walk in the back door.
Chapter 4
Grace woke the next morning rested and eager to start her day. Smiling, she turned over at noticed the time. Jumping out of bed, she quickly showered and dressed for the day. Today was the day that the Shenandoah family would be leaving, allowing her to carry out her mission. She was grateful for all the insight and support she had already been given and welcomed the advice of everyone regarding Tobias. Though she didn’t need it, she was gracious and listened attentively anyway.
However, last night almost tried her patience. It was awful. When the family returned unexpectedly, it was at that moment Tobias shouted at her. What happened next was just all-out war between the family. Instead of trying to defend himself, she noticed Tobias smiled and made jokes as if nothing was wrong. She felt awful for the man. He was hurting, and his family didn’t care. Grace was going to intervene when she remembered one of the letters Bridget sent her a letter stating that it was normal for the Shenandoah family to gang up on one another, and generally the recipient loved it. Yet, watching Tobias, she wasn’t so sure.
She knew the Shenandoah family were only trying to help and she appreciated that, but she believed they could have gone about it a different way. They were an odd family, prone to speaking their minds without fear of hurting anyone. They were crass and used a lot of foul language. So much so, her nightly prayers lasted a bit longer than she wanted, because she found herself praying for every one of the family members. They were a strong-willed bunch and she prayed their strength would help Tobias see what needed to be done.
The only thing that worried her was her herself.
She wasn’t sure that Bridget made the right decision by asking her to move to California. Within the first second of meeting Tobias, her heart skipped a beat then she had problems calming herself down. He was truly a handsome man. His anger was justified in her eyes, just recently losing his wife, then to come home and find a stranger in his kitchen. Yet, she felt extremely protective when his family started in on him last night. All she wanted to do was comfort him and tell the family to please leave him alone. He wasn’t a child anymore and that his feelings were acceptable. Instead, she stood quietly off to the side and said nothing, feeling like a big coward.
When all was said and done, Tobias left angry and the family retreated to their rooms, still upset and speaking loudly to anyone who could hear about how inconsiderate Tobias was. However, Grace wondered how lucky they were to have Tobias. He had lost so much, welcomed them into his home, provided food for them all while grieving for his beloved wife.
Well, his family may not understand, but Grace did, and she was going to make sure Tobias had everything he needed. She was going to be the best nanny for Elizabeth, the best housekeeper, cook, and friend Tobias could ever ask for. If he wanted something, she was going to do it, because that was what she promised Bridget. And Grace had never broken a promise yet.
Making her way quietly down the hall, she entered the nursery to find Elizabeth stirring. Smiling, she picked up the little infant and gave her a good morning kiss. “Hello, ladybug. Did you sleep well?”
Taking her over to the changing table, she quickly removed the soiled diaper, put on a clean one, changed her clothes and together they headed downstairs to start their day.
Grace was deep into breakfast when she heard members of the Shenandoah family mumbling as they made their way downstairs. Looking at everything before her, she was pleased with her progress and turned to look at the sleeping baby, nestled in a small swing.
“I’m just saying he should apologize,” Grace heard Amelia say as she walked into the kitchen wearing a robe, yawning.
“He isn’t going to. Give it up sweetheart.” Thomas replied. “I’ll make the coffee. You sit down and relax.” But the moment Thomas made it over to the coffee pot, he found the machine full of the hot brew, with several cups lined up and waiting.
“I thought you’d want coffee first,” Grace replied happily greeting them. “I hope you’re hungry? I will have breakfast done in about ten minutes, which will give the rest of the family time to get up and come downstairs.”
Grace didn’t move when Thomas looked at the clock on the far wall, then at her, then at the clock again. Nor when Amelia glanced at her watch. “I know, I’m running a bit late, but I couldn’t find any eggs, so Ladybug and I had to run to the store.”
“It’s five o’clock in the morning?” Thomas stated.
“Yes, and I am already behind schedule.”
“You went to the store at five in the morning?” Amelia asked.
“Well, it was a bit earlier than that. Did you know that there aren’t many stores open at four in the morning? I don’t know how people here in California get things done. They waste most of the day away sleeping. I had to drive all over to find one, where I met this wonderful Armenian woman, who was happy to help me.”
“It’s five in the morning,” Thomas asked again.
“Yes,” Grace simply replied. “Did you know that dark roasted coffee beans contain less caffeine than medium roasted ones. The longer a coffee is roasted the more caffeine is burned off. Maybe I should brew another pot.”
“You went to the store, cooked breakfast and made coffee all before five am?” Amelia asked again.
“Yes,” Grace said again, wondering if there was some mental defect with the Shenandoah Family. They all seemed to ask the same questions repeatedly, even after she had given them clear responses. Ignoring her thoughts, she did what her momma told her to do. When serving any meal Grace, do it with a smile, regardless of the company. To be a good hostess is to understand that all people are not the same, each with different morals and thoughts. As a hostess, it’s your job to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Its compassion for your neighborly brother and sisters in the eyes of God Grace, so always be kind and they will be kind to you.
Grace had only been gone for two days now and she really was missing her momma. Her mom would know how to handle the Shenandoah Family. Her momma was smart, articulate, kind and well versed in everything. God, she wished her mom was here.
Sighing, she knew that wasn’t possible, so she took a deep breath, smiled, then asked, “What would you like for breakfast? I made everything.”
An hour later, all the Shenandoah family were sitting around the table eating, laughing and have a wonderful time. All except Tobias, who apparently preferred to sleep in on Sunday’s, since it was his only day he could rest. Well, that was what his brothers told her. When she offered to go wake him up, they all shouted ‘No’ at her as if she would be waking a rabid bear or something.
So instead, she sat at the table and watched the Family. It was refreshing in a way to see so many people in one family. Growing up it was just her brother and her parents. Just the four of them, and it was quiet, controlled and happy. There was no outburst of energy, no shouting, no tantrums, no threats of bodily harm, just peace and the tranquility of the Lord.
She loved her home, her parents and her brother. She loved the way she was raised and the life she had growing up. Yet watching the Shenandoah Family interact with each other, she was amazed that with so many people talking at once, they could hear what each other said. And they were a compassionate bunch. Within the last hour, she watched more than once as Thomas, Theodore, and Truman kissed, hugged and doted on their wives. The children were taken care of attentively and lovingly. They all worked together as one cohesive unit enjoying each other’s company. Yet it was the laughter, the joyful noise of genuine laughter that emanated from all of them. They truly were a loving family who cared for one another.
Grace had learned in college that bigger families sometimes missed the closeness of a smaller family, causing regret and discord between siblings. However, that seemed to be the opposite of the Shenandoah Family. They may yell, threaten and harm each other, but they were loving, understanding and kind to one another.
“Grace, awesome meal,” Taylor said getting up. “You ever get tired of jackass’s crap, come see me in Flordia. I could use a good chef like you.”
“I agree,” Amelia added. “Wonderful breakfast. Thank you, Grace. Don’t let Tobias change one thing about you. If he does, he will have me to deal with.”
“Are we sure leaving today is the best thing?” Annalise asked. “I mean, I know Grace has everything handled and she is wonderful with the baby, but we’re talking about Tobias here. Can we leave honestly her to deal with him?”
“It’s kind of like leaving David with Goliath, isn’t it,” Jackson said, putting his plate in the dishwasher. “I wouldn’t leave a puppy with Tobias. It would starve.”
Grace didn’t know how to respond. Yet, when Gabriella smiled at her, and said, “I think Grace is going to work out magnificently. She is smart, delightful, caring and funny. I think she is perfect and she is just what Tobias needs.” Grace blushed and was thankful for the wonderful compliment.
“I agree with Gabby,” Timothy said. “I know I made fun of Gabby with all this last name crap, but I think she is on to something. Let’s just see how this all plays out. Besides, if Gabby’s right…”
“I’ll never hear the end of it,” Theodore muttered to loudly, and the whole family laughed.
“Well folks, we need to finish packing. Our flight leaves in two hours,” Truman stated, taking his plate to the sink.
“The plane will leave when I say,” T.H. Shenandoah said firmly. “I own the damn plane.”
“No, I own it,” Sarah Shenandoah, his wife corrected. “I let you use it.”
“Correct, as usual, my love,” T.H. said kissing the top of his wife’s head. “Never let it be said, that I can’t be agreeable when it counts.”
“Whatever,” Thomas said snarkily.
“Please,” Theodore replied sarcastically.
“I think I just had a stroke,” Timothy deadpanned.
“Pop, you might want to leave now, you are stepping in crap again,” Jackson added.
“Grace, ignore the boys. They have no manners. The girls and I will stay and help you clean up. Thomas, make sure our girls are packed and don’t forget to call the ranch and let them know that we will be home today, and check on Jezebel. She should be getting ready to foal anytime now.”
“Oh, please do. I can’t miss it,” Gabriella said excitedly. “I can’t wait to see her baby.”
Over the next hour, the house was a flurry of activity as bags upon bags of luggage were piled at the front door. The children were running around, playing and getting into everything they could. The brothers were fighting and bickering among themselves. The women were giving orders and through it all, Tobias slept.
Grace wondered if he would be upset, not spending the few remaining minutes he had left with them before his family departed. When she mentioned it to Amelia, she was told to let him sleep, that they could get more done without his interference.
Though Grace agreed, she felt awful for him. Because she was sure that not getting the chance to thank his family for their help, would weigh down on him, causing him more grief. Yet, before she could do anything about it, the family was hugging and kissing her goodbye, and wishing her luck.
“Don’t let jackass run roughshod over you,” Thomas said.
“Yeah, if he gets too big for his britches, call me,” Truman added. “I would love to knock him down a peg.””
“He’s going to be moody for a while, ignore him. Oh, and he doesn’t think before he speaks,” Theodore said.
“Don’t let him have food or water after midnight, he turns into a monster,” Jackson grinned before Timothy slapped him upside the head and said. “That’s the movie Gremlins, you idiot!”
“Leave Grace alone,” Amelia said frustrated and ordered. “Get into the cars, now.” Grace just smiled as all the Shenandoah men, filed out of the house, doing as instructed. When Amelia, Gabriella, Annalise, and Sarah turned to her, Grace waited for the boom.
“You take good care of my granddaughter and son, they are going to need you more than you think. If you have any questions, you call me,” Sarah said kissing her cheek, then leaving.
“You can do this. I know you can. You have my numbers. Call me for anything, even if you want to scream or cry, I am a good listener. And don’t worry about Tobias, he is all bark,” Annalise said hugging her.
“We are only a plane ride away. If you find yourself over your head, don’t hesitate, we will come help you,” Amelia added, giving her a big hug.
“I know we can be a handful, and Tobias is the worst of them, but I know you can fix him. He just needs a firm hand and someone who understands him. I believe in you, Grace. I know you will be perfect for this family,” Gabriella said quickly giving her a hug as the loud car horns were blaring. “Just believe in yourself. I can’t wait to have you as my sister.”
With that, Grace stood puzzled as Gabriella ran to the waiting vehicle. Soon, the cars were pulling out and the house was quiet. Finally left alone, Grace didn’t know whether to make heads or tails of her situation, but one thing was for sure, she wanted to know what they all meant.
Chapter 5
It was finally Sunday, and Tobias stood at his window and watched as his family finally left. He would have celebrated if it weren’t for the fact that he had an infant daughter to raise and a beautiful stranger living in his home. He didn’t know which one was going to be more inconvenient. Though if he thought about it, he did get a good night’s sleep, and from the sounds of things, all was quiet. Maybe raising an infant wasn’t going to be as hard as he thought.
After showering, shaving and getting dressed, Tobias spent the next hour going through his emails, responding to friend’s condolences and setting up new meetings for the upcoming move to Tennessee. He was going to be extremely busy in the coming months, and if everything stayed organized, he would get through it all.
Yet, no matter what he did to occupy his time, he couldn’t get over the fact that he disappointed his family, again. It was a never changing pattern with him. No matter how hard he tried to do the right thing, he was always wrong, and his family had no problem telling him that. To make matters worse, he had a daughter who, for the next eighteen years he got the privilege to disappoint. His wife never liked him. Hell, they fought all the time about how inconsiderate and lazy he was. He was never good at the marriage stuff. Wasn’t good at the brother or family stuff. Hell, the one thing he was good at was making money. It seemed everything he touched turned to gold, in some way or another. He was dubbed ‘Forbes Man with the Midas Touch’ last year.
His company, Blue Jacket Industries was the leading company in high-tech electronics. His company based out of Sa Francisco, California was a fast-growing fortune five hundred company, which had recently branched out to the European and Asian Markets. His latest deal, which would allow him to be the leading exporter in computer memory chips, would allow him to expand, and offer more jobs to thousands of individuals, mainly to those in the Tennessee area. He had done his research well. Tennessee was centrally located, had the population he needed and the means to export his goods overseas. Though Mississippi or Alabama would have been better, giving him direct access to the Gulf of Mexico and shipping, he wanted Tennessee. Not only for the land prices and a boost in the economy it would bring to the state, but because his family was there.
He missed his brothers terribly, though Tobias would never say so. It was just that it seemed they all started gravitating to Tennessee after Thomas married Amelia. Before he knew it, Truman and Theodore had bought property there and were living comfortably. He had heard through Jackson, that their father was even considering some property, so his mom could visit without staying with others. Taylor was opening a new restaurant in the Chattanooga area and Timothy, stayed with Thomas when he was in-between jobs for Doctor’s Without Borders. Everyone in his family loved it there, including him.
The last time he was in Tennessee he found a beautiful piece of property, just north of Redbank, near the Chickamauga River, which would afford him the privacy he wanted, but still within an hour’s drive to the family if needed. Tennessee was no California, but when he weighed the pros and cons of moving, there was no option. His family trumped everything, and since then he put his plan into action.
It was a simple plan. Find investors in the overseas conglomerate, get them to dump a crap load of money into his company, expand in the states to meet the demand, and then figure out a way to break it to his wife that he wanted to move closer to his family. At the time it seemed like an easy plan. Now, his wife was dead. He had a daughter to raise and a company that just went global. After speaking with his financial advisors, they informed him that they were worried, that moving operations so soon after the merger and coupled with Bridget’s death, seemed reckless. They were asking him to wait at least two years, before expanding. But Tobias couldn’t do it. Well, if he was being honest with himself, it wasn’t that he couldn’t do it…he could, if he wanted too, but he didn’t. He wanted to move now, like yesterday.
His whole life, he had been the one brother who went his own way, coming up with different money-making ventures that made him a millionaire by the time he was twenty-one. At age twenty-five, he broke ground on Blue Jacket Industries, and the company skyrocketed from there. Now, he was thirty-six years old, a multi-billionaire, a father, and a widower. He was done making money. He wanted to relax, enjoy his good fortune and spend as much time with his family as he could, without being too big of a nuisance.
The sound of his daughter cooing drifted up towards him. She wasn’t crying, which seemed a first since she came into this world. He knew absolutely nothing about babies. Kids yes, but babies no. He figured once Bridget had the baby, she would do the mothering thing, while he got everything taken care of in Tennessee. The house was almost built, and the construction crew was due to break ground on the new factory facility in two weeks. During that time, he was going to be extremely busy, and besides, he would just be in the way where Bridget was concerned. Now, everything was turned upside down. He had to do it all.
Tobias had no clue how a single parent managed raising their kids, taking care of the home, and going to work. It was too much. Just thinking about it all was making his head spin. There was no way a single parent could handle everything. If the parent concentrated on work, their family suffered. If they concentrated on home and family, they barely scraped by. It was a no-win situation. He had seen the statics; the odds were not in his favor. Which reminded him, he needed to call the architect and general contractor. Reaching for his phone, he dialed his architect, Bruce Anderson and conferenced in his general contractor, Cade Henderson.
“Hey, boss, what’s up?” Cade said picking up immediately. Cade Henderson was one of Tobias’s oldest friends. They met when Tobias was breaking ground on his first Blue Jacket Building in East San Francisco. Cade was sleeping at the site, in a small makeshift tent. The man was homeless, without a job and just down on his luck. When Tobias found out that Cade was a former Army Veteran who had lost his home during the banks fallout some years ago, Tobias called and found him an apartment close to the site, paying for a year’s rent in advance, utilities included, gave him a job and watched as the man worked his way up from crew member to General Contractor overseeing all the company’s new builds. Cade was loyal, honest and one of the best men he ever knew.
“Waiting on Bruce. How are things at the site?”
“Got rain in the forecast for the next three days, not much we can get done until it dries.”
“What about the crew? Are you still giving them stuff to do?”
“Yes, boss,” Cade laughed. “I’ve sent most of the crew over to your place to help on the house, as for the rest, they are with me, running errands and making sure shipments are arriving on schedule and such. Everyone is working, and everyone is getting paid.”
“Good,” Tobias sighed in relief a little bit. It was one of his pet peeves. He hated hiring people, and then not being able to have them work. With no work, meant no pay and most of the men on the construction crew were family men, whose jobs were the only support for their families. The job was theirs, but sending them home because of rain was not an option. What a lot of businessmen failed to realize was that the average worker didn’t care much about weather and downsizing and such. What they cared about was whether they were going to be able to work and bring home a paycheck on Friday.
“Hey Tobias, I’m kind of busy. What do you need?” Bruce Anderson said, making himself known. Bruce Anderson was a strange man with an eye for details. Part owner of his own architect firm, Bruce made the news some years back when one of his buildings collapsed killing several people. After a lengthy investigation, it was determined that his former partner, changed the schematics of the build for profit which altered the integrity of the structure, causing the collapse. The partner was jailed for manslaughter and Bruce’s name was forever tarnished by association. Tobias met Bruce at a bar one night. Bruce was so drunk, he could barely walk to his car. Tobias helped him, only to discover that Bruce had a gun and was going to kill himself. He felt horrible for the loss of the people in the collapse, and after losing his architect firm, his wife left him and took their children. Tobias spent the night, sitting next to Bruce in that parking lot. By morning, Tobias offered Bruce a job, and since then, they had been best friends.
“I want to add a daycare facility on factory grounds and one in the main office building. No parent should have to worry about childcare versus keeping their job. How long would that delay the project?”
“Are you crazy!” Bruce shouted. “The logistics alone will be a freaking nightmare. You can’t put a daycare center in a factory Tobias, it isn’t done. Besides Child Services would have a field day with it. We’d never pass inspection. In the office building we could possibly get away with it, but not in the factory. It isn’t going to happen.”
“What about building a small structure outside of the factory, but close enough to where parents can still get to work on time?” Cade Henderson asked. “I know the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga was thinking about it some years ago. It never happened, but still, they thought about it.”
“Because the red tape alone is a nightmare,” Bruce added. “Look, Tobias, I get it. You want to make sure your employees have every opportunity to work. I commend you on that, but a daycare center at the factory site isn’t going to happen. OSHA is going to say hell no, Workforce Development is going to laugh in your face, and no parent is going to put their child in danger for a job. Seriously, not going to happen.”
“Once again, I can build a small building outside the factory,” Cade repeated. “I can get with the zoning board, and find out what regulations I would need to build and how far the structure needs to be from the plant. From there, I can bring in an expert on Child Psychology and Education, and they can help me figure out what the kids will need. Too easy.”
“I want it big enough for all the kids of the employees. An afterschool program for the younger kids and a workshop for the older ones, to help them get ready for college,” Tobias added.
“Excuse me,” Cade asked.
“What!” Bruce yelled. “Tobias, you are talking about a school! You can’t build a school near a factory.”
“No, I am talking about a private institution, for employees only and their children. If an employee chooses to enroll their child, it will be free daycare. If an employee chooses to let their child attend the school, it will be a private state of the art education center with all the technology needed to succeed. And if a child graduates from this private school and chooses to attend college, Blue Jacket Industries will pay for their college education. Happy kids, happy parents, happy company.”
“He’s lost his mind, Bruce,” Cade said clearly. “No human being on the planet would do such a thing. It’s never been done.”
“No,” Bruce added. “No moron would ever give up millions for an asinine venture, except Tobias.”
“Look, I know it sounds crazy. Figure out a way to make this happen. The company is only going to employ two hundred people. How many kids could there be?” With that, Tobias disconnected the line and smiled.
Today was shaping up to be a great day and to make things even better, it was Sunday. Excited about the days games, Tobias had invited a few of his friends over to eat, drink and just have fun. He really needed to relax and unwind after last week’s events. The week was bad enough, he just wanted something normal, something without people being buried or a family mad at him for something he had no control over.
Grinning, he headed downstairs, to find Grace placing his daughter in a car seat. She looked pretty in her pink flowery dress, her hair all curled with minimal make-up on. Tobias had to admit, Bridget’s cousin was stunning, in a mid-western kind of way.
“Where are you two ladies headed off too,” He asked heading into the kitchen for a beer.
“It’s Sunday, Tobias.”
Reaching the fridge, he grabbed a beer, then replied, “Yes, it is and what a beautiful day it’s turning out to be.”
“Is that what you are wearing?”
Tobias hadn’t even taken a sip of his beer when she asked. Instead, he looked down at what he had on. Tobias couldn’t find anything wrong with the jogging pants, sneakers or the Nike T-shirt he was wearing. Satisfied he was decently dressed, he cautiously replied when he spotted her staring at him with a hand on her hip, “Yeah.”
When she grinned and returned to taking care of his daughter, Tobias, felt as if he dodged a bullet somehow, but he didn’t know why.
“Californians must do things differently. Well, Elizabeth and I are ready. Which vehicle would you prefer to take?”
“Huh?” That queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach started to churn. He knew when a woman smiled sweetly it was never a good sign, nor was having her look directly at him expecting him to know what she was talking about. He learned that the hard way many times. Since then, he knew the best response was to go along with the conversation until he could figure out what was going on. “Uh, my car?”
“That only seats two. Maybe we should take the BMW. Don’t you agree?”
“Yeah,” he responded reluctantly.
“Good,” Grace smiled brightly then sweetly asked. “I have all the bags. Would you mind getting Elizabeth?”
“Okay,” Tobias said, guardedly. Putting his opened beer on the counter, he walked over and grabbed the handle of the car seat. Taking a quick look at his daughter, he found some comfort knowing that she was asleep. Apparently being trussed up in a car seat agreed with her.
Following Grace, Tobias kept his mouth shut as he helped Grace install the car seat and placed the bags next to her. However, when Grace got into the passenger seat, put her own seatbelt on and quietly waited, Tobias, didn’t know what to do. So, doing the only logical thing, he slid behind the wheel of the car and asked, “Where too?”
“The address is already programmed into the GPS. All we have to do is follow the directions.”
“Okay,” Tobias said not sure what was going on. So instead of asking, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway. The car was silent as he drove, listening to the instructions on the GPS. He had no idea where he was going, but he figured a little detour to his Sunday morning routine wouldn’t hurt. Grace was new to the area. Maybe she needed to do a little grocery shopping. Tobias could understand that with a baby and all those bags, it would be impossible for her to carry his daughter and all those groceries. So, if she needed a little help at the grocery store, he didn’t mind helping.
In the short time, Grace had been living with him, Tobias realized he hardly knew anything about the woman who was raising his daughter. She seemed sweet, intelligent and fully capable of taking care of a newborn. Grace barely made any noise, and with her around, he never heard his daughter scream like she did when he brought her home from the hospital. Maybe his family was right. Grace was the perfect person to watch over, take care of and raise Elizabeth. God knew it wasn’t going to be him. He couldn’t even heat a bottle, let alone know what went into one. Besides, he had the money to pay for a nanny and well, Grace was Shenandoah approved, so she was good enough for him.
Yet, he felt as if he should at least know something about the woman. Hell, he knew when hiring an employee, he at least requested a detailed resume of their accomplishments.
“So, Grace, where did you go to school?”
“I attended the First Baptist Preschool until age five. Then, the Angels of Mercy Elementary, then I went to Angels United Middle School, then God’s Disciples High School. For college, I went to Texas A&M where I received a degree in Child Psychology.”
“What no Christian College?” Tobias chuckled. It wasn’t every day he heard of all those Christian schools, though knowing she had a solid education, it was just odd that she chose to go to a public institution afterward. He probably couldn’t blame her. Closed off for so long, the poor girl probably just wanted to spread her wings and fly, so to speak.
“I was offered many scholarships to many fine Christian colleges, but I liked Texas A&M. They had the program I was looking for, so I went there.”
“Bet you went to allot of keggers, too?” Tobias laughed, imagining a sheltered Grace parting it up, getting drunk and acting foolish.
“What’s a kegger?” Grace asked seriously, looking at him.
Okay, maybe not.
Tobias was getting ready to ask her another question when he heard the GPS announce that he had arrived at his destination. Looking around, he didn’t see anything familiar, that was until he realized where he was at.
“CHURCH!”
“Yes, it’s Sunday.” Grace smiled, getting out of the vehicle.
“I know what day it is!” Tobias shouted then asked. “But why am I here?”
“Can you please get Elizabeth?” Grace asked sweetly.
Taking a deep breath, Tobias figured it was best not to respond. Maybe Grace just needed his help getting everything into the church and then he could leave. So, doing as she requested, Tobias, turned off the engine and got out of the vehicle. He opened the back door and pressed the release button on the car seat. After carrying his daughter around the back of the car, he was about to hand Grace the seat when she turned to greet an older woman.
“Katarina, how lovely to see you,” Grace said hugging the woman. “I’ve never been to an Armenian Church before, I hope I dressed appropriately.”
“Oh Grace, you look lovely. Armenian’s are mostly Christian, though we are more conservative, I think you will find our church most welcoming. Is this the young man you are here to help?”
“Yes, this is Tobias Shenandoah and his daughter, Elizabeth.”
Tobias, transferred the car seat to his other hand as the woman greeted him. He really didn’t know what to say, except, “Nice to meet you.”
“I am sorry for your loss. I know that having Grace with you must make things easier. You are lucky to have her. She is a true gift. With her, she is going to make your life so much better.” The woman said sincerely.
“Thank you,” Tobias muttered, not really knowing how to respond. He had no clue what the woman was talking about. Hell, he didn’t hire Grace, his family did.
Tobias was about to hand Grace the car seat when she turned and walked arm in arm with Katarina. The two women talking as if they’d known each other for years. Looking around, he saw many people dressed in their Sunday finest, none looking his way as they all entered the church. He wanted to yell for Grace to take the baby but didn’t want to draw attention to himself, so instead, he went in search for his devious nanny.