Something Old (15 page)

He was saying something about God dividing time into days? “Every morning is a new start. He gave us a new birth, too. There’s not much without the hope of new beginnings, Katy.”

Getting his drift, she snatched the paper away. “There’s always endings.”

He stepped back and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets again. She shut her window.

He turned his back to her and walked toward his truck, and rats if she didn’t feel sorry for him.

P
arked outside Addison’s dance studio, Katy sat in her car and sulked. Tammy Brooks was one stubborn woman who wouldn’t get her red-painted claws out of Katy’s usually well-ordered life. Surely she wasn’t becoming a pushover? Why was everyone interfering with her plans? She had her own ideas of how things should go and didn’t like the obstacles she’d been encountering at every turn. She’d had it at home with her dad’s matchmaking, in her personal life with Lil hiring Jake, and now at work. She banged her head back against the padded headrest. She was definitely becoming a pushover.

Bored and restless, she opened the glove compartment and withdrew a small testament she kept there, opening the Bible and leafing through it at random. Just as her luck would have it, every verse her gaze fell upon had something to do with newness, reminding her of Jake’s oratory in the parking lot. She frowned at God’s sense of humor. In the book of Lamentations, she read God’s compassions are new every morning. She read passages about new spirits, new hearts, a new commandment—the commandment to love one another—new creatures, and in Revelation how God makes all things new.

Newness? Why couldn’t things remain the same? What was wrong with old and boring?

She felt confirmation in her heart that Jake had received God’s newness, but that didn’t mean she had to let him worm his way back into her affections. More restless than ever, she snapped the testament shut and returned it to the glove box. She glanced in the rearview mirror, involuntarily straightening her covering while she scanned the parking lot. Addison should be out any minute. Not wanting to argue with God about Jake, her fury transferred to Tammy again, who had insisted that Katy try babysitting just two days a week and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Tapping on the steering wheel, she prayed, “Lord, I feel like nothing gets resolved. Like I’m losing control of my life. I need Your help.”
I need to be more assertive. Okay, and loving.
She accepted the thoughts that came into her mind as inspiration.

Tap, tap.
She jerked her gaze to the passenger’s window and saw Addison’s bubbly smile. Her small palms were pressed against the window. Her blond hair was piled on top of her head, and sweaty tendrils stuck to her cheeks in spite of the cold temperature outside. Her purple coat was open, revealing a pink tutu beneath it. Feeling a flash of fondness for the little girl, Katy quickly unlocked the doors and allowed her young charge to climb into the backseat.

“We’re going to the ballet!” Addison chirped, hopping into the car.

“That’s nice,” Katy said. “Fasten your seat belt, sweetie.” She heard the click and then the shuffling sounds of Addison’s dance bag, probably because the girl was retrieving her new, pink iPod.

They swung by Tyler’s friend’s house to pick him up and then drove to the children’s home. Katy had a garage door opener of her own now, and she pulled into an empty stall. The children sprang out and ran inside for their snack. By the time Katy got inside, they were fighting over the last can of soda pop. Tyler snapped it open, and fizz spilled over his hand and onto the freshly mopped floor.

Addison planted her tiny hands on her tutu hips and did a little dance move, posing and gloating over Tyler’s sticky mishap.

He burped, grinned, and headed for the stairway.

“Pick up your backpack,” Katy called after him.

“I know. I know.”

Katy smiled inwardly that he didn’t seem quite so resentful, hadn’t called her a pilgrim. She gave Addison a faint smile. “How about some orange juice?”

“Okay.” The little girl ditched her pose and climbed onto the bar stool, propping pink-clad elbows on the bar, adult-style. “I’m excited about the ballet. It’s
Cinderella.”

A brief wave of nostalgia hit Katy, for she’d loved that fairy tale when she was a little girl. But that’s all it was. A fairy tale. Pouring the juice, Katy said, “That’s nice.” Then she wet a paper towel to clean up after Tyler. She was glad it was Thursday. She wouldn’t have to come back to the Brooks’ until next Tuesday. The coldhearted thought zipped harsh in her own mind, especially after agreeing with God in the car that she needed to be more loving. She slid into the stool beside Addison. “I have some time if you want to play that tea-party board game you have.”

“Okay!” Instantly, she abandoned her drink, bounding off the stool and running up to her room.

“Better change first,” Katy called after her, wondering if she should follow her up and check on Tyler. When she’d decided to do just that, she’d gotten partway up the stairway when she heard footsteps. She whirled. Sean Brooks was home.

“Oh hi. You’re early,” she said, retracing her steps so that she could speak to him.

“Tammy told me you needed a break.”

“She did?” Katy glanced up the stairway and back with hesitance. “Tyler’s in his room. I was about to check on him. And Addison’s changing out of her dance costume. We were just going to play a board game. I’m afraid she’s going to be disappointed.”

“I’ll do that with her.” Sean started toward the kitchen.

Katy waited with hesitance. To her relief, he didn’t grab a beer but returned with an envelope in his hand. She had cleaned around it earlier that day. “Tammy wanted me to give this to you.”

It hit Katy that Tammy must have sensed her frustration. She’d misjudged her employer after all. The envelope probably contained a token of apology. She felt a tinge of guilt over her ugly thoughts earlier in the car. The envelope felt like it might hold a gift card. They still needed many things for the doddy house. “Thanks.” She took her coat off the bar stool and shrugged into it. “Tell Tammy I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Our treat. Just enjoy.”

Nodding, Katy replied, “Tell the children ‘bye for me. I’ll see them on Tuesday. Thanks again.” In the garage, she got into her car and started the engine. But her curiosity couldn’t be ignored, and she ripped open the envelope. Inside were two tickets. Not what she’d expected. Furling her brow, she pulled them out far enough to read the print. Tickets to the
Cinderella
ballet! She lay her head against the headrest, pinched her eyes closed, and rapped her forearms against the steering wheel. The horn honked.

By smooth maneuvering on Katy’s part, Lil was joining her at the doddy house to talk with Jake about the new church kitchen. Katy refused to meet him alone.

Still, as she approached the front porch, her nerves bristled. Inside the tiny house, Jake turned and gave her one of his crooked grins. She drew in a deep breath at his dark good looks and willed herself to stir up some of those Christian attitudes God had impressed upon her in her recent car devotional.… She needed to act lovingly. No, that was just too strong for this circumstance. Arguing inwardly, she substituted the word
sisterly.

“Hi.” For a Christian attitude, it left her feeling a bit breathless. “See you’ve got a whole crew here today. Where’s Lil?”

“In the bathroom, talking to the plumber. The electrician is installing lights. But the rest of the house is ready to start painting.”

“Awesome.” Now she was talking like Tyler.

Jake caught her slip of tongue. “Somebody’s in a good mood.”

Maybe being nice wasn’t such a good idea. Looking at him wasn’t, either. He definitely wore his jeans too tight for a Conservative boy. It made her wonder how much he’d changed or if she even knew him anymore. She sucked in a breath when he looked down at the buckle on his low-slung tool belt, worked the clasp, and dropped it on the ground beside him.
Breathe,
she told herself,
pull up your gaze.
The view wasn’t much safer there. His logo-free T worked to his advantage, the black material emphasizing the black, wavy hair that fringed his baseball cap.

“I don’t suppose that means you’ve decided to tolerate me?”

Of all the nerve, after she’d specifically told him she didn’t want him and that he bothered her. Truth was, he probably sensed how well she tolerated him—desired him. But trying to act nonchalant, she replied, “Actually, I have.” Unconsciously, she fiddled with the shoulder strap of her purse. “I thought about what you said about new beginnings. I’m sure God wants that for you. I want that for you.”

His deep-hooded brows relaxed and his brown eyes lit with more enthusiasm than they should have as he bounded toward her, his voice thicker than ever with his Dutch accent. “I won’t let you down, Katy. I—”

Throwing both palms in the air, she quickly interjected, “Don’t”—and he stopped—“misunderstand. This has nothing to do with us.”

His expression wilted, making him seem boyishly vulnerable. He hooked his thumbs in his slim jeans and studied her with tilted head. “You saying you want to be friends?”

She rolled the question distastefully around in her mouth. “More like what you said at first. I’m just trying to tolerate you. It’s the decent thing to do. Sisterly.”

He made a face. “Sisterly?”

“Christian. Sisterly.”

“Oh.” His stupid grin returned. He moved forward again. She froze, not sure what he was up to, but thankfully she must have presented a formidable presence, for once again he hesitated. Still, he stood too close. He looked down at her with his dark gaze, and she hoped he said something, did something soon, before she passed out from lack of oxygen. Then he did. Reaching out, he wrapped his forefinger in her ponytail, like he had so many times over the years. He gently untangled it from her purse strap. She lowered her gaze, making it eye level with his neck. He had a handsome Adam’s apple. He swallowed as if the gesture affected him the same as it did her. But neither of them would admit it.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

“Hey, Jake”—the electrician broke off his sentence when he saw he’d intruded on an intimate moment.

Jake, never one to act embarrassed, slowly turned without dropping his hand.

But she jerked away.

“Yeah?” Jake asked, if anything showing only irritation at the interruption.

“When you get a minute, I’d like to show you something.”

Jake turned back to Katy with furled brows, and she knew their business wasn’t finalized, but it had gotten more personal than she’d hoped. She was grateful for the interruption.

“Go on.” She motioned with a wave. “I’ll go find Lil and check out the new shower.”

“Okay.” His gaze roved over her in a leisurely manner. “Meet me back here in five minutes, and we’ll go over the church project.” He gave a mocking tip of his ball cap and strode away.

She stood still for a moment longer, both mourning and exulting over the leap their relationship had just taken with its flirtatious undercurrent. It had all happened so quickly that she feared where it might lead in the future if she kept melting a little each time she was in his presence.

She found Lil in the bathroom, flirting with the plumber. Ignoring that, Katy snapped, “You abandoned me.” She lowered her voice. “You knew the plan. You were supposed to back me up, so I wouldn’t have to talk to him alone.”

Lil gave an offhanded frown with a small toss of her hand. “I didn’t even know you were here. But now that you are, check out the shower.” She opened and closed a glass door. Stepped in and out. “Don’t you love it?”

She did. The shower compartment wasn’t fancy like the travertine walk-in shower Lil had cut out of a magazine. It was an unpretentious white, but it was new and would serve the purpose. Well, after they scraped the stickers and handprints off, Katy thought, grinning. “I call the first shower.” The back of the plumber’s neck reddened, and she clamped her hand over her mouth, backing out of the room. In the hall, they both burst out laughing.

“He’s kinda cute, don’t you think?” Lil asked.

“Married?”

“I don’t know. Either that or just shy. I’ll have to ask Jake.”

They met Jake back in the living room and settled down on the plastic-covered floor for their meeting. Over the next ten minutes, they discussed all the pertinent details of the future fellowship hall’s kitchen. Jake asked plenty of questions and scribbled notes on a legal pad, even sketched. While they were at it, he gave them the dimensions they would need to shop for appliances for the doddy house, which was where they were headed next.

“You driving?” Lil asked, popping to her feet.

“Sure,” Katy replied.

“Good. I’ve gotta go find my purse.” She winked, and Katy thought it was an excuse to flirt with the plumber again. “Then I’m ready to go.”

Jake pinned Katy with his dark gaze, and as soon as Lil left, he jumped right in where they’d left off before his cousin joined them. “You could probably tolerate me better if you’d let me tell you my story. I need to tell you exactly what happened to me the last couple of years. How it’s changed me.”