High Plains Hearts (33 page)

“There are a few changes to your job description,” Ric said, and he proceeded to explain them to her.

The duties were somewhat expanded from what they were now, which made sense. The day care right now was an emergency setup, but in the future it would have to operate under different circumstances.

The inherent challenge was exciting. The district wanted her to upgrade the facility while keeping it within the confines of the church. She was to keep an eye on possible expansion if the need presented itself, which it might if more day cares didn’t reopen.

She had the authority to apply for any grants that might enhance the day care. At the Nanny Group, she’d written a successful proposal that had funded a special project, so that was good.

But what was especially appealing was the salary. It was generous, far beyond whatever expectations she might have secretly harbored.

When she’d talked to the real estate agent in the morning, he’d told her the asking price of the house. Maybe she would be able to afford to buy it now, if she was careful with her money.

“Still sound good to you?” Ric asked, his blue eyes twinkling like azure stars.

She nodded. “I want this job, Ric. I want to stay here, and Todd wants to stay here. I feel I can do some good here in Wildwood and live my life of service.”

“It may not be as directly related as the ministry,” Ric said, “but it is the Lord’s work.”

“Theirs is the kingdom of God,” she said almost to herself.

The server arrived with their food, and before they ate, Ric looked at her. “Shall we say grace?”

They bowed their heads, and his hands covered hers in a warm grip. “Blessed Lord, we thank You for this food and for the company of our friends. We ask always to stay mindful of You and to live in Your service. In the name of the Most Precious One. Amen.”

Dinner was wonderful, the kind of food that Lily liked but never seemed to have the time to prepare at home. And, to be honest, even if she had the time, Todd wouldn’t have cared for the herbed crème sauce on the baked walleye, or the cheese-flavored potatoes, or the crusty crab cakes that came as a side dish. For him, the best food was a pile of chicken strips and french fries served in a plastic basket at the Burger Beat.

Lily gave in to temptation and let Ric order dessert, some horribly calorie-filled concoction called Chocolat a Deux, a rich fudgy mousse with bittersweet chocolate drizzled on the top and tart raspberries on clouds of whipped cream around the edge.

The server brought them two spoons. “It’s a bit much for one person,” he explained. “That’s why it’s called Chocolat a Deux, which is sort of French for ‘Chocolate for Two.’ ”

After the waiter left, Ric looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Sort of French?”

Lily shook her head and dipped her spoon into the dessert. “That way he’s covered, in case it’s really sort of Italian.”

She took a bite of the rich dessert and closed her eyes. “I know what they serve in heaven. This is absolutely incredible! It’s drenched in calories, I know that, but wow!”

Even with both of them working on it, they couldn’t finish the dessert, and at last they sadly laid down their spoons in defeat.

“I can’t eat another bite,” she confessed.

“Nor can I.” He groaned. “And I can’t move anymore. We still have a major hurdle ahead of us. We’ve got to get to the car.”

“Just pull up to the front door, and I’ll roll out to meet you. I couldn’t walk for anything.”

The server returned with the check, and while Ric settled the bill, Lily fought the increasing urge to fall asleep.

“They’re going to kick us out unless we go of our own volition,” Ric said.

She glanced at her watch and suddenly came back to life. “It’s after nine! I have to pick up Todd. He needs to go to bed.”

They were both too stuffed to do much talking on the way to Marnie’s house to pick up Todd. The even movement of the car’s rhythm on the road was like a lullaby, and she fought to stay awake.

As Ric pulled up in front of the secretary’s house, he turned off the car’s engine and faced her.

“I had a good time tonight, Lily.”

“So did I.” Somewhere in her mind the message peeped through that he was going to say something of importance, but she was too lulled by the evening to comprehend.

“I’d like to see you more. Can you give that some thought?”

She nodded sleepily. More than anything, she wanted to curl up beside him, put her head on his shoulder, maybe let him wrap his arm around her, and go to sleep.

But it was not to be. The car door flew open, and Todd launched himself into her lap. “Mommy, Mommy!” he shouted in her ear. “I met Andy, and now he’s my bestest, bestest friend in the whole-wide world that doesn’t live here. He’s got this game, too. You hold it in your hand, and it beeps and shakes, and he got it at that store with the big
Z
on the front. Can we go now and get it?”

She struggled to make sense of his words, and over her son’s shoulder, she saw Ric watching them. She couldn’t quite decipher his expression, but in there she could have sworn she saw sadness.

That evening, after Todd was settled and asleep, she lay in bed and thought through the events of the day. Her life had suddenly taken a change that she’d never expected it to.

Obviously God had something in His plan for her to do, and maybe the trouble at the Nanny Group was just a way of preparing her to do her major service here in Wildwood. It was a possible answer to the question she’d been asking herself for so long.

And now that she had the answer, she could attend to other parts of her life. Like Ric.

She’d been sleepy tonight—and maybe she’d misunderstood what he was saying—but he seemed to want to take their relationship beyond the world of work. At least that was the impression she had gotten.

And she didn’t have to ask herself how she felt about it. She knew. Just the thought of him, the sight of him, made her smile.

And now, without the awful image of the Nanny Group hanging over her head, she was free to let all those thoughts she’d tucked into the back of her mind come to the forefront.

Who would have imagined that out of the catastrophe at the Nanny Group, and out of the disaster in Wildwood, something as wonderful as love might grow?

It never paid to second-guess God, she’d learned. But when He made His ways known, it was sweet, so sweet.

Lily was singing as she got ready for work the next day. Song after song poured out of her, and when she ran out of songs she knew, she made up some more.

Even Todd’s grumpiness, the result of his late bedtime, didn’t faze her.

“Why are you so happy?” he asked her as he struggled into his clothes.

“Lots of reasons, tiger. We’re going to stay in Wildwood, I’ve got a good job, we’re going to look at the house tonight where we can have a carrot garden for you, little guy. And above all”—she plunked a kiss on the bridge of his nose—“God’s in His heaven, and all’s right with the world.”

She threw open the curtains in the living room and smiled at the outside world of the parking lot. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

Todd frowned. “It’s raining.”

“And a beautiful rain it is. Here, put on your slicker and boots, and I’ll put mine on, too, and we’ll run through the puddles.”

“On purpose?”

“On purpose.”

“You’ll get mad.”

“No I won’t.”

“How come you’re so happy?” he asked her again, pulling on his bright red rubber boots. He smiled impishly. “Did you kiss Ric?”

“You shush!” she reprimanded him. “No, I didn’t kiss Ric, and you shouldn’t talk that way. I’m just in a really great mood today because life is good. This morning, nothing can upset me. Nothing at all.”

But when they got to the church and Todd joined his friends in the day care, Marnie handed her a registered letter.

And Lily’s world caved in.

D
imly, Lily heard Marnie asking her if she was okay. She probably responded, but what she said, she had no idea at all.

The envelope’s return address was the state licensing agency for child cares, and the letter itself was short and to the point, like a dagger.

Lily was too devastated to even cry. The pain welled up inside her like an erupting volcano.

How dare he? How dare he? Douglas Newton had successfully pulled her into his web of deceit and fraud, and now she was put in the awful position of having to defend herself against a barrage of untruths, half-truths, and out-and-out lies.

Beside the anger grew the urge to run. More than anything, she wanted to run to the day care, grab Todd, and leave Wildwood—to run away from all of this.

But she knew she couldn’t run. No matter where she went, she would be pursued by the evil deeds of Douglas Newton. And now, more than ever, she had to resist the urge to flee. Too many other people were dependent on her, on this day care.

Her stomach twisted and knotted itself.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled to Marnie. Blindly she pushed her way out of the office and into the ladies’ room where she threw up.

She rocked back and let her head rest against the cool metal of the stall.

How could she ever have thought he would have set it up so the wrongdoing would follow him instead of her? He was sleazy, despicable, low, contemptible.

But calling him names, while it vented her immediate anger, did nothing more than focus her energy on him when she needed to bring it back to focus on herself.

She cleaned up as best she could and flew into the sanctuary.

She went right to the altar and knelt before it, not even bothering to wipe away the tears that ran freely down her cheeks.

“Lord, tell me why You are doing this to me. How can this be in Your service? Am I fighting the great battle here alone?”

The silence was overwhelming. She waited for the relief she’d come to expect from the cross, but she was too tight with anger and fear to let it seep into her heart and into her soul.

She knew it, but she couldn’t let go of the hostility that surfaced and demanded to be dealt with, and with great sadness, she put her head on the altar railing and wept before her Lord.

It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t done anything—except flee. Was God punishing her for that? What had He expected her to do? How could she have fought a snake like Newton?

Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer. God was not punishing her. God’s ways were mysterious, and there were some things she just had to take on faith. She knew that.

But why was He putting her—and Todd—through this? Why didn’t He let her be done with what had happened in Chicago? Didn’t He realize that having this surface here in Wildwood was going to jeopardize Resurrection’s child-care facility?

Even as she asked the question of herself, she knew it was foolish. God realized everything. She was the one who was confused.

At last her tears abated. But she continued to stay in the cool of the sanctuary, where life was calm and there was only the cross and her. A relative peace descended upon her, and she finally stood up. She’d have to talk to Ric about this and show him the letter.

He was standing in the office with Marnie, and both of them broke off their conversation when she entered. “Are you all right?” Ric asked. “Marnie said something upset you.”

She had intended to talk it over with Ric in private, but Marnie’s kind and concerned face changed her mind. “I need to talk to you about the Nanny Group. And this letter.”

Ric read the letter, read it again, and read it a third time. With each reading, the words did not become any clearer. He knew what they said, but what did they mean? The letter might as well have been in Greek. He passed it to Marnie, whose immediate reaction was one of denial.

“It’s all a mistake. It has to be. What could be wrong? A good Christian woman like Lily? What irregularities? Of all the nerve—” She sputtered until she ran out of words to say.

Ric didn’t speak but studied Lily’s face. Then he said quietly, “Let’s sit down. Do you know what this letter’s about?”

“Yes,” she said as they sat at the small round table. She fidgeted with the centerpiece, a basket of fresh daisies.

“Start whenever you’re ready.” He tried to keep his voice gentle and kind. She looked terrified.

Slowly at first, and then with increasing intensity, she let the story pour out. As she told of finding the altered vouchers, Marnie nearly rose out of her chair with indignation, but Ric silenced her before she could go further than a single, “That scalawag!”