Читать книгу The Cinderella Plan - Margaret Daley - Страница 9

“Hey, Anne. Where’s my crew?”

Standing on two telephone books stacked on a folding chair, Anne Smith gasped at the sudden sound of a deep baritone voice and lurched forward. She grasped the top of the bookshelf as the support beneath her feet teetered. Her fingers slipped from their precarious clasp on the wood while the chair crashed to the floor, its sound reverberating through the office. For a second she dangled from the bookcase before she lost her hold completely.

Strong arms enfolded her against a muscular chest, breaking her fall. Her heart beat frantically while she clutched Caleb Williams’s shoulders to help steady both of them. They wobbled, as she had a few seconds ago, before Caleb managed to stabilize them.

A lopsided grin appeared on his face. “I don’t usually have a woman fall for me.”

Finding herself being held by Reverend Caleb Williams, not to mention his teasing comment, flustered Anne. Fantasies she didn’t allow to surface taunted her thoughts of impossible dreams. Shoving them back into the dark recesses of her mind, she pulled away, smoothing back the few stray strands that had slipped from her ponytail. “I was concentrating on finding an old ledger. I didn’t hear you opening the door.”

“Can I help?”

Anne shook her head. “I was just going to look something up.” She hated saying more with all that had happened lately at Tiny Blessings Adoption Agency.

Caleb peered at the metal folding chair lying on its side with the telephone books askew next to it. “That’s no way to get something from the top shelf.”

Heat scorched her cheeks. She knew better than to stack items on top of a chair, then use it like a ladder. But she had thought that maybe some of the old ledgers would have answers in them concerning the falsifying of adoption records. She would search the account books later. She wanted to help her employer, Kelly Young, with the mess the late director Barnaby Harcourt had left the agency in.

Caleb stepped over to the bookcase that went from the floor to the ceiling and pointed toward one of the account books kept on the top shelf. “Is that what you’re looking for?”

“I’m not sure. I should probably look through them all.”

He righted the chair and, without the telephone books, stood on it, easily reaching for the ledgers in question and handing them one by one to Anne, who stacked them on a table behind her desk. “There. Now I won’t have to worry that you’ll break your neck trying to get them down.” He snared her with his intense blue eyes.

Anne’s mouth went dry. She swallowed several times while backing up against the table where the old account books were. She needed to look away from Caleb, but for the life of her she couldn’t. Today he was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved light blue shirt that emphasized the vivid color of his eyes. He was the most handsome man she knew and was way off limits for her. He could date any woman he wanted in Chestnut Grove—for that matter, in the whole state of Virginia. She couldn’t imagine he would be interested in her, and she’d best remember that. She tore her gaze from his and busied herself at restacking the ledgers until they were perfectly lined up—anything to keep her hands and mind off the man occupying her suddenly small office.

Caleb cleared his throat. “Where are the girls? I told them I would pick them up at four-thirty. I thought they would be outside waiting.”

“They probably forgot the time. They’re in the back conference room. They made some copies for me earlier and are stuffing envelopes. I gave them money for some soft drinks so they might be taking a break and forgot the time.”

“You spoil them, Anne.”

“They’re a big help to me. I don’t know if I could get everything done if it wasn’t for the girls from the church’s youth center volunteering here a couple of times a week.”

“Keeps them busy and out of trouble.”

“I can’t see Gina, Tiffany or Nikki getting into trouble.”

Caleb grinned, his whole face lit with a mischievous expression. “Teenager and trouble both start with the letter ‘t.’ It wasn’t that long ago you were one. Do you honestly feel that way?”

Thinking back to her days as a teenager made her frown at the memories. They were not good ones. Hurt on top of hurt was what had characterized her formative years. But she doubted Caleb would understand what she had gone through, trying to fit in, trying to ignore the people who had made fun of her, trying to blend into the background so no one picked on her.

Anne forced a smile and said, “They have you to guide them.”

Again Caleb snagged her gaze and held it. “And you. Tiffany has told me about your little talks.”

“She has?”

“She has a crush on Billy and isn’t sure what to do.”

Anne hadn’t been comfortable advising Tiffany on what to do about Billy because she could count on one hand how many dates she’d had as a teenager. But she had tried, thinking of the advice some of the magazines she’d read had given.

Caleb moved closer. “I like what you said about being yourself. It rarely works to change for another unless we really want that change, too.”

Anne had nowhere to go, caught between the table and Caleb, so she straightened her shoulders, her arms stiff at her sides while clutching the wooden edge. “I’m glad Tiffany listened to me.” She caught a whiff of his citrusy aftershave.

He plunged his fingers through his black hair, then rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, one corner of his mouth hiking into a wry grin. “Now that I’m not so sure about. She may have listened to what you said, but following your advice is a whole different matter. Tiffany’s talking about having her mother take her shopping for dresses this weekend.”

“Dresses? Tiffany? I never thought I would hear those two words said in the same sentence.”

Moving back a step, Caleb half sat, half leaned against Anne’s desk, his arms folded across his chest. “Yeah, she’s quite a little tomboy, but she wants to impress Billy, and she thinks wearing dresses will do it.”

Relieved to have a little breathing room, Anne relaxed the tense set of her shoulders. “Who told her that?”

“Nikki.”

“Oh, this should be interesting. Has Nikki talked Tiffany into buying some black dresses?”

Caleb chuckled. “Your crew of workers is quite diverse, I must say.”

Anne lounged against the table, trying her best not to allow Caleb’s presence in her office to throw her off-kilter too much—if that were even possible. “Let’s see. Nikki only wears black and listens to punk rock in her spare time. Tiffany is a tomboy through and through, and Gina is our resident genius. Yes, I would say you’re right, but technically they’re your crew. You recruited them, and bring them here and pick them up.”

“But only you, Anne, have made these three girls work as a team. Now at the church youth center they hang out together. Six months ago they wouldn’t have been caught in the same room because of their differences.”

Anne hadn’t thought her cheeks could redden anymore than they had earlier when she had been caught against his chest, but if the singeing heat was any indication, her face was beet red, especially with Caleb staring at her. She hated to think what he saw through his eyes when looking at her. A plain Jane, someone who had learned to fade into the background. If someone would make office camouflage, she would wear it.

“Is that why you had them work together?” Anne managed to ask, desperate to keep the conversation centered on the girls, not her.

“Ah, you’ve discovered my strategy. Let’s hope they don’t.” He pushed away from the desk. “I guess I’d better round up the girls. It’s a school night, and I’m sure they’ll have homework to do.” Starting for the door, he flicked a glance toward Anne. “I realize you don’t get the church newsletter so you might not know all the details concerning the upcoming carnival. Would you like to help this year?”

“Sure.”

“Have the girls said anything to you about the fall carnival for the youth center?”

One stray strand of her hair tickled her cheek. She brushed it back, hooking it behind her ear. “No. What were they supposed to say?”

“More like ask.” He flashed her a grin. “I’ll let them break the news to you.”

His devastating smile momentarily drew her attention away from what he’d said. Then his words sank in. “Break the news? That doesn’t sound good.” Anne followed Caleb from her office and fell into step beside him as they walked down the hall, which was lined with photos of children and their adoptive families, to the conference room where the girls were working.

“I suppose it will depend on how adventurous you are.”

“There isn’t an adventurous bone in my body.”

His gaze skimmed down the length of her. “Not even one?” One brow quirked upward.

She shook her head, unable to say a thing when he was looking at her so intently with a gleam in his blue eyes. His classic good looks and charm did strange things to her stomach, causing it to churn with emotions she wished she could control. Thinking of him in any light other than as a casual friend would only hurt her in the end.

“I seem to remember that at the last fall carnival you manned the booth where anyone with a buck could throw a pie at you.”

“That wasn’t adventurous.”

“I thought you were a brave soul.”

“Nah. I love pies, especially the ones from the Starlight Diner. So I made some money for the center and got to taste some delicious pies in the meantime. Nothing adventurous in that.” She reached out to stop him before entering the conference room, her hand immediately falling to her side when she realized what she’d done. Her fingertips tingled from the brief contact. “What have they cooked up this year for the adults? I don’t like surprises.” Lack of control in her youth had firmed that in her mind. She worked hard to keep control in her life as much as possible.

“Oh, something magnificent, you could say.” He winked at her, then shoved open the door and stepped into the room.

The sound of the young girls’ laughter filled the air, then several “be quiets” when they realized Caleb and Anne were coming into the room.

“Okay, I can tell a conspiracy when I confront one. What are you three up to?” Although Caleb planted his hand on his waist and stared at each one of the young girls, an impish glint danced in his eyes while one side of his mouth twitched from suppressing a smile.

Tiffany peered at Gina for a long moment, her lips clamped together while she tried to contain her own smile. Nikki dropped her head until her chin almost touched her chest, her concentration focused totally on her lap. Anne got the feeling she was the only one not in on a big secret.

Gina shifted in her chair and said, “We were wondering what was taking you so long. Now we know.” The fifteen-year-old pointedly looked at Caleb, then slid her attention to Anne.

She felt like pushing the girls out of the way and hiding under the large round table they sat at. She knew she and Caleb had been the topic of conversation only seconds before he’d opened the door. What were they planning? The expression in the young girls’ eyes warned Anne to be wary.

Gina stood, stretching and twisting. “I’m glad you’re here, Anne. We want to make sure you’re coming to the fund-raiser for the youth center.”

“Sure. I do every year.”

Tiffany sighed. “Good. That’s what Gina said.”

Anne stepped back, her hand behind her clasping the doorknob—just in case she needed to make a fast getaway. Something was brewing in the air and she was sure she was involved somehow—probably not to her liking. “Do you want me to man the pie-throwing booth again this year?”

Gina shook her head. “No, that would mess up your costume.”

“Costume?” The word nearly choked in her throat, her hand tightening around the knob.

Caleb swung around and faced her. “The youth committee working on the fund-raiser decided this year to charge a flat fee for the event and have all the adults dress up in costumes representing their favorite fairy-tale characters. There’ll be an article in the newspaper tomorrow.”

“I dressed in a costume for the article,” Gina said, shoving her chair toward the table. “We’re even going to provide costumes for people who need them. Nikki’s aunt in Richmond owns a party store with lots of costumes she’s going to let us have for the day.”

That didn’t seem too bad. Anne relaxed her death-hold on the knob.

Dressed all in black, Nikki lifted her head. “Yeah, there’s even gonna be prizes—for the best couple, the funniest and the scariest costumes. The kids are gonna be the judges.”

“What made you decide to do costumes this year?” Anne released her grip on the knob and moved forward.

“Adults don’t play enough. We wanted to turn the tables around and run the booths, but we aren’t charging for each activity like we have in the past. Fun is the theme for the night.” Gina gathered up the envelopes they had been stuffing and placed them into a box.

“It sounds like you’ve got things under control. But if you need any help, I’ll be glad to.” Anne took the box from Gina.

“That’s great. We could use your help. Time’s running out.”

Anne noticed the surprised expression on Caleb’s face and wondered about it, but before she could ask him, Gina continued, “This weekend we’re gonna make flyers at the center, then put them up all over town to remind everyone about the annual event one last time.”

“I’ll be there. What time?”

“Early. Eight.”

Anne smiled. For someone who usually got up at five every morning, eight wasn’t early. “Eight it is.”

“Let’s go, kids. We need to meet with the rest of the committee at the center in fifteen minutes. Reverend Fraser and his wife will be waiting for us.” Caleb stood to the side as the three teenage girls hurried out of the open door and down the hall.

“They seem eager about the carnival. That’s great to see.” Anne again found herself alone with Caleb and tension, held at bay while the room was full with three teenagers, came rushing back.

“Yeah, I’m letting the kids have a bigger role in the carnival this year. Gina came to me and asked. Since the fund-raiser is all about them, it seemed a logical decision at the time, but the carnival is only ten days away.”

“And there’s still so much to do?”

He nodded. “Coming up with what they wanted to do took longer than I had planned, or I would have started this back at the beginning of summer rather than the end.”

“It’s an annual event. The important thing about the fall carnival isn’t what you do, but that the proceeds go for the church youth center and the kids who use it. Everyone knows about the carnival and has probably already made plans to attend. It’s always been the second weekend in October. I can help with more than the flyers if you need me to.”

“Could you? Gina, Tiffany and Nikki really respond to you. This year the committee agreed that this would be a children’s production with minimal oversight from us adults. But if Gina has invited you to help with the flyers, maybe you could also help with the decorating of the hall. You were the first adult outside the committee she has asked to help with the preparations.”

“Then I’ll see if I can wrangle an invite from her when I’m helping them on Saturday.”

Relief erased the tension in his expression. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. I haven’t been sleeping like I should, worrying about this fund-raiser.”

The urge to comfort him inundated her. She balled her hands at her sides to keep from touching his arm, to assure him everything would work out. “It’s good to see them so involved in something that directly affects them. The youth center is all about them. They will be the ones using the new rec equipment you’ll purchase with the money raised.”

“I know, and I really do think it’s a terrific idea that they’re so involved with the carnival, but I keep telling Gina that’s what I get paid the big bucks for—to worry.”

“So much of what has to be done are last-minute things. It’ll all come together.”

“If not, I guess I could always stand on the corner with a tin cup in whatever costume the kids pick out for me to wear and beg for the money.”

Anne chuckled. She loved the way Caleb could laugh at himself. His air of confidence drew her to him. She wished she felt that way about herself. “Mmm.” She tapped her finger against her chin. “There are all kinds of possibilities for your costume. There’s the Papa Bear from Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Then there’s the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. Either one would be interesting to see.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid it might be. I’m just worried about wearing tights.” Grinning, he headed into the hall and started for the front door.

Anne walked with him to the entrance, then watched him make his way to his white Suburban. She waved goodbye to him and the girls, hoping none of the longing she felt deep inside revealed itself. Even though she wasn’t involved at the church where he was a youth minister, she did volunteer some of her time at the youth center connected to the Chestnut Grove Community Church. She’d toyed with the idea of going to the church on Sunday, but she’d never attended services while growing up, except when she was a young girl and had gone to visit Grandma Rose. Caleb made her wonder what she was missing. Sighing, Anne turned away from the door and walked back toward her office, where she could disappear into her quiet refuge and pour through those old ledgers.

Tucking her white buttoned-down shirt into her stiff, dark blue jeans, Anne stood in front of her mirror that was mounted on the back of her bedroom door. A frown drew her brows together as she assessed herself. With her blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail that hung down below her shoulder blades and her face scrubbed clean, all she could think of to describe herself was plain, dull.

Normally that didn’t bother her. But maybe she should wear a touch of lipstick or eye shadow to bring out the blue in her eyes? She turned her head from side to side, trying to decide what to do. She would be working in the same room with Caleb today for hours.

She rubbed her sweaty palms down her brand-new pair of jeans. She should have washed them. They looked new—too blue. But she hadn’t had any time because she’d only bought the jeans on impulse last night when she’d realized she had nothing to wear that didn’t make her seem much older than her twenty-nine years.

Why hadn’t she also bought that red scarf to tie in her hair? Because she didn’t wear any colors that made her stand out in a crowd. She didn’t want to attract attention. She’d had more than her share while growing up—the unwanted kind.

Her gaze strayed until it lit upon her black leather shoes by her queen-size bed that had a huge fluffy counterpane in different shades of pink. At least her shoes weren’t as bad as the ones she had worn in elementary and high school. She shuddered thinking about those therapeutic ones, necessary because she was so severely pigeon-toed.

Who was she kidding? She didn’t want to stand out today either. She was better off in the background, going through life unnoticed. So Caleb would be at the youth center. That didn’t mean they would spend any alone-time together. That didn’t even mean they would talk much. There were going to be a lot of kids at the center. She was going to be there to help make flyers for the carnival. That was all.

Anne spun away from her image in the mirror, irritated at herself for even going out and buying a pair of jeans. As if that would make a difference. How could a man like Caleb ever be interested in her? He was handsome, outgoing, so self assured—everything she wasn’t.

“Anne, you need to stop dreaming the impossible,” she muttered and sat on her bed to slip on her brand-new pair of corrective shoes that she’d saved six months for. The black leather would go with most of her clothes and the pair was certainly more stylish than the ones before. She wished she could afford several different colors and styles, but on her limited budget, even living with her parents, this was it.

Caleb sat on the front steps leading into the youth center housed in the church hall next to the Chestnut Grove Community Church. Nursing a large mug of coffee cupped between his hands, he took a few minutes to sort through his thoughts before the long day started. Weather permitting, he enjoyed doing this every morning.

Lord, I hope I don’t regret allowing the children to organize and oversee this fund-raiser. I’m getting anxious. We only have a week till the carnival and there’s still so much to do. Gina assures me she and her friends have everything under control. But still—the center needs the rec equipment.

He took a large swallow of his lukewarm coffee, looking toward the church next door. Its white and red bricks gleamed in the sun, just peeking over the tops of the oak and maple trees along the street. The tall spire and bell tower of the eighteenth-century structure shot up into the blue sky as though it stood sentinel over the town. When peering at the church that had withstood centuries amid war and drama, he always felt comforted. The Lord’s house. An intricate part of Chestnut Grove and its history.

A small black car pulled into the parking lot at the side of the center, capturing his attention. He watched as Anne climbed from her old Chevy and headed up the sidewalk toward him. Tilting his head to the left, he tried to remember a time when he had seen her wear a pair of jeans. He couldn’t. She always wore long, full dresses or skirts that came down to her ankles. Interesting.

A small smile graced her lips and her ponytail bounced as she made her way toward him. Her fresh face and vivid blue eyes were a welcome sight. Anne never played games. After he had gotten past her shyness, he had found her very straightforward and honest. He could count on her if he ever needed help, especially with the young people who volunteered at the adoption agency. Anne took them under her wing and assisted them any way possible. She was a very caring woman. An appealing quality. If only she believed in God, he thought, pushing to his feet and plastering a smile of greeting on his face.

“You’re here before the kids are.” He checked his watch. “In fact, you’re ten minutes early before eight on a Saturday. I’m impressed.”

“Mornings are the best time of day. I’ve never slept past six-thirty.”

He held up his mug. “Whereas, I have to load up on tons of coffee, just to be coherent before nine in the morning.”

“So you’re a night person?”

“No, more like an afternoon person. My best time is between one and five.”

She laughed. “I’ll have to remember that.”

He liked the sound of her laughter, light, almost musical. It sent a warmth through him that surprised him. “Do you want some coffee before the kids swarm this place and there isn’t a moment’s rest?”

“I’m a tea drinker.”

“Something else we don’t agree on.”

She shrugged. “Yep. Coffee tastes like dirt to me.”

“To me drinking tea is like drinking brownish water.”

Anne started climbing the stairs toward the front door. “The world would be a dull place if we all agreed on everything.”

Caleb walked next to her. “I have to agree with you on that.”

She slanted a look toward him, grinning. “I guess we aren’t so hopeless after all. Who knows what else we might agree on before the day is out?”

“Let me refill my coffee. I’ll meet you in the arts-and-crafts room. That’s where I thought we would make the flyers and go over any last minute preparations.”

While Anne headed to the left, Caleb walked toward the kitchen connected to the cafeteria/gym. With a lightness to his step, he hurried to pour his coffee and get back to Anne. He had known her from a distance for a few years, but in the past six months he had become better acquainted with her. Each time he was with her he felt her emotional walls crumble just a little more. The minister and psychologist in him wanted to help her heal, because in her blue eyes he saw a glimpse of a deep wound she tried to conceal from the world. Maybe in helping her heal, he could also help her find her way to the Lord.

But lately, the man in him wanted something more. That continued to surprise him because he wasn’t interested in dating anyone who didn’t believe in the Lord. He’d had a relationship in college with a woman who had not been a Christian and the emotional scars left from it still hurt today. He’d wanted it to work so badly, but they just hadn’t seen the future the same way.

He eased open the door to the arts-and-crafts room, expecting to find Anne waiting for him. His words died in his throat as he scanned the area before him. The emptiness mocked him. He glanced up and down the hall, wondering where she was. Then he heard a noise and looked back into the room. He saw Anne, on all fours, scooting out from under one of the long art tables.

He cleared his throat. “Can I help?”

Anne gasped, lifted up and bumped into the underside of the table. “Ouch!” She managed to stand without injuring herself again, but she rubbed the back of her head. “You’re supposed to warn someone you’re in the room.”

“Sorry. I did. I cleared my throat. But next time I’ll clap my hands or bang on something so you know I’m coming.” Caleb put his mug down. “May I ask why you were under the table in the first place?”

“I was putting away my car keys and I dropped my purse.” She gestured toward the floor on the other side of the table, away from the door. “My lipstick rolled there.”

“You don’t need makeup.”

With his gaze fixed on her face, she blushed the color of her pink lipstick and busied herself stuffing the contents of her purse back into the black leather bag.

“You don’t carry much. My two cousins have half their bedroom in their purses.”

She shrugged, snapping the bag closed with a loud click. “Don’t need it. I don’t wear much makeup. That is, other than lipstick. Personally, I wish I didn’t have to carry a purse at all, but I need something to put my wallet and checkbook in.”

“Very efficient.”

Her smile encompassed her whole face, two dimples appearing. “That’s my middle name.”

“Very or efficient?” he asked, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

She chuckled. “Efficient and organized.”

He could listen to her laughter all day. What a beautiful sound! He would have to think of more ways to get her to do it. “I’m glad you’re both because we’ll probably need it when the kids arrive. The last meeting we had ended in chaos. Gina wanted to do things a certain way and Jeremy another way. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with Gina. She’s very aware he’s the oldest by a year.”

Anne peered at the clock on the wall. “Where are they?”

“You know, that’s a good question.” Caleb started for the door.

Jeremy appeared in the entrance into the room, a frown slashing across his face. “I went to pick up Dylan like I promised ya and he’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” Caleb straightened, anxiety taking hold of him.

“His foster parents went to get him in his room, and he hadn’t slept in his bed. He wasn’t anywhere in the house. They called the police, but I thought ya should know.”