Читать книгу A Mother's Promise - Ruth Scofield - Страница 11

“C’mon, Stacy.” Against a background of three-year-old Jordan making “vroom-vroom” engine sounds and five-year-old Tony squabbling with seven-year-old Bethany over a Game Boy, Ethan pleaded with his sister. He shifted the phone receiver and plugged his other ear. “Please? I took your kids and mine to the zoo last month, remember? For the whole day.”

“Ethan,” his sister said reasonably, “taking the kids one time doesn’t equal all the extra hours I’ve given you this past year. You have to find someone besides me to help with the kids. Like Sharon’s parents.”

He mumbled a not-very-nice comment about his in-laws as he watched his children. Tim and Barbara Long were impossible to please, they had never approved of him, and he strongly suspected that given half a chance, they would sue for custody of his children.

He ignored Stacy’s suggestion.

“You tell me to get a life, but how can I do that without help, Stace?”

He heard his sister’s long-suffering sigh. “You can’t expect me to handle all your childcare problems, Ethan. Can’t you ask Sharon’s parents for a change?”

“Uh…I don’t want to do that. Look, I have two job interviews lined up this week, and Sharon’s mom agreed to pick up Bethany and Tony after school today. That’s enough, okay? Jordan will be all right at nursery school for a bit. But I can’t ask the Longs to watch them tonight. I just can’t. They ask too many questions.”

“Uh-huh, and I had the kids over last weekend while you hung out at that Roger guy’s house. What were you doing all that time anyway? You were over an hour late picking them up.”

“Yeah, but that Roger guy is a top fiddle player and we had a hot session. We’re sounding better than ever, sis. Still Western swing, but fresher.”

His sister sighed into the phone again. “Your band sounding good doesn’t guarantee a steady living, Ethan. Can’t you see it? You’re riding a slippery slope here. If Sharon were alive…”

“But she isn’t, Stacy,” he said with a quiet reserve, “and I can’t live the rest of my life in an image that no longer fits.”

“Okay, okay. Sorry.” Stacy sounded mollified, but continued scolding in her gentle way. “But when are you going to get a real job again? You’ve been out of work for almost five months, Ethan. Is either of these two interviews likely to bring you into the fold?”

Into Stacy’s idea of a family fold, Ethan realized. He struggled with the expression for a few moments.

“Uh…well, maybe.” He wasn’t completely out of money yet. And he’d return to the banking world as a last resort. He found banking—numbers, mortgages, interest rates and stock market going up and down—boring. Interacting with people, having fun playing his music as he’d done in college—that was much more satisfactory.

Sharon had never agreed, and he’d gone along with her idea of the family fold. He’d settled into a seventeen-year banking career that had pleased both her and her parents. Oh, yeah. He’d made the money….

For a long time, he and Sharon had lived a great up-and-coming young professional’s existence. He admitted he’d enjoyed part of it. They jaunted and partied, bought a mid-sized house in a snazzy lake community, and traded cars every three years. He liked to cook and often played chef for a host of friends, devising elaborate menus from TV chefs. People loved his dinners.

Sharon felt passionate about her career in retail upper management and had been happy enough to postpone having children. He’d been the nag, wanting children sooner rather than later, but he’d let Sharon choose her time. Then bing, bing, bing, three babies in less than five years.

And a year after Jordan was born, his wife had suddenly died of an unsuspected heart aneurysm.

Two years ago…two long years…rough years.

He’d plunged himself into caring for the children, getting through his demanding days at the bank with the promise of their welcoming smiles. For a long time that was enough. It kept him from crying too much, that unmanly pastime that he did only in the deepest night when nobody could see except God and himself.

His music soothed him, and from it he took encouragement. If only Stacy knew that he was digging himself out of the doldrums, she wouldn’t scold him so much.

The house was always in shambles, though. A series of housekeepers helped a little, and he wasn’t so pressured to run the vacuum or take care of laundry, but it seemed impossible to keep them.

Then this last year he’d slowly wakened to a feeling of overwhelming loneliness. He wanted adult company—needed other adults in his life. He also needed to change his life, make it count in a different way. Those feelings came just about the time his bank was merged into a larger one. His position disappeared, and he wondered—what next? Another bank?

He’d thought about it long and hard, for months now. He wanted a business of his own creation, one that appealed to him. And it would be totally different from banking.

Slowly a plan emerged.

He wanted a restaurant; not too large, and with a small lead staff. He wanted a corner stage for a live musical group to entertain customers. It was a leftover dream from his college days, he knew, and he wasn’t sure if he could make it work. But he wanted to try, to give it all he had. It would provide a place he could indulge his love of playing, of performing. It might not make him wealthy, but it would give him peace.

He’d tossed his ideas around with Mike Faraday. Mike had pointed out that perhaps God was giving him an opportunity for the change in his life that he desired.

To have a new beginning. And he agreed.

As his severance pay diminished, he’d sold the lakeside house and moved into smaller digs. Without Sharon, the fancy house felt too big, anyway. His profit from the sale gave him a financial cushion, but not enough to finance his restaurant scheme. He had to have solid backing, and he couldn’t go much longer without a steady income, either.

Maybe he was a dreamer. Sharon wouldn’t have approved, and neither had her parents when he’d mentioned the idea. He hadn’t a jot of restaurant experience, they pointed out, and his chances of failure were high. Plus, they argued, he had an obligation to support the children in a way that their daughter would have wanted.

Still, the dream only grew stronger.

“Daddy, Tony’s gonna hit me,” Bethany declared, her little chin thrust out as she glared at her brother. Her voice yanked Ethan back to the situation at hand.

“It’s mine,” Tony insisted. The boy squinted defiantly at his sister, his small hands balled into fists.

Ethan swooped Tony up by the waist just as he let a fist fly, missing Bethany by inches.

“Okay, Stacy…”

Without a word to Bethany, Ethan set the squirming Tony on his feet, yards away from his sister. Then he took the Game Boy out of her hands, leaving her to sputter, and put it high on a kitchen shelf in time out.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he said into the phone. “I’ll watch your two while you and that hubby of yours take a getaway weekend.”

“Now you’re talking,” Stacy crowed. “Fitch will be thrilled. Next weekend?”

“Ahh…next weekend…” He hedged, his thoughts rapidly reviewing his options. One whole weekend shot, but then he’d have achieved payback. And often, the kids fought less with their cousins around.

He hemmed a moment, then let his sister pounce.

“Next weekend, buddy boy, or it’s a no-go. Fitch and I need a break. Two days and two nights.”

“Two nights?” Hiding his elation, he teased her with an exaggerated groan. He couldn’t let his sister think she’d let him off too easy.

“Yep. Friday and Saturday. And you provide tonight’s pizza.”

“All right, you got it. I’ll see you soon.”

He’d drop his children at Stacy’s house on his way to pick up Lisa Marley.

Lisa wiped the last empty table in her station at the restaurant where she worked. The dinner rush in full swing, she headed toward the kitchen with a tray of dirty dishes. Returning, she refilled coffee cups for the lingering diners at table twelve, handed menus to the newly seated table ten, then checked the time. Thirty minutes till Sally came in at seven. Thirty minutes until her long shift ended.

She’d been on her feet since before the restaurant opened at six that morning. But Sally had needed a favor, and Lisa was glad for the extra time. Besides, tomorrow being Saturday, she’d work only a half shift.

And then on Sunday she could see Cecily. For two whole hours, she’d be allowed to play with her daughter. To hold her, talk to her. The thought was the only thing keeping her going….

Afterwards, maybe she’d borrow Uncle Fred’s truck again to drive out to the evening service at Blue River Valley Community Church. Beth Anne talked so lovingly of the members there, Lisa hoped…well, maybe some of them wouldn’t freak out if they knew she’d served time. She wouldn’t tell them, though, not if she could help it.

Fingering her pocketful of change, Lisa gauged it to be about five or six dollars. Enough to buy Cecily a book if she had the time and opportunity to run by a store. Her tips in bills amounted to forty-eight dollars. Pretty good for a no-alcohol-served family eating place. Saturdays were always good.

Night tips were better. She’d take nights quick as a blink, except Mrs. Braddock thought it better for her to work days until she’d proved herself. And a year under Mrs. Braddock’s watchful eye wasn’t forever, she reminded herself.

Waitressing didn’t pay as well as her office manager position had, and wasn’t the easiest job in the world. But no one questioned past references too closely, either. And Lisa was learning to be good at the work.

In all probability, she’d never become the cashier. Too many doubts from her manager. Nor would she gain another job as an accountant-slash-office manager. Most firms didn’t put much trust in a convicted embezzler.

Returning from filling salt shakers, she spotted a new customer at the counter. Ethan Vale.

His dark hair appeared loosely brushed and needed a trim. He folded his hands, resting them on the countertop as he acknowledged her slight nod. His mouth curved upward. She noted his short, clean nails. A man who kept his nails neat always impressed her.

“You’re early.” Without conscious thought, she smoothed the apron over the food-spattered white blouse. Perhaps it had been a mistake to agree to let him pick her up at work. She didn’t want people from New Beginnings coming in here, snooping. She didn’t want anyone at work to know of her personal life, either.

Besides, she hadn’t had a chance even to brush her hair since noon, much less check her makeup. She handed him a menu.

“Yeah, got lucky,” he said, flashing a half smile that did more than merely hint at charm. It lit his face with warmth and made her want to see that grin full-blown.

“Hope you know that’s the only luck you’ll get today,” she snapped. Too much charm made her jittery.

He chuckled, his light-brown eyes gleaming with humor. “Not that kind of luck. I’m not looking. Well, not right away, I’m not. What I mean is my sis offered to take my kids to an animated movie with hers. They’ll stay the night.”

At the mention of his children, Lisa let a twist of envy dissolve before saying, “That’s nice. But I can’t leave until my replacement comes in. Want something while you wait?”

“Like what?” He shrugged off his denim jacket as though to settle down.

“You aren’t eating supper here, are you?” Dismay was evident in her tone, and she could have kicked herself for making him aware of her turmoil.

He raised a brow. “Coffee will do.”

A surge of customers kept her busy after that. Sally rushed in, later than she’d promised, and by the time Lisa changed clothes in the ladies’ room, they were already late for the Bible Study.

Ethan waited for her out front.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as they reached Ethan’s car, aware she was falling into an old pattern of apologizing for something she couldn’t control.

Uncle Fred had dropped her off at work that morning. She hated to depend on anyone else for anything. It threw her into a panic of defense about causing so much bother. Men hated a bothersome woman.

“Was it your fault?”

“Not really, no.”

“Then you don’t have to apologize. You couldn’t leave before now or you’d have left your employer in a bind.”

She slid a glance his way. Did he really believe that or was he only being nice? She took a deep breath and let it out. He was right about one thing. She would no longer apologize for something that wasn’t her fault or that she couldn’t control.

“How far to Jimmy’s house?”

“Twenty minutes. Relax. It’s no big deal if we’re a little late.”

“So you say. It’ll be over soon after we get there.”

“On a Friday night? No one’s likely to rush home.”

True enough. Lisa hadn’t thought of that. “I have to be home by ten.”

“Ten?”

“Yes. Ten.”

“Why?”

“I just do.”

“Do you have a late date?”

Outraged, Lisa shot a glare his way. He stopped for a red light and returned her stare, his lids at half mast. “Well? It doesn’t matter to me, I only want to know, since we’re cutting our Bible Study down to a scant hour, what’s so important.”

“It’s not a late date, but even if it were, it wouldn’t be any of your business,” she practically growled at him. How dare this man question her? “It’s just something I have to do. Be home by ten. Every night.”

“That’s—”

“Don’t say it. If you can’t get me home by ten, then maybe you’d better let me out at the next convenience store with a phone.”

She had her hand on the door handle.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going to do that.”

“I’m not ridiculous, only realistic.”

“Leaving you stranded is ridiculous. Come on, Lisa. I’m sorry I was nosy. Sheesh! Lighten up, okay?”

“Fine. Let’s just forget it. What’s the study to cover tonight?”

He remained quiet for a moment.

“Dunno, but it wouldn’t hurt if we took a look at Corinthians. First, thirteen.”

“Why? What’s that?”

“Oh, you know. Love is patient, kind, not rude and so on…”

This wasn’t shaping up to be a fun evening, Lisa decided. That’s all she needed—someone else to lecture her.

“You pompous jerk. I—”

“Slow down, Lisa,” he said. “I meant me. I need that teaching. I couldn’t begin to judge whether you do or not. Only you would know your own state of mind. Now let’s call a truce, please?”

She remained silent as he parked the car in the lot, then led her to Jimmy’s townhouse. Once they were inside, they headed to opposite sides of the living room. Lisa found a place to sit on the floor with a cushion, remaining quiet throughout the ongoing Bible Scriptures and discussion.

At nine-thirty, while Ethan and Jimmy were totally absorbed in their music, Lisa quietly begged a ride home with Pam. Ethan didn’t even notice her leaving, she thought as she slipped out the door behind Pam. She’d left Cindy to tell Ethan he’d lost one passenger to gain another. Cindy didn’t have to be home until whatever hour she wanted.

“I sure appreciate this,” she told Pam. “This way Ethan can stay as long as he likes.”

“No problem,” said Pam. “My boys are older now, so I don’t have to rush right home. I can drop you off easily.”

Partying, even innocently, was a thing of the past for her, Lisa mused as she slid into Pam’s brown compact. She had to take all her activities seriously from now on. She had little room in her life for an irresponsible charmer.

At eleven-twenty, Uncle Fred’s phone rang. Uncle Fred didn’t own an answering machine, and he wouldn’t be home till the wee hours of the morning. It was unlikely the call was from anyone other than Ethan.

Lisa let the phone ring. Ethan could be as mad as a rain-slogged rooster, but it wouldn’t make a whit of difference to her. He’d go find another woman to charm.

Yet she counted the rings. Ten, eleven, twelve.

“Quitter,” she muttered after the last one died away.