Читать книгу Mommy in Training - Shelley Galloway - Страница 14

Sunday dawned bright and beautiful with yet another argument. Minnie was beginning to think that the sun wouldn’t come out without a whole lot of fussing from a certain curly-haired five-year-old. “You’ve got to come out of the bathroom sooner or later,” Minnie called out from her side of the door. “There’s no food in there.”

“I don’t care. I don’t wanna go to church.”

They’d already gone through this. Several times. “You don’t have a choice. It’s what we do on Sundays. Besides, last week you said you had fun.”

“I don’t remember sayin’ that.”

“I do. Come on, I bet some of those girls can’t wait to say hi.”

A pause lasted just long enough for Minnie to think she had won. Then all reason went out the window. “George should be able to go, too. I don’t want to leave him here.”

“Guinea pigs can’t go to Sunday school. You know that.”

“Then I’m gonna stay here, too. I want to be with George.”

Minnie tried the door handle one more time. Shoot, it was still locked. And because she was tired and frazzled and sick to death of trying to do her best, even when she didn’t know what that was, she snapped. “Kimber, if you don’t start listening, George is going to have to leave us and go to another home. The home of a little girl who minds.”

“Nooo!”

The scream and the wails that followed on its heels made Minnie feel like the Wicked Witch of the West.

And, the worst of all things, a liar. Minnie didn’t think she’d ever be able to actually give away that silly little guinea pig. George was pudgy and cute and almost cuddly.

Minnie supposed this was what she got for giving in to Kimber’s constant request for a pet. In a moment of true weakness, she’d bought the fifteen-dollar guinea pig and forty dollars’ worth of guinea pig supplies.

Kimber loved him, and that made Minnie happy. But after finally receiving what she wanted, Kimber had moved on to the next item on her willful agenda.

“Kimber, you’re going to have to learn to leave George home sometimes. He needs his sleep and you need to be with your friends. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t have any friends at church.”

No, she didn’t. And that’s why she needed to keep going to Sunday school. The teacher had confided that after a rough beginning, things were finally on an upward swing. Minnie was about to deliver yet another ultimatum when Kimber shouted, “There’s Matt! Hi, Matt!” Minnie heard a creak and a groan as the bathroom window slowly slid upward. “Hi, Matt! You coming over?”

His voice echoed through the crack below the door. “Maybe.”

“Please come over. Now. Minnie’s being so mean.”

“I find that hard to believe. Your Aunt Minnie’s about the sweetest person I know.”

“Not today she’s not.”

Minnie heard Matt’s boots on the front porch. Great. Just who she needed to see…the other person in her life who was attempting to drive her crazy.

After knocking a few times, Matt turned the knob and peeked in. “Minnie, how you doing?”

She leaned against the wall. “About how you might expect.”

“She wearing you out?” Minnie felt his eyes roam over her for a second before meeting her gaze. “Can I help?”

Her insides warred. She wanted some reinforcement, but she didn’t want Matt…did she? When Kimber kicked something in the bathroom, the offer of assistance won out. “Maybe. We’re in the midst of yet another battle. I seem to be losing.” Again.

His lips twitched, telling Minnie that her Kimber problems were not a surprise. “What’s this one about?”

“Sunday school, her lack of friends and one pudgy orange guinea pig.” A little more loudly, Minnie said, “Kimber, you’re about to be in a heap of trouble, and once more, Matt’s going to see you be in it.”

“You’re in trouble, too. I don’t like you, Aunt Minnie.”

Words from a fuming five-year-old weren’t supposed to hurt so much, but they did. Minnie closed her eyes to keep from reacting in front of Matt.

But obviously she wasn’t doing a very good job. “Hey,” he murmured, stepping a little closer. Close enough for Minnie to smell his aftershave and see the faint shadow of his beard. With the edge of a callused thumb, he gently brushed a wayward tear from her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”

Even though she didn’t like him—Correction. Even though she didn’t want to like him, Minnie accepted his touch. “I know. I’m just tired of constantly battling.”

“One day, Kimber will be tired of it, too.”

“Promise?”

“I’ve been where she is, more or less. I promise.” After treating Minnie to one more reassuring smile, Matt stepped over to the door, rapped a knuckle against the wood and deepened his voice. “Kimber, I heard every mean word you’ve been saying, and I have to tell you, I’m kind of shocked. Little ladies don’t speak to their elders that way.”

After a pause, Kimber answered. “They don’t?” Her voice was small and insecure.

“No, they don’t. Nice girls remember how to listen and say yes, ma’am. Especially with people who love them.”

“But Minnie’s going to take George away.”

“George?”

“The guinea pig,” Minnie provided.

Matt’s blue eyes danced for a moment before he knocked on the door again. “Open up this door. If you still have that window open, I bet George is about to have heat stroke.”

One minute later, the lock clicked and the knob turned. Out peered a very flushed and freckled face. “I’m going to come out now.”

Matt crossed his arms. “It’s about time.”

Face all splotchy, Kimber stepped out, holding a cage tightly. “Minnie, are ya really going to send George away?”

“I should.”

Kimber pulled on Matt’s cuff. “Tell her no.”

“Why do you think I should say that?”

“Because Minnie likes you.”

Minnie felt her cheeks heat. “Don’t bring Matt into this.”

Kimber puffed up her chest like a medieval warrior. “But Matt, don’t you see—”

Matt looked tempted. But then he shook his head. “You’re making us late.”

“Are you going to church, too?”

“I am.”

“Really? Why?”

“Learn to be agreeable, Kimber.” Minnie felt her control on the situation slipping, which was actually pretty laughable, because she really didn’t have any control at all. She didn’t know what she was doing with Kimber. She didn’t know how to act around Matt Madigan.

Before Kimber and Matt had come back into her life, she’d thought she’d had everything she could handle with Carried Away.

Which just went to show what happened when you started thinking that everything was going to be just fine. Trouble came along. In spades.

Kimber was back to fighting about church. “I don’t wanna go. I never get to do what I wanna do.”

Minnie stifled a moan. Did that statement come from sheer willfulness and disappointment at their current argument, or was she speaking of other things? Like the fact that she’d been moved across the country and was still having to adjust to new people, new faces and new rules?

Kimber wasn’t spoiled, but she definitely had a stubborn streak, not unlike Paige’s. Added to the mix was the fact that she was still grieving. It sometimes made the simplest of decisions major battles.

And because the counselors had said that the best thing for dealing with losses like that was a firm, steady hand, Minnie did her best to be that way. “Kimber, we’re not going through this again. Say goodbye to Matt and go put George down.”

“But—”

“Or I’m going to pick up the phone and start calling everyone I know who might want him.”

After glaring at Minnie, Kimber looked sorrowfully Matt’s way. “Bye, Matt.”

“Bye, Kimber.” As the little girl marched to her room, Matt glanced at Minnie. Now that they were alone, she once again felt the tension that seemed to sizzle between them, just under the surface. “You going to be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.”

“No problem, Min. No problem at all.”

MATT HAD JUST SETTLED into the back pew and picked up a hymnal when his cell phone started vibrating. Quickly he fished it out of his pocket and noticed that it was Ben Lambright, the vice president of finance at SavNGo. This call had to be taken.

With a couple of nods in the direction of the folks around him, none looking too pleased that he was getting up and leaving before the service had even started, he moved to the entryway and answered. “Madigan.”

“Hi, Matt. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

With another nod toward the people entering, Matt pushed open the wide oak doors and trotted out to the parking lot, the bright sun blinding him as he did. “Not at all, Ben.” After all, if a guy at his level in the company was working on a Sunday morning, Matt couldn’t very well say he didn’t want to work either. Could he? “How may I help you?”

“I’ve got some bad news. Second-quarter earnings are about to be announced. They’re not good, Matt.” He paused. “I’ve been told to tell you that we’re going to need to rebid all the subcontractors for Store 35.”

Matt had been through this before. Although the chain was huge, the board and financial officers watched every transaction like a hawk. Two years ago in Arkansas, they’d had to rebid, too. But in Arkansas, he hadn’t known a lot of the subcontractors. Asking people to rebid had just been business. This felt vastly different. “All of them?”

Papers shuffled in the background. “All the contracts that haven’t begun. You know the drill, Matt. Explain the situation and tell them they’re going to have to rebid.”

“But—”

“They’ll do it, they always do. Cement poured yet?”

“It’s scheduled for end of next week.”

“Keep the cement contractors, but tell everyone else that we need lower bids, pronto.”

“Yes. All right.” Matt’s shoulders slumped. He’d fought like hell to get Store 35 built in Crescent View.

“It’s going to be busy. I appreciate your extra time on this, Matt. You’ve got quite a reputation of sticking to budget and getting things done the way we want them. I know you’ll meet our expectations for Store 35, as well.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” After a few words about baseball, they hung up. Matt slumped against his truck, deflated.

Nearby, a car zipped into the parking lot and a couple hurriedly unbuckled and then ran into the building, just as the faint hum of the organ and church choir started drifting his way. Folding his arms across his chest, Matt figured his spot outside felt somewhat typical. Once again, he was standing on the outside, looking in.

He’d brought the supercenter to town as a way of trying to do good. Of trying to show everyone that he was worth something. He’d contracted friends of his and local businesses, in an effort to spark the local economy and fire up hope in everyone.

Now he would have to tell Lane that he was going to have to rebid, and most likely wouldn’t have near the money he’d planned to have in the bank. His journey into the community’s good graces was about to get bumpy.

In fact, the only saving grace seemed to be Kimber, who came over to visit Wanda a lot, and therefore him. Little Kimber who liked him but was so fragile, her moods were mercurial and ever changing.

Kind of like his, come to think of it. More often than not, Matt found himself rethinking every decision these days. He wanted to do the right thing for SavNGo. He wanted to do the right thing for Wanda.

But he also wanted to show everybody that he was just as successful and worthy as they thought he was. Even though inside he didn’t feel worthy at all…just a fake.

And then there was the whole Minnie thing. He found her attractive. He found himself thinking about her at odd times, in the middle of the night. Or in the morning, when he had a cup of coffee outside by Wanda’s pool.

He wondered about his attraction to Paige’s little sister. Was it because she reminded him of Paige?

Or because she was a link to the past?

Or because he felt bad that the store he’d pushed into Crescent View was going to put her business in jeopardy?

Or was it none of those things? Was he merely attracted to her because she touched something in him that made him feel valued and good inside, and worth more than his dad had ever guessed? He wanted her to need him. He wanted to be her protector.

Minnie Clark, the darling of the neighborhood, her family and the town, still seemed so alone.

Was he the only one who thought that was strange?