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“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.”
Chapter Two
Anne came to stand beside Caleb. “Dylan? Isn’t that the boy the Givens family took in?”
Caleb nodded, thinking back to his conversation with the child yesterday afternoon—or the lack thereof. Dylan had been unusually quiet when Caleb had seen him at the center, staring at the TV set. He suspected the eleven-year-old hadn’t even known what show had been on. He’d tried to get Dylan to talk to him, but the boy had clamped his mouth shut, crossed his arms and glared at a spot on the floor in front of him.
Caleb dug into his pocket and retrieved his car keys. “I need to find him.” He started for the door.
“Do you want me to help?” Anne asked, taking a step forward.
He pivoted, a frown creasing his forehead. “No.”
The force behind that one word stiffened her spine.
“Sorry. That didn’t come out right.” Caleb kneaded the back of his neck. “I need you to stay here and get the kids started on the flyers. I hope I can find Dylan and be back soon.”
“What if he shows up here? Do you have a cell phone I can call you on?”
With a quick nod Caleb walked back to the table and scribbled his number down on a pad. “Call if you find out anything that might help.”
As Caleb left the room, Jeremy stood near the door, looking lost. An uncomfortable silence descended. Anne shifted from one foot to the other, not sure what to do. She knew from the girls who volunteered at the adoption agency that Jeremy was very popular at school, already a star athlete on the football team even though he was only a sophomore. When Gina talked about him, she got all starry-eyed, and Anne thought back to her days in high school and the few crushes she’d developed on unattainable boys. It hadn’t taken long for them to be crushed to the point she didn’t dream about the impossible—until Caleb had come along.
