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Once she had placed all the angels, she said, “Now, I need the speaking shepherd.” She glanced at her chart. “Hunter Jones.”
“I don’t want a talking part,” he said from the perimeter of the group.
To push or not to push? Some children just needed a bit of encouragement. Hunter didn’t have the look of someone seeking that little nudge. “Okay. But could you stand here for me until I can get someone else?”
He nodded and then let her lead him to his spot.
Once she had him all set, she patted his head and thanked him. His hair was like silk. Dark and straight, just like his mother’s. He had her hazel eyes as well.
A pain she’d pushed into submission for so long tried to work its way into her chest, but she wouldn’t let it. How could looking at Hunter, a reminder of Gregory and Delia’s betrayal, possibly hurt her over fifteen years later? She should have been over him years ago.
By the time she finished posing the children and working to teach them several songs, the parents started to arrive. “Children, thank you so much for working so hard today. I’ll see you next time.”
The kids played while waiting for their parents. Of course, Hunter stood off by himself. And she realized she needed to talk to Gregory about encouraging Hunter to keep his speaking role. Maybe if she kept their conversation strictly pageant-related, she could remain objective. Could remain personally uninvolved.
By the time twenty minutes passed, though, she was quickly becoming personally involved.
“See, I told you,” Hunter said.
“Come on. I’ll call your granddad.” Since Hunter didn’t know Harry’s phone number, she had to go find a directory. When she told Harry what had happened, he sighed and apologized, then said he’d be right there.
It was a sunny day and fairly mild for December, so she locked up the building and waited out front with the boys.
Harry pulled up to the curb in a couple of minutes. She walked the boys to the car. “Hi, Mr. Jones.”
“I’m sorry to delay you.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all.” The waiting wasn’t a problem, at least. But Hunter’s disappointment was.
Hunter climbed in the back of the car and buckled himself in his booster seat. “Where’s Dad?”
“I just talked to him. He got a call about taking down a dead tree.”
“But he said he would get us today.”
Sarah helped Chase in the other side and tried to guard her heart against the dejection on Hunter’s face.
“I know, son,” Harry said. “Your dad is a busy man, trying to make a living to take good care of you boys.” He twisted around to look back at Hunter. “And hey, guess what? We get to hang out together today. And you’re going to spend the night with me, so you don’t have to wake up and go to your house tonight.” Harry made a big production of looking excited.
Hunter didn’t buy it. Tears welled up in his eyes. “But I want to sleep in my bed,” he yelled, then turned his head into his seat and cried.
His pain was palpable, and she wanted more than anything to just smile and walk away. But she couldn’t do that any more than she could have walked away and skipped Peter’s funeral like her mind had screamed for her to do.
She reached across Chase to rub Hunter’s back.
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of him,” Harry said. “He’s having a hard time since Lindsay moved to Boston. She was like a mother to the kids, and we’re muddling our way through.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jones. I wish I could help.”
As they drove away, heaviness settled over her. A feeling of helplessness like she’d felt as Peter declined so rapidly.
But what could she do to help Hunter and Chase? Volunteer to be their mom?
Gregory needed to know what was going on. Surely he didn’t have any idea what his absence was doing or he would make more of an effort to be at home.
Of course, in her experience, he wasn’t very dependable. He’d flitted from her to Delia in the blink of an eye. But she liked to think he would have grown up by now.
As soon as Harry’s car turned the corner, she dug her cell phone out of her purse and called Donna Rae. “How are you feeling?”
“Bored.”
“Well, try to rest and enjoy the break.”
“Yeah, right.”
Though she didn’t want to worry Donna Rae, she knew she had to bring up the incident with Hunter. “Hey, I had a little problem with Hunter today. He refused his speaking part. Then when he found out Harry was taking him home to spend the night, he threw a fit and cried.”
“Poor little guy.”
“Do you think it’s the fact that Lindsay is gone, or is it the time Gregory’s away because of work?”
“Both, I imagine. He needs Gregory now more than ever.”
Yes, Gregory needed to know what his overtime was doing to his son. Maybe it would help if she told him about Peter. About how he’d spent most of every day at school or with a nanny. How his parents had provided all the best, but he’d had no interest in the “stuff,” had wanted only time with his mom and dad. And how his parents learned the hard way—after it was too late.
“Donna Rae, could you give me Gregory’s phone number? I think I’m going to have to talk to him.”
“Sure, hon. That’s probably a good idea.”
She jotted the numbers on a slip of paper, then after hanging up, programmed them in her cell phone.
Money, or the lack thereof, had always been important to Gregory. But it seemed he was doing fine now. Why work all that overtime for gifts that would mean nothing to the boys after the first five minutes when what was truly important could be taken away at any time?
She climbed into her car, pressed a hand against her thumping heart and forced herself to dial his cell phone.
“Gregory Jones.”
Oh, my. His deep, baritone voice had always done crazy things to her stomach. “Hello, Gregory. This is Sarah.”
“Hey, I’m sorry I was late. Did Dad get there yet?”
“Yes. But we had a little problem today, and I thought you’d like to know about it. That is, if you have a minute.”
“Can’t right now.” He huffed as if he was lifting something. “But I’ve got to run to town in an hour.”
She could visit Donna Rae and gather her thoughts. “Okay. How about meeting in the church parking lot in an hour.”
“Fine.” He cut off the connection.
Gregory found her lone car in the back parking lot. He hopped out and went around to her passenger side, opened the door and climbed into the pure luxury.
The car wasn’t brand spanking new, though. He’d heard that her dad bought it for her when she graduated from college. Or maybe it was when she got her master’s degree. He’d tried not to listen to town gossip through the years.
Especially when it had to do with Sarah. It was too painful.
“So Hunter gave you a hard time?” he asked.
“No, he didn’t act out. He just didn’t want to have a speaking part.” Then she described his refusal and the fit he threw for his granddad.
He ran a hand through his hair. “He’s been like a different child since Lindsay moved. Quiet, sad…”
“Donna Rae told me it’s been hard on them. Is he usually as sunny a personality as Chase?”
“Well, no. He wasn’t so affectionate. But he was very active and talkative.”
And now he walked around like a pitiful, quiet little thing. And Gregory had no idea what to do about it.
Could Sarah, with her experience, maybe help?
Was he desperate enough to ask?
Even though the car was off and she wasn’t driving, she gripped the steering wheel tightly and faced out the front window. “I hate to seem like I’m prying, but I’m wondering if there’s more to it.”
“Like what?” he snapped.
“I’m not trying to be accusatory. I’m just concerned.”
“Well, they’ve had a rough few years.”
She faced him, but still didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Has Delia had any contact with the kids?”
What a question for her to ask. How could he tell Sarah, of all people, that he’d failed as a husband? That no matter what he’d done—including marital counseling—he hadn’t been able to keep his wife happy, because she knew he only asked her out because Sarah hurt him. That no matter how hard he tried, he’d never love Delia like he’d loved Sarah.
It might help Hunter. She might have advice.
“No contact at all for the last couple of years. And she’s been gone since right after Chase was born. So he doesn’t even remember her.” He sighed as he shook his head. “But Hunter does. And now with Lindsay—married and living far away, he’s had a terrible time.”
“Your dad told me Lindsay was like a mother to them. I imagine it’ll take a while to adjust.”
“I knew it wasn’t good to depend on my sister so much, but she was single and had the time. And she loved them like they were her own. When she left, they both cried every night, so we’d have to call her and have her tell them goodnight. But then it got better. Briefly.”
She looked right at him with her gorgeous brown eyes. “Have you been working more overtime lately? Maybe it would help if you spent more time with them.”
He saw it, then. The pity.
He hated pity. “My work schedule has nothing to do with it.”
“Well, I think maybe it could. Please just think about it.”
Of course, she’d only seen the worst—hungry kids at a meeting and him standing up his family at Minnie’s. He slung open the car door. “Why do you suddenly seem interested in my life, anyway? You haven’t been around in years.”
“I, uh…well, I’ve had students with parents who work all the time. I’ve seen them regret it later.”
If there was one thing he’d learned from his past, it was to not let Sarah’s opinion sway his decisions. But it galled him to have her think badly of him. “My boys aren’t your students. So leave them well enough alone.” He got out and closed the door nicely when he wanted to slam it off the hinges.
He steamed all the way to his truck and indulged in slamming his door. But once inside, he realized he was steaming mad because she’d pretty much hit the nail on the head.
He had been working a lot of evenings lately. But there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. He had employees to take care of. Customers to take care of. A business to run—and to grow. Not to mention a household to run.
He was doing the best he could for his boys, and he didn’t need his ex-girlfriend telling him how to raise them.
Sarah’s hands shook as she drove home. Was she meddling as he’d insinuated? He was right that she hadn’t been around or involved in their lives.
So why did she care what he did?
Hunter’s dejected expression plastered itself in her mind, and she couldn’t shake it loose.
Miss Radcliffe, why do Albert’s and Tyrone’s and a bunch of other moms and dads come to our class parties but mine don’t? Peter’s little voice echoed in her head.
She’d tried to explain how they were working to give him the best of everything. But he never could get past the fact that his mom and dad were absent parents.
Miss Radcliffe, I sure do need a hug today, he’d said at least once a week. At first, the comment cracked her up, because it was not the request of the typical kindergartner. But the more she hugged him, the more she’d grown to need the hugs.
And now she felt like she was watching a replay, watching Gregory and his sons travel down that same road. Even though Harry was in the picture and was family, it apparently wasn’t enough for Hunter. He wanted more time with his dad.
Was there anything she could do? To somehow bring Gregory and his boys together before Christmas? If she did, Gregory was certain not to like it.
Yes, she had to do something. Her conscience wouldn’t let her do otherwise.
She looked at the calendar in her cell phone and counted dated blocks. Twelve days until Christmas Eve and their pageant.
Twelve days…. An idea began to blossom.
She took a deep breath as she envisioned those empty blocks on her calendar and began to brainstorm ideas to fill them with activities for Gregory and his sons. But could she pull it off? It would take a lot of strength to spend that kind of time around Gregory.
Strength she might not have right now.
Thank you for bringing my mom and dad here. They even spent the night. We pretended we were staying in a tent. Peter had smiled at her from his hospital bed, happy even while needles and tubes stuck into his body, so sure she’d had something to do with his parents’ change of heart. But, no, a terminal diagnosis had seen to that.
Hunter’s sad, angry face flashed through her mind.
Yes, she had to do it. For Hunter.
For Peter.
Though she’d been powerless in Peter’s situation, at least she had time to try to make a difference in Hunter’s and Chase’s lives. To make sure Gregory spent time with his sons. Every single day. For the twelve days till Christmas.
Chapter Four
