So…he had competition?
Wow. Whoever it was was organized and thoughtful. Roland had to admit some respect for this person who was apparently trying to usurp his position as the Secret Saint. He had been bequeathed as the next Secret Saint by Judd himself. This person was stepping on his toes but in a good way. It was nice that his family was being helped, since he probably wouldn’t think to use his Secret Saint position to help anyone in his family. Although, Amy and Jones sometimes did struggle for money, because their shelter bills could become overwhelming. Jones, as a licensed veterinarian, could make a lot of money, but that didn’t negate the fact that it still cost a lot to take care of the shelter animals, even though Jones could donate his own time and skills for a lot of things that other shelters would have to pay for or depend on donations for.
“I heard the Johnson family has a huge bill to pay from the caraccident they had last summer, and they’re not sure how they’re going to buy heating fuel or firewood,” Summer said. “I’m curious to see if the Secret Saint is going to donate any. I sure wish I knew who it was, because I don’t have any firewood, but I would donate money in order for them to purchase some.”
“It’s fun to think of someone doing things anonymously, isn’t it?” Charity said, nodding.
It sure was. Roland had to agree with that. He pretended to pull on his other boot while he continued to listen to their conversation talking about the Johnsons. He was already planning a firewood delivery for that evening. He had prepared carefully to make sure that he avoided detection. He would wait until his mom had gone to bed for the evening, and he’d already had the load of firewood that he was going to take sitting at the Christmas tree farm lot out of sight behind a shed.
He looked forward to loading up his pickup and taking it there. But it was going to take several hours, and he wanted to be able to get started as soon as he possibly could. He was determined to beat whoever this other Secret Saint might be and fill that need first.
He was pretty sure he had the best connections, because there wasn’t anyone else in Mistletoe Meadows who had the family he did.
Sometimes it was a bit of a pain to have so many older siblings, and then sometimes, like now, it was a blessing.
He tightened the tie on his boot, pulled his pant leg down, and slowly stood.
“Thanks for the meal,” he said to Summer and Gilbert as they helped his mom into her coat.
“It’s always nice of you to come. I know you’re single, and you could probably find a lot of other better things to do on a Friday night, but it’s nice to have you show up.”
“Oh, I don’t know that there are too many better things to do than spend the evening with family. And the kids are cute. That helps.”
“Don’t you let him fool you. It’s the food that brings him every time,” Gilbert said with a smirk.
Roland lifted his shoulder. In times past, that probably would have been true. But now it was more like the family gossip brought him.
He laughed a little to himself, because it wasn’t true. He loved his family and would always appreciate getting to spend time with them. But the gossip was definitely a perk right now.
He took his mom’s arm, and they started out the door. He helped her into the car, and she gave a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping, her head falling back against the headrest.
He walked around his truck thoughtfully.
After starting his pickup and moving out onto the road, knowing it was a short ride home, he didn’t wait very long before he said, “Mom?”
“Hmm?” she said, her head still back and her eyes closed.
“Have you been feeling okay? I mean, is there something that you want to talk about regarding your health?”
That felt really odd coming out, especially toward his mom, but he didn’t know how else to say it. He thought there was something going on, and short of saying, “I think you need to see a doctor,” he didn’t know how to phrase it.
“My goodness, no. I’m just fine. Why?” his mom said, lifting her head, opening her eyes, and putting a fake cheerful smile on.
He knew that smile. It was the kind of smile that she put on her face after getting six kids ready for church and fighting every one of them when they didn’t want to get up on Sunday morning.
She didn’t have to wear that smile too often, but he definitely recognized it.
“Mom. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling fine. But sometimes I do worry a little bit about you. I mean, I love that you’re living with me, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world, but I hope you’re not here just because you think I need you.”
“No. But I do think you need me.”
“I do. But I wouldn’t want you to stay with me and not do what you feel like God wants you to do with your life because you’re too busy staying with me. You know?”
“Don’t worry. If God wants me to move, I’m sure that He will show me, and I’m not going to say no to Him.”
He paused and then tried another tack. “But since I’m living with you, and I see you every day, I feel like maybe you’re not facing the fact that there might be something wrong with you?”
