Chapter 4
After another enjoyable walk, following the sheriff’s instructions this time, Amy stood on Miss Faith’s front porch. Though not as large as the Youngs’ house, it was a beautiful home in another nice neighborhood.
Does Providence even have any undesirable neighborhoods?
Like the Youngs’ house, colorful flower beds lined the front walk. For some reason, the sight made Amy long for a normal family in a normal home—something she’d never had—in a normal small town. Ignoring the tightness in her chest, she rang the doorbell and waited with Kallie on her hip.
The door opened to reveal a petite, slender, familiar woman with a welcoming smile. Doing a double take, Amy stepped back and stared at the house, then at the woman again.
“Um... I’m looking for... Faith?” It sounded odd stammering her words out as a question, but Amy couldn’t hide her confusion. The woman in the doorway looked exactly like Ben’s aunt and mother.
“I’m Faith.” The woman took Amy’s hand and pulled her through the door before letting go. “You must be Amy, and that would make this little angel, Kallie.” She stroked Kallie’s cheek. “You’re every bit as beautiful as everyone said.”
“Excuse me?” Amy asked, trying to put things together in her mind. Charity and Hope weren’t twins as she’d earlier supposed, but rather Faith, Hope, and Charity were triplets. Why hadn’t Hope mentioned she had another sister?
Not only did her daughter have a strange effect on people in this town, they were also not entirely forthcoming about their relationships to one another. Did they enjoy seeing outsiders’ confusion as they struggled to unravel the mystery of three different women who looked the same?
“Charity called to tell me Ben had brought a pretty woman and her daughter into the diner for breakfast, which surprised us all, of course. Then later, Hope called and told me you would be staying with them and how beautiful your daughter is.” Faith sucked in a quick breath before continuing. “You must think we’re such gossips, but that’s not the case. We’re just so happy.”
Amy’s brain struggled to keep up with Faith’s ramblings. The man was married. Why was everyone so pleased he had taken her to the diner? Amy wanted to ask Faith, but the woman rambled on as she led them to a sunny kitchen where sandwiches, soup, and fruit lay on the oak table.
Amy protested, but Faith insisted they sit down and eat.
“It’s lunchtime. Besides, it’s always easiest to get to know one another over a meal, especially with little ones.” She motioned to a booster seat strapped to a dining chair.
Amy attempted to eat, though she was still full from breakfast. They talked as they ate. Gratefully, Faith did most of the talking while Amy listened, relieved Faith didn’t ask questions she didn’t want to answer.
“This house actually belongs to Charity. I moved in with her after her husband, Richard, died from a heart attack six months ago. I’ve been a widow for almost two years myself, and I didn’t want Charity to be alone. She has three sons, but none of them live at home anymore. The oldest two, from Richard’s first marriage, live here in Providence with their wives and children. Steven has two children, ages four and two, and Matt has a three-year-old. Charity and Richard’s youngest son, Damon, is in the military and currently stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.”
The steady stream of information coming from Faith left Amy reeling.
Faith continued to share random details about her family and the town of Providence. Occasionally, she asked Amy a question about herself and Kallie. Amy kept her answers brief, offering what little information she deemed necessary. If Faith noticed Amy’s reticence to talk, she didn’t show it.
Their conversation eventually turned to Amy’s new job and her need for a babysitter.
“Sheriff Winters said you’re the best babysitter in town.” Amy picked up her glass and took a drink of water.
“He’d better say that,” Faith chuckled. “I’m his mother.”
Amy choked on her water, trying not to spit it all over the table. That meant the sheriff was Ben’s cousin. She hadn’t seen the resemblance other than both men were tall. They certainly didn’t get that attribute from their petite mothers. Was Ben as good looking under that beard as his cousin? She pictured a younger version of the distinguished Dr. Young and suspected he might be.
Faith laughed at Amy’s surprise. “Robert can be a tease. He probably thought he was being funny by not telling you he’d sent you to his mother.”
“So, do you tend other children?” Amy asked, pushing away thoughts of Ben. She’d expected Miss Faith to be running a daycare if she was the best babysitter in town.
“I watch Charity’s grandchildren occasionally, but I don’t tend any children on a regular basis. Everyone in town knows how much I love babies, since I spend most of my free time volunteering in the nursery at the hospital. Robert knows I’d never forgive him if he didn’t send you my way. My own children haven’t seen fit to give me any grandchildren, so I have to find them anywhere I can.”
Did Faith have any idea what she was getting herself into? A fondness for children and rocking sleeping newborns didn’t qualify a person to care for a toddler for eight hours a day, even a toddler as well-behaved as Kallie.
Faith smiled. “You see, I’m a nurse, or at least I used to be. I retired a few years ago to take care of my husband when he had a stroke. After he passed away, I didn’t feel like going back to nursing full-time. But I miss the babies, so I volunteer whenever I get the chance. In a small town like this, the nursery isn’t exactly crowded, so I find projects to keep me busy.” She smiled at Kallie and stroked her cheek. “This little angel will no doubt give me some distraction and entertainment.”
Amy’s reservations about Faith caring for Kallie dissipated. “How much do you charge?” Amy asked, then rushed to clarify, “I won’t get a paycheck for two or three weeks.”
Faith waved a hand. “Don’t you worry about that. If I needed money, I’d have gone back to nursing.”
“I wouldn’t feel right about letting you take care of Kallie without paying you.”
“Well, I’ll think about it, but don’t stress over it.”
