Chapter 12
“You have no idea how grateful I am, Faith. Please let me pay you for taking such good care of Kallie.”
Amy hadn’t expected to get paid for another week, so Robert surprised her when he dropped an envelope, containing her first paycheck, on her desk that afternoon. She’d cashed it and was anxious to pay her debts and start planning for the future. Her first goal was to save enough money for a deposit on an apartment. She didn’t want to have to rely on the Youngs’ generosity any longer than necessary.
“I neither want, nor do I need your money. I do it because I love little ones.” Faith planted a kiss on Kallie’s cheek.
“There must be something I can do to show my appreciation.”
“Give back to the community, dear.”
This took Amy by surprise. She loved this community. Was that what made it such a wonderful place to live? Everyone gave back.
“I would love to give to the community. How do I donate? Do I go to the city offices?”
Faith laughed. “I suppose you could. But I had something else in mind.”
Amy’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“Every year, on the first Saturday in November, Providence holds the Fall Festival,” Faith said. “It draws a large crowd, not only from Providence but also from neighboring counties. We serve a spaghetti dinner, with carnival games, raffles, and prize drawings. We work all year long, making crafts to sell and quilts to auction.” She explained how the money raised funded improvement projects for the hospital, the schools, and community. “It would be wonderful if you’d help make quilts and other crafts.”
“I’d love to help, but I don’t sew, and I know nothing about quilting.”
“There’s plenty to do besides sewing. We’re having a planning meeting tomorrow. Please say you’ll come and help. You can bring Kallie along.”
“Sure, I’ll come.” Amy hoped she wasn’t volunteering for something she couldn’t handle.
“It’s lots of fun, but also a lot of work.”
Amy left full of excitement and trepidation.Do I really have any skills to contribute?
Before going home, she stopped at the repair shop, hoping to catch Ben, so she could pay on her car repair. As she unbuckled Kallie from her car seat, she caught sight of Debbie driving away in her Porsche, a smug look on her face.
She walked into the open service bay and spotted a mechanic named Scott, according to the tag on his shirt, who looked like an older version of Rudy.
“Is Ben here?”
Scott motioned over his shoulder to a door at the back of the garage. Obviously, not talkative like Rudy.
Amy stepped to the door and paused, shifting Kallie on her hip. She was probably the last person Ben wanted to see right now, except perhaps Debbie Wheeler.
Making a payment had sounded like a good idea a few minutes ago, but as Amy stood a few feet from Ben’s office, her palms grew damp, and her heart raced as she recalled the kiss they shared last night. Would those few incredible moments change the easy camaraderie they’d developed?
Yes. Kissing changes everything.
She wanted that easy-going Ben back, not the one who’d sat in his truck, no doubt berating himself. And though she’d like to forget the kiss ever happened, she had a feeling that would be impossible.
* * *
Ben satwith his elbows propped on his tidy desk, rubbing his temples. This office and his apartment upstairs were the two areas of his life where he hadn’t totally lost control. Chaos reigned everywhere else.
For the first time ever, he’d welcome Debbie’s intrusion, hoping it would force him to think about something other than Amy. But Debbie had flirted incessantly, sitting on the corner of his desk with her plunging neckline at his eye level, leaning toward him, and rubbing her hand up his arm.
A shudder rippled through him. She must feel threatened by Amy’s presence at his parent’s house, because she’d doubled her efforts to get his attention.
The woman would not take ‘no’ for an answer. It’s bad enough she brought her car in almost weekly, but the level of maintenance needed at the house lately annoyed him. Debbie must go around with a screwdriver and wrench loosening screws and pipes and shaking light bulbs. Her creativity in getting him to come to the house drove him crazy. He was tempted to hire a handyman to take care of her problems.
He raised his head at a soft knock.
