“May I do that,” she corrected in what must have been her best schoolteacher voice. “And if you want a bun, you can have it.”
“But I’ll have to eat the vegetables, too.” He presented it as a statement, but it was really a question.
“Yes, young man.” She made him a plate and set it in front of him with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and summer squash. Then she got up and a moment later set a hamburger bun in front of him. The boy smiled and took it, proceeding to lift the slice of meatloaf and put it on the bread.
“Would you like a bun, too?” she asked Sheldon.
“No, thank you.”
She took her seat again. The smell of the food was making his mouth water. Sheldon hadn’t seen so much food in one place in a long time. And it was simple food. Not pheasant, coq au vin or arroz con pollo. Yet it looked like a feast to him.
She piled his plate with large portions. Instead of a bun, she added biscuits and checked with him to see if he wanted gravy on his potatoes. Sheldon nodded. When she passed the plate and they bowed their heads in prayer, he was truly thankful.
He wondered if she pitied him, too, if his thin body had triggered this invitation. Sheldon didn’t bother to analyze it too closely. He was hungry and he was going to eat as if he appreciated every single mouthful.
And he did. He’d never appreciated food as much as he did tonight.
* * *
A COUPLE OF days later the heat and humidity had given way to comfortable weather. Sheldon walked into town. He was low on supplies and needed to replenish his stash of canned goods. After having dinner with Audrey and Christian, he longed for better food, but he couldn’t afford it. He carried a basket so he wouldn’t make the mistake of buying more than he could comfortably carry. It was a mile back to the marina and only once had he barely made it with the bags he was carrying.
Picking up some fresh carrots and broccoli, he knew he could eat them raw or with a little salad dressing. He stood in front of the bottles of dressing debating whether or not he should spend the money on one. He didn’t really need it. Deciding against it, he turned. Audrey stood at the end of the aisle and was now coming toward him.
“Hello,” she said, her voice both surprised and happy.
“I was just doing a little shopping,” Sheldon said.
She glanced at the basket in his hand. He was glad to have chosen the fresh vegetables.
“I don’t need much,” he said to explain so few items in his basket.
Audrey nodded as if she understood, but Sheldon knew she didn’t. How could a woman with a decent salary understand his needs for the bare necessities of life. It was why he kept to himself. He didn’t want to have to explain his life or his lifestyle. And he didn’t want charity. It wasn’t that it was beneath him. Sheldon had eaten at homeless shelters and accepted handouts when he had none.
But he was standing on his own feet now. He had a job, however humble. And he did for himself. Not even Jason would have thought he could survive in a world outside of the Kendall. But he was proving him wrong. Even if Jace didn’t know it.
“I want to thank you for dinner the other night. I really enjoyed it.”
“It was my pleasure. I hope you’ll come again.”
“I can’t,” he said. The words were out before he could stop them.
“Why?” she asked.
Sheldon searched for the right words.
“Is it because of the food? Something you don’t like?” Audrey asked.
“The food was delicious. The best I’ve had in a long time,” he assured her.
She smiled. “Does it have anything to do with Christian?”
“He’s a wonderful child and I enjoy being around him.”
“Then what is it?” Audrey asked.
“It’s hard to explain. I can’t tell you about it now.”
“All right,” she said, but she didn’t give up. “How about you tell me about it as I drive you home?”
Sheldon looked confused.
“My car is in the parking lot. As far as I know, you don’t have one and it’s a long walk back to the marina.”
“I like to walk,” he said.
“Oh, stop being a martyr and accept help when it’s offered.”
Sheldon smiled at that. “I’ll meet you at the front door.”
CHAPTER SIX
THE FIRST-FLOOR office that Kelly worked out of faced east. She’d removed the pocket doors and installed french doors in their place. It allowed the light to flow out into the hall and make the space brighter.
It was her policy to review the business every morning at seven. Using her project-management skills, she would study the expenses of the ongoing renovations and the future plans for making the property an income-producing concern. If all went according to her projections, the Kendall Farm Restoration Corporation would come into fruition. She’d been distracted for the past two days with Jace and Ari. But she was back on schedule now. She’d asked Jace to meet her at nine so he could sign all the employment papers and she could give him a list of things that needed his attention.
Taking a drink of her coffee, she clicked on the Kendall’s financial details. Using the time to go over the books, she realized she was getting close to a zero balance in her account. She’d already mortgaged the place as much as the bank allowed. Thankfully, she had an advance check for $10,000.00 from a modeling agency that had asked to use the place for a week. When they finished their location shoot, she’d get the balance. The money wouldn’t go far, but it would pay Jace’s salary and help with some of the marketing she was doing. She’d contracted with local visitors’ bureaus and had brochures being printed to announce the opening of the farm for visitors.
She’d worked with a web designer and the site was ready to go live. There were more details that needed coordination, but she was on schedule.
Kelly glanced at her grad school degree hanging on the wall. Her MBA got her a job at an advertising and marketing firm on Madison Avenue. In charge of several key product accounts, she was on her way up the ladder. Then disaster happened. She lost a big client. She winced at the memory of her client telling her they were switching to a rival firm. Nothing she said could change their minds. Nothing she offered was good enough. Afterward, she felt as if there was a cloud over her and no longer was she given the important clients. Advertising is a business based on image and perception. Kelly was good, but one failure was all it took to end her chances at being the golden girl.
When her grandmother died, leaving her a small inheritance, and the Kendall came on the market, Kelly snapped it up with the intention of proving her promotional skills were as honed as ever. Looking over the marketing plan, she made a few changes and hit the print button. As she pulled the page from the printer, Jace came in.
“Oh,” Kelly said, startled as she turned back from the machine. “Is it nine o’clock already?”
“Afraid so,” he said. He took a seat next to the desk. He held a sheath of papers.
“Are they completed?” she asked.
He nodded, handing them to her.
Kelly checked to make sure the insurance forms had no gaps. Finding none, she looked up.
“They seem fine. I’ll submit them right away.”
Placing them on the top of her inbox, Kelly looked over the pages on her desk. Rifling through some, she glanced at Jace. “I’m usually more organized than this,” she said, finding what she was searching for. “Here’s a list of things I’d like you to start on. I made notes about what needs repair and what needs to be replaced.”
Jace looked at the list. He nodded several times.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Yes. I was hoping you could let me know if you think of anything else that should be done or restored here at the Kendall, given your association with the place.”
He sat forward in the chair. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve mentioned I’ve done a lot of the work myself, with my cousin’s help and her husband’s, but if I should bring in a specialist for something, let me know.” She pulled another sheet of paper from her desk and handed it to him. “These are the projects I worked on.”
“You did all these?” He scanned the long list.
“I did.”
“Including replacing the fencing along the road?”
She nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’m impressed.” He stood up. “I’ll get going on those jobs that need doing.” At the doorway he stopped and turned back. “Do you mind if I take Ari with me?”
“Not as long as you’re responsible for his safety.”
“Don’t worry. He’s always my first concern.”
“I watched the two of you together,” she said.
His eyes flashed.
Kelly felt a streak of heat run through her as if she’d just made a confession, that she’d somehow invaded the privacy of a father with his son. “I didn’t mean anything by it, just that it’s obvious how much you two love each other. I can tell you wouldn’t let anything hurt him if you could possibly prevent it.”
He gave his head a shake and left, but not before Kelly saw the bob of emotion in his throat.
CHAPTER SEVEN
KURT MALLARD HAD been right, Jace thought. The sunlight shining through Kelly’s hair was like watching a beautiful fire. It mesmerized him. He couldn’t take his eyes off it or her. Outside he perused her list and decided which tasks to complete first. With Ari trailing behind him, he strengthened barn door fittings, checked to see that the correct size stone for the added pathways had been delivered, put up a half dozen shelves in the garage and reorganized the storage there. It took him two days to complete just the first third of the list. As he went about his work, to say that he was impressed with everything Kelly had done would be a gross understatement. Jace could see her presence at the Kendall was more than an asset.