Several times throughout the day Jacob Mallory thought of the secretary he’d met at the elementary school this morning. As he counseled clients at his counseling service, the memory of her sweet, lavender scent nearly distracted him more than once. Aimee Blake, he’d noticed on the nameplate that rested on her desk. Although he’d lived in the small town of Benton for most of his life, he had never met her, which made him wonder if Aimee was new to town.
He worked late and went directly from work to the singles meeting, and as he drove the ten blocks, he thought again of Aimee, the woman with the gleaming dark hair and dark-blue eyes. The long lashes that framed her eyes created a stunning effect offset by her creamy complexion. But he thought he also sensed raw hurt flickering in those blue eyes, and he wondered what had caused her pain.
When he saw Aimee walk into the room with Erica Snyder, Jacob took a deep breath of utter astonishment. Momentarily, he wondered if he was dreaming or wide awake. But when the aromatic scent of lavender wafted toward him, Jacob knew that the woman with Erica was the same one he’d met this morning—the one who had distracted him all day.
When she entered the room with Erica, Aimee saw that it wasn’t as daunting as she’d thought. It had fewer than thirty people, and several strips of fluorescent lights shed light on the area. At one end was a kitchen, separated from the main room by a serving window. A podium and an electric keyboard were located at the opposite end of the room.
Two men stood near the entryway. Something seemed familiar about the muscular shoulders of one of them, and when he turned, Aimee recognized the friendly man she’d met at school earlier in the day. He must have recognized her, too, because he stared at her with a look of surprise. By the time they reached him, an infectious smile that spread to his dark eyes had stretched across his face.
“Well, hello again,” he said.
Surprised at how pleased she was to see him, Aimee returned his smile. “I didn’t expect to see you again, either, at least not so soon.” She felt her face flushing. She hoped her remark didn’t sound as if she’d been thinking about him.
Aimee sensed Erica’s sharp glance. “Say, do you two know each other?”
“Not really,” Aimee said. “We met at school this morning, and we haven’t even been properly introduced.”
“I can take care of that,” Erica said. “Aimee Blake, this is Jacob Mallory.”
“It’s great to see you,” Jacob said, moving closer and extending his hand. “Thanks for being so kind to my friend Alex today. He’s a shy kid.”
She placed her hand in Jacob’s and welcomed the warm pressure of his hand grasping hers. This morning she had assumed he was Alex’s father, but apparently he wasn’t. Then why had he brought the little boy to school?
“I’ll introduce you to the others before the meeting starts,” Erica said, and Aimee and Jacob exchanged polite smiles as she followed Erica. Walking from one group to the other, Erica kept up a low commentary about the people in the room. Aimee was grateful for the information, hoping she would be able to associate names with faces. They finally sat in a row of chairs not far from the podium. Soon, Jacob stopped beside Aimee and Erica.
“Hi, is it okay if I sit with you?”
“Sure,” Erica said. “I have to help set up the stage for our musicians when they get here. You can visit with Aimee while I’m doing that.”
As Jacob took the chair to her right, Aimee sensed that Erica wasn’t too excited about his sitting with them. She slanted a curious glance toward Erica but couldn’t read her expression. For months, Erica had been trying to get Aimee “out of her shell,” as she often described it, and Aimee would have thought Erica would be pleased to have Jacob Mallory befriending her. But Erica evidently wasn’t keen on leaving her in Jacob’s company, and Aimee couldn’t imagine why.
In Aimee’s opinion, Jacob seemed like a really nice guy—and he wasn’t bad to look at either. Again, she noted the tall, well-built man’s thick, brown hair and dark brown eyes. His chiseled face was lean with a well-proportioned nose and a large, shapely mouth. Even more important than his physical appearance, he appeared to have a genuine interest in the people around him that instantly put Aimee at ease.
“Have you and Erica just met?” he asked.
“No. We’ve been neighbors for several years.”
“I can’t believe she’s waited this long to bring you to our meetings,” Jacob commented.
“Oh, she’s invited me lots of times,” Aimee answered, “but I’ve always refused.”
Jacob’s brows lifted inquiringly, but Aimee didn’t feel like explaining her lack of interest in a singles group. When she remained silent, he said, “Tell me about yourself, Aimee.”
Grimacing, she said, “I’m a widow with a fourteen-year-old daughter, going on twenty.”
Jacob chuckled as if he understood what she meant, and Aimee added, “Samantha is spending the night at a friend’s, so when Erica invited me to this meeting, I came as her guest. I don’t intend to join the group.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” Jacob suggested.
“Probably, but my main job is being a mother. I started working at Eastside Elementary years ago when Samantha started there, so my job and being a single mom keep me plenty busy. How about you? Are you a native of Benton?”
“Except for four years in college and a few years at a job in the eastern part of Virginia, I’ve always lived in Benton. I’m a professional counselor. I moved back home when I had the opportunity to buy a counseling service here.”
“I assumed that Alex your son,” Aimee commented.
“I don’t have many relatives,” Jacob said, his smile vanishing as he looked slightly disturbed, slightly wistful. “Alex is just a boy I’m trying to help. He’s been sick and had to miss several days of school. His mother is ill, too, and she asked me to take him back to school and explain his absence. I met him through Substitute Siblings.”
“Substitute Siblings?”
“It’s a fairly new organization,” Jacob explained. “In my line of work, I see a lot of children from dysfunctional families who are growing up without much love or guidance. The goal of Substitute Siblings is to pair these children with older adults who will be buddies to them.”
“Sort of like the Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers?” Aimee asked.
“Similar to that,” Jacob said. “And because there wasn’t a branch of that organization in Benton, my grandmother and I decided to start something. In a few cases our volunteers take the children into their homes on a temporary basis, but mostly they just befriend them by taking them shopping, to ball games, to movies or to other activities to make them feel wanted.”
The chairman of the group rapped for attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to start our meeting. Let’s come to order, please.”
“It sounds like a worthwhile cause,” Aimee whispered.
“I think so,” Jacob answered. “If you’re interested, I’d like to talk with you further about it.”
“I’m interested.”
Aimee tore a sheet from the notebook she carried in her purse and wrote her phone number and address on it. She handed the paper to Jacob. He folded it and put it in his pocket as they turned their attention to the entertainment for the evening—a band that played popular praise and worship songs.
Aimee enjoyed the music, but throughout the program, she kept thinking about the man sitting next to her. He said he didn’t have many relatives. Did that mean his parents weren’t living, or did they live elsewhere? And why had her question about family disturbed him?
But she was more puzzled that she hadn’t heard of Jacob before this. She judged that he was about her age, and if he had lived in Benton most of his life, why hadn’t she met him? Until her marriage she had lived a few miles outside of Benton, but she’d attended school in town. Benton wasn’t big enough for their paths not to have crossed before.
When the meeting adjourned, Jacob stood, turned to Aimee and smiled. “Is it all right if I call you later?”
“Sure,” she said as Erica nudged Aimee and nodded toward the door.
As they said their goodbyes, several people invited Aimee to become a part of the group. Although she’d enjoyed the evening, she wasn’t ready to commit to anything. Besides, she wasn’t sure how she would feel about regularly seeing Jacob Mallory. His presence kindled feelings she hadn’t experienced for a long time—emotions that she didn’t welcome. The less she saw of him the better off she would be.
“Did you have a good time?” Erica asked as she drove away from the church.
“To my surprise, I really did. Thanks for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome,” Erica said tersely.
Aimee shot a surprised glance in her friend’s direction. “What’s the matter with you? I thought you wanted me to break out of my shell, try my wings and all that other advice you’ve handed out.”
“My advice was good, but my plan backfired,” Erica said wryly. “You picked up the wrong man.”
“Jacob Mallory is the wrong man?” Aimee stammered, shocked by Erica’s words. “Besides, I didn’t pick him up—you introduced him to me. Regardless of that, I thought he was a really nice guy.”
“He is, but I hoped you would find someone and form a permanent relationship. There are two or three men in our group who would like to get married if they could find the right woman,” Erica insisted.
“That still doesn’t explain why you object to Jacob,” Aimee exclaimed, puzzled. “I just sat next to the man and talked with him—that’s hardly a prelude to matrimony. What’s wrong with him? Who is he, anyway?”
Erica pulled into Aimee’s driveway and turned off the car’s engine. “Jacob Mallory dates women occasionally, but if they start getting serious, he doesn’t call them anymore. He apparently isn’t interested in a long-term commitment.”
“So what. Neither am I. Besides, he didn’t even ask me for a date.”
“I heard him say he’d call you,” Erica pointed out.
“Yes, about the Substitute Siblings organization,” Aimee retorted, a little irritated with her friend. “He was talking about it when the meeting started. If I want to get involved in community service, it sounds like a worthwhile way to spend my time.”
“That’s true—they do tons of good projects. I know you think I’m butting in,” Erica apologized, “but I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to get hurt through anybody I bring into your life.”
“I won’t get hurt! I’m content with my life as it is right now. At least, I was until Samantha surprised me with her attitude today.” Aimee opened the car door. “Thanks for asking me to go. I had a good time.”
Aimee got out of the car, and Erica waited until she stepped up on the back porch and went into the kitchen before she drove away. Aimee locked the door behind her just as the phone rang.
“Hey, Mom,” Samantha’s voice answered her hello.
“Hey, yourself. Is anything wrong?”
“No, I was checking to see if you were home.”
Although slightly irritated, Aimee laughed. “I’m home, Samantha. You didn’t need to worry about your old mom.”
“Well, I was just wondering,” Samantha said sullenly.
“I’m home and going to bed, which I hope you’re doing soon, too.”
“Goodbye, Mom,” Samantha said.
“Goodbye, honey.” But Samantha had already hung up.
Aimee walked down the hall to her bedroom to change out of her new clothes and into pajamas. She sat down in the rocking chair beside the bed and picked up the picture of Steve that stood on the nightstand. How many times since his death had she looked at his picture wishing he was still with her? Usually just looking at his face, so much like Samantha’s, brought her peace. But not tonight. Tonight, she felt that something, something more than the loss of Steve was missing in her life, and she wondered what the future held.
Restless, Aimee went into the family room and sat in a lounge chair, feet elevated, staring into the darkness. She thought once again about how unfair the aneurysm was that had caused her husband’s sudden death. One morning he had gotten up full of life and love, twelve hours later he was gone, leaving her with regrets that she couldn’t overcome—regrets she had tried to put behind her for fifteen years.
She had only been nineteen when she and Steve had married, and a year later she’d given birth to Samantha. She hadn’t had an easy pregnancy. There were months of morning sickness that even nausea pills didn’t help, and during that time she dreaded the intimacies of marriage. Perhaps Steve had sensed this, for he hadn’t made any demands on her.
And Samantha’s birth was an ordeal, too. Aimee was in the delivery room for over twelve hours, and the birth resulted in a small tear that an incompetent doctor didn’t take care of properly. She was so miserable that she didn’t share Steve’s bed when she came home, and when he died suddenly, she was devastated that she’d concentrated on her own needs rather than his.
Her remorse over how she’d failed Steve only added to the sorrow she felt after his death. Aimee had never admitted her guilty feelings to anyone, but they had certainly kept her from considering a relationship with any other man. Now, more than a decade of regret seemed like enough. Remembering how easy it was for her to talk with Jacob tonight, she wondered if it was time to put the past behind her and start a new life.
Aimee yawned widely and went back to her bedroom. She got into bed, turned out the light and snuggled under the blankets. Her body was weary, but her mind was wide awake. Where could she go for the guidance she so desperately needed—for Samantha and for herself?
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without fault, and it will be given to him.
Aimee bolted upright in bed, wondering why those words had come to her now. Why had she remembered that particular phrase? Convinced that the words were in the Bible, Aimee turned on the light again. It had been a few years since she had seriously considered her relationship with God, although there had been a time when the church was an important part of her life.
She went to the walk-in closet in the hallway and stepped up on a stool. A Bible was at the bottom of a large stack of Samantha’s schoolbooks. Being careful not to topple the whole heap, Aimee pulled the Bible free. It was Steve’s Bible, and she was sure she could find what she wanted in it.
Carrying the Bible, she returned to bed. After a half hour of searching, she found the verse she’d remembered in the Book of James.
As she turned the pages of the Bible, she felt Steve’s presence more keenly than she had for years. To her surprise, she also sensed the presence of God. Tears slid down Aimee’s cheeks as she remembered when the Word of God had been an important part of her life—when she never started a day without reading the Word. She had gradually drifted away from her faith.
God, it’s been so long since I’ve talked to You, I hardly know what to say. For starters, I suppose I should ask forgiveness for the way I’ve neglected You for years. I understand now that serving You should have been primary in my life. I should have encouraged Samantha to follow You, instead of putting school and activities before everything else. Starting tomorrow, with Your help, I’m going to change that.
When she laid the Bible on the nightstand, Aimee was relaxed enough to go to sleep. As she again settled into bed and turned off the light, she knew it wouldn’t be easy to live up to her new resolve in the light of day. But she was going to try.
By the time Aimee woke up, she had settled on her plan of action. Knowing that her relationship with Samantha hadn’t deteriorated overnight and that it would take time to heal, she would go slow, but she also needed to be firm. The stakes were too high to make more mistakes.
As she dressed for the day, she remembered Jacob Mallory. Would he be a complication in the new beginning she contemplated?