As Ken backed the trailer into the spot next to what would eventually become a detached garage, he pondered the conversation with Daisy last night. What kind of trouble was she in? What kind of mistake had she made? Money? Legalities with her nonprofit? Something else?
He wished she would let him help her. For the last week, he could feel something off about her attitude. She was jumpy, almost a little manic sometimes. He would do anything in his power to help; she just needed to tell him how he could. He couldn’t imagine an issue she had that he couldn’t help solve. But, until he knew the issue, he had no power.
He reviewed every second they had spent together since they first shook hands that day. Had he done or said anything that might lead her to believe she couldn’t trust him? Had he acted as if he didn’t care about her? Ken knew that he had a tendency toward stoicism. Had his reticence misled her as somehow uninterested? It didn’t feel like that when they touched or kissed. It didn’t feel like that when they just spent time together doing anything at all, from shopping for groceries to fishing or munching popcorn.
He paused his thoughts about Daisy and looked at his surroundings. Most of the lot contained pine woods, but the contractor had cleared the area around the house, and the exposed red Georgia soil could handle sod. In his mind, he removed more of the pine and made a more expansive back yard, one with a pool or perhaps a fish pond. He had three acres here, with plenty of room to expand on the house.
The house had a pseudo-Tudor style, with cream and gray bricks, arched windows, and dark brown trim. It looked like it had a solid foundation. The packet he got from the bank said the contractor had reached the stage to consider it dried-in, which meant they had completed the roof and the exterior brickwork.
He’d read the completed scope of work. He knew the plumbers and electricians had completed at least the foundation of their work. Brad’s new house was less than a mile away, so he could make do for a week or more if the need arose.
He walked up the wide front steps and surveyed the porch. Just a concrete slab right now, he could picture a decorative railing, furniture, hanging ferns, and a stained-glass wind chime. He walked around the porch, discovering that it wrapped the house completely and ended at the back where it looked like contractors had already poured the foundations for a deck. Ken liked wraparound porches. He liked porch swings, hanging ferns, and little tables with plants on them.
Back in the front of the house, he opened the front door and stepped inside. Plywood sheets lay where a floor should go. No drywall hung from the bare studs. He didn’t see bare walls, though. In his mind’s eye, he saw an entryway that led to a formal living room with a fireplace that dominated the exterior wall. Through another set of wall studs, he envisioned a large formal dining room with plenty of room for built-in cabinetry. In the area where plumbing pipes came up for kitchen appliances, he saw a room for the table over by that big picture window and the island that would divide the breakfast nook from the kitchen. He’d move this stud frame and that and create a kitchen large enough to handle a table filled with children. Around another corner, he stepped down into a den that led to that future back deck.
Imagining mahogany railing, he carefully walked up the frame of stairs to the second floor, watching where he placed his feet. He found the master suite that took up almost half the layout of the house. Down a hall, he found two bedrooms that shared a large bathroom and one more bedroom with an in-suite bath. Cautiously maneuvering back down the stairs, he looked up and saw the opening for a balcony railing.
Standing in the middle of the front room, he relaxed his mind and saw the studs, empty walls, exposed wiring, pipes, and open floor.
He went outside and stared at the detached garage, making plans for a workshop addition and an apartment over the garage. He would have to get an electrician back out here right away to run at least forty amps into that building. Yes, this would do nicely.
In his truck, he pulled out a brand-new leather-bound notebook and opened it up to the first page. Taking the pencil out of its holder, he started scribbling notes. Two hours later, he had filled the notebook with sketches and plans, reminders, and ideas. He would open bids for subcontractors tomorrow.
He mentally pictured the work he needed to do and where he needed to start so he wouldn’t box himself in. It was a big house, but not a giant house. He looked over his notes and sketches one last time. As he surveyed the details, Ken felt a sudden surge of joy.
This was not just a house. He had finally found a home. He had found a home where he could bring Daisy—and raise a family.
As he unlocked the trailer door, he heard the crunching of gravel beneath tires and turned his head to see Brad pull into the yard. He swung the trailer door open, and Brad said, “This was a find! Well done.”
Ken nodded. “I wasn’t sure what I’d find. It has good bones.”
Brad walked up to the trailer and asked, “What goes first?”
Ken gestured at the fiberglass stall. “Need to install a shower and one of the bathroom sinks. Can you help me unload, then run to the store and get me a toilet while I’m installing?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They started unloading the trailer and carrying Ken’s supplies inside his future home.
Irene shifted the large basket of baseball paraphernalia over and stepped back, examining the table filled with items for the silent auction. Tonight, she wore a maroon dress that flared at the knee and sparkly black earrings that dangled from her ears. Her outfit perfectly accented her wavy strawberry blonde hair and pale skin. She moved in her three-inch heels like she didn’t even have them on her feet.
Irene had served as the fundraising coordinator for Gálatas Seis since Daisy’s grandfather had gotten to the point of needing one. Daisy inherited her when she started running the charity.
Daisy knew invitations had gone out to hundreds of potential donors in the community to come and participate in the dinner and silent auction. Irene examined the table, tilting her head to the left and right, then said, “I think we’re ready.”
The restaurant owner, Calla Jones, had personally created a menu especially for the party. Calla had grown in popularity as one of Atlanta’s most sought after chefs in the last few years, and her contribution to the fundraiser helped attract a lot of the ticket holders. Calla had donated the time of the kitchen staff and wait staff. She billed Gálatas Seis for direct cost reimbursement of the food, and nothing else. Knowing how much money Calla could have charged them to put on an event of this caliber humbled Daisy. She and Calla had talked a little bit one day last week about missions and priorities, and relationships with Christ. She knew in her heart that she had discovered a sister.
Finding out that Ken knew her brought another level of serendipity to her relationship with him. Apparently, Calla’s husband worked for Ken, and she had once worked for Dixon Contracting as well.
To set up tonight, Calla had asked Valerie Dixon to come help. Daisy hadn’t had a chance to see her since the Fourth of July party. She had spent the afternoon helping arrange tables and decorations.
“She’s an interior decorator,” Calla said as Valerie stood on a step ladder and tacked a nail into the wall to hold a string of lights. “I’ve never had a knack for visual things. I always have to rely on my friends. Valerie and my friend Sami helped design the interior of this restaurant for me.”
“Sami?” Daisy asked. “I think I met her at the Fourth of July party.”
Calla grinned and pushed her glasses up on her face. “If you’re remembering red, white, and blue hair, then, yes, you did.”
Valerie finished with the lights and climbed down the ladder. She brushed her hands on her yellow yoga pants then walked down the silent auction table. “What an incredible amount of donated items for your auction. I can’t get over some of the things people are giving away.”
“Irene does good work with the community. She always comes up with the best stuff.” Daisy walked from basket to basket. She had signed baseballs with VIP tickets and weekend getaways. One painting company had donated an exterior house painting. “This woman can convince anyone to donate something. I always get nervous asking, but she just doesn’t. Obviously, she’s doing what God designed her to do.”
Valerie crossed her arms over her chest and looked around. “I agree. I’ve been to a lot of fundraisers, and this is beautiful.”
Irene shrugged. “I truly enjoy it. It gives me great energy.”
Daisy stood in the middle of the nearly empty restaurant and looked around, appreciating the lighting and the ambiance that set the backdrop for all the auction items. She had really enjoyed working with Valerie and Calla today. Obviously close friends, they worked really well together. It made all the setup and moving things around inside the restaurant go smoothly. She looked over at her. “Thank you for your help.”
“It was my pleasure.” Then Valerie chuckled. “Plus, my husband and his brothers are busy painting my house for me. So, I have taken the easy route to do this today.”
Daisy grinned. “Oh, yes. I heard about that.”
Valerie slipped her arm into Daisy’s and said, “It’s so good to see Ken so happy.”
“You think so?” Daisy asked.
“I’ve known him nearly all my life. He seldom says anything. So quiet. But lately, all he talks about is someone named Daisy.” Valerie gave her a questioning look.
Ken’s face swam through her mind. Her heartbeat accelerated slightly. A soft smile came unbidden to her lips. “Ken is a wonderful man. He makes me happy.”
They hugged, and Valerie stepped back. “I am going to go clean up and see how the painting went today. I will see you ladies in a couple of hours.”
As Valerie walked away, Daisy noticed a slight limp, and it puzzled her. She suspected that would be an entirely different conversation one day. Daisy turned to Irene. “I think we’re ready. You did an amazing job with this one, Irene.”
She dismissively waved her hand. “Actually, Calla did most of the work. It gave me more time to really focus on getting good donations.”
Calla came back out of the kitchen. She’d changed out of the T-shirt and shorts she’d worn earlier and now wore a black chef shirt and striped gray pants. She had her hair pulled up behind her head and tucked into a black engineer’s cap. “You all set for tonight?”
Daisy looked at her and said, “I should be asking you that.”
The chef waved her hand in dismissal. “Are you kidding me? This will be nothing compared to a full house and my full menu. Three entrée choices will be a walk in the park.”
Daisy grinned. “I can’t imagine the organization that goes into your kitchen.”
“It is certainly not something everyone can do.” She looked at her watch. “I am going to let my staff go and get ready for tonight. What time will you be back?”
Irene interjected. “I live in Marietta, so I am here.” Daisy had offered to let her come home with her and relax before the event, but Irene had set up a portable workstation at one of the restaurant tables and planned to work for the afternoon.
“I should be back by five-thirty.” Daisy checked her watch. That gave her about an hour and a half to get ready. “Thank you again for tonight.”
“It’s my pleasure. My husband and I chose to continue to live in the States so we can raise money for missions. Otherwise, we would be out in the field full-time.”
Daisy left them and walked out into the hot Georgia sunshine. She raised her face to the sun and soaked in the heat of the rays while she stood on the sidewalk. She loved late July weather. Hot sunlight dried the red clay. Afternoon storms rushed in with fury and left the earth washed clean. Then the hot sun steam cleaned the streets again. She loved the humidity and the way the pine trees smelled in the summer sun.
At home, she changed into a pale pink skirt and a white blouse covered in red and pink flowers. She shifted back and forth in front of the mirror, trying to decide if she could detect the thickening of her center. When she untucked the shirt, it looked sloppy and wrong. When she tucked it in, she could see the slightest baby bump.
Maybe you should change into a different outfit. Or you could tell Ken the truth like you promised you would the next time you saw him.
Just then, a text came from Ken.
A scared empty feeling formed a hole in her stomach. She ran her hand over her belly and decided to quit acting so paranoid. No one could tell anything yet. Especially if they didn’t know.
After pulling her hair up and twisting it into a simple knot on the back of her head, she freshened her makeup and applied pink lip gloss that matched the accents in the flowers in her shirt. She grabbed her nude-colored heels and her tablet that contained all the big donor names and information.
She stopped at her kitchen table and set everything on it, then sat on a chair and bowed her head. “God, thank You for the way You have blessed Gálatas Seis. I know You’ve taken my grandfather’s vision and added to it in ways that I can’t even see yet. I know You brought Ken into my life right now for a reason. God? Can You please start preparing his heart for my news?”
She felt like a burden lifted immediately from her shoulder blades. Maybe instead of panicking about it for the last month, she ought to have just prayed in the first place.
She slipped the shoes onto her feet, gathered everything she needed, and then headed back to the restaurant. By the time she got back there, the two valets she had hired had set up their stand in front of the drive. A uniformed valet opened her door and handed her up out of her car. She reached into the back seat and retrieved her tablet and purse. “Good evening. I will be here until way past the very end, so you can plant my car way in the back.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Delicious, tempting smells assailed her when she entered the restaurant. She stopped for a moment, closed her eyes, and just thought about all the people who would walk through those doors with this very smell to greet them. When she stepped all the way inside, she spotted Calla and Irene at the drink table. She headed in their direction.
“Hello, ladies.” She looked around but didn’t see anything different from how she left it a couple of hours earlier. “Anything needing to be done?”
Calla turned toward her, and she could see anger flashing in the edges of her eyes. “Did we ever discuss specific drinks?”
“I am positive that we did,” said Irene. “I can’t imagine that I did not.”
Daisy thought back to email exchanges and telephone calls and shook her head. “I don’t remember specific drinks. I remember no bar tonight. Is there a problem?”
“Right. I told you no bar tonight. And I remember talking about it as I showed Irene the space. The wine she brought tonight is going to have to go away.”
Irene shook her head. “The people who are coming tonight are going to expect wine.”
“Not if they’re coming here.” Calla crossed her arms over her chest. “Period.”
Daisy quickly put her hand on Irene’s arm as a way to signal her to back off. She couldn’t believe Irene had intentionally brought wine into an establishment that didn’t want it. However, she contained her anger over it. “That is completely fine. You have done so much for us, Calla, and we wouldn’t want to risk your restaurant by breaking any rules. We’ll have the wine removed and put it in my car. Did you brand a drink for dinner tonight?”
Calla jutted her chin out, and Daisy could see that she hadn’t completely appeased her yet. “I did—a sangria style drink made from sparkling grape juice. I have someone who will serve it here as part of the dinner. We’ll have water and tea, too.”
“That sounds perfect.” Daisy looked around and spotted Irene’s son Nate and waved him over. Nate often worked the events for Gálatas Seis as a way to earn some extra money. “Nate, do you mind carrying the boxes of wine out to my car?”
He exuded a pout only capable of a seventeen-year-old boy. “I just carried them in.”
“I know. That’s what your mom said. I appreciate that. We aren’t going to need them after all.” She opened her purse and pulled out her spare key fob. “They should fit just fine into my trunk.”
Calla headed back to the kitchen, and Daisy turned and faced Irene. “Irene, you and I both know she didn’t want any kind of alcohol here.”
“You and I both know we needed to serve wine tonight.” Irene jutted out her jaw. “We have the president of the Atlanta wine Society attending. How can we have him here without wine to serve to him?”
Daisy held up both hands and shrugged her shoulders. “Irene, it was talked about ahead of time. You knew. If you didn’t want to have him here without wine, you should’ve invited him to the next event where wine would be served. She said she didn’t want to have a bar. And just because you thought you could bring in a table of wine is really out of line.” She rubbed her forehead. “Why would you want to damage this new relationship?”
Irene set her jaw. “I thought she just didn’t have the staff to handle it. I was going to staff and handle it.”
Daisy shook her head. “No, I think you thought you could just get away with it by bringing it in anyway and thinking that no one would dare say anything. I appreciate your enthusiasm and desire to cater to our guests, and I have always admired your tenacity. However, this crosses a bit of a line.”
Irene had pressured an event host to accommodate what she wanted twice before. She had a passion for fundraising and got tunnel vision at times in the quest for that check written by a donor. Daisy considered relationships with hosts like Calla just as important as donors.
“Daisy, I’m not going to argue with you about this. You’ve already embarrassed me in front of Calla and in front of my own son.”
She clenched her teeth together and withheld the retort that she didn’t do anything embarrassing. “You’re right. We have guests arriving in thirty minutes. We don’t need to argue about this now. This can be talked about later.”
Daisy spun around and stormed to the restaurant’s entrance, where they’d placed a sign-in table in place of the hostess stand. She glanced up as the door opened, and the two college girls she had hired for the night came in. “Good timing,” she said. “I was just about to call you and find out where you were.”
“Two-ninety-five was more of a mess than usual. I think we’re lucky we arrived at all.” Brittany set her book bag on top of the table. “So, just like last time?”
Daisy nodded. She unlocked the tablet. “It’s all been prepaid, and we sold out. If they’re not on this list, one of you text me, and I’ll come and personally handle it. When guests arrive, just hit the little button next to their name.”
She slipped her phone into her pocket and hid her purse under the skirt of the table. Brittany and Tina took their seats. “Our friends are so jealous we get to eat here tonight.”
“I know! I can’t believe I get to eat here, either!”
They had worked for her for several events, so Daisy left the greeting of her guests in good hands and went back into the restaurant.
She could not find Irene anywhere. A part of her hoped she had left, but only a small part. Irene had a bad temper, but after she reacted, she usually cooled off pretty quickly. Daisy saw no need to make lifelong decisions in the heat of the moment tonight. This fundraiser meant a lot to Gálatas Seis. Specifically, it meant furniture for the Osborne family. She saw Irene come out of the bathroom. Relief coursed through her. “There you are. Tina and Brittany are here. I got them set up.”
With a hard mouth and an edge in her eyes, Irene clearly decided to play pleasant. “Terrific. They’ve done this enough times to know what to do.”
“I agree. They were a great find.”
“Thank you.”
A voice came from behind her. “Place looks great.”
Heart in her chest, she spun and watched Ken saunter into the dining room. He wore a pair of navy-blue dress pants and a light-yellow shirt with a blue and yellow striped tie. “Well, don’t you look nice?”
He approached her and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. “Can’t even begin to compare. You look amazing.”
She stepped back and gestured. “Irene outdid herself. Have you met her yet?” She beckoned Irene closer and said, “Irene, this is Ken Dixon. Ken, my brilliant fundraiser, Irene Clark.”
Daisy watched as Irene’s features softened, and a smile came to her eyes. “So nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon. I have met your brother, Brad. When you came in, I wasn’t sure if that was you.”
“Common problem.” He shook her hand. “This really looks great. I’ve eaten here several times. I can see the work you’ve put into it.”
With a smile, Irene said, “Thank you.” She looked at Daisy. “I’m going to make a quick phone call. I’ll see you later.”
As she walked away, Daisy faced Ken. “I’m excited you’re here. I’ll show you around.”
They walked the length of the silent auction tables and talked about the different items. While they talked, Calla supervised the setup of the buffet line and the drink table. Daisy excused herself from Ken and approached Calla.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
Calla shifted her glasses on her face and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I could tell you weren’t part of it. I just tend to react to people who try to manipulate situations. I’m sorry. I had someone handling me for a few years, and it makes me kind of defensive.”
She pressed her lips together and thought about how to word what she wanted to say so as not to gossip but rather to affirm. “Irene bends over backward to facilitate potential donors. Sometimes, that means those of us in the mix get stepped on, but it’s not necessarily malicious. I think for a moment she forgot how much you’re giving by doing everything you’re doing.”
She waved her hand. “I don’t want or need recognition for that. I just expect my facility and my people to be respected. So long as we agree on that, you and I are good.”
“Thank you.”
Calla smiled over her shoulder. “Hello, Dixon Brother.”
Ken chuckled. “Ken.”
“Sorry. At work, I could almost always tell by the way you guys dress. In this situation, though, there’s no way.”
“Good to see you, Calla. Really looking forward to tonight. Valerie brought some of your food over with her today.”
“I’m so glad she shared. She told me you guys were painting her kitchen while she played with tablecloths and lights.” She looked at her watch and tapped it. “Sorry. I need to go see a sous chef about a sauce. You two have fun tonight.”
Ken put a hand on the small of Daisy’s back, and she leaned into him and looked up at him. “Does that ever get old?”
“What? Calla’s food? No way.” She could tell by his expression that he teased her.
“You know what I mean.”
He shrugged. “No. It’s normal. People have mixed us up since birth. That is if I’m actually Ken. What if some maternity nurse put me in the wrong bed.”
Daisy rolled her eyes and smirked. “I’m sure that’s what those little identity bracelets were for.”
He tapped the side of his temple. “Yep. My parents left those on us for weeks. Every picture during infancy, we had hospital bracelets on. Eventually, our personalities came through, and they could tell us apart at a glance.”
“What do you think about the fact that I can tell who you are?”
“I think if either of my brothers ever tried to kiss you, we might have words.” She studied his face. His little half-grin didn’t hide the fact that he sincerely felt protective of her.
He ran a hand from her shoulder to her elbow. His skin felt warm, but his fingers felt rough. “Valerie can pick Brad out of the crowd. I think when God knows something is meant to be, He makes a way.”
The idea that God might have made her especially for Ken flooded her with warmth. It also made the decision she’d made in the past harder to bear.
“I like that.” She placed her hand on his cheek and stood on her toes to kiss him. “You worded that well.”
She started to say something else, but the phone in her pocket vibrated. She glanced at the screen. An unregistered guest had come to the door. “They need me up front. There’s an issue with someone’s reservation.”
“Do what you do. I’m good.”
Hours later, Daisy sat at an empty table and munched on a piece of ice from her glass. Guests had long gone, many carrying the baskets they won in the auction. The auction tally had exceeded Daisy’s projections by seventeen percent. Calla’s food had completely blown her away. She didn’t think she’d ever eaten anything so good in her life as that meal.
Ken sat next to her, leaned back in his chair with his tie loosened. Jon sat to his right, and Calla sat at the table’s head, making notes in a notebook. Next to her sat Valerie, then Brad, and their mother, Rosaline Dixon.
“If your fundraisers look like this every time, count me in.” Ken smiled a tired smile.
She chuckled. “They’re not all this nice. Some have rubber chicken and a bad sound system. Having it here was a gem.”
Calla paused in her writing and glanced up. “That’s very kind. You’re welcome to use my restaurant any time.”
Knowing how Irene had offended Calla made her statement all the more humbling. “Well, I appreciate it. That means a lot.” She covered her mouth with her hand and yawned. “I am going to go home. It’s been a really long day.”
As she stood, she looked at Rosaline. “It was so good to see you again. I can’t believe you haven’t changed in fifteen years.”
Rosaline put a hand to her hair. She wore it shoulder-length. Subtle blonde highlights wove through the mahogany tresses. She had big gray eyes, a thin face, and a ready smile. “I think you’re being very kind.”
Daisy smiled. “You know my mom still has that basket you got her in Honduras. She uses it as her fruit basket. Every time I look at it, I think of you.”
“Your mother is a beautiful woman. I can see she raised a beautiful daughter. Please give her my best.”
“I will for sure.” She addressed everyone at the table. “Thank you for coming and supporting me tonight. It meant a lot.”
Brad rubbed his wife’s shoulder. She looked as worn-out as Daisy felt. “Missions are important to us. And you are important to Ken. That makes us being here kind of a given.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked them back but worried they’d fall. “Thank you.”
Ken stood with her. “I’ll walk you out.”
“We’ll be here at eight tomorrow morning to tear down, Calla. I teach a Bible study at ten on Thursdays, so we’ll get done quickly.”
“See you then.”
She and Ken walked through the empty restaurant and out the front door. The valets had brought everyone’s car to the front before they collected their pay and left for the night. She pulled her key fob out of her pocket. “What did you think?”
“It was a good event. What will you do with the money?”
She shrugged. “It’s earmarked for furniture for the Osborne’s house we’re building on Labor Day. We raised enough to get appliances and furnish the entire place.”
He put his hand between her shoulders and slowly rubbed while they walked. “My brothers and I did mission trips every summer all our lives. Mom and dad used to take us, but we went on our own once we got to high school. They wanted us to see the world without their filter.”
They reached her car, but she didn’t unlock it. Ken never had a lot of words to string together at one time, so she didn’t want to interrupt the story. “We’ve gone all over the world. We’ve seen a lot of need. It always made me look for it more here at home. Taking care of my community is the burden God placed on my shoulders. I believe bringing you into my life was just His way of affirming that.”
“Where will you go this year?”
“Actually, we decided a week ago not to go anywhere this year. Jon has something personal going on in New York. Valerie’s due, so Brad’s out.”
Daisy gasped. “Oh! How fun! When is she due?”
“Sometime in February.”
February? She wondered how close their due dates were. The parking lot light lit up his face. She could see the tenderness in his eyes. “Did you know that you came to my office one month ago today?”
He brushed a hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “Is that all? Seems longer.”
“Is that a good thing?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I know I lived a life before that day, but I can’t remember anything about it.” He stared into her eyes. She could tell he searched for words. “I don’t really remember living life without you in it.”
Tell him. If you want to keep living life with him in it, you have to tell him.
She clicked the button to unlock her car. “It feels like yesterday, and it feels like five years ago. I don’t really understand the way time is moving right now.”
She reached for her door handle, but he got it before she could. She took a deep breath, but before she could speak, he asked, “Daisy, would you like to go to dinner on Saturday night?”
“Oh. Sorry. I can’t. My brother is coming in town to see my mom. He’s worried about her after her blood pressure spiked.” She started to get in her car but paused and said, “Would you like to come by and see him? I know Diego would love to catch up.”
He nodded. “I’d like to catch up. I’d like that a lot.” He cupped her cheek and gave her a soft kiss that made the pulse rush in her ears. “Get some rest. I’ll be here at eight to help.”
She knew she couldn’t talk them out of helping. And she didn’t want to. Instead, she smiled brilliantly at him and said, “You are wonderful, and I will see you tomorrow.”