The next morning, Sheila and Natalie caught up on the latest goings-on in Chestnut Ridge over tea with Orene. Orene told them about the upcoming Christmas pageant and all the hullabaloo over the school play. Apparently, the school forbid live sheep in the auditorium. The director was up in arms and threatening to cancel.
“And Mr. Thatcher worked off-off-Broadway for three years. We were so lucky to have him come to direct the Christmas pageant this year. But now, you won’t believe it, they are refusing to let them have real sheep on stage. They were going to be in a cute pen, and they promised to clean up, but no. Now Mr. Thatcher is threatening to cancel the whole production.”
“That is terrible. After the children have practiced. Why can’t they just have some of the kids wear woolly sheep outfits,” Sheila said.
Orene shot her a look. “Why? Because that ruins the authenticity.”
Sheila shrank back. She clearly did not understand the importance of this play to the community.
Thankfully, Sheila’s phone vibrated right then. She snatched her phone off the table. “It’s Doris. They are getting ready to take the family to the chapel house.”
Natalie called Paul to let him know. “Would you like to come with us to welcome them?” she asked, raising her hand in the air and crossing her fingers. “Wonderful. We’ll see you shortly.” She hung up with a pleased look. “I can’t believe how excited he is.”
“That’s wonderful,” Orene said. “He needs the joy of others around him. You’ve been so good for him. Now, Chestnut Ridge will do the rest.”
“It’s one of the best things about living here.”
Sheila didn’t have to worry about Natalie anymore. It was clear this place was bringing out the best in her.
“You belong here,” Orene said to Natalie. “You were born to be a part of this town.”
“I believe that.”
“You too, Sheila.”
Sheila laughed. “You’re sweet, but you know I’m a city girl.”
“That’s what they all say. At first.” Orene’s grin curled up at the edges.
“Are you coming with us?” Sheila asked her.
“No, thank you. I’m expected at the stadium to help with the final setup of the Christmas Tree Stroll. There’s so much to do before teams start checking in. Y’all have everything under control. I’ll pay the Jacobs a visit later in the week when they get settled in.”
“We’ll see you tonight at the stadium then. We’ve got to lock in our theme early.” Natalie gave Orene a wink. “I heard that from someone with years of experience.”
“Oh yes. Two trees with the same theme doesn’t work. They’ll make you go back and tweak it a little if it sounds too much like another, and trust me, there is a list of others who want to enter.”
“Why is that? I mean, it’s just bragging rights, isn’t it?”
“Pretty much,” said Orene with a shrug, “but there are some side benefits to winning, like your picture on the front page of the newspaper, free tickets to the Ruritan Club Valentine’s Day dinner, and seats at the county fair concert, to name just a few.”
“Natalie has been keeping the best part of this stroll from me. I might have to renegotiate. You know, Tucker was trying to woo me over to his team.”
“See what you’ve done now, Orene. I’ll never get her to concentrate on the project with her head full of possible stardom.”
“A girl can dream,” said Sheila.
“Are you coming with me or not?” Natalie teased.
“I’m coming, and I’m bringing my coffee.”
Orene swooshed them out the door. “Fine. Just bring back my cup.”
“Yes ma’am. You know where I’m living.” Sheila raced out the door. Staying with Orene was like being back in college, and she was the Sorority House Mom.
Sheila hopped into the passenger seat of Natalie’s truck. “I can’t wait to see it again this morning. I want to take some more pictures in the daylight before everyone gets there.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
Natalie drove over to Paul’s. “It’s going to take some getting used to, this gate being opened. My heart kind of jumps every time I see that it’s not closed.”
“You’ll get used to it. Especially when it’s raining and you don’t have to lean out the window to punch in the code.”
“That’s true.”
Natalie parked next to Jesse’s truck at the front of the chapel house.
“Do you smell that?”
“Nelle’s got to be in there cooking. It smells like sausage.”
“It smells like heaven if you ask me, but I guess any remnants of those chocolate chip cookies we so carefully timed at the end of the night was a waste of time.” She pulled the right door open and stepped inside. Christmas music filled the space. She poked her head into the kitchen, where Nelle swayed and hummed along with the music as she stirred.
“Pray tell, Nelle, what are you fixing, and please tell me there’s enough for a few extra mouths.”
Nelle spun around with a smile. “I never met a bunch I couldn’t feed. There’s plenty. Hope you like homemade sausage gravy and biscuits.”
“I’m sure I do.”
“Who doesn’t?”
Jesse walked in and pecked Nelle on the cheek. “My gal is the best cook in the county.”
“County is all? You better back up on that.” She swatted him with the spoon, leaving a mess of gravy on his sleeve.
“She don’t fight fair.” He swept his finger into the blob on his sleeve and licked it. “I don’t care. It tastes like seconds, babe.”
“I’ll second you, you rascal.” Nelle half chased him from the kitchen.
Sheila walked through the chapel. The transformation by the light of day was nothing short of amazing. Like an episode of one of those extreme home redecorating shows.
And although they’d started with a good plan, as different people added their thoughtful touches, that’s when the place really came together.
Sheila had serious doubts Paul Grandstaff would want to subdivide and sell, especially with the family cemetery so close to it, but if he wanted to Airbnb this cute place he could make a bundle.
Clicking off pictures, she hoped she’d recall the feeling of this moment forever.
When she walked back into the kitchen, Nelle was alone and gently lifting hot golden biscuits from a well-worn cookie sheet. She carefully placed two on a piece of wax paper and folded it up.
“Are you making a little snack for Jesse? Y’all are really sweet together.”
“He’s a good man,” Nelle said. “These are for Grandstaff, though. He’s a sucker for my biscuits.”
“How long have you known Paul, Nelle?”
“Years and years.”
“Did you grow up here?”
“No. You know I’m from New Orleans. I grew up in Louisiana. Never thought I’d leave neither, but when Hurricane Katrina came rumbling through back in 2005, I lost everything. My house. My cat. Even my dear husband. We never did find his body. It was tough times.”
“Oh my gosh! I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, well, it was bad for lots of folks, not just me. I’d already been through one hurricane and we rebuilt. I couldn’t do it again. Not without my sweet husband, so I packed up and headed to North Carolina to live with my cousins.”
“You have family in North Carolina?”
“I did at the time. Most of them have passed on now. I never made it there.”
“What happened?”
“I was driving an old Chevy sedan.” Her laugh was hearty. “Floors rusted out. Sucked gasoline like a kid with a Slurpee on a summer day. I’d about spent all my money on gas by the time I made it to Chestnut Ridge, and darn if my car just decided it wouldn’t go one more mile.”
“Oh no. On top of losing your home. That’s horrible. So you just stayed.”
“Well, it was a little more than that. I was stranded in this town, and that was the day I met Jesse and Paul. I cooked for Paul to earn some money to get my car back on the road.”
“That worked out for you.”
“It did, and before I knew it, Grandstaff offered me a little house on Main Street to live in as part of my pay. Then, he suggested I reopen the lunch counter at the hardware store. With his help, and Jesse’s carpentry skills, we did, and the rest is history.”
“And you’ve never regretted staying in Chestnut Ridge?”
“Never. This town might be small, but it’s big in heart. You haven’t figured that out yet?”
“I kind of have noticed that.”
“Not like anyplace else I’ve ever known.” Nelle leaned in. “Everyone acts like this is such a big deal for Grandstaff to be offering up this place for that family, but between you and me, he’s been helping others for years. People before me too. I’m just saying. He doesn’t do it for the recognition. He does it because it’s right.”
“Really?” Sheila wondered if Natalie knew that about him. “That’s interesting.”
“He’s a very good man.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, because my best friend needs good people around her.”
“Then you should move yourself up here and join in the fun, girl,” Nelle said with a lift of her brow.
“I’m not the small-town type.”
“You might find that there are opportunities here that you don’t have in the city.” Nelle went back over to the pot and gave it a big old stir.
Sheila had turned to walk out of the kitchen, her mind still processing everything Nelle had just said, when she heard Tucker come in the through the front door with the Jacob family.
She couldn’t wait to see their reaction, but for now just listening was going to have to do. Her heart pounded, excited for them to have some good news.
“We’re going to stop right here for a minute,” Sheila could hear Tucker say from the hallway outside the kitchen. “We’re missing one person.”
Natalie scooted into the kitchen and grabbed Sheila’s hand. “This is so exciting.” She could hear Diane asking her mother, Betty Jo, who was missing.
At that moment, another vehicle pulled up out front. Natalie looked out the kitchen window. “It’s a construction company truck,” she stage whispered to Nelle and Sheila. They all gathered closer to the window. On the passenger side, Jack stepped out of the car.
Sheila’s heart lifted. “I bet Tucker arranged that.”
“Be just like him,” Nelle said.
Sheila eased over to where she could catch a peek of the doorway just as Jack ran into the house.
“I didn’t miss it, did I?” Jack asked.
“We wouldn’t have let you,” Tucker said.
Diane wrapped her arms around Jack. “Honey, I’m so glad you could be here. I can’t even believe all of this.”
“Wait until you see what your neighbors have pulled together for you,” Tucker said. “As you know, Paul Grandstaff has generously offered this place for your family to use as your home for the next six months.”
“It’s so peaceful,” Jack said.
“It won’t be for long.” Diane nodded while mouthing a headcount. “Between my littles and Bananas, there’s rarely a peaceful moment.”
“Maybe it will be different here,” Tucker said. “A few days ago this was a chapel. Empty except for a few pews up front, but a swift and adept team made up from members of our community turned this place into one of those ‘move that bus’ home-improvement moments. I was shocked when I came to see it last night. Welcome to your new temporary home.”
Tucker stepped aside.
But no one moved.
Jack lifted little Johnny from Diane’s hip and took a tentative step forward. The rest of the children piled close to Diane as she followed, squeezing Jack’s biceps, with Bananas looking a little worried and hanging close to their heels.
Nelle must have felt the tension too, because she scooched closer to Sheila.
One more step and Diane and Jack were peering into the kitchen where Nelle, Sheila, and Natalie stood.
“Surprise!” Nelle yelled. “I’ve got breakfast ready for everyone! I hope you brought your appetite.” She spread her thick arms out, revealing the words HOME SWEET HOME on her red and white apron.
Jack laughed. “You know how to make a man happy, Miss Nelle.”
“This is your kitchen,” Nelle said. “I won’t be in here all the time, but my small gift to you is that every day I’m cookin’ at the counter for the next month, Jesse and I will be dropping off the meal of the day, enough for you and your whole family, so you’ll come home to a hot meal, and your sweet missus can take a little break from the kitchen.”
“Nelle, that’s so kind of you.” Tears streamed down Diane’s cheeks.
Betty Jo hugged her daughter. “Nelle, that is so generous.” She sniffled back a tear too.
“Honey, don’t be wasting those tears on my food. Wait until you see this place. Show ’em, girls.” Nelle pushed Natalie and Sheila forward. “These two have been busy as bees.”
“Sure.” Sheila hopped into open-house mode. “As Nelle said, this is your kitchen, and Diane, you’ll be able to not only fix meals, but see the children right out these two windows while you prepare them. Maybe not a perk right now when it’s as cold as all get-out, but this spring, they’ll be chasing butterflies and bullfrogs and that’ll be heaven. Follow me.”
Sheila and Natalie walked out of the kitchen and the Jacob family stepped aside.
“The bathroom is across the hall. It’s tiny, but well appointed. I thought that was a great idea. And that stool is adorable! I swear I’d buy a dozen of them if I knew where to find them.”
Jack shook his head. “I made that.” He swept a finger beneath his nose. “I know exactly who outfitted this bathroom. I made that stool for their baby shower six years ago.”
“Well, you and I are going to talk, Jack. I’ve got a side job for you to make me a few,” Sheila said.
“Happy to.”
When everyone paraded into the sanctuary, which didn’t look like one at all anymore, soft Christmas music was playing. The long table, borrowed from the fire station, had been covered in a red tablecloth and set for breakfast. The mishmash of different-patterned plates looked welcoming. In the center of the table, another plate was filled with red, green, and gold plastic ornaments.
“This is unbelievable,” Diane said.
Betty Jo cried out, “Look at the Christmas stockings on the fireplace!”
“Will Santa know where we are?” asked Avery.
“Absolutely. Look, he already put stockings up for each of you.”
“Christmas tree!” The children jumped and squealed, then stood in awe of the colorful tree and the lights dancing off the walls, and Bananas raced around the room, finally coming to a stop in front of the bunk beds.
“How are we ever going to thank you?” Diane said.
Then someone spoke as they walked into the building.
“You’ll take good care of each other and enjoy the holidays. Interrupt worry with gratitude. Everything is going to be okay.” Paul Grandstaff stood in the doorway. “Merry Christmas.”
“Mr. Grandstaff, I can’t believe … This is so generous.”
“No, ma’am. I’m grateful to be able to do this small part, but your friends, the community, my granddaughter and her friends, they’ve given you the real gift of turning it into a home. Well done.” Paul Grandstaff clapped his hands. “I look forward to feeling the good energy of your family over here.”
“You’ll get plenty of that,” Diane said with a laugh.
Jack walked over and shook his hand again. “From youngest to oldest, this is Johnny, and we’ve got Avery, Jimmy, and Annabelle, who is my oldest and best helper.”
Paul leveled his gaze on Annabelle. “How old are you?”
“Eight.”
“I was the oldest in my family too,” Paul said. “That can be a lot of responsibility. You remind me so much of my daughter when she was your age. Have you ever ridden a horse?”
“No sir.”
“Ever patted his soft nose?”
“No sir.”
“I can’t wait to introduce you to my very best friend.” He shifted his gaze to Jimmy, the second-oldest child. “You too, young man.” Paul straightened. “And I have chickens who lay more eggs than I know what to do with. I bet you all could gather eggs for me once in a while.”
“Okay!” the kids said, looking to Jack for approval.
“Sounds like home. These kids know how to collect eggs. We had a few chickens at our house. They flew the coop when the fire started, but I reckon they’ll happen back, eventually.”
“Yes. I’m sure they will. You all go on with your tour.” Paul backed up and took a seat at the long table. “I just wanted to welcome you myself.”
“Thank you.”
Sheila showed them around the rest of the place, and the older kids all climbed into the bunk beds.
“Mom, look! It’s so pretty.” Annabelle was delighted when she recognized her own name and the painted ladybugs on the front of the chest Doris had brought over.
“This is amazing. It’s too much.”
“No, it’s barely a start and we realize that,” Tucker said. “But it’s a soft place to land while you figure everything out.”
Nelle banged a metal spoon against a pot. “Y’all come get this breakfast. I’m putting it on the table before my gravy turns to wallpaper paste.”
The older kids moved to the table to eat, while Diane moved the baby to a high chair to feed him while the other adults took plates to the couch and pew in the living area.
Just about everyone who had helped set everything up had shown up by now, and there was really no better way to turn this little chapel into a home than to enjoy fellowship with neighbors and friends.
The tentative, nervous air that had filled the place when the family first walked in had quickly lifted. Children chased each other around the Christmas tree, and one of the kids had already crawled into one of the bunk beds to take a nap.
“We’re going to be okay,” Sheila heard Diane whisper to Jack, which choked her up.
Jack and his coworker ate, and then Jack said his goodbyes. “I’ve got to get to work. My boss was kind enough to surprise me by letting this guy bring me here for this, but I need to get to work. Kids, I’ll see you tonight.” The older children ran over and lined up in a row to give kisses. He blew a kiss to Diane as he walked out.
“Oh my gosh, my heart absolutely aches for them. I’m so glad we were able to do this,” Natalie said to Sheila.
“I know.”
Tucker walked over to Sheila and Natalie. “You ladies have really done something here.”
“Happy to do it,” Sheila said.
“Not exactly how you planned to spend your Christmas vacation, I guess,” he said to Sheila.
“Better than I could have imagined.”
“Good. Good to hear.” Tucker leaned in. “Jack told me that their insurance deductible is twenty thousand dollars.”
“Oh gosh. So many people are doing those high-deductible policies to keep the prices down.” She’d promised Diane she wouldn’t say anything, so she didn’t. Had Jack asked Tucker to keep it quiet too? “Do they have the money?”
“No, not even close.” Tucker grimaced. “Who has that kind of cash lying around? Not many folks around here.”
“Especially young parents, with so many kids.”
“Right.”
“Maybe I can help you with some fundraising ideas,” Sheila said. “We’ve participated in so many. There are lots of creative things we could do online to pull money from other areas. It’s not likely that it would be easy to get that kind of money donations in this small town.”
“I know.”
“There are alternatives. Even if they couldn’t afford to rebuild, they could sell the land and then reinvest in the purchase of a home.” Sheila could probably help them sort through the options.
“Their house was on family land. They’ve put a lot of time into renovating that place. It’s really sad.”
“I know it wouldn’t be ideal, but there may not be many options. Let me know if they’d like me to brainstorm with them. It’s what I do.”
“Thanks. Hey, so, I, uh, have to do the preliminary inspection for the Christmas Tree Stroll later today, but if y’all are getting started on your tree tonight, I’d like to buy you a hot chocolate.”
Natalie stepped up behind him. “Are you trying to get a peek at our tree plans?”
“No. I was just asking your friend here if I could buy her a hot chocolate tonight.”
“Mm-hmm. While we’re decorating?” She wagged her finger at him. “I happen to know the hot chocolate is free.”
Sheila gasped. “Oh, I see how you are. You’re awfully sneaky. I didn’t even consider an honorable man like the fire chief might try to steal our winning ideas.” She gave him an exaggerated stink eye, trying to hold back a laugh.
“And using the free hot chocolate as bait.” Natalie shook her head with a tsk-tsk.
“Well, ‘buying’ was a loose interpretation of it. I’ll tip the guy.” Tucker looked at Sheila. “Really. They work for tips.”
“I’d take a hot chocolate, but I’ll meet you at the hot chocolate stand.” Sheila tried to give him a stern look, but she couldn’t keep a straight face. “I can’t take a chance of you peeking at our top-secret Christmas tree.”
“No problem. I’ll text you.”
“Perfect.”
He started to walk away, and then turned. “Umm, seriously, you know we can all see each other’s progress every day just by walking around, right?”
“I’ve heard it can be a fatal flaw, however,” Sheila explained. “Orene said folks get in a panic and overdecorate when they think others are better. A sure way to l-o-s-e.”
“It happens,” Tucker said, seeming to agree. “She’s wise, that one.”
“We have an excellent plan that we intend to stick to, and I believe we will be a contender for the big win.”
“I like confidence in a woman,” he said.
“Well, then you’re going to fall in love with Sheila,” Natalie jumped in. “She has more confidence than anyone I’ve ever known.”
Sheila nudged Natalie and said, grumbling the words through a mortified smile, “Stop. You’re embarrassing me.”
“You look cute with red cheeks,” Tucker said as he walked out.
She felt like jumping into the air the way Rudolph did in the old animated TV special when the pretty doe, Clarice, said he was cute. Waiting until Tucker was clear out of earshot, she turned to Natalie and grabbed her hands. “He thinks I’m cute.”