17

“So, Toppy, when’s the last time you had a vacation day?” I grabbed a metal spatula and helped him scrape the grill.

“A vacation day? What’s that?” He smirked and rolled his eyes.

“Do you like the Cowboys?”

“Man! Are you kidding?” His eyes brightened. Dumb question to ask in Texas, I guess. “They really rolled the Rams last week. Hope they play like that in regular season.”

“How’d you like to go to the game Sunday?” I said, flashing the tickets before his excited face. “I happen to have two tickets, right on the fifty yard line. I thought you might pick up Scott at the rehab and take him to the game.”

“Whoop! I’d love to see them crush Seattle.” He snapped his fingers and then put his hands on his hips. “What about this place?” Disappointment crept into his voice. “We don’t do much business on Sunday but can’t afford to shut it down.”

“I think I’ve got you covered. Mandy and Macy will help Tracy, and I bet Greg and Todd Pearson will show up, as well.”

“Those two gals were a big help the other day. Might work. But, Bailey, Scott won’t leave his father to go to the game. I’m sure of that.”

“Leave that to me. I have a feeling God is in this somewhere, and He’ll help me figure it out.”

I called my mom as soon as I got back in my car.

“Mom, Toppy really wants to go, but he brought up the same problem. How can I get Scott to leave Peeps for a few hours?”

“Why don’t you drive to the rehab center with Toppy. Scott might not worry so much if you stayed to keep his father company. Meanwhile, I can handle your guests. I have plenty of comp time, and it’s early enough to rearrange my schedule.” She sounded cheerful. “I’d love to do it. So there. Your plan is all set.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. I hate to leave you with all the work for the guests at Shelley’s.”

“I can handle breakfast by myself. The guests are leaving Sunday morning anyway, aren’t they? I’d only have to do their breakfast alone one morning. Go, baby, go.”

“You know, I think I will.” I clapped my hands and bounced a little jump. This spontaneous decision energized me.

I called Toppy and explained Mom’s plan.

“Might work. We’ll have to leave early. I’ll gas up and pick you up at six. I’ll bring breakfast so we don’t have to stop.” He rattled on and on with our Sunday plans like a kid in a candy store.

“It’s a plan. Say, Toppy, if you talk to Scott, don’t say anything. Let’s surprise him.” That added fun to the whole thing. I missed Scott. The thought of seeing him eclipsed anything else going on in my mind. Steady girl.

I dove into cleaning Shelley’s Heart with cathartic vim and vigor. Everything shone when Mom came back, her arms loaded with stuffed teddy bears and board games. She also brought bags of fruit snacks and candy for the children coming for the weekend.

We dolled up the room together. Satisfied that cuteness prevailed, we sat in the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

“You know,” she said, “I was thinking about your trip to Dallas. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to let Mr. West know about your plans. He could convince Scott better than anyone probably. Why don’t I call? I want to check on him anyway.” She took her cell from her purse.

“Paul West’s room, please.” We grinned at each other while the call was transferred. I think Exit 477 had gotten under her skin as well.

“Mr. West? This is Gwen Brown. How are you feeling?” A long pause ensued. Mother listened, nodding.

“Yes, it can be grueling, but you’ll come out stronger on the other side. Hang in there. Say, Bailey’s planning a surprise for Scott, and we need you to be a co-conspirator. She and Toppy are going to drive up and look in on you. Toppy has tickets to the Cowboys game, and Bailey would like to visit with you while they go to the game. She’s concerned that Scott will balk at leaving you. What do you think?”

She listened again, and her amused smile told me everything would be OK.

~*~

The Sanchez family blew in with too much luggage for one weekend. I guess you have to bring the whole kitchen sink when you have six-year-old twins. Andrea and Andrés were delightful though, if a little precocious.

“Andrés, don’t put your shoes on the pretty couch!” Viana Sanchez picked up the boy and set him on the floor. Andrea promptly stood up on the couch. Her father, Ciulo, whom we soon learned went by his nickname Chewy, removed her as well.

Mother and I helped them in with all their things. We fairly tripped over the twins as they ran up and down the stairs. Upstairs was not the best idea for those two. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before.

“We can move their room downstairs, if you like, Mrs. Sanchez,” I said.

“The Sweetheart Room is lovely, but if you could move my husband and me upstairs, then we’d be close to the children. That will be fine.”

“Just give us a few minutes. Have you had dinner?”

“No, and we’re starving. It’s a long drive from San Antonio,” Chewy said, restraining both children at once from another run up the stairs.

“West House is down the street. Good food and very reasonable. My mother and I will rearrange the rooms for you before you get back.”

The family piled back into their car and drove off for dinner.

It didn’t take long to carry their things upstairs. Nothing really needed doing as the room next to the children’s room had a king-size bed and was already clean.

“I hope the Sanchez’s like this Adirondack décor.” Mom fluffed their pillows and put clean towels in the bathroom. I moved my things back down to the Sweetheart Room.

The family returned with two very sleepy children—full of Toppy’s hamburgers and fries probably, and ready to go to bed. Viana and Chewy carried their twins up the stairs. Shortly after, the parents also retired for the night.

Bright, shiny, rested faces showed up for breakfast the next morning. The Sanchez family planned to attend the Fire Ant Festival. Marshall adopted an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” attitude toward one of Texas’s most annoying pests. Chewy couldn’t wait to take part in the thirty-mile Tour de Fire Ant cycling competition. The children talked excitedly about riding in a choo-choo train that weaved through the vendors on the town square, where Viana planned to shop. They ate breakfast and then headed towards the day’s activities.

“Packed?” Mother asked as we cleaned up the kitchen.

“Yes. I’m excited. I hope it will make Scott happy. He’s been working so hard. He deserves this. Toppy, too.”

“I’m glad. What are you going to talk to Mr. West about for those hours?” She hung the fall accent dishcloths on the rack and then poured us both another cup of coffee.

“I thought I might choose a book from Shelley’s shelves and possibly read to him. If he’s up to talking, I want to hear more about the Bible study at the diner. Things just got started up again then more upheaval.” Maybe Liz and Tracy would keep things going for a while.

“I like coming here,” she said. “Maybe I could swing by one week for the Bible study.”

“I’m seriously thinking of staying here, if things work out.” I sipped my coffee, too excited to eat the casserole that Mother set before me. “I would need for a few days in a row to string together without catastrophe before I can decide.”

“It really depends on Scott, doesn’t it?”

“No, Mom, not really. Of course if he didn’t want me to stay, that would be a cincher. There was a time when I would have depended on what he thought of me. It’s actually very important to me now, but I’m learning to be content in who I am in Christ. Whether he likes me or not, and I think he does, I’d like to work here, live here.”

Mother smiled. “It’s been good for you. Even in the middle of all this turmoil, you seem stronger.”

“I am stronger. Although, I’m purposely not thinking about all the details. By the way, how’s Darryl?”

“He was released today, but into custody. He’s been charged with arson.” She sighed, shaking her head. “He seemed glad to be in jail, though. I think he’s afraid of those bad guys he owes money to.”

“I guess it’s all catching up with him. Are you able to forgive him, Mother? I believe he meant it when he said it was an accident.”

“You know, I lived all my life with Gran’s ‘Onward!’ attitude. She was a very forgiving person and instilled that in me by her example. She was disappointed in my choice of men, but other than that, we were very close.”

“I told Darryl about Christ. I pray he’ll think about it, but he pretty much turned his head away from me after I spoke to him.”

“Bailey, I’m proud of you. I know what that must have taken. We’ll just have to keep praying.”

I found it hard to pray for him when I saw the remnants of Pinewood Manor in my mind’s eye. But with God’s help, I would try.

The Sanchez family returned that evening worn to a frazzle. They went straight to bed. I told them good-bye and informed them my mom would be serving them the next morning.

As I lay in bed that night, I imagined first that Scott was happy to see me, then I imagined that he wasn’t happy. I finally fell into a fitful sleep.