Light the Fire Page 11

  “You’re right.” She sighed. “I met Cody’s sister-in-law, too.”

  “Jeanne?” Kelsie dropped her fork and pressed her elbows to the table as she leaned in. “How? When?”

  “She brought her trio of sons by the library this morning to let them check out some books.” Rena shrugged. “We talked for a few minutes. She mentioned a birthday party for the baby, and invited me to come. Oh, Kelsie, she’s really something. I can’t imagine raising three little boys on my own. And she does it so well. Nothing seems to frazzle her.”

  “I guess when you lose someone you love, it puts all the other little day to day problems into perspective, huh?”

  “Yes.” Rena gulped and studied the condensation on her glass. She thought of Allie. “I...know.”

  “Oh, Rena, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about what I was saying. I’m still in honeymoon stupor.”

  “It’s OK. You’re right, you know. Losing Allie has taught me nothing here on earth is guaranteed. You can lose what you cherish most in the blink of an eye.”

  “And God’s grace can open new doors...if you’ll let it.” Kelsie smiled warmly. “The future’s knocking on your door, Rena. Are you going to let it in?”

  She hesitated. “Maybe…yes.”

  “Good. When we’re finished eating, let’s hit the mall. I saw an outfit in one of the store windows that would look great on you. You can wear it to Jeanne’s party...or on a date with Cody.”

  ****

  Rena twirled before the full-length bevel mirror in the corner of her bedroom and grinned. Kelsie was right. The matching skirt and blouse did look great on her. And the new strappy sandals were easy on the eyes, too. The floral skirt billowed in a flattering arc around her knees, and the blouse had just the right peach hues to draw out the honey color of her eyes. Cody was going to love it.

  A knock on the door startled her. She checked her watch. It was late. Who could it be at this hour?

  She slipped out of her sandals and padded to the front window. Drawing back the edge of a curtain, she peeked carefully onto the doorstep.

  “What on earth...?” Rena rushed to open the door. Her mother stood beneath the glow of the porch light, lips pursed into a tight, thin line. “What are you doing here? Is everything OK? Is Dad OK?”

  Her mother’s hair was damp from a drizzle of rain. “Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  “Of course.” Rena shuffled back from the door. “Are you OK, Mother? Is Dad all right? What’s going on?”

  “One question at a time, please.” She pressed a finger to each side of her forehead and massaged vigorously. “Your father is fine, I suppose. I wouldn’t know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He left for Atlanta this morning. He said we need a...a...” Her voice faltered. “…a trial separation.”

  “A what?”

  Her mother dropped her purse on the coffee table. “You heard me, Rena. Don’t make me repeat those vile words.”

  “But, Mother, I—” Rena’s voice caught as the rock-solid composure on her mother’s face crumbled.

  “Oh, Rena.” Her mother choked on the words. She buried her face in her hands and began to sob. “I miss him already. What am I going to do?”

  Rena took her arm gently. “Come sit down, Mama. Let’s talk it over.”

  ****

  Rena slid into the rocker on the front porch and let darkness settle around her like a blanket. Her mother had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, curled up on the sofa in the spare bedroom. She’d gone down hard, and Rena guessed she was out for the night.

  She sighed and stretched painful kinks from her spine. Her parents were...separated. Her dad had finally put his foot down against her mother’s meddling antics. Rena didn’t know whether to be relieved that a change was imminent—or terrified at what that change might be.

  She flipped open her cell phone and punched in a number.

  “Hello?” Cody answered on the third ring. Sleep thickened his voice.

  “Oh, Cody, I forgot the time. I’m sorry to call so late.”

  “Rena? Is everything OK?”

  Tears suddenly flooded her eyes, and her voice cracked. “Yes. I mean, no.”

  “Are you hurt?” His voice snapped to full alert. “What happened? Do you need me to come?”

  “No. I’m not hurt. It’s just my mother. She’s here, Cody, and she’s a mess. My dad...well, he left her.”

  “He left her? Oh, Rena.”

  “My mother said it’s a”—She could hardly say the words. —”a trial separation, but I don’t know. She was crying awfully hard and it sounds...serious.”

  “Have you spoken to your dad?”

  “No. According to my mother, he went to Atlanta on business and decided not to come back for a...a while.”

  Cody sighed. “I’m so sorry. I’ll come over, Rena. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

  “I’m not alone. My mother is sleeping in the spare room down the hall. She cried herself into a stupor.” She hesitated as a rock filled her throat, cutting off the words. “I...I’ve never, in my entire life, seen her cry.”

  “Never?” Shock filled Cody’s voice. “I am so sorry. Why don’t you try to get some rest. Can you meet me for breakfast tomorrow before you go into the library?”

  “At the bakery?”

  “Perfect. Eight o’clock?”

  “OK.”

  “Will you be all right tonight, then?”

  “I think so.” She would be OK now, knowing he was just a phone call away, and that she’d see him in the morning. “Thanks for listening, Cody.”

  “I’ll see you first thing in the morning, Rena. Try to get some sleep.”

  ****

  “Hey, sleepyhead. How are things this morning?” Cody’s smile was like a breath of fresh air. Rena dropped her purse on the floor and slipped into a wrought iron chair on the patio. Sunlight eased through dispersing clouds, and a slight breeze carried the sweet aroma of glazed donuts and vanilla latte.

  “Sorry I’m late. I couldn’t get my mother out of bed. And then she cried something terrible because she didn’t want to leave the house. It was awful.”

  “Hmm...so where is she now?”

  “I called one of her friends from the golf club who talked to her for a while and finally convinced her to get dressed and leave the house. My mother’s going to get her hair done, and then meet this friend for lunch.”

  “Sounds like you’ve already put in a day’s work.” Cody slid a large coffee her way as she yawned. “It’s the Special Blend. I knew you’d need the jumbo size. I hope it’s still hot, and that I sweetened it the way you like.”

  Rena sipped. He’d remembered what she liked. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  Cody stroked hair from her forehead with a gentle touch. “You look exhausted.”

  She knew the sleepless night had left her eyes dull and bruised. “It’s not every day you learn your parents are on the road to divorce court.”

  “Has anyone actually mentioned the word, divorce?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then there’s still hope.”

  “I suppose. Oh, I don’t know. You saw my mother in action. She’s a meddling control freak of the worst sort, and I think my dad’s just had his fill. I can’t say I blame him...yet Mama really seems to miss him. I don’t know why. All she does is nag at him when he is around.”

  “That seems overly simple for two people who’ve been married, what...?”

  “Thirty-two years.”

  “That’s an awfully long time, Rena. People don’t just throw that kind of time...that kind of love...away.”

  “I don’t know, Cody. My mother was...beside herself. I’ve never seen her cry, let alone like that. This is serious.”

  “Then we’ll just have to be there for your mother, won’t we? And we’ll help your dad, too, if he needs us.”

  “Us?”

  “Yes, us. I’m in this now, too.” Cody’s gaze he
ld hers. “I want to help you, Rena. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

  “Thank you.” She reached for his hand and he wrapped his fingers around hers. His touch comforted and the tension along her shoulders eased. “But I don’t know if I have it in me to help my mother, Cody. I needed her once, and instead of kind words and a loving embrace Mama shut me out. The consequences were devastating.”

  “I’m so sorry for that.” Cody brushed his knuckles along her jawline and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “But you don’t need to know, Rena. I know. And so does your mom or she wouldn’t have come to you.”

  Rena brushed tears from her eyes and drew a deep breath. “May I have a bite of your cruller?” She reached for the chocolate-glazed confection on Cody’s plate. “I’m suddenly famished.”

  Cody nudged the plate toward her. “Here, have the whole thing.”

  Light the Fire

  14

  “The play is next week.” Erin’s eyes glowed with enthusiasm. “We start dress rehearsals tomorrow. Look, Miss Rena. I brought my costume for you to see.” She held up a floor-length, hunter-green velvet confection with a beaded bodice and matching intricate lace veil. “Mrs. Larson found it at a second-hand shop.”

  “Oh, Erin, that’s a beautiful dress. It brings out the color of your eyes. You’ll look like a princess.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes. It’s very elegant. How are you going to style your hair?”

  “I don’t know. I asked my mom to help me figure it out, but she’s been too busy.”

  “Well...I think it would look sophisticated gathered up into a wavy knot on top of your head.” Rena gathered Erin’s hair and twisted it up. “And then maybe curl a few soft ringlets around your face. That would fit with the theme of the costume nicely.”

  “That’s pretty but…” Erin frowned. “I’m not very good at doing my own hair. A ponytail is about as fancy as I get.”

  “I can help if you’d like. We could meet here at the center and I’ll style it, then your mom can drive you to the play.”

  “Really?” Erin’s eyes widened with gratitude. “You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course.” Rena let go of the hair and squeezed Erin’s shoulder gently. “And remember, I’ll be at the performance to cheer you on.”

  “I’ll save you a front row seat.” Erin’s grin faded as she glanced across the gym. “Oh no—there’s my mom. I must be late. I guess I lost track of time.” She hurried to gather her books and jacket.

  “She doesn’t look angry.” Rena glanced at her watch. “And you’re not late. It’s only five forty-five.”

  “Then what’s she doing here?” Erin slung her back pack straps over her shoulders. “She never comes inside unless I’m running late and she’s mad about it.”

  “Let’s go find out.” Rena dodged a basketball as she crossed the gym. Cody glanced up from a game of three-on-three to cast a quick wave, and then caught a long pass to go up for two points.

  Rena returned the wave and thought about Jackson’s birthday party Saturday afternoon. Even though Jeanne had asked her to come, Rena wouldn’t feel right without Cody asking, too. But he hadn’t mentioned it yet.

  Rena turned her attention to Erin’s mom, who’d paused at half-court. She was dressed in a sleek navy business suit and must have come straight from work. “Miss Dunigan, do you have a moment? I’d like to speak with you.”

  “Please, call me Rena.”

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Caulder pointed toward the gym door. “Erin, go wait in the car.”

  “But, Mom—”

  “Go on. It’s parked near the crosswalk. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  “Oh, all right.” Erin dragged her feet as she reluctantly made her way to the door.

  “Let’s sit on the bleachers, if you don’t mind,” Rena suggested.

  “That would be fine.”

  Rena led Mrs. Caulder away from the basketball court and to the farthest corner of the gym, where they could talk without getting walloped by stray basketballs. “What can I do for you?”

  “Is this where Erin studies?”

  “Yes...or in the lobby. There’s a plan in place for an expansion, as you know, but lack of funding is prohibitive.”

  “I’m fully aware.” She studied Rena with a piercing gaze that Rena imagined the woman had honed through hours in the courtroom. But when she spoke, her tone rang warm and sincere. “I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for Erin the past several months. Seeing this—sitting here—makes me realize just how difficult your task has been.”

  The incessant drum of dribbling basketballs serenaded them, and shouts of excitement echoed from the walls as one of the boys slam-dunked the ball.

  “These aren’t the most ideal conditions for studying, I’ll agree. But you have a wonderful daughter, Mrs. Caulder. Tutoring Erin—helping her study lines for the play—has been my pleasure.”

  “She’s had a rough time of it lately, as I assume you know. This place”—she swept her hand through the air, motioning to the four corners of the gymnasium. —”You—have been a real godsend. I had no idea this recreation center even existed until a few months ago. And when Erin said she wanted to come here several days a week after school, I had my reservations. Her father and I had just divorced and I didn’t want her getting mixed up with the wrong crowd while I work overtime to pay the bills. You know how that goes...”

  Rena nodded, waiting.

  “Anyway, her experiences here have been nothing but positive. And her reading...”

  “She’s really improved in her school work. Erin tries so hard. She wants so badly to please you.”

  “I know. She’s excited over this play. Months ago, I never would have believed she’d even attempt to participate in anything of the sort. But now...” Her voice hitched. She drew a shaky breath and continued. “Erin told me that you and some of the other volunteers have been working on ideas to generate funding for the center’s expansion.”

  “Yes. We’re considering a talent show and perhaps a dinner. You’d be surprised the number of kids here who have gifts for singing, dancing, comedy”—She glanced across the basketball court as a teen named Michael sank a lay-up over Cody’s back. —”and sports. The kids are going to be heavily involved, we know that much. The building plans have been approved and the contractor is ready. Now, all we need is money.”

  “Perhaps I can help. Erin’s older brother is touring with a Christian band. Maybe you’ve heard of them—Dive Into Grace.”

  “Yes. Oh, they’re very good, and popular with a lot of the teens here.”

  “I’ve taken the liberty of speaking with my son and he’s offered to do a benefit concert, if you’d like. I’ll provide all the advertising you need, pro-bono, of course. We can work out the details. There’d be virtually no overhead.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Rena jumped to her feet and grasped Mrs. Caulder’s hands. “On behalf of the planning team I say, yes, definitely, yes.”

  “Good.” She smiled and gave Rena’s hands a squeeze in return. “I’ll let my son know. We can decide together on a date, and work around that.”

  “Thank you. But you’ve already pledged a large sum of money. This is really just too much.”

  “That pledge was my own personal contribution. The concert will be a contribution from Erin’s brother and his friends. We’ve noticed the change in Erin, and we all really want to help. Of course, the exposure will benefit Dive Into Grace, as well, which is an added bonus on their end.”

  “Well, your generosity is greatly appreciated. I’ll let the board members know what you’ve proposed. We have a meeting scheduled for early next week. I’m sure they’ll be as pleased as I am.”

  “Then I’ll get back to you with a list of dates. Thank you, Rena, for all you’ve done for Erin.” She stood to leave. “I’d better get going now.”

  “Mrs. Caulder, please wait a moment,” Rena spoke over the thump of basketballs. �
��I don’t know if you’re aware, but Erin’s been writing some poetry.”

  “I’m aware. She’s shared a few things with me lately, those she deems less than”—she mimed quotation marks in the air—“top secret.”

  “I’m glad for that. I think she has a real talent for writing. And I was wondering if you might convince her to read a few of her poems at the fundraiser.”

  Mrs. Caulder nodded. “That’s a splendid idea. I’ll work on it.”

  “Thank you.”

  When Mrs. Caulder left, Cody loped over. His skin glistened with a sheen of sweat, but Rena didn’t care. She pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Hello to you, too.” He grinned. “If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll slip back and walk over again. Maybe then you’ll give me another kiss.”

  “Sorry. You’ve met your quota,” Rena teased. “One a day is all you get.”

  “I’ve gotta do something about that line of thinking.”

  “Dinner might help. I have some exciting news about the building fund.”

  “I’m all ears. Just let me grab a quick shower, first.”

  “I’ll wait in the lobby.”

  While Rena waited, she phoned Kelsie and asked her and Kyle to meet them. She was so excited that she wanted to share with everyone.

  “Why don’t you and Cody come here?” Kelsie suggested. “Kyle just threw steaks on the grill and we’ve made a salad and rolls. We can have a real pig-out.”

  “A pig-out? That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “Well...umm...just come on over.”

  “Are you sure? We don’t want to impose.”

  “You—impose? Give me a break, Rena. You’re my best friend. You don’t impose—ever.” She paused. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to show off our newest furniture.”

  “Your newest? I thought you two set up everything before you left for your honeymoon.”

  “Not quite, and that’s all I’m gonna spill for now. So, hurry. We’ll be waiting.”