Georgia Sweethearts

Jenna walked in the kitchen shortly after, her pretty green eyes red and swollen. She wore sweatpants and a faded, holey college T-shirt. “Thanks for feeding Will,” she said as she grabbed a bowl and ladled out a small portion of chili. Enough for a mouse.

“You need to eat more.”

“I can’t.”

“What’d y’all argue about this time?”

“Nothing.”

“That nothing made you cry.”

Jenna plopped the bowl onto the scratched pressed-wood table and slid into her chair. She’d forgotten a spoon but didn’t seem to notice. Lilly got up to get one, waiting for her to talk.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the spoon, then proceeding to shove the chili around the bowl, never taking a single bite.

“I’ll feed you, too, if I have to.”

That drew a little smile. “We can’t agree on anything. He wants to spend. I want to save. He wants to buy a house. I want to rent a little longer. He wants to go to church on Sundays. I want to stay home and have family time. He wants another baby. I don’t.”

Lilly wasn’t a professional therapist, but she understood that with her and Jenna’s family history, trust was an issue. Jenna’s actions all pointed to someone who was afraid to believe her relationship had a future. “Sounds like maybe you should go with him to talk to a marriage counselor.”

“That’s not going to help at this point.” She nibbled a tiny bite, enough to nourish a flea. “Let’s talk about something else.”

Will banged on the high chair and squealed, ready to get up and move again. They’d somehow managed to get most of the two jars of food into his stomach with only a small percentage landing on his bib and in his hair. Success, in Lilly’s opinion.

Jenna got to her feet to reach for Will, but Lilly pushed her sister back into her chair. “I’ll get him. You need to eat or you won’t do him any good.”

As Lilly stood at the kitchen sink waiting for the water to warm to wipe Will’s hands and face, Jenna withdrew into her own world.

Time to distract her from her thoughts. “I had a visitor to the shop today. Daniel Foreman, Ann’s grandson.”

“Hmm?”

“Daniel Foreman. He came to the shop today.”

Jenna turned toward Lilly, her eyes refocusing in the present. “Oh, he’s the pastor who started the new church. What’d he want?”

“He claims Aunt Talitha agreed to rent out the basement as a meeting space for the church.” She reached for Will’s hands to wipe them before he latched onto her hair. “Did you know anything about it?”

“No.” Jenna propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. She looked totally forlorn. “That’s the church Ned’s been attending, wanting me to visit. I can’t say I’d relish having them around. They already tie up too much of his time.”

So much for taking her mind off her marital problems. “I don’t see how they could rent it until we finish the space, and we can’t afford that right now.”

“They’d be there all the time—apparently they’re pretty active with the community service projects all week long. Ned’s mentioned some kind of after-school mentoring program. He’s volunteering with a food pantry and a clothes closet ministry.” She rolled her eyes. “Reminded me of that old busybody neighbor we had, Mrs. What’s-Her-Name, who brought us clothes and reported Mom and Dad to the social worker.”

Humiliation nearly two-decades old stung Lilly’s face as if the act had happened yesterday. Mrs. Wiley had come from across the street with a bag of new dollar-store shorts and tops and, within viewing and hearing range of other neighbor kids, wrinkled her nose in disgust and offered to wash Lilly and Jenna’s clothing for them since their parents didn’t seem to care.

Even if the woman’s intentions had been good, she’d carried out the act of charity in a scarring manner. And set their dad on course to uproot and move his family once again, tearing them away from some good people of a local church who had been quietly helping her and Jenna—people who’d shown them kindness and love.

Old anger burned like acid in Lilly’s stomach. “I’ve done some figuring. If we hold a few small knitting classes upstairs, we’ll generate income from fees and selling the supplies. We should be able to get by until we can afford to renovate the basement to hold larger classes.”

“Who’d teach?”

Lilly eyed her sister for evidence she was poking fun, and immediately thought of Daniel, teasing, promising to come back to see her knitting. She ignored the warm, cozy feeling and checked her sister’s face. Not a hint of a smile. “I don’t know. But I’ll work on it. In the meantime, I’m going to check Aunt Talitha’s records for any information on the agreement with Daniel.”

Jenna pushed away her barely touched bowl and wiped her mouth. “You know, that rent money would be a sure thing.”

“Yeah, but we’d have to spend a lot to get there. Besides, building a sense of community is important for our type of business. I’d rather ask Ned to help us get started on finishing the basement, to create a place for customers to hang out. That way, there’s no deadline and no rush. Volunteer labor, of course, until we can afford—”

“He’s gone.”

A frisson of alarm passed over her. Surely Jenna didn’t mean that in the way it sounded. Surely he’d just left for work. “What do you mean, gone?”

Jenna looked up, her pain-filled eyes welling with tears. “Ned can’t help us with the store anymore. He left me.”

Chapter Two

Armed with two lists, Daniel headed to The Yarn Barn the next day, trying to keep his promise to his grandmother. He hoped to at least get a peek at the basement to see if it was as ideal a setting as Gran had asserted. Though he wouldn’t push Lilly and her sister, he did need to find the church a new location soon.

His first list included all the advantages of allowing the church to rent—including the idea for the church to renovate the space—as well as the perks they would offer.

The second list was extra incentive. An evaluation of her store’s current visibility in the community, along with suggestions to increase exposure. Might as well use his marketing expertise to help.

He pulled into the gravel parking lot and got a good look at the place in daylight. Granted, the building was old. But the structure, painted barn red, with a sloping roof and white trim, had charm. Was quaint and welcoming.

Wind chimes jingled as he walked in, something new she’d added since his visit yesterday.

“May I help— Oh. Daniel,” she said, voice flat. Disappointed. She may as well have said, oh, it’s just you.

He considered her attitude a challenge.

“Hello, Lilly.” For the first time, he noticed one whole wall lined with cubbyholes packed with yarn of every color. “The store’s certainly well stocked.”

“Our aunt’s inventory was depleted when we came on board. We had to place a large order of supplies.” Her sad gaze darted away as she ran her hand over a closed laptop computer, wiping away invisible dust. “Can I help you find something? A gift for your grandmother, maybe?”

If a sale would put him in her good graces... “Uh, sure. Do you have a nice scarf?”

Pushing long, dark hair behind one ear, she winced. “I’m afraid I don’t have many finished items left. A couple hats. A pair of children’s mittens.” Her expression brightened as she came from behind the counter. “I remember Aunt Talitha talking about Ann knitting. Maybe I can interest you in some yarn. Along with a new pattern book?”

The hopeful look in her eyes smacked him in the gut. “I need to come clean. I didn’t really come in to buy a gift. I stopped by to talk business.”

Her eyes shot sparks as they focused all her ire on him. “Thank goodness you’re honest, Reverend.”

Her sarcasm wasn’t lost on him. Though he deserved the censure, he had to battle a smile. With her big greenish-brown eyes and rosy cheeks, she had to be the prettiest angry woman he’d ever seen. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t look sorry.”

“I’m sorry. For not looking sorry, that is.” A chuckle rumbled out before he could stop it. When she glared harder, he added, “Sorry.”