Her Unlikely Family (11 page)

He kicked off his shoes, then flipped the channels until he found an old movie. Without the sound, the drama was humorous. After a half hour of guessing what the actors were saying to each other, he scrolled up and down the channels once again.

When he landed on an old
Leave It to Beaver
show, he stopped and turned the volume up. After a few good laughs, he hit the off button and got ready for bed.

He climbed under the covers and glanced at the phone. Thinking of going back to twelve-hour days at the bank was depressing. How had he ever thought he could find contentment in that?

It was going to be tough to go back to doing it. But he would. Because it was who he was. It was his duty.

Being gone for the last six days, he'd fallen down on that duty. But now he had a duty to Lisa, as well. And she was much more important, wasn't she? Gary seemed to think so. Surely his parents would agree.

Besides, Gary was thriving. His parents, and the bank, would survive another day without him.

He switched off the light.
It's merely one more day. It's not like I'm leaving the family business.

W
hen Michael arrived at Josie's house at 6:00 a.m. the next day, he followed the sound of music and found her on the back deck in the early morning cold, hunched over a book at the table. A cat, maybe the one that had scared him so badly his first night in town, wove in and out, around her legs, trying to brush against them as Josie tried to avoid contact.

He cleared his throat.

No response.

“Excuse me.”

“Come back later,” she said, intent on her reading.

“What are you doing?” he asked over the music.

“I'm trying to have my devotional time,” she said, then huffed a sigh as she leaned back in her chair.

“Oh, sorry. Where's Lisa?”

She turned down the praise music that sounded vaguely like something he'd heard on a Christian radio station. “Asleep. Go on in.”

He entered through the back door into the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee brewing teased his taste buds.

After passing through into the family room, he approached Lisa's door and knocked.

“Go away,” she said in a sleepy voice.

“Time to get up for work.”

“You go for me.”

“You've got to earn your keep.”

“Pay Josie some rent. I'm tired of working so hard.”

“Get up. I'll be waiting outside with Josie.”

“You won't get her away from her prayer time.”

“Then I'll join her.”

Lisa's laugh reverberated through the closed door. “I've got to see that.”

“Come join us.”

He followed his taste buds back to the kitchen and poured two thermal mugs of coffee. He found creamer and sugar on the table and, assuming she used both, doctored her coffee. Once he'd backed out the screen door and placed one cup beside Josie, he sat near her on a cold plastic chair. The cat skittered away at the commotion.

After a couple of minutes, she opened one eye and stole a peek at the cup of coffee. “Amen,” she said, then grabbed her mug and inhaled the steam. “Mmm.” She took a sip. “It's perfect. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.”

“Thanks for letting me finish. Why are you here at the crack of dawn?”

“I fell asleep so early last night that I woke up at five this morning.”

“Are you getting lonely over at the motel? Because I've got a stray cat I'll gladly loan you for company.”

“I'm okay,” he said because he hated to admit he'd wanted them to invite him to watch videos last night. “So, do you do this every morning?”

“I try to. When do you pray?” she asked just before sipping her coffee.

“Not often enough. I've found myself praying more lately, though, for guidance with Lisa.”

“Good. You two will need lots of prayer when you go back to Charleston together.”

“I imagine we will. Will you continue to pray for us, Josie?”

She studied him over her mug, and her eyes looked sad. “Of course. Every day.”

Not wanting to think too much about leaving, he stared into the misty backyard. “It's beautiful out here this time of day.”

“Yes. This is my worship time between Sunday services.”

“A choir could sure use your talents. Why don't you sing in the one at your church?”

She shook her head, then swallowed another sip. “I've just never taken the step to join, but might do it soon. I definitely feel God's presence in the music. Stayed with me all week.”

He smiled, feeling as if he'd accomplished something. “Good. I hope you will.”

She stretched her legs out straight and flexed her ankles. “You know, you might enjoy this morning ritual. Try something new, like praise music and prayer on your back deck.”

“My housekeeper would faint.”

Josie laughed. “So, Mike, has God called you to work at the bank?”

“I have no idea.” He'd said it so quickly and definitively that he surprised himself. But he knew without a doubt that he spoke the truth. “I can't say I've ever felt God leading me that way. My family led me into working there. From the time I was about fifteen, I knew that's what I would do. But I suppose God uses our parents to direct us.”

“Have you tried asking God what
He
wants for your life?”

“You say that God called you to help runaways. How did you know?”

“Through reading my Bible. Through getting to know God better each day in prayer and by spending time with Him. I don't know. It all just fell into place when my church said they needed someone to help with that ministry.”

“So you didn't hear a voice coming from the sky?” He grinned at her, but wouldn't be at all shocked to hear her say she had.

“No. No audible voice. Just confirmation that I was on the right track. Those girls showing up here in town gave me the chance to act.”

“So God could have brought me here. Maybe God's calling me to take a bigger part in Lisa's life. But what about my lifetime calling? What about when she's grown and on her own?”

“It might help to focus only on the present. Pray and study the Bible. Get to know God. He'll show you your calling.”

Just when Michael thought his course was set, that he had his life in order, God threw in a wrench to remind him He was in charge.

First Lisa had been that wrench. And now Josie was doing the honors.

Unfortunately, Josie was making him think about a future that might not include the bank. A future with glimpses of more than Throckmorton family duty.

But whatever his calling, Michael felt sure it would lead right back to Charleston. And Josie's call would keep her here in Gatlinburg.

The thought of living 350 miles from this wacky, charming woman left him colder than the early morning fog on this first day of April.

April Fool's, Throckmorton. The joke's on you.

 

Later, after a busy day at the diner, Josie reflected on how weird sharing the morning with Mike had been. But in a nice way. She'd had an especially smooth day at work. Maybe he'd been praying for her.

And Lisa. Of course he would pray for his niece. His commitment was to Lisa, after all. He didn't owe Josie a thing.

Everything's for Lisa. Everything's for Lisa.

If everything was for Lisa, then why had Josie come home from work and showered with peach bath gel and shampoo, then lotioned up with peach-scented lotion? And why had she put on her best jeans and the aqua-colored sweater that always led to compliments on her brown eyes?

Why had she brushed her teeth twice and left her hair down?

Lisa sure didn't care how Josie smelled or dressed.

Everything's for—

“Let's go, Josie. He'll be waiting.”

Surprised to see Lisa standing in the doorway, Josie said, “You're awfully excited to see your uncle.”

“I've been doing some thinking about Uncle Michael. I've got an idea about how it'll all work out.”

“How?”

Lisa started to put her chain-link belt through the belt loops of her new jeans, but it wouldn't fit. “I've been all wrong about you two.”

Josie raised her brows in question.

“Instead of fighting the fact that you two like each other, I'll cash in.”

“Cash in, huh? I'm afraid to ask.”

“If Uncle Michael falls for you, then you'll be able to talk him into letting me live with him.” She shrugged. “I'll just let nature take its course.”

This wasn't at all what Josie needed to hear. If she didn't have Lisa fighting the feelings she had for Mike, her heart would be more at risk. “You're kidding, aren't you, Lisa?”

“Nope.” Her eyes sparkled. “I've got big plans.” She tugged on Josie's arm. “Let's go. You look perfect.”

“I don't really care how I look.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I don't.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Lisa said without a hint of the anger she'd had the day they'd fallen in the river and Mike had almost kissed Josie.

Little did Lisa know, Josie had been telling herself that she didn't care how she looked. All afternoon.

It wasn't working.

When they arrived at Mike's motel, he stood outside the office reading a newspaper.

“Sorry we're late, Uncle Michael. Josie was primping.”

“Was not.”

He leaned toward her and inhaled. “It was worth it. You smell delicious.”

Josie studied Lisa's reaction. Where was the disapproval? Was she really over it so quickly?

“Let's go, you two. You can smell each other later,” Lisa said.

Mike looked at his niece suspiciously. “Okay. You seem in a hurry.”

Lisa grinned. “I just had a really good day, and I'm looking forward to tonight. Let's go get a funnel cake to share.”

“You'll eat some?” he asked.

“Sure. I'm really hungry today.”

“What made it such a great day?” he asked.

She took off ahead of them. “Prayer.”

Interesting.
They walked three blocks to Josie's favorite shop. Lisa stayed about a half block ahead of them the whole way. Josie still couldn't believe the sudden change. While Mike placed their order, she pulled Lisa aside. “What's this about prayer?”

“Whadaya mean?”

“Does all this have to do with what you said earlier? Because I'll try to talk to him about your living with him. I already have. Just don't count on him falling for me.”

“It's not only him falling for you.” She sank her hands into her pockets, her shoulders slightly hunched. “Last night at dinner was fun. I wouldn't mind us being, well, you know. A kind of family.”

Josie's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She caught herself before she blurted the first thought that came to her mind—one of adamant refusal. “I guess we can act like one for the time you two are here. But remember that it's only for fun. There's no way on earth it could really—”

“Come on, Josie. Give me some credit.” Lisa looked away, as if afraid to show Josie the real hope she felt.

This was scarier than anything so far. Lisa could really be hurt when her dream was shattered by reality—like the fact that Josie and Mike lived in two different worlds, and Josie had run from his type of life once.

She and Mike needed to deal with this new problem. And quickly.

When he arrived with the funnel cake, Josie opened her mouth to speak, but Mike's phone rang.

He answered and held it out to Lisa. With a big question mark written across his face, he said, “It's for you.”

Lisa smiled with mischief written across her face. “Hello?”

Pause.

“I'd love to. When?”

Pause.

“Now?” she asked, acting surprised but not quite succeeding. “Sure. I'll wait at stop light number six.” She handed him his phone.

“Whoever that was sounded scared to death,” Mike said.

“It was Brian. He asked me out and is picking me up in a minute.”

“What?” Josie said. “You and I are supposed to show Mike the town this evening.”

“You two can do it without me. I'm a third wheel.”

Josie frowned. Could Lisa, the little matchmaker, be any more obvious?

“Lisa, I'm here to spend time with you,” Mike said.

“I know. But you'll get sick of me if you have to spend every day with me. This'll give you a break, and I can go out with Brian. Pleeease?”

“I think she needs to follow through with our plans,” Josie said. “Mike?”

“The boy can't seem to keep his hands to himself,” Mike warned Lisa.

“Oh, he learned his lesson. I told him we're just friends.”

Mike looked at the powdered sugar-coated pastry as if it would tell him what to do, then set the plate on a bench. “If going out with Brian is what you really want to do tonight…”

“Yes! Oh, yes.” She threw her arms around his neck as she bounded up into his arms. “Thank you!”

He was slow reacting. But not so slow that he missed the chance to hug his niece for the first time in who knew how long. He closed his eyes as he carefully tightened his hold on her. To someone passing by, their embrace would seem to last longer than normal. But to Josie, who knew what a price the two of them had paid for Patricia's carelessness, the long hug, the agonized look on Mike's face, was pure joy.

Josie blinked back tears. When he opened his eyes and gazed at her, she couldn't manage a smile. A smile would only warp and wobble. She bit her bottom lip as it started to quiver.