Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma (8 page)

—Mrs. Wabash, a Reformed Lover of Small Children     

As they made the drive to the orphanage, Rena tried to keep her wits about her. She found Daisy smaller than she had expected and somewhat behind the times, though she would never say so. Very few vehicles graced the main street. Folks still moved about in wagons and on horseback. That would be intimidating enough, but the clothing! She’d hardly ever seen people in such worn attire. The men, for the most part, wore overalls and graying white shirts. In spite of the cool weather, children ran about in bare feet. The women wore sensible cotton dresses much plainer than the ones she’d brought with her, and many of their dresses had faded to unrecognizable shades. Would folks find her uppity if she wore her store-bought dresses from home?

Home.

The word flitted through her mind and a pang of homesickness gripped her. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d made a mistake. But just as quickly, she scolded herself. Just because people in Daisy dressed differently didn’t mean anything. Who was she to judge folks based on appearance?

Rena made up her mind to give the town a second chance. Through the window she caught a glimpse of a large ramshackle house off in the distance next to an overgrown lot high with weeds. She held her breath as he pulled up in front of it.

“Welcome to the Atoka County Children’s Home.” Sheriff Wyatt turned off the car and got out. He came around to her side and opened the door. Though hesitant, she stepped out, her gaze shifting to the house before her.

Rena took in the dilapidated brown building—the sagging roof, the rotted porch, the woodwork in need of painting—and immediately felt her throat constrict. She knew that tears would shortly follow. She’d pictured a great many things, but not this. Never in her born days had she seen a home so broken down, so in need of repair. “This…this is it?” she managed at last.

“It is.” The sheriff opened the half-broken front gate and ushered her inside. “I know it’s not much to look at. But it’s a fine old building.” His brow wrinkled as he turned back to face her. “Please give it a try?”

“Yes, of course.” Rena’s years at the Villa in Gulfport had done little to prepare her for such a home, but to snub it because of its age would be wrong. Perhaps the outside appearance was deceiving. Surely the inside would be better. She would not panic, regardless. Perhaps this was one reason the Lord had brought her here, to shine a light on the problem. Surely the missions society would help once they learned of the home’s poor condition. She hoped so, anyway.

“Can I meet the children now?” she asked, more determined than ever.

“You sure you’re ready?” The sheriff quirked a brow, and for a moment she thought she saw a hint of a nervous smile on that handsome face. Was he teasing her, perhaps? If so, she wouldn’t allow him to deter her from the path she was meant to follow.

“Why, of course. I wouldn’t come all this way, otherwise. I’ve been ready for days. I’ve thought of little else.” Squaring her shoulders, she offered up a silent prayer that the Lord would go before her and make her path straight. She also added a quick
And give me courage, Lord!
addendum to stop her knees from shaking.

He cleared his throat. “Fine, then. Our former director, Mrs. Wabash, left just this afternoon, so my mother has been watching the children in her stead. They’re inside, waiting. I know they’re very excited to meet you.”

He swung wide the door and gestured for her to step inside the empty foyer. Rena had no sooner taken the first step than an avalanche of water soaked her from above. Shaken, she glanced up and noticed the tipped bucket suspended from the door. She shivered and tried to gather her thoughts, but it was no use. Water dripped from her new skirt into puddles on the floor below. In desperation, she looked at the sheriff, hoping he would help her make sense of this.

Instead, he hollered out, nearly deafening her: “William and Jacob, you get your tails out here at once before I knock you into tomorrow.”

Two sandy-haired, freckle-faced little boys appeared from the next room with sheepish grins on their faces. The one with the milk moustache looked to be seven or eight. He took one look at her soggy attire and erupted into laughter. Seconds later, the other one—probably nine or ten—joined in. Rena did her best not to cry, though tears willed themselves to come. She drew a deep breath and did her best to stop shaking.

The sheriff grabbed the boys by the ears and pressed them in her direction. “Miss Jewel, meet my two boys, William and Jacob. They’ve got a dozen or more friends nearby, I’ve no doubt.” He paused and looked around. “Might as well c’mon out. Miss Jewel will likely forgive you for the impromptu baptism if you ask nice and proper, but I wouldn’t hold to her sticking around very long if you don’t.”

From around every corner they came. Scraggly-looking boys, mostly, but three girls too. A ragtag lot of them, wearing clothing in sizes that made no sense to their bodies. The girls, pretty as they were, needed someone to tend to their matted hair. And whatever did they do for shoes? One of the girls—the one with the long, blond hair—wore a little locket around her neck, which she fingered as she gazed Rena’s way.

The children put Rena in mind of street urchins, though she never would have voiced that sentiment aloud. She took them in with a gaze—every last one of them—and the water incident slowly faded from her mind. All that mattered now were these precious children. Their darling faces shone with excitement. At least it looked like excitement. A couple of them, both girls, muttered something that sounded like an apology. The boys stood back, their arms crossed at their chests, and glowered.

“You think you’re ready for this?” The sheriff turned her way, a hint of panic in his eyes.

She nodded, reaching down and squeezing the excess water out of her dress. It dribbled onto the floor. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

An older woman in a flowered blue dress appeared in the opening leading to the hallway. She rushed Rena’s way, her hands clasped together over her chest. “Oh, you poor, sweet girl. Whatever have these little monsters done now?” She took one look at Rena’s wet attire and began to cluck her tongue at the children. They responded with more giggles.

“I’m Carolina, honey. Gene’s mother.” The woman brushed back the loose gray hair around her face. “I do hope you’ll forgive the way I look. I had to make a quick dash to my place for some butter. I was only gone a few minutes.” She looked Rena over and shook her head. “I can see now that they just wanted to get me out of here to accomplish this dastardly deed. How they managed to get that bucket hung in such a short amount of time is nothing short of miraculous. We could fault their actions, certainly, but I’ve got to admit, they’re very efficient. They know how to get things done in a hurry.”

Rena hardly knew what to say. Apparently a great deal of effort had gone into her welcome. The children must be delighted with themselves. Should she counter their move with quick, strong discipline, or turn a blind eye?

The youngest of the girls smiled, and Rena’s heart melted like butter left out in the afternoon sun. She would turn a blind eye, at least for now.

“Well, c’mon in, hon,” Carolina added. “I’m going to have the girls draw you a bath while I finish making your supper. You look exhausted. No point in feeding you until you’re clean and dry. Sound good?”

“Sounds wonderful. I’m long overdue for a good soak.”

Carolina sent the three little girls upstairs with Rena’s bags in hand. They were given specific instructions to draw her bath as well. Rena began to relax, finally letting her guard down. She gave the parlor another quick glance but then wished she hadn’t. Nothing about the place held any appeal, from the worn curtains to the torn paper on the walls to the uneven floors.

“Gene, why don’t you give Miss Jewel the grand tour and then point her in the direction of her room? Her bath should be ready in a few minutes.” Carolina retied her apron and turned back toward the kitchen. “All this nonsense will wash away with a good hot bath, Miss Jewel. I promise you, you’ll feel better once you’re clean and dry.”

Rena nodded, realizing how good that sounded.

“I’d be happy to show her around first,” Gene said, giving his mother a nod. Then he turned to Rena. “You ready for a quick look-see?”

“I guess.” She followed along behind the sheriff as he showed off the various areas of the old home. The downstairs areas were in great need of updating, especially the furniture. The sofa had broken springs, the wingback chair was barely standing, and the end table looked as if someone had taken a knife to it. Were those initials in the arms? There were no pictures on the walls and no flowers or any other decor in sight. Everything was stark and broken-down. Well, all but the sheriff. He appeared to be in great shape. Her cheeks grew warm as the thought flitted through her mind. Heavens. Who knew she noticed such things?

Gene led her up the stairs and into the children’s areas. The section that housed the girls didn’t look too bad. It was small but cozy. She’d never seen so many beds pressed into one room, however, and the place was rather stark. Metal bed frames, white sheets, brown blankets…nothing at all like the bedrooms back home.

“Has anyone ever given thought to painting in here?” she asked. “I do think a nice coating of soft pink paint would make it feel girlier.”

Judging from the smile, he appeared to find great humor in the idea. “Don’t suppose anyone would mind.”

The boys’ area left Rena reeling. For one thing, none of the beds had been made. The paint was cracking, the ceiling was leaking, and the floor was creaking. And those beds! Broken-down. Rusty. Missing pieces. Talk about hideous. How the boys could sleep on something so primitive was beyond her. She would have to arrange for new beds to be sent as soon as possible. A good night’s sleep would do wonders for the children and help them with their studies as well.

Gene continued showing her around, focusing on the remaining downstairs rooms at the front of the house. The parlor was far too small for social gatherings. Where did the children play? Was there no space to gather with friends and share in an afternoon’s activities?

“Where do the children socialize?” she asked after seeing the entire home.

“Beg pardon?” He gave her a funny look.

“Play. Where do they play?”

“Ah.” He shrugged. “I guess you could say the town is their playground.”

“But there’s no area here for them to just be children?” she asked. “No rope swings? No parklike areas to run freely and get the necessary exercise? However do you expect them to stay healthy if they can’t go outdoors to burn off energy and be in the sunshine?”

He still looked perplexed. “There’s a small yard out back. They make do. But, as I said, they have the whole town.”

“Surely you don’t mean that they roam about the town on their own.”

“Oh, I…” He paused. “Well, I guess that’ll have to change. We’ve always just sorta expected it. They show up all sorts of places in town. Mrs. Wabash tried to curtail some of their extracurricular activities, but they were left to their own devices much of the time.”

Rena shook her head, unable to fathom such a thing. If the children ventured into town, who watched over them to make sure they weren’t up to mischief? “I can assure you that will not be the case now that I’m here. I firmly believe in spending time with the children. Roaming about the town is not my idea of child’s play.”

A little girl tugged on her arm and Rena glanced down, taken in by the welcoming smile. The youngster had a beautiful face, but seeing it through the unruly dark hair was not easy. “Miss Jewel, I’m Callie.”

“Nice to meet you, Callie. And you can call me Miss Rena.”

“Miss Rena, your bath is drawn.”

“Yes, do go up and relax,” Carolina said, appearing from the kitchen. “You will feel so much better afterward.”

Rena took a couple of steps away then turned back as she heard the sheriff’s voice. “I hope you will forgive the boys for getting you wet earlier. I feel sure it was just a prank to welcome you to the fold. It won’t happen again.”

Rena nodded and turned to face him. “Guess I’d better go on up. Will I see you at supper?”

“I’ll be the one roping the boys to their chairs.”

She had to look twice to see the twinkle in his eyes.

“We put your bags on your bed, Miss Rena.” The girl with the blond hair offered a sweet smile.

“And put lots and lots of bubbles in your bath,” the littlest girl added. “Hope you like ’em.”

“Oh, I adore bubble baths.” She offered the children a smile of thanks. “And I’m in need of a hot soak. That train trip wore me out.”

“Well, take your time, honey,” Carolina added. “When you’re done, c’mon down for supper. I’ve prepared a meal fit for a king.”

“Smells heavenly. I can’t wait.”

Rena followed behind the girls, who led her up the stairs. With each step, her hands quivered and her knees grew wobblier. Probably exhaustion. Either that, or fear had suddenly locked her in its grip.

“This is your room, Miss Rena,” the younger girl said. “Ain’t it purty?”