Shelley Galloway - Mommy in Training

“But—”

“Or I’m going to pick up the phone and start calling everyone I know who might want him.”

After glaring at Minnie, Kimber looked sorrowfully Matt’s way. “Bye, Matt.”

“Bye, Kimber.” As the little girl marched to her room, Matt glanced at Minnie. Now that they were alone, she once again felt the tension that seemed to sizzle between them, just under the surface. “You going to be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for your help.”

“No problem, Min. No problem at all.”

MATT HAD JUST SETTLED into the back pew and picked up a hymnal when his cell phone started vibrating. Quickly he fished it out of his pocket and noticed that it was Ben Lambright, the vice president of finance at SavNGo. This call had to be taken.

With a couple of nods in the direction of the folks around him, none looking too pleased that he was getting up and leaving before the service had even started, he moved to the entryway and answered. “Madigan.”

“Hi, Matt. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

With another nod toward the people entering, Matt pushed open the wide oak doors and trotted out to the parking lot, the bright sun blinding him as he did. “Not at all, Ben.” After all, if a guy at his level in the company was working on a Sunday morning, Matt couldn’t very well say he didn’t want to work either. Could he? “How may I help you?”

“I’ve got some bad news. Second-quarter earnings are about to be announced. They’re not good, Matt.” He paused. “I’ve been told to tell you that we’re going to need to rebid all the subcontractors for Store 35.”

Matt had been through this before. Although the chain was huge, the board and financial officers watched every transaction like a hawk. Two years ago in Arkansas, they’d had to rebid, too. But in Arkansas, he hadn’t known a lot of the subcontractors. Asking people to rebid had just been business. This felt vastly different. “All of them?”

Papers shuffled in the background. “All the contracts that haven’t begun. You know the drill, Matt. Explain the situation and tell them they’re going to have to rebid.”

“But—”

“They’ll do it, they always do. Cement poured yet?”

“It’s scheduled for end of next week.”

“Keep the cement contractors, but tell everyone else that we need lower bids, pronto.”

“Yes. All right.” Matt’s shoulders slumped. He’d fought like hell to get Store 35 built in Crescent View.

“It’s going to be busy. I appreciate your extra time on this, Matt. You’ve got quite a reputation of sticking to budget and getting things done the way we want them. I know you’ll meet our expectations for Store 35, as well.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” After a few words about baseball, they hung up. Matt slumped against his truck, deflated.

Nearby, a car zipped into the parking lot and a couple hurriedly unbuckled and then ran into the building, just as the faint hum of the organ and church choir started drifting his way. Folding his arms across his chest, Matt figured his spot outside felt somewhat typical. Once again, he was standing on the outside, looking in.

He’d brought the supercenter to town as a way of trying to do good. Of trying to show everyone that he was worth something. He’d contracted friends of his and local businesses, in an effort to spark the local economy and fire up hope in everyone.

Now he would have to tell Lane that he was going to have to rebid, and most likely wouldn’t have near the money he’d planned to have in the bank. His journey into the community’s good graces was about to get bumpy.

In fact, the only saving grace seemed to be Kimber, who came over to visit Wanda a lot, and therefore him. Little Kimber who liked him but was so fragile, her moods were mercurial and ever changing.

Kind of like his, come to think of it. More often than not, Matt found himself rethinking every decision these days. He wanted to do the right thing for SavNGo. He wanted to do the right thing for Wanda.

But he also wanted to show everybody that he was just as successful and worthy as they thought he was. Even though inside he didn’t feel worthy at all…just a fake.

And then there was the whole Minnie thing. He found her attractive. He found himself thinking about her at odd times, in the middle of the night. Or in the morning, when he had a cup of coffee outside by Wanda’s pool.

He wondered about his attraction to Paige’s little sister. Was it because she reminded him of Paige?

Or because she was a link to the past?

Or because he felt bad that the store he’d pushed into Crescent View was going to put her business in jeopardy?

Or was it none of those things? Was he merely attracted to her because she touched something in him that made him feel valued and good inside, and worth more than his dad had ever guessed? He wanted her to need him. He wanted to be her protector.

Minnie Clark, the darling of the neighborhood, her family and the town, still seemed so alone.

Was he the only one who thought that was strange?

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