Arlene James - Second Chance Match

And, Magnolia hoped, much more.

“Very good,” Jessa praised, watching Hunter practice the last of his letters in his copybook.

“Done now, Mommy?” he asked hopefully.

They’d taken several breaks throughout the day. He’d watched his favorite program on TV and played with the tiny cars that were his personal delight. The remainder of his few toys were stuffed in a box stacked with several others in Abby’s tiny living room. Jessa wondered if she ought to move the boxes here. Chatam House certainly had more space for such things.

She shook her head. Chances were that she and Hunter would be out of here today or tomorrow. Where exactly they’d go, she didn’t know, but surely she could afford a cheap motel for a couple days until they could return to Abby’s. Then what? A knock at the sitting-room door derailed that unhappy speculation.

“Come in.”

A fortyish woman with long, lank, dark blond hair opened the door and peeked into the room. “I’m Carol, the housemaid.”

“Oh, yes. Your sister mentioned you earlier.”

Carol slipped fully into the room. Dressed in polyester pants and a cotton blouse, she did not quite meet Jessa’s image of a maid, but then the cook had worn a flowered muumuu under her apron that morning. “The misses would like you to come down to the library now, if it’s convenient. Miss Ellie and Mr. Asher have arrived.”

Jessa’s heart leapt into her throat. So the moment had come. It was sooner than she’d expected, not even 3:00 p.m. She patted Hunter’s hand comfortingly and rose from the floor in front of the coffee table where they had conducted their lessons. “We’ll be right down.”

“I’ll stay with the boy,” Carol volunteered, “if you like.”

Jessa glanced at Hunter, who gave his head the tiniest of nods. “Thank you, Carol. I’ll try not to be long.”

“Oh, don’t rush on my account,” Carol said, moving across the room to seat herself on the couch. “I like kids. Would a snack be okay? Fruit and maybe a cookie or two? Nothing to ruin the young man’s dinner.” Hunter perked up noticeably.

“That would be fine,” Jessa said with a smile, moving toward the door.

Hunter’s eyes twinkled at Jessa as she backed from the room. She knew that in many ways her little boy was not as mature as others of his age, but he possessed a quiet sense of humor rivaling that of any adult.

Taking down her hair as she traversed the landing, Jessa combed through it with her fingers and twisted it up again, expertly fixing the clip in place. She hadn’t reached the curve in the broad staircase before silky strands drifted down to waft about her face. She blew one out of her eyes with a puff of air from between her lips and wondered if she should have changed her cheap canvas tennis shoes for dressier flats. Then again, if winning the day depended upon her attire, she’d be lost before she’d begun.

The door to which Magnolia had pointed earlier now stood open, and muted voices filtered through it, along with the soft rumble of laughter. Her heart pounding, Jessa paused on the stairs to gather her courage.

Now would be the time, Lord, she found herself praying. If ever You’re going to answer my prayers, now would be the time. For my son’s sake, and in the name of Your Son, please.

Inhaling deeply, she moved on down to the foyer and crossed over to the library door. She’d seen public libraries with less to offer. Bookshelves lined every wall, and a long, interesting table, surrounded by chairs, occupied the center of the densely carpeted floor, with a number of people standing and sitting around it. Hilda dropped into a chair, obviously having just placed an ornate silver tea service on the table. Heads turned in Jessa’s direction, but before she could speak, she felt a presence at her back.

“Hello, everyone,” Garrett called out cheerfully.

A light touch near her waist literally propelled her into the room. Kent Monroe came to his feet, Odelia clinging to his hand. For a moment, Jessa couldn’t tear her eyes from the woman, who wore an aqua turban, chandelier earrings hung with multicolored stones, and a shocking pink caftan trimmed with rainbow fringe.

“We’re meeting early today,” Garrett said to no one in particular.

A slender man in an expensive suit turned from a private conversation with Ellie Monroe and smiled. A rosy gray painted the temples of his chestnut hair and called attention to his glittering amber eyes. If they were not enough to mark him as a Chatam, the cleft chin certainly was.

“It’s an early release day at the school,” he said. He came around the end of the table, his hand outstretched. “Ms. Pagett, I presume. I’m Asher Chatam.”

Jessa shook his hand, and said, “Nice to meet you.”

Ellie came to offer an apologetic hug. “Jessa, I’m so sorry about what’s happened. I had no idea Grandpa had spoken to Garrett about the house.”

“We’ll sort it out, sweetheart,” Asher told Ellie, sliding his arm around her to cup his hand over her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his waist, smiling up at him as if he’d hung the moon.

Jessa felt a stab of envy. She’d seen that look before. In her wedding photos. Unfortunately it hadn’t lasted a month.

At Hypatia’s urging, they all gathered around the table, the Chatam triplets, Kent and Ellie Monroe, Asher, the cook Hilda, Garrett and Jessa. After pulling out a chair for Jessa, Garrett managed to find himself a seat opposite her next to Magnolia. Asher took the spot at the head of the table, Ellie on his right, while Kent remained at the foot with Odelia next to him.

Hypatia began passing out tea, starting with Jessa.

“Thank you,” she began, “but—”

Garrett cleared his throat loudly then declared, “This is nice. One benefit of meeting early. A cup of tea is always nice. Especially around here.”

Jessa blinked. Had he just sent her a message? She caught the expectant expression on Hypatia Chatam’s face, took the hint and reached for the teacup. Eyeing the three sugar cubes on the accompanying saucer, Jessa carefully amended her comment.

“I—I really don’t need sugar.”

Smiling, Hypatia quickly switched saucers, confiding, “I take my own tea black, but nearly everyone else sweetens theirs.”

“Some of us more than others,” Kent acknowledged, plunking four of the cubes into his own cup and then reaching for a small plate of finger sandwiches.

Jessa carefully tasted the tea and found it surprisingly pleasant. Hypatia’s demeanor told her that she’d just passed a kind of test. Jessa glanced at Garrett with gratitude in her eyes. He acknowledged it with a slight dip of his head, and she quickly looked away again.

Oh, it would not do to like him. Gratitude was one thing, but liking was something else altogether, the first step on a dangerous path that could only lead to heartbreak. He was her adversary, not her friend. If only he weren’t so breathtakingly handsome....

Chapter Four

“So,” Asher Chatam said, effortlessly taking command of the meeting, “here’s what I gather so far. Ellie spoke with Jessa at the school about nine-thirty yesterday morning, Wednesday. They made an agreement for Jessa to lease the house on Charter Street and Ellie received a check, which she has not deposited.”

“Yes,” Ellie said.

“Ellie then told Jessa that she could go ahead and move into the house.” He looked pointedly to Ellie, adding, “Even though I hadn’t yet had a chance to draw up papers.” Ellie gave a little shrug, smiling wanly. Clearly, Jessa noted, she was not troubled by his thinly veiled scold.

“At about the same time as Ellie was talking to Jessa,” Asher went on, “Kent spoke to Garrett here at Chatam House about a lease/purchase agreement. They agreed on a monthly consideration, and funds were deposited with Kent to seal the deal.”