Beverly Barton - This Side of Heaven

"The check is already written." He reached inside the breast pocket of his coat and pulled out a long white enve­lope, then handed it to Cyn. "Please make sure it is the correct amount."

With trembling fingers, Cyn opened the envelope and peeped inside. She sucked in her breath. The amount was thousands of dollars over the desperately needed amount. "Señor Car... Ramon, how can I ever thank you?"

When she looked across the table at the elderly Cuban gentleman, she saw that he was watching her intently, the fierceness of his scrutiny frightening. Then suddenly his ex­pression softened, and he smiled again. "There is no need for thanks. My motives are selfish."

Cyn scooted back her chair, dropped her napkin on the table and stood. "Thank you again...for everything. I should be going. There's never enough hours in the day at Tomorrow House."

Ramon stood, regally commanding with the wide breadth of his shoulders and his towering height. He took her hand, kissed it, but did not immediately release it. "I ask a favor, my dear little Cyn. One that should be no problem for you."

Her heart accelerated. She knew she had nothing to fear from this man, and yet he frightened her. She tried to smile. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. She tried again, opening her mouth for a more friendly appearance. "Cer­tainly, Ramon."

"Your only neighbor... a Señor Hodges I believe you said. Please give him a message from me."

When she tried to pull her hand away, he tightened his hold briefly, then released her. "You want me to give... a message to Nate?" Cyn could feel the heat rising from her chest, covering her throat, suffusing her face.

"Tell this Señor Nate Hodges that he should keep close watch on such a beautiful neighbor. Anything could hap­pen to a lovely woman living all alone. Perhaps I am just an old-fashioned man, but I believe a woman should have a protector."

Cyn laughed, the sound halfway between a cry and gig­gle. Why was he so interested in her safety? "It's so kind of you to be concerned about me, Ramon, but I can assure you that women today are quite capable of taking care of them­selves."

"Ah, yes. The modern woman." Ramon made a circular motion with his hand, a gesture of acceptance. "But you will pass along my message to your neighbor all the same, will you not?"

"The next time I see him," Cyn said, knowing that she had no intention of seeing Nate Hodges anytime in the near future.

Chapter 10

Mimi met her at the door the minute Cyn entered Tomor­row House. The place was a riot of confusion, with kids lining up in the hallway for lunch, a crew of workmen banging away on the roof, while two dirty, bearded men worked inside to repair the ceiling. From the game room, the noise of a loud advertisement for a foreign car competed with the screeching of a hot new hard-rock group blaring from the radio.

Rushing out of his office, Reverend Bruce Tomlinson, his eyes wide, his forehead dotted with perspiration, came bar­reling toward Cyn.

"Things are pretty wild around here," Mimi said, plac­ing a motherly arm around Cyn's shoulder, guiding her to­ward her office and away from Bruce's inevitable approach.

"Noisy, too, huh?" Cyn laughed, allowing Mimi to herd her into her office.

"I gotta talk fast because Brucie's going to be in here any minute. Look, you got a tall, dark, good-looking visitor and Brucie ain't liking it a bit."

"Nate's here?" What was he doing here at Tomorrow House? After the way they had parted this morning, she'd been certain that he wouldn't seek her out again. After all, he'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her in his life.

"Did you know he was coming?" Mimi asked, leaning against the door when she heard Bruce take hold of the doorknob. "Bobby has told Bruce all about the Brazen Hussy, and Bruce thinks our Nate is a bad influence on the kids. You know what a jerk Brucie can be. Besides, I think he's a mite jealous. He's been sweet on you for a long time.''

"I set him straight about that over a year ago, Mimi."

"Well, I know you did, but the fact is he's being down­right unfriendly to Nate. You won't let Bruce run our man off, will you?"

Cyn dropped her purse and briefcase on top of her desk, then straightened the pleats in her navy skirt. "Move out of the way and let Bruce in before he wears himself out shov­ing on the door."

Mimi stepped aside and Reverend Tomlinson came bounding into the room, practically falling over his own feet. "You need to see about that door, Cyn," he said. "It's sticking again. I thought I'd never get it open."

"Oh, I think Mimi can take care of the problem," Cyn said, trying not to smile. "Come on in, Bruce. Did you want to see me about something important?"

"That man is here." Bruce puffed out his basset hound jaws, took a monogrammed handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped the perspiration from his upper lip.

"If you're referring to Mr. Hodges, then I think you should know that he's here as my guest. We have some business to discuss." Cyn removed her white cashmere sweater and hung it on the back of her chair. She had no idea why Nate had come to Tomorrow House, but what­ever the reason, it was certainly none of Bruce's business.

"Bobby told me all about the Brazen Hussy, how Mr. Hodges carries a knife, how he single-handedly subdued that boy," Bruce said. "What sort of business could you possibly have to discuss with a man like that?"

"Personal business, you ninny." Mimi stood in the door­way. "I'll be in the lunchroom if you need me," she said to Cyn before leaving.

"That woman's behavior is outrageous!" Bruce stuffed his handkerchief back into his pocket.

"Mimi is the heart of Tomorrow House. The kids love her." It was on the tip of Cyn's tongue to tell him that Mimi's contributions to the shelter far outweighed his. "And my business with Mr. Hodges is none of your con­cern. Like Mimi said, it's personal."

"I see."

"Look, Bruce, we have something more important to discuss than your misgivings about Mimi and Na—Mr. Hodges." Picking up her purse, Cyn unsnapped the catch, pulled out a white envelope and waved it around in the air. "I have here a check that will more than cover the expense of running Tomorrow House for the next six months. Call Reverend Lockwood and tell him that we have a patron saint."

"My word, Cyn, is this true?" Bruce shuffled nervously like a child trying to postpone a trip to the bathroom.

"Quite true."

"Who?" he asked, then gave Cyn a puzzled look.

"Ramon Carranza." Cyn smiled as she remembered her unusual brunch with the elderly Cuban gentleman.

"The name sounds familiar."

"He's a retired businessman. No family. A charming and generous man." Cyn asked God to forgive her for the little-white lie she'd just told Bruce. After all, it was for a good reason and for a good cause. Although she had some mis­givings about taking money from a man with Ramon Car­ranza's reputation, she knew Bruce would absolutely refuse. Where she was able to see life in various shades of gray, Bruce saw it only in black and white. Considering the fact that Tomorrow House would close without Señor Carran-za's generosity, Cyn figured that what Bruce didn't know wouldn't hurt any of them.

"I'll call Reverend Lockwood immediately." Bruce turned to go, then stopped short. "Cyn, I don't think Mr. Hodges is the kind of role model the boys need. Bobby seems in awe of the man."

"I thought Bobby might be a little bit afraid of—"

"Well, if he was, he no longer is," Bruce said. "The two of them have been playing pool for the last hour. I still don't wholly approve of you putting that pool table in the game room."

Cyn slumped down on the edge of her desk, crossing her arm over her waist and resting her chin on the knuckles of her other hand. Watching Bruce walk out of her office, she sighed and shook her head. How could two men as differ­ent as Evan Porter and Bruce Tomlinson both have been ordained by the same church and placed in the same posi­tion as director of Tomorrow House?