“I’m tired. I have to get up early for church,” Lily said evasively.
“You can go to the evening service,” Shade countered amicably.
Lily flounced angrily out of the room.
“Ten to one she’s calling Beth as soon as she gets home.” Cash grinned.
Shade grinned back, taking his phone out of his pocket, quickly texting a message to Razer before putting the phone back in his pocket.
“Lily’s going to be furious at you for telling on Beth,” Cash warned.
“I’m counting on it,” Shade said with an anticipatory grin.
Chapter 26
Rachel knocked firmly on Willa’s door, determined this time not to be rebuffed. She had worried during church about her reclusive behavior. She had stopped answering her phone, and Evie had called Rachel that morning to tell her Willa had missed her last delivery of desserts. Evie was just as worried as her; therefore, Rachel had promised to check on Willa as soon as church was over.
Maybe she was overreacting and Willa was simply ill. Several members had been absent from church that morning—Lily, Winter, Beth, and Diamond rarely missed, yet none of them had showed. Maybe a virus was going around and Willa was sick.
Rachel froze in shock at the little boy answering the door.
“What do you want?” The belligerent boy, who judging from his size was around eight, had Rachel’s mouth dropping open in shock.
“Is Willa here?”
Had the woman moved and not told anyone?
Her eyes moved over the child’s shoulder, seeing another, smaller girl behind him, staring at her with baleful eyes.
“Charlie, what did I tell you about opening the door?” Willa came rushing toward the door, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
“I’m sorry, Rachel. I was cleaning up some broken glass.”
“Uh, okay.” Rachel took a step into the house, colliding with the small body of a little girl who reached out with grubby hands to grab hers.
“Move back, Chrissy.” Willa gently pried the small hands away from her.
Rachel closed the door, staring at the three children. Her eyes lifted to Willa, recognizing the children staring up at her.
“Willa…”
“Charlie, take Chrissy and Caroline to their room and put a movie on for them.”
“Why?” Stubbornly, the boy stared back at her.
“Because I asked you to,” Willa pleaded. “It won’t take long, and then I’ll fix lunch. All right?”
“Grilled cheese?”
“Yes,” Willa agreed.
The three children went up the stairs, leaving Willa trying to smooth back her hair.
She lifted her hand at Rachel. “I already know what you’re going to say,” she said before Rachel could open her mouth. “They were all going to be separated. I couldn’t let that happen when I was the one responsible for their father getting killed.”
“You had no choice, Willa. He had gone off the deep end. He would have killed me if you hadn’t shot him.”
A movement behind Willa had Rachel regretting her loud words when she saw the teenager listening to every word. Willa turned to stare at the teen girl.
“Sissy…”
“I finished cleaning up the milk and glass. Can I go to my friend’s house now?”
“I don’t know. How long were you planning on staying?”
“I’ll call and let you know.” The girl passed Rachel, going out the door without waiting for Willa’s reply.
“Want a glass of tea?” Willa offered.
“Yes, thanks.” Rachel went into the kitchen, stepping over the toys lying on the floor. Willa’s usually immaculate home was a mess with toys everywhere and dirty dishes on the table.
“I’m sorry about the mess. I didn’t realize taking care of children could keep you so busy. Leanne, could you check on the kids upstairs for me?”
“Okay.” A pretty girl around fifteen got up from the table, closing her book. Georgia’s daughter gave Rachel a smile as she passed. The sweet girl didn’t take after her mother, who everyone in town would agree hadn’t had a sweet bone in her body. Her older sister seemed to have inherited that particular gene in spades, though.
As soon as the girl disappeared from the room, Willa faced her with a resigned expression. “Okay, you can let me have it now.”
Rachel looked at her friend, who had been tormented by Georgia and then abused by Lewis. “You are the kindest person I know. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Deep in her heart, she didn’t blame Willa. It was a terrible responsibility, taking someone’s life.
Willa gave a relieved laugh. “Don’t tempt me. I’m behind on my orders and the house is wrecked.”
Rachel rolled up the sleeves of her dress. “I’ll do the dishes then clean while you bake.”
“I can’t ask—” Willa began
“You’re not asking; I’m volunteering. If I can donate my time to strangers, why wouldn’t I give it to a friend?”
“You consider yourself my friend?” Willa’s eyes filled with tears.
Rachel reached out, taking Willa into her arms, wishing she could give her the warmth of her touch the woman desperately needed. Instead, she tried to give it to her with words.
“You have a lot of friends that would help if you let us. Lily, Beth, and Evie—we all consider ourselves your friends.”
Willa brushed her tears away with a hand, giving a small laugh. “I always assumed I was pushing myself on you guys.”
“Willa, you couldn’t be pushy if you tried. Now, get busy while I take care of this mess.” Rachel sensed her being uncomfortable with the conversation, so she busied herself cleaning the kitchen around Willa, doing the dishes behind her, leaving her free to bake.
When she had the kitchen spotless, she worked throughout the house, picking up the toys and placing them in an empty laundry basket, making a mental note that would make Willa’s life easier. It came in useful that she had learned by living with Logan just how hard it was to entertain little ones.
She went upstairs, cleaning the bedrooms. The bathrooms were a mess of towels and a full laundry hamper. Rachel started a load while she cleaned the bathrooms, then dried that one when she’d finished and started another.
The children ignored her as she cleaned around them while Leanne flushed, looking away when she met Rachel’s recriminating gaze. Leanne and Sissy were both old enough to help out with the housework. Willa had literally been thrown into the deep end of the ocean without any help.
She folded the clothes and put them away, starting the last load before going back downstairs. It was beginning to get dark, so Rachel pulled out her phone, ordering three pizzas. Satisfied, she went into the kitchen to see Willa making roses to place on top of a cake while two other cakes were sitting on the counter as well as three pies.
“I can’t thank you enough, Rachel. I’ll call King and ask if someone can stop by and pick up his order.”
“I’ll drop it off on my way home. Which ones go?” Willa boxed up one of the cakes and all the pies. “His orders are getting larger each week. The money is really helping out with the extra expenses,” Willa said, closing the last box.
Rachel packed the boxes out to her car. She had closed the door when the pizza delivery truck pulled up. Rachel paid the driver then turned to take the pizzas inside before hesitating, turning back to the driver. Carl was a member of her church, working part-time at the pizza restaurant after being laid off from the coal mine.
“Do you have any more deliveries to make?”
“Nope, I’m headed back to the store.” The pizza joint was next door to King’s restaurant.
Going to her car, she pulled out her purse and took out another twenty. “Would you mind dropping these desserts off at King’s for me?”
“No problem. Mike won’t mind; it’s slow tonight.” He carried the desserts to his car.
“Willa has to make several deliveries a week.” Rachel took out a
pen and paper and wrote down Willa’s number. “Why don’t you give her a call tomorrow? Maybe you two can work out something.”
Carl’s face brightened; Rachel guessed he was eager for additional income.
“I can’t promise, but I’ll mention it to her.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Rachel.”
“I hope it works out,” she said, picking up the pizzas and saying goodbye.
Willa’s eyes widened when she saw the food. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I thought I would invite myself to dinner,” she said, taking out the plates.
Rachel explained that she had asked Carl to deliver the desserts and had told him to call Willa about a possible job.
“That’s a great idea. I can’t offer him a lot of hours, but it would take a load off my shoulders. I have to bundle everyone into my car plus the desserts to make a delivery now. Hiring him for a few hours a week would make it much easier,” Willa said, enthused by the idea.
“I think he will be happy with whatever hours you offer.”