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Authors: Lynette Sowell
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mother set them down and whipped out her wallet from her purse. “Call it an early birthday present.”
“Really?”
“I know you’ve been saving money for college.”
With that, Azalea took the money and wrapped up the earrings for the ladies.
Justine watched the two of them leave and pass along to the next vendor stall. Her heart hurt. The physical therapist had told her there would be pain as she healed and regained full function of her wrists, hands, and leg. The same was probably true about her heart. She sighed. “I wish my mom and I got along like that.”
“Give it time, Justine. God and time can work wonders,” Azalea said.
She nodded, not sure she believed Azalea. Then she looked down at her hands. “In the meanwhile, I need to find a place around here that does a good manicure.” A little pampering would be a perfect pick-me-up.
# # #
Billy pulled into the driveway after seeing Maddie off to a friend’s house for the night. It was summertime, and she was a kid, so that meant swimming and a barbecue, the giggles of girls and laughing into the night.
Oh, to be a carefree kid again. Tremonte probably wanted that, as did he. Billy thought of the phone number tucked in his shirt pocket. Justine had shown her caring heart today.
She’d actually paid the family’s bill. It was probably pocket change to her, but to the Tremontes the six hundred or so dollars was steep.
Maybe she’d blown money in Beverly Hills once upon a time. But her latest actions showed him her heart was headed in the right direction. Not a frivolous, wild-spending party girl of the tabloids.
Billy couldn’t understand, though, why she’d tensed up when they started talking about someone waiting at home for him. He’d liked the idea, once. He and Tamarind had exchanged a few e-mails during his deployment, but she was only a friend. Even though she had clearly left the door open for more, if he so chose.
He wasn’t about to choose, not now. He didn’t know when.
He stopped the truck next to Jake’s pickup and looked along the dirt road that led to the cottage. A new porch gleamed in the sun. He and Jake and Maddie spent one afternoon painting it with weather sealer. His sister was already fussing about getting the place decorated.
Billy knew exactly who to invite for a weekend.
He left the truck and hurried into the cool house to make the phone call.
Kevin Tremonte answered on the third ring. “Tremonte.” His voice held a wary tone.
“Hey, it’s Tucker.”
“Hey Sarge, what’s up?” The wariness still clung to Tremonte’s voice.
“Not much,” Billy replied. “Just seeing how you were doing.”
“I’m livin’ man, just livin’.”
“Did you move?”
“Yeah, we live on post now. Holly and the kids are getting back from her mom’s soon. So, how you been? Heard you were pretty bad off for a while.”
“Doing better, doing better. I got out in January, finally cleared.”
“Good luck to you finding a job in this market. But with your veteran’s rating you ought to be able to find something around here.”
“Actually, I was calling to ask you if your family could use some R & R.”
“I’d like to take ’em somewhere, but, uh, we can’t really do that now.”
Bill sensed the reason was money. “How about coming to my place for a weekend? We’ve got plenty of acreage. I just finished fixing up a cottage you can stay in. One bedroom, but the kids could sleep on the foldout couch. We have a small fish pond, some hiking trails, and horses. I’m planning to make a fire pit so you can cook out or roast marshmallows.” He was making this up as he went along, but as he did so, he realized how much he wanted to help make a difference, even one family at a time. “We’ve got a good view, too.”
“I. . . I’ll talk to Holly about it. Is this a good number to call you back at?”
“Yes, it’s my cell.” Billy searched the
“Really?”
“I know you’ve been saving money for college.”
With that, Azalea took the money and wrapped up the earrings for the ladies.
Justine watched the two of them leave and pass along to the next vendor stall. Her heart hurt. The physical therapist had told her there would be pain as she healed and regained full function of her wrists, hands, and leg. The same was probably true about her heart. She sighed. “I wish my mom and I got along like that.”
“Give it time, Justine. God and time can work wonders,” Azalea said.
She nodded, not sure she believed Azalea. Then she looked down at her hands. “In the meanwhile, I need to find a place around here that does a good manicure.” A little pampering would be a perfect pick-me-up.
# # #
Billy pulled into the driveway after seeing Maddie off to a friend’s house for the night. It was summertime, and she was a kid, so that meant swimming and a barbecue, the giggles of girls and laughing into the night.
Oh, to be a carefree kid again. Tremonte probably wanted that, as did he. Billy thought of the phone number tucked in his shirt pocket. Justine had shown her caring heart today.
She’d actually paid the family’s bill. It was probably pocket change to her, but to the Tremontes the six hundred or so dollars was steep.
Maybe she’d blown money in Beverly Hills once upon a time. But her latest actions showed him her heart was headed in the right direction. Not a frivolous, wild-spending party girl of the tabloids.
Billy couldn’t understand, though, why she’d tensed up when they started talking about someone waiting at home for him. He’d liked the idea, once. He and Tamarind had exchanged a few e-mails during his deployment, but she was only a friend. Even though she had clearly left the door open for more, if he so chose.
He wasn’t about to choose, not now. He didn’t know when.
He stopped the truck next to Jake’s pickup and looked along the dirt road that led to the cottage. A new porch gleamed in the sun. He and Jake and Maddie spent one afternoon painting it with weather sealer. His sister was already fussing about getting the place decorated.
Billy knew exactly who to invite for a weekend.
He left the truck and hurried into the cool house to make the phone call.
Kevin Tremonte answered on the third ring. “Tremonte.” His voice held a wary tone.
“Hey, it’s Tucker.”
“Hey Sarge, what’s up?” The wariness still clung to Tremonte’s voice.
“Not much,” Billy replied. “Just seeing how you were doing.”
“I’m livin’ man, just livin’.”
“Did you move?”
“Yeah, we live on post now. Holly and the kids are getting back from her mom’s soon. So, how you been? Heard you were pretty bad off for a while.”
“Doing better, doing better. I got out in January, finally cleared.”
“Good luck to you finding a job in this market. But with your veteran’s rating you ought to be able to find something around here.”
“Actually, I was calling to ask you if your family could use some R & R.”
“I’d like to take ’em somewhere, but, uh, we can’t really do that now.”
Bill sensed the reason was money. “How about coming to my place for a weekend? We’ve got plenty of acreage. I just finished fixing up a cottage you can stay in. One bedroom, but the kids could sleep on the foldout couch. We have a small fish pond, some hiking trails, and horses. I’m planning to make a fire pit so you can cook out or roast marshmallows.” He was making this up as he went along, but as he did so, he realized how much he wanted to help make a difference, even one family at a time. “We’ve got a good view, too.”
“I. . . I’ll talk to Holly about it. Is this a good number to call you back at?”
“Yes, it’s my cell.” Billy searched the
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