First Street Church: Love's Double Blessing (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Clear Creek Legacy Book 2), Page 3

  "Just saying...Riel's a good man."

  Yes, Riel was a good man and she loved him. That's why she didn't want to burden him with two children. It wasn't fair to him, especially since he said he didn't want children.

  "Since you don't live in Dallas anymore, I assume you'll take what you want from the house and leave soon?"

  "Yes," Jenna's mom answered, then turned to look at her. "Since we don't have to take care of the affairs, there's no use to prolong this move, Jenna. The wills don't say they have to stay in Dallas, and Amie needs to get back into a school."

  Jenna hated to take the children out of their home so soon, but maybe it would be best for them to start over. They could stay with her parents until she found a house in Sweet Grove to rent.

  "All right. This is what Becky and Jim set up for their children, so I have to do as they wished." Tears threatened to fall as she thought of how her life changed in an instant. Jenna was right to give back the engagement ring to Riel. Her life would now revolve around two young children and their needs, instead of her own.

  ***

  Jenna had balked about him and Grandpa staying at the house with the children, but someone needed to stay with them while she went to the Sharpe’s attorney’s office. Since Jenna wouldn’t let Riel go with her, the alternative was her parents.

  Jenna was frustrating the heck out of him, but Riel knew it was the grief plaguing her which made her act this way toward him, her fiancé. He refused to say their engagement was truly over. Riel would be there when Jenna was ready to move on with their planned marriage.

  So far, the afternoon had gone as expected. Sniffles and sad sighs from the children, while watching a children’s movie for the umpteenth time. Amie hugged a stuffed toy, a pastel-colored unicorn, as she lay under a small pink fleece blanket on the end of the sprawling sofa in the downstairs family room. The L-shaped couch could easily sit eight linebackers as they watched the huge flat-screen TV.

  Riel sat on the thick carpet, keeping Lucy from chewing on every toy RJ hauled out of the room’s toy box. At least the variety of toys kept the two occupied.

  “Nope. Don’t bring those over here.” Riel commented when RJ lifted out a mesh bag of plastic football players, about four inches in height. “Lucy might choke on them since they are so small.”

  “Okay,” RJ commented before throwing the bag back into the wooden toy box. The boy would only answer questions in simple words to him, but Riel figured RJ might have been a chatterbox before his parent’s accident.

  "Hey, RJ?” Grandpa asked as he watched the boy walk back over to Lucy.

  “What's your initials, RJ, stand for, son?"

  “Huh?” RJ questioned with one word…again.

  "Reuben James,” Amie answered from her nest on the end of the couch.

  Surprise slammed in Riel's heart.

  "Is that so?" Grandpa grinned. "Well, then you share your name with us, RJ.” Grandpa pointed to his chest and then at Riel.

  “How so?” RJ asked with a two-word question this time.

  “Riel's full name is Gabriel Reuben Shepard, although he goes by his nickname of Riel, just like you go by RJ.”

  RJ studied Riel, maybe trying to see a connection?

  Grandpa continued, “And my full name is Russell James Cooper."

  "Daddy said I was named after my grandpa, so are you him?"

  "A person has more than one grandparent. Aunt Jenna’s parents are your Grandpa Ken and Grandma Sherry. And since you share names with your Uncle Riel, I’m your Great Grandpa Russ. But you can call me Grandpa like my grandson, Riel does."

  Riel gave his grandfather a warning look because he didn’t think Jenna would like him being named an honorary uncle.

  RJ plopped down beside Lucy on the floor and stared at Grandpa. "Where you live?”

  "Sweet Grove, Texas, on a ranch with horses, cattle, chickens, dogs, and cats." Riel slid a side glance to his grandfather, knowing the man was trying to portray an enticing place for a boy to live.

  "We never had a pet,” RJ sadly confessed while pressing his face against Lucy's neck. Luckily Lucy was taking all the boy's awkward attention in stride.

  “Momma said they made messes and shed their hair everywhere," Amie added to the conversation.

  Well, then when you come to our ranch, you’ll enjoy meeting my dogs, Tanner and Kelsie, Lucy’s parents, and Aunt Jenna’s dog, Miss Muffy, who is going to have puppies after Christmas. And I have…what’s the current count, Riel…I think ten barn cats.”

  Amie sat up on the sofa, paying attention to the conversation about pets. Was the little girl interested in cats?

  "I think we have eight cats, when you count Momma Cat's four kittens."

  "Kittens?" Amie's eyes widened with excitement. "What are their names?"

  Riel looked at Grandpa for advice, because they only saw Momma Cat’s four wild kittens when they darted between hay bales now and then.

  "Snowball is the cutest of the batch. She has long white hair and when she curls up to take a nap, she looks just like a—"

  "Snowball!" Both children called out.

  Riel raised his eyebrow to silently question his Grandpa naming the kittens as he thought of them. The newly named Snowball could easily be a male since it hadn't been caught yet to check.

  "What’s the other kitten’s names?" Amie asked.

  "Riel, what did you name the orange and white kitten?"

  Hmm. What name would excite the children? Tiger? Marmalade? Pumpkin?

  "Oh yes. His name is Olaf," Grandpa announced as he pointed to the animated snowman acting silly on the large screen in front of him."

  "Does he act goofy?" RJ jumped up and down as he asked.

  "Of course."

  Grandpa was good at this game of make-believe. "The third kitten is white with...I'd call it pink patches mixed in."

  "Elsa?"

  "How did you guess her name, Amie? Very good!"

  "The fourth kitten is black with a white underbelly and a star on his nose," Grandpa leaned toward the children and touched his own nose...while glancing at the movie to hear another name. RJ climbed onto Grandpa's lap while waiting for the answer.

  "I hope his name isn't Hans because he's the villain," Amie said with her hands on her hips.

  Grandpa looked to Riel for help. What was the hero's name? They'd watched the movie enough times to sing all the songs.

  "Kristoff, of course." Riel said with a grin as Amie jumped up on a couch beside him.

  "I bet you made those names up!" she accused him. She was so cute with her blonde hair in pigtails and Riel playfully tugged on one.

  "I didn't make those names up. And when you meet the kittens you'll see the names fit each one of them."

  "Meet what kittens?" Jenna stood at the bottom of the stairs with her parents behind her. Her tone made then all stop in place. They'd been so involved in the kitten naming—and the blaring movie—they hadn't heard them walk down the plush carpeted steps.

  "The kittens in our barn, Jenna," Grandpa said as he wrapped his arms tighter around RJ.

  Jenna nodded and walked over to the TV remote and turned the volume down.

  "I think Lucy could use a break from the noise. How about you kids take her to the backyard to play for a bit?"

  "I think I could use some fresh air too. Can I join you?" Jenna's father asked, although he just came from outside.

  "Sure, Grandpa Ken," RJ remarked as he slid off Grandpa's lap and ran towards Lucy. Riel watched Jenna's shoulders stiffen because RJ had called her father "Mr. Peterson" before now.

  "Let's grab your coats before we go outside," Ken called to the children who were running ahead of him up the stairs.

  "What did you find out from the lawyer?" Grandpa asked after there was silence upstairs.

  Chapter 5

  Jenna was still processing the visit, trying to remember what the lawyer said. Her mother sat down on the couch and patted the place beside her. Jenna sat down on the edge
of the sofa, not ready to relax yet. She picked up Amie's unicorn toy and rubbed her hand over its plush mane. Her mom picked up the remote and turned off the TV. Silence hung heavy like doom in the air after the animated banter of the cartoon characters.

  "Luckily, the Sharpe’s had wills, stating their wishes," her mother started, but then stopped as they heard footsteps again. After a second her father joined them in the room.

  Jenna looked to her mom to continue because of the lump of tears clogging her own throat.

  "Their lawyer is their power-of-attorney and his firm will take care of all bills and accounts."

  "That's a blessing, Jenna." Russ commented from the recliner. Jenna was surprised to see RJ on his lap when they came downstairs, but apparently the kids were warming up to him, and Riel, who Amie was leaning against.

  "The firm will also disperse of the family's possessions and sell the house."

  "Everything? What about the kid's stuff?" Riel asked, while looking at the toy box on the opposite side of the room and all the toys piled on the floor.

  "Jenna was named their legal guardian and can take everything she thinks the kids may need now or want in the future," her father answered Riel's question. "We should take the children's bedroom furniture for sure. We can get them home between our trucks."

  "Sounds like the meeting went well then. Any surprises?" Riel asked, probably because she hadn't said a word yet, so he knew she was upset.

  Jenna took a deep breath. She just as well state it aloud because she had to deal with it for the next dozen years.

  "The sale of their house goes into a trust fund for their education."

  "Glad to hear that's taken care of," Riel seemed relieved.

  "But, there is no money for the care of the children until they go to college."

  Russ swung his legs down to hold in the leg section of the recliner and leaned forward.

  "What do you mean, no money?" Russ looked at her father for an explanation instead of her.

  "Just that. There are no funds set aside for their needs, clothing, food, schooling..."

  "It will work out, Jenna." Russ stated. "You have us, friends, and the church to stand behind you and those two children. Jim and Becky picked you as guardian, knowing you would do your best to raise them. They just gave you a double blessing of love, Jenna. Embrace the gift."

  Embrace the gift…or not? Right now, the burden of deciding what was right for two grieving children was very heavy on her heart. Jim and Becky had money, a home, and each other to care for the children.

  And it didn't help she was grieving for the loss of her friends while having to be strong for their children.

  "May I make a suggestion?" Yes. Jenna would welcome any help from her mother.

  "Next week is Thanksgiving, and I think we should be home by then. Amie could start school the next Monday."

  "That wouldn't give us many days to go through everything though."

  Her mom looked at her dad, who nodded, apparently approving of what they'd already discussed, without her knowing it.

  At this point, she was up for any help her parents would give her.

  "You and I could go through the Sharpe's things so much quicker if the kids weren't here. After spending time with your dad, Russ, and Riel, I think the children would be fine if they traveled back to Sweet Grove with the men. The two pickup loads of furniture could include the children’s bedroom furniture, which they could then set up for them to use right away.”

  "But then I wouldn't be with them for several days."

  "We'd work fast, and you can always video call with the kids as you've done in the past."

  "Lucy has already proven to be a good babysitter," Riel commented, the first he'd said about the move.

  And Riel was proving to be good with the children too. He’s been calm and steady the whole time he’d been here. She ached to lean on him for support, but it wasn’t fair to him. He didn’t want kids.

  *

  "How many tubs should we buy?" her dad's question pulled Jenna back from her thoughts. Riel and her father stood at the bottom of the stairs. Apparently, Riel was going to the big box store with her dad.

  "Toys alone could fill several boxes," Riel observed.

  "Start with twenty stackable tubs, of various sizes. Be sure to get clear tubs so we can see what's in them later."

  "Will do. Anything else?"

  "For all the food in the freezer, I couldn't find any chocolate ice cream," Russ piped up. He'd settled back into the recliner again.

  Russ winked at Jenna and she couldn't help smiling back. He'd offered her support, a job, and a home when she left Dallas a year ago. He'd listened and offered her a shoulder to cry on as she worked through her grief. There were some things he knew that Jenna had never told her parents because she didn't want them to know how bad the situation had been with her and her husband.

  Russ finally made her realize Tug's impulsive behavior, depression, and violent suicide was due to his Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and there was nothing she could have done to prevent it.

  Jenna wished she and the children could stay at the Cooper Ranch for his support alone, but that wouldn't be fair to Riel since Russ had deeded the ranch to him. That was Riel's home now.

  "Okay, we'll pick up ice cream on the way home. Let's go, Riel. We have a lot to do before we leave tomorrow."

  Tears flooded Jenna's eyes, wishing she didn't have to uproot the children tomorrow, but it had to be.

  ***

  "She's in shock and isn't thinking straight," Ken stated as they each pushed a cart down the center aisle of the store, looking for the storage tub section.

  "Being an instant parent would do that to anyone," Riel said in Jenna's defense.

  "She and Tug talked about adopting so this is her chance to be a mother."

  Riel saw plastic bins down one side aisle so pushed his cart in that direction. Ken followed behind until they were in front of the "too many to pick from" selection.

  "Here's clear tubs. Let's load up."

  But there were other tubs that caught Riel's eye. "I want to buy one of each of these for the kids to pack their favorite things in." There were blue and pink tubs with the Frozen characters on the front.

  "For all the stuff they have, that's something they don't have." Ken watched him as he loaded the new items on his cart.

  "There was a reason I asked you along, Riel. We need to talk about the future. Is Jenna right, saying you don't want anything to do with her or the kids now that they are a package deal?"

  Riel thought carefully about what he wanted to say. The instant guardianship had thrown Riel into a tail spin when it happened, but he'd had time to step back and watch it play out. Once the chaos and grieving took its course, life would settle down for everyone. He'd been on missions where he was prepared, and some he wasn't. Sometimes they went well and others...there was disaster and death.

  But time spent with the vet's support group at church taught him to cope, with most situations.

  "Even though the three of them are grieving, there's a bond building between them. And I would like to be part of it." Riel could honestly answer Ken.

  "Could you be their father?"

  Riel thought of the little boy he'd been carrying before the IED took the boy's life and Riel's foot. Time and counseling had helped him realize it was an accident that he couldn't have prevented.

  "The wedding vows say for 'better or worse' and I'll mean it if I get the chance with Jenna. While I thought the 'worse' might be being responsible for children, after spending two days with Amie and RJ...that might be the 'better'."

  "Believe me, it will go back and forth, even when the kids are grown. We're helping Jenna now and she's thirty-five years old."

  "They're your children forever," Riel replied letting the words sink in. He felt peace instead of panic at the thought of these two kids being part of his life, now and forever.

  "I want to marry Jenna and raise Amie and RJ as
our children," Riel stated it as a mission he'd accept for life.

  "Thank you, Riel. I'm going to enjoy having you as a son, and co-conspirator." Ken slapped Riel's back.

  "Jenna thinks we'll move the kids into our house. Got any other ideas? We have three or four days before Sherry and Jenna will be home."

  "We've been remodeling Grandpa's ranch house, so we can move in after the wedding. Grandpa's already moved some of his things to the bunkhouse since he'll live there.”

  They had done some of the work themselves, but other tasks have been done by a contractor.

  The house had four bedrooms. Until they were married, they could each have a room to themselves and Grandpa could move to the bunkhouse now.

  "How much trouble you do think we'd get into if we set up the kid's bedrooms in my house?" Riel asked. Ken's grin said he'd been thinking about that when he asked Riel if he could be the children's father.

  "Think we could get everything we need from the house and bunkhouse switched around before Jenna and Sherry arrive?"

  "Easily. Just call Tabitha Olson. The pastor's wife can organize anything."

  Riel chuckled as he pulled out his phone to call the woman. Ken was right, and Riel had a favor to ask her right away.

  He smiled as he waited for Tabitha to answer. The kids were going to love their first surprise.

  "Hi, Tabitha. This is Riel Shepard." He waited for her to ask about Jenna and the situation in Dallas, answering her questions as best he could.

  "I have a big favor to ask you. We'll be moving the children home tomorrow while Jenna and Sherry go through the couple's belongings."

  He paused while Tabitha asked a question.

  "Amie is six and RJ is four."

  Riel let her talk until she asked what she could do for him.

  "This is very short notice, but could you organize a group to paint two bedrooms in my house tonight or tomorrow morning before we arrive?"

  Of course, she agreed.

  "Northeast and northwest bedrooms upstairs. Colors?" He already knew what colors when he thought of painting the rooms for the children. "Paint one room light pink and then other one bright blue."