Flirting With Disaster. Sherryl Woods

blue eyes who looked as if she might cry any minute. She was clutching a worn stuffed bear by one arm. Josh saw himself in each of those solemn faces. Once again he cursed the day he’d ever confided in Cord about his past.

      “Well?” Cord prodded.

      Josh wondered how different his life might have been if someone had ever sat his mother down and had a heart-to-heart with her about giving him a real home, instead of dragging him from city to city, from motel to motel. He heaved a resigned sigh.

      “Okay, where is she?” he asked.

      “Over in the corner trying to stay out of Dinah’s path. Dinah’s already tried and failed to persuade her,” Cord said. “Knowing Dinah, she’s just taking a breather, but maybe you can head her off.”

      “I think you’re giving me way too much credit on all fronts,” Josh said. “But I’ll give it a shot for the sake of those kids.”

      Rueing the day he’d ever met Cord, much less agreed to take on the building of this house, Josh crossed the parish hall to where Amanda O’Leary was sitting all alone, her jaw set stubbornly and her chin lifted high.

      “Mind if I sit down?” he asked, already sliding onto the chair next to her.

      “There’s nothing you can say to change my mind,” she said before he could say another word.

      He grinned at her defiance. She might be down, but she was definitely not out. He had to admire her for that. “What makes you think I’m here to change your mind?”

      “Oh, please,” she said disdainfully. “I saw you with Caleb and Cord. I’m sure they’ve given you an earful about how stubborn I’m being.”

      Josh grinned. “They did say something along those lines. To tell you the truth, I get where you’re coming from. I grew up with folks thinking I was the perfect target for their good deeds. It wasn’t much fun.”

      Amanda regarded him skeptically. “Then why are you over here pressuring me?”

      “Pressure?” Josh scoffed. “Sweetheart, this isn’t pressure. This is just two people having a get-acquainted chat. Obviously I know who you are, but since we haven’t been introduced, I’m Josh Parker.”

      Her gaze narrowed. “The builder Cord hired?”

      “That’s me.”

      “So you’re out of work if I don’t go along with this thing,” she said with a biting edge of sarcasm. “Not my problem.”

      “It’s not about me. I don’t need the work.” He studied her intently, then glanced toward her kids. “But those children over there look to me like they could use a nice home.”

      “And I’d love for them to have it, but not if it’s going to split this congregation apart,” Amanda said spiritedly. “That’s too high a price. Things might be a little cramped where we’re living, but we’ve been managing for the last year.”

      “With a little help, I understand … Anyway, Caleb seems willing to pay the price, however steep it is.” He leaned toward her and confided, “Personally, I think he has visions of teaching some lessons about humanity and generosity.”

      Her lips twitched. “I imagine he does, but it’s not up to him. I will not be responsible for him getting fired or friends taking sides against each other.”

      “Friends might disagree, but they’ll patch things up. As for Caleb, who said anything about firing him?”

      “Some anonymous caller left a message for me yesterday, and I heard a few people talking about it this morning. Word’s getting around that George Winslow wants Caleb gone. He’s not going to let this drop, not as long as he has my father whispering in his ear. He’s determined to stir up trouble if we go forward. Caleb doesn’t deserve the aggravation.”

      “People talk about a lot of things. It doesn’t mean they’ll act on it. I’m sure whoever left the message figured you’d cave in, because they knew instinctively that you’d back away from a fight.”

      Her eyes flashed. “I’ve never backed away from a fight in my life,” she said indignantly. “But George is as rich as my daddy and just as powerful. He and Big Max are allies. When it comes to me and my father, there’s little question about whose side he’d take. He’ll happily bring down anyone who tries to help me, and he’ll consider it a favor to my daddy.”

      “He doesn’t seem to scare Caleb. Isn’t that what counts?” Josh asked.

      “I’m not willing to take that chance.” Her gaze narrowed. “Besides, didn’t you just say it wasn’t much fun being the object of pity? Maybe I’ve thought it over and decided I don’t want to be in that position, either. I’ll be indebted to these people forever if I let them build the house.”

      “I could certainly understand it if you were to come to that conclusion,” Josh agreed.

      “Then we’re agreed. I’m doing the right thing.”

      “No, we’re not agreed,” Josh said. “Because I don’t think that’s what happened. I think you got scared off, just the way this Winslow person—or your daddy—wanted you to.”

      Despite her earlier indignation, she didn’t seem to have enough fight left to argue. “Does it really matter?”

      “I think it does. There’s a big difference between being proud and being scared,” Josh told her. “And even if you think this is all about pride, I’m not sure you’re in a position to let pride get in the way of doing what you need to do for those kids of yours.”

      She studied him intently. “Something tells me you would have thrown this offer right back in their faces, too, especially once it got complicated.”

      “Possibly,” Josh agreed. “But I like to think that I’d have taken another look at it if someone had offered my mom the one thing that might have made a real difference to us.”

      “What was that?”

      “A home,” he said simply. “I’m not just talking about four walls and a roof over our heads, Amanda, but a real home with a community of people who cared enough to build it for us. That’s what you’ve got happening here. I’m not sure you should be so quick to turn your back on it, especially not just to protect Caleb, a man who doesn’t seem to think he needs your protection.”

      “But there are a lot of people, not just George Winslow, who think building this house for me is the wrong thing to do. Maybe they’re right.”

      “Thumb your nose at them,” he advised. “After all, what do they know? You have your reasons for not asking your daddy for help, and those reasons are none of their concern. If they knew, they might just admire your gumption. I do.”

      “I suppose,” she said, though she still sounded doubtful.

      “Sweetheart, there are always going to be people who find fault with everything. Are their opinions more important than your kids?”

      “Of course not,” she said.

      “Well, then?”

      “I can’t stop thinking about the fallout for Caleb. He’s been such a good friend. I don’t want to repay him by causing him trouble.”

      “He strikes me as a man who stands on his principles. He wants to do this for you and your family. I think you should respect his wishes.”

      She sat silently, her expression thoughtful. Josh waited, knowing that he’d pushed as hard as he dared. The decision was hers to make. He suspected when it came right down to it, she would make the only choice a good and decent mother could make.

      Finally she met his gaze. “Are you married, Josh?”

      He shook his head. “No.”

      “You should be.”

      He