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Picture Perfect Family

By Renee Andrews

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“Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:4-5


Chapter One

“So I guess Kaden’s excited that Daniel Brantley is back in town, huh?”

Mandy Carter couldn’t control the natural flinch that Jessica Bowman’s question provoked. Consequently, the perfect photograph she’d been about to take turned into a distorted mess when her normally steady hand jerked the camera. Instead of capturing Nathan and Lainey Martin giggling atop two bales of hay by the pond at Hydrangea Park, she got a blurred picture of the ground.

“Wait, hold on, let’s try that again,” she coaxed the kids, but the two-year-old had turned her attention from her brother to the buckles at the top of her pink overalls, and a group of bicyclists passing by had piqued Nathan’s interest.

“Oh, sorry,” Jessica apologized. “I should have known better than to talk to you while you were photographing the kids.”

“It’s okay, really.” Normally Mandy wasn’t affected at all by conversation while she worked. There was plenty of background noise at the park, and none of that disturbed her concentration. But Jessica’s statement hadn’t been typical conversation. At all.

Daniel Brantley was back in Claremont, in spite of the fact that she’d asked him—okay, told him—not to come.

“Oh, no,” Lainey said, her tiny brows furrowing when she accidentally unhooked one of her buckles.

Nathan turned back toward his little sister. “Here Lainey, I’ll help you.” He guided her small hand through the process of fastening the strap while she watched in awe.

“Thanks, Bubba,” she said, giving him a full baby-teeth smile.

Mandy snapped away, capturing the precious gesture and consequently getting even better photographs than she’d planned.

“Oh, wasn’t that adorable? Did you get that?” Jessica asked.

“I sure did,” Mandy said, grinning.

“Chad’s going to love photos of the kids for his birthday present.”

“I certainly hope so,” Mandy said, while a tiny poke in her back told her Kaden’s patience had run out.

“Hey, Aunt Mandy, are you done yet?” Sky blue eyes—Brantley blue eyes—squinted up at her in the sun.

“I am now,” she said, packing up her camera. “Thank you for being so good while I took the pictures.” She ran a hand over his sandy waves.

“So we can go play now?”

“Sure.”

Kaden pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!” He ran toward Nathan. “You want to slide or swing?”

“We’ll slide first, and then we’ll swing,” Nathan said.

“Okay!”

Nathan, at seven, was three years older than Kaden and therefore “major cool” in her nephew’s eyes. Mandy loved seeing him so excited, so happy. Nine months ago she’d worried that she’d never see that sweet smile again, but there it was, stretching from cheek to cheek as he ran after his new friend toward the wide red slide.

Jessica scooped up Lainey from Mandy’s hay props and kissed her soft blond curls. “I’m so glad you brought Kaden along today so he and Nathan can play.”

“Me too,” Mandy said. It wasn’t as if she really had a choice, since he was with her twenty-four/seven, but she didn’t mind.

“Kaden looks like he’s doing well,” Jessica said. She didn’t add, “considering all that he’s been through,” but it was definitely implied.

“He is. It took a little time for him to get adjusted to everything. He was quiet for a while, and he still asks a few questions about his mom and dad every now and then, but I really think he’s going to be okay.” Mandy wasn’t so sure about herself, but she was determined that one way or another, Kaden would be fine.

“He seems to enjoy playing with Nathan.” Jessica pointed to him as he flew down the slide head first with his new friend cheering him on. “And Nathan likes being the big boy. He’s really good with younger kids, and he’s a great big brother for Lainey.”

“He sure is. And I’m glad Kaden’s getting a chance to play with another boy. Most of his time is spent with me.” And soon Kaden’s time would be split between Mandy and Daniel Brantley, if Daniel had his way and sent her packing.

Not happening.

“Hey, we have a great four-year-old class at the daycare if you ever want to bring him in and let him try it out. He wouldn’t have to go full time, you know. There’s a Mommy’s Day Out program that you could put him in, if you need a little time to yourself or want to give him a chance to play with other kids more often. Wednesdays, from 8:00 until noon. It’d be good for him, social interaction and all.”

Mandy blinked past the automatic response to the mommy reference. She wasn’t Kaden’s mommy. In fact, she missed his mommy, probably as much or more as Kaden. Mia had been more than a sister. She’d been Mandy’s best friend and confidante. They’d been through so much together. Mia was truly the only person who not only knew Mandy’s history but had experienced it too.

“Sorry,” Jessica said, obviously noticing the change in Mandy’s disposition. “I’m sure you want to keep him close by with everything he’s gone through. It’s a reflex, telling people about the daycare, since I work there. But I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s fine.” Mandy was glad so many people in town were interested in Kaden’s well being. It was a sign of how much Mia and Jacob had been loved and a promise that Mandy wasn’t completely on her own raising her nephew. Claremont, Alabama was small enough that everyone knew everybody’s business and looked out for each other. Growing up, Mandy hated that. Now though, with Kaden to watch after, it didn’t seem like such a bad thing. “From the looks of the way he and Nathan are playing, Kaden might really enjoy spending time with other kids.”
She smiled. “I’ll think about the Wednesday morning option.”

“Well, I have it on good authority that the teacher for that four-year-old class would absolutely adore him.”

“I’m guessing that teacher would be you?” Mandy asked.

“You’d guess right,” Jessica said with a laugh.

“I swing, Mommy?” Lainey pointed toward the swing set beside the big slide where Nathan and Kaden were playing. “Please?”

“Sure.”

They walked toward the swings chatting while Mandy wondered how to bring the subject back around to the comment Jessica made during the photo shoot. After about ten minutes of learning more about the daycare, how Nathan was doing in school and how everyone missed Mandy at church—a subject she definitely didn’t want to think about right now—she decided the only way to know was to ask. So while Jessica pushed Lainey in the toddler swing, Mandy sat on a regular swing and attempted to sound casual. “Did you say Daniel is back?”

Jessica nodded, while Lainey pumped her feet with each push and squealed. “Yeah. Well, I thought so, but I guess if you haven’t seen him yet, he may not have made it back to town, huh? I mean, I’m sure he’ll make a beeline to come see Kaden, don’t you think?”

Daniel would make a beeline to Kaden, not to Mandy. Miraculously, Mandy managed a smile. “Yes, I’m sure he will.”

“Maybe he’s coming later in the week. Today’s just Tuesday. I was thinking they meant he was coming at the beginning of the week, but maybe it’s the end.”

“Maybe so,” Mandy said, and wondered who “they” were.

Jessica slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh dear, I bet he was going to surprise you and Kaden, and I just blew it.”

“No, really. It’s fine.” Mandy’s shoes dug deeper into the dirt. “When I see him, I can act surprised. Don’t worry about it.” But Mandy was definitely worried. Daniel couldn’t take Kaden away from her, or try to take him away. She loved that little boy as if he were her own. Why couldn’t Daniel see that?

Because of that email, her mind whispered.

“Well, that’s what the church bulletin said on Sunday, that he was moving back this week and would begin working with the youth at the church next Sunday. I have to tell you, Chad and I were thrilled to hear he’d taken the youth minister job. It’ll be nice seeing Nathan and Lainey become more and more involved with the youth group as they get older, especially if Daniel is leading the way. There was a photo of him in the church bulletin beside the announcement. It’s always a bit of a jolt to see Daniel and realize Jacob is gone. They looked so much alike, didn’t they?”

Daniel’s eyes were a brighter blue, in Mandy’s opinion, but she didn’t say so now. She simply nodded then glanced at Kaden, whose eyes were the exact same Caribbean shade. As a photographer, she prayed for that exact color of sky when she took photos outdoors. Bright, clear and beautiful. Breathtaking.

Kaden looked at her with those beautiful eyes and grinned. “Did you see me that time, Aunt Mandy? I went fast, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did.”

He nodded then ran back to the ladder to give the slide another go.

“You know, Daniel and Chad were really close in high school, back when they played baseball together. And Chad always thought the world of Daniel.”

“I remember.” Everyone thought the world of Daniel, even Mandy. In fact, she’d thought enough of him to propose to him when she was seventeen. She nodded absently while Jessica continued talking, and while her mind processed the facts. Daniel Brantley, Kaden’s uncle and her brother-in-law, had taken the youth minister job. She’d told him when he came back home for that interview at the church that he didn’t need to leave his mission work because of her impulsive email. She’d insisted that she never should have sent the thing and that she regretted hitting the Send button the minute she pressed it. But he’d insisted he was coming back. No discussion. Riding in to save the day…and save Kaden from Mandy.

“And it’ll really be something for him to tell the kids all about his mission work, especially about everything in Africa,” Jessica said. “You should have seen the slideshow they did last year when we had the annual appeal for the churches he started down there in Malawi. Seeing those people holding hands and moving into that water to be baptized, it touched my heart.”

“Oh, I remember that! I liked the elephants,” Nathan said, following Kaden down the slide.

Instead of running around to slide again, Kaden stopped, dusted off the knees of his jeans and peered at Nathan. “Uncle Daniel’s elephants?” he asked.
Nathan shrugged. “I don’t know. Is your uncle the guy from church who showed us Africa and the elephants?”

Kaden looked to Mandy. “Is he talking about Uncle Daniel?”

“Yes, he is,” Mandy said, still forcing a smile.

“Wow, he’s your uncle? He’s so cool!” Nathan said.

Kaden beamed. “Thanks!”

Yeah, thanks, Mandy thought. The appeal Jessica referred to had been held the weekend of Kaden’s four-year-old birthday last year. Daniel came home for his party and did a slideshow of his work at the church while he was in town. He didn’t come home often and hadn’t planned to return again for another year, but he’d ended up coming back two weeks later for Jacob and Mia’s funerals.

For the entire time that they remained at the park, Jessica talked nonstop, singing Daniel’s praises and exclaiming about all of the wonderful advantages to having him back in town. Nathan joined in whenever he could, and Kaden automatically agreed with everything his older friend said. Mandy, on the other hand, spent her time wondering how quickly she could get him to leave.

Daniel Brantley never failed to appreciate the beauty of his hometown. No matter how many astounding landscapes he’d seen in his travels around the world, no matter the marvelous sights, smells and sounds of God’s creation that he’d witnessed during his seven years in the mission field, Claremont always took his breath away. Maybe it was the memories of being a kid and running these streets with Jacob, Chad, Mitch and the other guys from Claremont High or maybe it was simply the picturesque beauty of the town nestled perfectly at the foot of Lookout Mountain in North Alabama. Daniel had no idea, but he knew that in all of his twenty-eight years, in spite of how often he’d felt close to God in his travels, there was something about being home that made God even closer, close enough to touch.

He cranked the window down and inhaled the scents of early spring, flowers blooming, trees budding. Then he neared the road leading to the high school and saw two rows of Bradford pear trees covered in stark white blooms lining the path to the school’s entrance. Those blooms used to fall like snow all over this old red truck every spring a decade ago. Glancing toward the brick buildings, he saw a bounty of teenagers’ cars parked in the gravel lots on both sides. He and Jacob parked out there back in the day. They’d ridden to Claremont High together every morning, stayed after school for football practice in the fall, basketball practice in the winter and finally baseball, which had been the favorite sport for both Brantley boys, every spring.

The Brantley boys. The Brantley twins. The Brantley brood. They’d been dubbed lots of things back then, but no matter how the townsfolk referred to them, it’d never been individually. They’d always been a pair, and in spite of their differences, they’d liked it that way.

Daniel sighed. Would he ever get used to the fact that Jacob was gone? And didn’t it seem odd that he’d been the one to venture out into more than his share of dangerous circumstances in his attempt to follow their missionary parents into the world and preach the Gospel, and yet the son that stayed home lost his life?

He pondered that irony as he drove through town. After Brother Henry had told him to take his first day back to “get reacquainted with Claremont,” Daniel had headed directly to the photography studio on the town square to find Mandy Carter and see Kaden. Yes, he loved his hometown, but he’d have never returned this soon if it hadn’t been for his nephew. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found Mandy or Kaden at Carter Photography. Instead he found a hand-painted sign on the door.

On a photo shoot. Be back later.

And wasn’t that just like Mandy? Be back later. No promises, nothing definite. Expecting the entire world to cater to her plans, her desires, the same way she had so many years ago. Some things never changed.

But Daniel wasn’t going to simply sit outside her door and wait for her to show. Instead, he drove through town enjoying the gorgeous day and taking in the scenery while thinking about Kaden. A little boy needed a man in his life. In truth, a little boy needed a dad in his life.

Daniel had originally thought it was fine staying in the mission field and letting Mandy Carter raise his nephew. Daniel’s parents had also agreed that Mandy was perfect for raising their grandson. Their commitment to the mission work in India kept them away, and while they loved the country there, they didn’t think they should move Kaden away from the only home he’d ever known right after losing both of his parents. And they all agreed that Mandy loved Kaden and wanted to take care of her nephew.

But then Daniel got that email and realized that Mandy was still the spoiled little princess she was way back then. Why he’d believed her when she said she wanted to make a life in Claremont and raise Kaden was beyond him. If Kaden was going to have the life Jacob and Mia had planned for him, it’d be Daniel who provided it. Certainly not Mandy Carter.

“I love Claremont, and I love Kaden. Let him stay here with me, please. It’s what Mia wanted.”

Maybe it was because he’d been so upset over losing Jacob that Daniel had agreed. He couldn’t wait to get back to Malawi to pray, to work…and to grieve. After a few months, however, he realized that he couldn’t get his nephew off of his mind. And when he prayed to God to help him know what he should do about Kaden, he’d received that email from Mandy.

He continued driving toward the edge of town so he could see the new neighborhoods everyone was talking about, but before he reached the entrances to the subdivisions that had replaced the cotton fields, something caught his eye. Or rather, someone caught his eye.

A woman stood beside an old blue pickup truck waving her hands in the air. Her sleeveless pink shirt was tied in a knot at her waist, and a turquoise scarf had been threaded through the belt loops of rolled up jeans. The ends of the scarf were tipped in sparkling stones that appeared to match the bejeweled sandals on her feet. She looked like a modern princess. While she waved him down, a thick ponytail of shiny chocolate hair whipped across her face in the March breeze. But regardless of the mass of hair that made her face play peek-a-boo with Daniel as he approached, he had no doubt to the identity of the woman.

“Have mercy, Lord. Do You have to let her keep getting prettier?”

Daniel slowed the car as he neared and watched as one hand moved to shield her eyes from her hair, and her mouth formed a silent Oh. Which was quickly followed by No. Her wide smile slid into a flat line and she looked at him the same way she had practically every time he’d seen her in the past seven years, since that night he turned her down and walked away.

“You have anyone else in that old truck?” Mandy asked. “Someone who might actually be interested in helping me, perhaps?”

Here we go again. “Afraid not.”

He heard her grumble something and was pretty sure it included, “Should’ve recognized that truck,” and “Why don’t you just drive away, you always do.”
But before he could respond, another voice joined in.

“Uncle Daniel?” Kaden called from her truck, and Daniel’s heart leapt at the sound. “Uncle Daniel? Hey, you’re back!”

He loved that boy. “Yes, I am, and I’m so glad I found you,” Daniel said, leaning his head out the window as he spoke. “Let me pull the truck over, and I’ll help you and Aunt Mandy.” He was still in the middle of the street, and even though there wasn’t a sign of another car around, he figured he should probably be safe.

He parked, then climbed out of the truck and walked to Kaden’s side of the vehicle. He was anxious to hug his nephew, and he could do that while figuring out Mandy’s problem with the truck.

“Uncle Daniel, my new friend Nathan said you’re cool. He was talking about you and the elephants and stuff,” Kaden said, climbing from his car seat and jumping into Daniel arms.

“Nathan?”

“Chad and Jessica Martin’s son,” Mandy said.

“Right, I remember him. And he has a little sister too, doesn’t he?” Daniel asked.

“Uh-huh, Lainey. She’s little, only two.”

“I did a photo shoot at Hydrangea Park of Chad and Jessica’s kids, and after the shoot, we stayed a while to let Kaden play with Nathan,” Mandy explained, but she seemed more interested in the dirt around her feet than looking at Daniel when she spoke.

“And then we got in the truck to go back home but we ran out of gas,” Kaden said.

“Out of gas?” Daniel asked.

Mandy’s head snapped up. “Yes, out of gas.” Then she moved to the back of her truck, climbed into the bed and stepped around bales of hay and potted plants apparently searching for something. “I used the truck today because I needed some props, and I hardly ever drive granddaddy’s old truck, so I forgot to check the tank. And it was apparently close to empty.”

“Apparently,” Daniel said, watching her push a few boxes, a shovel, an old-fashioned tricycle and some other odd, colorful objects aside before withdrawing a small orange gas can.

“There,” she said, pushing her bangs out of her eyes as she worked her way toward the back of the truck. Then she jumped down with the orange can in hand. “We need a ride to the gas station, if you don’t mind.”

“And you’ll need a ride back to your truck,” Daniel said, uncertain why he found it so much fun to push her buttons.

“Yes, that too. I thought someone from town would probably drive by soon and give us a ride, but if you could do it, that will work.”

“I am from town,” he reminded, “and it isn’t a problem.” He put Kaden on the ground beside him. “Come on, we’ll move your car seat over to my truck.”

“He likes to call it a booster seat,” Mandy said. “Car seats are for babies, according to Kaden.”

Kaden smiled at her then smiled even bigger for Daniel. “I guess it’s both.”
Mandy’s face dropped. Daniel noticed, but had the wherewithal not to mention it. He really didn’t want to participate in a contest of who Kaden liked better. He wanted Kaden happy. Period.

Within minutes, he’d moved the booster seat over and buckled Kaden into the extended cab, then opened the passenger door for Mandy.

She maintained her distance as she climbed in, but the breeze still sent a hint of her peach shampoo, or perfume, or something across Daniel’s senses. He hadn’t smelled anything quite like it in a long time, especially not in Malawi, that’s for sure.

“When’d you get back from Africa?” Kaden asked.

“Late last night,” Daniel said, closing Mandy’s door and then walking around to his side of the truck and climbing in. “But I’m back to stay this time.”

“Yes!” Kaden’s excited yell from the backseat made Daniel grin and made Mandy huff out an exasperated breath.

“So we can spend time together whenever you want,” Daniel said, then glanced at Mandy. “I’m assuming that will be okay with you.” Mandy had obtained custody after Mia and Jacob’s accident, and at the time she’d promised that Daniel could see his nephew as often as he wanted. But she’d also thought he didn’t plan on coming to Claremont more than twice a year. “That is okay with you, isn’t it, Mandy?” Daniel repeated.

Instead of answering, she reached over and flipped on the radio, which Daniel naturally had programmed to the contemporary Christian station. Avalanche by Manifest belted from the speakers, and Kaden immediately started tapping his hands against the booster seat with the upbeat sound.

Mandy looked at Kaden and apparently verified that he was absorbed in the music then she leaned toward Daniel. “I asked you not to come back,” she whispered.

“You did,” he said, starting the truck.

“But you came anyway.”

“I did.” He headed toward Bo Taylor’s gas station a couple of miles toward town.

“Why?”

Daniel glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled at Kaden, now bobbing his head to the beat and attempting to sing along. Then he lowered his voice to match hers. “Because you also told me that I was out gallivanting across the world and enjoying myself while you were left home to raise my nephew. You said that you were tired of having the weight of the world on your shoulders, so I came home to take that tiny weight off of your hands and let you do what you want, Mandy. See the world yourself, and let me raise Kaden.” He nodded. “We’ll get everything settled with the Court for custody and all, and then you can leave. It’ll be the same as before, but in reverse. You can come home and visit Kaden whenever you like, and I promise to take very good care of him, the way Mia and Jacob would’ve wanted.”

“I told you I shouldn’t have sent that email. Do you have any idea what I had been through at that point?”

Daniel noticed Kaden’s head had tilted and that he peered toward the front seat.

“Do you like this song too, Uncle Daniel?”

“I sure do,” Daniel said, smiling back at him and tapping his hands against the steering wheel with the beat. Then he glanced at Mandy. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Fine.”

He pulled into the station and saw Bo and Maura Taylor inside the store. He’d known Bo for years, but had just met Maura when he’d come to town for the interview with Brother Henry. She was talking to a customer at the register inside, but Bo walked out of the station and greeted them, and again Daniel sensed that familiarity of being back home, where everyone knows you and everyone cares. It was similar to the friendships he had with the tiny church groups he’d started in Malawi, but different because the people of Claremont had known him and his family for years. And they knew about him losing Jacob, not only his twin brother but unquestionably his best friend.

“Daniel, good to see you! I heard on Sunday that you took the job at the church. Sure is great to have you back,” Bo said.

“It’s good to be back.”

“Need a fill up?”

“Sure, but I can get it,” Daniel said, climbing out.

“This is full service, you know,” Bo said. “And I enjoy doing my job.”

“Okay then, it’s all yours,” he said, sliding his seat forward so he could reach through and unbuckle Kaden. “You want to go get a snack and a drink inside?”

“Definitely!” Kaden scurried across the seat and climbed out.

“How about you, Mandy? Want anything?”

“No.” She was still pouting, and Daniel let her, not that he really had a choice. But he hadn’t told her anything that wasn’t the truth about what she’d said in that email, and he knew that was her true feelings coming out. She felt trapped here, and he was going to set her free.

“I’ve got a can in the back that needs filling too,” he said to Bo.

“We ran out of gas,” Kaden said, and Daniel caught Mandy’s arms folding tightly against her chest with his proclamation.

“Who did?” Bo asked then peered in the truck. “Well, hey, Mandy. Didn’t recognize you at first. Your hair’s longer than I remember. It’s been a long time.”

“Hello, Mr. Taylor. Good to see you.” She was polite but reserved, not the feisty, bubbly Mandy Carter that Daniel remembered, but then again, she was ticked.

The other customer left, and Maura came out of the gas station to visit as well.

“You’ve met Maura, haven’t you?” Bo asked.

“Yes, when I came in to interview for the youth minister job,” Daniel said. “Nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you,” she said, smiling as Bo draped an arm around his wife. “I remember meeting you at the dinner on the grounds, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And now you’re going to be working at the church, I understand?”

“Yes, ma’am, with the youth.”

“Well, that’s great,” she said. “Autumn, our granddaughter, is seven now and starting to get involved in the youth activities at the church. I’m glad to know you’ll be working with that great group of kids.”

“Maura and I married a month ago,” Bo said. “Didn’t know if you knew that.”

“Brother Henry has been emailing the church bulletins to me each week while I’ve been gone, so I’ve stayed aware of my church family here,” Daniel said. “Congratulations on the wedding.”

“And who is this?” Maura asked, smiling at Kaden.

“This is my nephew, Kaden Brantley.”

Bo glanced at Maura and gave her a slight nod, then a sympathetic smile toward Kaden, and Daniel knew that Bo had apparently told her about Mia and Jacob. Or she could have heard it from someone at church. It was pretty big news in a small town when anyone died, but in this case even more because Mia and Jacob were so young and had so much to live for, particularly Kaden.
Maura’s mouth tightened, and she blinked a couple of times then squatted down to eye-level with Kaden. “You know what, I made some cookies earlier to sell inside, but I haven’t had anyone here to taste them and let me know if they’re okay. Would you want to do that for me?”

“Yes ma’am!”

Maura held out a hand, and Kaden took it. Then she turned toward Daniel’s door, still open, to see Mandy sitting inside. “Would you like to come in too?”

“We’re going to try cookies, Aunt Mandy,” Kaden said. “Come on! You love cookies!”

“They’re fresh-baked,” Maura tempted.

Mandy smiled—something Daniel certainly hadn’t seen since his arrival—and then climbed out of the passenger side. “I can’t imagine turning down fresh-baked cookies.”

“Aunt Mandy really likes cookies. We make them itchy.”

“Itchy?” Maura asked.

Mandy laughed, and Daniel was absorbed in the fullness of the sound, rolling out effortlessly, as though she liked nothing better than to set it free. Daniel was grateful that Kaden had undoubtedly been witness to it, because he laughed along with her now.

“Wh-what?” Kaden giggled. “What’d I say?”

“We make them from scratch,” Mandy told him, rubbing her hand over his head affectionately. “We don’t make them itchy.”

Bo, Maura and Daniel joined in the laughter now.

“But that was close,” Mandy finally said.

Kaden grinned. “Thanks!”

When their laughter subsided, Maura nodded toward Mandy. “Okay, let’s go test some of those cookies.” They turned and started toward the small gas station. Maura wiped a couple of laugh tears from her cheeks and said to Mandy, “Now, tell me your name. I’m still meeting everyone here, but I’m usually pretty good with names. I don’t believe we’ve met, have we?”

“I don’t think so. I’m Mandy Carter, Kaden’s aunt. I own the photography store in the town square. Well, I do now. It belonged to my grandparents and then my sister.” Her voice trailed off. “Now just me.”

“And me. I help,” Kaden said. “And we live there, at the top of the store.”

“Yes, Kaden definitely helps,” Mandy said.

Daniel waited until they entered the station. “Maura’s never met Mandy?”

“I’m trying to introduce her to everyone in town, but I suppose our paths haven’t crossed with Mandy’s too much. We do go to the town square a bit. Autumn enjoys going to the toy shop and Nelson’s five-and-dime, but we haven’t been in the photography shop. Need to get over there. Maura and I don’t have a lot of photos of us together, other than the wedding, you know.”

“I’m guessing you’d have seen Mandy if she’d been at church?”

Bo frowned. “You know the answer to that. Everyone sees everyone at church. But no, she hasn’t been there, not since Mia and Jacob’s accident. And truthfully, Mandy never was much for church, from what I remember. She was in the same grade as my daughter Hannah, you know, but seems like when Hannah got more involved in church during those later teen years, Mandy kind of pulled away.” His eyes lifted. “But I will invite her today. Don’t know why I didn’t think about that sooner. I went years away from God, you know, and it’s not a fun place to be, away from Him.” He paused. “Maura too, after she lost her daughter. I think that’s why she’s probably going to bond pretty well with that little Kaden. Our granddaughter, Autumn, lost her mother. But Autumn is doing great now. She’s a little older than Kaden, but I bet they’d get along real well. Maybe if you can get Mandy to bring him to church, he and Autumn can meet there.”

“Kaden will come to church with me,” Daniel said. There was no question that he’d be taking his nephew back to church, but if he had his way, he’d bring Mandy back to God too. If she was going off to see the world, and Daniel was determined to let her go, he wanted to know she had God along for the trip.

“Well, it’ll be good for Kaden to have both of you in his life,” Bo said. “A child needs that, people who care and are working together for his or her best interest. Family. People who love each other.”

Daniel couldn’t offer all of that, not when it came to him and Mandy, but they did both care about Kaden. He glanced up to see Maura, Mandy and Kaden exit the store. Kaden had a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. Mandy’s hands were filled with the same, and so were Maura’s.

“You didn’t bring us any?” Bo teased.

“Our hands were full,” Kaden said, smiling, “but yours is waiting for you on the counter.”

Mandy smiled and licked the chocolate from her fingers. She looked so different when she smiled, actually sweet, like someone Daniel could actually get along with. And Daniel suddenly noticed that he’d just seen that same smile…on Kaden. He looked to his nephew, then back to Mandy. Kaden had his mother’s smile, and consequently, Mandy’s smile. Jacob’s eyes, Mia’s smile.

“You okay, Uncle Daniel?” Kaden asked, and Daniel wondered if his thoughts were that obvious.

Kaden had his eyes and Mandy’s smile. That was so noticeable now, and Daniel wondered why. God, what are you telling me?

“Uncle Daniel?” Kaden repeated.

“I’m fine,” Daniel said with a grin.

“He’s wanting some of those cookies,” Bo said to Kaden.

Daniel laughed. “Here you go,” he handed over several bills to Bo, “for the gas, the milk and the cookies.”

“I’ll bring your change for the gas. The milk and cookies are on the house. We’ll consider it your welcome home treat. And I’ll grab your cookies when I come back out with your change,” Bo said, walking toward the station.

“Can I have another cookie please?” Kaden asked.

“Sure,” Maura said. “Come on, I’ll take you to get one.”
She and Kaden followed Bo, and Daniel found himself alone with Mandy. She’d finished her cookie and held tightly to her small carton of milk while she leaned against the truck and avoided looking in Daniel’s direction. He took a deep breath and decided he might as well get everything out in the open while he had the chance.

“I want you to give me custody,” he said. “After the funerals, it seemed like a good idea for you to raise Kaden, but I was thinking that you were more settled here, and I was in Malawi. I didn’t consider the fact that you want to see the world. And I’m good with that. I want to work here with the church, and I want to raise Kaden.”

“Daniel, I wish you’d believe me. I didn’t mean what I said in that email. Kaden had been throwing up for three days straight and was burning up with fever. I was tired from puke patrol and was catching that wretched bug myself. When I sent the email, I already had a fever and had tossed my own cookies twice. It was a weak moment, and I sent you a second email the next morning to let you know I didn’t mean it.”

“But I’d already emailed Brother Henry asking for a job.”

“So you could have told him you decided you didn’t want one.”

“But I didn’t.” He put the gas can in the back of the truck. “And Mandy, I’m the same guy who heard you say nearly those exact words seven years ago, that you would do anything to leave this horrid little town.”

“Do you really think I meant it? That I would have married you just to get away from here?”

“Yes, Mandy, I do.”

She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut when Kaden ran out of the store in front of Bo and Maura.

“Here’s yours,” he said, handing Daniel a carton of milk and a small brown bag. “Mrs. Maura gave you three cookies, cause she said men eat more than boys. But then she gave me another one too, so I got three too.”

“Guess you’re a man,” Daniel said, patting Kaden’s back.

“Yep,” Kaden said, shimmying into the backseat. “Guess so.”

“What do you tell Mr. Bo and Ms. Maura?” Mandy prompted.

“Thanks!” Kaden yelled.

“You’re welcome,” they answered.

“So I guess we’ll see you again in a few minutes,” Bo said to Mandy, “You’ll need gas in your car, right?”

“I’m in my granddaddy’s truck, but that’s right,” Mandy said. “Thank you again for the cookies and milk.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “And Mandy, we’d love to have you back at church, you know.”

She returned the smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know. Thank you.” Then she got in the passenger seat and buckled up.

“Aunt Mandy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I stay in this truck til we get home?”

Daniel paused climbing in to see what she’d say.

Mandy swallowed then turned warm eyes toward Kaden. “If you want to, that’s fine. You haven’t seen Uncle Daniel in a while. You probably want to visit and ask him about those elephants, don’t you?”

Kaden took a sip of milk from his carton, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, maybe. But I mainly want to stay in this truck because it was Daddy’s. We always went riding in this truck, before Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.”

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