Baby Makes a Match

A fresh chill ran up his spine, and he found himself wholly identifying with Garrett’s impulses. If Bethany was his sister… But she was not his sister. She was, instead, a very attractive, single woman. A single expectant mother, he reminded himself.

No, Chandler didn’t blame Garrett for wanting to pound someone.

His ears perked up when Magnolia asked Bethany if she still intended to look for a job. Putting aside his thoughts, he listened to Bethany reply, “As quickly as possible.”

“Sis, do you really think anyone is going to hire a woman as pregnant as you are?” Garrett asked, looking down at her.

Bethany sighed but otherwise did not answer.

“It is a problem,” Hypatia agreed gently.

“I can’t just live off your generosity and my brother’s until the baby comes,” Bethany pointed out.

Chandler surprised himself by speaking the instant the thought entered his mind.

“Dad might be willing to hire her.”

Five pairs of eyes turned to him. Well, it only seemed logical. In fact, he was surprised that his aunts hadn’t thought of it themselves. He cleared his throat and said, “Dad is about to open the new Single Parents Ministry to the public, isn’t he?”

Hypatia brightened. “That’s right. He’s been talking about hiring a receptionist.”

“That would be perfect,” Bethany said, sitting forward. “What do they do there?”

“Offer parenting classes, support groups, Bible studies,” Hypatia said. “They’ve also put together a panel of advisers, attorneys, mental health professionals, charities, anyone who can help lighten the load of a single parent.”

“It sounds wonderful!” Bethany gushed.

“It’s part-time, so the pay wouldn’t be much,” Magnolia warned.

“Still, it’s something,” Bethany pointed out.

“And of course you’ll stay here until after the baby comes and you’re on your feet again,” Odelia put in.

For the second time that morning, Chandler watched Bethany’s eyes fill with tears. She reached a hand up to her brother, who pressed her fingers with his, smiling.

“Looks like God brought both of us to the right place,” she noted in a shaky voice.

“You’d think I’d learn to let Him handle things, wouldn’t you?” Garrett said with a guilty glance in Chandler’s direction.

Bethany chuckled and wiped tears from her cheeks. “That’s something I guess we both have to work on.”

Watching those slender fingertips swipe at the moisture on her ivory cheeks, Chandler felt a lump rise in his own throat and shifted uncomfortably. He realized suddenly that it was past time for him to be about his own business, even if he was tired due to lack of sleep. That, he told himself stoutly, was what was behind this sudden emotionalism, surely.

“How soon do you think I can speak to your father about the job?” Bethany asked him.

Chandler opened his mouth, but Hypatia spoke first.

“Chandler, dear,” she said, “might you take Bethany to meet your father Monday?”

“Me?”

“That will give us time to speak to Hubner about it beforehand,” Hypatia said to Bethany.

“Grease the skids, in other words,” Garrett said wryly.

Magnolia laughed and quipped, “I’ll get out the oil can.”

Meanwhile, Hypatia answered Chandler. “Of course you, dear. You’re the perfect person to do it.”

Chandler flung a hand at Garrett. “Why not him?”

“On the back of my motorcyle?” Garrett retorted, shaking his head. “Not in her condition.”

“And Chester is busy,” Odelia informed him helpfully, “especially Monday. It’s Hilda’s shopping day, you know.”

The aunties themselves did not drive. Chandler thought of his appointment with his cousin, the attorney, on Monday and a hundred and one other things he needed to get done as quickly as possible, but he knew that he had to do this. Talking to his dad about a job had been his idea in the first place, and Bethany was not getting on the back of that motorcycle if he could prevent it.

“Yeah, okay, fine,” he said with less grace than he might have. “Now if that’s settled, I’m going to move most of my stuff into the attic.”

“You’re moving in here?” Garrett asked, his brows drawing together.

Chandler rose. “Yeah. You have a problem with that?”

“No, of course not. Just surprised.”

“That makes two of us,” Chandler muttered. He purposefully did not look at Bethany, but turned to dispense kisses to the papery cool cheeks of his aunties, thanking them for their hospitality.

“Don’t worry,” Hypatia said, beaming a smile, “It’s a very big house.”

“The east suite should suit,” Magnolia began, but Chandler waved that away.

“Naw, I’ll just take one of the big bedrooms.”

“In that case,” Odelia chirped, “perhaps the room behind the attic stairs? It has a window and is convenient to the attic.”

Chandler shrugged. “Fine with me.”

“Perfect!” Odelia exclaimed, clapping her hands. “That’s right next to the master suite where Bethany and Garrett are staying.”

Chandler raised his eyebrows. Evidently, the aunties were going all out in their support of the Willows siblings. Well, it was no skin off his nose, especially when they were willing to house him, too. But not for long, God willing, not for long. In fact, with single, pretty Bethany in residence, the sooner he got his business in order and moved out of Chatam House, the better.

It was all he could do to keep from looking at her one more time before he stepped out into the corridor and strode toward the library.

“I’ll give you a hand.”

Chandler glanced over his shoulder at Bethany’s brother.

“That’s not necessary.”

“No, I insist.”

O-o-o-kay, Chandler thought, wondering if Garrett was about to warn him away from his sister. Not that Garrett had anything to worry about. The very last thing Chandler needed in his life right now was a woman, especially a pregnant woman.

“Your breakfast will be waiting in the kitchen when you’re done,” Hypatia called.

Chandler brightened, thinking of Hilda’s excellent cooking. “A ray of light in an otherwise dim world,” he retorted drolly.

“If that means Hilda’s cooking is the best, I couldn’t agree more,” Garrett said, lengthening his stride to bring himself even with Chandler.

Chandler shook his head. “First you try to beat me down and then you jump over into the amen corner.”

“For the record,” Garrett retorted, keeping pace with Chandler, “I did beat you down.”

“In your dreams, brother.”

“I’m not your brother.”

Chandler snorted. “You could be. Neither of them can throw a decent punch, either.”

“Now you’ve gone from dreaming to sheer insanity,” Garrett said drily, and for some reason they were both suddenly grinning. “You handle yourself pretty well, too, though.”

“Thanks,” Chandler drawled.

“So where’d you learn to fight like that, anyway?”

“I rodeo for a living,” Chandler replied. “There’s always some drunk cowboy wanting to take you down a peg.” The truth was that he hadn’t been in a real fight in ages, but early on the occasional fracas into which Kreger had dragged him had almost seemed, well, fun. “How about you?”

Garrett paused just outside the library door and met Chandler’s gaze. “Prison,” he answered grimly.

Chandler rocked back. “Yeah? How come?”

Garrett sighed. “Like I said, I’ve been known to be a little overprotective of the women in my family.”

“Do my aunts know about this?”

“Absolutely. I just thought you should know, too.”

Chandler folded his arms. “Suppose you clue me in, then.”

“Okay, but let’s do it while we’re working. Breakfast is calling me.”

Chandler could find no argument against that, and later, having heard the full story, he could find no quarrel with Garrett’s presence in the household, either. In fact, in his opinion, though he didn’t know Bethany’s story, the Willows siblings appeared to have gotten a pretty raw deal in life so far.

“God allows nothing into our lives without a reason,” whispered his father’s voice then, and right behind it came Hypatia’s. “Do you not realize that for God’s children, there are no coincidences? Only plans.”

Chandler supposed that one’s actions and decisions played into what God allowed and planned for a believer. Everyone had free will, after all. Still, a loving, omniscient God could be trusted to have reasons and plans, which meant that whatever was going on with him now, God had allowed for His own purposes. Chandler believed that those purposes would ultimately work for his benefit, for God did not curse his own children; He blessed them. Chandler knew that his life had been greatly blessed, especially compared to the lives of Garrett and Bethany Willows.

As he sat down with Garrett at the battered table in the warm, spacious kitchen to eat Hilda’s fluffy scrambled eggs and crisp bacon, his situation suddenly looked a lot better than it had only last night, and Chandler determined to move forward prayerfully. With that in mind, he took the time to give silent thanks.

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