“You can meet Jasmine tomorrow,” she said, her tone firm.
He looked genuinely crushed. “I’d like to start over, okay? Can we call a truce for now? I promise I won’t approach Jasmine. I’ll wait until you tell her.”
“Since I don’t have much of a choice, I guess I can agree to that. But … I’m watching you, you understand?”
“Got it. No more hiding in the bushes.”
She looked him square in the eye. “Good, because next time I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”
It didn’t help that Pastor West held up his hand for quiet the second before she said that loud enough for several people standing by to hear.
And it sure didn’t help that the good reverend chose that particular moment to ask, “Arabella, would you mind leading us in prayer?”
Jonathan found a seat across from Arabella, still smiling to himself at how she’d managed to go from threatening to shoot him to praying sweet words of praise and thanksgiving. He wasn’t all that hungry, but the church ladies had ladled him a plate full of chicken and dumplings and fresh squash along with several other colorful vegetables, apparently grown in the community garden behind the church. They also piled on two big snickerdoodle cookies. He couldn’t say no, not with Arabella Michaels giving him a daring look each time he thought about bolting for the door. He was afraid she’d either shoot him or pray for him. Or maybe do both.
To ease his discomfort, he pulled a worn picture out of his pocket, one finger touching the grinning face of the little girl. The picture was old. According to the lawyer who’d told him about her, Jasmine would be at least eighteen by now. All this time and he’d never even known she existed.
She was his only family now. They were both alone. Well, Jasmine seemed to have a solid church family. But he was all alone. He had a thing about family.
He’d always wanted a real one.
He wanted to let Jasmine know that he cared about her, even if his bitter older brother had stopped talking to Jonathan the day he’d left their sorry life behind. Jonathan wanted to offer her a chance to go back to Denver with him. Or at least come and visit him there. He could do that. He could give this girl the kind of life he’d never had.
He kept watching all the people laughing and talking around him as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Arabella had introduced him to her cousin Brooke and a friend named Kylie, both nice women who’d offered him more food. Clayton had obviously hit on hard times, but no one in this room seemed to mind. Arabella told him they all pitched in to bring the food and that she supplied the bread and desserts for a lot of these meetings. Maybe there was something to being part of a church family.
But where was his niece?
“Want a piece of apple cake?”
He looked across the table at Arabella. She hadn’t eaten much, either. “No, I’m good.” He coughed. “I’m a little nervous. I can’t get used to … being an uncle.”
She leaned close. “I can’t get used to you being Jasmine’s uncle.”
Seeing the tiny twinkle in her eyes, he relaxed. “I guess I could have knocked on your door and told you who I am.”
“That’s how most people announce themselves.”
“What if she doesn’t want anything to do with me?” he asked quietly.
Arabella scooted her chair around the end of the table so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Are you kidding? That child is starving for love. I worry about her. She always sees the good in people.”
“What if she can’t see any good in me?”
Arabella leaned back and gave him a squinting look. “I can’t see much bad, unless you’re still hiding things from me. You could be a thief on the run or a bank robber passing through.”
“Your cousin had me checked out, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. He did, didn’t he? But … that doesn’t mean I’m completely sure of you.”
He quirked a brow. “Are you always this distrustful?”
“Yes, pretty much. I have good reason not to trust people.”
He was about to ask her why when an older woman came walking toward them with three cute little girls, all holding hands. The woman wore her hair in a silver bun, but the little girls had shimmering, light brown curls and big pretty brown eyes.
Arabella stood up. “Uh-oh. Must have been some trouble in the nursery. Why is it always my three?”
Jonathan looked at the adorable girls then back at Arabella. “Your daughters? Dorothy told me you had triplets.”
He’d seen her around town with the girls already. She obviously loved her children. And who wouldn’t fall for these three? They were dressed in matching blue dresses with puffy sleeves and embroidery across the bodice. Each girl had a different flowery design, which probably meant their mother had recognized their individuality and made sure they did, too.
“Yes, four years old and growing too fast.” Arabella nodded, then headed toward her girls, her smile at a thousand-watt beam. “Hello. Did you have fun eating your dinner with your friends in the nursery?”
“Jessie was mean to me,” one of the girls said, pointing an accusing finger at her sister.
Arabella turned to the cute culprit. “Jessie, were you ugly to Julie?”
Jessie produced a pout. “Julie wouldn’t share her cookie.”
“Oh, my goodness. Julie, you know to share with your sisters.” Then she turned to Jessie. “But, Jessie, you each had your own cookie, so I don’t think you needed any of your sister’s.”
“I shared, Mommy.” The third of the bunch said, her puffy blue plaid dress swirling around her chubby little legs. “I was nice to Jessie. I gave her part of my cookie then Julie gave me some of hers.”
“Thank you for that, Jamie. But I think your sisters need to kiss and make up and then give you a big hug since you shared your food to please both of them.”
The older lady laughed. “I couldn’t get them to do that. They wanted to talk to you about it.”
“C’mon, now,” Arabella said, urging the girls toward the table. “Mommy has to help clean up. And I can’t do a good job if I think you girls are mad at each other.”
“Who’s that?” Jessie asked, pointing toward Jonathan.
Arabella sent him an appraising glance. “This is Dr. Turner. He’s here to … visit.”
“No doctors,” Jamie said, shaking her head. Her sisters shrank back against Arabella, holding each other despite the cookie situation.
Jonathan couldn’t stop his smile. “I see you’re all acquainted with doctors.”
“They don’t like shots,” Arabella said, mouthing the words. “This is a nice doctor,” she told Jamie. “He came from a big city.”
“Where?” Jessie asked.
“Not too far from here,” Jonathan answered, the girls captivating him with their charm.
Arabella pulled at Jessie and Julie. “Okay, say sorry so I can get you back to the nursery for story time.”
Jonathan watched as the tiny doll-like girls stared each other down then grabbed on for a long group hug. After that, they were all giggles. Arabella guided them back to the nursery worker, kissing each of them before they once again held hands and walked down the hallway.
“They’re beautiful.”
Watching