An Ordinary Love (A Christian Contemporary Romance) (Sidney's Sanctuary Book 1) Read online

  Jake piped up.“When are you moving in?”

  “Actually, I’m moving in today.”

  Matt grinned.“It’ll be nice to have a new neighbor. I used to play chess with Victor Smith every Saturday.”

  Sidney’s eyes brightened.“What a coincidence, I used to play chess with my grandfather too.” She lifted some lingering hair strands off of her forehead.“Maybe we could play sometime.” She smiled at them and after saying good-bye, walked off. The wind shifted just enough that she barely heard the following words.

  “She’s nice, Grandpa. And pretty.”

  “Yes, Jake. I was thinking almost the same thing.”

  Chapter Three

  Gone Fishing

  The next couple of weeks passed in a whirlwind of activity. Putting everything in its right place took more organizational focus than Sidney Franklin possessed. She needed her mother to help her, but Lucy was busy with her step-dad Bill and her Gran. Sidney’s mom, Lucy, married Bill about ten years ago and recently, he’d been diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer’s. Lucy’s mother also suffered from a severe form of dementia. Over the last few years, Sidney watched her mom go from a country club lawyer’s wife, pink golf clubs and all, to a full time caregiver.

  She sank down into the new leather sofa in the middle of the great room and propped her feet up on the coffee table. She had divided the room into two main parts: a small section for reading off to the side, and a place for people to sit by the fire to chat, and hang out.

  Sidney leaned over and looked outside. The blue sky shone out the window with calming clarity, inviting Sidney to take a step away from her decorating to get some fresh air. Perhaps, she should go for a walk? On second thought, maybe she should go fishing? Jake mentioned there was a good fishing pond down the road. She’d love to take a couple hours off on a Saturday afternoon. The freedom to sit on the side of a pond with a fishing rod dangling in the water, forced to wait in quiet patience for a fish to bite, enticed her to get up.

  Sidney found her pole and her small pink tackle box, and trotted to the road that would hopefully lead her to the fishing hole. Despite her desire to be by herself, she couldn’t help but hope Jake would be around. Maybe she’d see him today and they could discuss his reading. How bad had the loneliness gotten that she was looking for a ten-year-old to keep her company?

  The newly darkened leaves sparkled above her as she marched through her yard. Autumn had almost arrived and the rich gold and varying shades of orange pranced above her, catching the sunlight. The crisp air settled into her lungs. She tucked her free hand inside her vest.

  As she crossed her yard to the street, she noticed Jake coming down his porch steps, carrying his fishing rod and a small tackle box.

  He saw her and waived.“Hi!” he called out.

  “Hey there Jake.” She got closer to him.“Looks like you got your reading done just in time for some good afternoon fishing?”

  He held up his rod. The light bridge of freckles that crossed over his nose, danced at her.“We got some good books on fishing, and animals in the jungle like you said. I like those a lot more than boring stories.”

  She raised one eyebrow.“You don’t say? Good for you.”

  Jake nodded.“Looks like you’re going fishing too. You want to go together? That way you can see the good places before it gets too cold. We’ve only got a few weeks left you know.”

  “I suppose since I’m going to the same place it would be okay. Why don’t you ask your grandpa and make sure it’s all right with him, and I’ll run back to the house to get us some snacks.”

  “My grandpa’s not home. He’s doing a wedding today. I’ll ask my dad.”

  “Okay,” she said, surprised.“I’ll meet you back here in a minute.”

  She ran inside and fetched a few of the oatmeal cookies she’d made the night before. They hadn’t tasted quite right when she took them out of the oven. She hoped they’d be better after sitting out.

  She had a fleeting thought that maybe she should go and introduce herself to his father just to be careful, but then decided the fishing hole was a public area and Jake had been planning to go there all by himself anyways. The only difference between running into him there and meeting him at the house was that they’d walk together. Besides, he was old enough to talk to his dad himself. If his dad was worried, surely, he’d come out to meet her.

  Jake was waiting by the path when she got back. She half expected him to tell her he had to go alone, that his dad was uncomfortable with him going with a stranger, but he beckoned her toward him with a swift movement of his head.“Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Your dad said we could go together?”

  “Yep.”

  They were off. She hadn’t done anything this spontaneous in months. It was lovely to be walking toward something stress free.

  Jake led her down the main road and took a sharp left onto a dirt path, then the pond opened up before them. The perfect pond. One surrounded by a few benches, flowers, and even a bridge. She hadn’t seen or been near something so idyllic in years. It reminded her of Anne of Green Gables and The Lake of Shining Water.

  “My dad loves this pond,” he told her.

  “I can see why.” She turned from side to side soaking it all in.“It’s beautiful.”

  “Yeah,and there’s fish in it. Even better.”

  She laughed.“Yes. We’d better get to it.”

  They found a spot on the end of the bridge and opened their tackle boxes. He offered to put the bait on her line since she was a girl, and she graciously accepted. Jake handed her the fishing rod and they settled in for the long wait.

  The air was cool, but inviting, and Sidney’s muscles relaxed as her mind settled down from its constant thinking. Jake didn’t seem the sort who needed to say much. He bobbed his legs back and forth as they hung off the bridge and they entered into a peaceful silence.

  After a while she tipped her head to the side.“How’s school?”

  “Fine. I like my teacher okay and everyone’s glad I’m trying to read better.”

  “Are you glad you’re trying to read better?”

  “I guess so. But mostly I’m glad my dad’s happy. He was getting really mad I couldn’t read.”

  “Sometimes it’s hard for parents.”

  “My dad wasn’t mean or anything. He was worried is all.”

  “Dads can get like that. They want what’s best for their children.”

  “Hey,” he said,“you got a husband? I haven’t seen him around.”

  She shook her head and stared at the water.“Nope. It’s just me.” No husband anymore, no children, no life…

  “You should marry my dad. Grandpa says he’d be nicer if he had some feminine kindness in his life.”

  She gulped.“I’m sure your grandpa means well, but I don’t think you should try to find a wife for your dad. He probably wants to take care of that one himself.”

  “My dad will never get married if my grandpa and I don’t help him out. He doesn’t like women.”

  Sidney couldn’t imagine what that meant. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.“Well, if he doesn’t like women, you shouldn’t try to get him married. Nobody wants to marry a man who doesn’t like her.”

  “Grandpa says a gentle hand will soften him up.”

  “Your grandpa sure says a lot.”

  “I know. My dad’s always telling him to mind his own business.”

  Sidney laughed. It reminded her of her own mother.“What did you mean that your grandpa was performing a wedding today?”

  “He’s a pastor. He does more funerals around here than weddings though, at least that’s what he says.”

  Sidney gulped again. Oh dear, her neighbor was a pastor. Perfect. She clenched her teeth, bit her lip. Why couldn’t He just leave her alone? What could God be thinking making her neighbor a pastor? She didn’t want theological discussions, or someone trying to convert her. She and God needed space. At least she did.

 
; After a few minutes, she pulled out the cookies.“Would you like one?” she asked.

  Jake nodded, his eyes widening. He took the cookie from her outstretched arm.“Oatmeal’s my favorite. My dad makes the best cookies…” He took a bite and immediately started spitting it out onto the ground. His face wrinkled in disgust.“That’s terrible.” He spit the rest out the best he could. He glanced up at her and his face reddened.“I’m really sorry I threw that out. It’s just…” The boy shook his head and stared at the pond.

  She threw back her head and laughed so hard her stomach hurt.“I’m a terrible cook, Jake. Just terrible. I was hoping maybe you’d prove my inner suspicions wrong. You didn’t. I’m definitely going to have to take some lessons.”

  Jake squinted his eyes and frowned a little, but then nodded as if he were trying to make it better.“That’s okay. There’s probably worse things than not being able to cook.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like not knowing how to fish.”

  “I guess that means I’ll be all right.”

  “Besides, if you marry my dad, he can do the cooking.”

  “Ha! Maybe you’re right.” Her laugh skipped like smooth pebbles over the pond.

  ~

  Sidney’s afternoon flew by. The still water and the simple conversation with Jake soothed her insides. They each caught a fish, although Sidney’s was the smaller one. She was thankful she’d even caught one and eventually decided they’d fished enough. They packed up their things, bad cookies and all, and started back toward the road.

  “I’ll help you gut your fish back at the house,” he told her.

  “Oh, that’s okay. I can manage. I may not be able to cook, but I can gut my own fish.”

  As they made their way down the road toward the house, a lighthearted ease settled over her, almost as if joy were surging up. She hadn’t expected to feel anything close to joy in a long time. Jake and fishing seemed good for her. She still chuckled to herself when she thought about him throwing out her cookie. She was going to have to figure something out. She couldn’t very well open a bed and breakfast and not know how to cook. Her bed and breakfast would quickly become known as the one place you didn’t want to visit.

  As they turned the corner to walk down their short street, she saw a man moving toward them. He wore a striped button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, and a pair of brown leather boots—the ones without shoelaces. He was handsome, fit, with broad shoulders. He walked toward them with a confidence that appealed to her. She stood up straighter.

  “That’s my dad,” Jake said.

  “Oh.” He sure didn’t look like the sort who didn’t like women. He was certainly the sort of man women liked. She noticed his brown hair was speckled with gray and his dark brown eyes seemed tired. As he closed the gap between them, she felt tension in the air like electricity.

  “Dad, this is my friend, Sidney. She’s a great fisher, but can’t cook to save her life!”

  Jake’s dad pointed to her while still looking at his son.“This is Sidney?” he asked.“For some reason I pictured someone a little more your age, Jake.”

  Sidney held out her hand.“I’m Sidney Franklin. I’m afraid he’s right. I’m a horrible cook, but love to go fishing. I’m the new owner of the home next door to yours.”

  He shook her hand and their eyes met for a brief moment, then he pulled his hand back and shifted his eyes to the road.“I’m Dr. Kellen. It’s nice to meet you.” He glanced at his son.“Listen,Jake, we need to get going.”

  Jake looked up at Sidney.“Thanks. I had a lot of fun.”

  “So did I. Hope to see you soon. Maybe we could go again before it gets too cold.”

  “That would be cool. I’ll see you later.”

  “Happy reading, Jake.” She looked at Dr. Kellen.“It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  They started walking down the path. Jake and Dr. Kellen went ahead of her. Dr. Kellen kept his arm around his son and took the fish from him.“We’re going to have a good dinner tonight,” he said.

  Jake glanced back at Sidney. She walked behind them trying to let them gain some space from her. Why was Jake’s dad was so distant? Did she smell bad?

  She stepped into her yard wondering about him. Disappointment edged around her. No matter how private a life she intended to have, it was always nice to have a couple of friendly neighbors. She really liked Jake, but wasn’t sure she was going to get along with Dr. Kellen.

  She stepped up her porch, trying to listen in on their interaction. She couldn’t hear anything. She wanted a cup of coffee.

  Chapter Four

  Clarifications

  Kell helped Jake gut the fish on the back deck. He and Jake planned to barbecue the fish that night. While Jake was gone fishing, he’d made him his favorite cookies. Jake’s face was bright and alert. His eyes shined with excitement.

  “Look’s like you had a nice time today,” he said. He leaned over the outdoor sink, washing the trout and glanced over at his son who twiddled his fingers.

  “Yeah. It was fun. I’ve never gone fishing with a girl. It was better than I thought.”

  Kell took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what to say to his son about the new neighbor. He hadn’t expected the innkeeper to be so young. Over the last couple of months, he’d seen someone come and go, but hadn’t gotten a good look at her. When Jake asked if he could go with a girl to the pond, he thought he meant a girl from his school. He had no idea it was with the new neighbor.

  She had wild hair. He didn’t like women with wild hair. He thought it indicative of their whole personality. He appreciated a woman who kept hers tamed, contained. The innkeeper’s hair was long with big curls that hung all down her back with wispy baby hairs around her face, which was covered in light freckles, like a dusting.

  Kell reined in his thoughts and turned to his son.“What did you two talk about that was so nice?”

  Jake paused.“I don’t know. She was just nice and pretty and smiled a lot. She listened to me. She smells good too, Dad. Different.”

  “Does she know how to fish?”

  “Yeah. I put the bait on for her, but she knew how to reel it in when she caught it and when I offered to gut it, she shook her head and told me even though she can’t bake, she knows how to gut fish.”

  “She really can’t bake?”

  Jake opened his eyes wide.“No. She gave me a cookie she made and I spit it out on accident. Disgusting.”

  “That must have embarrassed her.”

  “Nope. She almost fell into the pond laughing and told me she planned on taking some cooking lessons fast.”

  Kell’s throat caught. What kind of woman starts a bed and breakfast without having any idea how to cook?

  Jake looked at Kell.“She’s pretty.”

  He didn’t know Jake noticed those things about women, yet.“You think she’s pretty?”

  “Yeah. She’s real pretty. I think you should marry her.”

  He raised one eyebrow.“She can’t cook Jake. What do we want with a woman who can’t cook?”

  “You can cook. I even told her.”

  Kell’s eyes narrowed toward his son.“What did you tell her?”

  “I told her she should marry you. That you can cook and are a doctor and everything. I told her how grandpa and I are trying to get you a wife.”

  Kell frowned.“Jake, I’m not looking for a wife.”

  “I told her that too. But you should marry her. She’s the nicest lady I’ve ever met. If you don’t marry her maybe grandpa will.”

  “Your grandfather is not looking for a wife. Besides,she’s too young for me and way too young for your grandpa.” His father wasn’t looking for a wife, was he?

  “Well, darnit Dad,” Jake said.“If I were a few years older I could marry her. Think she’d wait for me?”

  He scruffed his hair.“She’d have to wait a long time, kiddo.”

  They finished up the fish and set it on alu
minum foil. Jake ran off to play a video game and Kell sat on the back deck musing over his conversation with Jake. The last thing he needed was an issue with the new neighbor. In normal circumstances, he’d just give her the cold shoulder, leave well enough alone. However, who knows exactly what Jake told her. He didn’t want her to think he was on the prowl for a wife, or even for a girlfriend. He certainly didn’t want her to think he’d set Jake up and encouraged him to say something to her.

  The last thing he wanted was this new neighbor to think he was wife hunting. He didn’t want a wife. Well, that wasn’t entirely the truth. The truth was harder to name. His father and son were driving him crazy with all this talk of finding a wife. Sure, there were times when the idea of having someone to talk to was enticing, of sharing his thoughts, of holding someone’s hand again—more than enticing. But, he didn’t want to go to all the trouble of learning to know the subtle difference between what she says and what she actually means, or killing himself trying to make her happy—not to mention running the risk that one day she’d get sick. And die. No, he couldn’t take that again.

  Perhaps he should walk over there, make sure she hadn’t gotten the wrong idea. It would be better all around if he just told the new neighbor he wasn’t looking for a wife. He didn’t want her to think he’d set Jake up and was trying to come after her. It might be awkward, but it would be better to be honest at the beginning than have to explain later where he was at.

  Kell called upstairs.“I’ll be right back, Jake.”

  He walked over to her house and knocked on her door. It took a minute for her to open it. She pushed back her wild hair and smiled at him.

  “Hi,” he said.

  She opened the door wider.“What can I do for you?” Her voice seemed light and open.

  “It’s Sidney, right?”

  “I’m surprised you remembered.” She leaned against the doorframe. A dead fish dangled from her hand.

  “Right. Well, the thing is, I was just helping Jake gut the fish you two caught.”

  “He’s a nice boy.”

  “Yes, he is a good kid. But very opinionated, talkative, you know. I get worried people might misunderstand our circumstances with him going on the way he does. I wouldn’t want you to get confused.” He rubbed the side of his face and stared at floorboards.