Chapter 5
Between eleven and one on Tuesday, Sean delivered Uber Eats lunches to nine different locations in the nearby town of Ashton.
A new record for him. His previous lunch record was seven, but Ashton was more compact than Marion, Ohio.
Add that to the fact that he’d driven these streets since he was sixteen. He knew all the shortcuts.
It wasn’t a ton of money, but he could make two or three hundred a week doing two hours at lunch and two hours at dinner.
That would keep Jace in diapers and baby food, and leave some cash in his pocket.
That way, he wouldn’t have to dip into the savings he had reserved for getting his own place once he found a full-time job.
He didn’t plan to live with his parents any longer than necessary.
His phone dinged just as he was ready to call it an afternoon.
Long John Silver’s had an order going to Garfield.
An easy pick-up and delivery since he was only two miles from the restaurant and headed back to Garfield anyway.
He looked longingly at his own untouched lunch, which was getting colder by the second, and decided a few more minutes couldn’t make it much worse.
He took in the details of the order. Two crab cakes, three shrimp, coleslaw, cheesecake, and sweet tea going to the Chad Wheeler Memorial Veterans Center. The order was for...
Monica Jenson.
His Monica?
Well, not his...but...
Just ignore it. Someone else can make that delivery.
It wasn’t bad advice. It wasn’t like she’d know that he’d ignored her, and after yesterday, she probably didn’t want to see him anyway.
But he wanted to see her. In hindsight, he realized he’d likely jumped to conclusions.
He needed to apologize for being rude. Maybe there was something he could say to salvage their friendship.
Sean stabbed the button to accept the order and made a left turn onto Independence Street. He had about twelve minutes to pick up Monica’s food and come up with a good apology.
He pulled into an open space in front of the large rock-fronted veterans center, shut off the car, and grabbed the sack.
Still with no clue as to what he was going to say, Sean entered the office.
Monica seemed like a level-headed woman.
Maybe a simple “I’m sorry” would work better than some long, rehearsed explanation.
Just inside the entrance he stopped and took in the space.
This was one place in Garfield he’d never visited.
There was a homey seating area formed by three matching sofas arranged in a U around a coffee table.
The table held a neat stack of magazines.
Off in one corner of the room was a large area rug bordered on one side with shelves of books and toys.
The opposite corner was partitioned off by glass walls.
Sean could see three screens and a tangle of game controllers.
Something for everyone. To his left, a staircase led to the second floor, and next to the stairs, a small reception area.
A cute blonde sitting at the front desk met Sean’s approach with a smile. “Looks like it’s lunchtime for someone.”
Sean glanced at the nameplate on the desk. “Hi, Astor. It’s for Monica. Can you point me in the right direction?”
Astor held out her hand. “I can take it.”
Sean held the bag just out of her reach.
“Thanks, but handing it directly to the customer is part of the service.” Not necessarily true.
Her instructions had been to leave it at the desk but he really wanted to see her and he wasn’t prepared to explain that to a perfect stranger. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all. Up the stairs, first door on the right.”
“Thanks.” Sean loped up the stairs and crossed to the open door of Monica’s office. He raised his hand to knock on the wooden jamb but hesitated. Monica sat at her desk, her shoulder-length red hair bundled in one hand while she studied her computer screen.
His chest tightened, and he rubbed at the spot, knowing he had to clear the air between them. He raised his hand a second time but before he could knock, Monica lifted her head. Her mouth formed an O, her blue eyes wide with surprise.
“Sean. Oh, my goodness, you startled me. What are you doing here?”
Sean took a step into the room and raised the bag. “Your lunch, madam.”
“Oh, thanks.” She took the sack he’d held across the desk. “So, you’re an Uber driver.”
“For now.”
“You can make a living at that?”
“It fills the gap while my resume makes its rounds.”
“That’s good.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds while silence thrummed between them.
“Look, I—”
“—I’m glad you stopped—” Monica’s lips tipped up at the corners. “You go first.”
“I wanted to say I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings yesterday morning.”
“And I’m sorry if my coffee invitation was out of line.”
“You weren’t out of line, and I didn’t mean to be rude. Mom did have Jace, but that’s not why I turned you down.”
“Then why...?”
“Benjamin’s been harassing me. You caught me at a bad time.”
“Harassing you about what?”
Sean swallowed. Brush her off or be straight with her? Since he wanted...needed a friend, he decided to try being straight. “Can I be honest with you?”
“I hope so.”
Sean ran a hand through his hair. Words formed in his throat, but he had to breathe deep to push them out. “My wife died a year ago.”
“Yes, I know, and I’m sorry. What does that have to do with your brother?”
“Benjamin thinks it’s time for me to get on with my life.”
“Oh. OK.”
“He saw us talking together and thought...well, you can probably guess. Anyway, when you invited me for coffee, I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression.
Or him, since he was there. It’d be cool if we could be friends, but I’m not sure it could be more.
Which, I mean, you weren’t proposing...” Why did he use that word?
“...Suggesting anything but coffee. I just...”
Was an idiot who needed to shut up.
Monica stared at him for several seconds before she spoke. “I appreciate your honesty, but you needn’t have worried. I wanted to tell you about a job opportunity I thought you might be interested in.”
“Really?”
Monica dropped her gaze and fiddled with her sack as Bobbie’s words came back to haunt her.
“You like him.”
She swallowed. “The center is looking for a part-time chaplain.”
It figured. “Thanks, but I’ve taken a step back from the ministry.”
“OK. No problem.”
Sean held out his hand. When Monica reached forward, he didn’t clasp her hand in a shake, just held her fingertips gently. “Friends?”
“Of course.”
Despite her agreement, something in the air had made an almost imperceptible shift. That wasn’t how Sean wanted to leave it. “If you have a few minutes we could make up for that missed cup of coffee.”
“What did you have in mind?”
He motioned to her unopened lunch. “We could have lunch together. I have a burger and fries down in the car.”
Monica’s smile was a little tight around the edges. She was probably disappointed he’d refused the opportunity she’d offered. Fortunately, the tightness faded into a true smile.
“Well, go get it,” she said. “We’ll have an office picnic.”
***
MONICA PUT HER ELBOW on her desk and propped her chin on her fist as Sean hurried out of her office.
Even though the romantic side of her heart was already nudging him into a more meaningful category, the logical side, the side that she was determined to pay attention to, whispered one word into her ear.
Arizona.
Monica hadn’t shared Hailey’s offer with anyone.
With that move on the horizon, she couldn’t risk a romantic involvement, but friendship, she could do.
The sadness in Sean’s voice when he mentioned his wife tore at her heart.
The problem wasn’t that he was still grieving but that he’d allowed his grief to push him away from his life’s work.
She heard him coming back up the stairs and put a smile on her face. He needed friendship, not pity.
Sean entered with an A&W sack and a drink. “Here or do you have a break room?”
“Here.” Monica moved her keyboard out of the way and motioned to the end of her desk. “Pull up one of those chairs. We have a breakroom, but this will be quieter, I think. Unless you need to warm something up.”
“I’m good.” Sean spread a napkin over the space she’d indicated and started unpacking his lunch.
Monica followed suit. “This stuff is always too hot to eat fresh from the fryer. Why don’t you bless it for us?”
“Your office, your blessing.”
His words sounded strained, but he bowed his head too quickly for Monica to see his expression.
“Father, thank You for the day and Sean’s unexpected visit.
Bless our food, in Jesus’ name. Amen.” She hesitated a second, waiting for an echoing amen.
When paper crinkled, she looked up to find Sean unwrapping his burger.
She took a moment to uncover her seafood and pop the lid from the container of coleslaw. “You want a shrimp?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Are you going to say no if I offer to share my dessert?”
“Probably not.”
“That’s a relief. I don’t know that I could be friends with a guy who didn’t share my sweet tooth.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Sean leaned back in his seat.
“So, I’m interested in your office.” He dipped a fry in ketchup and used it to motion around the room.
“You’ve got a cartoon-themed throw hanging on one wall, a windchime in the window, a flower arrangement on your desk, and a shelf lined with Beanie Babies on the wall behind you.
Do you have knitting needles and a ball of yarn stuffed in a drawer? ”
“No.” The word was half-giggle. Monica lifted a hand to her mouth and swallowed.
“Our clients don’t really have any reason to come to my office, so I have no reason to keep my space professional.
I figure if I’m going to spend half or more of my waking hours someplace besides home, it might as well be homey and comfortable. ”
“You succeeded.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you do here?”
“I’m the operations and events coordinator for the center.”
“What sort of events do you coordinate?”
“All sorts of things. We’re always looking for people to take an interest in what we do.
I attend local events and try to get people interested in our mission.
When Kate and Nicolas opened the office twenty years ago, their original focus was on widowed spouses and families.
That’s still where the majority of our time is spent, but we’ve become a place for local veterans to come for help as well.
We have a core group that meets once a month at the city hall auditorium.
I make sure the space is ready for them and organize the refreshments.
I also try to arrange a special get-together once a year.
That’s what I’m working on now. Do you know who Matthew Wright is? ”
Sean had been taking a drink of his soda. Now, he coughed uncontrollably.
Monica lunged from her seat. “Are you OK? Are you choking?”
Sean held up one hand while the other covered his mouth. His eyes streamed, but he shook his head. “Give me a second,” he gasped. Once the coughing was under control, he squeaked out, “What about Matthew Wright?”
“That’s who we’re hoping to get for this year’s gathering.
He’s a wonderful speaker and preacher. Did you know he used to be a Navy chaplain?
” At Sean’s nod, she continued. “He can be a blessing to our veterans as well as speak about the challenges of being a vet in a world that doesn’t always appreciate their service.
” Monica’s shoulders slumped as she finished talking.
There were so many reasons she had to make this happen.
“Why so despondent all of a sudden?” Sean asked.
“I haven’t been as successful in raising Matthew’s fee as I’d hoped.
He cut us a good deal, but five thousand is still a lot.
I started out with a thousand. Kate and Nicolas matched that and told me fundraisers would need to make up the difference.
The event is scheduled for just after the new year, and I’ve only managed to raise an additional six hundred dollars.
With the holidays, getting the rest is going to be a stretch.
But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I still get giddy when I think about Matthew Wright coming to our little town. There’s no way I can give up.”
***
SEAN ENDURED MONICA singing the praises of Matthew Wright. Her face glowed with hero worship, her eyes brightening with her determination to reach her goal. It was almost more than he could take.
What turned his stomach more than anything was knowing that two years ago, he’d been just as enthusiastic about the writer and speaker. How could he tell her that there were more important things to spend her energy on? Was it even his place?
“You want to help?”
Monica’s question brought Sean back, but he’d lost the thread of the conversation.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Are you OK? Did I say something to upset you?”
“No. What do you mean?”
“You were staring off into space, and your face was sort of...weird.”
“Wow, I’ve been called a lot of things, but weird-faced...”
She laughed. “You know what I mean.”
He gathered his lunch mess, forcing a smile he didn’t feel and hoping it was convincing. “Matthew Wright, huh? That’s quite a coup.”
“I thought so. Do you want to help me get there?”
The short answer to Monica’s question was no. But her smile was so contagious and her enthusiasm so buoyant that the painful subject of Matthew Wright paled in comparison to his reluctance to disappoint his new friend. “If I can. What do you need?”
“We’re having a fundraiser craft show at the high school gym on Saturday. I could use some help on Friday evening, taping off booth spaces and setting up tables and chairs. My friend Bobbie and her husband Caleb are going to help, but an extra pair of hands would be a blessing.”
“How about a big pair and a little pair? I’ll have to bring Jace. Mom’s been doing an awful lot of babysitting, but I know they have plans for Friday night.”
***
MONICA HELD OUT HER hand for Sean’s smashed-up bag and dumped the whole lot into the trash can beside her desk. “Not a problem. Bobbie and Caleb have a three-year-old. He’ll be thrilled to have a playmate.”
“Good deal. What time?”
“We have to wait until all the kids clear out. I was hoping to get started by five.”
“It’s a date.” Sean lifted a hand in farewell and clomped down the stairs.
Monica got back to work, not quite sure why his parting words left her with a smile she couldn’t get rid of.