Chapter 3
Chapter Three
“So how was school today?” Melinda passed a basket of dinner rolls to Tisha.
Sadie ducked her chin, her long hair drooping.
Tisha looked at Melinda and shook her head, then gently corralled Sadie’s hair into a ponytail, letting it swirl down her back.
If she could just get through the meal without talking about the disastrous meeting at the school, then maybe she could figure out what to do next.
“Uh-oh.” Tom’s brows scrunched together as he ladled beef stew into his bowl. “What happened, pumpkin?”
Tisha’s stomach growled. Melinda’s savory beef stew and homemade dinner rolls smelled incredible.
The classical music streaming from a speaker on the kitchen counter, the vanilla candle flickering in the center of the table, and the fire crackling in the woodstove made her feel, well, made her feel at home.
Almost. The cozy vibes nearly blotted out her unfortunate interaction with Ethan and Brody—and Mr. Price.
“Here, you have to try one.” Tisha took a roll and set it on Sadie’s plate. “They are scrumptious.”
Frowning, Sadie rested her cheek against Ollie’s back. He didn’t usually make an appearance at meals, but Tisha let it slide. The poor kid needed a little grace today.
“I see you have some bandages on your hands there,” Melinda said. “Want to tell me about what happened?”
“That dumb Brody can’t get my name right,” Sadie huffed, setting Ollie aside.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. He is not dumb. And also, there’s more to the story.
” Tisha slathered the dinner roll with butter, which melted and dripped down the edge of the crusty surface.
She couldn’t resist; she dunked it in her beef-stew broth and quickly took a bite.
So good. Warm and buttery, with a little salt from the broth.
How nice to be able to enjoy her mother-in-law’s cooking again. She could hold her own when it came to baking, but fixing satisfying meals proved to be a challenge. Chase had always been so patient and complimentary about her cooking. His kindness was one of the many things she missed about him.
Sadie chased a chunk of beef around in her bowl with her fork. “Because of him, I had to go to the principal’s office.”
“You know, your dad was no stranger to the principal’s office, although a different principal.” Melinda squeezed a slice of lemon into her iced tea. “We had a few meetings about behavior-modification strategies, didn’t we, Tom?”
Tom nodded. “We sure did. Sadie, pass the butter when you’re finished, please?”
Tisha dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and helped Sadie butter her roll. “He never told us that.”
Tom chuckled. “No, I’m sure he didn’t, but he and those McGuire boys kept things interesting.”
Tisha paused. “Really? Chase and Luke got into trouble?”
“Oh, yes.” Melinda added a few apple slices to the edge of Sadie’s plate. “They were always up to something, and Chase, believe it or not, would often take the blame for things that Luke had done.”
“No way.” Sadie glanced up at Tisha, a questioning look in her eyes, then pinched off a little corner of her roll.
Tisha gave her a helpless shrug. They’d have to talk about that later. “What—um—what do you know about Luke’s older brother, Ethan?”
Oh, she had to tread carefully here. She avoided Tom’s inquisitive gaze and focused on her stew. Ethan had been so nice and sweet and charming at the café but turned into a jerk an hour later.
“Let’s see, Ethan has been away for several years. Coast Guard helicopter pilot, I believe. He and Brody moved back to town right before Christmas.”
“Yeah, we know.” Sadie blew out an exasperated breath. “Brody is the boy who pushed me, knocked me right down, and then said it was my fault.”
“Brody is also the boy who has a nasty bruise on his leg because you kicked him, right?”
Tisha could see Tom trying not to smile.
“Oh dear, that sounds messy.” Melinda reached for the basket of rolls. “Are you and Brody having trouble getting to know each other?”
“He called me Daisy.”
“Sadie, we’ve talked about this,” Tisha said. “I don’t think he did it on purpose, honey. It sounds like he really thought that was your name.”
“It’s spelled out everywhere, Mama. S-A-D-I-E. How did he mess that up?”
“Maybe he’s having a hard time with his letters,” Melinda said.
“Everyone in my grade should be able to read by now, Grandma.” Sadie stacked two small slices of carrot from her stew and popped them into her mouth.
“That’s not necessarily true. Everybody learns at their own pace. It’s an honest mistake. I know it really bugs you,” Tisha added, “but that’s no reason to kick him.”
“He just makes me so mad.”
“Well, I can relate to that,” Tisha said, her mind drifting back to the heated exchange with Ethan. “When people treat us poorly, it’s very upsetting.”
“Oh no.” Melinda set her fork down. “Was someone rude to you at the café?”
“No, the café was fine.” She tamped down more thoughts about Ethan’s smile and the way he’d teased her about signing a waiver. “I didn’t care for the way Brody’s dad reacted today in the principal’s office.”
She didn’t miss the glance that Melinda and Tom exchanged.
Tom leaned forward, concern etched in his expression. “I didn’t realize you and Ethan had to see Mr. Price as well.”
“Oh yeah, all four of us got called in. We’re supposed to participate in restorative practices. It’s the latest thing. Keeps kids from being suspended unnecessarily, I guess. Anyway, Sadie and I are more than happy to participate.”
“What? I’m not happy.” Sadie reached for Ollie and clutched him to her chest. “I’ll only go because you tell me that I have to. Can I be homeschooled? That was so much easier.”
True. Sighing, Tisha balanced her fork on the edge of her bowl. “Sweet pea, homeschooling worked well in North Carolina when we lived on the farm, but now that we’re here, this is a great school.”
“It doesn’t feel great. It’s kind of a disaster,” Sadie said.
Melinda couldn’t stifle her laugh.
Tisha shot her a warning look. “Work with me here.”
“I’m sorry.” Melinda held up her hand. “It is a great school. Your daddy went there; Brody’s daddy went there. I’m sure you have an excellent teacher, and we’ve known the principal, Mr. Price, for ages. He grew up here, played basketball with Luke and Ethan in high school. We love his family.”
Sadie was not having it. “All I know is that homeschooling was easy. I learned a lot. I’m a great reader. I can write. Math is fun for me. And there was way more time to play and see my friends.”
“Well, we’re making a fresh start here.” This was a hill Tisha would die on if she had to. She stabbed a bite of meat with her fork. “I want to work at the café, and you need to go to school. It’s going to be fine. You and Brody will work this out.”
“Well, not if Brody’s daddy isn’t gonna obey.”
That got Tom and Melinda’s attention.
Melinda reached for her iced tea. “What do you mean?”
“He walked out of the meeting,” Tisha said.
“He’s pretty miffed. I don’t think he’s into the principal’s plans.
” The set of that angular jaw, the way his stunning eyes flashed, his insistence that he speak to Sadie’s dad—it had gotten under her skin for sure.
But then she’d taken a look at Brody’s shin and her heart had given a little bit.
She’d probably be upset too if her kid had the bruise that Brody had. Sadie must’ve kicked him hard.
“Sadie, as soon as you finish your dinner, I’ll take you into the other room and show you some old family videos of some things that your daddy and those McGuire boys got up to,” Tom said. He shook his head, though she could see the grief still clinging to the edges of his expression.
“Chase and Luke were the best of friends, weren’t they?” Tisha asked.
Melinda nodded and gave her husband’s arm a gentle squeeze.
“They had a lot of good times together, got themselves into a few scrapes, but the McGuires truly are wonderful people, and they’ve worked so hard to make that resort a successful business.
We’re thankful for the tourists it draws to town, and they’re passionate about making sure Redemption is the kind of place where people want to raise their families. ”
Who could argue with that? Tisha kept her snarky commentary about Ethan to herself.
After the meal was finished and Tom took Sadie into the other room as promised, Tisha helped Melinda clear the table.
“That’s nice of him to watch those videos with her. I bet this is hard.”
“Well, it’s good for him. Helps him work through his grief. And if you don’t mind my saying so, I think it’s good for Sadie to know that her dad made mistakes. If she sees Brody’s dad and his uncle in our videos, maybe she’ll understand that our families have been connected for decades.”
That was the part that made her nervous. Tisha turned away and cleared some more plates from the table.
“You know, Tisha, if you don’t mind my saying so, I really believe that God brought you here for a reason. Your pies are already a huge hit.”
“Yeah, about that.” Tisha winced. “I probably shouldn’t have served Ethan something that I made here in my own kitchen.”
“Oh”—Melinda waved her off—“don’t worry about it. I think your next batch of pies probably should be made in a kitchen that’s been inspected by the health department, but you’re already bringing new ideas and fresh recipes. And if pie helps you connect with Ethan McGuire, then I’m all for it.”
She nearly dropped the plate and bowl in her hands. “Excuse me?”
“Your stories are similar. He lost his wife; you lost your husband. You both are here trying to raise your kids. And Sadie and Brody will have to work this out. All I’m saying is God brought you here for a reason.
Don’t be surprised by how He uses pie and a kid who thinks your daughter’s name is Daisy to work out His good plans.
You know, the ones that are for our good and for His glory. ”