Endless Chain (7 page)

“Wednesday night you mentioned El Paso?”

She was surprised that with everything else that had been going on, Sam had caught, much less remembered, that. She had nearly forgotten it herself. She would need to be careful. “I have covered a lot of ground.”

“I gather you’re not married?”

She paused to consider what else to say. She decided not to elaborate. “No.”

He went on. “We give two weeks paid vacation, hopefully to be taken when the schedule’s not too busy. You would have enough time to fly home and be with your family.”

She sipped her coffee and nodded.

“I’m offering you the job,” he said.

She set her mug on the table, relieved. “Thank you.” She started to say he wouldn’t be sorry, but she knew that might well be a lie. When she left without a word, he would feel betrayed.

“There’s one condition,” he said.

When a woman was poor and clearly in need of a job, there usually was. At least this time she doubted she would be asked to sleep with her boss. “If I can meet your condition,” she said carefully, “I will.”

“Good. Because I want to throw a car into the bargain.”

This was so different from anything she’d expected that she didn’t know what to say.

He filled the silence. “I have two cars. The SUV I drove this morning, and a Honda Civic with about 80,000 miles. I didn’t want to buy the SUV, but the roads around here can be pretty grim. Last winter I got stuck twice trying to visit shut-ins. And one Sunday I had to walk to church for services because the snow was so deep. I don’t need two cars, but I’m sentimentally attached to the Honda, and I couldn’t make myself get rid of it. So I want you to use it while you’re working at Community Church. Consider it a bonus, because we’re not paying as much as we should.”

“I don’t see how I can accept that. It’s too generous.”

“Elisa, you can’t do the sexton’s job without a car, even if you make a superhuman effort. This makes it feasible, and it also relieves me of the guilt of owning two vehicles.”

When he needed it, he had the most disarming grin. Judging by the warmth and goodwill in his eyes, she could almost believe she would be doing him a favor. She considered a moment, but the possibilities were too tempting. This was a huge gift, much more than he could possibly know.

“Yes, all right,” she said at last. “But I have a condition, too. I’ll clean
La Casa
thoroughly for you each week. That will be
my
job, not yours. The car will be payment.”

“You’ll have time?”

“In the time it would take me to walk back and forth to the church, I could clean it from roof to cellar.”

“Excellent.” He picked up his mug and swung it in toast. “Then it’s all set.”

Elisa clanked mugs, then peeked at her watch. “I’m sure you’re tired. If you’re going to drive me back—”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll give you the keys to the Civic now, and you can take possession. It’s nothing fancy, but it will get you anywhere you need to go.”

She needed to go many places. She was thrilled.

She got to her feet, and he followed. The dogs, who were now taking up most of the floor between the family room and kitchen, wagged their tails but didn’t rise. She stepped carefully around them and followed Sam—who had taken a better route—to the door, dropping off her mug in the kitchen first.

The car was parked at the side of the house. It was a white hatchback, and it looked to be in good condition for all the miles it had traveled. Sam opened the door and fished under the seat. He got out and held up a keychain with matching keys, and handed it to her. “Most of my neighbors leave their keys in the ignition. You have a license?”

“Yes. Sometimes I drive Adoncia’s car. Will I need insurance?”

“I called my agent. We discussed it. I’ll call her tomorrow and tell her to be sure everything’s in place. You probably shouldn’t go far tonight, just in case.”

“You’re very kind.” She couldn’t help the next words. “And trusting. I’m really just a stranger to you.”

“I’m a good judge of character.”

She didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t as good as he thought.

“Is there a place at your house for another car?” he asked.

“On the side, yes. Diego always parks there. But I won’t be living with Adoncia much longer. Diego wants to move in, and he can’t as long as I’m there. So I’m looking for something else.” She held up the keys. “Now I can look a little farther away.”

“How soon do you want to move?”

“Yesterday?”

“Helen Henry needs somebody to stay with her. She’s had a young couple with a baby living in her house, but they’re moving to Phoenix for several months. Zeke is going to school, and Cissy and Reese are going, too.”

Elisa had only needed minutes to see that Helen Henry was not a woman to be railroaded. “Helen wants somebody to move in?”

“Well, so far she’s said no to every plan, but Tessa and her mother are convinced somebody needs to be there in case of emergency. So there’s a stalemate. I’ll warn you. Helen might say no to
you,
as well, but it’s worth a try. I’m sure your room would be rent free.”

Elisa had not been able to save more than a few hundred dollars. Now she saw the possibilities. Two jobs, a car and a house she didn’t have to pay for. She would have money to make discreet inquiries by telephone, to follow new leads if any came her way.

“You’re interested?” Sam asked.

“Yes, if she wants me. Adoncia needs the bedroom for her children.”

“Then I’ll check. We can go out there tomorrow afternoon if you have the time? It’s my day off, and I can pick you up.”

“Right now I have nothing but time, Sam.”

“I sense that.”

The conversation had gone from impersonal to personal in the space of seconds. They weren’t touching. Indeed she thought that if one of them had brushed the other accidentally, they would have jumped apart. But Sam’s gaze was concerned, and very intimate.

“You’ve only told me the barest bones about your life,” he said. “And I suspect you didn’t want to say that much. I’m not going to press you, Elisa. But if you ever need to talk, I’ll be here waiting.”

She couldn’t tell him that talk might bring her world crashing around her ears, or that talk might leave him with a moral dilemma even a man of God would find troubling.

“You’re very kind,” she murmured. “But you’ve already done too much for me.”

They could not seem to look away from each other. Seconds passed. She was the one who managed it first. She gazed down at the key in her hand. “Thank you.”

“Drive safely.” He was gone before she unlocked the car door.

A
t first glance Helen Henry’s farmhouse seemed to bask contentedly in the sleepy late summer sun. But that peaceful snapshot was only a ruse.

“She don’t normally take to strangers,” Cissy Claiborne told Elisa after Elisa scooped Cissy’s baby daughter into her arms and settled her on one hip.

Chubby Teresa Nancy Helen Claiborne was just one year old, with a full head of pale cotton-candy hair. In the space of moments, Elisa had already learned this rosy-cheeked cherub went by two nicknames, Reese on good days, Hellion on not-so-good. With the encroaching move and changes to her schedule, these days she was answering to Hellion.

The baby had toddled down Helen Henry’s walkway directly to Elisa and lifted her arms, the way Fernando always did. She smelled like baby shampoo and powder, and immediately nestled in Elisa’s arms as if being there was part of her daily routine. Elisa felt a surge of maternal affection.

She saw from Cissy’s expression that there was no rivalry here, that, in fact, Cissy was grateful someone else was holding the little girl for a change. “I’m not sure why, but I seem to attract babies.”

“Babies know who to trust,” Sam said.

“Maybe they just know how much I like them.”

“She fussed all day from the minute she got up. This is the first time she’s taken a break.” Cissy held out her hand. “Cissy Claiborne, Reese’s mama.”

“Elisa Martinez, Reese’s nanny—as long as she’ll let me hold her.”

“You ever try to pack up just about everything you own with a baby in your arms?” Cissy was young, younger than Elisa had been prepared for, but she said the words with good humor. She had a pretty face, pale golden hair and peach-toned skin, topped off with a friendly smile.

“I can only imagine,” Elisa said. “I’m sure she knows something is changing.”

“She’ll like it in Phoenix. Zeke says our apartment has a baby playground just down the street. And just as soon as it cools off a little there, we can go for walks.”

Elisa had met Sam in the church parking lot so they could drive together. On the trip over, she had learned that Zeke was studying the construction and repair of guitars and other stringed instruments, with the ultimate goal of opening his own shop one day. She could hear all the questions in the young mother’s voice. Surely a move this far away was going to be stressful for everybody, not just the baby.

“You’re worried about Helen, aren’t you?” Sam asked.

Cissy lowered her voice. “Well, you know, Ms. Henry shouldn’t really be alone. She thinks she’s taking care of us and all, but truth is, Reverend Sam, she needs some looking after. I do the cooking most of the time and keep up with the housework, but most of all I keep her company. She just plain gets lonely.”

“I’m going to try to talk her into letting Elisa stay here while you’re away. Nancy and Tessa are all for it. Elisa’s working at the church now.” He turned to Elisa. “Nancy is Helen’s daughter, Tessa’s mother.”

“That’s great,” Cissy told Elisa. “Reverend Sam’s the kind of boss everybody wants.”

“Don’t tell her that. I won’t get a lick of work out of her,” Sam said.

Cissy sobered quickly. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t think Ms. Henry’s going to agree. Doesn’t matter how nice you are, she’s just a stubborn woman. Nancy’s brought half a dozen ladies by in the last two months, and Ms. Henry’s sent every one of them back out the door faster than a jackrabbit.”

“Well, we’ll give it a try.” Sam put his hand on Elisa’s back to urge her toward the front door. For a moment she was all too aware how long it had been since a man had touched her. She and Sam had not said one personal word to each other since he’d ushered her into his car fifteen minutes ago, but she had been only too aware of
him.

Cissy led them inside. No one was downstairs, but judging from the sound of voices, the second floor was occupied.

“She’ll cry when I leave to get Ms. Henry,” Cissy warned.

“I’ll come and find you if it gets too bad,” Elisa promised.

Cissy took off as if she couldn’t get away fast enough.

“She’s a good mother,” Sam said in a low voice. “Conscientious, thoughtful, patient. But this is a lot for a young woman her age to handle. I hope she finds friends in Phoenix to make her feel at home. Reese isn’t much for conversation yet.”

Elisa murmured endearments to the little girl in Spanish. Reese cooed right back. “See?” Elisa said. “No one’s spoken to her in the right language. She just told me she prefers enchiladas to mashed peas.”

She smiled at Sam when he laughed. His eyes were warm, and he reached out to fluff Reese’s hair.

“What do you think?” he asked. “Could you live here comfortably?”

She’d only had a chance to glance around, but she nodded. “It’s a lovely house, filled with character.”

“At one time it was filled with trash. That’s one of the things you’ll have to watch out for if you move in. Helen has a fondness for collecting. It took Nancy and Tessa a whole summer to get the house in shape.”

“They did a good job.” The living room where they stood was tastefully decorated in an uncluttered country style. She had not lived anywhere so inviting in many years.

A woman with short blond hair appeared on the stairs. “Sam?”

“Come down and meet Elisa.”

She came down the steps at a fast clip. She was dressed casually, but Elisa recognized good quality clothing. She was moving through middle age, but she was a woman who clearly took care of herself.

“Nancy Whitlock,” she said, thrusting out her hand in greeting. “Helen’s daughter.” They exchanged the requisite remarks before Nancy turned to Sam and spoke in low tones.

“I’m sorry we weren’t in church yesterday, but you can see what we’re up against here. I hope you explained to Elisa that Mama probably isn’t going to go for this?”

“I did.”

“I’m sorry,” Nancy told Elisa. “They invented ‘stubborn old coot’ to describe my mother.”

Sam defended Helen. “She just wants a say in her life. I think she might consider Elisa. She practically ordered me to hire her at the church.”

“Good thing you did, then, or you’d never hear the end of it.”

Elisa brought them back to the real point. “I like your mother, but if she doesn’t want me here, I don’t want to be here.”

“That’s a good start. As long as she thinks you’re listening to her, she’ll be a lot more cooperative.”

A noise on the stairs announced Helen’s arrival. She was not spry, but she managed the steps with little difficulty. “Nobody told me we had company.”

“I was just coming to get you,” Nancy said. “Did you finish packing the baby’s things?”

“I did, but I can’t say I’m happy about it.”

“They’ll be back.”

“Well, at least it’ll be quiet here for a change.” Helen nodded at Elisa, then at Sam. “You two here for a reason?”

“Do I need one? Couldn’t you use a good minister every now and then?”

“If we had one in the vicinity.”

Nancy poked her mother in the arm. “I can hear the devil stoking up his bonfires, Mama. For heaven’s sake!”

“She doesn’t like a thing I say,” Helen told Elisa.

“Maybe not, but I think she likes you.”

Helen’s lips twitched. “Nancy’ll go back to Richmond soon enough, I guess. We can get along until then if we have to.”

“Helen, I wanted you to know I hired Elisa the way you told me to,” Sam said.

“What are you all standing around for? Sit down and I’ll get coffee. There’s a pot warming in the kitchen.” Helen gestured to Reese, still contented on Elisa’s hip. “You’re spoiling her.”

“I hope so.”

The corners of Helen’s mouth twitched again.

Once she’d gone, Nancy’s shoulders slumped. “Well, she likes you,” she whispered. “I can’t tell you how much better we’d all feel if you were here. Sam says you work at Shadyside, too?”

Elisa nodded.

“Mostly Mama just needs company and somebody to bar the door if she tries to start a recycling center in the living room.”

Helen returned with a tray of mugs, and a pot of coffee with cream and sugar, which she set on the table. “Nobody’s sitting down!”

Taking a seat, Elisa tried to pull Reese up on her lap. The baby decided she’d had enough togetherness and wriggled free, sliding off the sofa and starting toward the stairs. Helen reached her before Elisa could even stand.

“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, scooping the baby into her arms. “Cissy!”

Cissy appeared at the head. “Well, I got a break. It was nice, too. Unusual.”

“Oh, stop complaining. We can keep her down here, but you’ll need to bring the baby gate down.”

“No thanks, I’ll just bring her up with me. Tessa says she’ll hold her while I finish packing my clothes.” By the time the speech was finished, Cissy had arrived to whisk the baby away.

Helen made herself at home in a flowered armchair. “So you just came to tell me you got smart and hired Elisa? Or maybe you have another idea in that holy head of yours?”

“We won’t ask you to spell holy.” Sam poured coffee for Elisa and passed it to her. He held out the pot toward Nancy, who shook her head, as did Helen.

Without fanfare, he moved on to the reason for their visit. “Elisa is looking for a place to live. It’s that simple, Helen. Her roommate’s getting married and needs Elisa’s room. You know how little rental housing there is in the area.”

“I know all about your plan. You people think I’m deaf and don’t know what all this whispering on the phone’s been about?”

One look at Helen’s expression and Elisa dismissed the possibility that she would be moving here. She could see that the family had made too much out of hiring a companion and completely antagonized the old woman in the process. Helen had no choice now but to assert her independence and refuse Sam’s request.

Elisa stood before Helen could deliver the bad news. Setting her mug on the table, she wandered over to a quilt rack in the corner. “I’m sure you don’t want a stranger in your house. I don’t want to trouble you about this. I’ll find another place, but I’m glad I had a chance to visit. Is this one of your quilts?”

Helen was silent a moment, as if she had to reorient herself before she answered. “Just something to take off the chill. I never got cold in the summer before Nancy went and put in an air conditioner.”

The quilt was red and yellow, with bright splashes of blue in some of the symmetrical blocks. Elisa discovered several more quilts underneath.

“Oh, they’re all beautiful. Such fine workmanship.”

“I’ll show you more.” Nancy got up.

“You don’t have to bother the girl none.” Helen sounded flustered. “It was a simple compliment, not a request for one of your quilt shows.”

“Elisa, would you like to see a few more quilts?” Nancy asked.

“I really would.”

Nancy opened a wooden trunk beside a comfortable armchair. “I keep some of my favorites down here. If Mama had her way, she’d pile them in a corner upstairs, where nobody could look at them.”

“I sure didn’t teach you enough about vanity, did I?” Helen demanded.

“There’s vanity,” Sam said, “and then there’s good old-fashioned self-respect.”

Nancy pulled out a quilt and held it in front of her. “This is a new one. Mama calls it ‘Oklahoma Made a Monkey Out of Me.’”

Elisa stepped closer to admire the quilt. Helen had used a number of fabrics, mostly greens and browns, like the colors in a forest.

“This is a Monkey Wrench pattern,” Nancy explained. “And this is the Road to Oklahoma block. See the unique way she combined them? And if you look carefully, you’ll see monkeys in lots of the prints.”

Elisa smiled, delighted. “I do. Look at that.”

“It’s just a silly quilt,” Helen said. “Nothing to fuss over. Reese likes monkeys, that’s all.”

Nancy pulled out several others, each completely different from the last. Obviously Helen enjoyed variety.

Elisa touched the last one Nancy took out and felt as if she had come home.

“This one is…” For a moment English failed her. She thought in English as often and fluently as she thought in Spanish, but sometimes the right word was in the wrong tongue. “You did this by hand? All by hand? And the colors? This is a rainbow.”

“So you like quilts?”

“I know very little about them.” As always, she paused, then decided to go ahead. “In the place where I grew up, there were weavers who made beautiful cloth in every color. This reminds me of that.” She fingered the quilt. Tiny vertical strips in bright colors met horizontal strips in a variety of lengths and widths. “This quilt would keep anybody warm, wouldn’t it? Like sunbeams.”

“I just tried something new, one of those art quilts, only I didn’t see any reason not to make it big enough to use. I take my art on the bed, and that’s the only way I want it.”

“Utility and beauty. That’s what the weavers believe. And each piece is part of who they are and where they come from.” She turned. “The way your quilts are.”

“Nancy told you to say all this, didn’t she?”