Page 16 of Sugarplum Dreams
His mom would know. She had raised six.
“Well, not to say I was expecting it to be easy, and after today, I know it’s not going to be, but more than ever, I’m sure that’s what God wants me to do. I just know it in my heart.”
“Our hearts are ‘deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.’”
“I’m sure of it in my soul,” he corrected himself, since his mom had not argued with him but quoted a Bible verse. No one could do that better than his mom.
“If you’re sure, I’m behind you. I certainly don’t think God would tell me what He’s expecting out of you. You’re a grown man, and He’s going to talk to you directly, and I trust you to know what He’s saying.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Wilson couldn’t tell her how much that meant to him. And he doubted that his mom had said all that was in her heart. She had high hopes for him. After all, he was the one who had created a multimillion-dollar company while he was still in college and then came home and bought a farm and made it successful as well. They were probably expecting more out of him than to marry a woman and take on the raising of another man’s five children. Especially when he hadn’t dated that woman and wasn’t claiming to love her. It flew in the face of everything that pretty much everyone in the United States, including Christians, believed. But he felt like it was the right thing, and he didn’t see anything in the Bible prohibiting it. In fact, he could point to more Bible for it than for falling in love.
“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and I know you love God. Whatever He tells you to do, you do, and I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“Well, we need to go down to the courthouse today and get a license, and I was hoping you would watch her children. Probably at her house. I didn’t talk to her about bringing them here.”
“It’s always nicer to watch them in your own house, but it’s probably about naptime for little ones, and they don’t know me, so her house is most likely the best place.”
“I’ll talk to her about bringing them here if we need you again.”
“I appreciate that. But if it’s not okay with her, I’ll watch them anywhere. I guess I’m going to have five new grandchildren for Christmas. God is pretty awesome when He gives gifts, isn’t He?”
His heart swelled. Did anyone in the world have a better mom than he did? “I love you, Mom.”
“And I love you too, Wilson. And I’m excited about this new chapter in your life. If God is orchestrating it, you know it’s going to be good.”
“I know it’s going to be good, I just hope I’m up to the challenge.”
“I know you are. God doesn’t call you without giving you everything you need in order to answer that call.” She laughed a little. “Sometimes you don’t get what you need until the very second you need it, though.”
He laughed, but he supposed that he was going to remember those words in the days ahead.
Chapter Eight
“Are you sure she’s going to be okay?” Charity asked as they walked away from her house and the door closed behind them.
“She raised six children, so she’s used to it.”
“She’s not as young as she used to be.”
“It’s just for an hour or two. I don’t know how long it will take, and we can hurry right back, although… I thought I would buy you lunch if you wanted.”
Her heart flipped. Not just that he was going to buy her lunch, that was really sweet, but he was awkward and unsure, like it mattered to him whether or not she said yes. Like he wasn’t sure that she would say yes. Normally she liked a strong man who was confident and sure of himself, but the idea that he showed a little bit of insecurity where she was concerned, that he cared about her answer, that he wanted to make sure that she was happy, it…did something for her. How long had it been since Clancy had cared?
“I would love that. And I left my number with your mom, so she can text or call if there are any problems. Do you think she will?” Some people would just muddle through no matter what,not wanting to bother anyone, and on the one hand, Charity wouldn’t mind if his mom did that. She just didn’t want his mom to be…overwhelmed. To hate her before they even had a chance to spend time together. Just because her children were so bad.
“I know that if something happens, she won’t hesitate to reach out. But I also know that there probably isn’t a situation that could happen to her that hasn’t already happened.”
“Did you guys ever set the house on fire?”
Wilson stopped beside his truck, his hand on the door latch. “No?” He tilted his head. “Is there something you need to tell me about your children?”
“No. I just, you know, thought of a situation that your mom might never have been in before.”
“She’s never been on a ship that has been sunk at sea, either, but I don’t think she’s going to have to face either one of those scenarios today. Please tell me that you don’t think either one of those scenarios are probable either,” he said, and while there was humor in his voice, he was also looking at her, waiting for her answer.
“In my experience, my kids will do anything to make me look like a liar. Not even close,” she said, putting her hand up as he opened the door and she stepped in and sat down. “But that’s just the way kids are.”
“All right. I’ll give you that. So you don’t want to say for sure your kids aren’t going to set the house on fire, because then it’s definitely going to happen.”
