“I finished cleaning up the milk and glass. Can I go to my friend’s house now?”
“I don’t know. How long were you planning on staying?”
“I’ll call and let you know.” The girl passed Rachel, going out the door without waiting for Willa’s reply.
“Want a glass of tea?” Willa offered.
“Yes, thanks.” Rachel went into the kitchen, stepping over the toys lying on the floor. Willa’s usually immaculate home was a mess with toys everywhere and dirty dishes on the table.
“I’m sorry about the mess. I didn’t realize taking care of children could keep you so busy. Leanne, could you check on the kids upstairs for me?”
“Okay.” A pretty girl around fifteen got up from the table, closing her book. Georgia’s daughter gave Rachel a smile as she passed. The sweet girl didn’t take after her mother, who everyone in town would agree hadn’t had a sweet bone in her body. Her older sister seemed to have inherited that particular gene in spades, though.
As soon as the girl disappeared from the room, Willa faced her with a resigned expression. “Okay, you can let me have it now.”
Rachel looked at her friend, who had been tormented by Georgia and then abused by Lewis. “You are the kindest person I know. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Deep in her heart, she didn’t blame Willa. It was a terrible responsibility, taking someone’s life.
Willa gave a relieved laugh. “Don’t tempt me. I’m behind on my orders and the house is wrecked.”#p#分页标题#e#
Rachel rolled up the sleeves of her dress. “I’ll do the dishes then clean while you bake.”
“I can’t ask—” Willa began
“You’re not asking; I’m volunteering. If I can donate my time to strangers, why wouldn’t I give it to a friend?”
“You consider yourself my friend?” Willa’s eyes filled with tears.
Rachel reached out, taking Willa into her arms, wishing she could give her the warmth of her touch the woman desperately needed. Instead, she tried to give it to her with words.
“You have a lot of friends that would help if you let us. Lily, Beth, and Evie—we all consider ourselves your friends.”
Willa brushed her tears away with a hand, giving a small laugh. “I always assumed I was pushing myself on you guys.”
“Willa, you couldn’t be pushy if you tried. Now, get busy while I take care of this mess.” Rachel sensed her being uncomfortable with the conversation, so she busied herself cleaning the kitchen around Willa, doing the dishes behind her, leaving her free to bake.
When she had the kitchen spotless, she worked throughout the house, picking up the toys and placing them in an empty laundry basket, making a mental note that would make Willa’s life easier. It came in useful that she had learned by living with Logan just how hard it was to entertain little ones.
She went upstairs, cleaning the bedrooms. The bathrooms were a mess of towels and a full laundry hamper. Rachel started a load while she cleaned the bathrooms, then dried that one when she’d finished and started another.
The children ignored her as she cleaned around them while Leanne flushed, looking away when she met Rachel’s recriminating gaze. Leanne and Sissy were both old enough to help out with the housework. Willa had literally been thrown into the deep end of the ocean without any help.
She folded the clothes and put them away, starting the last load before going back downstairs. It was beginning to get dark, so Rachel pulled out her phone, ordering three pizzas. Satisfied, she went into the kitchen to see Willa making roses to place on top of a cake while two other cakes were sitting on the counter as well as three pies.
“I can’t thank you enough, Rachel. I’ll call King and ask if someone can stop by and pick up his order.”
“I’ll drop it off on my way home. Which ones go?” Willa boxed up one of the cakes and all the pies. “His orders are getting larger each week. The money is really helping out with the extra expenses,” Willa said, closing the last box.
Rachel packed the boxes out to her car. She had closed the door when the pizza delivery truck pulled up. Rachel paid the driver then turned to take the pizzas inside before hesitating, turning back to the driver. Carl was a member of her church, working part-time at the pizza restaurant after being laid off from the coal mine.
“Do you have any more deliveries to make?”
“Nope, I’m headed back to the store.” The pizza joint was next door to King’s restaurant.
Going to her car, she pulled out her purse and took out another twenty. “Would you mind dropping these desserts off at King’s for me?”