“But I’ll have to eat the vegetables, too.” He presented it as a statement, but it was really a question.
“Yes, young man.” She made him a plate and set it in front of him with meatloaf, mashed potatoes and summer squash. Then she got up and a moment later set a hamburger bun in front of him. The boy smiled and took it, proceeding to lift the slice of meatloaf and put it on the bread.
“Would you like a bun, too?” she asked Sheldon.
“No, thank you.”
She took her seat again. The smell of the food was making his mouth water. Sheldon hadn’t seen so much food in one place in a long time. And it was simple food. Not pheasant, coq au vin or arroz con pollo. Yet it looked like a feast to him.
She piled his plate with large portions. Instead of a bun, she added biscuits and checked with him to see if he wanted gravy on his potatoes. Sheldon nodded. When she passed the plate and they bowed their heads in prayer, he was truly thankful.
He wondered if she pitied him, too, if his thin body had triggered this invitation. Sheldon didn’t bother to analyze it too closely. He was hungry and he was going to eat as if he appreciated every single mouthful.
And he did. He’d never appreciated food as much as he did tonight.
* * *
A COUPLE OF days later the heat and humidity had given way to comfortable weather. Sheldon walked into town. He was low on supplies and needed to replenish his stash of canned goods. After having dinner with Audrey and Christian, he longed for better food, but he couldn’t afford it. He carried a basket so he wouldn’t make the mistake of buying more than he could comfortably carry. It was a mile back to the marina and only once had he barely made it with the bags he was carrying.
Picking up some fresh carrots and broccoli, he knew he could eat them raw or with a little salad dressing. He stood in front of the bottles of dressing debating whether or not he should spend the money on one. He didn’t really need it. Deciding against it, he turned. Audrey stood at the end of the aisle and was now coming toward him.
“Hello,” she said, her voice both surprised and happy.
“I was just doing a little shopping,” Sheldon said.
She glanced at the basket in his hand. He was glad to have chosen the fresh vegetables.
“I don’t need much,” he said to explain so few items in his basket.
Audrey nodded as if she understood, but Sheldon knew she didn’t. How could a woman with a decent salary understand his needs for the bare necessities of life. It was why he kept to himself. He didn’t want to have to explain his life or his lifestyle. And he didn’t want charity. It wasn’t that it was beneath him. Sheldon had eaten at homeless shelters and accepted handouts when he had none.
But he was standing on his own feet now. He had a job, however humble. And he did for himself. Not even Jason would have thought he could survive in a world outside of the Kendall. But he was proving him wrong. Even if Jace didn’t know it.
“I want to thank you for dinner the other night. I really enjoyed it.”
“It was my pleasure. I hope you’ll come again.”
“I can’t,” he said. The words were out before he could stop them.
“Why?” she asked.
Sheldon searched for the right words.
“Is it because of the food? Something you don’t like?” Audrey asked.
“The food was delicious. The best I’ve had in a long time,” he assured her.
She smiled. “Does it have anything to do with Christian?”
“He’s a wonderful child and I enjoy being around him.”
“Then what is it?” Audrey asked.
“It’s hard to explain. I can’t tell you about it now.”
“All right,” she said, but she didn’t give up. “How about you tell me about it as I drive you home?”
Sheldon looked confused.
“My car is in the parking lot. As far as I know, you don’t have one and it’s a long walk back to the marina.”
“I like to walk,” he said.
“Oh, stop being a martyr and accept help when it’s offered.”
Sheldon smiled at that. “I’ll meet you at the front door.”
CHAPTER SIX
THE FIRST-FLOOR office that Kelly worked out of faced east. She’d removed the pocket doors and installed french doors in their place. It allowed the light to flow out into the hall and make the space brighter.
It was her policy to review the business every morning at seven. Using her project-management skills, she would study the expenses of the ongoing renovations and the future plans for making the property an income-producing concern. If all went according to her projections, the Kendall Farm Restoration Corporation would come into fruition. She’d been distracted for the past two days with Jace and Ari. But she was back on schedule now. She’d asked Jace to meet her at nine so he could sign all the employment papers and she could give him a list of things that needed his attention.