The Orphans' Blessing Read online

  Zach had never been content anywhere. As long as he could remember, he’d longed for adventure, mainly in the skies. He’d wanted to be a pilot from the time he’d first seen an airplane at a local air show.

  “Hey, forget what I just said,” Hank said. “You’re a good dad to those kids. They love you.”

  Zach shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m living each day on a wing and a prayer.”

  “Just like the rest of us, pal. Don’t be so hard on yourself. And don’t anticipate trouble before it arrives. My advice? Let her meet the kids and see what happens from there. Just remember, she’s their aunt. Other than you, she’s their only family. Maybe it’ll be good to have her around to talk about their mom.”

  Zach grunted a tacit agreement, then ended the call. Talking. The one thing he was lousy at. The kids’ pediatrician had recommended they meet with a psychologist to help deal with their grief. He’d told Zach when the children were ready to talk about their parents, they would. Zach had taken that as a signal to stand back and wait. Maybe that hadn’t been the right approach.

  At any rate he had to deal with this sister thing. Maybe, after she met the kids, she’d go back home and he could return to focusing on their daily routine. He pulled the scrap of paper with her phone number on it from his pocket. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner Aunt Sophie would be out of their lives.

  * * *

  The anxiety in Sophie’s chest swirled relentlessly. She knew she needed more than the restful quiet of her cozy room at the historic inn to restore her peace. Turning toward the outskirts of town, she drove out to the landmark sign designating the location of the Blessing Bridge and parked nearby.

  Tabitha Fleming, the owner of the Azalea Inn had told her about the bridge and its intriguing history.

  “Back in the fifties, a woman whose son had polio came to the bridge and prayed for healing. Three weeks later her son started to improve. Three weeks after that he was cured. Since then, people started coming to the bridge and reporting amazing answers to their prayers. Everyone comes away with a different experience, but no one comes away empty. The blessings aren’t instantaneous but they always come, usually in a form we aren’t expecting.”

  A small plaque marked the entrance to a narrow path into the woods.

  The Blessing Bridge. A place of hope and peace. Lift your cares to the Lord with a sincere heart and a humble spirit and return renewed.

  The wooded area was quiet and isolated. She’d expected a well-known landmark to be in the middle of a park, but the path wound between the trees beneath the dappled sunlight. The bridge arched above a large pond, its banks choked with vegetation.

  In the distance, barely visible between the trees, were the ruins of the Afton Grove Plantation. She’d learned the land here belonged to the descendants of the family who had generously granted public access to the bridge. With a little imagination, she could see how the property might have looked years ago with manicured gardens and neatly trimmed shrubs and flowers planted in colorful splashes along a sloping lawn to the water’s edge.

  Her hand trailed along the bridge railing, admiring the graceful design. A thick vine curled along the top edge of the railing, its large green leaves a pleasant contrast to the weathered wood. It reminded her of the Bible verse “I am the vine, you are the branches.” She was a branch of Maddie’s family vine.

  Stopping in the middle of the bridge, she stared at the water. It was peaceful here despite the unkempt grounds. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and allowed her thoughts to turn upward. She didn’t know how long she prayed, but when she opened her eyes, she felt grounded, safe and secure. She hadn’t heard any whispered words from the Lord or been filled with life-changing emotions, but the fatigue and worry she’d carried with her onto the bridge were gone and that was enough.

  Slowly, she made her way back down the path. Her phone rang as she stepped into the parking area. Zach Conrad’s name appeared on the screen. A warm rush coursed through her veins. She pushed Accept with a shaky finger.

  “Miss Armstrong. This is Zach Conrad.”

  “I’ve been looking forward to your call.”

  “Right.” He sounded irritated. “Well, why don’t you come by the house tomorrow around one? The kids have asked to see you.”

  She kept herself from shouting with joy. “Thank you so much, Mr. Conrad. I’ll be there.” She ended the call and clutched the cell phone to her chest. He’d agreed to let her see the children and they were anxious to meet her.

  But what if they didn’t like her? What if—

  She shut down the rush of negative thoughts. Angela was right; she had to be more positive. She glanced back at the wooded path. Her prayers had definitely been answered.

  * * *

  Zach bowed his head for the benediction. As usual, Pastor Miller’s sermon had hit home, reminding him that God was in control of his life and not Zach. It was something he struggled with on a daily basis. He would turn his life over to the Lord in the morning and a half hour later he was taking it back into his own hands, trying to fix whatever popped up.

  Stepping into the aisle, he waited for the kids to file out of the pew. He glanced up and caught sight of Sophie Armstrong at the back of the sanctuary. His conscience pricked like a blackberry branch. He should have invited her to join them this morning. It would have been the decent thing to do, but he’d been too shocked and surprised by her appearance to think clearly.

  As he watched, Mrs. Hovak and her mother stopped to speak to Sophie. Not good. The ladies weren’t known for their tact. The news of a surprise sister would start tongues wagging in a small town like Blessing. The smile on Sophie’s face quickly faded into one of discomfort. When she took a step backward, Zach knew it was time to act.

  “Kids, wait for me outside. I need to talk to someone.”

  Zach quickly wound his way past the other church members, then gently took Sophie’s elbow and smiled broadly. “There you are. The family is waiting.” The look of gratitude in her hazel eyes emboldened him. “Sorry to take her away, ladies, but we need to be going.”

  Sophie walked close to his side as they headed toward the door. “Thank you.”

  Her voice was breathless and he could feel her shaking. “Let me guess. They were bombarding you with questions about Madeline.”

  She nodded. “I didn’t know how to answer them. I don’t even have the answers myself.”

  He reached for the door handle at the same time she did and his hand landed on top of her smaller one. It was cool and clammy. A wave of sympathy washed through him.

  Safely outside the church, she stopped and pulled her keys from her purse. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. I didn’t know how I was going to get away from them.”

  “They mean well. They’re just curious. The fact that you look so much like Madeline only makes it worse.”

  She pressed her lips together and brushed a stray hair from her forehead. “I’ll be better prepared next time.”

  He couldn’t let her worry over this. “Why don’t you come to the house now? You can visit with the kids while I get the food ready for the grill.”

  Her hazel eyes lit up. “Are you sure? I would love that.”

  Her smile washed through him like a warm summer breeze. “Good. We’ll see you in a few minutes.” He held her gaze a moment, captivated by the blue flecks in her hazel eyes. He cleared his throat and smiled. “See you later then.”

  He watched her walk away, suddenly aware of how small and fragile she was, not at all like her older sister. His mind filled with questions. Probably the same ones the women had been asking. He’d have his answers soon enough.

  He hoped.

  * * *

  Sophie’s emotions were on a roller coaster as she drove to the Conrad house. She’d enjoyed the church service, even though it was different from the one she attende
d back home. The message had touched her. The verses had been encouraging and reminded her that all things worked for good if she had faith. She hoped that meant this afternoon’s meeting would go smoothly. The people she’d met were all very nice until the two women cornered her at the back of the sanctuary.

  The last person she’d expected to come to her rescue was Zach Conrad. His sudden appearance had been a godsend. He’d skillfully whisked her away and out of the church with a kindness and consideration that had surprised her. His cool reception yesterday had troubled her, but his invitation to come to the house now had eased much of that.

  Sophie stood at the front door of the Conrad house a short while later, her heart racing again, but this time from eager anticipation instead of fear. She’d spent a restless night trying to envision how the first meeting with her nieces and nephew would play out. She knew better than to indulge in such fantasizing. Life never unfolded the way she expected. She’d decided to let that all go and simply take it one step at a time.

  The door opened. Zach stood there, tall, dark but without the defensiveness from yesterday. He grinned and gestured her inside. “Come in. The kids are looking forward to talking to you. They have a lot of questions. So do I.”

  She couldn’t miss the warning behind his easy tone. She met his gaze and refused to flinch. “Me, too.” She followed him into the living room.

  “Aunt Sophie is here.”

  Zach’s shout brought instant results. DJ emerged from the kitchen, the girls pounded down the stairs squealing. A large brown dog lumbered behind them. The youngest reached her first.

  “Hello, Linney,” Sophie greeted her.

  “How did you know my name? Did my mommy tell you?”

  Sophie’s heart pinched. “No. A friend told me.” No need to explain about the private investigator.

  Katie approached more slowly. “You look like my mom. It’s kinda weird.”

  Sophie reached down and stroked the dog’s soft fur. “I’m sure it is, but we always looked alike. Except your mom was...”

  DJ dropped into one of the chairs. “Mom was taller and prettier.” The belligerent tone in his voice brought a stern reprimand from his uncle.

  Sophie quickly dismissed his hurtful words. “Yes, she was.”

  Katie smiled and stroked the dog. “This is Lumpy. Mommy called him that ’cause he just lays around like a brown lump most of the time.”

  The dog lifted his head, sniffed Sophie’s hand, then nuzzled his nose into her palm, making her chuckle. “Hello there, Lumpy.”

  Linney stepped closer. “He likes you.”

  “I like him, too.”

  Zach gently touched Linney’s head. “I’ll leave y’all to get acquainted while I get the burgers ready.”

  DJ stared at her a long moment. “Mom said she didn’t have any family. Where have you been? Why haven’t we seen you before?”

  She wished she had a good answer for that question. “I live in Ohio. That’s where we grew up.”

  “Did you have a mommy and daddy?”

  “Yes. My mom was a secretary and my dad worked at an insurance company.”

  “What did Mommy do?”

  Sophie laid a hand on Linney’s shoulder, resisting the urge to hug her close. “She was a very good big sister.” Until she walked out the door one day and never came back.

  “How come Mommy never told us about you?”

  Sophie chose her words carefully. “I don’t know, Linney. Maybe she was busy being your mom. Sometimes people, even sisters, grow apart. But I’ve found you now. That’s all that matters. I only wish I could have found you sooner.”

  “What do we call you?”

  Katie’s serious expression made Sophie smile. “Aunt Sophie would be nice.”

  “Come see our room, Aunt Sophie.” Linney took her hand and tugged her forward. “You can see my dance costume. It has purple sparkles all over it. And I have lots of Barbies, too.”

  Katie grasped her other hand. “She doesn’t want to see that stuff. I have lots of books and ribbons. I’m on the swim team. Mommy and Daddy came to every meet.”

  “I want to see everything.”

  The next hour passed in a flurry of dolls, books, impromptu dances and lots of sisterly bantering. Katie and Linney weren’t much different from Sophie and Madeline when they were young.

  Sophie left the girls to play with their dolls and went in search of Zach. He might need help getting the food ready.

  He was pacing while speaking on the phone when she entered the kitchen, his voice was tense as he spoke. “I need someone now. I leave tomorrow and someone has to be here to take care of the kids. I understand but—” He rubbed his forehead. “Fine. Yes. Thank you.”

  He shut off the call and tossed his phone onto the counter before seeing her.

  “Is everything all right?” she asked.

  Zach’s shoulder’s stiffened. “Yes. No. The nanny agency is having trouble finding someone to watch the kids this week when I’m on hitch.”

  “Hitch?”

  “On duty. I fly helicopters. Deep water routes for an oil company out of Louisiana. Two weeks on, two weeks off.”

  “Who watched them the last time?”

  “My aunt and uncle, but they’ve moved to North Carolina to be near their daughter.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  Sophie bolstered her courage. She had a solution but she doubted he’d like the idea, let alone agree to it. “I could stay with them.”

  Zach jerked his head up. “What? No. Not necessary. Something will turn up.”

  “By tomorrow?”

  He set his hands on his hips, clearly wanting no part of her suggestion but he was also in a bind. “I appreciate the offer, but you don’t know anything about the kids and what they need.”

  His harsh tone revealed his true feelings. “Don’t you mean you don’t know anything about me?”

  He held her gaze a moment. “You’re right. I don’t.”

  “I’m very qualified. I’m a teacher so I know how to deal with many children. Plus I’m well qualified as a sitter.”

  Katie came into the room. “A babysitter? Do we have to? Why can’t Aunt Sophie stay with us?”

  Sophie quickly stifled the smile teasing her lips. Out of the mouths of babes. “That’s a great idea. I’d love to take care of you while your uncle is working.”

  “Cool.” Katie turned and ran from the room shouting. “Linney! DJ! Aunt Sophie is going to stay with us.”

  Zach was glaring. “You had no right to override me.”

  “I didn’t. It was Katie’s idea. Besides, you know it’s the best solution. I’m here, I’m available and the kids want me to stay. What do you have against me, Zach?”

  He fisted his hands on the counter. “You mean because you show up here out of the blue and assume you can just become part of our lives? I’m not comfortable leaving the kids with a veritable stranger.”

  “A nanny would be a stranger, too. What’s the difference?”

  He had no answer to that.

  She certainly couldn’t blame him for being protective of the children. “I want to do this, Zach. I won’t let anything happen to them.”

  He obviously didn’t like the option but he really had no choice. “Fine. You can move in tomorrow. I have to leave in the afternoon. That’ll give you time to get the lay of the land.”

  Sophie couldn’t withhold a happy smile. “You won’t regret this Zach. I promise.”

  Chapter Two

  Zach turned the burgers over on the grill on the back deck, staring blindly into the flames. How had he lost control of his life so quickly? Within a few hours his kids had embraced a total stranger, and he’d agreed to let her babysit them for a week while he worked. He should never have let this happen.

  “Anything I can do to help?”


  Zach glanced over his shoulder at the person responsible for the upheaval. “No. I’ve got it. They should be ready in a few minutes.”

  She came to his side, wrapping him in a light flowery scent. He tensed. He didn’t want to get too close to this surprise aunt.

  “The girls are so sweet. They showed me all their prized possessions.”

  He wasn’t in the mood for small talk. “Yes, they are.” He caught her gaze. “Why haven’t we heard about you before, and why would Maddie deny having a family?”

  She paled and crossed her arms over her middle. He knew he was being rude, but he needed some questions answered if he was going to leave his kids with her.

  “I wish I knew. She walked out of our house, supposedly on her way to college, but when our mother died a few weeks later, I couldn’t find Madeline anywhere. She’d vanished and no one knew where she was.”

  Not the answer he was looking for. “Why didn’t you try to find Maddie sooner? Why wait fifteen years? Did anyone file a missing persons report?”

  She took a step back and he tempered his accusatory tone. He’d get nowhere by badgering.

  “Because I didn’t know where to start looking,” Sophie said. “My father contacted the police and they tracked Madeline’s car to Tennessee where she’d sold it. After that there was no trace.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I was fourteen. My mother had died, my sister had disappeared and my dad completely shut down. He dropped me off with my aunt and left. Two years later a policeman told me my father died in a fire.”

  Zach looked back at the grill, shoving the burgers around. He hadn’t expected that explanation. Still, it didn’t make sense. “Why would Maddie walk away like that? She never walked away from anything.”

  Sophie sank into one of the chairs at the patio table, on the deck resting her elbows on the glass top. “She and my mother were like oil and water. Everything Maddie did irritated her. Our parents were alcoholics. Dad was a sad drunk. He’d grow silent and unresponsive. Mom was a mean drunk and she took it all out on Maddie. I can understand her wanting to get away, but not why she cut me out of her life. We were close. I adored her.”