Reuniting His Family. Jean C. Gordon
“Surprise! Happy birthday!”
Renee jumped back and pasted a smile on her face when she and Claire entered the lounge of the Hazardtown Community Church for the Twenty-/Thirtysomethings group meeting the next evening. “I’ll get you,” she said under her breath so that only her sister could hear her. Claire had to be behind this. Her friends meant well. They didn’t know she didn’t like surprises. But Claire did. The family celebration yesterday on her actual birthday had been plenty.
“Not me.” Claire propelled her into the lounge. “Blame Pastor Connor for this one.”
“What?” Connor asked. “Natalie said you’ve always wanted a surprise birthday party.”
Everyone laughed. One deep resonating chuckle drew her attention. She’d hoped to use the evening at the weekly Bible study and social time afterward to escape the pressure she’d been under to tie everything up at CPS before she left. But work, in the form of Rhys Maddox, had followed her.
“All right. Find a seat,” Pastor Connor said.
The twelve or so people settled down, with Renee sitting several chairs away from Rhys.
“As I’m sure you noticed, we have a new potential member, Rhys Maddox. Claire or Abby, can you share your study guide?” Pastor Connor asked, looking from Renee’s sister sitting on one side of Rhys to the woman on the other side.
“On it,” Claire said, opening her guide and spreading it between her and Rhys before Abby could open her mouth.
Renee stared at Claire. What was she up to? Claire couldn’t be interested in the man. He wasn’t her sister’s type. Claire liked men with polish. Rhys was more of a diamond in the rough. Too much work, in Renee’s opinion. Not that she thought of him that way, as an eligible man. Nor did he think of her as eligible, either, from the professional contact she’d had with him.
“Some of you may know Rhys,” Connor said. “But we’ll go around and introduce ourselves anyway.”
Renee shifted her gaze to the right of Claire. Rhys was looking directly at her. She lowered her eyes and caught him shuffling the sole of his athletic shoe against the wood flooring. He was nervous. That was a new side of him—her impression was that nothing fazed the man. Things angered him, yes, but didn’t rattle him.
“Renee?” Connor said.
Jerked from her thoughts, Renee moved her gaze past her sister, who smirked, to Connor and back to Rhys.
“Rhys and I know each other.” She smiled at the group, stopping at Rhys. His expression was neutral. Renee crossed her ankles. Had her tone sounded sharp rather than friendly? Connor had startled her. She uncrossed her legs. What did she expect from Rhys? One of those smiles he reserved for his boys? They might be on a first-name basis now, but it wasn’t as if they were friends.
The introductions continued around the circle back to Pastor Connor, and the group plunged into its usual routine: an opening prayer, reading of the week’s lesson and lively discussion. Renee sat back in her seat, listening more than participating. Although she didn’t know why, Rhys’s participation surprised her. He didn’t say much, but when he commented, his few words were insightful and thought-provoking, moving the discussion in interesting directions.
“Okay,” Connor said, “I’m going to wrap the meeting up now, so we can party.”
Renee looked at the clock on the wall, surprised the hour had passed so quickly. Rhys’s gaze snagged hers as she looked down again. A prickle ran down her spine.
“Jon,” Conner asked one of the men, “will you do the closing prayer?”
Renee bowed her head while the words of the prayer rolled over her without really registering.
Afterward, the group members headed toward the door. Renee waited for her sister.
“The cleaning staff likes us to keep food in the church hall,” she heard Claire tell Rhys. “It makes cleanup easier.”
“I can’t stay. Something’s come up. I have a call I need to return.” Rhys rested his hand on the phone clipped to his belt.
Claire frowned at his departing back.
“Happy birthday,” he said as he brushed by Renee, leaving before she could say thanks. The relief she felt was as much for Rhys as for herself. No question about it, the man unsettled her. As for him, she guessed that a regular meeting would have been a better introduction to their group. By all indications, Rhys was a loner. She was sure he’d come expecting the Bible study Pastor Connor had probably told him about, not a birthday party for her.
The party wasn’t as bad as she’d expected—it actually wasn’t bad at all. Abby had baked her favorite German chocolate cake, and Pastor Connor’s sister-in-law Becca pointed out that Renee was still the baby of the group.
“Hey,” Claire said afterward as they drove home, “Rhys Maddox sure is Mr. Personality.”
“What do you mean?”
Claire headed past the lake toward Ticonderoga. “He could have at least stayed for a piece of cake. Returning a phone call is a flimsy excuse for leaving.”
“Not if it was about his kids.”
“Wouldn’t you have gotten a call from Suzi?”
“Maybe not.” Although probably. “It could have been about a job.” Renee didn’t know why she was coming to Rhys’s defense.
“A business call at this time of night? But I’ll cut him some slack. He is take-your-breath-away handsome.”
Renee couldn’t argue with her sister. Rhys Maddox was striking. “Claire, you’re not interested in him, are you?”
Claire parked the car in front of their apartment-house. “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “You know how I like a challenge.”
Renee’s shoulders tightened. Was it apprehension because her sister had no idea what she’d be getting with Rhys? Or something else altogether?
* * *
Rhys welcomed the cool breeze blowing off the lake when he stepped out of the church hall. Unless he was wrong, Renee’s sister Claire had been showing interest in him. He ran his hand through his hair. She and the other woman who’d sat beside him had both been friendly, and Renee hadn’t liked it. At least, she hadn’t liked her sister being friendly. If he had a sister, he probably wouldn’t want her being friendly with someone like him, either. And Renee hadn’t looked any happier when he’d made his exit. Maybe she thought he was blowing her off by not staying for cake.
He shook off the thoughts of both Delacroix sisters and pulled his phone from his pocket. It had buzzed during the Bible discussion and he’d checked it to see if it was the Hills. It hadn’t been, so he’d figured he could wait until after the meeting to check the voice mail.
He leaned against the cab of his truck and looked out at the pine forest as he now waited for the voice mail to connect.
“Rhys, this is Neal Hazard.”
A film of dampness formed between his palm and the phone.
“Sorry about calling so late on a Friday. We’re working out near Watertown, and I just got back. If you’re still interested in the job, give me a call, anytime until nine tonight or during the day tomorrow.”
Rhys checked the time: 8:52. Good thing he’d skipped the party. He wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight without knowing what Neal had to say. He quickly dialed Neal’s number.
“Neal Hazard.”
“Neal, it’s Rhys Maddox.”
“Hi. I know I said I’d get back to you earlier this week, but your Albany reference was on vacation. I couldn’t get hold of him until today. If you want the job, it’s yours.”
One,