Caleb tried to remember a time when he had seen Anne wear a pair of jeans

He couldn’t.

She always wore long, full dresses or skirts that came down to her ankles. Interesting.

A small smile graced her lips, and her ponytail bounced as she made her way toward him. Her fresh face and vivid blue eyes were a welcome sight. Anne never played games. After he had gotten past her shyness, he had found her very straightforward and honest. He could count on her if he ever needed help, especially with the kids from the youth center.

TINY BLESSINGS: Giving thanks for the neediest of God’s children, and the families who take them in!

FOR THE TWINS’ SAKE—

Jillian Hart (LI#308)

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY BABY—

Carolyne Aarsen (LI#312)

ON THE DOORSTEP—

Dana Corbit (LI#316)

THE CINDERELLA PLAN—

Margaret Daley (LI#320)

HER CHRISTMAS WISH—

Kathryn Springer (LI#324)

PAST SECRETS, PRESENT LOVE—

Lois Richer (LI#328)

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun.

Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for over twenty years and loves working with her students. She has been a Special Olympics coach as well, and has participated in many sports with her students.

The Cinderella Plan
Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To the man I love, my husband, Mike.

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

—James 4:8

Caleb—Hebrew: Bold or dog; an Israelite who joined Moses from Egypt to live long enough to enter the Promised Land.

Anne—English: Graceful; a variant of the Hebrew name Hannah introduced to Britain in the thirteenth century.

Dylan—Welsh: Of the sea; In Welsh mythology, Dylan was the god of the sea. The Welsh name is from a different source than the Irish Dillon.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Chapter One

“Hey, Anne. Where’s my crew?”

Standing on two telephone books stacked on a folding chair, Anne Smith gasped at the sudden sound of a deep baritone voice and lurched forward. She grasped the top of the bookshelf as the support beneath her feet teetered. Her fingers slipped from their precarious clasp on the wood while the chair crashed to the floor, its sound reverberating through the office. For a second she dangled from the bookcase before she lost her hold completely.

Strong arms enfolded her against a muscular chest, breaking her fall. Her heart beat frantically while she clutched Caleb Williams’s shoulders to help steady both of them. They wobbled, as she had a few seconds ago, before Caleb managed to stabilize them.

A lopsided grin appeared on his face. “I don’t usually have a woman fall for me.”

Finding herself being held by Reverend Caleb Williams, not to mention his teasing comment, flustered Anne. Fantasies she didn’t allow to surface taunted her thoughts of impossible dreams. Shoving them back into the dark recesses of her mind, she pulled away, smoothing back the few stray strands that had slipped from her ponytail. “I was concentrating on finding an old ledger. I didn’t hear you opening the door.”

“Can I help?”

Anne shook her head. “I was just going to look something up.” She hated saying more with all that had happened lately at Tiny Blessings Adoption Agency.

Caleb peered at the metal folding chair lying on its side with the telephone books askew next to it. “That’s no way to get something from the top shelf.”

Heat scorched her cheeks. She knew better than to stack items on top of a chair, then use it like a ladder. But she had thought that maybe some of the old ledgers would have answers in them concerning the falsifying of adoption records. She would search the account books later. She wanted to help her employer, Kelly Young, with the mess the late director Barnaby Harcourt had left the agency in.

Caleb stepped over to the bookcase that went from the floor to the ceiling and pointed toward one of the account books kept on the top shelf. “Is that what you’re looking for?”

“I’m not sure. I should probably look through them all.”

He righted the chair and, without the telephone books, stood on it, easily reaching for the ledgers in question and handing them one by one to Anne, who stacked them on a table behind her desk. “There. Now I won’t have to worry that you’ll break your neck trying to get them down.” He snared her with his intense blue eyes.

Anne’s mouth went dry. She swallowed several times while backing up against the table where the old account books were. She needed to look away from Caleb, but for the life of her she couldn’t. Today he was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved light blue shirt that emphasized the vivid color of his eyes. He was the most handsome man she knew and was way off limits for her. He could date any woman he wanted in Chestnut Grove—for that matter, in the whole state of Virginia. She couldn’t imagine he would be interested in her, and she’d best remember that. She tore her gaze from his and busied herself at restacking the ledgers until they were perfectly lined up—anything to keep her hands and mind off the man occupying her suddenly small office.

Caleb cleared his throat. “Where are the girls? I told them I would pick them up at four-thirty. I thought they would be outside waiting.”

“They probably forgot the time. They’re in the back conference room. They made some copies for me earlier and are stuffing envelopes. I gave them money for some soft drinks so they might be taking a break and forgot the time.”

“You spoil them, Anne.”

“They’re a big help to me. I don’t know if I could get everything done if it wasn’t for the girls from the church’s youth center volunteering here a couple of times a week.”

“Keeps them busy and out of trouble.”

“I can’t see Gina, Tiffany or Nikki getting into trouble.”

Caleb grinned, his whole face lit with a mischievous expression. “Teenager and trouble both start with the letter ‘t.’ It wasn’t that long ago you were one. Do you honestly feel that way?”

Thinking back to her days as a teenager made her frown at the memories. They were not good ones. Hurt on top of hurt was what had characterized her formative years. But she doubted Caleb would understand what she had gone through, trying to fit in, trying to ignore the people who had made fun of her, trying to blend into the background so no one picked on her.

Anne forced a smile and said, “They have you to guide them.”

Again Caleb snagged her gaze and held it. “And you. Tiffany has told me about your little talks.”

“She has?”

“She has a crush on Billy and isn’t sure what to do.”

Anne hadn’t been comfortable advising Tiffany on what to do about Billy because she could count on one hand how many dates she’d had as a teenager. But she had tried, thinking of the advice some of the magazines she’d read had given.

Caleb moved closer. “I like what you said about being yourself. It rarely works to change for another unless we really want that change, too.”

Anne had nowhere to go, caught between the table and Caleb, so she straightened her shoulders, her arms stiff at her sides while clutching the wooden edge. “I’m glad Tiffany listened to me.” She caught a whiff of his citrusy aftershave.

He plunged his fingers through his black hair, then rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, one corner of his mouth hiking into a wry grin. “Now that I’m not so sure about. She may have listened to what you said, but following your advice is a whole different matter. Tiffany’s talking about having her mother take her shopping for dresses this weekend.”

“Dresses? Tiffany? I never thought I would hear those two words said in the same sentence.”

Moving back a step, Caleb half sat, half leaned against Anne’s desk, his arms folded across his chest. “Yeah, she’s quite a little tomboy, but she wants to impress Billy, and she thinks wearing dresses will do it.”

Relieved to have a little breathing room, Anne relaxed the tense set of her shoulders. “Who told her that?”

“Nikki.”

“Oh, this should be interesting. Has Nikki talked Tiffany into buying some black dresses?”

Caleb chuckled. “Your crew of workers is quite diverse, I must say.”

Anne lounged against the table, trying her best not to allow Caleb’s presence in her office to throw her off-kilter too much—if that were even possible. “Let’s see. Nikki only wears black and listens to punk rock in her spare time. Tiffany is a tomboy through and through, and Gina is our resident genius. Yes, I would say you’re right, but technically they’re your crew. You recruited them, and bring them here and pick them up.”

“But only you, Anne, have made these three girls work as a team. Now at the church youth center they hang out together. Six months ago they wouldn’t have been caught in the same room because of their differences.”

Anne hadn’t thought her cheeks could redden anymore than they had earlier when she had been caught against his chest, but if the singeing heat was any indication, her face was beet red, especially with Caleb staring at her. She hated to think what he saw through his eyes when looking at her. A plain Jane, someone who had learned to fade into the background. If someone would make office camouflage, she would wear it.

“Is that why you had them work together?” Anne managed to ask, desperate to keep the conversation centered on the girls, not her.

“Ah, you’ve discovered my strategy. Let’s hope they don’t.” He pushed away from the desk. “I guess I’d better round up the girls. It’s a school night, and I’m sure they’ll have homework to do.” Starting for the door, he flicked a glance toward Anne. “I realize you don’t get the church newsletter so you might not know all the details concerning the upcoming carnival. Would you like to help this year?”

“Sure.”

“Have the girls said anything to you about the fall carnival for the youth center?”

One stray strand of her hair tickled her cheek. She brushed it back, hooking it behind her ear. “No. What were they supposed to say?”

“More like ask.” He flashed her a grin. “I’ll let them break the news to you.”

His devastating smile momentarily drew her attention away from what he’d said. Then his words sank in. “Break the news? That doesn’t sound good.” Anne followed Caleb from her office and fell into step beside him as they walked down the hall, which was lined with photos of children and their adoptive families, to the conference room where the girls were working.

“I suppose it will depend on how adventurous you are.”

“There isn’t an adventurous bone in my body.”

His gaze skimmed down the length of her. “Not even one?” One brow quirked upward.

She shook her head, unable to say a thing when he was looking at her so intently with a gleam in his blue eyes. His classic good looks and charm did strange things to her stomach, causing it to churn with emotions she wished she could control. Thinking of him in any light other than as a casual friend would only hurt her in the end.

“I seem to remember that at the last fall carnival you manned the booth where anyone with a buck could throw a pie at you.”

“That wasn’t adventurous.”

“I thought you were a brave soul.”

“Nah. I love pies, especially the ones from the Starlight Diner. So I made some money for the center and got to taste some delicious pies in the meantime. Nothing adventurous in that.” She reached out to stop him before entering the conference room, her hand immediately falling to her side when she realized what she’d done. Her fingertips tingled from the brief contact. “What have they cooked up this year for the adults? I don’t like surprises.” Lack of control in her youth had firmed that in her mind. She worked hard to keep control in her life as much as possible.

“Oh, something magnificent, you could say.” He winked at her, then shoved open the door and stepped into the room.

The sound of the young girls’ laughter filled the air, then several “be quiets” when they realized Caleb and Anne were coming into the room.

“Okay, I can tell a conspiracy when I confront one. What are you three up to?” Although Caleb planted his hand on his waist and stared at each one of the young girls, an impish glint danced in his eyes while one side of his mouth twitched from suppressing a smile.

Tiffany peered at Gina for a long moment, her lips clamped together while she tried to contain her own smile. Nikki dropped her head until her chin almost touched her chest, her concentration focused totally on her lap. Anne got the feeling she was the only one not in on a big secret.

Gina shifted in her chair and said, “We were wondering what was taking you so long. Now we know.” The fifteen-year-old pointedly looked at Caleb, then slid her attention to Anne.

She felt like pushing the girls out of the way and hiding under the large round table they sat at. She knew she and Caleb had been the topic of conversation only seconds before he’d opened the door. What were they planning? The expression in the young girls’ eyes warned Anne to be wary.

Gina stood, stretching and twisting. “I’m glad you’re here, Anne. We want to make sure you’re coming to the fund-raiser for the youth center.”

“Sure. I do every year.”

Tiffany sighed. “Good. That’s what Gina said.”

Anne stepped back, her hand behind her clasping the doorknob—just in case she needed to make a fast getaway. Something was brewing in the air and she was sure she was involved somehow—probably not to her liking. “Do you want me to man the pie-throwing booth again this year?”

Gina shook her head. “No, that would mess up your costume.”

“Costume?” The word nearly choked in her throat, her hand tightening around the knob.

Caleb swung around and faced her. “The youth committee working on the fund-raiser decided this year to charge a flat fee for the event and have all the adults dress up in costumes representing their favorite fairy-tale characters. There’ll be an article in the newspaper tomorrow.”

“I dressed in a costume for the article,” Gina said, shoving her chair toward the table. “We’re even going to provide costumes for people who need them. Nikki’s aunt in Richmond owns a party store with lots of costumes she’s going to let us have for the day.”

That didn’t seem too bad. Anne relaxed her death-hold on the knob.

Dressed all in black, Nikki lifted her head. “Yeah, there’s even gonna be prizes—for the best couple, the funniest and the scariest costumes. The kids are gonna be the judges.”

“What made you decide to do costumes this year?” Anne released her grip on the knob and moved forward.

“Adults don’t play enough. We wanted to turn the tables around and run the booths, but we aren’t charging for each activity like we have in the past. Fun is the theme for the night.” Gina gathered up the envelopes they had been stuffing and placed them into a box.

“It sounds like you’ve got things under control. But if you need any help, I’ll be glad to.” Anne took the box from Gina.

“That’s great. We could use your help. Time’s running out.”

Anne noticed the surprised expression on Caleb’s face and wondered about it, but before she could ask him, Gina continued, “This weekend we’re gonna make flyers at the center, then put them up all over town to remind everyone about the annual event one last time.”

“I’ll be there. What time?”

“Early. Eight.”

Anne smiled. For someone who usually got up at five every morning, eight wasn’t early. “Eight it is.”

“Let’s go, kids. We need to meet with the rest of the committee at the center in fifteen minutes. Reverend Fraser and his wife will be waiting for us.” Caleb stood to the side as the three teenage girls hurried out of the open door and down the hall.

“They seem eager about the carnival. That’s great to see.” Anne again found herself alone with Caleb and tension, held at bay while the room was full with three teenagers, came rushing back.

“Yeah, I’m letting the kids have a bigger role in the carnival this year. Gina came to me and asked. Since the fund-raiser is all about them, it seemed a logical decision at the time, but the carnival is only ten days away.”

“And there’s still so much to do?”

He nodded. “Coming up with what they wanted to do took longer than I had planned, or I would have started this back at the beginning of summer rather than the end.”

“It’s an annual event. The important thing about the fall carnival isn’t what you do, but that the proceeds go for the church youth center and the kids who use it. Everyone knows about the carnival and has probably already made plans to attend. It’s always been the second weekend in October. I can help with more than the flyers if you need me to.”

“Could you? Gina, Tiffany and Nikki really respond to you. This year the committee agreed that this would be a children’s production with minimal oversight from us adults. But if Gina has invited you to help with the flyers, maybe you could also help with the decorating of the hall. You were the first adult outside the committee she has asked to help with the preparations.”

“Then I’ll see if I can wrangle an invite from her when I’m helping them on Saturday.”

Relief erased the tension in his expression. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. I haven’t been sleeping like I should, worrying about this fund-raiser.”

The urge to comfort him inundated her. She balled her hands at her sides to keep from touching his arm, to assure him everything would work out. “It’s good to see them so involved in something that directly affects them. The youth center is all about them. They will be the ones using the new rec equipment you’ll purchase with the money raised.”

“I know, and I really do think it’s a terrific idea that they’re so involved with the carnival, but I keep telling Gina that’s what I get paid the big bucks for—to worry.”

“So much of what has to be done are last-minute things. It’ll all come together.”

“If not, I guess I could always stand on the corner with a tin cup in whatever costume the kids pick out for me to wear and beg for the money.”

Anne chuckled. She loved the way Caleb could laugh at himself. His air of confidence drew her to him. She wished she felt that way about herself. “Mmm.” She tapped her finger against her chin. “There are all kinds of possibilities for your costume. There’s the Papa Bear from Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Then there’s the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. Either one would be interesting to see.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid it might be. I’m just worried about wearing tights.” Grinning, he headed into the hall and started for the front door.

Anne walked with him to the entrance, then watched him make his way to his white Suburban. She waved goodbye to him and the girls, hoping none of the longing she felt deep inside revealed itself. Even though she wasn’t involved at the church where he was a youth minister, she did volunteer some of her time at the youth center connected to the Chestnut Grove Community Church. She’d toyed with the idea of going to the church on Sunday, but she’d never attended services while growing up, except when she was a young girl and had gone to visit Grandma Rose. Caleb made her wonder what she was missing. Sighing, Anne turned away from the door and walked back toward her office, where she could disappear into her quiet refuge and pour through those old ledgers.

Tucking her white buttoned-down shirt into her stiff, dark blue jeans, Anne stood in front of her mirror that was mounted on the back of her bedroom door. A frown drew her brows together as she assessed herself. With her blond hair pulled back into a tight ponytail that hung down below her shoulder blades and her face scrubbed clean, all she could think of to describe herself was plain, dull.

Normally that didn’t bother her. But maybe she should wear a touch of lipstick or eye shadow to bring out the blue in her eyes? She turned her head from side to side, trying to decide what to do. She would be working in the same room with Caleb today for hours.

She rubbed her sweaty palms down her brand-new pair of jeans. She should have washed them. They looked new—too blue. But she hadn’t had any time because she’d only bought the jeans on impulse last night when she’d realized she had nothing to wear that didn’t make her seem much older than her twenty-nine years.

Why hadn’t she also bought that red scarf to tie in her hair? Because she didn’t wear any colors that made her stand out in a crowd. She didn’t want to attract attention. She’d had more than her share while growing up—the unwanted kind.

Her gaze strayed until it lit upon her black leather shoes by her queen-size bed that had a huge fluffy counterpane in different shades of pink. At least her shoes weren’t as bad as the ones she had worn in elementary and high school. She shuddered thinking about those therapeutic ones, necessary because she was so severely pigeon-toed.

Who was she kidding? She didn’t want to stand out today either. She was better off in the background, going through life unnoticed. So Caleb would be at the youth center. That didn’t mean they would spend any alone-time together. That didn’t even mean they would talk much. There were going to be a lot of kids at the center. She was going to be there to help make flyers for the carnival. That was all.

Anne spun away from her image in the mirror, irritated at herself for even going out and buying a pair of jeans. As if that would make a difference. How could a man like Caleb ever be interested in her? He was handsome, outgoing, so self assured—everything she wasn’t.

“Anne, you need to stop dreaming the impossible,” she muttered and sat on her bed to slip on her brand-new pair of corrective shoes that she’d saved six months for. The black leather would go with most of her clothes and the pair was certainly more stylish than the ones before. She wished she could afford several different colors and styles, but on her limited budget, even living with her parents, this was it.

Caleb sat on the front steps leading into the youth center housed in the church hall next to the Chestnut Grove Community Church. Nursing a large mug of coffee cupped between his hands, he took a few minutes to sort through his thoughts before the long day started. Weather permitting, he enjoyed doing this every morning.

Lord, I hope I don’t regret allowing the children to organize and oversee this fund-raiser. I’m getting anxious. We only have a week till the carnival and there’s still so much to do. Gina assures me she and her friends have everything under control. But still—the center needs the rec equipment.

He took a large swallow of his lukewarm coffee, looking toward the church next door. Its white and red bricks gleamed in the sun, just peeking over the tops of the oak and maple trees along the street. The tall spire and bell tower of the eighteenth-century structure shot up into the blue sky as though it stood sentinel over the town. When peering at the church that had withstood centuries amid war and drama, he always felt comforted. The Lord’s house. An intricate part of Chestnut Grove and its history.

A small black car pulled into the parking lot at the side of the center, capturing his attention. He watched as Anne climbed from her old Chevy and headed up the sidewalk toward him. Tilting his head to the left, he tried to remember a time when he had seen her wear a pair of jeans. He couldn’t. She always wore long, full dresses or skirts that came down to her ankles. Interesting.

A small smile graced her lips and her ponytail bounced as she made her way toward him. Her fresh face and vivid blue eyes were a welcome sight. Anne never played games. After he had gotten past her shyness, he had found her very straightforward and honest. He could count on her if he ever needed help, especially with the young people who volunteered at the adoption agency. Anne took them under her wing and assisted them any way possible. She was a very caring woman. An appealing quality. If only she believed in God, he thought, pushing to his feet and plastering a smile of greeting on his face.

“You’re here before the kids are.” He checked his watch. “In fact, you’re ten minutes early before eight on a Saturday. I’m impressed.”

“Mornings are the best time of day. I’ve never slept past six-thirty.”

He held up his mug. “Whereas, I have to load up on tons of coffee, just to be coherent before nine in the morning.”

“So you’re a night person?”

“No, more like an afternoon person. My best time is between one and five.”

She laughed. “I’ll have to remember that.”

He liked the sound of her laughter, light, almost musical. It sent a warmth through him that surprised him. “Do you want some coffee before the kids swarm this place and there isn’t a moment’s rest?”

“I’m a tea drinker.”

“Something else we don’t agree on.”

She shrugged. “Yep. Coffee tastes like dirt to me.”

“To me drinking tea is like drinking brownish water.”

Anne started climbing the stairs toward the front door. “The world would be a dull place if we all agreed on everything.”

Caleb walked next to her. “I have to agree with you on that.”

She slanted a look toward him, grinning. “I guess we aren’t so hopeless after all. Who knows what else we might agree on before the day is out?”

“Let me refill my coffee. I’ll meet you in the arts-and-crafts room. That’s where I thought we would make the flyers and go over any last minute preparations.”

While Anne headed to the left, Caleb walked toward the kitchen connected to the cafeteria/gym. With a lightness to his step, he hurried to pour his coffee and get back to Anne. He had known her from a distance for a few years, but in the past six months he had become better acquainted with her. Each time he was with her he felt her emotional walls crumble just a little more. The minister and psychologist in him wanted to help her heal, because in her blue eyes he saw a glimpse of a deep wound she tried to conceal from the world. Maybe in helping her heal, he could also help her find her way to the Lord.

But lately, the man in him wanted something more. That continued to surprise him because he wasn’t interested in dating anyone who didn’t believe in the Lord. He’d had a relationship in college with a woman who had not been a Christian and the emotional scars left from it still hurt today. He’d wanted it to work so badly, but they just hadn’t seen the future the same way.

He eased open the door to the arts-and-crafts room, expecting to find Anne waiting for him. His words died in his throat as he scanned the area before him. The emptiness mocked him. He glanced up and down the hall, wondering where she was. Then he heard a noise and looked back into the room. He saw Anne, on all fours, scooting out from under one of the long art tables.

He cleared his throat. “Can I help?”

Anne gasped, lifted up and bumped into the underside of the table. “Ouch!” She managed to stand without injuring herself again, but she rubbed the back of her head. “You’re supposed to warn someone you’re in the room.”

“Sorry. I did. I cleared my throat. But next time I’ll clap my hands or bang on something so you know I’m coming.” Caleb put his mug down. “May I ask why you were under the table in the first place?”

“I was putting away my car keys and I dropped my purse.” She gestured toward the floor on the other side of the table, away from the door. “My lipstick rolled there.”

“You don’t need makeup.”

With his gaze fixed on her face, she blushed the color of her pink lipstick and busied herself stuffing the contents of her purse back into the black leather bag.

“You don’t carry much. My two cousins have half their bedroom in their purses.”

She shrugged, snapping the bag closed with a loud click. “Don’t need it. I don’t wear much makeup. That is, other than lipstick. Personally, I wish I didn’t have to carry a purse at all, but I need something to put my wallet and checkbook in.”

“Very efficient.”

Her smile encompassed her whole face, two dimples appearing. “That’s my middle name.”

“Very or efficient?” he asked, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

She chuckled. “Efficient and organized.”

He could listen to her laughter all day. What a beautiful sound! He would have to think of more ways to get her to do it. “I’m glad you’re both because we’ll probably need it when the kids arrive. The last meeting we had ended in chaos. Gina wanted to do things a certain way and Jeremy another way. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with Gina. She’s very aware he’s the oldest by a year.”

Anne peered at the clock on the wall. “Where are they?”

“You know, that’s a good question.” Caleb started for the door.

Jeremy appeared in the entrance into the room, a frown slashing across his face. “I went to pick up Dylan like I promised ya and he’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” Caleb straightened, anxiety taking hold of him.

“His foster parents went to get him in his room, and he hadn’t slept in his bed. He wasn’t anywhere in the house. They called the police, but I thought ya should know.”

Chapter Two

Anne came to stand beside Caleb. “Dylan? Isn’t that the boy the Givens family took in?”

Caleb nodded, thinking back to his conversation with the child yesterday afternoon—or the lack thereof. Dylan had been unusually quiet when Caleb had seen him at the center, staring at the TV set. He suspected the eleven-year-old hadn’t even known what show had been on. He’d tried to get Dylan to talk to him, but the boy had clamped his mouth shut, crossed his arms and glared at a spot on the floor in front of him.

Caleb dug into his pocket and retrieved his car keys. “I need to find him.” He started for the door.

“Do you want me to help?” Anne asked, taking a step forward.

He pivoted, a frown creasing his forehead. “No.”

The force behind that one word stiffened her spine.

“Sorry. That didn’t come out right.” Caleb kneaded the back of his neck. “I need you to stay here and get the kids started on the flyers. I hope I can find Dylan and be back soon.”

“What if he shows up here? Do you have a cell phone I can call you on?”

With a quick nod Caleb walked back to the table and scribbled his number down on a pad. “Call if you find out anything that might help.”

As Caleb left the room, Jeremy stood near the door, looking lost. An uncomfortable silence descended. Anne shifted from one foot to the other, not sure what to do. She knew from the girls who volunteered at the adoption agency that Jeremy was very popular at school, already a star athlete on the football team even though he was only a sophomore. When Gina talked about him, she got all starry-eyed, and Anne thought back to her days in high school and the few crushes she’d developed on unattainable boys. It hadn’t taken long for them to be crushed to the point she didn’t dream about the impossible—until Caleb had come along.

Anne coughed and swallowed several times to coat her dry throat. “I’m sure that Caleb will find Dylan.”

Jeremy finally looked at her as though he hadn’t realized she’d even been in the room, which was usually how Anne liked it. But his expression only heightened all the years that she had felt invisible, unimportant.

The teenager lifted his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so. I should’ve known something was up. The last few days he didn’t dog my every step around here like he usually does.”

“Oh” was all Anne could think to say. She’d never had very good success talking with the opposite sex and even though she was almost twice Jeremy’s age, she wasn’t doing a good job at the moment.

Luckily Gina burst into the room, followed by Nikki, Tiffany and Ruth Fraser, the minister’s daughter, all of them talking at the same time. Gina took one look at Jeremy and slowed her pace, her words dying in her throat as she quickly peered away from the young man.

When Gina saw Anne, the fifteen-year-old said, “I’m glad you could make it.” Then, as though she realized something was wrong, she cocked her head and asked, “What happened?”

“Dylan ran away,” Jeremy answered before Anne could even open her mouth.

Gina glanced at Jeremy, her usual bravado subdued. “He did? When?”

“Last night, I guess.”

The girls behind Gina began to whisper among themselves. Anne stepped forward. “If you all know anything, please tell me. Caleb is out looking for Dylan right now. Do you know where he would go when he’s upset?”

Tiffany and Nikki shook their heads. Ruth stared at a spot on the far wall with a blank expression, none of her usual exuberance evident.

Anne walked to her. “Do you know something, Ruth?”

The girl’s shoulders drooped, her bright red hair falling forward, almost concealing her face.

“Please tell me.”

Ruth looked Anne in the eye. “Dylan wasn’t happy with his foster family. He’s been talking about leaving, but I didn’t think he would do it.”

“Do you know where he would go?”

Ruth bit her lower lip, shaking her head slowly. “He went to school and here. Those are the only places he went to.”

An idea popped into Anne’s mind. They hadn’t searched the center. “Is this all the committee?”

“No, there are a few more. Billy is always late and Tyler is always with him,” Gina answered.

“Why don’t you get everyone started, Gina. I’ll be right back.”

Anne quickly left the committee working on the flyers and began searching each room, hoping her hunch paid off. When she entered the TV room, she spotted Dylan curled up on the old chocolate brown couch, hugging a plaid pillow. His black hair was tousled, his clothes twisting about him as though he had wrestled all night. She scanned the area, wondering how he’d gotten into the center. An opened window answered her question, and a breeze blew the white curtains, bringing the scent of the outdoors inside along with the early morning chill.

Anne walked to the window and closed it, then locked it. There wasn’t a lot of crime in Chestnut Grove, but leaving a window unlocked probably wasn’t a wise decision. She would say something to Caleb when he returned.

Dylan stirred on the couch, rolling onto his back. One arm flopped over the edge, dangling almost to the wooden floor. Even in sleep his face tensed into a frown, deep lines marring his forehead.

Anne gently shook Dylan awake. The boy’s blue eyes flew open. He scrambled to a sitting position.

“You’ve got some people worried about you.” Anne sat down on the worn coffee table in front of the couch.

Dylan stuck out his lower lip and clutched the pillow even tighter to his chest, his brows drawn together.

“Are you okay?”

His pout strengthened into a scowl. “Yeah.”

“I need to call Caleb and let him know you’re here. He’s out looking for you.”

“He is?”

Anne nodded, wishing she could wrap her arms around the boy and comfort him. His eyes reflected his doubt and pain. At a young age she sensed Dylan had seen the rough side of life and was having a hard time coping with it.

She stood. “Everyone’s in the arts-and-crafts room working on the flyers. Why don’t you join them? They’ll be glad to know you’re okay.”

For a long moment Dylan remained on the couch, staring straight ahead, grasping the pillow against him, as though it were his shield against the world, making a mockery of his declaration that he was all right. When Anne started forward, he tossed the pillow aside, unfolded himself and rose in one quick motion. He fled out the door.

Anne hurried after him, afraid that he was leaving. When he disappeared into the arts-and-crafts room, she came to a halt in the hallway and listened for a moment to the others greeting Dylan. Taking a quivering breath, Anne used the phone near the front entrance to call Caleb.

Hearing Caleb’s deep baritone voice made her momentarily forget why she wanted to talk to him. Silence ruled for a few seconds as she pictured him in her mind—over six feet tall, a large, muscular chest and narrow waist as though he used the exercise equipment at the center regularly, straight black hair that brushed his collar and light blue eyes that sparkled with humor.

“Anne? Did you find him?”

“How did you know it was me?” she asked, surprised and embarrassed at the same time.

“Caller ID. Did you find Dylan?”

“Yes. He’s at the youth center. I think he’s been here all night, in the TV room.”

“I’ll be right there. Don’t let him leave.”

“Do you want me to call the Givens’ and the police?”

“No, I’ll take care of it. Thanks, Anne. I didn’t think to look around the center before leaving. You saved us all a lot of time.”

The warmth in his words colored her cheeks, making her realize it didn’t take much to please her when it came to Caleb. She was a pushover where that man was concerned. Thankfully he didn’t know the power he had over her. She would hate to see pity in his eyes.

When Anne reentered the arts-and-crafts room, everyone was busy making flyers under Gina’s directions. The girl motioned for her to come closer. She and Gina had always been on friendly terms while the teenager volunteered at Tiny Blessings, but Anne was still surprised by the invitation to help, especially when it seemed Gina had everything under control. She sat beside the young girl who slid a piece of white paper toward her.

Gina showed Anne another slip of paper. “This is what we want on each of the flyers. Other than that, you can get as creative as you want to draw people’s eyes to the flyer.”

“Poster” was a more accurate word for what she was going to make, Anne thought as she looked at the large blank paper before her. Creative? She didn’t have a creative bone in her body, even though she loved to paint in her free time, just for herself. When she painted, she let her emotions fill the blank canvas. Knowing no one would see her work made it easy to do whatever she felt at the moment. A poster to be put up all around town was different.

Anne sighed heavily and plunged into the work before her. There was nothing wrong with plain and simple, she decided as she began to print the necessary information on the poster. She wasn’t so engrossed in her work that she didn’t know the second that Caleb entered the room. The hairs on the nape of her neck tingled and a shiver went down her spine. He came immediately over to where she was. Her hand shook as she wrote the last letter and thankfully put the marker down before her reaction became obvious to anyone.

“May I have a word with you in private?” Caleb whispered into her ear.

His breath fanned her neck, heightening the chills she already had from his entrance. She nodded, afraid to say anything for fear her voice would betray her.

He stepped back while she scooted her chair away from the long table and rose. She followed him out into the hall.

“I didn’t want to say anything to Dylan until I talked to you first. Did he tell you why he ran away?”

“No. I didn’t want to frighten him by asking him too many questions. A window in the TV room was open. I think he used it to climb into the building.”

Caleb frowned. “They’re usually locked. Dylan was the last one to leave the room yesterday. I wonder if he unlocked it. If he did, that means he was planning to run away.”

“But why here?”

“That’s a good question, and one I mean to ask Dylan. Will you continue to help the others while I have a word with him?”

“Sure. Are the Givens’ coming to pick him up?”

“No, I told them I would bring him home later after I talk with him.”

“I—” Anne started to say something, then clamped her mouth shut.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s none of my business.”

“If it’s about Dylan, it is. You found him. What did you want to tell me.”

“I’ve known the Givens family for most of my life. They take in foster children as a way to make a living. They feed, clothe and take care of their basic needs, but they’re not what I would call real parents. Right now they have several children and I wonder if Dylan is getting lost in the crowd there. How long has Dylan been with them?”

“Not long, a little over a month, I believe. I’ve been trying to counsel him, but he hasn’t opened up.”

“But he comes to the center?”

“Every day after school.”

“Then you must be reaching him on some level or he wouldn’t spend so much time here. And when he ran away, he came here.”

He took her hand. The gesture surprised Anne. His warm grasp enclosed about her fingers, underscoring all her dreams where this man was concerned. If she was anyone but who she was, she might have a chance—

“Will you come with me when I take Dylan home? Maybe another pair of eyes will help me understand how to help him, how to assess the dynamics of the family.”

He was holding her hand. There wasn’t anyway she could deny him his request even though she felt inadequate to assess the dynamics of any family, especially when she thought of her own parents who were so wrapped up in their careers they never had time for her. She choked out, “Yes,” then swallowed several times before adding, “I’ll try, but counseling is your area of expertise, not mine.”

He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. “Thank you. I knew I could count on you, Anne. And don’t sell yourself short. Tiffany, Nikki and Gina rave about you.”

Her world tilted and spun. Through a supreme effort she managed not to collapse at his feet. “They do?”

“You know those little talks you have over sodas?”

She waved her free hand, her senses still fixated on the fact he held her hand. “That’s just girl talk.”

“Well, you must be saying something right, Anne. They’re listening, and that’s most of the battle with kids.”

You are not going to blush like a school girl, she ordered herself, removing her hand from his and stepping back to give herself some breathing room. Her lungs burned from lack of proper oxygen, and she still felt dangerously close to fainting in front of him. She quickly realized, however, that she needed more space than a few measly feet. His presence dominated the hallway.

“I thought you two were gonna help us with the flyers,” Gina said from the doorway of the arts-and-crafts room, a twinkle glittering in her eyes.

Anne bit down on her lower lip and hurried forward, past the girl into the room. If the heat from her face was any indication, she was sure her cheeks were five different shades of red. She wished she didn’t blush at the least little thing. She slipped into the chair she’d occupied and picked up a red marker, using it to outline the black lettering she’d done earlier. The words stood out against the white poster board.

“That’s great, Anne. I like it. Your lettering is beautiful. Don’t you think so, Caleb?” Gina grinned at her as she sat down next to her and began decorating her own flyer.

Anne kept her focus trained on her paper, but she heard Caleb’s words as he took up the chair across from her. “Maybe we should have Anne do all the lettering. It sure beats my printing.”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea. What do you think, guys?”

Before Anne realized it she had all the poster boards stacked in front of her to print the information on. She was perfectly happy to do it, because beyond the outlining of the words, she had been clueless with what she’d wanted to do next to her flyer. This way she could do what she did best and let the others be creative.

Pleased at how the morning had turned out, she glanced up to find Caleb staring at her with an intense expression on his face. She should look away, but for the life of her, she couldn’t make herself avert her gaze. She liked looking at Caleb, not just because he was handsome, which he definitely was, but because he was so kind and caring. For a blissful moment the others were forgotten, the rest of the world fading from her awareness as their gazes connected across the table and she felt his pull, strong, compelling—and dangerous to her quiet, uneventful life.

Caleb pulled up to the curb outside the Givens’ large two story white house with Dylan sitting between him and Anne. The frown on the boy’s face grew deeper the nearer they’d come to his foster home, but Dylan remained staunchly quiet even though Anne had tried to engage him in conversation.

Caleb was aware Dylan, who had lived in Richmond, had been recently taken away from his father because of abandonment. Was there more to the story than the child’s father leaving Dylan while the man was on a drinking binge? Glancing at the boy’s angry expression brought back memories Caleb wished would stay buried. His hands about the steering wheel tightened as he fought against the onslaught of emotions that he usually kept reined in. Helplessness. Anger for his childhood friend. Despair.

Please, Lord, I need Your help with Dylan. How do I reach him? I’ve tried for the past month. He’s angry and keeping things bottled up. Show me the way.

Rex Givens stood on the porch waiting for them as they walked up to the house. One small child played off to the side with some trucks while a toddler, dressed in a diaper and a long-sleeved blue pullover shirt, pressed his face against the screen door.

Caleb extended his hand toward Rex. “It’s good to see you. As you can see, Dylan’s okay.”

Rex snorted, fastening his full attention on the boy. “We were worried sick about you. What did you think running away would prove?”

Dylan’s frown evolved into a scowl, deep grooves at the sides of his mouth. Silent, he stared at Rex, his chin hiked up a notch.

The man gestured toward the six-year-old on the porch. “Take Brent inside and tell Cora you’re home.”

Dylan stomped up the stairs, but when he spoke to Brent, none of the boy’s anger showed in his tone of voice as he helped the younger boy gather up his trucks. They disappeared inside the house, Dylan taking hold of the toddler’s hand as they ambled down the hallway.

Anne moved closer to Caleb, filling the void Dylan’s absence created. A strong urge to reach out and grasp her hand for support inundated Caleb as he’d waited for the children to leave. His palms tingled as though an electrical current passed through him.

“May we have a word, Rex?” Caleb finished mounting the remaining two steps, not intending to be put off by the man.

Rex backed up, then waved his arms toward a grouping of white wicker furniture at one end of the porch. “Fine. Dinner will be soon and I’ll need to wash up. It’s quite a chore getting five children all to sit down at the table and eat at the same time.”

“This won’t take long. I’m concerned about Dylan, as I’m sure you are. Thankfully, Anne found him before he decided to leave the center.” Caleb’s gaze slid to Anne, and her presence next to him soothed some of the tension festering in him. Her sweet, caring attitude reminded him of what was good in life.

Rex sat in the lone wicker chair, leaving the small love seat for Caleb and Anne. As he lowered himself next to her, again the desire to touch her for support made him falter, and his mind went blank for a few seconds. Silence reigned while he grappled with his feelings, ones he hadn’t had in a long while.

Rex cleared his throat. “The only thing I can think that set Dylan off last night was he didn’t get to see a TV show he had wanted to. With five children in the house, he has his chores that have to be done and he wasn’t through with the dishes when the show came on.”

“I understand.” Caleb forced himself to keep his hands from clenching at his sides. Chores were an important part of a family, but, like Anne, he wasn’t so sure about the Givens’ motives for taking in foster children. He’d been around other foster parents, especially Reverend Fraser and his wife, who loved their charges and their home reflected that love. When he’d been inside the Givens’ home, he didn’t feel that kind of love for the children. They were a business to Rex and Cora Givens. “I’d like to counsel Dylan on a formal basis. He needs more than he’s getting right now coming to the center and just hanging out.”

Rex straightened his large frame in the small chair, its creaking sound permeating the porch. “You can say that again. Dylan’s more than Cora and me can handle. He resents any work we want him to do around the house. His attitude has been affecting the others in the short time he’s been here.” He crossed his arms. “Frankly, we don’t know what to do about the boy anymore. We’re thinking of calling the state to place him somewhere else.”

Caleb’s hand curled into a fist. “Let me work with him first. Give me a chance.”

“He’s been going to the youth center for the past month and nothing about his attitude has changed.”

“It takes time, Mr. Givens,” Anne said, shifting next to Caleb, her hand brushing up next to his fist, as though she sensed his tension and was trying to reassure him.

Her soft voice tempered Caleb, and he uncurled his hand. Lord, what do I do? Dylan needs me.

“I can’t let the boy disrupt my household and set the wrong example. I have four other children to think about.”

Caleb didn’t want Dylan to be moved from foster home to foster home if there was a better solution. “Give me until the end of this month before you make a decision. Please.” He gave up fighting his feelings and took Anne’s hand. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her surprise reflected in her expression, but he didn’t release his hold nor did she pull her hand away.

Rex rose. “Fine. But if things don’t get better soon, I’ll be talking to Dylan’s case manager about another foster home.”

Caleb stood at the same time as Anne, their clasped hands dropping to their sides. For a second he had a strong urge to grab hold of her again. Stunned by the need, he stepped away. “Don’t say anything to Dylan about your plans.”

“You’ve got four weeks, Reverend. Things have got to get better or Dylan needs to go back to the state.”

Anne stiffened and started to say something but stopped herself. Instead, she stalked down the steps and walked toward his Suburban. Caleb watched her until she stopped at the curb and waited for him. He, too, fought the anger roiling in his stomach. Rex Givens wanted only easy children to raise. Life wasn’t that simple. Caleb wondered how much of the man’s attitude Dylan was aware of.

“What’s her problem?” Rex asked, tossing his head in the direction of Anne.

Caleb bit back what he really wanted to say to the man about children being precious resources, not commodities to trade in when something didn’t go just right. He needed a chance to counsel Dylan and that meant going through Rex Givens. “I’ll start working with Dylan after school on Monday if that’s okay with you,” he said, rather than answering Rex.

“Fine.” The large man shuffled toward the screen door. “Personally I think it’s a waste of your time. But then it’s your time, not mine.”

Caleb hurried from the porch before he said something he shouldn’t. Anne leaned against his car, her ankles crossed, her arms folded over her chest, nothing casual about her stance. When she lifted her gaze to his, all the anger he felt was deep in her eyes. He reached around her and opened the door. She slipped inside.

When he slid in behind the wheel, the swirling tension in the small confines of his Suburban escalated to a minitornado. He twisted around to look at her and try to defuse the moment.

“I can’t believe that man! Did you hear him? Those children don’t mean a thing to him. I know foster parents aren’t always easy to find, but he and Cora shouldn’t be ones at all. I—” Her mouth closed about the words she was going to say, the line of her jaw hard.

Anne’s face in her self-righteous anger was a beautiful sight to behold. She was like a female bear protecting her cubs, intending to throw her body in the way of danger. The zeal in Anne appealed to him. Why had he never seen it before? Because she was a master at keeping herself in the background, of blending in so no one noticed her. But he noticed her now—the flushed cheeks, the blue sparkle in her eyes, the full pouty lips.

“I know. I wish I had an—” Caleb stopped, an idea forming in his mind.

“What?”

“I could apply to be Dylan’s foster parent.”

The fury siphoning from her, Anne smiled. “That would be perfect! Then he wouldn’t have to leave Chestnut Grove if there wasn’t another family to take him in. He’s been making friends here. I would hate to take that away from him. And the best part is, you can work with him and maybe help him.”

Caleb started the engine. “It might work.”

“It will work. I have a good feeling about it.”

He slanted a look toward Anne. “It’s dinnertime. Want to go grab something to eat at the Starlight Diner?”

“I—I—” Flustered, Anne snapped her mouth closed, color tingeing her cheeks a pretty rosy hue.

“What? No? Yes?”

She nodded.

“Good. I’ve just realized I’m starved. It’s been a long day looking for a runaway, making flyers, dealing with Rex Givens. I hope you’re hungry, because I’m planning on having dessert in celebration.”

“Celebration?”

“Yeah. Hopefully I’ve found a way to help Dylan.” Caleb’s spirits lifted even more when he saw the smile grow on Anne’s face. He grinned in return, feeling like a teenage boy discovering the appeal of girls.

“What if the Givens decide to keep Dylan?”

Pulling away from their house, Caleb said, “I’ve got the feeling they won’t mind me applying for the job. They’ll probably welcome it. From what Rex said, they would much rather have an easier child to parent.”

“And if Dylan leaves their house, they’ll have room for another one?”

“Yep.”

Anne thought of her own parents and their lack of involvement in raising her. They had been wrapped up in their teaching at the college and their research projects. Although she still lived with them, even now she rarely saw her parents. She sometimes wondered if the only reason they had wanted her to live with them—in fact, they’d insisted—was so she could watch the house when they were gone, which was a lot lately with her father on the lecture circuit.

“Parenting shouldn’t be a business,” Anne said, then instantly regretted revealing her thoughts. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from expounding on the subject.

Caleb stopped at a red light, throwing her a glance. “I agree. Being a parent is the most important job there is, and it should never be taken lightly or for granted.”

“Are your parents still alive?”

“No. They were in their forties when they had me. They tried for years and had actually given up when I came along. They told everyone I was God’s little surprise for them.” Pressing his foot on the accelerator, he drove through the intersection.

Anne heard the love in his voice. “Then you were an only child?”

“Yes. Even though my parents were older, I kept bugging them for a brother. It never happened.” He parked in front of the diner and switched off the engine, angling toward her. “I didn’t like being an only child. When I have a family, I want a whole house full of children. How about you?”

“I was an only child, too. I didn’t much like it, either.” She purposely avoided answering him about having children of her own. She also wanted a whole house full of them, but she didn’t think that would happen. Her marriage prospects were slim. They shared a dream but not a future.

He started to say something, seemed to think about it and decided not to. Instead, he turned away and got out of the car. Hurrying around the front of the car, he opened her door for her before she had a chance to gather her purse from the floor and do it herself. For a second she almost felt as if she was on a real date, but then reality hit when she glimpsed herself and Caleb in the plate glass window along the front of the diner. They were such an unlikely pair. The best she could hope for with Caleb Williams was friendship.

Inside he grabbed a booth with bright blue vinyl seats near the front and slid in, peering at the poster of James Dean on the wall above him. She gave James a quick smile. An old Elvis song played on the jukebox at the back of the diner, its catchy tune causing her to tap her foot to the beat. So many odors vied for dominance. Anne drew in a deep breath and relished the scent of beef sizzling above all the other aromas.

“Hmm.” He flipped open the menu. “It always smells so good in here. I wish I was a better cook than I am.”

“You don’t cook?”

He shook his head. “What I do when I’m desperate isn’t what you would really call cooking. I have a lot of frozen dinners and prepared foods. How about you? Do you like to cook?”

“I can cook, but I can’t say that I like to. It’s not that much fun to cook for just yourself.”

“Don’t you live with your parents?”

“Yes, but they aren’t home that much to eat what I make, so I resort to frozen dinners, too.” Anne opened the menu and skimmed it, already knowing what she was going to have.

When the waitress, Miranda Jones, came to the table a few minutes later, Caleb gave her their orders, then took a long sip of his ice water. “I’m so relieved that you’ll be helping with the decorations this week. I hope it won’t be too much extra work for you.”

Unwrapping her utensils, Anne smoothed her napkin in her lap. “No. The only night I can’t make it is Wednesday night. I volunteer to hold babies at the hospital that evening.”

“Hold babies?”

“Actually, I usually do it twice a week, but I think I can get someone to do my Friday shift since that’s when we’ll be putting up all the decorations for the carnival on Saturday.” She leaned forward, loving the topic of conversation. “I sit in a rocking chair and hold, talk to and even feed the babies, who need someone to do it for them. There are some babies—many of them preemies—who are in the hospital for weeks and need to be held and loved, either because their parents can’t always be there to do it or because they don’t have parents who want to. I think it’s the best job in the world.” Especially since I don’t know if I will ever have my own children to hold, she silently added.

“I didn’t realize there was such a job. You’re right. It would be great. You would probably enjoy working in our nursery on Sunday.”

Anne stared down at her plate. She knew so little about God and Jesus, only what Grandma Rose had told her as a little girl. When her gaze returned to his, she said, “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a church for a service other than a funeral or a wedding.”

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