still food, not daring to get the boys’ hopes up only to dash them again. “I, um...”
“Plenty of good eats in there, miss, and I think those two boys are just the thing for them folks inside. Nothin’ like bein’ ’round a couple o’ young-uns to remind us why we keep on keepin’ on.”
His words eased her path. Did he see the hunger? Or the fear? Or both?
In any case, Haley grasped a boy’s hand in each of hers and walked the last twenty paces. “Thank you, sir.”
“Jed, have a mind, will you, and close that door,” bossed a woman’s voice from within. “My tablecloths are being tugged every which way!”
The old guy exchanged a grin with Haley, winked at the boys and hollered back, “Customers, mother! We’ve got two young soldiers in need of a bite.”
Haley stepped inside, Todd on her right, Tyler on her left. Silence descended as she and the boys moved from the front room into the gathering area, as if few in the room imagined little boys coming to Thanksgiving dinner at the church hall.
A tall man stepped forward. Fortyish. Good-looking. Square-shouldered. Broad-built. Dark hazel eyes matched military-cut hair, walnut-toned with hints of light. His assessing gaze went liquid brown while he pondered the boys at her side, as if recognizing something perfect and precious. He blinked and the look was gone, but the integral air of quiet authority and respect remained. Haley had the oddest urge to salute the big guy. Or maybe just hug him. Right about now, she could use a hug.
A pleased murmur stirred an air of delight through the room.
“Look at them!”
“Aren’t they marvelous?”
“Oh, they are!”
“Who are they?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter. It’s just so nice to see such handsome little boys at our feast!”
A tiny smile quirked the man’s left cheek, just enough to show amusement tempered with respect, book-end qualities that few men in Haley’s age range possessed.
This man had both and more, his take-charge attitude calming the confusion within her without speaking a word. He squatted to the boys’ level, but didn’t invade their space. His sensitivity loosened their grip on Haley’s hands, her arms, as if willing to meet the big guy halfway. A neat trick, all told.
“You hungry, boys?”
“Yes.” Todd nodded, emphatic.
“Starving.” Tyler sent a bullish look Haley’s way. “She drove all day and didn’t want to stop anyplace.”
“Ah.” The man appeared to weigh Tyler’s words. “Traveling on a holiday can be tough. Stores close early. Some restaurants don’t open at all.”
“Really?” Tyler poked his head closer to the man, then hooked a thumb back to Haley. “That’s what she said, but I figured she was making it up.”
The man’s gaze traveled up, and not all that quickly, as if appreciating the journey. Deep hazel eyes locked and held her attention long enough to make her heart trip faster. “Does she have a name?”
“Aunt Haley.” Tyler said the words with more than a little distrust.
“She’s pwetty.” Todd leaned closer to the man, too, following his brother’s lead. “And I like her yellow hair.”
“It’s drop-dead gorgeous,” the man agreed easily. He spiked that crooked smile up to Haley and had no idea what his gentle manner was doing to her. He winked at her, stood, reached for the boys’ hands, and to Haley’s surprise, they moved forward. “You guys ready to have Thanksgiving dinner with us?”
“Yes!”
“I am.” Tyler nodded, firm, obviously trying to contain his excitement. His reaction told Haley he was accustomed to disappointment. Her heart broke because she knew that feeling all too well.
“Haley? Haley, is that you?”
The little woman who helped run the mom-and-pop convenience store at the interstate junction bustled out from the kitchen and hurried their way. She flapped her apron and grinned, her high-wattage smile enough to make everything seem almost all right. “LuAnn.”
“And Charlie’s here, too,” the older woman fussed, her silver hair dancing sparks from the fluorescent lights above. “He’s going to be so excited to see you, dear, but who are your friends?” LuAnn Simmons bent low and stuck out a hand, but Haley noticed she handled the boys with deference, like the man had done, hanging back, not encroaching their space.
“My nephews,” Haley explained.
The man palmed Tyler’s head in a sweet gesture, but he moved back as LuAnn stormed in. He didn’t smile but his eyes grazed Haley, LuAnn and the boys. He dipped his chin slightly, noting the white-haired woman. “You’re in good hands. No one goes hungry with Charlie and LuAnn around.”
Haley knew that. She was a constant customer at their little store, its proximity to her new business venture making the Crossroads Mini-Mart a perfect spot for quick food. Consumed with building a new shopping cooperative just across the road, quick and easy food had become a mainstay in her life.
LuAnn’s head bobbed, excited. “‘When I was hungry, you gave me to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me to drink.’”
The man’s face darkened as if a shade had been pulled. He moved back to the kitchen area while LuAnn steered the boys to the still-laden buffet.
Todd cringed back, hesitating, but his nose twitched as if the smell of food broke an unseen barrier. “This is Todd, LuAnn.”
“Todd.” He didn’t take LuAnn’s hand and she didn’t force the issue. She sent him a bright smile, and her cheerful brown eyes made Haley feel less worried and alone. Amazing what a smile can do.
And a half smile, she noted as the tall man rejoined volunteers in the kitchen preparation area.
“And this is Tyler. He’s five.”
Tyler extended his hand to LuAnn. Haley sent him a smile of encouragement. “Thank you, Tyler. LuAnn is my friend. She and I work at stores near each other.”
“Oh.” Tyler tried to look polite, then failed as his eyes darted to the buffet table. “Can we eat now?”
“You most certainly can.” LuAnn drew him forward. She picked up a sturdy stoneware plate and waved a hand. “I know you’re big enough to pick out your own food, Tyler, but this table’s a little high. I think if I hold your plate and you tell me every little thing you want on it, we’d make a good team. What do you say?” She angled a birdlike glance his way. “May I be your partner?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Haley owed the older woman for handling Tyler so easily. She wouldn’t have had a clue. She followed LuAnn’s example, showing Todd the food, letting him choose as he held the black cat snug beneath his arm, unconcerned when he wanted twelve black olives because LuAnn hadn’t
