Angels Everywhere - Debbie Macomber [39]
This was what Leah loved about Pam—the ability to solve any problem with a cup of tea and a stiff upper lip. Now that she was here, she wasn’t keen on talking. What she really needed was a friend, not a counselor.
“It’s not all that bad,” Leah said, making light of her troubles as she followed Pam into the kitchen. The sink was stacked with dirty dishes and the cupboards were smeared with miniature fingerprints, a stark contrast to her own spotless kitchen.
“Auntie Leah?” Scotty raced into the kitchen, clutching his stuffed dinosaur, the one she’d given him for his birthday a month earlier.
“Scotty, you’re supposed to be asleep!” Pam said, hands on her hips.
Leah scooped the three-year-old into her arms and hugged him close while he pressed happy kisses over her face. He was a sweet boy with deep blue eyes and a froth of unmanageable curls and Leah loved him as much as if he were her own.
“How’s my darling?” she asked, setting him on the countertop and brushing the curls away from his forehead.
“Look!” he said, proudly holding up his thumb.
“It’s dry,” Pam explained. “Scotty has given up sucking his thumb, isn’t that right?”
Scotty nodded eagerly and Leah carried him back into the bedroom he shared with his younger brother. Thirteen-month-old Jason was sound asleep, his knees tucked under his stomach, his small buttocks thrust into the air.
“Shhh,” Scotty said in a loud whisper as Leah set him back in his bed, after maneuvering around a stack of plastic building blocks and several wooden puzzles. Pieces were scattered all about the area.
“I’m very proud of you for not sucking your thumb,” she whispered.
Scotty beamed with the praise. She kissed his forehead and tiptoed out of the room.
Pam had the tea brewed by the time Leah returned. “Where’s Diane?” she asked about her friend’s oldest child.
“Doug had to run an errand and she wanted to go with him. As you can see I haven’t gotten around to the dinner dishes. Sit down and tell me what’s upset you so much.”
Leah didn’t know where to start, or if she should. It wasn’t easy to admit her failings. “Andrew and I had a spat, is all. We both needed some time to think matters through so I left.”
“It’s nothing serious, is it?”
Leah shook her head, discounting her concern. “I . . . I don’t think so. We’ll be fine.”
Pam brought the china teapot to the table. “You’re sure?”
“We rarely squabble and it upsets me when we do.”
A series of short horn blasts interrupted their conversation. Although the sound was irritating there seemed to be a certain rhythm to it. Leah closed her eyes and listened carefully. If she hadn’t known better she’d swear it sounded like someone was tapping out “Hit the Road, Jack.”
Pam sent a curious look Leah’s way. “Doug must need my help,” she said, “he’s certainly being clever about getting it.”
“It sounds like . . .”
“ ‘Hit the Road, Jack,’ “ Pam finished for her, snapping her fingers as she walked toward the door. She stopped abruptly and turned around, looking puzzled.
“Is it Doug?” Leah asked.
Pam shook her head. “It’s coming from your car.”
This had to be some kind of joke. She set aside her tea and followed Pam. “Are you telling me my car’s making that weird sound?”
“It’s your horn,” Pam insisted. “Just listen.”
“My horn!” She joined her friend at the doorway.
“This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“You?” Leah laughed. “I better find out what’s going on here.” She grabbed her car keys and hurried across the yard.
“Mercy, stop that right this minute.”
Mercy whirled around to find Shirley hovering over the trunk of Leah’s car, her hands braced against her hips. Knowing she’d overstepped her authority, Mercy reluctantly complied. No doubt she’d done it this time and the archangel had dispatched Shirley to send her home.
“Did Gabriel send you?” Mercy demanded defiantly. If she was going to crash, she was going down in flames.
“No, I’m here to stop you before you get yourself into even bigger trouble.”
“I had to do something fast,” Mercy cried. “Andrew’s worried because he can’t