Cole looked at Asher, who stood frozen in the doorway. “Help me teach these guys a play or two, would ya?” Cole glanced at Charlotte. “You’ll be okay?”
His unexpected concern for her sent a jolt of warmth through her veins. She nodded.
“You got a ball?” Cole asked as he led the herd back out of the kitchen and through the screen door, leaving Charlotte alone in the farmhouse with Hildy and Steve. Hildy introduced them and then they all settled on stools around the tall kitchen island, a mug of coffee in front of each of them.
“He’s a really good man,” Hildy said. “You’re a lucky girl. And I’m glad to see the two of you together—after all he’s been through, I wondered if he’d ever open his heart again.”
There it was again. Talk about all he’s been through. What did that mean? Was she referring to what had happened to Jules, or was there more?
“Like Cole said, we’re not together,” Charlotte said. “Just friends. I mean, not even really friends. I was friends with Julianna. I think he’s mostly tolerating me.”
“Oh. Well, maybe I’ll pretend I didn’t notice him staring at you when you weren’t looking.” Hildy grinned.
Heat rushed to Charlotte’s cheeks.
“Maybe there’s hope for him yet.” Hildy took a sip of her coffee.
Charlotte needed to change the subject. Fast. “So, I’ve heard Haven House is a transitional home—is that right?” Charlotte asked.
“Cole didn’t tell you what we do here?” Hildy’s eyes widened underneath raised brows.
“Like I said, he’s tolerating me.” Charlotte forced a smile.
“We’ve been running Haven House for over twenty-five years,” Hildy said. “We never had kids of our own, so when the previous caretakers retired, we knew this was exactly what God wanted us to do.”
Hildy and Steve wore the same expression—pride—and what Charlotte could only describe as a deep, deep love for something much bigger than themselves.
“Get the book, Hil,” Steve said, hitching a thumb over his shoulder.
Hildy rushed out of the kitchen and returned seconds later with a large photo album. “This is an album of photos of every child who has been helped through Haven House over the years.” She plunked the book on the counter in front of Charlotte and continued to explain the way the nonprofit worked.
With six different houses in the surrounding areas, the goal had always been for Haven House to continue to expand. Each home housed six kids, ranging in ages from twelve to eighteen, with the occasional exception like Jewel or one of Asher’s brothers. These were kids who would otherwise end up in foster care. Some of them stayed for a month or two while their parents went to rehab. Some were there only a few days.
“We’re a safe house for kids nobody else wants,” Steve said. “Teenagers have an especially hard time in foster care, so we take them in and teach them life skills. We make sure they’re getting a good education. They work on the farm and in the garden. They help train the horses, make dinners, all the things they’d do if they were our biological kids. A home doesn’t run on its own, it takes everyone doing their fair share.”
Charlotte stilled. She didn’t know much about that. Her “home,” as it were, had been an apartment she shared with Marcia in whatever city she was working in at the time—and she’d hardly call any of those places “home.” Marcia used the money Charlotte made to hire a housekeeper who prepared all of their meals, along with a driver and private tutors. Charlotte did nothing for herself.
What a charmed, privileged life she’d lived.
She’d never seen that as a negative thing until now. She wanted to learn how to work in a garden. She wanted to ride the horses and make her own bed.
She wanted to be a better person, to contribute something good and meaningful to the world. She had a feeling just being around people like Hildy and Steve was a good start.
“But most of those kids aren’t teenagers,” Charlotte said.
Hildy smiled. “Connor’s kids are very short-term. I insisted on giving him a break over the weekend, and we’ll only have them for a few more days.”
Charlotte thought about the last time she’d seen Connor. Would a few more days be enough?
“And we weren’t about to split up those brothers. We just go with the flow.” They smiled at each other and Charlotte saw their mutual love and respect so clearly it might as well have