but most of all we’re glad for your help. We’re getting pretty tired, and we’ve still got the bedrooms and the bathroom to go. I’m especially glad that you are a tall guy, so I don’t have to reach all the way to the ceiling anymore.”
“I’m glad to help, but y’all are helping me more than I am you. My house is at least twice this big, and I expect it’ll take a couple or three Friday evenings and/or Saturdays to paint it.” Will stood up and gathered up the empty boxes. “I’ll toss these in the back of my SUV when I leave.”
“Thanks again.” Kayla nodded.
“Where are you workin’, Kayla?” Will asked.
“In the bathroom. Teresa’s already got it taped off, so I’m in there doing the work that a roller can’t do,” she answered. “Sam left his paint pan and roller right outside the door for one of you guys.”
“Are y’all tellin’ secrets over there?” Teresa asked.
“Nope. We were talkin’ about going down the hall and startin’ on the bathroom. If we get this job done tonight, then we can get Sam’s tables and chairs moved in. These walls look pretty bare right now. We talked about a bulletin board, but some pictures might be nice,” Kayla answered.
“How about some old movie posters?” Will asked. “I’ve got a Gone with the Wind one and one of John Wayne when he played in True Grit. You can have them if you want. One could go in the ladies’ room and one in the men’s room.”
Kayla must have had a strange look on her face, because Will chuckled and said, “I don’t have them hung up in my house. Through the past ten years, I’ve gotten all kinds of strange but cute gifts from my Sunday school kids. You mentioned a bulletin board? I’ve got one of those in my office at the store that I was about to toss in the trash. The company sent a new one last week. It’s yours if you want it.”
“That’s fantastic,” Kayla said. “We’ll take all three, and as payment, anytime you’re in this area at noon, stop in and eat with us.”
He offered her a hand. “That sounds great. I’ll bring the stuff to y’all Sunday after church if that’s okay.”
Kayla put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. He let go as soon as she was standing up, but not before she had a vision of taking him down the hall, closing the door on any of the rooms, and having a nice, long make-out session.
Teresa and Noah sat there for a few minutes after Will and Kayla had left. She had been this tired after working double shifts, but that had been weeks ago. Since coming back to Birthright, she’d gone to bed at a decent hour most nights.
“You sure you’re up for a commitment like this?” Noah asked. “I’d hate for you to get bored or tired with it and let all the old folks around here down.”
“I’m excited about it,” she answered. “I thought you had faith in me, and you thought this was a good idea for me and Kayla to work together.”
“Don’t get your dander up,” he chuckled. “I do have faith in you, but let’s play hypothetical like we did with the jury that evening. Let’s say that Will and Kayla fall in love and get married. After a year or so, she gets pregnant and has a baby and wants to stay home and raise it. What do you do?”
“I talk her into bringing the baby to work, where we have dozens of grannies and grandpas who’ll be happy to rock a baby and watch it grow up,” Teresa said without a moment’s hesitation. “When the baby or babies get ready to go to school, our old folks will help them with their homework and tell them fantastic stories, and they’ll love their extended family of grandparents, because they won’t have day-to-day love and care like that.”
“Will’s folks are still alive,” Noah reminded her.
“Yes, but the babies raised in this house will have everyday love, not only on Sunday afternoon,” Teresa argued.
“I see you’ve given this a lot more thought than I have.” He stood to his feet and held out his hand. “Guess we’d best get back to work.”
She put her hand in his, and he pulled her to his chest. She didn’t even have time to moisten her lips before he kissed her.