Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,51
gently captured hers. Not for the first time, her mind went blank and she didn’t care about any budgets, any plans, or any furniture she’d found. All she cared about was the man in her arms.
“Oops.”
John lifted his head and looked over Shelley’s shoulder. “Hi, Andrea.”
“I’m sorry. The door was open and I…” A blush skimmed her cheeks. “I should have knocked.”
Shelley cleared her throat and turned around. “It’s okay. John was just telling me I could do whatever I like in our bathroom remodel.”
“That’s great,” Andrea said with a grin. She was as much a part of Shelley’s plans as John was. “Does that include the marble top on the double vanity?”
John’s eyebrows rose.
“I hadn’t told him about the marble, but I guess it does.”
“It’s just as well you’ve kept to the budget,” he whispered in Shelley’s ear.
It was Shelley’s turn to blush. There were a few other surprises John didn’t know about, but they could wait until they were alone.
She looked at Andrea and smiled. “Welcome to your new home.”
“Thank you. I can’t believe how lucky we are.”
Andy and Charlie walked into the living room, each carrying a large suitcase.
“Hi, Pastor John and Shelley,” Charlie said. “We’ve got our bags.”
Mr. Jessop followed the boys into the room with a box in his arms. “Hi, John and Shelley. Where would you like this, Andrea?”
She read the label on the box. “Leave it beside the linen closet. They’re some of the sheets and blankets Mabel gave us.”
“We’ll put our clothes in our room,” Andy said very seriously. “Then we can help Mr. Jessop with the things.”
“I’ll meet you at Mr. Jessop’s truck,” Andrea said.
Before Shelley gave them a hand, there were a few things she needed to give Andrea. She took a key out of her back pocket. “This is the front door key. The keys for the French doors, the back door, and the garage are on a keyring in the kitchen. The power is connected. All you have to do is transfer your name to the account. We left a few groceries in the refrigerator so you don’t have to rush to the general store, and there’s a special basket on the kitchen counter for you and the boys. I hope you’ll be very happy here.”
Tears filled Andrea’s eyes. “Thank you. I really can’t believe this has happened. If it weren’t for you, John, Mabel, and Gordon, I don’t know what the boys and I would have done.”
Shelley gave Andrea a hug. “That’s what friends are for.”
John peered through the window. “Talking about friends, it looks as though half the community is here with food.”
Shelley stood beside him and watched the line of people walking down the driveway. If they weren’t carrying plates of food, they stopped at Mr. Jessop’s truck and picked up a box or bag and carried it toward the house.
“Oh, my goodness,” Andrea whispered. “I didn’t think anyone would be able to help us.”
Shelley sighed. “This is Sapphire Bay. It’s what we do.” With a smile, she watched Andrea welcome the first of her guests into her home.
A feeling of pride filled Shelley’s heart to overflowing. Andrea was glowing with happiness and it was all because of a house that had needed as much love and attention as its new owner.
John stood behind Shelley and wrapped his arms around her. “Look at what you’ve done.”
The pride in his voice filled her eyes with tears. “What we’ve all done,” she whispered.
TWO MONTHS LATER…
Shelley hurried across to her mom. “You shouldn’t be moving that chair.”
Elena sent her an exasperated glare. “I am not an invalid. I can help get everything ready for Sam’s baby shower as well as anyone else.”
“I know you can, but there are other things you could do. What about helping Bailey? There’s so much food in the kitchen that she can’t plate it quickly enough.”
Elena checked her watch. “We only have half an hour before everyone arrives. Why didn’t she start sooner?”
“I’m not sure. Why don’t you ask her?”
Her mom’s eyes narrowed. “I know what you are doing. Luckily for you, I do not have time to argue.”
Shelley sighed as her mom went into the kitchen. Even though Elena was making a great recovery, everyone was super careful about what she did. Unfortunately, her mom was being incredibly stubborn. The more they tried to slow her down, the more determined she was to prove nothing was wrong.
“I have the extra chairs you rented,” John said from the doorway. “Where would you like