Granting Wishes Read online

  Chapter 19

  It was four weeks later when Chelsea pulled into work with the top down on her metallic toffee brown Beetle Convertible. She was crazy in love with her affordable, yet stylish new car. It got good gas mileage and she happened to think she looked pretty cute driving it. After trading in her clunker and putting down a large down-payment, her monthly payments were easy to handle. Lilah had teased her for her choice of car, but Dom said it fit her to a T. She agreed with him.

  Things between them had smoothed out once they sat down and talked about Jade. Dom assured her he didn’t have feelings for his ex-girlfriend. The only reason he’d met her at the diner that Saturday morning was because she had texted him the night before when they were on the way home from the bar sounding quite distressed. He’d been intrigued, and a little too drunk to be thinking clearly. Jade told him she was back in town for a while and was looking up old friends to reconnect. She had mentioned she’d been having a really hard time and could use a friend to talk to. He told Chelsea he didn’t expect Jade to still act like she had a chip on her shoulder. Since then, he had avoided her calls going so far as to block her number when she kept trying to get ahold of him.

  The office lights were on though Chelsea had arrived early to meet everyone for an early start to their volunteer work today. Upon further inspection, she noticed Lilah’s purse was on the floor by her desk looking like it had been tossed there. As she sat her things on her desk, she heard the unmistakable sounds of someone vomiting in the bathroom. After knocking on the door, she heard a croaked “yes” followed by more heaving noises. Chelsea’s stomach rolled but her friend needed her so she pushed open the door to see Lilah kneeling in front of the white porcelain toilet holding onto it like her life depended on it. Lilah tore off a wad of tissue and wiped her mouth with it while Chelsea pulled a cloth out of the cabinet and ran it under cold water. She rang it out and filled a Dixie cup with water and handed it to her friend while she wiped her face off with the cold rag.

  “It sounds like you need to take the day off, hon,” Chelsea said as she gently rubbed Lilah’s back.

  “No, I actually feel better now. Well, I will if you pour me some mouthwash in this cup,” she said, handing the cup back to Chelsea.

  Chelsea filled it with spearmint Listerine and handed it back. “If this doesn’t kill the taste of puke, nothing will.”

  While Lilah swished and spit, Chelsea rinse out the cloth and rubbed it over Lilah’s neck. “What set it off? Did you eat something bad for breakfast, or were you out drinking last night and didn’t invite me?”

  “No, neither one. I walked through the cafeteria to drop off a stack of flyer's for the grand re-opening of Kringle Farms and the smell of fried hash browns made my stomach do triple back-flips. I didn’t think I was gonna make it in here. I do feel better now. A little light headed, but not like earlier.”

  “Huh, you love their hash-browns and gravy. I wonder why that would bother you all of a sudden? Oh…” Then it hit Chelsea what might be wrong. Lilah sat back against the wall. For a woman that had just thrown up, she still looked beautiful; even dressed down in shorts and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back into a bun. Today was scheduled to be a work day out at the farm to prepare for the re-opening so they had decided to dress for comfort. Not even a bit of make-up was applied but Lilah was glowing. “Lilah, honey,” Chelsea started slowly, taking a deep breath.

  “What? What’s wrong? Please don’t tell me I have puke on my face!”

  “No, not at all. You look beautiful as a matter of fact. You’re glowing.”

  Lilah wasn’t catching on to the subtle hint. She didn’t have a clue as to what was currently racing through Chelsea’s mind.

  “I have a question; an intimate one. When you and Jake were together, did you use protection?”

  Lilah got up off the floor and looked at Chelsea, grabbing her arms as if to steady herself. “We, um, we’ve only,” she stuttered. “It was just that one time.” She started pacing back and forth while Chelsea stayed quiet a moment, letting her work it out in her head.

  “But what’s the chance of that happening the first time? Oh crap, Chels. You don’t think?”

  “When was your last cycle?”

  Lilah flew out of the bathroom and grabbed her purse, pulling out her planner and flipping through it. “When was yours, Chels? We usually are in sync.”

  Chelsea thought about it a moment and her face flushed bright pink. She was speechless.

  “Holy shit,” she said, grabbing her cell phone and looking at the calendar notes. She sat down with a hard thump and dropped it on the floor.

  “You and Dom didn’t use protection either?”

  She shook her head slowly, feeling shock wash over her like a rush of cold water. It was a bad time for Josie to walk in all bubbly and bright. But everyone had planned on meeting early, having breakfast at Ms. Lola’s, then riding out to the Kringle’s together.

  “Well good mornin’ my beautifious sunshine’s! Isn’t it a glorious day? I’m so stinkin’ excited to be workin’ outside today even though it’s supposed to be hotter than a two peckered billy goat. Thank y’all so much for includin’ me in on this. I do declare I just love my job here! And don’t y’all look just gorgeous all fresh-faced and natural. I cheated though. I can absolutely not leave my house without a layer of mascara and drawin’ on my eyebrows. I’d be a fright I tell ya. Would even scare those precious animals on the farm.” She laughed, then looked from Lilah to Chelsea once she realized neither one was talking. “What’s wrong? Too early for me to be so chipper? I bet y’all haven’t even had your coffee yet have you? And here I am just a ramblin’ away.”

  “Good morning, ladies,” Angel said as she walked in. “I’m ready to go if all of you are. Sorry I was running late.”

  Still, Chelsea and Lilah were staring at each other not saying a word. The silence was uncomfortable and awkward, but Lilah broke it when she hopped up and grabbed her bag. “Chels and I need to make a quick run to the store. We’ll meet you at the diner.” Chelsea jumped up and followed her out, swinging her purse over her shoulder without a word before Angel or Josie could object.

  “Well, that was strange,” Josie said to Angel.

  “Yeah, I’d say so. Come on, let’s head out and grab a table at Ms. Lola’s before it gets too busy.”

  In the meantime, Lilah and Chelsea hopped into her Beetle and made a beeline for the grocery store and bought home pregnancy tests. Deciding it wasn’t something they could wait on they stopped at the bathroom after they went through the check-out line.

  “According to the instructions, we have to wait two minutes then check the results,” Chelsea said. “You either get a plus or a minus in the little round window.”

  “Ah crap, I pee’d on my hand. This is not my damn day.” Lilah cried out in the stall next to hers.

  They sat their tests on the counter while they washed their hands. By now, both were silent. It was the longest two minutes, but when Chelsea said it was time, they held hands and walked back to the counter again and looked together. Lilah immediately burst out in tears.

  ***

  Ms. Lola’s was getting busy by the time they arrived and scooted into the corner booth with the girls, Dom, and Jake. The girls tried to mask their surprise at seeing their boyfriends there.

  “We figured we’d sneak into town and enjoy breakfast with our favorite ladies before we start our work day. Breakfast is my treat of course. It’s the least I can do for making y’all sweat out in this heat and humidity today.” Jake slid his arm around Lilah’s shoulders and gave her a tender kiss. Ms. Lola came by with a fresh pot of coffee and started flipping their cups over on the saucers to fill them, but Lilah quickly covered hers with her hand. “I think I just want some orange juice, Ms. Lola, thank you.” Chelsea chimed in, “I’d like a tall glass of chocolate milk. I’m all coffee’d out.”

  Dom’s laughter had a wicked tone to it when he replied, “Mhmm, and we all kno
w how my girl loves her chocolate.” Her face turned beet red and she swatted his arm, “You’re so bad, Dom.” He chuckled and kissed her, “I am, but you love me don’t you?” She grinned at him, melting a little. “I do.”

  It was Josie’s turn to giggle now. “Aw, y’all are such cute couples. So romantical, seein’ y’all so in love. I wish there was a single man in the bunch of ya. Then I could be a part of the family.”

  A collective groan started a bout of laughter that eased the earlier tension the girls were feeling. The rest of their breakfast was filled with laughter and good-natured teasing. Afterwards, they all piled into cars and headed out to Kringle Farms where the work was already in progress. Jake gave them a quick tour of the most recent accomplishments to the renovations and expansion. They now had two additional buildings that would house bunks for future campers. Their licensing was in process and they had recently hired two special needs equine therapists that would be the head of that department. The animal therapy program was now in the works and soon they would be able to begin hosting troubled youth and special needs patients. It was a proven fact that equine therapy had many benefits and Kringle Farms was happy to be able to begin providing that service to the community. Thanks to the Canes’ A Million Wishes program, there would be no charge to any of the children or adults that joined the program.

  Sidewalks with railing and ramps had been installed throughout the property for ease of maneuvering. The new barn housed not only paint horses and buckskins, but there were also Shetland ponies and Kringle Farms pride and joy, Clydesdale’s that were a big part of the holiday programs. They were a sight to see, pulling wagons for hayrides, carriage rides or prancing through the local parades. Gentle giants that loved attention and that were so tame they could even be a part of the therapy program for the youth. They were proud, majestic animals with sweet temperaments. A truly beautiful sight to see.

  The tack room was already lined with saddles, blankets, and bridles, along with grooming supplies for the many animals on site. Today was painting day. The outsides of all the buildings, both old and new, were getting coated with traditional barn red paint with white trim. The volunteers that had joined in the effort to make Kringle Farms shine had showed up ready to work. This place had long been a beacon of light in the community and now it was getting the tender loving care it deserved.

  “I know we don’t have campers coming in yet, but we need our photographer to take pictures of it all for the brochures. We’ll also be giving tours during our grand re-opening event. Can a couple of y’all be in charge of making up all the beds and hanging the curtains while the rest help paint today?”

  “Lilah and I will do that, Jake,” Chelsea volunteered. Smelling paint fumes was certainly not something they needed to be doing.

  “Hey, guys. Where do you need us, Jake?” Noah Cane and his father, Matthias, came up to the group. Lilah hugged her father and grandfather, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

  “Thanks for coming out to help,” Jake shook their hands, then pointed to the station he had set up with all the painting supplies. “Grab whatever you like to paint with and we’ll start work on the main barn first.”

  “Sounds good. Mikayla and GiGi are cooking up a feast for everyone, so spread the word they’ll be bringing food out later.”

  “Sure appreciate that, sir.” Jake led them off, leaving Chelsea and Lilah to start fixing up the beds.

  Chapter 20

  Lilah was at a loss as to what to do. Last weekend had gone smoothly and with the town’s efforts, Kringle Farms was a sparkling light in the community once again. There were still some minor things that needed finishing up. But for the most part, it was ready for the grand re-opening festivities that would be starting on Saturday morning. A small sort of carnival was being set up in one of the empty fields that would house kiddie rides, game booths, face painting, and food stands that would further help raise funds for the farm. A petting zoo with the most docile animals was going to be a hot spot for a lot of the children, along with pony rides and getting pictures made.

  Everything was coming together but she felt such a sense of worry and dread she couldn’t even enjoy it. Her doctor appointment this morning confirmed her home pregnancy test. She was indeed pregnant and had yet to tell Jake. That was what she was dreading. He had told her how he hated that he’d knocked up Alana and paid hell for it ever since. What if he got angry with her or didn’t want to raise a baby with her? He hadn’t even been with another woman since Alana left him after giving birth to sweet little Roxy until the night they spent at the cabin. And they hadn’t been together intimately ever since. He was loving towards her, but held her at a distance.

  Hungry, frustrated, and worried, she decided to do what seemed to be the best idea at the moment. Stop at Sweet Treats, Margie’s bakery and buy enough sugary confections to share with the girls at work and indulge herself in some comfort food. As soon as she walked in a rush of cool air greeted her with the fragrance of coffee and cinnamon. That was the worst part of being pregnant, giving up her morning and afternoon pot of coffee. She was going to settle for a decaf vanilla caramel Frappuccino if it killed her. Caffeine was no longer an option. There was a fresh tray of cinnamon rolls smothered in cream cheese frosting in the case, begging for her to eat them when she walked up to the counter. Usually Margie came right out from behind the swinging doors that led to the kitchen but when she didn’t, Lilah looked around to see only one other person sitting at a small table. “Good morning,” Lilah said to the young woman. She glanced at Lilah and lowered her head as if she were trying to hide her unkempt appearance.

  “Good morning, Lilah. I’ll be with you in just a minute, honey.” Margie greeted Lilah as she came out of the back carrying a paper sack filled with what appeared to be packages of breads and danish pastries. She placed it on the floor next to the girl’s feet and patted her shoulder. Margie leaned down and spoke softly to the girl and then went behind the counter. She poured a cup of hot cocoa and pulled one of the fresh cinnamon rolls out of the case placing it on a dish and took it to the girl’s table, patting her shoulder again when she whispered her thanks. Lilah felt her heart wrench when she watched from the corner of her eye as the young girl tore into it like she was starving to death. When the girl saw she was watching, she quickly slowed down and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

  “What can I get for you, honey?”

  “I’d love one of those cinnamon rolls like she’s having. Gosh, they look so good!”

  “Yes ma’am, those are fresh from the oven. Want to eat it here or to go?”

  “I think I’ll eat it here. Will you box some up for the girls at work, along with a mixed dozen donuts and danish pastries. I’ll take a decaf vanilla caramel frap along with that.”

  “Sure thing, honey. You go ahead and sit down, and I’ll fix you right up.”

  Lilah looked over at the girl again as she finished off the cinnamon roll in record time and licked the frosting off her fingers. “How about another roll for her too, Margie.” Margie smiled and nodded her head as Lilah walked over to the girl’s table.

  “Hi, I’m Lilah. Mind if I join you?”

  She nodded her head and reached for her cocoa with a shaky hand. “I don’t mind.”

  “What’s your name, sugar?” Lilah smiled as Margie brought over a tray with two cinnamon rolls and a frap. The girl followed Lilah’s lead as she picked up her fork and cut into the sweet, gooey treat and took a bite.

  “My name is Sabrina, ma’am. Thank you for the roll. I guess I was pretty hungry this morning.”

  “That’s a pretty name, Sabrina. I’m pretty hungry this morning too. Besides, who can eat just one of Margie’s treats? So yummy,” she smiled at Sabrina warmly.

  “Ms. Margie is a real sweet lady.”

  Margie came over and refilled Sabrina’s cocoa and grinned. “Now you girls are flattering me. Gonna give me a big head! My momma always taught me that food is love. So I put a lot of love in th
e food I make. That’s my secret ingredient.”

  “Well it’s delicious, Margie. Bad for my backside but so good for my tummy.”

  Sabrina giggled a little, covering her mouth with her hand. The girl was quite pretty though it was clear she was destitute. She looked to be around eighteen or so with long brown hair and amber eyes. All she had with her was a backpack that had seen better days. One strap was broken and it was as dirty as Sabrina’s baggy clothes were.

  “Do you live around here, Sabrina? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” Lilah asked, taking a sip of her icy decaf frap that she had decided wasn’t too bad of a replacement for her usual coffee addiction.

  “Here and there.” Sabrina shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable with Lilah’s questioning.

  “I work a few miles from here. You know where the Reconstructing Warriors Rehab Center is?” She watched as Sabrina’s eyes widened and she shook her head yes. “My office is on the third floor there. I started a foundation with my mother about six years ago called, A Million Wishes. Have you heard of it?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Everybody in Sugar Creek has heard of it. Y’all do a lot of nice things for people.” Sabrina nervously tugged at her shirt and fidgeted.

  “Do you have a job and a place to say, Sabrina?” Lilah reached out and put her hand over the young girls and smiled. “You don’t have to be nervous or shy, sugar.”

  “No, ma’am. I did, but not now. I sleep under the bridge usually. Ms. Margie gives me her day olds and I help her clean up sometimes. Some days I go down to Ms. Lola’s and she lets me do odd jobs and pays me for it.” Sabrina looked on the verge of tears.

  “Well, if you are looking for work, I might have a place for you if you’d be interested. We have been behind in the office since we’ve spent so much time out at Kringle Farms getting it ready for re-opening. I could really use an extra hand at catching up.”