Picture Perfect Family

“Uncle Daniel?” Kaden called from her truck.

Daniel’s heart leaped at the sound, and his smile widened. “That you in there, slugger?”

“Uncle Daniel! Hey, you’re back!”

Oh, how he loved that boy. “Yes, I am, and I’m so glad I found you,” Daniel said, leaning his head out the window as he spoke. “Let me pull the truck over, and I’ll help you and Aunt Mandy.” He was still in the middle of the street, and even though there wasn’t a sign of another car around, he figured he should probably be safe.

He parked, then climbed out of the truck and walked to Kaden’s side of the vehicle. He was anxious to hug his nephew, and he could do that while figuring out Mandy’s problem with the truck.

“Uncle Daniel, my new friend Nathan said you’re cool. He was talking about you and the elephants and stuff,” Kaden said, climbing from his car seat and jumping into Daniel’s arms.

“Nathan?” Daniel asked, holding his nephew tight.

“Chad and Jessica Martin’s son.” Mandy didn’t look at Daniel as she spoke. Instead, she peered down the road as though she could will another car into existence.

“Right, I remember him. And he has a little sister, too, doesn’t he?” Daniel asked Kaden, since he seemed to be the only one interested in conversing.

“Uh-huh, Lainey. She’s little, only two.”

Mandy cleared her throat. “I did a photo shoot at Hydrangea Park of Chad and Jessica’s kids, and after the shoot, we stayed awhile to let Kaden play with Nathan.” She’d apparently given up on anyone else coming to her rescue and was now more interested in the dirt around her feet than looking at Daniel.

“And then we got in the truck to go back home but we ran out of gas,” Kaden said.

“Out of gas?” Daniel asked, smiling down at his nephew.

Mandy’s head snapped up. “Yes, out of gas.” Then she moved to the back of her truck, climbed into the bed and stepped around bales of hay and potted plants, searching for something. “I used the truck today because I needed some props, and I hardly ever drive granddaddy’s old truck, so I forgot to check the tank,” she said, shoving a hay bale aside. “Apparently, it was close to empty.”

“Apparently,” Daniel said, watching her push a few boxes, a shovel, an old-fashioned tricycle and some other odd, colorful objects around before withdrawing a small orange gas can.

“There,” she said, pushing dark bangs out of her eyes as she worked her way through the maze of objects to reach the back of the truck. Then she jumped down with the orange can in hand. “We need a ride to the gas station, if you don’t mind.”

“And you’ll need a ride back to your truck,” Daniel said, uncertain why he found it so much fun to push her buttons.

“Yes, that, too. I thought someone from town would probably drive by soon and give us a ride, but if you could do it, that will work.”

“I am from town,” he reminded, “and it isn’t a problem.” He put Kaden on the ground beside him and ruffled his hair. “Come on, we’ll move your car seat over to my truck.”

“He likes to call it a booster seat,” Mandy said. “Car seats are for babies, according to Kaden.”

Kaden gave her a toothy grin then smiled even bigger for Daniel. “I guess it’s both.”

Mandy’s face dropped. Daniel noticed, but had the wherewithal not to mention it. He really didn’t want to participate in a contest of who Kaden liked better. He wanted Kaden happy. Period.

Within minutes, he’d moved the booster seat over and buckled Kaden into the extended cab, then opened the passenger door for Mandy.

She maintained her distance as she climbed in, but the breeze still sent a hint of her peach shampoo, or perfume, across Daniel’s senses. He hadn’t smelled anything quite like it in a long time, especially not in Malawi or Tanzania, that’s for sure.

“When’d you get back from Africa?” Kaden asked.

“Late last night,” Daniel said, closing Mandy’s door and then walking around to his side of the truck and climbing in. “But I’m back to stay this time.”

“Yes!” Kaden’s excited yell from the backseat sent Daniel’s spirits soaring. He’d made the right decision to come back home. Thanks, God, for steering me once more.

Mandy huffed out an exasperated breath.

And if You don’t mind, Lord. Steer me again in how to handle Mandy.

“So we can spend time together whenever you want,” Daniel continued, then glanced at Mandy. “I’m assuming that will be okay with you.” Mandy had obtained custody after Mia and Jacob’s accident. At the time she’d promised Daniel could see his nephew as often as he wanted, but she’d also thought he didn’t plan on coming to Claremont more than twice a year at the max. “That is okay with you, isn’t it, Mandy?” Daniel repeated.

Instead of answering, she reached over and flipped on the radio, which Daniel naturally had programmed to the contemporary Christian station. “Avalanche” by Manifest belted from the speakers, and Kaden immediately started tapping his hands against the booster seat with the upbeat sound.

Mandy looked at Kaden and verified that he was absorbed in the music then she leaned toward Daniel. “I asked you not to come back,” she whispered.

“Yes, you did,” he acknowledged, starting the truck.

“But you came, anyway.”

“Yep, I did.” He headed toward Bo Taylor’s gas station a couple of miles toward town.

“Why?”

Daniel glanced in the rearview mirror at Kaden, now bobbing his head to the beat and attempting to sing along. Then he lowered his voice to match hers. “Because you also told me that I was out gallivanting across the globe and enjoying myself while you were left home to raise my nephew. You said that you were tired of having the weight of the world on your shoulders, so I came home to take that tiny weight off your hands and let you do what you want, Mandy.” He nodded, sent a smile to Kaden via the rearview mirror. “We’ll get everything settled with the court for custody and all, and then you can leave. It’ll be the same as before, but in reverse. You can see the world yourself, and let me raise Kaden. Of course, you can come home and visit Kaden whenever you like. I promise to take very good care of him, the way Mia and Jacob would’ve wanted.”

“I told you I shouldn’t have sent that email. Do you have any idea what I had been through at that point?”

Daniel noticed Kaden’s head had tilted and that he peered toward the front seat.

“Do you like this song, too, Uncle Daniel?”

“I sure do,” Daniel said, smiling back and tapping his hands against the steering wheel with the beat. Then he glanced at Mandy. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Fine.”

He pulled into the station and saw Bo and Maura Taylor inside the store. He’d known Bo for years, but had just met Maura when he’d come to town for the interview with Brother Henry. She was talking to a customer at the register inside, but Bo walked out of the station and greeted them, and again Daniel sensed that familiarity of being back home, where everyone knows you and everyone cares. It was similar to the friendships he had with the tiny church groups he’d started in Malawi and Tanzania, but different because the people of Claremont had known him and his family for years. And they knew about him losing Jacob, not only his twin brother but unquestionably his best friend.

“Daniel, good to see you! I heard on Sunday that you took the job at the church. Sure is great to have you back,” Bo said.

“It’s good to be back.”

“Need a fill up?”

“Sure, but I can get it,” Daniel said, climbing out.

“This is full service, you know,” Bo said. “And I enjoy doing my job.”

“Okay, then, it’s all yours,” he said, sliding his seat forward so he could reach through and unbuckle Kaden. “You want to go get a snack and a drink inside?”

“Definitely!” Kaden scurried across the seat and climbed out.

“How about you, Mandy? Want anything?”

“No.” She was still pouting, and Daniel let her, not that he really had a choice. But he hadn’t told her anything that wasn’t the truth about what she’d said in that email, and he knew that was her true feelings coming out. She felt trapped here, and he was going to set her free.

“I’ve got a can in the back that needs filling, too,” he said to Bo.

“We ran out of gas,” Kaden said, and Daniel caught Mandy’s arms folding tightly against her chest with his proclamation.

“Who did?” Bo asked then peered into the truck. “Well, hey, Mandy. Didn’t recognize you at first. Your hair’s longer than I remember. It’s been awhile.”

“Hello, Mr. Taylor. Good to see you.” She was polite but reserved, not the feisty, bubbly Mandy Carter that Daniel remembered, but then again, she was peeved.

The other customer left, and Maura came out of the gas station to visit, as well.

“You’ve met my wife, Maura, haven’t you?” Bo asked.

“Yes,” Daniel said. “Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise,” she said, smiling as Bo draped an arm around his wife. “I remember meeting you at the dinner on the grounds, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And now you’re going to be working at the church, I understand?”

“Yes, ma’am, with the youth.”

“Well, that’s great,” she said. “Autumn, our granddaughter, is seven now and starting to get involved in the youth activities at the church. I’m glad to know you’ll be working with that great group of kids.”

“Maura and I married a month ago,” Bo said. “Didn’t know if you knew that.”

“Brother Henry has been emailing the church bulletins to me each week while I’ve been gone, so I’ve stayed aware of my church family here,” Daniel said. “Congratulations on the wedding.”

“And who is this?” Maura asked, smiling at Kaden.

“This is my nephew, Kaden Brantley.”

Bo glanced at Maura and gave her a slight nod, then a sympathetic smile toward Kaden, and Daniel knew that Bo had apparently told her about Mia and Jacob. Or she could have heard it from someone at church. It was pretty big news in a small town when anyone died, but in this case even more because Mia and Jacob were so young and had so much to live for, particularly Kaden.

Maura’s mouth tightened, and she blinked a couple of times then squatted down to eye level with Kaden. “You know what, I made some cookies earlier to sell inside, but I haven’t had anyone here to taste them and let me know if they’re okay. Would you want to do that for me?”

“Would I! Yes, ma’am!”

Maura held out a hand, and Kaden took it. Then she turned toward Daniel’s door, still open, to see Mandy sitting inside. “Would you like to come in, too?”

“We’re going to try cookies, Aunt Mandy,” Kaden said. “Come on. You love cookies!”

“They’re fresh baked,” Maura tempted.

Mandy smiled—something Daniel certainly hadn’t seen since his arrival—and then climbed out of the passenger side. “I can’t imagine turning down fresh-baked cookies.”

“Aunt Mandy really likes cookies. We make them itchy.”

“Itchy?” Maura asked.

Mandy laughed, and Daniel was absorbed in the fullness of the sound, rolling out effortlessly, as though she liked nothing better than to set it free. Daniel was grateful that Kaden had undoubtedly been witness to it, because he laughed along with her now.

“Wh-what?” Kaden giggled. “What’d I say?”

“We make them from scratch,” Mandy told him, rubbing her hand over his head affectionately. “We don’t make them itchy.”

Bo, Maura and Daniel all chuckled along.

“But that was close,” Mandy finally said.

Kaden grinned. “Thanks!”

When their laughter subsided, Maura nodded toward Mandy. “Okay, let’s go test some of those cookies.” They turned and started toward the small gas station. Maura wiped a couple of laugh tears from her cheeks and then directed her attention on Mandy. “I don’t believe we’ve met, have we?”

“I don’t think so. I’m Mandy Carter, Kaden’s aunt. I own the photography store in the town square. Well, I do now. It belonged to my grandparents and then my sister.” Her voice trailed off. “Now just me.”

“And me. I help,” Kaden said. “And we live there, at the top of the store.”

“Yes, Kaden definitely helps,” Mandy said.

Daniel waited until they entered the station. “I’m a little surprised that Maura has never met Mandy.”

“I’m trying to introduce her to everyone in town, but I suppose our paths haven’t crossed with Mandy’s too much. We do go to the town square a bit. Autumn enjoys going to the toy shop and Nelson’s five-and-dime, but we haven’t been in the photography shop.” He smiled broadly. “Need to get over there. Maura and I don’t have a lot of photos of us together, other than the wedding, you know.”

“I’m guessing you’d have seen Mandy if she’d been at church?”

Bo frowned. “You know the answer to that. Everyone sees everyone at church. But no, she hasn’t been there, not since Mia and Jacob’s accident. And truthfully, Mandy never was much for church, from what I remember. She was in the same grade as my daughter Hannah, you know, but seems like when Hannah got more involved in church during those later teen years, Mandy kind of pulled away.”

Daniel remembered that time in Mandy’s life, and now he wished he’d have done something to bring her back to God.

Bo’s eyes lifted. “But I will invite her today. Don’t know why I didn’t think about that sooner. I went years away from God, you know, and it’s not a fun place to be, away from Him.” He paused. “Maura, too, after she lost her daughter. I think that’s why she’s probably going to bond pretty well with that little Kaden. Our granddaughter, Autumn, lost her mother. But Autumn is doing great now. She’s a little older than Kaden, but I’m sure they’d get along real well. Maybe if you can get Mandy to bring him to church, he and Autumn can meet there.”

“Kaden will come to church with me,” Daniel said. There was no question that he’d take his nephew back to church, but if he had his way, he’d bring Mandy back to God, too. If she was going off to see the world, and Daniel was determined to let her go, he wanted to know she had God along for the trip.

“Well, it’ll be good for Kaden to have both of you in his life,” Bo said. “A child needs that, people who care and are working together for his or her best interest. Family. People who love each other.”

Daniel couldn’t offer all of that, not when it came to him and Mandy, but they did both care about Kaden. He glanced up to see Maura, Mandy and Kaden exit the store. Kaden had a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. Mandy’s hands were filled with the same, and so were Maura’s.

“You didn’t bring us any?” Bo teased.

“Our hands were full,” Kaden said, using his tongue to grab a bit of stray chocolate from his lip, “but yours are waiting for you on the counter.”

Mandy grinned and licked the chocolate from her fingers. She looked so different when she smiled, actually sweet, like someone Daniel could actually connect with. And Daniel suddenly noticed that he’d just seen that same smile on Kaden. He looked to his nephew, then back to Mandy. Kaden had Mandy’s smile.

“You okay, Uncle Daniel?” Kaden asked, and Daniel wondered if his thoughts were that obvious.

Kaden had his eyes and Mandy’s smile. That was so noticeable now, and Daniel wondered why. God, what are you telling me?

“Uncle Daniel?” Kaden repeated.

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m fine,” he answered.

“He’s wanting some of those cookies,” Bo said to Kaden.

Daniel grinned. “I sure do. Here you go,” he handed over several bills to Bo, “for the gas, the milk and the cookies.”

“I’ll bring your change for the gas. The milk and cookies are on the house. We’ll consider it your welcome home treat. And I’ll grab your cookies when I come back out with your change,” Bo said, walking toward the station.

“Can I have another cookie please?” Kaden asked.

“Sure,” Maura said. “Come on, I’ll take you to get one.”

She and Kaden followed Bo, and Daniel found himself alone with Mandy. She’d finished her cookie and held tightly to her small carton of milk while she leaned against the truck and avoided looking in Daniel’s direction. He took a deep breath and decided he might as well get everything out in the open while he had the chance.

“I want you to give me custody,” he said. “After the funerals, it seemed like a good idea for you to raise Kaden, but I didn’t consider the fact that you want to see the world. And I’m good with that. I’ve had my chance to travel. Now I want to work here with the church, and I want to raise Kaden.”

She shifted, turned dark eyes toward Daniel. “Listen, I wish you’d believe me. I didn’t mean what I said in that email. Kaden had been throwing up for three days straight and was burning up with fever. I was tired from puke patrol and was catching that wretched bug myself.” She sighed heavily. “When I sent the email, I already had a fever and had gotten sick twice myself. It was a weak moment, and I sent you a second email the next morning to let you know I didn’t mean it.”

“But I’d already emailed Brother Henry asking for a job.”

“So you could have told him you changed your mind.”

“But I didn’t.” He put the gas can in the back of the truck. “Mandy, I’m the same guy who heard you say nearly those exact words seven years ago, that you would do anything to leave this horrid little town.”

“I can’t believe you’d bring that up now. Do you really think I meant it? That I would have married you just to get away from here?”

“Yes, Mandy, I do.”

She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut when Kaden ran out of the store in front of Bo and Maura.

“Here’s yours,” he said, handing Daniel a carton of milk and a small brown bag. “Mrs. Maura gave you three cookies, ‘cause she said men eat more than boys. But then she gave me another one, so I got three, too.”

“Guess you’re a man,” Daniel said, patting Kaden’s back.

“Yep,” Kaden said, shimmying into the backseat. “Guess so.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll see you again in a few minutes,” Bo said to Mandy. “You’ll need gas in your car, right?”

“That’s right,” she said. “Thank you for the cookies and milk.”

“You’re welcome.” He grinned. “And Mandy, we’d love to have you back at church, you know.”

She returned the smile, but this time it didn’t reach her eyes. “I know. Thank you.” Then she got in the passenger seat and buckled up.

“Aunt Mandy?”

“Yes?”

“Can I stay in this truck till we get home?”

Daniel paused climbing in to see what she’d say.

Mandy swallowed then turned warm eyes toward Kaden. “If you want to, that’s fine. You haven’t seen Uncle Daniel in a while. You probably want to visit and ask him about those elephants, don’t you?”

Kaden took a sip of milk from his carton, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, maybe. But I mainly want to stay in this truck because it was Daddy’s. We always went riding in this truck, before Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.”

Chapter Three

After getting Mandy’s truck running again, Daniel followed her back to the gas station. Bo saw them and walked out of the station looking glad. Daniel had planned to wait until she filled up and then follow her home, but Mandy got out of her truck and walked back to his with a keychain dangling from her hand. Daniel noticed a rectangular photo suspended from the silver ring, and as she got closer the image came into focus and displayed Mandy and Mia on Mia’s wedding day.

She neared his open window and handed him the keychain. The close proximity sent another sweet fragrance of peaches teasing Daniel’s senses, and he swallowed past the urge to inhale deeper.

“Here’s the key to the shop. You can go on ahead and spend a little time with Kaden until I get there.” She peeked toward the backseat and displayed another beautiful smile that wasn’t at all intended for Daniel’s enjoyment.

But he enjoyed it, anyway.

“Kaden, maybe you can show Uncle Daniel that house we built last night. That sound good to you?”

“Sure!”

“Lincoln Logs,” she said to Daniel. Her words were still short toward him, but he was growing used to it. She’d been perfecting her stoicism around him for seven years, after all.

“Those were mine and Jacob’s favorite toys growing up,” Daniel said quietly.

A look passed over her face, and he figured she was trying to decide whether to respond or simply walk away. Then her mouth slid to the side, and she blinked a couple of times before whispering softly enough for Kaden not to hear, “I remembered Mia had planned to get him some for Christmas so I asked Mr. Tolleson at Nelson’s if he could order a set. They came in yesterday.” She swallowed. “We played with them last night until we were both ready for bed, but I’m guessing he would probably like a guy to help with the building. I do my best, but I’m still learning.”

Daniel noticed that her eyes glistened. Undoubtedly she’d been crying during the short drive from where they’d picked up her car to the station. And Daniel understood. Kaden’s comment about “before Mommy and Daddy went to heaven,” was a sharp reminder that his nephew’s life had been forever altered by a distinctive barrier. In fact, all three of their lives had been altered by that same barrier. The time before Mia and Jacob died, and the time after.

Mandy exhaled thickly and said to Kaden, “I’ll see you back at home, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, rummaging through the brown bag Maura had given him earlier and pulling out another cookie.

“Hey, don’t eat too many. You’ll ruin your dinner,” she warned. “I made that taco soup you wanted.”

“I’ve just got this one left,” Kaden said, taking a bite. “And I’ve only had three, same as Uncle Daniel.”

“Okay. I will see both of you at home, then.” She turned and walked toward Bo.

Daniel drove to the town square thinking about Mandy, the way she spoke to him and more importantly the way she spoke to Kaden. There had been an intimacy there that he hadn’t anticipated, a maternal aspect to her tone and to her words.

By the time they arrived at the photo shop, Kaden had told Daniel about how he and Mandy built the big house out of logs, how they had picnics at the park and how she was trying to help him ride a big boy bike, but she hadn’t let go of the back yet, even though he really really wanted her to.

“She keeps running behind me ‘cause she don’t want me to fall,” Kaden said, standing beside Daniel as he turned the key in the lock of the shop’s door.

“She’s just trying to keep you from getting hurt,” Daniel explained.

“But how’m I gonna ride by myself if she won’t let go?”

“Maybe she’ll let me help you learn,” Daniel offered.

“You’re gonna let go?”

“Yes,” Daniel promised. Undoubtedly Kaden would take a few falls, probably the exact reason Mandy didn’t want to let go. He’d been hurt enough, and she didn’t want it to happen again in any way, shape or form. Neither did Daniel. But Kaden had a point; how would he learn, how would he grow, if everyone didn’t “let go” every now and then?

Kaden pointed to the hand-painted sign on the door. “We’re open for business now that we’re back, so we have to flip it over.”

Daniel’s laugh came easy. “You really are Aunt Mandy’s helper, aren’t you?”

“Yep,” Kaden said, leading the way through the gallery portion of the store. “She needs me. She says so all the time.”

Something about the simple statement resonated with Daniel, but he didn’t stop to analyze why. Instead, he followed his nephew through the abundance of photos covering the walls and easels inside Carter Photography. Striking pictures of babies, children, couples and families. There were still life photos, as well, stargazer lilies, an antique sewing machine, a bowl of peaches. But regardless of the subjects portrayed in each photograph, Mandy’s work was incredible. He’d known her family was big into photography, but until this moment he hadn’t realized that Mandy had inherited the talent.