Page 57 of A Whim and a Prayer

He paused to give it some thought, figuring he could save some of his studying for weekends now that Winnie was avoiding him.

“I mean, we’ll pay you, of course,” she rushed on, obviously concerned over his delay in response, “which will help with your law school fund, right? Then dinner twice a week and all the snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies you can eat.”

He smiled. “I guess that can be arranged, but on one condition—no monetary payment, Mrs. D, or the deal is off,” he said with a firm dip of his chin.

“B-But—”

“No ‘buts’ about it, Mrs. D—no monetary payment, period.” A lazy smile eased across his lips. “But I will accept dinners and cookies, all right?”

“Oh, all right then”—she leveled a stern finger his way—“but no more ‘Mrs. D,’ do you hear? You call me ‘Charity’ and call Mr. D ‘Mitch’ because let’s face it,” she said with an imp of a smile, “you’ll be calling us that soon enough if our plan works.”

He grinned. “Yes, ma’am, God willing.”

“Oh, He does,” Charity said with a heft of her chin, her smile more than a little smug. “I feel it in my bones.”

“All right, ‘Charity’”—Beck shook his head as he glugged more milk, not completely comfortable with calling Winnie’s parents by their Christian names, but definitely agreeing with the premise—“what nights?”

“I’ll let you know early each week what nights she’ll be home, okay? Then you and she will do dishes together every time you’re here, starting with tonight because there’s always something Winnie does that I can punish with dishes.”

He chuckled. “No doubt about that.”

She glanced at her watch. “Mitch said he’s trying to get home by six”—she rolled her eyes as if she didn’t quite believe it—“so we’ll eat as soon as he walks through the door, all right? But till then, you can give Julia her first lesson.”

The sparkle in her eyes dimmed a tad. “Oh, and did you hear Winnie’s now a member of The Footlight Club?” She scrunched her nose again as if the very idea was distasteful, and to be honest, it didn’t sit well with him either. “Mrs. Cullen’s idea, not mine,” she said in a rush, “and of course Mitch and Winnie outvoted me.”

He gave a slow nod. “Yeah, Abby told me.”

“Well, Mrs. Cullen offered to take Winnie to the monthly meetings and any other events they have, including involvement in plays, and although I’m sure we’ll have to take her up on that sometimes”—her tongue did a quick slide of her teeth as she peeked up with a hesitant look—“I was rather hoping I could pay you gas money to take her instead.” She straightened in the chair with a sudden sparkle in her eyes. “Unless, of course, you’d consider joining yourself? Because I don’t want her driving into the city at night.”

He paused too long, not minding chauffeuring Winnie, but not really wanting to commit time to the theatre, especially with his aversion to being onstage. And not with all the overtime shifts he’d been volunteering for lately or the studying he hoped to get in.

Apparently sensing his hesitation, she waved him off again. “Oh, not necessary, Beck, truly. I know you’re busy, but if you could consider driving her to and from sometimes, that would be a big help.”

“I can do that, Mrs. D—”

She held up a finger. “Ah … ah … ah … it’s Charity, remember?”

His smile faltered as he gave a nod. “Okay, just let me know the schedule ahead of time, Charity, and we’ll be good. Then, when I can’t, maybe Mrs. Cullen can?”

“Oh, absolutely!” With a little hop in her chair, she clasped her hands to her chest in excitement. “Well, then, I’d say between you, me, and God, we have a prettttty decent chance of making you part of this family, Beckett Campbell. And, don’t forget—we have prayer!”

He laughed. “Well then, with the prayers of you, me, my mother, and Jewels?” He raised his milk in a toast as he gave her a wink. “We just might have a chance.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“So, tell me, quick!” Abby quietly shut her bedroom door and hurried to bounce on the bed next to Winnie, kicking off her Keds. “What was it like at The Footlight Club? Was it swell?”

“Oh, Abs,” Winnie said, dropping back on the bed with a dreamy sigh, arms limp at her sides, “it was the tops!” She quickly wiggled up, tossing her own sneakers onto the floor to sit Indian style in her bobby socks, hands clasped to her lips. “We’ve both seen plays there a number of times, so you know how it looks from the seats—all proper and a little old-fashioned? Well, once you’re a member at The Footlight Club and on the other side, it’s truly out of this world! I nearly floated clear to the rafters.”

Winnie lifted her head with eyes closed, the magic of her first visit as a member returning all over again, sending warm chills through her body. “The minute I stepped inside as one of them, it felt different. Not like I was just some kid buying a ticket or eating popcorn in the audience, you know? Mr. Harris—the club president—actually shook my hand and welcomed me, saying he was glad to have me there. And backstage?”

She vaulted from the bed to whirl around with arms outstretched. “It’s the keenest part ever! There are costumes everywhere—feathers and old military jackets and gowns that smell like face powder and cold cream. The mirrors have those bright bulbs all around them, and when they’re lit, everybody looks like a movie star.”

She whirled to a stop, ramming her thumbnail to her teeth as a fresh rush of adrenaline gushed through her veins. “And the stage from behind? Oh my goodness, Abby, it’s enormous! You can peek through the curtain and see everyone out there, right up close. When the lights hit, it’s hotter than July, and you can hear the boards creak when someone crosses. It makes your stomach flip, but in a good way.”

She plopped back down, grabbing her cousin’s hand with a little squeal. “I thought it was just a lovely little theatre before. But being part of it? Sponsored by Mrs. C, who’s one of its top members? Holy cow, that’s something else! It’s like belonging to a secret club where everybody’s rooting for you. I just love it!”

“Oh, Win, I’m so happy for you!” Abby crushed her in a tight hug, then pulled back with a giggle. “And I can hardly believe your parents said yes, especially Aunt Charity.”