Page 8 of Hope for the Best

He and Caleb were the conservative-looking ones in the family with shorter hair and practical taste in clothing, whereas Casey had taken after their dad, Max, who had a slightly edgier look and vibe. At least that was how it was when they used to come here.

I knew I shouldn't let myself speculate about the Morgans. There was no hope for a future for Charlie and me, so I just turned it off—I turned off my desire for him like there was a switch.

"I just have these warm fuzzy memories of that family," I said, being honest since Stacy's family seemed so curious. "So many of my childhood summers were spent with them. I love living on Lake Sutton, mostly because I grew up spending so much time out there on the west banks. I loved having my dad work over there."

"Doulos," Bridgette said.

"Do what?"

She pronounced the word again. "Dou-los."

But it was foreign to me, and I shrugged. "What's that?"

"It's the Greek word for slave or servant. It's from the Bible. I'm sure it's from other places, too, but the Bible is where I know it from."

I knew Bridgette Rhodes was a big-time Christian, so it didn't surprise me to hear her come out with the Greek lesson.

"The apostle Paul," she continued, putting her things behind the counter. "He wrote a lot of letters in the New Testament. He calls himself a doulos when he introduces himself, which is the Greek word for bondslave—bondservant."

"Did you just get back from church or something?" Stan asked, poised to head back to the kitchen.

"No, I went to the store. Why?"

"Because what's that have to do with anything?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

I was so distracted that I hadn't even realized that her comment didn't have to do with anything. I stood there with Stacy and Stan, looking at Bridgette. She pointed at me.

"Hope was saying she had warm fuzzies about the Morgans, and I was thinking about her dad working for them. That was the whole point of the word Paul used to describe himself. There were deals back then where people would work off debts to each other by serving as a slave in a household for a certain period of time, depending on what they owed. And sometimes, even when the debt was paid off, the person would choose to stay and continue to work as a servant in that house because their life was better there than it was before they got there. Paul calls himself doulos to say that he's serving Christ by choice—that his life is better as a slave to the cause of the kingdom." She shrugged. "I was thinking about your dad. He'd probably go back to working over there if the job opened up."

I nodded. Their family loved me and my family, and she meant no offense. "I'm sure he would. I don't think they're hiring anybody, though. We were just talking to Charlie and them about the house, and he said they haven't decided what they're going to do with it yet. They might just sell it."

"They said that at first," Stacy said. "But then they started reminiscing and talking about all the good times they had there."

"I bet they could get two or three million for that place," Stan said. "Even in the shape it's in."

"Mister Donnie said it's being remodeled," Stacy said.

Her dad shook his head. "Well, then I'm sure it's worth more than that."

I held up my bag with one hand as I smiled at the three of them. "Thank you so much for dinner."

"I put some chocolate cake in there for you," Stan said.

"Thank you."

"What are you doing this weekend?" Stacy asked.

I widened my eyes and made a silly, stiff face. "Probably rock climbing," I said, making her laugh. "I'll call you tomorrow or Saturday," I added, smiling.

Stacy walked toward the door with me while her parents stayed in the restaurant. I waved at them one more time on my way out.

"It's insane seeing those guys, huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, kind of," I said with a casual shrug.

"Why are you being aloof."

"Why would I be anything but aloof?"

"I don't know. You should be happy. It's cool that a bunch of good-looking men are coming to Lake Sutton this summer. Charlie might be the only one who's married."

She raised her eyebrows, and I smiled and rolled my eyes at her, shaking my head. "There are guys all over this lake in the summer," I said.

"Those Morgans are some pretty top-notch hunks of beef, though, am I right?" she said, lifting her eyebrows again. "I had forgotten about that family. And then we get two groups in one day. The guys who came in earlier looked good just like these, and I don't think they were married. None of them said they were." She had a faraway look in her eyes as she fanned herself. Stacy had been boy crazy since I'd known her, and I could see her wheels turning about the Morgans.

"Yeah, I can't believe they're here, either," I said. "I wonder if they'll sell the house or keep it."

"I don't know," she said. "But I'm sure we'll see them again this summer."

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