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“Well, hello, girls. I hope you’re going to talk your mom into staying for a while. After all, that tire swing out there hasn’t been used in a really long time, and I’d love it if I had two little girls to try it out to make sure it still works.”
“Can we do it now?” Penelope asked, her brows lifted, her look eager.
“There are a lot of other things around here that need a child’s touch once in a while. So hopefully you’re going to get your mom to stay.”
“I already told you I can’t pay you,” Jubilee said, giving her head a slight shake as Penelope continued to look at her with pleading eyes.
“And I told you you didn’t have to worry about that,” Matt said, his voice firm. “Mom, where would you like their luggage?”
“Just hold on a second. She hasn’t invited us to stay, and I haven’t said that I would.” Jubilee felt like she was losing control of the situation, that Matt was going to strong-arm his mother into allowing her to stay and strong-arm her into imposing.
“Matt just knows me really well. Anyone who comes is welcome. I’m sorry I didn’t say that right away. And I certainly don’t expect payment. Not from someone whose car is broken down and we’re doing a good deed for. After all, if you pay me now, God won’t be able to pay me in heaven. And I’d rather have the heavenly cash.”
Jubilee froze for a moment, listening to what Lana said. She’d been around Christians all of her life. Of course. And she considered herself one, too. But she’d never heard of someone refusing money because they wanted “heavenly cash.” That was new. But...should it be true? The Bible did say if you got reward on earth, you wouldn’t get it in heaven. And it stood to reason that the heavenly payment would be much better than the earthly one.
“Are you convinced now?” Matt said, and there was a note in his voice, one that made her think that he cared.
She tried to ignore that too. There were just too many things happening, too many nice things. She wasn’t used to it all.
“Are you trying to get me to tell you that you were right?” she asked, turning to him and lifting her brows. She didn’t want to admit that, but at the same time...
“I’m sorry, I know that sometimes Matt can be a little overbearing and bossy. That’s the tendency of the firstborn, isn’t it?” Lana laughed like there was nothing she could do about it. And there probably wasn’t. “But he also makes a great packhorse, which maybe isn’t as much of a tendency of the firstborn as it is of big, strapping guys who do a lot of work outside. Go ahead and bring her stuff in, and put her in the last bedroom on the right at the top of the stairs.” She smiled and looked at Jubilee. “That’s the biggest one, and it has a bathroom attached. It also is directly across from the bedroom that has bunk beds in it where I think your girls will be most comfortable.”
“Bunk beds?” Penelope asked, again looking excited.
This whole unexpected breakdown was proving to be the most excitement and happiness her girls had in a long time.
“Yes. Bunk beds, and they’re blue and red—blueberries and strawberries. Perfect for both of you, I think,” Lana said, winking at Jubilee.
Her girls were both young enough to appreciate bunk beds in a blue and red room. Especially one that might look like berries.
“How about I lead you up and I’ll show you both your rooms, and we’ll let Matt do his packhorsing duties.”
Lana didn’t seem to have a problem leaving Matt to do all the work, but it bothered Jubilee. She wasn’t used to people serving her. So she said, “I’ll give him a hand.”
Lana gave a knowing look, like it didn’t surprise her that Jubilee wanted to help. “Is it okay if I take the girls up?”
“It sure is.” They were both carrying the packs that they had to keep them entertained in the car. That would be enough for them to carry.
Lana disappeared in the house while Jubilee turned back toward the truck where Matt was already rummaging around in the back.
“You know, I’m a little insulted that you don’t think I can carry this,” he said casually as he lifted the suitcase out of the back of his truck and set it on the ground, turning to grab another.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t think you could. It’s just that I didn’t think I could just stand around while someone else did all of my work for me.”
He grunted a little and didn’t say anything while he pulled the other suitcase out. “I guess I get that. I wouldn’t want to stand around either.”
She got to the front of the truck and grabbed the overnight bag she packed, as well as several other little bags.
“You know, my mom really is happy to have visitors. I think since all her kids moved out, she’s lonely. So, I just wanted you to know she’s not the kind of person to put on a show for no reason. If she says she’s happy to have you, she means it.” Matt’s voice was low, and it almost seemed to Jubilee like he was trying to talk her into being a friend to his mom.
His mom didn’t strike her as the kind of person who had trouble making friends or who had trouble keeping herself occupied. But Jubilee kept that to herself and just thought about how cute it was that Matt was concerned about his mother. It wasn’t something that she typically thought of men doing—thinking about how their mom might feel.
She already admired Matt way too much, she didn’t need to think about that as well. So she shoved the thought aside, slung the bags over her shoulders, and grabbed a suitcase, starting toward the house.
“Hey. Leave some things for me to carry,” he complained as he took the smaller of the two suitcases and the last bag.
“It’s my stuff. I should take the brunt of it.”
