Finding Faith (Love's Compass #4) Read online

  Especially when all he could see were those eyes that reminded him of warm, melted chocolate.

  Chapter Four

  Milk sloshed out of the bowl when Serenity poured it, leaving a puddle on the table. Gideon wasted no time in sticking his tongue out to lick it. She snatched a rag off the counter, mopped up the mess, and handed him a spoon for good measure.

  “I promise, Mom. We’re fine.” She moved her cell phone from one ear to the other. “We’re all set to start work and school on Monday. Gideon’s been to the school twice now. They gave me his schedule and we’ve gone over it several times. We’re both about as ready as we can be.”

  Serenity wanted to be annoyed that Mom had called every single morning since she and Gideon moved out. But the truth was, having never lived on her own, she dearly missed the sound of both Mom’s and Grams’ voices. Besides, the Chandler house would be getting ready for church and then, later that evening, meeting for family dinner.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d missed one. The thought brought tears to her eyes. She furiously blinked them away. Mom would catch on if there was even a hint of sadness in her voice and the last thing she wanted was for Mom to worry.

  “How about the people you work with? Are they nice?”

  Serenity was glad for the distraction. Although the shift in thoughts brought a new one in the form of a handsome man with auburn hair and unforgettable blue eyes. Keeping him out of the conversation, she told Mom about Maggie in great detail. They both had a good laugh. Serenity suspected that beneath Maggie’s tough – and obnoxious — exterior was someone who enjoyed being around people and was probably good at her job.

  “I miss you, honey. But I hope you know I’m proud of you, too.”

  What control she’d gained over her tears disappeared. One escaped to slide down her cheek. “I miss you, too, Mom. Look, I’d better let you go so you can get ready for church.”

  “Okay. Once you get settled, you’ll have to ask around and find a church there.”

  “I will.”

  “Have a good morning. Call me tomorrow evening and let me know how your first day goes.”

  “Promise. Love you, Mom. Give everyone else my love, too.” Serenity set her phone on the counter and kissed the top of Gideon’s head.

  She had every intention of finding a new church, although the idea itself seemed overwhelming. Maybe she would meet some people at the school and could ask which churches they attended.

  Aaron’s face came to mind and she mentally shrugged it off. Like she had the other two dozen times she’d thought about him since first meeting him the other day.

  A scuffling noise brought her head around to face the door. She half expected someone to knock. When there were no other sounds, she peeped through the hole in the door and didn’t see a thing.

  Maybe having a cop for an older brother made her overly cautious, but she decided not to open it. It wasn’t until later when she and Gideon were headed to the store for a few last minute items that she saw a navy blue backpack resting against the side of their duplex.

  Serenity cast a suspicious glimpse up and down the street before nudging it with her foot. A sign pinned to the front pocket read, “For your first day of school, Gideon. Welcome to Hope Academy.”

  She grasped it by the loop on top, surprised by how heavy it was. Gideon followed her to the kitchen table. As soon as she sat it down, he went to task unzipping the pockets and pulling everything out.

  “This is insanely generous,” she muttered, taking inventory.

  Every school item a boy might need in kindergarten was accounted for, from safety scissors to a superhero notebook. On top of that, there were all kinds of snacks.

  No one at Hope Academy had mentioned a thing about a welcoming package. It was certainly more than she ever would have expected. She’d have to make a point of thanking someone tomorrow.

  ~

  Aaron grinned as he held the door open to his music room and watched Letty’s kindergarten class come through. Their little faces lit up as they took in their surroundings. For many of them, this was their first trip there. Only those who had started coming to Hope Academy as preschoolers were familiar with the layout. Letty brought up the rear and closed the door behind her.

  He smiled at her. “How’s your first day going?”

  “It’s going well! A bit like herding cats, but that’s to be expected for the first week or two with a new class.” She chuckled. “I think the rug’s a hit.”

  Aaron followed her gaze. Cecil, who had been coming to the school since he was four, spotted the piano rug immediately. He’d stretched out on the floor, his body angled the same direction as the first key, a look of pure joy lighting up his face. Methodically, he rolled his body across each of them, humming a tone as he did. “Those notes are right on.”

  “The boy knows his music.” Letty’s love for her students was evident to anyone who met her.

  Aaron couldn’t agree more. While some people might meet Cecil and see a child with Down syndrome, Aaron saw a little boy with sandy brown hair who had a kind heart, a gentle spirit, and who would likely become a musician someday.

  Most of the kids had found an instrument in the bins to play with. The conglomerate of random sounds and notes filled the room. There were a lot of new little faces.

  One boy in particular drew his attention. He had dark brown hair that was nearly black. His arms carried an entire bin full of the hand bells Aaron had finally received and found himself a spot on the edge of the room. One by one, he pulled them out and lined them up in order of color according to the rainbow. Aaron angled his head in the boy’s direction.

  “Autism?”

  Letty nodded. “That’s Gideon. He’ll be six in a few months. He just started today. He’s non-verbal, but knows some signs and gestures. I got to spend a few hours with him on Friday. He was friendly and relaxed then but I think all of the kids are a little overwhelming today.”

  Aaron picked up a small, red bell that he kept on his desk and rang it loudly. That gained the attention of all eight children in the room. “Hi, everyone! My name is Aaron and I’m glad you’re here. Do you know what everyone calls me? I’m the Music Man!” He picked up a guitar and strummed a few chords. “Every time you come to my room, you’ll get to play with anything you see for ten minutes.” He reached for visual timer he used and set it. “When this timer goes off, we’re going to sit in a circle so we can talk about some music, then we’ll learn about an instrument, and sing a few songs. How does that sound?”

  Happy faces and a few shouts of “Yay!” followed his question. Two little girls seemed uncertain about it and Gideon continued to keep his focus on the hand bells.

  That was okay. Each year, it took a week or two to get the kids into the routine. Before long, they would all know what was expected and things would go relatively smoothly. There was always going to be a kink or two, but that’s what kept things interesting. He smiled to himself.

  He crossed the room and sat next to Gideon. There was something about the boy that reminded him of his little brother, Kenneth. The realization was painful but there was also a strange peace in it as well. He missed Kenneth even after almost two decades and sitting next to Gideon soothed that little piece of his heart.

  Now that the boy had the bells in order by color, he was picking them up and studying the note etched into the side of each one.

  “Those are musical notes.” Aaron pointed to one of them. “That’s a C. This is a B.” When he picked up the orange bell, Gideon retrieved it from him and set it quickly back in its place in line. “Have you tried making music with them yet?” Gideon said nothing but he didn’t seem to object, so Aaron picked up the red bell, rang it, and set it down in its place. “That’s an A note. Why don’t you ring the next one?”

  Gideon did as he suggested and continued on down the line until the last bell had filled the room with its tone. When it faded, Gideon peeked up at Aaron with a smile on his f
ace that lit up his eyes. There was something about him that seemed familiar, not only because he reminded him of Kenneth, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

  “Good job, kiddo. Maybe one of these days I can teach you how to play a song with the bells. Would you like that?”

  The timer went off then. He and Letty worked together to place carpet squares in a circle and led the children to their spots. Then they sat down among them, Letty supporting one of the younger children who had trouble sitting upright.

  Aaron let his gaze touch each of their faces, saying a quick prayer that he would be able to make a difference in their young lives. If there was one thing he learned in his years at Hope Academy, it was that no matter what type of challenge each of the children faced — and whether it was evident on the outside or hidden within — every single one was a gift from God and he was humbled to have a part in teaching them.

  He smiled at them. “Who can tell me the name of an instrument?”

  “Guitar!”

  “Drums!”

  “Piano!”

  It was no surprise that the last one came from Cecil. Aaron chuckled. “That’s right. Anyone else? What other instruments can you think of?” He watched Gideon as the boy’s eyes went from him to the bin of hand bells and back again. “That’s right, Gideon. Bells are a kind of instrument, too. Did you know that your voices can be an instrument as well? Each instrument plays a part in making music.”

  He got his guitar and played “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” inviting the kids to sing if they knew the song. The combination of little voices made his own heart sing. And even though Gideon didn’t say a word, he seemed to enjoy the antics of his classmates around him.

  Aaron had fun teaching Letty’s class and later had individual music therapy sessions with two other students. By the time lunch came around, his stomach was growling.

  He headed for the breakroom, more than ready to dig into the cold pizza he’d stashed in the community fridge. His stomach growled in anticipation. He didn’t expect to see too many other people in the kitchen since it was nearly one and that was fine by him.

  As soon as he entered, his eyes zeroed in on the woman he’d met at the front office the other day. She was holding a book in one hand, a sandwich in the other, and seemed completely oblivious to him or anyone else in the room.

  Aaron retrieved his pizza from the fridge and got a soda from the vending machine. He started to head to his usual table in the corner but there was something about her that stopped him. He sure hated to leave her there eating alone on her first day of work.

  Changing direction, he approached her. She kept her attention on the book until he cleared his throat. Her head lifted and her gaze snapped to his.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” Her cheeks took on a slight hint of pink. She allowed the book to close and set it down on the table. “I met you last week. Aaron, right?”

  “Good memory. And you’re Serenity.” He glanced at her left hand, noting the lack of a wedding ring.

  She smiled. “Your memory’s not bad, either.”

  In a lunch room filled with way too many food smells, the light scent of lilac surrounding her was a welcome change. He latched onto it, finding himself drawn to the pretty woman sitting in front of him.

  Chapter Five

  Serenity wondered if Aaron was trying to decide whether or not he wanted to stay. His blue eyes were on her and she could have sworn the edges had darkened to cobalt. He blinked and motioned to the table.

  “Well, it’s good to see you again. Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all. I guess I’m not the only one who gets a late lunch.”

  Aaron sat across from her and started peeling the layers of aluminum foil off his plate. “I arrange lunch for this time. It gets pretty crowded in here if you come around noon. Especially if you need to use the microwave.”

  “Is there a lunch thief on campus?” Confusion flitted across his face and she chuckled. She pointed to the aluminum foil and the numerous times he’d written his name on it.

  “Oh.” He laughed. “Only once. It was actually Zane — one of my friends here. I stole his lunch the next day. Now it’s tradition for us to write our names all over our lunches. It’s just for fun, of course.” He looked at her in mock seriousness. “Unless I bring leftover Mexican food. Then I have to hide it in the back somewhere so Zane doesn’t touch it.”

  He laughed again and Serenity found the deep tone worked its way right to the center of her. There was something about it that made her comfortable, though she couldn’t explain it. “I’ll have to remember that. You going to eat it cold?”

  “The pizza? Yep.” He took an exaggerated bite. “It’s the only way to eat leftover pizza.”

  With a grin, she took a bite of her sandwich. Since it contained packaged chicken lunch meat and a swipe of honey mustard on the bread, she had to admit that his pizza smelled a whole lot tastier. “Do I remember right that you’re a music therapist? What does that mean, exactly?”

  Aaron put his pizza down and his face lit up. “I spend half my time as a glorified music teacher. The other half, I work one-on-one with kids who are referred to me by their teachers. I’ve seen music help kids talk more. I even had one little boy with a lot of self-injurious behavior improve once we realized how much classical music relaxed him. He has an iPod with him now and when he starts to get frustrated or upset, he knows to put in the earbuds and listen to his favorite song.”

  “Really? That’s amazing.” She was fascinated as much by his excitement as she was by his words. “What made you decide to go into this line of work?”

  Aaron shrugged and picked up his pizza again. “It’s a long story.” He took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully. “But I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

  A pang of jealousy hit her in the chest. Sometimes she wished she could be as enthusiastic about something in her own life. Aside from Gideon, that is. For all of her adulthood, everything revolved around trying to provide for her son. The jobs she’d had were a means to an end and certainly not something she truly loved.

  Thankfully, Aaron didn’t seem to notice the mess of thoughts going through her head. He took a drink of his lemon lime soda.

  “Are you doing okay working with Maggie?”

  Thinking about her co-worker elicited a chuckle. “She’s actually been incredibly helpful. I’ve worked a similar job in the past and it’s already been more exciting here on the first day.”

  Aaron finished his pizza and crumpled the aluminum foil. “It is a great place to work.” He checked his watch. “I’ve got another class coming in so I’d better run.” He stood and paused. “I hope the rest of your day goes well. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  Now that he was standing again, he seemed to tower over her. She also got the sense that he was older than she was, though she wasn’t sure by how much. She managed a friendly nod.

  The way he winked one of his blue eyes and the sound of his deep laughter stayed with her the rest of the day. If eating lunch together became a frequent thing, she had a feeling it would be her favorite part of the workday. Nerves collided with anticipation at the thought as she worked to finish her sandwich and get back to the front office.

  ~

  “I hear you’ve been having lunch with the new lady in administration all week.”

  Aaron pierced Zane with a “don’t start with me” glare and put the last of the disinfected instruments away. “We happen to have lunch at the same time and there’s usually only a few of us there after one. It would have been rude to ignore her and leave her by herself.”

  Zane lifted an eyebrow and Aaron pretended to ignore it. “But you find her attractive.”

  Aaron cast a glance at the door to make sure no one else was around. “I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t. But it’s a general observation.”

  “Of course.” He waited for Aaron to finish up then led the way out of the room and down the hall. “Hey, you
up for going to see that new movie this weekend?”

  As if Aaron ever turned down a Marvel movie. “Absolutely. Is Letty going?”

  Zane chuckled. “Of course. Superheroes and Red Vines. She wouldn’t miss it.”

  “You sure I won’t be a third wheel?”

  “Invite your lunch friend and then you won’t be.” Zane nudged him hard in the ribs.

  “Very funny.” Truthfully, he didn’t mind being the third in their group. It happened often and his married friends never made him uncomfortable. But Zane’s lighthearted suggestion got him thinking about asking Serenity to go along. Which was crazy because eating lunch with her at work was a long ways from asking her out. “I wouldn’t dare risk the wrath of Cynthia.”

  Zane’s face contorted into a look of disdain. “Who would? But for the record, the memo said you couldn’t date a student’s mother. It never said you couldn’t show interest in someone else working here.”

  Technically, that was true. A little hope welled up in his chest. Maybe, at some point in the future, it wouldn’t be such a stretch to ask her to go to a movie with him.

  “Where are you guys headed?” Letty’s voice floated up the hall behind them. They stopped and waited for her to catch up.

  Zane put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “I was about to come find you. Right after I convinced Music Man here to bring a date to the movies with us this weekend.”

  Letty’s eyes widened and a smile tugged the corners of her lips upwards. “You should, Aaron. It’d be good for you. Who’s the lucky gal?”

  Aaron cast a glance behind them and lowered his voice. “Your husband thinks I should ask the new woman in administration.”

  “They’ve already had lunch together.” Zane chuckled.

  Aaron was about to object and then decided not to bother. Zane could tease ruthlessly when he got on a roll. It was better not to encourage it either way.

  “Serenity?”