Page 16 of Savoring Christmas
“Hey there,” Logan said.
“Hi. Good morning.” Mia flushed and looked down at her adorably small feet, clad in a pair of riding boots. She had her hair down this morning, and her big brown eyes sparkled with good health.
“Come on in,” Logan said, holding the door open for her to pass by him. “My parents are in the kitchen.”
She stepped inside, shedding her thick coat, which he hung in the hall closet. Then, they headed together toward the kitchen without speaking. She was such a stunner, snatching his breath from his chest. He couldn’t help but glance at her shapely posterior in her slim-fitting jeans as he followed her into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mia.” Walter rose from the table to greet her. “Great to see you again.”
“Thank you,” Mia said. “You too.”
“Morning, Mia,” Grace said, smiling as she pulled the tray of muffins from the oven. “Are you hungry? I’ve got muffins and bacon and I could fry up some eggs if you’d like?”
“Oh, thank you, but I don’t need any eggs. I didn’t expect breakfast,” Mia said. “But I won’t turn down a muffin. I’ve heard from more than a few people about Grace Hayes’ baked goods.”
“Dear me, I’m not accustomed to cooking for a real chef,” Grace said. “I hope you’ll be generous with your critique.”
“I live alone, Mrs. Hayes. I’m simply glad to eat someone else’s food.”
“Please, call me Grace. And would you like coffee?”
Mia nodded, and Walter poured her a mug while Grace slid a plate of warm muffins onto the table, the tops sparkling with sugar. Logan watched Mia take in the scene, that slight wariness in her eyes as she reached for a muffin.
Once everyone settled, Walter got right to the point. “So Logan tells us you two want to help Patty McDonald and her kids. Kris mentioned seeing them at the school last night when he dropped off the mail this morning. Said the little ones looked like they hadn’t had a proper meal in a while.”
Mia’s expression shifted, just enough for Logan to see the tug on her heart reflected in her eyes. “The way they gobbleddown that meal tells me things are pretty scarce at home. I couldn’t stop thinking about them after we left. No child should go hungry.”
“I agree,” Grace said. “It’s such a shame. Patty’s doing the best she can but it can’t be easy to keep them fed and clothed. Child care alone can take a single mom’s whole paycheck”
“Kris says she works cleaning houses in addition to the janitorial work at the school,” Walter said. “I feel for her and those kids. She has to take them with her to the evening job at the school. After they’ve already had full days.”
“Yes, I can’t imagine they’re getting enough sleep if they’re with her until nine every evening,” Grace said.
Walter leaned back, folding his arms. “The food drive at the holidays helps but I’ve thought for years that it’s only a temporary fix. They need steady help, not just a basket of groceries at Christmas.”
Mia tore open her muffin, steam rising from the plate. “I know. Last year we were able to gather a lot of food to distribute, but, like you said, there are eleven other months in a year.” She took a bite of the muffin and murmured her delight. “These are perfection, Grace.”
Her face lit up. “Really? Thank you so much. It’s my mother’s recipe.”
“Patty needs a better job,” Logan said, not wanting to veer too far off track. “One she doesn’t have to do at night. Those kids should be home, all tucked into bed, not spending their evening in a cold cafeteria.”
“Kris said she was a stay at home mom before her husband died,” Walter said. “So I don’t know if she has any particular training.”
“Why doesn’t she have a police pension?” Logan asked. “Don’t widows usually get at least half of their salaries when a spouse is killed in the line of duty?”
Walter hesitated, glancing briefly at his wife before answering. “Usually, yes. But not in her case. Kris told me there were circumstances around her husband’s death that took away the pension. Nothing anyone here has all the details on. Just enough to know she isn’t getting pension money.”
“That’s terrible,” Grace said. “This poor woman.”
“I wonder what he did?” Logan asked. “It must have been bad for Patty to lose all his benefits.”
Mia’s expression softened, worry shading her features. “Probably something she feels shame over.”
Logan studied her for a moment. The way she’d said “shame” made him think she knew a little about that herself. What had happened to her before she came here? Why had she suddenly closed her restaurant in New York?
Walter nodded. “Whatever it is, she’s proud. She’ll never ask for help outright.”
Logan’s chest tightened. She must feel so helpless. Alone and left behind. “We need to help her find a good job. That’s all there is to it.”
