The Song of Copper Creek by Kristen McKendry

Author:Kristen McKendry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, LDS, clean, novel, book, love, story, survivors, courage, heartbreak
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2017-06-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Matt Stevens arrived the following Monday morning, driven by his self-conscious father, who only mumbled his thanks, shook Martin’s hand, and zoomed off again, leaving Matt standing in front of the house with his gym bag and a suitcase. Matt watched his father’s car disappear down the drive, then turned to look at the small group on the front steps.

Studying his eyes, Grace keenly recognized the embarrassment he must be feeling. It was bad enough being caught in the crime, but she imagined having to return and face—and live with—the victims was agonizing.

He was tall and thin, his elbows sharp below the sleeves of his blue T-shirt, his arms decorated with homemade-looking tattoos. Dragons and swirls, from the looks of them, in red and blue and green gave him a festive, almost Christmasy look. Two inches of his boxers showed above the waistband of his black jeans. His blond hair fell over his eyebrows, and his cheeks had the scraped red look of a fresh shave. He looked more like an abandoned little boy than a convicted vandal. He shuffled his tennis shoes, switched his gym bag to the other hand, and then, as if making a decision, raised his gaze to look Martin directly in the eye. “Put me to work,” he said in a hoarse voice.

It was, to Grace’s surprise, Laura who hurried forward first. She took the bag from him with her left hand, shook his hand with her right, and smiled warmly up at him. “We’re glad to have you with us, Matt. I’m Laura. You’ve met my husband, Martin. That’s Toby—you’ll be rooming with him. And that’s Grace. She’s also here just for the summer, helping us out.”

Matt blinked at Grace. “What did you do?” he asked.

Everyone burst into laughter before Grace explained her presence, and the embarrassment of the first meeting passed.

“Let’s get you settled. Have you had breakfast?” Laura asked.

Matt shook his head.

“That’s all right, then. Come, and we’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

Laura and Toby whisked him off, Matt with a suspicious expression on his young face, and Grace, still smiling, nudged Martin with her elbow. “I don’t understand Laura’s change of attitude,” she said. “She didn’t want him to come here, and now that he’s here, she can’t trip over herself fast enough to make him welcome.”

Martin chuckled, gazing fondly after his wife. “I knew she’d take one look at that poor, skinny kid and every mothering instinct she had would kick into high gear. By the time she’s done with him, Matt won’t know what hit him. Come on, let’s get to work.”

* * *

Matt did not, in fact, know what had hit him. He had expected to hate this place and despise these people. He had reported on Monday morning with the determination to put in his community hours and get out of here as fast as possible. He was overwhelmed with resentment, embarrassment, and—though he’d never admit it—nervousness. He’d far rather do jail time than slave in some bumpkin farmer’s field he himself had destroyed.

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