The Broken Window Part 2

As the van pulled out onto the highway, Ransom tapped her shoulder. "He just needed a ride into town, Miss Priss." He gave her a searching look. "Marcus isn't a bad guy."

Although she bristled at his cautionary tone, she replied honestly. "I know."

He seemed stunned by her frank acceptance, and Marcus hid his smile by staring out the window at pa.s.sing scenery. "Never woulda saw that one coming, but I won't complain." Shaking his head, Ransom remarked, "You're a hard one to figure, Miss Priss."

With a toss of braids, she faced the front and pretended neither of them was there. Honestly! It wasn't as if she'd ever be rude in front of her father, and even if she could never explain why, she trusted Marcus. How could she not? Oh, she wished he'd act a little more angelic, and maybe fix his ridiculous hair. But he was a Protector. And that changed things.

Prissie frowned to herself as she thought back to the few times she'd seen Marcus when he wasn't masquerading as a human. His eye color had gone from brown to gold, but his hair hadn't changed at all. If that was the case, didn't that mean that bi-colored hair was exactly what G.o.d intended for him? She was beginning to get the idea that the Creator was quite creative in His tastes. Green hair? Purple eyes? Rainbow-hued wings? She tsk-ed softly to herself, then immediately felt irreverent.

Prissie wanted to ask about it all, but she certainly wasn't going to turn to Marcus. Making a mental note to bring it up later to Koji, she glanced his way. The Observer's eyes were on her face, and his countenance seemed brighter than usual. "What?" she whispered.

Leaning close so as not to be overheard, he replied, "When your thoughts turn toward G.o.d, it pleases Him."

Her eyes widened. "Are you sure you can't read minds?"

"Not at all," he a.s.sured.

"Then, how ...?"

Koji gave her question some thought, then quietly answered, "I believe I am attuned to worship, and your spirit and His Spirit were in harmony."

Prissie was certain she'd never cease to be amazed by the things Koji shared.

Once they reached Loafing Around, Marcus tossed them a wave and wandered off by himself. Mr. Pomeroy herded the rest of them inside and sent them to the sinks to wash up. "Ap.r.o.ns all around!" he decreed before going to inspect the progress of his other a.s.sistants.

The bakery was getting ready for its annual Christmas open house, which was always planned for the first Sat.u.r.day in December. It was the day Prissie's dad started adding holiday treats to the bakery case and accepting pre-orders for parties. His breads and Auntie Lou's pies were very popular, but the real draw during the festive kick-off party was their cookies.

Sugar cookies in all shapes and sizes were decorated with fussy icing, sparkling sugars, and colorful sprinkles. They were a Pomeroy tradition that Jayce shared with all his customers, with a little help from his family and friends. Grandma Nell and Grammie Esme were already in the bakery's big kitchen, chatting with Auntie Lou as they patiently piped icing onto cookies shaped like bells, stars, trees, and snowflakes. Pearl had traded her knitting needles for a pair of tweezers and was patiently adding details to a snowman from a pile of candy confetti. Even Uncle Lou was getting into the spirit of things, adding a glossy coating of sanding sugar to an apple-shaped cookie.

"Whoa!" Ransom exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I love my job!"

"Oooh, who's this nice, young man?" Grammie Esme asked, peering at him over the red frames of her reading gla.s.ses.

Mr. Pomeroy quickly made introductions while Ransom tied his ap.r.o.n, then the teen claimed the chair next to Pearl's and asked, "What can I do?"

"Whatever you like, dear," Auntie Lou invited, waving at the array of icings. "You too, Koji."

The Observer readily joined the group, though he seemed content to look and not touch.

Prissie wasn't thrilled with the idea of leaving Ransom in the same room with both her grandmothers. The potential for disaster was enormous, and she really wished Beau was there to help stem the tide of tales. At the same time, she was pleased and proud to have been singled out as her father's helper for the afternoon. Jayce always built an elaborate gingerbread house in the bakery's front window, a.s.sembling it right there, where everyone could watch him work.

"Ready to do some roofing?" he asked.

For nearly an hour, they worked in tandem, patiently overlapping rounds of dark chocolate until the whole roof was neatly scalloped. After that, he set Prissie to work braiding licorice whips while he used pillow candy to cobble a sidewalk. Time pa.s.sed pleasantly, smelling of spice and peppermint and interspersed with her dad's questions about this and that.

Finally, he stood back. "That'll do for today, I think. I can add the finishing touches tomorrow morning."

"It looks great," Prissie declared.

"Anything missing?"

"How about a mailbox?"

"Good idea!" he exclaimed, rummaging through his containers of candy for a large gumdrop, which he began to knead. "Why don't you check on progress in the back? We'll need to wrap up soon, or your mother will think I've forgotten the way home."

Prissie was still smiling over the nonsensical remark when she pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen. Ransom glanced up, and his eyebrows did their funny little quirk thing; however, he went right back to his decorating duties without comment. She noticed that he handled a piping bag like a pro ... unlike Koji. The tabletop around his works.p.a.ce was liberally daubed with dribbles of icing, and there was an explosion of sprinkles on both floor and table. To his credit, his cookies looked all right, so she only asked, "Having fun?"

"Indeed." The Observer's face was a picture of concentration as he added a pinch of purple jimmies to a purple-frosted star. Eyeing his handiwork, Prissie realized that he was once more reaching for stars. They were the only shape he'd decorated, and there were so many colors, the collection resembled a kaleidoscope.

"It's almost dinnertime," Prissie announced.

"So it is," Auntie Lou murmured with a glance at her watch.

Grandma Nell capped the jars of colored sugar closest to her. "I'll just give your mom a call."

Koji quickly offered to sweep, and Prissie lent a hand with putting on the remaining caps and lids. As she moved along the table, she cast a critical glance over the cookies closest to Ransom. "Which ones did you do?" she asked curiously.

Setting aside the icing, he gestured broadly. "Most of these are mine. Pearl was putting hers on the counter behind you."

There was nothing to criticize ... except maybe that all the reindeer sported pink noses. But since it was sort of cute that way, she shrugged it off. "They look really good," she admitted.

"You sound surprised."

"Maybe I am," she retorted. "None of my brothers take the time to do cookies right. All they care about is eating them."

Ransom grinned. "You're my witness, Koji. Miss Priss just said I did something right!"

Mr. Pomeroy strolled through the door at that moment. "You can come in and help him when he does the next batch, Princess."

"No, thank you." The last thing she wanted to do was spend more time with Ransom outside of school. "I have a lot more people on my list this year, so I need extra time to shop."

Her father favored her with a long look. "In that case, I suggest you make room in your schedule for the icing, and maybe some of the baking as well. You could use the extra income, and I could use an extra pair of hands."

"You'll pay me?"

"I have room in my budget for some holiday help," he agreed.

"Thanks, Dad!" She paused, thinking. "Would it be okay if Koji helps too?"

Smiling warmly at the young angel who'd been living under his roof, Mr. Pomeroy said, "Sure, sure. As your mother says, the more the merrier."

Prissie was happy to be lending a hand during the open house, especially since Ransom wasn't there for once. Humming along to the Christmas carols on the radio Pearl kept behind the counter, she wiped tables and made sure the bread racks were stocked. Sat.u.r.day mornings were mostly filled with regulars, so Jayce and Auntie Lou visited with friends and neighbors while they did a brisk business in Loafing Around's famous potato rolls.

Glancing around the bakery's small dining area, Prissie couldn't shake the feeling that she'd forgotten something. Running through her mental checklist of duties, she couldn't figure out what, but every time there was a lull in the activity, the nagging feeling resurfaced. She was still puzzling when the bell over the door jangled, letting in a gust of cold air and another customer. Turning with a ready smile, Prissie gasped, "Padgett! What brings you here?"

"I was in the neighborhood," he replied. Padgett Prentice worked as a ranger at Sunderland State Park, north and east of town and nearly adjacent to the Pomeroys' farm. With his high cheekbones and black braid, he looked Native American, but he was actually another member of Jedrick's Flight. "This is my first time visiting your family's bakery."

Prissie couldn't think why the Caretaker might suddenly decide to drop in and anxiously asked, "Is anything wrong?"

He studied her face. "Does something seem to be wrong?"

That gave her pause. Something had been bothering her all day, and she couldn't put her finger on it. "Maybe," she admitted in a low voice. "I don't know what, and I don't know why ... but I have a funny feeling. It's hard to explain."

Padgett nodded patiently. "There are times when feelings are nothing more than that."

Prissie frowned. "So it's nothing?"

"I didn't say that," he gently countered. "However, letting emotions dictate your decisions can be as unwise as letting appearances influence your opinions."

She got the idea he'd said something very wise, but with no idea how to respond, Prissie asked, "Are you here to see Koji? He's in the back."

"I'd be pleased to see him, but I was not Sent for any specific purpose," he replied. "I'm here with my boss."

"Abner's here too?"

Padgett turned to the big front window. Sure enough, Abner Ochs stood outside, his hands clasped behind his back as he bent low to scrutinize every lovingly laid detail on her father's gingerbread house. Lifting a finger, the apprentice signaled to his mentor. Abner entered and casually glanced around. "Coffee, I think."

"Yes, sir," Padgett replied. With a polite nod to Prissie, he took his place in the short line at the front counter.

Left alone with the balding park ranger, she said, "Good morning, Abner."

He gazed over the rims of his gla.s.ses. "Prissie Pomeroy," he mused aloud. "You seem better."

"You knew I was sick?"

"I did," he acknowledged. "If Tamaes were able to fend off illness with that blade of his, it would not have visited you."

"Oh, I suppose so. Say ... would you like to sit down?"

"If you'll join us."

"I'm sure that'd be fine." She followed him to one of the small tables.

Padgett brought two cups of coffee. He added cream and sugar to Abner's before pa.s.sing it along, then sipped his black. Searching for something to say, Prissie began, "I was wondering about the time when I was lost in the caves. Afterward, Padgett ministered to me, and I felt better."

Abner's gaze swung to his apprentice. "Did you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very thoughtful. The girl had a long day."

"Yes, sir," his apprentice agreed.

With an aggrieved look, Abner protested, "You don't have to call me sir, Mr. Prentice. We're not on duty at the moment."

Padgett only took another sip of his coffee. "You have a question, Prissie?

"I was just curious," she said. "You're able to minister to people. Could you have gotten rid of my fever?"

Abner inclined his head. "That's certainly within my realm of experience; however, such things aren't done according to my will."

"So you could, but you don't unless G.o.d tells you to?"

"I can do no more or less than what I am bidden."

Padgett quietly pointed out, "You already told her that, sir."

"Did I?"

"Yes, I remember," Prissie murmured. "I suppose I just didn't understand what you meant the first time."

With a small smile, Abner said, "Then you have benefited from the repet.i.tion. Many do."

The bell over the door jangled again, and Padgett remarked, "We should be getting back, sir."

Prissie glanced at the kitchen door, surprised that Koji hadn't put in an appearance yet. He had to know his teammates were here. "Will I see you again soon?" she asked, oddly reluctant to let them go.

"I don't have any way of knowing," Abner replied candidly. "But if I were to guess, I'd say yes. Our paths are likely to cross again soon. If not in winter, then certainly in spring."

"Oh? Why then?"

Standing, Padgett explained, "Your cla.s.s is one of those scheduled to visit the park in April."

"Which part?" Prissie asked curiously.

"The orienteering trails."

"Again?" With a shake of her head, she waved a hand. "I've been on those trails three or four times before!"

Abner's gaze was keen as he replied, "As you have already acknowledged, there is often a benefit to repet.i.tion."

3.

THE UGLY.