Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins Page B

willing, we should be in the houses and the new rec center by then.”
    “I hear they’re working faster than beavers.”
    “Hope they build them as well as beavers.”
    “Anything else?” Lily asked, grinning on the heels of that last remark.
    “Yes.” And in a soft voice laden with sincerity, Bernadine said, “Thank you so very much for taking the job.”
    Lily acknowledged her with a quiet, “You’re welcome.”
    They were about to further separate the piles of paperwork Lily had begun when they heard Tamar call out, “Bernadine and Lily we have visitors.”
    They shared a confused look and went to see who’d come to call.
    There was a big black SUV parking out front. The logo on the side indicated it was from one of the cable news giants. Trent’s black truck was parked beside it.
    As they watched from the porch, two men, one carrying a TV camera, got out of the SUV.
    “Wonder what they want?” Lily asked in a low voice.
    “My guess is Bernadine.”
    Bernadine hoped she was wrong.
    Trent walked up to the porch. The man beside him looked vaguely familiar to Bernadine, and after Trent made the introductions, she knew why. His name was Greer Parker, and he’d done the news story that had inspired her to buy Henry Adams.
    “I contacted Trent a few days ago,” Parker said, “and told him I was in the area working on a story down in Hays and wanted to talk to him about doing a follow-up on what happened after he posted the eBay notice, and he told me about you, Ms. Brown.”
    Bernadine wished somebody would have let a sister know. Not that she didn’t look good, she always did, but she could’ve freshened her lips gloss and checked her hair.
    Trent seemed to read her mind. “Been so busy I forgot to tell you, sorry.”
    “It’s okay.”
    “Do you have a minute or two to talk to me?” Parker asked.
    “Sure.”
    Tamar and the others went inside while Bernadine and Parker took a seat on the porch’s old sofa. Once the camera man was set the interview began.
    It didn’t take long, but Parker was very interested in her foster care plan. “If I may, I’d like to come back after you get the kids here.”
    “Let me get them settled in first. I don’t think a whole lot of hoopla will be good right off the bat.”
    “How about you call me when you think it’s appropriate. Trent has my card.”
    “That I can do.”
    He seemed okay with the compromise. “Once this runs I think you’re going to draw a lot of interest, maybe more foster parents or just new residents who want to live in a place with so much history.”
    “We’ll take both. The more foster parents we get the more kids we can help.”
    “I’ll do my part. This will probably begin running in the morning. Want me to send you a copy?”
    “Please.”
    He stood. “Been nice talking to you, Ms. Brown.”
    “Same here.”
    “Can you let Trent know I’d like to see him a minute before I go?”
    She stood to comply but stopped at the sight of a battered white pickup truck rumbling onto the property. She sighed. Riley.
    Bernadine called through the screen door. “The Currys are here, Tamar.”
    Before she could get a response, Parker yelled with surprise, “What the heck is that?”
    Bernadine turned and stared with wide eyes. Riley was walking toward the porch holding a leash on—a hog?
    Tamar stepped out on the porch and answered drolly, “That, ladies and gentlemen is Cletus.”
    The cameraman turned, focused, and jumped in reaction.
    Lily looked equally floored.
    The animal was as big as a VW and it was wearing clothes. A blue and white sailor suit to be exact, complete with tie and a little tiny hat perched between his pale gray ears. His coloring made him resemble a gigantic rat.
    As Riley got within hailing distance he called out, “Hello, Mr. Parker. I heard you were doing a story. My name is Riley Curry, former mayor of Henry Adams. That’s my beautiful wife Genevieve sitting in the truck, and this,” he gestured proudly,