Just as Thomas was about to head out, Daniel Bomburg stepped into the house, brushing the wind off his shoulders.

  Veronica perked up. “Dad, you’ll never guess what—you might want to order more books on cricket.”

  Daniel paused, raising an eyebrow. “Cricket? I’ve got one book on cricket, and that’s just about famous players. Who’s going to buy a book on cricket around here? Much less why?”

  “We’re talking about Thomas,” Veronica said with a grin. “I’d almost bet we’re about to get a whole run of requests for how-to guides.”

  Daniel chuckled. “If you can make that happen, I’ll get us box seat tickets to The Nutcracker.”

  May looked over at her husband, her tone cautious. “Are you sure about that?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I don’t see how he could pull it off.”

  Thomas turned toward him. “Do you have Jonathan’s phone number?”

  Daniel blinked. “Yeah, I think so.” He pulled a local directory from the shelf and flipped to the right page. “Here.”

  Thomas gestured to Daniel’s phone. “Mind if I borrow this?”

  Daniel handed it over, curious. “Sure. I gotta see where this is going.”

  Thomas dialed. The line clicked, then picked up.

  Thomas (on the phone): “Hey Jonathan, how’d you like to get into a little trouble like we did with Ms. Mendez?”

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  Jonathan: “You know I’m not about trouble. But if you’ve got a plan that involves service, I’m all ears.”

  Thomas: “Have you ever played cricket?”

  Jonathan: “Cricket? I’ve only ever seen it in British movies. Why?”

  Thomas: “There was this guy who came into the shop today. Really nice—wants to teach his two kids to play. They’re ten and twelve.”

  Jonathan: “That’s a good age. What are you thinking?”

  Thomas: “They’re new in town. Closest cricket club is probably Houston. I thought—what if we help out? Gather a group so the dad has a few kids for his sons to play with. It’s a great learning experience, and a real service opportunity. Plus, could be fun.”

  Jonathan: “Hmm… I’m not totally sure. But yeah, it’d be nice to do something besides Tuesday meetings.”

  Thomas: “You’re the natural leader. I’ll be there to help you sell it to the group.”

  Jonathan: “And how exactly do we start wrapping our heads around cricket?”

  Thomas: “Funny you ask. A couple of books on cricket are already being ordered. We could ask Veronica’s dad to throw in a few more copies. Twenty bucks for the whole set. You in?”

  Jonathan: “Yeah, sign me up. But you have to sell it Tuesday.”

  Thomas handed the phone back to Daniel, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  Daniel took the phone, shaking his head. “You set me up.”

  Veronica smirked. “You promised Nutcracker tickets.”

  Daniel sighed. “All right, all right. Veronica, you win.”

  May gave him a knowing look. “Didn’t I tell you he’d be trouble?”

  Daniel looked back at Thomas. “So what’s your plan for equipment?”

  Thomas: “I wanted to check the book order and wait for the youth group’s okay.”

  Daniel nodded. “Makes sense. Did you know we have a brother who owns a sporting goods store?”

  Thomas blinked. “No, I didn’t.”

  Daniel: “I’ll introduce you Tuesday.”

  Veronica interjected, frowning. “Wait—you guys meet later. Much later.”

  Daniel waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll give him a ride home.”

  Thomas looked puzzled. “What’s going on?”

  Daniel turned serious, his tone softening. “Remember I said I wanted to talk to you? I’ve been asked to help you feel more at home with the other members. Around here, we’ve found that breaking bread together is the best way to build community. So you’re being invited to our monthly Tuesday dinner.”