“There’s a new restaurant about twenty minutes away that all my customers rave about. Sounds like a romantic place with candles, white tablecloths, all that stuff. I’ll ask my office manager and get you the name of the place.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Logan doesn’t look like he has a romantic bone in his body unless he’s talking about cars. I hold back my laughter.
We finish our meeting and Logan returns to work on the motorcycle while I lug the box of papers out to my SUV. How does everyone in this small town know so much about everyone else’s business? I’ll have to tell Rae about all the romantic advice at our nightly call.
My heart sinks when I remember there’s no more nightly calls. May 23 can’t come soon enough.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Raelynn
IT’S BEEN A COUPLE WEEKS since the warning from Principal Marshfield. Noah and I almost don’t dare exchange more than two words when he’s here with Sofie. Our interactions consist of a stilted “hello” or “goodbye” and that’s about it. Since I put an end to our nightly chats, I don’t even get to talk to him that way. Fortunately, Ellie, Margaret, and even Cassie keep me apprised as to everything Noah. I guess secondhand news is better than nothing. So far, his ex-wife hasn’t reappeared. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until she does.
“I’m beat,” Cassie says as she waltzes into my classroom and perches on the side of my desk.
“Me, too. Some days I feel like teaching these kids is like herding cats.”
My friend roars out a laugh. “How true!” She leans in towards me and says in a low, conspiratorial voice, “I heard that Noah’s planning to take you to a romantic restaurant on May 23. You better reserve the date.”
“Oh? How did you hear this?”
She makes a zipping motion with her fingers beside her lips. “I’m sworn to secrecy. But it sounds like he’s going to great lengths to woo you.”
A giggle escapes. “Woo me? Are we in a historical romance novel now?”
Cassie blushes. “I may read a few too many of those,” she admits.
Shaking my head in amusement, I say, “I don’t have anything other than last day of school activities scheduled for May 23, so he can plan to his heart’s content and I’ll be there.” This little tidbit will get back to Noah via whatever source is sharing information with Cassie—hopefully that’s as good as me actually talking to the man himself.
“Principal Marshfield just sent out an email telling all the parents that the last day of school will adjourn at noon. You’ll have the whole afternoon to get ready for your fancy date!”
My mind rifles through my paltry wardrobe, wondering what outfit is elegant enough for this occasion. My brow wrinkles when the only thing that comes to mind is a pink dress that I’ve worn several times to weddings.
“You don’t have anything to wear, do you?” Cassie says.
“Am I that transparent?”
“Yep. But I’m here to help. Let’s go shopping next weekend to find the perfect outfit.” Cassie says with glee.
I sigh. Shopping isn’t my favorite thing, but I could use Cassie’s help. “Okay, but I have a firm budget and we can’t exceed it.”
Cassie grins. “Sure, of course.”
Those warning words about my budget are brushed aside like a piece of lint by the look on Cassie’s face.
~*~
Dress shopping is so stressful. The full-length mirrors reveal every flaw in my body, and I grimace at how the latest dress looks on me. Too full in the bodice and too tight in the waist.
“This one won’t work at all. It doesn’t fit,” I say as I emerge from the dressing room to where Cassie’s sitting.
She looks me over. “It would require some alterations.”
I groan. “How about I just wear my pink go-to dress. It fits.”
Cassie sighs. “You’re ready to give up already? You’ve only tried on three dresses on so far.”
I grimace. “Three dresses that don’t fit and that look horrible on me,” I remind my friend.
“I’m going to scour the racks one more time. Stay here,” Cassie instructs as she trots off to the dress display area. I go back in the dressing room and take off the ill-fitting item.
“Try these two,” Cassie says a few minutes later as she hands me two hangers over the top of the dressing room door. One dress is sky-blue and the other one yellow. “Spring colors, and both are the latest styles,” Cassie adds.
“I’m not much of a fashionista,” I grumble as I take the hangers from Cassie’s hand. She laughs.
The light blue dress is beautiful. I run the silky fabric through my fingers. It slips over my head, and when I pull it over my hips, I’m pleased and surprised that the dress fits me to perfection. Staring at my reflection in the mirror I admit that this dress looks good on me.
When I peek out of the dressing room, Cassie turns to look at me. I walk into the hallway, modeling the dress for her. “Wow, Rae. You look gorgeous in that one! The blue is an ideal color for you. And the dress fits perfectly.” She beams like a proud parent.
“I like it too.” When I look at the price tag on the sleeve, my heart drops. “This one is too expensive.”
Cassie whips open her purse and pulls out a coupon. “Will 25% off help?” she says with a grin.
I hug my sweet friend. “You’re the best! Thank you.”
All the while the sales lady rings up my purchase, I daydream about how much Noah will like the dress. It makes me feel confident and even a little sexy. I can’t wait for May 23 so he can see it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Noah
VICKI CALLS THREE WEEKS AFTER she reneged on the visit to the zoo.
“Noah, I’m calling to see if I could take Sofie to the zoo this next weekend.” She makes the offer without even apologizing for backing out the first time—or her radio silence since.
“I took Sofie to the zoo the weekend you backed out. She was so upset and was afraid she’d miss the baby hippos,” I say in a cool voice.
There’s a pregnant pause on the line. “I see. Well, thanks for doing that.” Her voice is laced with sarcasm.
“Vicki, she’s five and doesn’t understand the concept of waiting a couple weeks. Plus, I wasn’t sure how much I could trust you to follow through.” My words come out harsher than I planned, but Vicki needs a wake-up call. Is she committed to visitations with our daughter for the long haul or only when it suits her?
She sighs. “I guess I deserve that. But you have to understand that my career comes first.”
“That’s crystal clear.”
Another pregnant pause makes me wonder whether she hung up. “Noah, what do I have to do to get back into your good graces?”
Am I finally ready to forgive Vicki? Rae recently reminded me of one of Pastor Tim’s sermons where he spoke about Joseph and how he forgave his brothers for selling him into slavery. I think it’s time for me to trust in my faith and forgive my ex-wife once and for all.
I back off my inflexible stance, knowing that Sofie enjoys visits with her mom. “How about we work out a regular visitation schedule and you show me you can commit to it?”
“Thank you. This is unexpected.” There’s a sniffle on the other end of the line. “Would you agree to two Saturdays a month? I’ll come to Paradise Springs until Sofie’s comfortable coming to my house. With summer coming soon, Sofie and I should have all sorts of activities we can do together.”
“What happens when your boss asks you to work again on a weekend?”
“Um, right. Maybe I should commit to only one Saturday a month and we leave it a little flexible? Just until I’m firmly established in my career.”
I sigh internally when she mentions her career again, but she’s being honest about it so that shows how much she’s matured. “I’ll have my attorney draw up the language and we can get the custody agreement changed to include one Saturday visitation a month.” As soon as these words leave my mouth, I feel lik
e a boulder has been lifted from my shoulders. Forgiving Vicki is a freeing feeling.
We talk about the wording that makes both of us comfortable. I let Vicki know that I’ll call Jesper in the morning and ask him to make this modification.
“Noah, I really appreciate getting to see Sofie. You’ve done an exceptional job raising her. She’s truly a joy to be around.”
The unexpected praise from my ex-wife catches me off guard. “Thank you. I’ll contact you once we have the modified custody agreement in place. Sofie’s last day of school is May 23. I think she’d enjoy an outing with her mom that next Saturday.”
“That sounds great! I’ll reserve the date on my calendar.” Vicki sounds excited and grateful. I’m cautiously optimistic.
After Vicki hangs up, I ponder how the situation with Vicki has taken a complete turn-around. When she reentered my life, I was at a low point, terrified of sharing my daughter with the mother who left us without a word. But I’ve come to realize that Vicki and I can share Sofie without losing something in the process. In fact, it’s a win-win for the three of us. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to forgive.
When I pick up Sofie, I glance at Rae and automatically want to go over and tell her about the conversation with Vicki. But all I can do is smile and wave while Sofie collects her stuff, and we leave. I won’t tell my daughter about the arrangement with her mother until everything’s in place.
“Did you have fun at school today?”
Sofie excitedly tells me about the guest firefighter who visited. “His coat and pants were so big, Daddy! He said they protect him from a fire.”
I smile and nod.
“Miss Dailey says we only have two weeks left until summer vacation. How many days is two weeks?”
Chuckling, I reply. “Fourteen days. Shall we count them down on the calendar?” I can get out the calendar I’m already keeping in my desk drawer and we can mark off the days together.
Sofie nods. “But I’m going to be sad not seeing Miss Dailey anymore. Can we invite her over sometimes?”
“That’s a great idea. Maybe she can come over for lunch occasionally.” I try not to laugh at my own little joke and hope that Rae will be coming over every day.
“Can we have grilled cheese and chocolate milk?”
A smile splits my face. “Of course.” Apparently, all it takes to make my daughter happy is grilled cheese and chocolate milk.
Sofie sings to the radio and I bask in the confidence that Miss Dailey will be a part of our lives as soon as the school year ends. As it turns out, Margaret, Grace, and Logan all referred me to the same restaurant. After extensively researching the menu and reading the rave reviews online, I quickly made reservations for 7:00 on May 23. Fourteen days and counting!
~*~
I remind myself for the tenth time why I’m here surrounded by barking dogs and an instructor that looks like she could have been a drill sergeant in the military. Frankie needs to learn obedience, or at least how to take a walk without pulling on the leash all the time. A loud sigh escapes. I’m an inept doggie dad and it shows. My dog is one of the worst ones in the class. But hey, this is just the first night, so Frankie can only improve. I hope.
Clap! Clap!
Drill Sergeant Dottie looks sternly across all her class members, human and canine, with a scowl that would have Army recruits shaking in their boots. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. By the looks of it, everyone here needs to learn discipline and who’s top dog.” A loud belly laugh escapes her ample chest while the class nervously snickers. “And let me tell you, your dog shouldn’t be the one who’s in charge.” Her words sound similar to an episode of Dog Whisperer that I watched last week.
Frankie sits at my feet, vibrating with excess energy, ready to bolt across the gymnasium where the class is being held. She creeps forward on her stomach, slowly inching her way across the floor. I keep a tight hold on the leash and gently pull her back. Multiple times.
The dogs around us are also in various stages of misbehaving. A terrier yips nonstop, despite the owners feeble attempts at asking him to be quiet. A spotted dog that looks like a spaniel jumps up on his owner’s legs. Every time the owner instructs the dog to lie back down, the dog sits then immediately jumps up again. It reminds me of a poor comedy sketch repeating on a loop. A beautiful brindle colored behemoth lies quietly beside his owner, his head on his massive paws, and I think the Great Dane may have fallen asleep.
Dottie leads us through drills for teaching your dog to properly walk on a leash. After multiple circles around the gym, Frankie is not pulling quite as much. Maybe all this peer pressure is good for her?
We’re given a sheet that details multiple obedience exercises Dottie wants us to do with our dogs during the week. These are the same exercises we did during class, so everyone is familiar with them. She calls it homework and encourages everyone to perform them at least twice a day. Repetition and reward are apparently the keys to successful dog training. I remind myself to pick up a bag of the recommended dog treats on the way home. Dottie swears by them.
By the end of the evening, I’m exhausted but feeling much better. Like a proud parent, my chest swells with pride that my dog did okay and didn’t flunk out on the first night.
As I walk to the car, mingling and chatting with the other dog owners, a squirrel runs in front of us, immediately setting off a raucous round of barking from our pets. Frankie yanks on the leash, pulling it out of my hand. I stand forlornly as I watch her join a pack of five other dogs chasing after the squirrel. The animal runs several yards away and scampers up a tree, where our canines stand, barking and howling. One dog who looks like a coonhound is bellowing out an impressive baying sound that the breed is known for when they tree a raccoon. The mournful noise echoes around the neighborhood.
The coonhound owner looks at me and shrugs. “Guess Goofball has more to learn,” he says with chagrin.
I shake my head in amusement and laugh. Guess all our dogs have more to learn. I’ll diligently practice the obedience drills Dottie gave us for homework. My competitive nature wants Frankie to pass the class with flying colors. Plus I have the time until May 23rd.
Jogging over to the tree, I collect my naughty dog and head for home. Maybe Sofie should bring Frankie next time. Sadly, the dog obeys her better than me.
Chapter Thirty
Raelynn – May 23
MY THROAT FEELS SCRATCHY, my head throbs, and my nose runs like a leaky faucet. The sniffles and body aches I was feeling yesterday have accelerated into a full-blown cold. My heart and mood plummet knowing that I’m sick and I’ll miss the last day of school. My heart sinks further knowing I’ll also miss the romantic first date with Noah.
Painfully pulling myself out of bed, I drink some orange juice, hoping it will make me feel better. When a coughing fit racks my body, I know there’s no hope that this illness is going away any time soon. Picking up my cell, I call Cassie.
“Hey Rae! Today’s the day,” she says in an excited voice.
I sneeze loudly. My voice comes out raspy and raw when I reply. “I’m sick, Cassie. That cold I was trying to ward off yesterday hit me full force this morning. I can’t come in and expose the kids to this.”
“Oh no!”
Blowing my nose, I sound like a wounded goose, and I apologize to my friend for the rude noise. “I’ll call Principal Marshfield and hope a substitute can come in on such short notice.”
“I can cover both classes if needed. Stay home and feel better.” I hear a sound in the background that indicates Cassie is getting dressed while she talks to me.
“I really want to say goodbye to the kids. Could you set up a computer and video conference in my classroom so I can say goodbye to them?”
“That’s a great idea, Rae. I’ll get it all set up and call you when we’re ready.”
“Thanks for everything. You’re such a wonderful friend.”
We sign off and I call the principal. She tells me to get better
and that she’ll call Trudy, our usual kindergarten substitute. After I hang up, I want to cry in frustration. Not only is my last day of school a bust, but so is my date with Noah tonight. I was so looking forward to it! Realizing defeat, I text to let him know I’m sick and then return to bed until Cassie calls me about the video conference. So much for the countdown calendar and my anticipation of May 23.
~*~
The video conference is enjoyable despite how I feel. I shower and try to look better even though I blow my nose several times during the call. The kids crowd around the computer, waving and telling me to feel better. Trudy helped them make posters for me, and seeing their handiwork brings a tear to my eyes.
Before we sign off, each kid says something to the screen.
“My mommy was sick last week.”
“Your nose is red. You look like a clown.”
“Did you drink some orange juice?”
“Are you having chicken noodle soup? That makes you feel better.”
“I don’t like chicken noodle soup. It’s yucky.”
“No it isn’t! Miss Jones, tell him that chicken noodle soup isn’t yucky.”
Trudy intervenes before there’s a fight over chicken noodle soup. She wraps up the call and I tell the kids how much I’m going to miss them.
“Bye Miss Dailey!” they say in unison and everyone waves as we sign off.
I flop back down on my bed and promptly fall asleep.
~*~
Pound! Pound! Pound!
The noise rouses me from a restless sleep. Is that the pounding in my head or is someone at the door? I listen for a few seconds and realize that someone is at the door. Who could it be?
I trudge to the front door and open it a crack. Noah peers back at me. “Dr. Sullivan has come with soup and medication for the patient,” he says in a breezy voice. I step back as he waltzes through the door.
I hold up a hand. “Don’t get too close, Noah. I’m probably still contagious and I don’t want you to get this.”
He laughs. “I have an ironclad immune system. No worries.” He strides into the kitchen carrying two paper bags. I follow him at a safe distance, hoping he won’t pick up this bug. My kitten-adorned pajamas are wrinkled and I’m wearing fuzzy pink socks. My hair’s sticking out at odd angles and a tissue sticks out of the pocket of my PJs. With my red nose and disheveled appearance, I’m surprised Noah doesn’t turn around and run back out the door.
A Time for Faith Page 16