by Lisa Prysock
She slipped into her peach satin robe—the one she’d purchased for their honeymoon with the matching, floor-length, spaghetti-strap nightgown—and crossing the bedroom, stepping onto the patio through the French doors. Though there had been a time in her life when she dreaded the dawning of a new day after the loss of her husband and coping with her grief, now she wanted to drink in the sights and sounds of each morning. The sunrise felt like the hope and joy she now carried inside her heart since returning to Wyoming, falling in love with her childhood sweetheart all over again, and giving her life to Jesus. She still marveled at how the Lord in His great mercy had given her a second chance at love and life. She and her children were thriving and her Savior had worked a miracle for her beyond anything she’d ever expected.
Jill caught sight of a sparrow flitting among the branches of a tree and a few seconds later, a butterfly landing on a coral rose. She couldn’t help but embrace the day with a heart full of thanksgiving for all of the good things which had happened to her. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but it was a full and rewarding life she shared with Logan. Though they’d only been married seven months, they were truly becoming a family. Life was good, other than feeling frequently overwhelmed with parenting. She stepped back inside to sip the hot coffee and sat down at the table to pray, read her Bible, and spend a little time with the Lord before waking her husband. Soon it was time to rouse him from sleep before their breakfast grew too cold to enjoy.
“Look, love, they’ve brought us everything. Bacon, eggs, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, soda bread, butter, jam, orange juice, coffee, and tea,” Jill announced as she peeked under the warming lid of her plate. “Come join me so we can always remember this romantic setting. You know I’ll have to write an article about our adventures and publish it in a travel journal when we return home.”
Logan groaned, face down in his pillow. Then he sat up. “I was sleeping so well. I really like this bed.”
“It’s comfortable, isn’t it?” Jill buttered some of the Irish soda bread.
“I guess I am hungry.” Rising, Logan tied the belt to his terry cloth robe and joined her at the table where she had the French doors open wide to the fresh morning air and the pleasant sound of chirping birds.
“Here’s your Irish Breakfast Porridge. I peeked at the menu. This is no ordinary porridge. It’s steel-cut oats, with apples and maple syrup. Also, here are your potatoes and sausage. They’re seasoned with freshly chopped parsley, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and brushed with olive oil.”
“Wow,” he blinked. “Everything looks delicious. I can get used to this kind of food.” He bowed his head in silent prayer.
She sipped her tea and then placed her cup back in the saucer. She’d already prayed for her food. She pulled her silk robe closer about her shoulders and leaned back to admire the beauty of the morning before them.
“Where are we going today?” He took a bite of the potatoes and then closed his eyes and grinned. “These are great.”
Jill tried some of the potatoes. She liked the way the fresh parsley tasted with them. “Mmm, yes, these are amazing. Darling, if you don’t mind, I’d just like to take a walk in the gardens here, enjoy the hot tub, swim in the pool, and do some writing. Can we just hang out here and have dinner in our room or the Tara-House dining room? The manager told me we can order anything we want from the menu and they’ll send it to our suite, or we can eat in the Victorian dining room surrounded by windows with a view of the woods and meadows on the property. I peeked in the dining room last night and saw a giant fireplace there, too. They had romantic lanterns on each table.”
Logan buttered his soda bread. “Sounds like my kind of day. I wanted to work on writing a few new sermons. Let’s eat dinner in the dining room then and enjoy the day here. I’m kind of worn out from all the other sights we’ve taken in. We can take a walk on the grounds and explore the garden this morning and then after, we can swim. I hear Tara-House has one of the few and most beautiful Victorian rose gardens in Ireland.”
“I’m glad you agree. I can’t get over how lovely this place is. I don’t feel the need to leave when there’s so much beauty right here. Did you see those lush, green meadows out there?” She had particularly enjoyed a bubble bath the night before in the vintage bear-claw bathtub in the luxurious bathroom of their en suite. It was going to be hard to leave the Victorian mansion, but it gave her all sorts of ideas for her books.
“It’s like something on one of those scenic postcards.” Logan tried some of the steel-cut oats.
“It’s everything I imagined it would be and more. In fact, everything in Ireland has been, thanks to our careful planning. I loved the cottage, too. Those flowery meadows are going to be hard to forget. How’d you like the shower?” She tasted some of the eggs.
“Great water pressure, but honey, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you and I keep forgetting or getting side-tracked.” He stabbed a sautéed mushroom with his fork. “I should have talked to you first about it and I feel guilty about not doing that. Then, too, I should have told you a long time ago. Now I think it’s bothering me so much I keep pushing it away from my mind.”
“What’s that?” She sipped some of the orange juice, one eyebrow up in curiosity.
“I hope you won’t be upset, but I gave Buck an acre of our land and an old two-bedroom cabin to fix up for him and Ella.” Logan peered at her, waiting for reaction.
Jill leaned forward to add elderberry jam to her soda bread. “Oh, is that all? Honestly, Logan, I was hoping you’d do something for him. We have so much. I wouldn’t mind if you’d given him two or three acres.”
“Well, I didn’t feel inclined to do that. The land has been in my family for generations and I’m the first Haven to lose an acre of it, but he needs to act on his faith and start preparing a home. And honestly, after praying about it, I felt like it’s what the Lord wanted me to do.” He ate some more of the steel-cut oats. “I really believe Ella’s going to come out of this coma at some point and bringing her home to life in the barn loft isn’t feasible. After he sold his property to help pay for her medical bills, I felt it was the very least we could do.”
“Of course it is. I’m glad you did it. We’re not going to miss an acre. Buck is practically part of the family.” Jill tried some of the bread. “I know your mom was telling me they’ve known him since before they were married.”
“Very true. The cabin needs some updating and cleaning up, but that’s all part of him acting on his faith. In addition to having a place to bring Ella home, now they’ll have a place to bring the grandchildren to visit and gather with family.” He drank some of the orange juice, appearing relieved to have finally been able to share his burden with her. “I didn’t want you to think I would make major decisions about the property we share now that we’re married without including you. This was just kind of one of those things that seemed obvious to do.”
She placed her hand comfortingly on his and gazed into her husband’s eyes. “It was the right thing to do. Now we just have to keep praying Ella will wake up soon. These Saturday trips with you flying him in our helicopter to Cheyenne every weekend are getting old.”
“Don’t I know it? And fuel isn’t cheap.” Logan leaned back in his chair and crossed a leg over his knee. “The thing is, to be completely honest, I woke up one Saturday morning disgusted. I was disgusted I had to keep making these flights to Cheyenne. You see, I was angry at what the devil was doing to Buck and Ella, and to us in a way, since we’re part of his life. I was tired after a long week of work. I was worn out from managing the ranch and then getting up early on Saturday mornings when I shouldda been able to sleep in a few hours and spend the day with you and the kids.”
“I don’t blame you for feeling the way you did.” Jill tried some of the oatmeal and then sipped some of her tea. “I have often felt the same things, feeling like we were losing precious time with each other and as a family. I think I was even starting to grow a little b
itter about it, now that you mention it.”
“Exactly. Instead of having time with you and the kids, I had to fly to Cheyenne and then try to put together the finishing touches on my sermons for preaching in The Sweetwater Chapel while I waited around on Buck in the hospital. By the time we flew back, the whole day was just gone. Then getting up early to preach on Sundays and being completely wiped out afterwards. It hasn’t left any time for much of a family life for us during one of the most crucial times in our lives, the first seven months of our marriage. So in a way, it was purely selfish on my part. I got down on my knees at the altar in the chapel that morning before flying Buck to Cheyenne and I just got a hold of the Lord and begged for mercy.”
“Oh, Logan, I’m so glad you’ve shared this with me. My prayers have grown really intense about the situation as well. I’ve been holding on, hoping for a breakthrough, so we can do more as a family.” Jill leaned forward and sighed, placing her chin on her joined hands, resting her elbows on the table.
He nodded. “After that morning, I felt as though the Lord gave me the idea to give the one acre of land and that outdated cabin to Buck. However, I want you to know, this is our gift to him but as unto the Lord. I feel like Buck needs our loyalty through this time. Some people think the devil is a myth, but the truth is, we fight a very real enemy. He’s been running roughshod all over Buck, Ella, and us for a long time, but the Lord has a way of making all things work together for our good.”
“You’re right, and I’m believing with you.” She took a deep breath and ate some more of her oatmeal.
“Let’s hope God’s mercy counts our actions and Buck’s as faith. It’s just a mustard seed, really, but it’s a start.” He reached for his coffee cup.
“That’s all it takes, just a mustard seed.” She took a few more bites of the steel-cut oats. “Wow, with the apples and the maple flavor, this is really delicious. Nothing like that instant stuff. No wonder the Irish are such good cooks.”
Logan chuckled. “Yeah, I had no idea all the stuff they can do with potatoes until we came to Ireland. They make potato everything.”
Chapter 8
“If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein, Cambridge philosopher
TORY LAY THERE IN A crumpled heap on the floor for a few seconds while stars spun around her dazed head. She was stunned and irritated with herself she’d been so completely taken off guard to the point of screaming, jumping in such a fright, and somehow knocking herself and her chair to the floor. She blinked and realized she was looking at a set of furry paws. Her cowgirl hat had been knocked off her head allowing her brown curls to fall about her shoulders, but at the moment, it was the least of her concerns. What on earth had touched her shin above her boot?
She pushed herself to an upright position and blinked, still sitting on the floor. Then she realized it had been nothing more than an adorable calico cat which had rubbed against her legs. Taking in a view of the frightened kitty-cat, she laughed as Bronson and Melanie scrambled to her side and knelt down to assist her up.
She paid neither one of them any mind. She’d frightened that adorable cat. The poor little thing was obviously confused and tragically lost in a room full of complete strangers. The cat dashed under the table, and Tory quickly swiveled around and turned until she was on her hands and knees, able to crawl after the creature. Under the table she went after the cat.
“Kitty, here kitty!” she called, looking straight ahead as she passed by a sea of feet, chair legs, and table legs.
“Why, I do believe she’s gone under the table!” Arianna pushed her chair back, aghast.
“Why is Tory under the table?” Jasmine gasped.
“That’s Boots!” Bronson, still kneeling down to help, caught a brief look at the cat dashing under the table and on to the next as fast as her little paws could carry her.
“Who’s Boots?” someone asked.
“One of the contestants has crawled under the tables!” someone hollered, causing some degree of laughter to fill the room.
“We’ve got a situation!” another voice said, causing more laughter.
“Ouch!” Kylie hollered as the cat scrambled over her feet. “There goes a cat! Tory’s trying to catch her!”
All of the voices and laughter sounded female and disturbing to Tory from under the table, not to mention a bit muffled. She followed the calico creature Bronson had called Boots, making her way around his chair on the opposite side of the table from where she’d been seated, still crawling.
“It’s a cat! Tory’s trying to catch the cat!” someone repeated.
“What cat?” someone asked.
“A cat!” That voice was definitely Ada Taylor’s voice. “What’s a cat doing in here?”
At this point, guests were laughing and shrieking as Boots, followed by Tory, scrambled under the next table.
“Stop that cat!” Melanie decided to help and hiked her tea-length dress to her knees and scrambled under the table after them.
“Relax, folks. It’s just Boots, everyone.” Bronson’s voice tried to calm them.
“Boots who?” someone asked.
“Whose boots?” a confused voice asked. “I’m not wearing any boots.”
“A cat named Boots,” McGuire’s voice explained.
“Excuse me,” Tory said as she crawled around a contestant. “Pardon me.” She climbed over a sea of shoes and purses, crawling as fast as she could. She simply couldn’t leave the cat trapped in a room full of strangers, frightened, and now racing about.
Glancing back, she saw Bronson thinking through the idea of crawling under the tables, but he stood up. He must have thought the better of the whole idea, but she kept crawling in hopes of reaching Boots. Guests were still shrieking, looking under tables, and some laughing. A few had risen and were moving around. Maybe those were the wranglers, but she couldn’t be sure from where she was. The cat had stopped running, crouching at the moment, wondering where to dart next.
Tory saw one shot at reaching Boots and taking a deep breath, she lurched forward and managed to catch her, coming out from under the table practically eye-level with a pair of cowboy boots she recognized as belonging to Bronson. She looked up, clutching the calico beauty. Behind him stood a line of cowboys which included Jed, McGuire, Buck, and Joey. They’d apparently lined up to block the cat from going under the next table.
Like any kind gentleman, Bronson reached down and helped her to her feet, the cat tucked securely under one of her arms. There was a two second pause while guests looked to see if her mission had been successful, and when they saw the cat in her arms, everyone began clapping with sighs of relief. Melanie stood up breathless beside them, Jed helping her to her feet as the clapping continued. She sighed and patted the cat on her head before returning to her seat.
“You know that’s Jill’s cat,” Bronson remarked, leaning closer and speaking in a low voice for her ears only as the judges, ranch staff, and contestants began settling down.
“I had no idea,” she whispered, smiling awkwardly at the guests and gently scratching the cat behind her ears to calm the creature. “Thanks for helping me. Can you direct me to a safer place for Boots?”
“Sure.” Bronson nodded at the other cowboys as they returned to their seats while he clasped an arm around her and swiftly led her out of the library, closing the double doors behind them.
“Phew!” Tory, still holding Boots, fell back against the walls of the hall. The hall opened out into the spacious sunken living room of the barn house, but she barely had time to take in the lovely surroundings.
“Why don’t we take Boots upstairs?” Bronson suggested, pausing beside her and leaning a shoulder against the hall. “The family living quarters is there and the cat would feel more at home.”
“Oh, Bronson, I’ve probably messed my chances up going after the cat like I did! I don’t know what I was thinking, except how terrified Boots looked. I
’m a real sucker for suffering animals, especially cats and horses.”
“Evidently,” he chuckled. Then his eyes softened as tears welled up in hers.
“My sister’s going to kill me.” Tory shook her head and looked down at the ground, continuing to pet the cat in her arms. “She’s counting on me to win, or at least place, so I can offer the winnings to help my mom with the taxes to the house. My sister, Harper, well, she’s the one who entered me in this thing. I just don’t want to let her or my family down, but the truth is, I’d love to go home and forget this whole embarrassing incident. They’ll probably disqualify me after this. I don’t know what I was thinking by coming here. Beauty pageants aren’t my thing. I just thought maybe I could help my mom, but the look of hope in my sister’s eyes... She’s too young or she’d be here in my stead.”
Bronson listened as her whole story tumbled out, his brows appearing to furrow with concern. “Just between us, I think you did the right thing going after the cat. If anything happens to Jill’s cat while she’s in Ireland, Logan’d never let us hear the end of it. Tell you what, whenever I find myself in a really difficult situation, I pray about it. Let’s tell the Lord and leave the outcome with Him.”
“Okay, but let’s get this cat upstairs first. She’s getting a little frisky.” Boots meowed in her arms.
“Good idea.” He nodded and then steered her along the rest of the hall beside the sunken living room. She’d not had much opportunity to explore the barn house. They turned right at the end of the area, passed the entrance to a huge country kitchen, and went up the staircase. At the top, Tory saw a loft hall with a railing looking below, leading to rooms on either side of the steps.