Sunflower Serenade

by Tricia Goyer

  “You’re a good friend. And a good boyfriend.” Arielle took Sam’s dirty hand and squeezed. Then she released it. “Race you to the swing.”

  Sam laughed and darted after her. He’d never understand girls, what they were thinking, or what they appreciated. But at least this time he’d done the right thing, according to Arielle. And, well, according to himself. Because as he raced up the shore after the others he felt good inside. Like things would work out. Like this week wouldn’t be a total bomb after all.

  WARM AIR AND SWEET SCENTS greeted Charlotte as she carried a basket of fresh vegetables into the kitchen. Picked fresh from the garden, the variety of vegetables would make a nice salad to welcome Jordan to the farm. As she scanned her kitchen counter she wondered if she’d gone overboard with dinner. The homemade biscuits were made. She’d sliced fresh onions to sauté with the pork chops. And from the oven came the yummy fragrance of peach cobbler. A salad and some fresh applesauce would finish the meal.

  Sam and Jordan had arrived back from the creek and stayed only long enough to say a quick hello, before they headed upstairs for a shower. Charlotte now heard them listening to their rock music in Sam’s room.

  As she sliced tomatoes for the salad, she wondered how this visit would go. But as the stove’s timer beeped, telling her the cobbler was done, she shook any worries out of her mind and looked forward to getting to know Jordan.

  After the biscuits were baked and the gravy was simmering on the stove, Charlotte’s stomach rumbled, and she knew dinnertime had come.

  “Christopher,” Charlotte said to her grandson, who was lying in front of the television watching a documentary on space travel, “can you please call everyone for dinner?”

  Christopher stood and walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Dinner’s ready!” he called.

  Then he walked to the kitchen door, opening it and leaning outside. “Dinner’s ready! Grandpa, Uncle Pete! Time for dinner.”

  Charlotte shook her head and chuckled. “Thank you, but I think I could have done that. Can you make sure—” The sentence wasn’t even out of her mouth when Charlotte heard the pounding of footsteps coming down the stairs. Sam, Jordan, and Emily entered in mid-conversation that had something to do with the best burgers in San Diego.

  Ten seconds later the kitchen door opened, and Bob, Pete, and Dana entered.

  Christopher looked at Charlotte with a smirk, and she smiled back. “Boy, you sure have a good set of lungs. Who needs a bullhorn with you around?”

  “Huh?” Christopher scratched his head.

  “Want me to put this on the table for you?” Dana grabbed the basket that held the fresh biscuits wrapped in a dish towel.

  “Grandma, can I put the lemonade on the table too?” Emily asked. “Oh, and the yummy salad.” She grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and the big bowl of salad and set them near her place at the table.

  “We pretty much have salad every day. You’re acting like it’s a new thing.” Sam smirked, elbowing Jordan. “You’re lucky you don’t have a sister.”

  Jordan chuckled. “Yeah. I guarantee my brother wouldn’t be excited about salad for dinner. I mean …” Jordan glanced sheepishly at Charlotte. “Uh, not that anything’s wrong with salad, Mrs. Stevenson. This one looks great. It’s just that my brother doesn’t really like vegetables.”

  Charlotte pointed to the chair next to where Sam usually sat, motioning for Jordan to have a seat. “Oh, I understand. No worries. I have to say that, growing up, Pete didn’t care for vegetables either.”

  “Yeah, not until Dad told me I needed to eat them to grow up big and strong,” Pete joined in. “So I did. After all, it became my main goal in life to grow taller than Denise.”

  The room quieted, and Charlotte didn’t know if it was because Bob was already folding his hands, or because of the mention of her daughter’s name.

  “Shall we pray?” Bob said, breaking the silence.

  Charlotte folded her hands, wondering if Jordan was used to such rituals at home. He didn’t seem bothered by it, and he removed his baseball cap and placed it on his lap before bowing his head.

  “Gracious Father, we thank Thee for your provisions today,” Bob prayed. “We thank Thee that Jordan arrived safely and that we can look forward to the week ahead in which we will celebrate the bounty of the land. In your Son, Jesus’s name, amen.”

  “Amen,” the voices around the table said in unison. As Sam poured lemonade into his glass and Jordan’s, Jordan took a large pork chop from the serving platter for himself and placed another on Sam’s plate.

  Charlotte was pleased to see that Jordan wasn’t shy about serving himself or filling his plate with food. She also liked to see the way the guys seemed natural around each other.

  “So did you have a nice flight?” Charlotte asked Jordan as she scooped salad onto her plate.

  “Oh, yes ma’am. I thought I would fall asleep right away, but I started reading this book, and it turned out to be pretty good.”

  “Do you like to read, Jordan?” Dana’s face brightened.

  Jordan shrugged and glanced around the table. “Sometimes, I suppose.”

  Sam chuckled, and Jordan elbowed him in the ribs. Sitting side by side, Charlotte noticed how much taller Jordan was than Sam. And thinner too. But with Jordan’s boyish face and round blue eyes, he seemed younger. He didn’t have that tough edge that Sam always tried to affect.

  “Tell my grandparents about the time my mom took us to the library and we got kicked out,” Sam mumbled with his mouth full of food.

  “Kicked out? Really?” Pete eyed Jordan as if he suddenly had a new respect for the young man.

  Jordan shrugged. “Yeah, well, we thought the tiny elevator that carried books between floors was really cool. But I guess we gave the upstairs librarian quite a scare when she opened the door and saw two boys sitting there.”

  “All we said was boo.” Sam smirked.

  Laughter erupted around the table, and Charlotte tried to picture Denise’s reaction.

  Sam took a drink of lemonade. “Yeah, my mom insisted that we volunteer there every Saturday for a month. Although I think she thought it was a better idea than the head librarian did.”

  Jordan laughed as another memory was resurrected, and Charlotte was almost afraid to ask.

  Sam glanced at Jordan and must have understood what his friend was thinking, because he quickly changed the topic. “Hey, Grandma, I was wondering. Do you have a calendar or something for the fair? I want to take Jordan to the demolition derby.”

  “There are other things you don’t want to miss—like the dog show,” Christopher butted in.

  “Or the art display.” Emily grinned.

  “Exactly.” Jordan nodded.

  “Yes, the fair-events calendar is over there under the pile of mail.” Charlotte pointed to the counter. “There’s always more to do than time to do it, but I’m glad Jordan decided to come for fair week. It’s always full of excitement, unlike ordinary summer days.”

  “Unless you call chores exciting,” Sam mumbled.

  “Fair week kicks off with the parade on Tuesday, followed by the opening of the fairgrounds and all the rides.” Charlotte tucked her hair behind her ear. “Although, truth be told, I’m not sure that we’ll be able to attend all the fair activities, especially with all the excitement happening around the farm.”

  “It’s so crazy.” Pete shook his head. “I knew of one, maybe two, of that woman’s songs. And now that she’s coming to Bedford and filming that silly video on the farm, I hear her everywhere. On the radio. In television commercials.”

  “Yeah, I even saw her photo on the cover of Teen magazine,” Dana said. “She’s super cute.” She chuckled. “It’s not fair, really, to have those looks and that voice.”

  Pete wiped biscuit crumbs off his lips and then glanced over at Dana. “She’s not as pretty as you.”

  Pink rose to Dana’s cheeks, and Charlotte could tell she was pleased by the comment.

&nbs
p; “I have to admit I feel the same way, Pete. Shae Lynne was even on Good Morning—”

  “Shae Lynne?” Jordan interrupted, his light blue eyes widening. “Did your grandma just say Shae Lynne?” He turned in his chair, grabbed Sam’s shoulders, and shook them. “Is that the video Emily was talking about on the phone earlier? A video for a country music star?”

  Sam grimaced.

  “Sam didn’t tell you yet?” Charlotte cocked an eyebrow at Sam.

  Jordan’s eyes widened. “No, Sam said they were filming a milk commercial, starring Trudy the cow.”

  Sam smiled and flipped his long bangs out of his eyes. “No, I didn’t tell you it was a milk commercial. I said they were shooting a video and Trudy was going to be in it. You just assumed it was a milk commercial and that our cow was the star.”

  “So what kind of video is it? Is Shae Lynne going to be singing?” Jordan started to pick up his fork but then put it down again, too distracted to eat. He folded his arms over his chest.

  “Oh yes. It’s a music video for one of Shae Lynne’s new songs.” Charlotte hoped her feigned excitement made up for all of them.

  “A music video? She’s going to be singing?” Jordan asked. Then, remembering that he was a guest, he bit his bottom lip. “No offense. I just would rather listen to rock. I’m sure she’s a nice, uh, person.”

  “Speaking of nice people,” Charlotte cut in, “did Will call about what time everyone is coming?” She poured a tall glass of lemonade for herself.

  “Yes, well, I was going to talk to you about that.” Bob rubbed his chin as if trying to remember the conversation. “The whole crew will be here around one o’clock tomorrow.”

  “One o’clock tomorrow?” The list of all she had to do tomorrow scrolled through Charlotte’s mind.

  “So, I suppose it’s a go?” She used her fork to move around the food on her plate.

  “Well, Bill read through the contract and said that it looked in order, but he took the extra copy with him to read it in more detail. He’s supposed to call us back before bedtime. But as far as I can figure, unless Bill sees a major problem, it’s going to happen.”

  “So the video people are really going to be here tomorrow?” Emily placed a hand over her heart.

  Jordan poked Emily’s shoulder. “You should have at least told me. You’re never able to keep secrets.”

  “Ha-ha, very funny. I can keep a secret. Besides, Christopher and I were going to tell you, but Sam wanted us to wait. He thought you would just make fun of it.”

  “Maybe we can just stay in town with Paul and Jake and steer clear of the whole thing.” Sam took another biscuit from the basket and slathered it with butter.

  “Seriously?” Emily cocked an eyebrow. “You can’t dislike country music that bad.”

  “Wanna make a bet?”

  “I’ll bet you about that, or about anything!” Christopher jumped in, excited that the conversation had finally come around to something worth talking about.

  “You really want to bet, buddy?” Jordan eyed Christopher from around the table. “I bet I can make a rock skip more times across the creek than you can.”

  Christopher’s shoulders sank. “I don’t know how to skip.”

  “Really, it’s easy. I’ll show you.”

  “After dinner?” Christopher perked up.

  Then Jordan turned to Charlotte. “If that’s okay with you, ma’am.”

  “Yes, of course, Jordan.”

  As Charlotte finished her meal, she let out a small sigh of contentment. For the previous week she’d thought about all the work that needed to get done—including caring for a guest. But what she hadn’t remembered was that even in the midst of busy days and weeks, God sometimes opens up a window of grace too. And this was one of those moments, when they could just enjoy being together.

  In fact, moments like this were what made life at Heather Creek Farm different from most places. Yes, they were busy. But at least they were busy together.

  Chapter Twelve

  For as long as Charlotte could remember, Monday morning of fair week meant getting up before dawn, doing morning chores, and loading up all the fresh flowers, vegetables, and baked goods she’d planned on entering in the fair. Followed, of course, by a fair board meeting in which all the final kinks got worked out of the well-oiled fair machine.

  Things had gone well during Jordan’s first night on the farm. She’d been disappointed that the boys had missed church, but she decided it was a battle for another day. After dinner the kids skipped rocks down at the creek, and then Sam had given Jordan a quick tour of the farm, and they’d watched a movie with Emily.

  Charlotte had been surprised, but pleased, when Bill called to say the contract was on the up-and-up. She knew if anyone could find a legal reason not to sign the contract it would have been Bill. And as for having more people on the farm, making more demands, Charlotte didn’t know how it could be much different than how things already were. Her life wasn’t her own, and hadn’t been for quite a while.

  But enough of that, she thought. I’ll worry about the video shoot when the time comes. Now I just need to concentrate on the fair. She glanced around and again took in the sight of the busy fairgrounds, breathing in the scents.

  Charlotte’s stomach growled at the aroma of mini-donuts and funnel cakes, and she realized she hadn’t eaten breakfast. Even though she hated the thought of paying so much for a small container of donuts, the smell drew her in. Later, she told her stomach. I promise.

  Beside her, Christopher pulled a wagon filled with her entries. Although he’d yawned in the car during the ride to town, now his eyes were wide as he took in the temporary city that had been built within the chain-link fencing. A giggle spilled from his lips as they passed the hog barn and a dozen squeals—high-pitched and sharp—split the air.

  Charlotte tried to see the world through the eyes of someone who hadn’t grown up with this yearly tradition. She took in the clear blue sky, the white benches, and the green buildings shaded by large trees. And beyond the exhibition area the rides were still being set up. How many loops had she taken around the Ferris wheel during her lifetime? Too many to count.

  A security guard drove by in a golf cart, and two fair volunteers walked by sporting matching yellow aprons. Charlotte had forgotten her own apron, folded and on top of the dryer, but she knew she’d pick it up the next time she went home.

  This morning as she was lying in bed, Charlotte had almost talked herself out of entering the sunflowers, the wildflower bouquet, and the fresh vegetables from her garden as she had planned. Yet as the minutes ticked by, she knew she didn’t have that choice. After all, she was the one who’d talked the kids into entering items. What type of example would she be to Emily and Christopher if she slacked off this year?

  Come on. Get in the spirit. The fair only comes once a year. Enjoy it, she’d told herself.

  And now she was enjoying it. Bits and pieces of joy seemed to come upon her at the most unexpected moments during her hectic days. Yet inside, something felt different, and Charlotte finally came to the realization that she was grieving for the way fair days had been for her until recently.

  Instead of shuttling kids around, she’d been able to spend time with her friends. She’d strolled around the fair with Bob. She’d relaxed and just enjoyed seeing everyone in her community in one place. She’d enjoyed the fair in ways that weren’t possible for her now.

  The wagon wheels squeaked beside her, and Charlotte reminded herself of the things she still would be able to enjoy about this week: the fair queen with the big crown; the 4-H members with their white, pressed dress shirts; seventy-pound girls leading around fifteen-hundred-pound steers; the exhibits and the projects her neighbors had been working on for months.

  “Hey, Grandma, you’re walking too fast,” Christopher called, and Charlotte slowed her steps.

  “Testing, one, two, three,” a man’s voice said over the loudspeaker, checking the announcement sys
tem. Charlotte recognized it as Bob’s voice, and that alone made her smile.

  Just like yesterday when Emily brought in her photographs, lines of people again waited outside the buildings to submit their entries in other categories. Some people, she knew, entered more than two hundred items in the various events. Years ago, Charlotte had tried to match that pace, but not anymore. She entered what she managed to get together, and the rest … Well, she could try again next year.

  Charlotte waved to friends she knew and watched as dutiful husbands ran around with wagons similar to the one Christopher pulled, helping their wives get everything ready to submit.

  “Every year I get sucked into this,” one man complained to another as they walked by. Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle under her breath, inwardly feeling their pain.

  CHARLOTTE TOOK A SIP of burned coffee and watched as the other fair board members filtered into the meeting room. Her items were entered, and now Christopher was content walking the animal barns until her meeting finished.

  She smiled at Ned and Betty as they entered and noticed that her smile wasn’t returned. Instead, as soon as the meeting was called to order, eyes turned to her.

  “Is Bob coming?” Dwayne asked.

  “No, he’s busy this morning working at the arena. I heard him testing out the announcement system not too long ago.”

  She noticed whispers among the other board members but couldn’t make out their comments. Her stomach tightened into a big ball of tension. “Is there a problem?”

  Dwayne folded his hands on the table in front of him. “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, but more of a concern. Word has gotten around town that Heather Creek Farm is going to be featured in a music video.”

  “Yes, we were fortunate to be offered the opportunity.” Charlotte didn’t know what else to say. After all, she’d questioned whether or not they should accept the offer.

  Charlotte heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Hannah entering. Charlotte let out a sigh of relief, seeing her friend’s face. Hannah offered a soft smile.