A Test of Faith

by Carol Cox

  “Why don’t you take someone with you, since it is quite a drive? Livvy, maybe?”

  “No, she’s working today. But LuAnne is at loose ends right now. I’ll ask her if she’d like to go.” There went the last possibility of any time in her studio that evening. She just hoped her ideas didn’t get away from her.

  When she had finished washing the dishes, Kate gave the counters and the kitchen table a wipe with a damp dishcloth, then she headed to the phone to call LuAnne.

  “IT WAS A GOOD THING you phoned.” LuAnne readjusted her seat belt and leaned back in the passenger seat of Kate’s Honda. “I’m about to go stir-crazy not having anything to do all day.”

  She pointed ahead to a small house set back off the road in a cluster of trees. “That’s it.”

  Kate tapped on the brake and turned the Honda into Avery’s driveway. The weathered wood siding on the house must have been white at one time. Random chips of paint still clung to the rough boards.

  She nodded toward Avery’s battered pickup sitting nearby. “At least he’s home.”

  “Watch those steps,” LuAnne told her as they started toward the front porch. “That bottom one looks like it’s about ready to fall off.”

  “It still is.” Kate shifted her weight just in time to keep from falling. “Be careful. The top one isn’t much better.”

  Maybe Paul was right, and Avery had injured himself. There seemed to be a multitude of danger spots just waiting for an accident to happen. She extended her hand to LuAnne and helped her up onto the porch.

  LuAnne clung to Kate’s arm until she regained her balance, then chuckled at the expression on Kate’s face. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”

  She took a moment to pat her red hair into place and straighten the jeweled necklace eyeglasses holder that hung around her neck.

  “This place has been in Avery’s family for generations. It was paid off long ago, which is the only reason Avery has a place to live. As spotty as his work record is, he’d never be able to make the payments on a place of his own.”

  Kate eyed the screen door hanging from one hinge. Would the whole thing fall on top of her when she knocked?

  To her relief, it stayed put, although it rattled in its frame like a pair of castanets the moment she applied her knuckles to it.

  Kate looked at LuAnne. “As loose as the door is, that probably didn’t make much of a sound inside the house. Do you think he could hear it?”

  “I doubt it. Here, let me take a crack at it.” LuAnne yanked the screen open and pounded on the front door with her fist.

  Kate stared at her surroundings while they waited for an answer, looking out across what once must have been a grassy lawn, now a tangled expanse of weeds. Across the driveway, a small shed was in imminent danger of being swallowed up by kudzu vines.

  A couple of minutes passed without an answer. “It doesn’t make sense,” Kate said, concern outweighing her irritation at having her day disrupted. “If his truck is here, surely he’s home.”

  LuAnne hammered at the front door again. “Avery? You in there?”

  They both pressed their ears to the door and listened intently.

  LuAnne shot a look at Kate. “Did you hear that? Sounded like a moan to me.”

  Kate nodded and rattled the knob. “Avery, it’s Kate Hanlon and LuAnne Matthews. Can you hear us? Are you all right?”

  A faint voice responded. “Hold on, I’m comin’ as fast as I can.”

  Moments later the door swung open. Avery Griffin propped himself against the frame, blinking in the sunlight. His hair stood up in all directions, and a gray pallor tinged his features.

  “Goodness,” LuAnne burst out, “you look like death warmed over!”

  “That’s pretty much the way I feel too.” Avery scraped a calloused hand across his stubbly chin. The rasping sound reminded Kate of sandpaper.

  “Pardon my manners, but I’ve got to go sit back down.” He staggered across the room and flopped onto the couch, waving at them to come inside.

  LuAnne took a seat in an overstuffed chair covered with faded orange and yellow flowers. Kate perched on the edge of its mate and tried to find her voice.

  “Are you all right, Avery? Paul asked us to come out here. He’s concerned about you.”

  “You drove all the way out here because you were worried about me?”

  A gentle smile creased Avery’s cheeks, giving him an almost angelic appearance. “Someone kept calling earlier. Was that him?”

  Kate nodded. “He knew you hadn’t been by the church, and he wanted to make sure nothing was wrong.”

  “Tell him I apologize for not answering and for makin’ you drive out all this way. I just wasn’t able to get to the phone. I’ve been sick as a dog the last couple of days.”

  Kate leaned forward. “Is there anything we can do for you? Do you need to see a doctor?”

  “I think it’s pretty much run its course by now.” Avery pressed his hand against his stomach and grimaced.

  “I stopped by the church Thursday afternoon. Pastor Paul has shown a lot of faith in me, and I didn’t want to let him down. I thought I’d get an early start on the cleaning instead of waiting until Friday.

  “The place was a mess, but there was still a raft of kids there. Cute little things, and they looked like they were havin’ a great time. I didn’t want to try to work with them around, so I figured I’d wait and come in early Friday morning.

  “On my way out, I stopped in the kitchen. I was feeling a little peckish, so I thought I’d check the refrigerator and see if there was anything to snack on.”

  He shook his head. “The only thing in there was a plate of deviled eggs.”

  “Eggs?” LuAnne’s lips rounded into an O, and her eyebrows shot straight up.

  “Uh-huh. My mama used to make the best deviled eggs in the county. I never could resist ’em.” Avery gave a weak chuckle, then his face twisted. When the spasm had passed, he went on.

  “I shoulda resisted these, though. They must have had something in them that didn’t agree with me. They just about did me in.”

  Kate couldn’t help exchanging a quick glance with LuAnne.

  Avery shuddered, then looked up at Kate. “Tell Pastor Paul I’ll try to get in this evening and get the cleaning done. You can’t hold church with the place in a mess like that.”

  “No, don’t worry about that. It’s all been taken care of. I’m just sorry to hear you’ve been so sick.”

  She got to her feet, and LuAnne followed her lead. “Is there anything we can do for you before we leave?” Kate asked. “Do you need anything from the store?”

  Avery shook his head. “I haven’t been able to keep much down except crackers and soda, and I have plenty of those on hand.”

  He started to rise, then sank back onto the couch. “I’d see you to the door, ladies, but I just don’t think my legs will hold me up. Would you please tell Pastor Paul I’m sorry I let him down this week?”

  “I’ll do that,” Kate promised, her conscience smarting like mad.

  “Tell him I ought to be back on my feet in a day or two, and he can count on me to have the church clean as a whistle next Friday.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “And bless you both for comin’ out to check on me.” The gratitude in his voice made Kate feel even guiltier for her earlier doubts.

  “You just take care of yourself, darlin’,” LuAnne told him. “And call if you need anything, you hear?”

  KATE DIDN’T RISK another glance at LuAnne until she had made the turn back onto Sweetwater and was heading back to town. Sure enough, LuAnne’s expression held the same sense of horror Kate felt.

  LuAnne finally broke the silence. “You know as well as I do where those eggs came from, don’t you?”

  Kate nodded. “I noticed the cut-glass plate when I set my chicken enchiladas down next to them. No one else brought deviled eggs to the potluck.”

  LuAnne groaned. “So they sat out on the t
able all morning, and who knows how long it was until someone put them back in the refrigerator.”

  “You’re right. It could have been hours later, or even Sunday night. And they were sitting in the fridge until Avery found them on Thursday.” Kate shuddered. “It’s a good thing it only made him sick.”

  “You’re not kidding. We could have been plannin’ his funeral instead.” LuAnne slid a sidelong glance at Kate. “So are you going to tell Renee?”

  Kate could hear the chuckle in her voice. “No, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t make things any better for Avery, and Renee would be mortified to know there were that many eggs left over from the potluck in the first place.”

  LuAnne burst out laughing. “You’re probably right.”

  Just ahead, a slender form darted across the road and disappeared into the trees on the other side. Startled, Kate hit her brakes. The car squealed to a halt.

  Kate waited until she could coax her fingers loose from the steering wheel. “Sorry for the sudden stop. Are you all right?”

  “I’ll be fine,” LuAnne assured her. “Did you see who it was?”

  Kate had no trouble recognizing the worn bomber jacket. “I saw him, but I don’t know his name. Do you know who he is?”

  “He looked a little familiar, but I can’t place him. And I know just about everybody in town.”

  LuAnne twisted around to peer out the side window at the spot where the boy had faded into the line of trees. “Where’s he going in such a hurry, anyway? There’s nothin’ special back in those woods.” A puzzled frown puckered her forehead.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Kate took a deep breath and set the car in motion again. “It’s just that I’ve seen him a couple of times before. I ran into him the other day...literally.”

  She filled LuAnne in on their collision on the sidewalk. “It’s really no big deal. I was just curious.”

  LuAnne leaned back in her seat. “Now it’s going to bother me until I figure it out. He reminds me of someone, but I can’t think who it is.”

  Kate switched to what she hoped would be a happier topic. “So what are Loretta’s plans for the diner?” Her heart sank when she saw the look that shadowed LuAnne’s face.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. She’s keepin’ everyone in the dark, including me. She tells me she hasn’t made up her mind what to do yet. Says she just might take the insurance settlement and retire. And then there’s that new outfit that wants to buy the place.”

  “The French restaurant Bernie was talking about?”

  LuAnne nodded, and Kate slowed to yield to a truck merging in from Pine Ridge Road. “She isn’t serious, is she? Close down the Country Diner?”

  “I don’t know what’s goin’ on in the woman’s mind these days.” LuAnne’s voice thickened. “That place is her life—and mine too—but now she’s talking about how she’d like to start taking things easier instead of bein’ on her feet in that kitchen all day.”

  “I can understand that,” Kate said slowly. “But it’s hard to think of life in Copper Mill without the Country Diner. It must be even worse for the people who’ve been here far longer than Paul and I have.”

  LuAnne pulled a tissue out of her sleeve and blew her nose. “What’s she going to do all day? That’s what I’d like to know. My feet get tired too, but I’d rather go home and soak them every night than miss out on the chance to see all my friends and catch up on what’s goin’ on around town. At least J.B. has another job to go to if this one disappears.”

  She dabbed at her nose again, then crumpled the tissue in her hand. “I’ve got to do something, though. My little bit of savings won’t last forever, and the bills just keep pilin’ up. Much as I hate to admit it, I’ve put in a few applications around town, even some in Pine Ridge. I haven’t heard back on any of them, though.”

  Kate gripped the steering wheel tighter and tried to mask her surprise. “Do you think you’re jumping the gun? Loretta might decide to reopen after all, or maybe if she sells, you could get a job at the new restaurant and at least keep working in the same place.”

  LuAnne’s face twisted. “I thought about that, but honestly, Kate, can you see me wearin’ some frilly uniform and trying to fit in a ritzy place like that?”

  Instead of answering, Kate merely asked, “Does she know how you feel?”

  “Darlin’, have you ever known me to hide my feelin’s? Let’s just say she knows exactly where I stand and leave it at that. She’d be hurting the whole community, not just me. The idea of losin’ the diner is a terrible thing. Just terrible.”

  But did Loretta know the rest of the town shared LuAnne’s feelings? And would it have any bearing on her decision if she did?

  LuAnne’s grim voice broke into Kate’s thoughts. “Would you mind droppin’ me off at the library? I need to check out some books on writin’ a résumé.”

  “No problem. I just wish I could do something to help.” Kate put on her blinker and pulled up to the curb on Main Street.

  LuAnne took another swipe at her nose with the tissue. She started to open the door, then pointed at the newspaper office across the street from the library. “Have you seen this week’s Chronicle?”

  “Not yet.” Kate hedged. In truth, she hadn’t given the paper more than a passing glance since the article about the crash.

  “Take a look at the ad on page seven when you get a chance.”

  “What ad? What are you talking about?”

  “I’m not going to say another word. Just read it. That’ll tell you all you need to know about what folks think about the prospect of the diner closin’ down for good.”

  LuAnne stepped out on the curb. “Thanks for takin’ me along. I needed to feel like I had some purpose in life again.”

  She closed the door, then swung it open again and leaned back inside the car. “And thanks for lettin’ me spout off about Loretta and whatever she’s plannin’ to do with the diner.”

  “No problem.” Kate checked her watch against the town clock tower, hoping it was running fast. She wrinkled her nose when the two showed the same time right down to the minute.

  Some of the local businesses kept shorter hours on Saturdays. She would have to hurry if she wanted to make it to the dry cleaner’s and the pharmacy before they closed.

  She would barely have enough time to do her grocery shopping at the Mercantile and get home to make supper. Servanthood was more time consuming than she’d expected.

  But one thing she knew. If she didn’t accomplish one other thing that afternoon, she was going to stop at the church on her way home and make sure there weren’t any more of those toxic eggs left!

  Chapter Fifteen

  Are you sure you’re up to doing this?” “I’m fine, honey.” Paul finished putting a Windsor knot in his tie and gave her a reassuring smile. “Eli is here in case anything goes wrong. Just be sure to bring my Bible, and we’ll be on our way.”

  Kate watched him make his way out to the living room. He had tried so hard to look normal for his first public appearance since his accident.

  The jacket of the charcoal pinstripe suit she picked up at the cleaner’s the day before hung perfectly on his athletic shoulders. From the waist up, he looked handsome and fit.

  The tailored effect was marred somewhat by the dark gray sweatpants he’d changed into after finding there was no way the matching charcoal slacks would fit over his moon boot.

  She heard him giving Eli the same kind of assurances she had heard since bringing him home from the hospital. “It probably wasn’t necessary to drag you out early, but I appreciate having you here, just in case.”

  Kate followed the men out into the living room, trying not to laugh. The man needed help getting into his clothes, for goodness’ sake.

  He did admit to needing Eli’s help getting down the step into the garage where Kate’s Honda was parked, but he insisted he was fine, perfectly ready to preach a sermon.

  Eli showed a knack for rendering aid without making hi
s assistance obvious to Paul. Once he had made sure Paul was situated comfortably in the passenger seat, Eli got into the rear and held the crutches across his lap.

  “I might as well leave my truck here and ride over and back with you. No sense using two vehicles when one will do.”

  Kate gathered up their Bibles and locked the door behind her, making a mental note to bake a special batch of chocolate-chip cookies in return for Eli’s tactful help.

  “GOOD. Nobody else is here yet.”

  Kate noted the relief in Paul’s voice when they pulled into the church parking lot. He had insisted on leaving early so they would arrive ahead of the rest of the congregation.

  He might insist he was doing fine, but his masculine pride obviously wasn’t ready for a crowd of observers in the event his performance on crutches wasn’t quite as graceful as he hoped.

  Kate went on ahead to open the front door, leaving the two men to work out the logistics of Paul’s exit from the car. Better to preserve his dignity than hover over him like an anxious mother hen.

  He was fine, she reminded herself. Paul was right: his injury could have been far worse. She thought back to the long evening spent in the emergency room and wondered how Eppie Barlow’s husband was getting along.

  THANKS TO ELI, Paul made it from the car into the church without any mishaps and had settled himself in a chair on the platform by the time the first worshippers arrived. Their show of concern for him warmed Kate, although she noted a good number of them refrained from venturing across the aisle to greet her as well.

  She lifted her chin, determined not to show how the pointed omission stung. Someday soon the truth would be known, and she could put this painful chapter in her life behind her.

  After the opening hymn, Paul made his way to the pulpit, navigating with his crutches like an expert. When he set them aside and steadied himself with his hands on either side of the pulpit, the congregation burst into applause.

  Kate’s eyes misted over, and from the roughness in Paul’s voice when he began the opening prayer, she knew he felt as deeply touched as she did.

  Help him get through the service, Lord. Give him the strength he needs, and the wisdom to know when he’s overdoing it. And help me quit worrying so I can focus on worshipping you.