At this, Esther couldn’t do a thing to stop the tears. Charlie kept saying, “Now, Esther,” but it didn’t do any good at all. The very idea of people discussing their neighbor and her arteries in secret was so mortifying that she hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything else all day.
“Brenda and Kim want me to have the balloon put in too,” Esther sobbed. “Kim’s husband—oh, I can’t remember his name right now—anyway, he knows all about arteries and CPR and heart attacks and strokes because of his job. He told Brenda that I might be demented. Can you believe it? Demented! And all because of my silly artery.”
“Now, Esther, you’re not demented.” Charlie patted her hand. “Derek talked to me about his concerns too. I told you about that, remember? He said there’s a condition called vascular dementia. All it means is that the plaque in your artery is blocking the blood flow to part of your brain. So maybe that’s why you forgot about Halloween—not that there was much to remember. We only had three kids at the door, and you had gone to bed by the time they came around.”
“I had? Did you give them anything?”
“Uh-huh. Bubble gum.”
“Bubble gum! Oh, that’s not a treat, Charlie. You know I always make little sacks of goodies. Miniature candy bars, lollipops, red hots, peppermints, chocolate drops—all the treats in a little black net bag tied up with orange ribbon.”
Her frustration again shifted into a flood of tears. “Never mind about that, Charlie. What I’m trying to tell you is that I love you so much, and I want you to be happy, and I know you won’t be happy if you have to live with a demented woman for the rest of your life. So Brenda called the vein doctor while she was here because—wouldn’t you know it—I had misplaced his phone number. She found him in the book, and she set up the appointment. So the day after Thanksgiving, you and I will have to drive to Springfield again. Brenda says the surgery is an in-and-out kind of thing, and they probably won’t even put me to sleep—though the truth is, I wouldn’t mind it so much. All that cutting and pushing things through my veins … well, never mind. I’m going to do it, so that’s that.”
Charlie heaved a long sigh. “I’m glad, Esther. I’d dance a jig if I hadn’t worn myself out hanging insulation all day. Have you told the kids?”
“Not yet,” she said. “I think Cody must have done something with our address book the last time he was here. I can’t find it anywhere.”
“We’ll let modern technology take care of that little problem.” Charlie tugged his cell phone from his pocket and pressed a few buttons. Esther knew he would call their son first. Charles Jr. had always been calmer and more practical than Ellie. Even though their daughter had settled down and held a good job for several years, neither Charlie nor Esther could predict how she would react to issues that arose in the family.
“May I speak to Charles Moore Jr. please?” Charlie asked. “You can tell him that his father is on the line … with good news.”
Esther pictured the receptionist outside their son’s office. What a lovely young woman. And how wonderful that Charles Jr. had risen to such a prestigious position in his job. Some people might sniff at the fact that his place of employment was only an onion factory, but Esther regularly reminded herself how important that particular vegetable was in the greater scheme of life. Food simply tasted better with onions, and good food made the world a happier, healthier place.
Charlie’s voice brightened. “Hey there, Son. This is your ol’ dad. How are Natalie and the kids?”
Esther sat patiently awaiting her turn to talk while Charlie made small talk and then discussed the upcoming medical procedure and its importance for her health. Hearing the scenario explained all over again in such detail worried Esther. Maybe she shouldn’t have agreed to it, after all. She certainly loved Charlie and hoped to live many more long, happy years with her husband. But the thought of lying on one of those hard hospital beds with lights all around and doctors peering down—
“He wants to talk to you,” Charlie said, handing Esther the cell phone.
“Hello?” Esther cradled the device, uncertain exactly where her ear was supposed to go and how loudly she ought to speak. One slip of the hand and the phone could fold up on itself or even dial some random unknown number.
“Mom, how are you feeling?” Charles Jr.’s deep voice flooded through Esther’s heart in a warm wave of love and delight. “Dad says you’re having a little procedure done the day after Thanksgiving.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it little, sweetheart. They are putting a balloon in your mother’s artery, you know. That’s quite a serious matter.”
“Would you like for me to come and be with you and Dad? Natalie and the kids could fly out there with me. We’d be happy to do it.”
Tears welled in Esther’s eyes. “Oh, that’s so thoughtful. Do you really mean that, Charles?”
“You bet I do. School will be out for Thanksgiving, and we can stay a few days. It seems too long since we’ve been with you and Dad.”
“But the cost.”
“It’s not a problem, Mom. I got another promotion, remember? I’m a vice president now. I make a good living. We can be by your side if it would make you feel better.”
Esther reflected on that happy information. A vice president. Had she told Brenda Hansen about the promotion? Did the ladies of the TLC know that Charles Jr. had risen so high in the company?
“I’d love to see all of you,” she said. But as she spoke the words, reality set in. “Only not after stitches in my leg and a balloon in my artery. We couldn’t have a bit of fun. I’ll be lying around moaning and griping like I did after my flying car incident. I know—why don’t your dad and I drive out to California for Christmas? I realize it sounds impulsive, but I miss you and Natalie and the grandkids so much. I’ll be feeling better by then, and we can bring a car filled with presents for everyone. Just like Santa Claus!”
Charles Jr. laughed. “The kids are a little old for that. But we’d love to have you here. Let’s plan on it. Maybe we can talk Ellie into joining us too.”
“Wouldn’t that be great? All of us together, just like when you were little. Bless your heart, honey. I’ll hold on to that dream while they’re starting my surgery.”
“Good deal, Mom. I’ll tell Natalie after work today.”
“I love you, baby boy,” Esther cooed. “You take care of yourself now. Here’s your daddy.”
Charlie took the phone and spoke for a minute or two longer. Afterward, he dialed Ellie’s number, but as usual she didn’t pick up. It seemed the church kept that young lady busy day and night.
Charlie left a message and then slipped the phone into his pocket again. “She’ll call us when she has a free moment,” he told Esther.
“You know, Charlie, we do have the best children in the world.”
“We sure do. It will be fun to see them at Christmas. Honey, if you’ll have this procedure, we can get back to normal. I know surgery is a frightening thought, but you won’t feel a thing. People have it done all the time. It saves a lot of lives, and I intend for it to save yours. I don’t know what I would ever do without you.”
A glow spread through Esther’s chest at her husband’s words. “I love you, sweetie pie. I’m sorry I’ve been finding fault with you so much lately. Cody told me I’ve been a grump and a grouch, and as much as it pained me to admit it, I decided he was right. Can you forgive me?”
“Yes, I can. And I do. You’ve forgiven me for a lot more than that.”
“Well, yes, I have, now that you mention it. I’ll never forget the time you went to that strip club. … Oh, what am I saying? I forgave you for that years ago. It’s all in the past. The important thing is to focus on the good times we’ve shared and the things we love about each other. You know what I love the most about you, Charles Moore?”
“What’s that?” he asked, taking her hand and kissing it.
“Your faithfulness. Through all the ups and downs, the good and the bad—”
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“For richer, for poorer,” he added. “In sickness and in health.”
“Till death do us part.” Esther stood, walked around the table, and sat down on Charlie’s lap. “Thank you for loving me, my darling honey bun.”
His arms slipped around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. It felt good this way, she thought. Almost as if she were a child again and he was cradling her safely within his protection and strength. A woman could count on a man like Charlie Moore. She could trust him too. And thank God for that.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Patsy was thrilled about the new decor and gift shop that Brenda Hansen was planning to open the weekend after Thanksgiving. Every time she had a little break at the salon, Patsy hurried past the Pop-In and the tattoo parlor to peek through the window of Brenda’s store with its bright new sign over the front door—Bless Your Hearth.
The place wasn’t large, but Brenda had creatively divided it up into different sections. Patsy loved the rich colors Brenda had selected. Steve Hansen had built interesting dividers of shelving and lattice, and as the days ticked by toward the grand opening, the store gradually filled with an array of wonderful items.
“What are you looking at in there, woman?”
The voice at Patsy’s shoulder startled her, jerking her gaze from a display of Ashley Hanes’s beads on the front counter of the new store. She focused on Pete Roberts, who had somehow approached her in silence and was now standing just a hair too close for comfort. His arm touched her elbow, and she could feel its warmth through her thin sweater.
“It’s Brenda’s new shop,” Patsy told him. “She had Cody help her finish painting the walls, and now she’s stocking the shelves. Do you have a problem with me watching the excitement?”
“No, but I’m curious. Seems like every time I leave my place to pump gas or fish out some minnows for a customer, you’re standing here gawking. It’s only a bunch of towels and lamps and stuff, isn’t it?”
He stepped closer and peered through the window. When his shoulder pressed against hers, Patsy shivered. For a split second, she couldn’t even speak.
“Well, aren’t I right?” he asked. “I can’t figure out why you’ve got ants in your pants about this. What’s the big deal?”
“It’s the things Brenda has chosen and the way she’s putting them together. Don’t you see? The wall colors are so rich and beautiful. And look at how Brenda has fixed up her checkout counter. And then there’s the sign her customers will read as they pay for their purchases. See? It says, ‘Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been. Mark 5 :19 .’ Isn’t that lovely? It expresses everything Brenda stands for.”
Pete nodded. “It is nice, Patsy. I see what you’re saying. In fact, the whole lineup of stores here in Tranquility is getting downright classy. I might even have to rearrange my own window. Maybe I’ll have a harvest sale. Coolers aren’t moving too fast these days, and the swimming season is kaput. Rods-N-Ends could use some sprucing up inside, too. You’ve got a nice Bible verse over your counter. Reckon you or Brenda could come up with a sign like that for a tackle-and-bait shop?”
Patsy couldn’t repress a grin. “Maybe something about fishers of men?”
Pete chuckled. “Not a bad idea. If we could think of Bible verses for the tattoo shop and Dr. Hedges’s chiropractor business, we’d be sending waves of holiness all over the place.”
Patsy frowned. “It’s not a joke, Pete.”
“I know. I’m only trying to get you to lighten up. The other day when you trimmed my hair, we didn’t end things on the best note. You said I had scared you. You were afraid we didn’t have the same beliefs in common. I know what the problem is. You don’t think we share the important things that would make a marriage between us work out.”
“I didn’t say anything about marriage.”
“Well then, I guess that was in my own mind. Anyhow, I’ve given this a lot of thought. I even wrote it down. I made a list of all the wrong I’ve done in my life—which took more than one page, I have to admit. I probably even left out a few things. Then I tried to think of every good change I’ve made. Needless to say, that list turned out to be pretty short. I sure couldn’t make the good things outweigh the bad.”
“It’s not the number of items on a list that matters, Pete. It’s your heart.”
“I knew you’d say that. So I started a second list—the things I like about the Christians I know. Plus the qualities I don’t like, and I have to tell you, there are quite a few of those.”
“I’m sure there are. Christians are humans. If you want to make a list of positive aspects to our faith, you’d better start and end with Jesus.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
Patsy put her hand on her hip. “If you know what I’m going to say all the time, Pete Roberts, why bother telling me anything? The truth is, you don’t know me well enough to predict what my reaction will be.”
“Purt’ near.” He smiled at her. “Anyhow, I knew it would be easy to list the good things about Jesus, but I decided I’d rather take a look at the effect He has on His followers. The fruit, as Pastor Andrew calls it.”
“Hold on now. That’s not fair. Some Christians can be downright nasty—to each other and to outsiders. But that’s not what Jesus wants.”
“I’ve met a few of those nasty folks. On the whole, though, I’d say the faith has a good outcome. So that’s why I’ve decided to talk to Pastor Andrew. He’s got his work cut out for him because I’m one ornery ol’ fish. But maybe he can reel me in.”
Patsy held her breath for a moment, allowing the information to soak in. But wariness quickly tempered her elation.
“You’re not doing this because of me, are you?” she asked. “Pete, I’m not sure we’re right for each other even if you do decide to follow Jesus.”
Pete turned from the window, where they had been watching Brenda tug a cute slipcover over a plain brown sofa. He took Patsy’s shoulders and forced her to look him straight in the eye. “You know as well as I do that God brought us together, Miss Patsy Pringle. He did it for my benefit and for yours, too. But no, that’s not why I’m going to talk to Pastor Andrew. It’s because I finally understand the pond.”
“Which pond?”
“Heaven’s pond. The other afternoon I was out on the dock wetting my line, and that’s when it hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I realized that when Jesus goes fishing for men and someone gets caught, he doesn’t get jabbed through the gills, hung on a stringer, gutted, and then fried like a crappie. No … that’s when he gets ‘born again.’”
“Really?” Patsy wasn’t certain she understood, but clearly this made perfect sense to Pete.
“Sure. The fellow gets yanked out of his old pond, and then Jesus throws him straight into heaven’s pond. He starts swimming with a whole new school of fish. He sees life from a different perspective, because he has already looked death square in the eye and knows he’s been given a second chance. He’s been born again in heaven’s pond. That pond is full of algae and minnows and mosquito eggs, so he grows and gets to be a better, bigger fish. And that’s how it works.”
“My goodness!” Patsy exclaimed. “Pete, I believe there’s a preacher inside you just ready to bust out.”
A crooked grin tilted one corner of the man’s mouth. “You reckon?”
“Oh, Pete!” Patsy gasped as an idea hit her. “I know what your cash register sign could say. ‘Heaven’s Pond: Home of the Greatest Fisherman Ever.’”
He slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Would you make me a sign like that, Patsy?”
“I’ll put Cody on it. That boy can paint letters better than anyone.” She leaned against him. “Pete, you don’t have to talk to Pastor Andrew to be born again, you know. Anyone who knows Jesus can lead you into heaven’s pond.”
“I’d like to talk to him anyway. There are a few questions I need to ask.”
“Like what?”
“Like how does God feel about a twice-divorced, formerly drunk jailbird pursuing the hand of a lovely, sweet, and virtuous lady?”
Trying not to blush, Patsy wanted to answer, but she felt that Pastor Andrew would do a better job. Besides, she wasn’t exactly sure what she ought to say. How would God feel about that? Just as important, how did Patsy feel about it? Did Pete truly want to marry her?
As they stood together gazing into the window of Bless Your Hearth, Patsy imagined herself and Pete years from now. They’d be together, just like the couple reflected in the pane of glass. They would live in a warm home decorated like Brenda’s new shop. Maybe they’d even have a child or two. Patsy wasn’t too old, after all. Pete might put his arm around her, and she might lay her head on his shoulder. Perhaps they would reminisce about the old days when Pete ran a bait shop and Patsy owned her beauty salon. They’d be like Charlie and Esther. Comfortable. Quiet. Satisfied. And still in love.
That would be nice, Patsy thought. Very nice. So nice, in fact, that if Pete decided to ask her to marry him one of these days … well, she might even say yes.
Esther couldn’t quite believe she had forgotten the weekly meeting of the Tea Lovers’ Club. She sat on the porch in a wicker chair and stared at the lake in utter befuddlement. How had it happened? She always went to the TLC gatherings on Wednesday afternoons.
But a few hours ago, Charlie had gone to work with Brad on the room addition. Then Esther had taken an unplanned nap on the sofa. When she woke up, she realized her left arm had gone to sleep. She could hardly move the thing. It felt numb and useless, and it seemed to take forever to get it to come back to life.
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