Family by Design

by Bonnie K. Winn

“I have the magnifying glasses and nets,” Maddie offered.

  Carefully Chrissy marked those boxes on the paper. “I have the pans to hold the bugs and pencils so we can write down what we find.”

  “And the list,” J.C. couldn’t resist adding.

  “And the list,” Chrissy repeated seriously.

  Maddie’s gaze slid toward him, her lips clamped shut so she wouldn’t laugh.

  “Everybody needs to have forceps, a net and a magnifying glass.”

  Following Chrissy’s directions they all swapped until everyone had one of each. Allowing Chrissy to take the lead, they followed her to the stream.

  “We have to be careful,” Chrissy instructed. “And when you turn over rocks to find bugs, you have to put the rocks back just like they were.”

  This time J.C. caught Maddie’s gaze. Both glanced away so they wouldn’t erupt in laughter and hurt Chrissy’s feelings.

  Wading into the shallow water, they each looked for rocks to upturn. While Maddie concentrated on finding bugs, J.C. found himself concentrating on her. The bright sunshine made her strawberry-blond hair look golden. He liked the casual way it fell over her shoulders and glinted in the light. If they were panning for gold, he’d know just where to find it.

  “Uncle James!” Chrissy’s eyebrows pulled together in disapproval. “You have to look under the rocks.”

  So he did. Not wanting Maddie to realize he had been studying her, J.C. flipped over a rock. But he didn’t slide the net carefully along the sandy bottom as Chrissy had instructed them on the drive to the stream. Instead, he wondered how Maddie felt about Owen Radley. Were they in a relationship? And if they were, why didn’t she say something? Was it possible they were keeping their relationship quiet because of Lillian? Maybe Maddie didn’t want Lillian to feel like a burden … that she was keeping the couple apart.

  But Owen Radley? Just thinking about the man left a bad taste in his mouth. Maddie could do so much better. So much …

  J.C. didn’t hold himself up as some sort of perfect match, but he couldn’t stomach the idea of Maddie with Owen. She deserved … she deserved the very best, someone who would not only love her, but cherish her, appreciate every wonderful quality she possessed. The epiphany hit him like a club to the head—it was just how he felt about Maddie. Despite his mistrust, despite her possible feelings for Owen, his feelings had grown.

  But how did Maddie feel? If anything at all. An image of Owen’s bullying face intruded. Blindly, J.C. reached for a rock, colliding with Maddie who was already holding the same stone. Their hands brushed and he wanted to hold hers close.

  Maddie watched him, her eyes a magical mix of blue, green and gray, reflecting the water, the sky, the fields of wild grasses. Vulnerable, they exposed a glimpse into her thoughts. Or was he just imagining what he wanted to see? When she didn’t pull away, he absorbed every nuance of her expression, the velvety texture of her skin, the dimple that dared him to kiss her cheek.

  If his niece wasn’t standing twenty feet from them, he would accept that invitation, learn for himself if her skin was as soft as it looked, her lips as welcoming.

  Standing so close, he could see Maddie’s throat working, the uncertainty in her trembling hands. Share your secrets!

  “When we get enough bugs,” Chrissy called out, “I have to collect some leaves for extra credit.” She pointed toward the sloping hill. “From up there. I have a plastic bag in my pocket.”

  If he could give in to irresponsibility, J.C. would have suggested she go on her own. But it wasn’t part of his makeup. “Okay.”

  “Did you …” Maddie began, then cleared her voice. “Did you get any bugs?”

  J.C. looked down into his shallow, empty pan. “Not yet.”

  “Oh.”

  They both knew they weren’t talking about bugs, but the difficult words remained unsaid.

  “I found a snail!” Chrissy announced.

  Maddie continued to hold his gaze.

  “I’m going to write it on my sheet.”

  “Good idea,” he replied, his voice raspy.

  “Yes,” Maddie agreed in a breathless whisper.

  “Did you find anything yet?” Chrissy persisted.

  Reluctantly J.C. withdrew his hand and straightened up so he could see Chrissy. “I’m still looking.”

  “I have to collect at least three,” she replied. “And a sample of moss if we can find any.”

  Maddie’s hand still shook as she turned over the rock they’d both touched. “Maybe there’ll be one under here.” But she glanced up at him rather than down at the creek bed.

  J.C. didn’t want to move, but made himself search for another rock. It took a while, but between them, they found four different bugs that Chrissy could catalog.

  Wading out of the stream, Maddie nearly slipped, then righted herself. “I guess my running shoes weren’t the best choice. Wrong kind of traction, I guess.”

  Climbing the slope to search for leaves was a little trickier than it appeared. The rain had softened the soil, making it slippery. Chrissy clambered up like a monkey. J.C. had decent traction with his hunting boots, but he kept his pace slow to watch out for Maddie. On dry ground her shoes would have been fine. But they weren’t meant to dig in to wet soil. Near the top, he turned and extended his hand.

  Maddie accepted, her soft skin seeming to meld into his. He wasn’t sure if the quivering he felt was in her hand or his heart.

  “Look! A rainbow!” Chrissy pointed to the sky.

  J.C. didn’t turn, keeping his gaze on Maddie. “Yes, beautiful.”

  Her hand definitely trembled in his.

  “Come here, you all,” Chrissy insisted. “It might go away before you see it.”

  “I don’t think so,” J.C. replied so quietly that only Maddie could hear.

  With the ever-changing attention of a ten-year-old, Chrissy had abandoned the rainbow by the time they looked toward the sky. She had begun scavenging for leaves. Because it was spring, there were new leaves on the trees and remnants of those that had fallen in autumn and winter. Chrissy seemed determined to collect each and every kind.

  “She wants enough to fill a big poster board,” Maddie whispered. “It’s for extra credit, but she wants it to be the best one in her class.”

  The fact that his niece did was incredible. Before her turnaround, she had failed two subjects. Maddie’s gentle care had healed Chrissy in a way that no psychologist’s sessions could have.

  “The rainbow really is something,” she continued, looking upward. “I think this outing is perfect for Chrissy, for her to feel the connection between the Lord and what He created.”

  J.C. watched Chrissy twirl in the leaves, then reach toward one of the low-hanging branches. “I can’t help wondering whether I should have taken Chrissy to more counseling. If I had, she might have started healing sooner. She didn’t want to go and after refusing to speak during the first three appointments, I couldn’t see much point in continuing.”

  “I think you did the right thing,” Maddie assured him. “She needed a home, not a counselor. Since she’s improving, I can’t see reconsidering your decision.”

  “Back then, especially as a medical professional …”

  “You’re also her uncle and you’d just lost your sister. Being a doctor doesn’t make you immune to your feelings.”

  “Most people think it does,” J.C. admitted. “As though because I’ve lost patients before, it doesn’t bother me when I lose another. It’s a big deal every time.”

  “Your patients should be grateful you feel that way.” Maddie’s eyes, large and luminescent, filled with empathy. “Look at how you’ve cared for Mom. I was afraid to hope that she would stop worsening. I know it’s not the same as before her stroke, but …” Her lips wobbled. “It’s a miracle.”

  “What’s a miracle?” Chrissy questioned.

  “I didn’t see you, sweetheart.” Maddie swiped at her cheeks. “The miracle is how much better Mrs. Lillian is sin
ce your Uncle James has been taking care of her.” She encircled Chrissy’s shoulders with one arm. “And like the rainbow you just showed us, it’s a sign of the Lord working in our lives.”

  Sobered, Chrissy stared at her uncle.

  “Do you see it, Pinker Belle?” he asked quietly.

  “I think so. I just wish …”

  Maddie tightened her hold on Chrissy’s shoulders. “Losing someone is really hard. When my dad passed away … it hurt. A lot. But the Lord kept watching out for us, brought you and your uncle into our lives.”

  Chrissy scrunched her forehead. “I still wish Mom and Dad were here.”

  “Of course you do! Want to know something? I still dream about my dad all the time, but in a good way. He’s always happy, healthy.”

  “Does he smile?” Chrissy asked cautiously.

  “Yes, he does.”

  “I had a dream sorta like that.”

  J.C. smoothed her hair. “Your parents would be happier knowing you trust the Lord again.”

  Chrissy blinked. “I want that.”

  Maddie took a shaky breath and met J.C.’s eyes. “You can tell the Lord about it in your prayers.”

  Considering this, Chrissy finally nodded. “Okay.” She scampered toward a copse of slender trees.

  “There’s nothing as simple or complex as a child’s thinking,” J.C. remarked. “She questions the deepest meanings, yet can accept just like that.”

  “Life would be a lot less complicated if we could keep that reasoning with us as adults,” Maddie mused.

  J.C. wished that were true, as well. Then he could understand what was in Maddie’s head, know whether he was chasing a fantasy.

  “Are you guys going to help?” Chrissy called out.

  The moment to ask was gone. He and Maddie headed toward the trees to pick out specimens for the poster. It didn’t take very long to fill Chrissy’s bag with leaves. She started toward the slope, getting ready to climb down.

  “Chrissy, let’s go back the way we came. The soil’s not all that stable. At least we know what we faced climbing up.” He led the way back to the spot above the stream. “I’ll go first. That way if anyone takes a tumble, I can block you from falling all the way.” The footing was mushy, but J.C. didn’t have any trouble. Glancing back regularly, he could see Maddie and Chrissy following. About ten feet from the bottom, he heard an unexpected whoosh.

  “Watch out!” Maddie hollered as she slipped.

  He turned, seeing that she was sliding toward him rapidly. Planting his feet in a solid brace, he reached out to catch her. Although she was a small person, she was moving fast, far too fast for the waterlogged hillside.

  J.C. caught her, but his feet didn’t hold in the shifting soil. Clutching Maddie close, they slid the rest of the way, landing at the edge of the stream.

  Maddie was in his arms. Finally. Unlike the day they’d crashed into each other in the fireplace, she didn’t pull away. She was so close he could count the freckles peppering her nose, touch the softness of her cheeks, feel the whisper of her breath. Like a gift from the heavens, she was the woman he had waited for all his life.

  Wanting to never let her go, he didn’t turn around when Chrissy hollered, “Whoo-hoo!”

  He was near enough to fit his lips to Maddie’s, to see if she would reciprocate. Angling his head, he was knocked off balance when Chrissy flew on top of him, tangling her limbs with theirs. Arms, legs and torsos collided, then went askew as they all toppled into the water.

  “Are you all right?” J.C. questioned his niece.

  She giggled. “Uh-huh.”

  “Maddie?”

  Maddie tried to sit up. “I think so.” Rubbing her arm, she nodded. “Just bumped it against a rock.”

  Ignoring his emotions, J.C. examined her arm. “It’s not broken, unless there’s a minor stress fracture.”

  “Really, it’s fine,” Maddie insisted. “It’ll probably bruise. No big deal.”

  J.C. turned to Chrissy. “Does anything hurt? Legs? Arms? Your head?”

  “Nope. You and Maddie were good padding.”

  The laughter they’d held in all day exploded.

  “What’s so funny?” Chrissy demanded.

  “Nothing, Stinker Belle,” J.C. answered when he caught his breath. “Glad we could be of service.”

  She looked at them suspiciously.

  “And I bet you collected more leaves than anyone else in your class,” Maddie added.

  Distracted, Chrissy’s suspicion evaporated. “I got four kinds of bugs. Some of the boys were just going to dig up earthworms and try to find ants.”

  “Do you mean we didn’t have to wade into the stream?” J.C. questioned.

  Chrissy shrugged. “To find water bugs you do. I thought that’d be way cooler than worms and ants.”

  J.C. extended a helping hand to Maddie so they could stand. “Ants and worms, huh? Let’s hope when she studies astronomy she doesn’t have us try to hitch a ride on the space shuttle.”

  Maddie hummed as she cleaned one of the round tables in the shop. Monday afternoons were usually quiet, but she didn’t mind. It was a good day to stock the shelves, check what she needed to order. Glancing out the front window, she saw Samantha and waved, always happy when her friend dropped by.

  “Hello, Lillian!” Samantha said brightly. “How are you today?”

  “I’m just fine, young lady.” Lillian held up her crocheting. “As bright as this red yarn.”

  Samantha grinned. “And you, Maddie?”

  “Sunflower yellow!”

  “I think I’ve stumbled onto a rainbow.”

  Grabbing Samantha’s favorite blend of tea, Maddie allowed herself a dreamy smile.

  “Something I said?” Sam reached for two cups and saucers.

  “Just thinking about how much fun we had on Chrissy’s outing to collect bugs.”

  Samantha wrinkled her nose. “I love everything in a garden, but I never thought of you as the bug type.”

  Laughing, Maddie placed Sam’s favorite cookies on a dish. “Now, I’d like to see the woman who admits to being the bug type.”

  “Fair point. Want to sit near the window? Or in the back nook? Unless Lillian’s expecting company?”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “My, we are in a good mood.” Samantha wiggled her eyebrows. “Anything you want to share?”

  “Isn’t it amazing how life can change without you expecting it to? In a good way, I mean?”

  Samantha’s eyes softened. “Like my reuniting with Bret … It’s beyond amazing.”

  “Beyond …” Maddie precariously balanced her burgeoning emotions. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.” And she never wanted the feeling to change.

  Chapter Sixteen

  J.C. was glad for the short lull in patients. The previous week had been packed. Punching up his calendar on the laptop, he glanced at the afternoon lineup. Frowning, he read Owen Radley’s name as the first appointment after lunch. He pushed the intercom button. “Didi? Why is Owen Radley on today’s schedule?”

  There were a series of clicks as she referenced the schedule on her computer. “He made an appointment for a consultation.”

  “What are his symptoms?”

  A few more clicks. “He didn’t say. He specified a consultation, not an exam.”

  “Thanks, Didi.” J.C. turned off his intercom. It wasn’t difficult to guess what the other man had on his mind, and it wasn’t neurological in nature. Glancing at his watch, he saw that Owen would be arriving in minutes. Too late to cancel the appointment. As much as he dreaded what the other man had to say, J.C. also wanted all the facts. He and Maddie had danced around them far too long already.

  Didi knocked briskly on his door. “Mr. Radley’s here, Dr. M.”

  Once Owen was inside, she discreetly closed the door.

  “Have a seat.” J.C. didn’t waste a smile or words of phony cordiality.

  Owen took the chair closest to J.C. “I’ll g
et right to the point.”

  J.C. waited.

  “I want to buy the Wagner Hill building.” Owen opened his briefcase. “My attorney has drawn up an offer.” He extended the papers.

  “The Wagner Hill isn’t for sale.”

  “Read the proffered amount.”

  J.C. reluctantly accepted the document, scanning it until he saw the proposed price. It was sixty percent over the appraised value. J.C. was certain of it because an appraisal had been necessary for the estate distribution. “Why the Wagner Hill?”

  “How many buildings are for sale on Main Street?” Owen countered, clearly knowing there weren’t any.

  J.C. didn’t believe for a minute that the offer was related to real estate.

  “I intend to create a museum of living history, Rosewood’s history.”

  “That doesn’t sound very profitable.”

  Owen didn’t blink. “I understand your skepticism. But along with wealth comes obligation. This generation of my family’s legacy.”

  “Understandable, but as I said, the Wagner Hill isn’t for sale.”

  “Would you rather see a superstore in its place?” Owen’s already-hard eyes deadened. “Because that’s the only other buyer that’ll be interested. That or a T-shirt and mug shop that I suspect would draw in the tourists.”

  “The point’s moot. If the building isn’t sold, nothing has to replace it.”

  “Are you certain that’s what your niece will decide once she’s in charge of her own estate? Young women these days aren’t always keen on keeping traditions in place.”

  “What Chrissy wants to do with the Wagner Hill is her choice and I’ll respect it.”

  Owen leaned forward a fraction. “But are you respecting her estate now? That offer will ensure her financial future. Do you feel comfortable rejecting it out of hand?”

  J.C. despised the man’s smug expression, but he couldn’t deny the truth in his words.

  “Why don’t I leave it with you for now? I’m sure the best interests of your niece will be your primary consideration.” Owen rose. “I’ll see myself out.”

  Even after Owen was gone, his oppressive imprint lingered. J.C. swivelled his chair toward the window, needing air, fresh, untainted air.