“Well, I’m tired of it. I’m not just the baby brother. I’m a grown man making my own decisions.” He lifted his hand. “When you were my age, didn’t you want to have some fun?”
“When I was your age, I had planned to ask Callie to marry me. Instead, I let her get away, and I lost five years with her.”
Ben scoffed. “You really think you were ready for marriage at twenty?” He pointed to himself. “There’s no way I’m ready to settle down.” He opened his arms wide. “I want to get an education, meet new people and experience different things. I wouldn’t want to be tied down to a woman.”
“Evidently, you and I are very different.”
“Come on, Kirk. If you and Callie had gotten married all those years ago, you probably would be miserable now. You each needed time to grow up.”
Kirk hadn’t thought about the good in their five-year separation. He’d been able to grow in his faith and learn to care for the family’s land. He’d worked harder and longer than he would have if Callie had been home waiting for him. As a result, their family farm thrived.
And Callie. She probably would have never gotten her degree. She’d told him one day she wanted to work with hospice patients again. What a wonderful gift—to be able to give comfort to those who are dying. Plus she’d been there with her dad when he died. That wouldn’t have happened if they’d been married. She still carried pain from her father, but at least she’d been there for him when he needed it. She had no regrets.
Kirk looked at his brother. “I think you’re probably right, though I don’t regret I’m marrying her now.”
Ben’s expression softened. “I’m happy for you two.” He spread his arm toward the campus. “Hoping I’ll meet a girl I’m as crazy about.” He elbowed Kirk. “But not for a year or two.”
Kirk shook his head. “Let’s go see if the dorm is ready for us to unload your stuff.”
They made their way back to the dorm parking lot. Many of the students had already moved in, but the waiting lines for the elevator snaked out the front door, so Kirk and Ben unloaded boxes out of the truck and packed them up the stairs to Ben’s dorm.
Ben opened the door, only to be greeted by a short, small-framed guy with wire-rimmed glasses. “You must be Ben Jacobs.” The guy’s voice sounded like that of a twelve-year-old boy who hadn’t yet made it to puberty.
Kirk put down the box he carried while Ben extended his hand. “I am.”
“Let me get out of your way, so you can unpack.” He pointed to bunk beds along the left wall. “I already took the top bunk. I don’t weigh much so I figured I’d go ahead and take that one.”
Ben nodded, and Kirk had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the mental image of Ben scaling a wooden ladder every night to get to his top bunk. The room looked clean enough, but it was small. Kirk felt claustrophobic just standing in the hall looking into it.
He tallied the furniture. Bunk beds. Two desks and chairs. Two three-drawer dressers. That was it. And little room for anything else.
Ben glanced back at Kirk. “You wouldn’t be able to do this, would you?”
“Nope.”
Ben murmured, “Not sure I can, either.”
Wanting to encourage his brother, Kirk hefted the box and walked into the room. “Come on. You’ll get used to it. In a week’s time, you’ll love it here.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kirk knew they were true. He and Ben might have shared parents and the same DNA, but they were different as a tractor and a push mower. Kirk thrived on being in open spaces and working with his hands. Ben enjoyed being around people and working with his mind, conjuring the easiest, most efficient way to get something done. Kirk just threw himself into the work until it was finished.
A sudden sadness settled in his gut. Kirk would have the house all to himself. At least for the next couple months until he and Callie got hitched. Ben would always be his brother, but he realized chances were Ben would find his way somewhere in a city working an office job and living in an apartment not too much bigger than this dorm room.
Kirk wanted Ben to follow God’s leading for his life, to use the talents God had given specifically to Ben, but he was gonna miss his brother, too.
The elevators either weren’t working, moved slower than molasses or were packed to maximum capacity, so they walked back down six flights of stairs. Filling their arms with all that was left in the bed of the truck, they maneuvered back up the six flights. Ben’s roommate still hadn’t returned, so Kirk helped him make the bed and organize his stuff.
Mom would have been much better suited to help Ben unpack, but with each thing they took out of the box, Kirk found himself missing his brother a bit more. I wonder if she sent me because she knew she’d be a blubbering mess by the time she left.
With the last of his snacks packed into a plastic container and shoved under his bunk bed, Kirk knew it was time to say goodbye. Ben extended his hand, but Kirk grabbed him in a bear hug. “I’m going to miss you, little brother.”
“I’ll be back in a couple weeks for Labor Day.”
“But it won’t be the same.”
Ben shook his head. “I suppose it won’t.”
“If you ever need anything, I’m just a phone call away.”
Ben nodded, and Kirk gave him one last hug before he turned and walked out the door. Taking the steps two at a time, he wondered at the sadness in his gut. Ben had followed him around the farm for twenty years. It was time for him to set out on his own. Change was inevitable, but Kirk didn’t have to like it.
* * *
October nineteenth. Only two months away. Callie’s fingers tingled with excitement. She would have never imagined when she moved back to Bloom Hollow in May that in only six short months she’d become Mrs. Kirk Jacobs. She held back the giggle that rose in her chest. How many times in high school had she doodled that name on notebook paper, agenda books, even church bulletins?
“You ready to go inside?”
Tammie hooked her arm around Callie’s elbow. She looked up at the bridal dress shop’s sign, promising hundreds of styles to choose from. She nodded as Pamela opened the front door then they walked inside.
A tremble of thrill and trepidation washed over her when she realized the shop had not exaggerated. She’d never seen so much satin, lace and sequins, so many shades of white. A sudden shot of pain assaulted her heart as she thought of how much her mother would have enjoyed wedding dress shopping. She always loved Kirk, too.
Offering a quick prayer to help her relish the day, she glanced at Tammie who rummaged through racks of clear plastic covered dresses. Now free of her cast, she had no trouble oohing and aahing over the various styles. Thanksgiving joined the pain in her heart. Callie would miss her mom for the rest of her life, but God had given Callie a soon-to-be mother-in-law who loved her as if she were one of her own.
“This is gorgeous!” Pamela pointed to a Cinderella ball gown look-alike on a mannequin by one of the registers.
Callie twisted her mouth. “Definitely beautiful, but too big.”
Pamela whooped. “And probably too expensive. This thing is over ten thousand dollars.”
“Definitely too much.”
Pamela let go of the price tag. “What is our budget?”
“Well...” Callie had thought about how much she wanted to spend on the wedding. She had a decent savings, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend all of it on a one-day celebration.
Tammie lifted her hands. “We’ll talk budget later. Mike and I are paying for the wedding.”
Callie’s jaw dropped. “What?” She shook her head. “No.”
Tammie crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her eyebrows. “Mike and I already discussed it. We are.” She lifted one hand and pointed her finger. “In fact, we knew you would want to argue
about it, so we decided that you and Kirk may pay for the rehearsal dinner, but that we would still pay for the wedding.”
“What if we refuse?”
Tammie’s expression fell, and she touched Callie’s forearm. “Please don’t. We’ve always thought of you as our own daughter, and we want to do this for both of you.”
A sense of belonging settled in her heart. Though she hadn’t realized it, hadn’t given it a name, she’d longed for the feeling all those years she was away from Bloom Hollow. All the years since her mother died. She wrapped her arms around Tammie. “Thank you.”
A catch sounded in Tammie’s voice. “I should have never let you go.”
Callie released her and thought of the conversation she and Kirk had when he returned from dropping off Ben at the university. The five years apart had been difficult, and when she thought about her dad, she still ached inside. But the separation had allowed both of them to grow into people who depended on the Lord and who were ready to be married to each other. Callie shook her head. “No. God used that time.”
“May I help you ladies find something?” An older woman with a wide welcoming smile and gray hair stacked high on her head walked up to them. She looked from Callie to Pamela. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
Pamela’s expression drained of color as she pointed to Callie. Callie held out her left hand, and the woman complimented the square-cut Princess diamond set in a diamond-studded white-gold band. She’d stared at it constantly since he’d put the ring on her finger over a week ago. She never tired of looking at it.
The woman clapped then lifted both hands to her mouth. “Well, I am Zella, and I will be happy to help you find the dress of your dreams. What is our price range?”
Tammie quoted a number that sent heat up Callie’s spine. She turned toward her. “Tammie, that’s too much.”
Tammie lifted her hand. “What did we just agree to?”
Callie glanced at Pamela who shrugged.
“Wonderful. We have plenty to choose from in that price range. When is the wedding?”
“October,” said Tammie.
Zella gasped and clapped her hands. “Two months. We’ll need to get right on it.” She addressed Callie. “So, what are you looking for?”
Callie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Quite probably the only bride on the planet who hadn’t scoured through magazines, she had no idea what she wanted in a dress.
Obviously noting the hesitancy, Zella asked, “Do you want white or ivory?”
That was easy. “White.”
“Lace?”
“Yes.”
“Pearls?”
Callie thought a moment then shook her head. She liked pearls but she didn’t want to trip over them if they happened to come off the dress.
“Sequins?”
Callie shook her head.
“Rhinestones?”
“Maybe.”
Zella clapped her hands together. “You’re doing great. I’m forming a picture in my mind. Sleeves?”
Callie shook her head.
“So strapless?”
The thought of nothing holding up the dress made her stomach tighten with a moment of panic. “Well, maybe something.”
Zella touched her shoulders. “A small strap off the shoulders maybe?”
Callie nodded. “That sounds pretty.”
“And since it may be cool, how about some long satin gloves?”
Callie shrugged. She wasn’t sure she’d like them but she wasn’t exactly opposed to them, either.
Zella nodded. “Okay, so that’s a maybe. What about the length? Long with a train?”
Callie smiled. At least she knew something she wanted. “Yes. Long with a long train.”
“Good. Last thing. How about volume? Do you want a ball gown?” Zella opened her arms wide around her hips. “Or straight?” She brought her hands down, touching both of her hips.
Callie cocked her head. “Maybe somewhere in between.”
Zella snapped her fingers. “I’ll be back. I know the dress.” She headed toward the other side of the store then turned and smiled. “And Mom, it is well within your price range.”
Callie looked at Tammie, realizing she didn’t mind Zella thought she was Callie’s mother. Tammie wrapped one arm around her shoulder. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Zella called for them to join her in the dressing room. The dress looked beautiful on the hanger. Callie changed into the dress, and a slight groan escaped her lips when she hit the sore spot on the left side of her chest. The rest of her side had healed, but that spot remained stubborn. Probably didn’t help that she kept pushing on it, fearing it was more than a bruise. Ignoring the discomfort, she called Zella into the dressing room to help lace up the back.
Even without a mirror, Callie knew it was lovely. She stepped out of the dressing area, and Pamela and Tammie gasped. Tears welled in Tammie’s eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand. Callie looked at her reflection.
It was perfect. Everything Zella described. Small straps that fell off her shoulders connected to a tight corset that accented her curves without being distasteful. Small rhinestone designs covered the top right side of the corset as well as the bottom left. Below her waist, the satin dress puffed out just a bit, trailing all the way to the floor with the same rhinestone designs as on the corset splattered on the dress and train. The satin material gathered up on the right side, exposing soft white lace.
Zella hustled to the other side of the dressing room then returned with white gloves, a rhinestone tiara and a long veil. She shimmied the gloves all the way up to Callie’s elbows then fixed the headpiece.
When she moved from in front of the mirror, Callie’s heart squeezed with happiness and excitement. She extended both hands and twisted left to right. “Oh, Zella, it is perfect.”
“Kirk will love it,” said Pamela.
Tammie hopped up from her chair and kissed Callie’s forehead. “Your mother would be so proud, just as I am.”
“She would,” Callie murmured. She studied the dress. “First dress I try on, and it’s perfect.” She turned toward Tammie and grinned. “Just like Kirk’s my first love, and he’s perfect for me, too.”
Chapter 14
Kirk opened the door to the fast food restaurant, and Emma and Emmy walked inside. With Pamela attending morning classes, Kirk volunteered to take the girls to school. He’d wake up before the sun, take care of the animals then wash up before picking up the girls at the main house. They drove to a local fast food restaurant and enjoyed pancakes and sausage for breakfast, then he dropped them off at school.
As it turned out, he enjoyed the time with his nieces. With a steady flow of customers anxious to enjoy the farm before the weather turned cooler, he’d had little time in the evenings to spend with the girls. Not to mention, he didn’t want to give up evening hours with Callie. Taking the girls to school proved the perfect solution.
They ordered their food, then Kirk picked up the tray and headed to the booth where they always sat. He handed the girls their food then offered a quick prayer of thanks.
Emmy opened her milk carton. “Uncle Kirk, I can write my name.”
Kirk laughed. “You could write your name last year.”
She nodded. “I know, but Ms. Cann says I have the best handwriting of anybody.”
Emma rolled her eyes, and Kirk gave her a warning look not to start a fight with her sister.
“And Ms. Cann lets me sit by Anna. She’s nice, but she’s really quiet. I think Ms. Cann wants me to help her talk more.”
Kirk chuckled. He had a feeling the teacher’s intentions were directly the opposite.
“And yesterday,” Emmy continued, “I got to do the weather chart, and since it was raining, I got to put the s
torm cloud on the chart. It’s my favorite.” She scrunched her nose. “But in real life, I like it better when it’s sunny.”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Emma sighed, sounding just like Pamela when she was frustrated.
Kirk studied his niece. She’d been exasperated a lot lately. He swallowed his bite of pancake. “How are things going for you, Emma?”
“Fine.” She twirled the bottom of her ponytail, but she never looked up from her plate.
“You don’t sound fine. What’s wrong?”
She slumped back in the seat. “Momma said she’d braid my hair. She forgot. Again.”
Emmy smacked her lips together. “Momma was gonna put my hair in piggy tails, but she forgot, but then Grandma said she’d do it. She said she’d do Emma’s, too, but Emma said no.” Emmy emphasized Emma’s answer and shook her head back and forth.
Emma didn’t respond. Pamela had been acting different since Greta’s death. He remembered the day he’d heard Jack’s voice over the phone. Maybe, it wasn’t only Greta’s death bothering his sister. His blood burned thinking about that man and how he’d chosen the bottle over his wife and daughters.
Emmy bit into her sausage patty. “Grandma says Momma is refreshed and we need to pray for her.”
“Depressed, dummy,” Emma mumbled.
“Don’t call your sister names,” he reprimanded Emma. He turned to Emmy. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”
The girls finished their breakfast, while Kirk pondered what his mom had told the girls. He knew Pamela had been withdrawn, but she must be having a harder time than he realized if his mom and nieces had discussed it. Maybe, he should talk with Pamela later. Find out if Jack was still calling. Ask her what he could do to help. Maybe she needed some help with her jobs on the farm. Or she was struggling with some of her classes.
A tug pulled at his heart. He couldn’t fix her. He knew that from what he had noticed. Knowing his mom, she’d already tried everything he could think of to help. The best thing he could do was pray for her.
God, I know prayer is a powerful thing, but for a guy who likes to dig in, get his hands dirty and finish the task, it’s hard to talk to You and then wait for You to do Your thing. He inwardly sighed. Prayer and patience worked with Callie. It was probably true for Pamela, as well.
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