From The Ashes

by Claire Sanders

  When nothing was left of the pie except crumbs, Faith and Hope volunteered to clean.

  “Thank you,” Emma Fraser said with exaggerated gratitude. “Judith, you come with me and Dorothy.”

  Judith left the crowded dining room to follow Emma.

  “When Jacob told me you were coming to dinner, Dorothy and I started digging,” Emma explained as she led Judith into her bedroom.

  There, spread out on a king-sized bed, were yearbooks, several photo albums and plastic storage boxes.

  “We’ve been reliving our younger days,” Dorothy added when she joined them.

  The two women sat in the middle of the bed and pulled the albums into their laps. “Kick off your shoes and climb up here,” Emma instructed Judith. “Good thing you wore that full skirt.”

  The two women seemed warm and sincere in their welcome, but was Judith really supposed to climb onto the bed with them? Wasn’t that too familiar?

  Dorothy opened an album, but Emma looked at Judith expectantly. “Is something wrong, Judith?”

  Everyone was asking her that question today. She didn’t want to insult Jacob’s mother, but she didn’t know the right thing to do.

  “This is the earliest picture of Rachel we could find,” Dorothy held out an album for Judith.

  Judith eased onto the edge of the bed and took the album from Dorothy’s outstretched hands.

  Three young girls dressed in high heels, hats, and sunglasses smiled out at Judith.

  Emma scooted to the edge of the bed until she was sitting next to Judith. “We were playing dress up. That’s me,” she said, pointing to the blonde girl, “that’s Rachel with the big hat, and that’s Dorothy.”

  “We couldn’t have been more than six years old,” Dorothy explained. “Weren’t we just too cute for words?”

  Dorothy and Emma laughed, but Judith’s attention was fixed on the photo. Dressed in someone’s old prom dress and pursing her red lips in a magnified pucker, Judith’s mother looked every inch the impish girl she must have been. Judith glanced up from the photo at the middle-aged women who continued to chat. Not only had they known her mother, they’d been childhood playmates.

  “Where did my mother live when—”

  Before she could finish her question, a yearbook was placed on top of the album. “Now this was our freshman year in high school. Will you just look at those glasses?” Dorothy said with a chuckle. “I’m glad I got rid of those.”

  “And here we are going to the homecoming dance,” Emma said, thrusting a photograph in Judith’s face.

  “Oh, Emma,” Dorothy continued. “Look at this one. That’s you and John, isn’t it?”

  Photos followed in quick succession as the older women recalled each event.

  Soon, Judith’s head spun with details of county fairs, dances, and school plays. She tried to keep up, but Emma and Dorothy spoke in half-sentences and giggles. She tried to ask questions, but one memory triggered another and soon the two older women were in a world of their own.

  Judith needed to sit with the photos. If only she could examine them the same way she examined the intricate cross-hatching on an acorn’s cap. If only she could climb into the photos and talk to her mother.

  A familiar pain stabbed Judith’s heart. Her mother had been so full of life. Even in the still photographs, she seemed to glisten with vitality. A vitality that had been stolen from her when Judith had let a killer in the house. Judith’s stomach churned as the memory of her mother’s blood on the kitchen tile invaded her thoughts. “Excuse me,” Judith muttered as she pushed off the bed. “I’m going to find a restroom.”

  “Use mine,” Emma called after her.

  But Judith trotted up the stairs. Just a few minutes to catch her breath and she’d return to the bedroom. Just a few minutes to talk herself down from the panic those memories instigated.

  At the top of the stairs, she leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. She wouldn’t cry. Tears only weakened her resolve to challenge the fear that had kept her hostage. She needed to step away from the photos, to put some distance between herself and the memory.

  Judith heard a child’s voice coming from the room at the end of the hall. Someone was reading aloud. She followed the sound into a small bedroom where Chloe sat on the floor in a puddle of afternoon sunlight.

  Judith tapped lightly at the door and the blonde head swung up. Wide blue eyes focused on her. “Hi. You’re Chloe, right?”

  The girl nodded, her unwavering blue gaze never leaving Judith’s face.

  “May I join you?”

  Chloe nodded again and Judith eased down beside her. “You’ve got a lot of books up here. Jacob told me you liked to read.”

  “This is my room when I visit Grandma Emma,” Chloe explained.

  “What are you reading?”

  Chloe lifted the book from the floor to show Judith the cover.

  “Cats. Funny you should be reading that. A friend just gave me a kitten and I don’t know how to take care of it.”

  A spark of interest lit Chloe’s eyes. “Really? Can I see it? I want a cat but my mommy says I can’t have one because we already have two dogs that my daddy uses when he goes hunting. Dogs are OK, I guess, but I want a little kitten that will stay in my room and sleep with me at night.”

  “My cat’s name is Pumpkin and so far all she does is hide under the couch.” Judith rifled through the closest pile of books and withdrew one. “Do you like this book?”

  Chloe’s eyes grew wide and serious. “That book is awesome. It has the best pictures of dragons I ever saw.”

  “Why, thank you. I painted the pictures.”

  Chloe’s brows drew together in suspicion. “You?”

  “Believe it or not. See?” Judith flipped to the back cover where her photo was featured alongside the author’s. “That’s me.”

  Chloe’s studious gaze shifted from the book to Judith’s face several times before she spoke. “That’s really you?”

  “It really is. Want to see my driver’s license?”

  Chloe giggled.

  “Give me a piece of paper and a pencil,” Judith said, “and I’ll draw a dragon just for you.”

  Chloe scrambled to her feet and returned seconds later with the requested items. Judith spread the paper on the book for stability and began to sketch. The girl craned her neck to see Judith’s work, but being dissatisfied with the view, leaned against Judith’s shoulder, nearly pushing Judith to the floor.

  “Hold on, Chloe. Let’s get situated here.” Judith spread her skirt and crossed her legs. “Come sit in my lap.”

  Chloe didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation and a few seconds later, the book and paper were in Chloe’s lap while Judith continued her sketch.

  “I was wondering where you went.” A deep voice interrupted their concentration.

  Chloe and Judith jerked in surprise.

  Chloe jumped out of Judith’s lap and went to her uncle. “Come see, Jacob. She’s drawing a dragon for me.”

  Jacob grinned and joined her on the floor. “May I see?”

  “No,” Judith announced, holding the book and paper against her chest. “It’s not finished yet.”

  “You have to wait,” Chloe admonished him. Then she turned to Judith. “You’ll show him when it’s finished, won’t you?”

  “Only if he behaves.”

  “Oh, he will,” Chloe vouched. “He’s a very good uncle.”

  Chloe resumed her seat in Judith’s lap. A few minutes later, Judith put down the pencil. “I think that about does it. What do you think, Chloe?”

  “Oh,” Chloe whispered. “That’s a beautiful dragon. I’m going to name it Serena. Can I show Jacob now?”

  “It’s your picture. You can do anything you want with it.”

  Chloe squirmed out of her lap and handed the paper to Jacob. “If you’re nice to Judith, she’ll make a picture for you, too.”

  “Oh, I plan to be nice to Judith. Don’t worry about that,�
� Jacob answered with a wink to his niece. “You ready to go home, Judith?”

  “I’m not finished talking to your mother and Dorothy.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Davidson went home, but my mom’s downstairs.” Jacob stood and offered his hand to help Judith to her feet.

  Judith took Jacob’s hand, stood, and turned to Chloe. “Thanks for showing me your books.”

  “When can I see your kitten? Does she like to play with toys? I could bring her a cat toy.”

  “You can visit whenever it’s OK with your mom. But I’m warning you, my cat is very shy. She might not want to play with you right away.”

  “I’m going to ask Mom now,” Chloe announced as she skipped out of the room.

  Judith followed Chloe downstairs, only to find Jacob’s mother storing the boxes of photos in a hall closet. “Oh,” Judith said, “I was hoping—”

  “I just can’t get over it.” Emma wrapped her arms around Judith’s shoulders. “Rachel’s little girl right here in my house. You must come back. Come next Sunday, or drop in any time. No need to wait for an invitation.”

  Judith savored Emma’s tender hug. If her mother had lived, surely her hugs would have felt like this. Judith squeezed Emma gently and let the loving warmth seep into her heart. “Thank you for inviting me,” Judith said as she released Emma. “And thanks for showing me the photos. I’d like to make copies if that’s all right with you.”

  “Of course. I’ll get them together for you.”

  “Ready to go?” Jacob called from the kitchen.

  Emma laughed softly. “My youngest son is not the most patient of my children. But if you’d like to stay longer…”

  “No, but thanks for everything. I’m really glad I got to meet you.”

  “Anytime, Judith. I hope we’ll see a lot of you.”

  ****

  “My family liked you,” Jacob said once they were on the highway.

  “I was nervous at first, but they all made me feel welcome.” Judith scooted down in her seat and let her head rest on the back.

  Jacob saw that her eyes were closed. She couldn’t be asleep, could she? “Judith?” he said in a soft voice.

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “Your mother and my mother. Can you believe they actually went to school together? They even played together when they were girls.”

  She’d fit in well with his family. The way Judith had respected Chloe’s claim on his attention had been especially endearing. So many grownups discounted children’s feelings.

  “I’m anxious to make copies of your mother’s photographs,” Judith said.

  “Want to come to lunch again next Sunday? Or maybe you’d like to go into the city for dinner.”

  “With your mother?”

  “No. With me.”

  Judith sat up.

  He’d obviously surprised her with his invitation, but a date was the next logical step in getting to know her better.

  Judith’s voice sounded distant when she finally answered. “I guess it’d be OK.”

  Jacob couldn’t keep from smiling at her halfhearted acceptance. “I’ve got a busy week ahead of me. Would next week be OK?”

  Silent seconds ticked by as he waited. Maybe he should retract the invitation.

  She finally answered. “That’ll be fine.”

  What was it about dinner with him that made her hesitate?

  Jacob stopped his truck in front of the cabin. “You know, if you’d rather not go to dinner—”

  “No,” she said with surprising force. She tucked her hair behind her ear and folded her arms across her waist. “I mean, dinner will be fine. It’s just dinner. Right?”

  There it was again. Her courage had defeated whatever it was that had made her hesitate.

  “Right,” he said with a smile as he walked around and opened her door.

  “Thanks for bringing me home,” she said as she slid out of the truck. “I enjoyed meeting your family. It must have been something growing up with all of those brothers and sisters.”

  Jacob held out his palm as an invitation for Judith to slip her hand into his. She looked at his palm for several seconds before setting her fingertips on the edge of his hand. Jacob lightly closed his fingers around hers and made his voice as carefree as possible. “Oh, it was something all right. My brothers and sisters always made fun of me for being the baby. But for all the teasing I got, they also looked out for me.”

  She pulled her hand free as she stepped onto the porch.

  Jacob stood before her, searching her face for a hint of what she was thinking. But the only clue she gave him was a wide yawn she hid with her hand.

  “Call me crazy, but I think you’re tired.”

  “Sorry. My brain’s on overload. I’ve got so much to think about, so much to decide on.”

  “So, I’ll see you soon?”

  She smiled in reply. “Sure.”

  Why was it so difficult to leave? He should just step off the porch, get in his truck and drive away. What was he hoping to accomplish by remaining there?

  A gentle breeze blew a dark curl across her cheek and Jacob used his fingertips to brush it away. “Any place special you’d like to eat?”

  Judith stepped away from him. “I don’t know what’s around here, but I’m not a picky eater. Anything will be fine.”

  Even his slightest touch seemed to make her uneasy. But he’d earn her trust. Someday he wanted to rub his cheek against her head and feel her beautiful curls against his face.

  “I guess I’ll go in now,” Judith said.

  Jacob dropped his hand and stepped back quickly, surprised at where his imagination had led. “OK,” he said as he walked towards his truck. “I’ll be in touch.”

  He glanced in the rearview mirror as he steered his truck down the dirt road away from the cabin.

  Judith Robertson was growing on him, and he didn’t mind one bit.

  6

  Judith was deep in the woods when she recognized Rev. Washington’s booming voice. She’d left the cabin at dawn, intent on capturing scenes of the forest as it greeted the new day, and, as usual, she’d lost herself in the sketches. A quick glance at her watch confirmed she’d been working for nearly three hours.

  The voices grew louder as Judith made her way through the forest towards the clearing where the old church sat.

  “What do you think about the windows?” Henry called to someone. “How rotten is the wood?”

  “It would be best to replace the frames,” another man’s voice answered. “But we can use pieces of scrap for that.”

  “And the wiring?” Rev. Washington called again. “What about that, Brother George?”

  “It’s in bad shape,” a different voice answered. “It would be best to replace as much of it as possible.”

  At the edge of the tree line, Judith stopped to watch the men.

  One walked on the steeply pitched roof as confidently as a bird on a telephone wire, another scraped at the window frames with a chisel.

  The morning sun cast long shadows as the men moved around the area, the timbre of their voices changing from concern to excitement as they worked. There was no doubt Henry and his friends would approach her soon, asking for permission to use her grandfather’s church. After seeing the delight in their faces and hearing the enthusiasm in their voices, it would be hard to deny them.

  A familiar truck pulled up beside the church.

  Judith bit back the involuntary smile. Jacob Fraser was becoming much too important to her.

  Of course she’d noticed how attentive he’d been at his parents’ house—holding her hand, not letting her get lost in the jubilant chaos of his family.

  But her reaction to all that attention was alarming. It just wasn’t normal for her heart to race at the sound of his voice, or to have her stomach do flip-flops at the sight of him. There was always the possibility he was being nice to her
just so she’d sell her grandfather’s timber to him, but he didn’t seem the type.

  She took her sketchbook from her satchel, quickly turned to a fresh page and began to sketch. Jacob had the most amazing profile—strong chin, a firm cheek line and eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. His plain t-shirt and jeans molded his physique and Judith concentrated on the lines his muscles made beneath his clothing.

  Henry greeted Jacob with an enthusiastic handshake, and then led him into the building.

  Judith hurried to finish the rough sketch, tucked the book under one arm, and ambled into the clearing with what she hoped passed as nonchalance.

  “Brother Henry!” the man on the roof called out. “Mr. Isaiah’s granddaughter is here!”

  “Good morning.” She shaded her eyes and called up to him. “Are you OK up there?”

  “No need to worry. I spend almost every day on a roof somewhere in town.” He walked towards a ladder and made his way down.

  Henry Washington stepped out of the church to greet her. “Mornin’, Miss Judith. So good to see you.”

  “How’s everything going, Rev. Washington?”

  Before Henry could answer, Jacob joined him. “Hey, Judith. What are you up to this morning?”

  “Making more sketches,” Judith answered, trying to speak over the fluttery feeling in her throat. “How’s it going in there?”

  “Nothing a little hard work and some building supplies can’t fix,” Henry answered. Then he clapped a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “And Jacob here has come to our rescue.”

  Jacob waved away the words as if they were pesky flies. “Now, Henry, all I did was talk to my minister.”

  “And all your minister did was call the other ministers in town,” Henry said. “It’s just wonderful, Judith. The other churches around here are going to take up a special collection to go towards what we need. If you give us the go-ahead, we can start the work right away.”

  Judith caught Jacob’s attention. “Will you excuse us, Rev. Washington? I’d like to talk to Jacob for a minute.”

  “Of course. But I’ll be praying for the answer I want to hear.”

  Judith led Jacob to the edge of the clearing. Once they were out of earshot, she turned and looked up at him. “You’re the one who said I needed to be careful about loaning my grandfather’s church. Now you’ve gone and arranged for help. Are you trying to confuse me?”