Summer's Promise

by Irene Brand

  “Do you intend to stop work and become a mother to Timmy and Nicole?”

  “I doubt that I have any maternal instincts, but there are excellent nanny services in New York. I can afford to provide a good nanny for them.”

  David’s eyes narrowed, and Summer sensed he was angry.

  “I will not agree to that. Those two kids are grieving, and Spring wanted you to raise her children at Mountain Glen. They need to live in a familiar environment. Don’t you feel any responsibility to your own family?”

  “I’d be fulfilling my responsibility by taking care of Nicole and Timmy. That’s all I promised to do.”

  They stopped talking when they heard Edna’s deliberate steps in the hallway. Her keen brown eyes shifted from one to the other, perhaps sensing a disagreement.

  “I’m willing to come for a year, or until your mission board can make better arrangements,” David said tersely. “I can’t speak for Summer.”

  Summer walked to the window and looked at the playground where children were exercising. Behind The Crossroads’ administration building, a tiny dog pulled a tin can from the garbage pail, and while eating the contents, his head stuck in the can. His efforts to remove his head were futile, and the bewildered dog ran in circles until a blond-haired boy hurried out of the building and freed him. Summer was forced to make a comparison. Residents at The Crossroads needed saving from the bondage of past mistakes, either their own or their parents’ neglect. Was she the one to set them free?

  She turned toward David and Miss Stollard. “Although I don’t want to, I feel compelled to live my sister’s dream. I’ll give it the best that’s in me for a year. I won’t commit further than that.”

  David’s eyes softened and he reached for her hand. Summer eluded his touch, and her blue eyes were frosty when she stared at him. She’s resentful because I wouldn’t agree to her request and let her off the hook, David thought, but he was exhilarated at the prospect of continued companionship with Summer.

  Although she was piqued at David, Summer knew they had life-changing plans to make, and she stifled her annoyance. Edna had given them a copy of the yearly budget for The Crossroads, and to keep her mind off the winding, mountainous road they were descending, she studied the figures. When they headed eastward on the interstate, she sighed and said, “Now what?”

  “I have no idea what we should do first,” David said. “I’m sorry we told Edna we could return in three weeks.”

  “The sooner the better,” Summer said, “for I’m going to be anxious until we’re settled in at The Crossroads. It isn’t fair for me to ask for a leave of absence, so I’ll resign my position at the bank. I’m sure my boss, Mr. Abel, will give me a good recommendation if I ever want to work in New York again, but I’ll have to forget New York until my work is done at The Crossroads. If I fill Spring’s shoes, I’ll have to cut my ties with the past.”

  David nodded agreement. “I’ll resign, too, but I can always find a job at another detective agency or organize my own business when the time comes.”

  “This is going to come as a shock to our families. Mother and Daddy will have a fit. I intend to resign before I let them know.”

  “My folks will be glad about it,” David said.

  “I live in a furnished apartment, so all I’ll have to move are my personal items. I’ll buy a car and drive to North Carolina. I won’t be stranded on that mountain without some means of transportation.”

  “I’ll probably trade my car for a Jeep or some other sport utility vehicle, but I haven’t gotten that far in my plans yet.”

  “The longer we talk, the more I realize what we’ve gotten ourselves into. How are we going to get the children to North Carolina?”

  “I’ll drive out and bring them to The Crossroads. But have you considered that in addition to the fact we’re both going to be without any income, except that pittance Edna mentioned, we’re going to be responsible for the expense of raising two children? Bert’s and Spring’s wills stipulated that their assets be put into trust funds for the children to draw when they come of age. So if they had insurance, that money will be held in trust and won’t do the kids a bit of good now.” He paused, and his brown eyes suddenly blazed with anger, an unusual emotion for David. “I believe Spring and Bert had a temporary lapse of mind to ever concoct such documents.”

  “What will we do for funds?”

  David shook his head. “Live the same way Bert and Spring did, I suppose.”

  “Mother sent them money occasionally, but they wouldn’t accept much for they said that self-denial was a part of their calling.”

  “And I don’t deny myself anything. I looked over those papers while you went to the cabin and packed,” David said and laughed shortly, but there was no mirth in the sound. He flicked the collar of his shirt. “The budget for a day’s food at The Crossroads is less than what I paid for this shirt. The more I think about it, I’m sorry I pressured you into accepting their requests.”

  Summer looked at him curiously. She’d never seen him despondent before, and she stopped being sorry for herself and began to understand what this move would mean to David. If he resigned a good position to become the administrator of a mission school, it would be quite a blow to his ego.

  “I’ve always taken expensive clothing for granted, too. From the time we were old enough to choose our own clothing, Mother took us to exclusive stores in Columbus or Cincinnati to shop. She was still generous with clothing after I came to New York.”

  “A lot of clothes that probably won’t be practical at The Crossroads.”

  Summer nodded agreement. “When I’ve had all the money I wanted at my disposal, it’s going to be hard to live on a small salary. I wonder if I can get used to it as my sisters did. Spring lived for several years in Bolivia without the latest in fashion, and when Autumn was struggling to get through veterinary school, at times she hardly had enough to eat, so the last thing she worried about was her clothes. Do you suppose I’ll come to that?”

  David lifted her left hand and kissed her fingers. “I’m sure you’ll have the strength to do what you have to. Remember you’re a Weaver!”

  His joking reminder of the principle Clara Weaver had drilled into her daughters lifted Summer’s spirits.

  David’s plane left for Atlanta an hour sooner than Summer’s flight time. She stood beside him as he waited to board, and he said, “Let’s tell our parents right away, and then I’ll telephone you in a few days.” He handed her a card with his telephone number. “You get in touch with me if you need to before that.”

  “I’ll notify my parents by e-mail. If I talk to Mother by phone, she’ll try to argue me out of what I’ve agreed to do. She’ll remind me of how much money they’ve spent on my education and that I’m throwing my life away. I haven’t forgotten the commotion Spring stirred up when she came home to tell us she planned to marry a missionary. I only hope I have the strength to stand by my decision as Spring did.”

  The boarding call for David’s seating came over the loudspeaker, and he drew her to one side. “It’ll work out okay, Summer. I don’t understand why, but it feels right for us to do this. We made our decisions by instinct—perhaps I should say by faith—rather than by logic, but we have to stop doubting and move forward.” He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned against him. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better. Will it be so awful seeing me every day?”

  Summer experienced that giddy feeling David had inspired when they’d spent the day at the amusement park in Ohio. She put her arm around his waist, gave him an impish grin, and said, “I might be able to bear it.”

  He dropped his bag on a seat, and quickly drew her into the tight circle of his arms. His eyes brightened with laughter before his lips captured hers in a demanding kiss. For a moment she surrendered to him, consumed by conflicting emotions, before she lifted a hand and pushed him away.

  “David,” she whispered, “you’ll miss your plane.”

&n
bsp; “I really don’t care,” he said, laughing softly, as he dropped another kiss on her moist lips, grabbed his bag and hurried down the jetway. Summer pressed shaky fingers against her lips.

  How had that happened? She and David had enough problems without getting romantically involved, but she had trouble convincing her heart as, feeling lonely, she walked slowly to her boarding area. It was a strange sensation because normally, she preferred to be alone. She dreaded returning to the apartment where her doubts would surface again. When she was with David, Summer could think rationally about the change in their lives, because he seemed to understand the reason she hesitated to do what Spring had asked. The next few weeks while she prepared to move to North Carolina, she’d have no one to encourage her.

  Chapter Six

  Summer spent most of the time en route to New York scribbling in a notebook, carefully wording the e-mail message to her parents. But she waited until it was time to leave for work the next morning before she sent the message, so her mother wouldn’t have time to call. She didn’t want to deal with her parents until she’d given two weeks’ notice to her employer.

  Mr. Abel tried to persuade her to change her mind, but when he realized she was determined, he said, “You’re throwing away a bright future in the financial world. I had great plans for you, Summer, but the qualities that make you an asset to this bank—faithfulness, conscientiousness, and integrity—are the qualities that prompt you to sacrifice your desires for your sister’s family.”

  “It was a difficult decision, but one I had to make. Thanks for understanding.”

  “I don’t understand,” Abel said, “but you have my best wishes, and I’ll do everything I can to help you—now or later. Please keep in touch with me. I’ll want to know how you’re getting along.” He came around his desk and shook hands warmly. “Good luck, Summer.”

  “Thanks. I’ll need it.”

  The telephone call from Ohio came about eight o’clock, and Summer lifted the receiver anxiously.

  “Summer, my poor child,” Clara said, and her compassionate tone completely unnerved Summer. This wasn’t the reaction she’d expected from Clara Weaver.

  “Oh, Mother,” Summer said tearfully. “I didn’t know what to do.”

  “You did the only thing you could have done, but I’m so sorry your life has been disrupted again. I don’t understand why Bert and Spring would expect this of you, but I believe they thought it out carefully. It isn’t like either of them to be inconsiderate. How’s David dealing with it?”

  “Better than I am,” Summer sighed, “but it’s a big change for him, too. We both resigned from our jobs today.”

  “Landon and I will assume the financial support of the children.”

  “Let us try it on our own first. I’ve decided to take it a day at a time. That’s all we can do. I’ll buy a car and drive to North Carolina in three weeks. David will come after Timmy and Nicole soon, but we’ll let you know when to expect him. How are they doing?”

  “They haven’t really comprehended that their parents are gone, but when they get back to their home, and Spring and Bert aren’t there, you may have a rough time with them.”

  “Have you told them that David and I are their guardians?”

  “Yes. We thought they should know as soon as possible, for they’ve been asking what’s going to happen to them.”

  “I’m afraid to ask how they reacted to the news,” Summer said in a shaky voice.

  “They didn’t say much, but they seemed happy to be coming home to North Carolina. Nicole said, ‘See, Timmy, I told you God would send someone to take care of us.”’

  Summer choked a little when she tried to answer. “I’m afraid I’ll make a terrible mother.”

  “Nonsense! I have no doubt that you’ll be very efficient. I’ll be praying for you.”

  “Really, Mother!”

  “When we were so burdened with Spring’s death, Landon and I asked the local pastor for counseling. We realize now how much we’ve missed by completely ignoring God’s mercy and His will for our lives. We’ve received comfort that we didn’t think was possible, and we finally understand why Spring and Autumn changed after they became Christians. I provided everything for you girls except spiritual training, which I realize now was the most important thing I could have given you. It’s always been hard for me to depend on anything except my own will and strength, and more than any of my children, you’ve inherited that trait from me. I’ll pray that you’ll learn sooner than I did that there comes a time when we can’t go it alone. A time when we have to depend on God and others.”

  Thinking of how much she was already depending on David, Summer answered, “I’m already finding that out.”

  “Good,” Clara said. “Landon will talk with the car dealer in Columbus where we buy our vehicles, and he’ll make contact with a reputable dealer in New York City. You can go and choose what you want.”

  “Thanks, Mother, but I won’t buy a new car. Most of the young people we’ll be working with come from low-income homes. I won’t show up with an expensive new car. It would be great, though, if Daddy finds out where I can buy a dependable used car. David intends to sell his sports car and buy a Jeep.”

  “How are you and David getting along?”

  Remembering David’s goodbye kiss yesterday, Summer’s face flushed, and she was glad her mother couldn’t see. “Not bad,” she said evenly, “considering how different we are. We’ve been thrown together in a situation where we have to get along, and both of us know it.”

  “We love you, Summer,” Clara said, and Summer nearly dropped the phone. Her mother hadn’t told her that before. Clara Weaver had changed!

  The conversation gave Summer quite a jolt. Her parents had become Christians, so again she was the oddball of the family—the only one of the Weavers who hadn’t embraced the Christian faith. And Clara’s statement that Summer was like her mother had also been startling. That couldn’t be true! But, was it?

  Clara didn’t have any close friends—neither did Summer. Clara liked her privacy—so did Summer. Clara was fastidious about housekeeping and in her personal appearance, as was Summer.

  Mentally she ticked off, one by one, the traits she shared with her mother, and Summer didn’t like the comparison. She couldn’t believe she exemplified the things she resented in her mother, but it was true. Only in the matter of domination over others was she unlike Clara. God had changed Clara into a different person. Could He change her as well?

  Summer resented how much she wanted to talk to David, but after two nights, and David hadn’t called, Summer telephoned him. She got his answering service, surprised at her disappointment. Was David becoming that important to her?

  Debating whether or not to leave a message, she finally said. “This is Summer—just wanted to report that I’m no longer employed. The CEO tried to change my mind, and he said I could have a job with them anytime I wanted it.” She couldn’t bring herself to ask him to return her call, so she hung up abruptly. What had her mother said? That one of the worst hurdles she had to overcome in becoming a Christian was to depend on others. Like her mother, Summer didn’t want to lean on anyone, and she resented the tendency to depend on David.

  Two more days passed, and she still hadn’t heard from David. He’d said he would be in touch soon, so what was the problem? She wished she hadn’t telephoned him. Maybe David wasn’t happy to be so closely connected to her. Had she been too receptive to his caresses in the airport? She’d lived over thirty years without becoming emotionally involved with any man. Why did she have to start now?

  The third night when Summer reached home, the message button was blinking. With shaking fingers, she accessed the message.

  “Hi, Summer. David. I had to make a quick trip out of town. Give me a call tonight. I’ll be at home all evening.”

  He can just wait on me a while, Summer thought as she went into the bedroom to change her clothes, and she flushed when she remembered that was an at
titude she’d picked up from her mother. Before she started dinner preparations, she returned David’s call.

  “Sorry I ran out on you,” David said immediately. “But I’m working on a case I have to finish before I leave the agency. I had a lead that took me to Texas for a few days. I don’t use my mobile phone when I’m investigating. So, how are things working out for you?”

  “Not bad,” Summer answered. “My resignation has been accepted. Mother and Daddy are going to buy a used car for me. I only worked part-time at the bank while I was in school so I haven’t saved much money. I’ll get a refund on what I’ve paid into the retirement fund, but it won’t be enough to buy much of a car.”

  “About all I accomplished before I left town was to turn in my resignation. But I’ll get busy right away. When do you expect to arrive at The Crossroads, so I’ll know when to go after Timmy and Nicole?”

  “I’m aiming toward the first week of October. Will that be convenient for you?”

  “Yes. I’ll contact Edna and tell her when we’ll be there. Are you scared, Summer?”

  “I’m in shock more than anything else,” she said with a slight laugh, “but it helped when my parents accepted it so well. I thought Mother would try to change my mind, but she was very understanding. She said there was nothing else we could do, and she promised financial support for the kids. I’m trying to take it a day at a time.”

  “Great! I’ll telephone in a few days, but get in touch if you need me.” He hesitated. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

  She felt the same way about him, but the Weaver pride kicked in, and Summer said, “Which won’t be very long. Bye, David.”

  Knowing David was as near as a phone gave Summer a warm feeling, and she set about packing with a lighter heart.