Aunt Beth’s wise eyes probed her own. “It’s a long story, Dani. One I’m not prepared to share. But I want you to know I’ve tried.”
Dani gave a brief nod and peered out into the darkness. “I know. I gave up on trying to understand Mother a long time ago.” And gave up on trying to earn her love.
A breeze stirred the leaves of the large red oak tree that anchored the corner of the porch, and the full moon shining behind the remaining clouds turned them a silvery white. “Your father was a wonderful man. If I‘d known, I would’ve been there.” Her aunt’s lips pressed together in a sad smile. “Were you close to him?”
She shrugged. “At one time, I guess. He wanted me to take over his business, but I wanted to teach.”
“Sounds painful.”
“It was. Things were never the same between us after that.” An ancient wound that would never heal, the hurt of his betrayal as raw as the day it happened. She searched the sky. The moon tried desperately to penetrate the clouds. How could a father completely cut off his own child just because her plan didn’t match his own?
“But you enjoy teaching?”
“Very much.”
Aunt Beth’s face lit from within. “That’s why I run a daycare. I love being around the kids.”
Dani turned her head to hide the rush of tears that sprung to her eyes. Finally someone who understood, someone who got who she was.
“How’d Cecille take Daniel’s death?”
Almost as if nothing had happened. “Better than expected.” Her social schedule barely interrupted and on a cruise with her friends less than a month later. She rubbed the nubby fabric of her housecoat as a horse whinnied in the darkness.
“And your husband? How is he?”
A wave of hurt broke against her heart. Why was it still so difficult to speak the words? She met her aunt’s gaze. “Richard was killed in a car accident a year ago.”
Aunt Beth’s face turned deathly white, more pale than the gray curls framing her face. “Oh, you poor child! I had no idea.” Her voice thick with emotion, she scooted closer and embraced her.
A thousand needles pricked her eyes. What was wrong with her? She teared up at kind words, but felt only contempt for her dead husband? Would she ever be able to forgive him and move on?
Her aunt pulled away. The compassion in her eyes prodded Dani forward, but the words dammed up in her throat as the numbness returned. If only she could cry and grieve like other women who’d lost their husband.
The older woman searched her face. “There’s more?”
Dani stared into the almost empty cup. How could she explain? “Let’s just say my marriage wasn’t a happy one.”
Aunt Beth didn’t speak, but a knowing look washed over her face.
What was she doing? Dani uncrossed her legs and looked away. She’d come to Miller’s Creek to establish a relationship with her aunt, not scare her away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burden you with my problems.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Have you talked about this with anyone?”
Talk about it? She chewed the inside of her cheek. This wasn’t something you shared with colleagues in the teacher’s lounge. Too embarrassing. Too painful.
Aunt Beth grabbed her hand. “Please let me help.”
Fear chained the words inside. Not yet. It was too soon. She was tired of being hurt, tired of trusting only to be betrayed. “Maybe some other time.” Dani drained the rest of the creamy liquid then forced a smile. “Did I tell you I’m thinking about leaving Dallas? Starting over?”
Her aunt’s features clouded. “I understand about wanting to start over, but make sure you’re not running away. Problems have a way of following you wherever you go.”
“Sounds like you speak from experience.”
“I do. Pray about it first.”
She set her cup on the wicker table and released a half-laugh. “Prayer doesn’t seem to help me much.”
“What makes you say that?”
A bitter taste uncoiled in her mouth. “My prayers seem to go unnoticed.”
“That’s not true.” Her aunt’s sharpened words sliced the air.
“Then you must have more faith than I do.” Not that it would take a lot.
Aunt Beth’s eyebrows wrinkled in the center. “You don’t believe in God?”
“I believe there is a God. I’m just not sure he cares about me. All I ever wanted was a home and family, but …” Her throat clogged with a salty lump of tears.
Sorrow-filled pain flared in her aunt’s eyes. “I know what you’re feeling, Dani. Trust me, I’ve been there. Life’s confusing and hard, but running away from God only makes it worse. He’ll help you through this if you let Him.”
“I wish I could believe it.” She blinked against a rush of emotion.
“Do you blame God for what’s happened?”
Would her aunt understand? Would God? “I guess in some ways I do. If He’s God, then why doesn’t He bring a stop to evil in the world?”
“There’s not an easy answer to that question.” The older woman pursed her lips and leaned forward to refill Dani’s empty cup with the cream-colored liquid. “Not that it’s any consolation, but people have been asking the same question for thousands of years.”
Dani waited for her to elaborate.
Her aunt didn’t let her down. “Ever heard of Job?”
She rotated toward her aunt and pulled one knee close to her chest, relieved the conversation had moved in a different direction. “The guy with all the patience?”
Aunt Beth’s hearty laughter rang out in the still night. “You mean all the impatience.” She silenced momentarily, a chorus of crickets filling in. “Oh, I guess he was patient in that he endured the horrible things God allowed in his life.”
“Like what?”
“He lost his children and livestock, his wealth. He was even covered from head to toe with painful sores.”
A shudder crept down her spine. “See? That’s my point. If God loves us so much, why would He allow that to happen?”
“He had confidence in Job.”
“I hope He never gets confidence in me.” She muttered the words and bent down to retrieve the cup of hot chocolate as a giggle erupted from her aunt.
“At least the story ends on a happy note. God healed Job and restored his fortune.”
Dani shook her head. “Still don’t buy it.”
“Why not?”
“Because the story doesn’t explain why God allowed it to happen in the first place. Does He enjoy watching me suffer?”
“We’ve all suffered, Dani. You’re not the only one.” The words were soft, but firm. “Maybe this will help explain it. What would the world be like if everything was wonderful all the time? No bad weather, no sad events, no ugliness or pain. No sorrow.”
Well, that was a no-brainer. “Perfect.”
“Oh, really? You know any perfect people?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “No.” What was Aunt Beth after?
“Exactly my point.” Her aunt leaned closer. “Even if things were perfect, we’d mess it up because we’re not. That’s what happened at the beginning of time. Everything God made was good. Man’s the one who messed it up, and we’ve been blaming God for it ever since.”
A rounded edge of moon peeked above the wispy clouds. She sensed the wisdom in her aunt’s words. “But why can’t bad things just happen to bad people?”
“You ever watch a butterfly hatch?”
“Of course. We watch them hatch in science class every year.” The memory of her students’ fascination with the process brought a smile to Dani’s face.
“You know what would happen if you cut open the cocoon so the butterfly didn’t have to struggle so hard to get free?”
“It would never be strong enough to fly.”
“Exactly.” Her aunt looked skyward and Dani followed her gaze, the moon now completely clear of clouds. Aunt Beth rocked the swing, drawing her attention. “Victory and growth don’t com
e through an easy life, but from struggle.”
The words still rang in Dani’s mind later that night as she crawled into bed, the crickets crooning their nighttime lullaby. What a day. She pulled the soft cotton sheet to her chin and snuggled into the feather pillow that smelled of fresh air and sunshine. Aunt Beth was right. Trouble did follow you wherever you went. The trip to Miller’s Creek proved it. But maybe God had a reason for everything. If things hadn’t fallen apart, she’d probably never have made the trip to Miller’s Creek and wouldn’t have met her aunt or J. C. or Steve. What if God had a bigger plan than she was aware of?
Steve’s angry distance at dinner made its way into her thoughts, and her heart sank. She had to apologize. Whatever it took, she needed to make it right between them for Aunt Beth’s sake. Besides that, she needed to start things off right between her and the people of the town. After all, they might be her new friends and neighbors.
Overwhelming joy billowed in her heart at the thought. All these years of longing for home. Had she finally found it in the back roads town of Miller’s Creek? Already she felt an unexpected bond with her aunt, a connection she couldn’t explain, family.
A soft patch of moonlight filtered through the window and laid a silvery blue streak across the chenille bedspread. Would a move to Miller’s Creek work out? Dani flopped to her other side, folded an arm beneath her head, and pushed the question from her mind. She’d make it work. Any lifeline, even in small-town Texas, allowed her the one thing she’d been missing.
Hope.
~~o~~
CHAPTER FIVE
The Problem with Miller’s Creek
Steve smiled down at her, in that sweet place between slumber and awakening. Even after all these years, she still beguiled and enchanted him. Breathing in her light fragrance, he closed his eyes and reveled in the serene moment of bliss, his heart burgeoning with gratitude. No doubt about it—he was head over heels in love with his hometown!
Miller’s Creek, named for the little river meandering through the heart of town, lay before him like a sleeping princess in the rosy glow of a new day. A sense of wonder arose in him as it often did when he viewed his hometown. From the perspective of the rocky bluff where he stood, the land looked like a giant patchwork quilt. Outside the town, squares of green showed where the wheat, coastal hay, and peas were planted, while rich chocolate brown dirt revealed the future location of soon-to-sprout peanuts, cotton, and maize. Barbed-wire fences with rough cedar posts provided the quilt’s stitching.
The crisp nip to the morning air issued a warning that cold weather could still kill off the chance for fresh plums and peaches, and the homemade jams and jellies which always made their way into his pantry. Sorrow descended as he searched out the town square, bordered by the creek on one side and Main Street on the other. Except for City Hall, a couple of businesses, the church, post office, and firehouse, Miller’s Creek had become a ghost town.
Not for much longer. Not if he could help it.
He squinted against the rising sun and surveyed the rolling hills and pasture land, his memory taking him back in time. In some ways, his childhood seemed liked yesterday. A time when Ledbetter’s Furniture, Watson’s Drugstore, and the Piggly Wiggly grocery store thrived in downtown Miller’s Creek. Saturday afternoons had been spent at the picture show with Lauren and Clay, followed by a trip to Watson’s for the best root beer float in the county.
Could the town be brought back to life or was it too late? Steve shifted his weight to his left leg and tugged the brim of his cowboy hat to bring it lower on his head. Times had changed. The train came through town back then, and brought all-important commerce with it. Even though the tracks and old depot building still remained, the cry of the train whistle and the bustle of business was nothing but a distant memory. The town’s buildings now stood in disrepair, a daily reminder of what used to be.
His jaw tightened. He’d find a way to turn things around or die trying. Not just for the town or himself, but for the people. They clung by a wispy thin thread to a place which could no longer sustain them. God, help me. I know You can make a way.
He turned and strode to his truck, forcing his mind from the town’s dilemma. Should he make his usual stop at Mama Beth’s? The last thing he wanted was another run in with Dani, but he’d at least drop in to say “howdy” and grab a cup of coffee.
A few minutes later Steve arrived at Mama Beth’s house, the fragrance of her flower garden hitting him as soon as he opened the pickup door. Perched in her usual spot on the front porch, she smiled when he approached, but the smile on her face did nothing to conceal the sadness in her eyes.
He frowned and leaned over to kiss her gray curls. “Morning. How we doing?”
“You’re handsome as ever, but I’m getting older by the minute.” A wry expression flattened her lips.
“Aren’t we all?” As if he needed another reminder he was aging. He folded himself into the other rocker and stretched his legs out in front of him, his boots resting near the white porch railing.
“Isn’t today your big meeting?”
“Yep.” Conversation about the meeting with Brighton could wait. “You okay?”
“Fine.”
The dark circles under her eyes told him otherwise.
“Would you quit worrying about me?” Her sideways scowl rebuked him. “You look a little tired yourself, you know. By the way, why were you so cranky last night? Even Dani noticed.”
He lowered his head and chuckled. Leave it to Mama Beth to call him out on his bad behavior. “Where do you want me to start?”
“The beginning’s usually a good place.” The droll words rolled out in a monotone.
“Okay. First of all, I was starving to death. Second, I’d already had a bad experience with your niece. Third, I didn’t expect to see her in your kitchen.”
“And that put you in a foul mood?”
Steve rested his elbows on his knees before looking over at her. She wouldn’t let him get by with anything. “And I was jealous, okay? I know I shouldn’t have been, but I’m not used to sharing you with anyone else.”
“So in other words, you were acting like a spoiled child.”
He lifted one corner of his mouth in a wry grin. She’d never been one to mince words. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Sorry. I’ll try to do better.”
A smile erupted on her face. “You know I love you.”
Rising from the chair, he nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’m going in to get some coffee. Want some?”
“Good gracious, no. Already had enough to keep me awake ’til Christmas. Be quiet going in. Dani’s still asleep.”
The reminder of her niece brought him to a hurried halt. Maybe he should forget the coffee. With a second thought he shook his head. So what if he woke her up? Her problem, not his. He needed another cup.
The screen door squeaked when he let himself in the house, and he purposely let it slam. The smell of coffee greeted him as he entered the door. Nine o’clock in the morning and the woman was still asleep, obviously accustomed to a life of luxury and self-indulgence.
Back on the porch, he voiced his thoughts. “I’m surprised your niece is still sleeping.” He couldn’t stop the accusation that crept into his tone.
“Her name’s Dani and I’d thank you to remember it.”
He raised his eyebrows and let out a soft whistle.
“She’s had a rough few months, and yesterday’s ordeal wore her out.” A troubled look darkened Mama Beth’s blue eyes. “The part she told me was bad enough, but there’s more she’s not telling. On top of that, she blames God.”
She twisted her head away from him, but not before he caught the emotion inscribed on her face.
Guilt?
Steve chewed on the information while the squeak of the rocking chairs filled the silence between them. How could he voice his doubts without offending her? Easy answer. He couldn’t. “How long is she planning on staying?”
She hoisted her shoul
ders. “A few days. It’s her Spring Break.”
“Surely she’s not going to stay the entire week?” Her glare sent him stumbling for an explanation. “I mean, there won’t be much around here for a city woman to do.”
“City woman?” The warning look she hurled his way made contact.
“Sorry. I meant not much for Dani to do.” Steve sipped the rich black coffee. Touchy subject.
“She needs rest more than anything, but I told her I’d show her around town later today.”
Why the interest in a country town that had all but dried up? Steve rubbed his chin. Would Dani know someone who could help him find investors? He summarily dismissed the thought. She was just a school teacher. “Why didn’t you ever mention her?”
Mama Beth didn’t look at him, but rolled her lips between her teeth before speaking, a pained expression creeping across her face. “No reason. Nothing I can explain anyway. Suffice it to say, there hasn’t been a day in her life I haven’t thought about her and prayed for her. I’m glad she finally came for a visit. I just hope it’s not too late.”
“Too late? Too late for what?” He studied her clamped jaw and changed direction with his questions. “You could’ve told me she was coming.”
“I was afraid she’d change her mind at the last minute.” She pelted out the words like spit wads.
A million questions rolled through his mind. Why had Dani waited so long to make contact with her aunt? And what happened in the past that was too painful for Mama Beth to talk about? All good questions, but she looked in no mood to answer. He checked his watch and pulled himself to a standing position. Time to get a move on. Brighton would be here soon, and it wouldn’t hurt to look over the proposal one last time. He leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back later to check on you.”
She clicked her tongue with mock disgust. “You don’t need to check on me. When you going to find you a woman your own age?”
Steve laughed and clomped down the wooden steps. “Not ’til I find one as purty as you.”
With her laughter ringing in his ears, he clicked the picket fence gate into place, hauled himself into the truck, and ran a hand across his mouth. Actually it wasn’t a laughing matter. Women like Mama Beth were rare—kind, loving, selfless—everything he admired and wanted in a wife. No one measured up.
Texas Roads (A Miller's Creek Novel) Page 4