Hope Springs

by Kim Cash Tate

  Libby stared at her. “Mm-hmm. That was it, huh?”

  “Basically.”

  Estelle stepped in. “Girls, we’ve got to go now. It’s eleven thirty. Your dad already took the kids to the car.”

  “Coming.” Janelle wedged her feet into her heels, snatched her purse from the bed, and eased out of the room . . . happy to leave that part of the conversation behind.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  New Jerusalem was packed and rocking. The choir clapped and swayed side to side, singing “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,” and the bodies in the pews clapped, swayed, and sang with them. Kory Miller stood, watching, wanting to praise. That’s why he’d come. He knew this night would be hard, and if he stayed home he’d have to weather a flood of emotion. Not that he wanted Shelley back. He simply grieved the loss of what he’d thought they had, and the loss of a mother at home for Dee.

  At Grandma Geri’s house after the funeral, Kory had talked at length with Travis. The two men were about the same age and connected easily. Though Travis was a pastor, he was open about having walked a path that didn’t glorify God, and how surprised he was that God would even call him to pastor. Kory shared his story as well, and when Travis heard that it was last New Year’s Eve that his wife left him, he’d urged him to come to the service tonight.

  New Jerusalem was about thirty minutes away from their condo in Rocky Mount, so Kory hadn’t even considered Hope Springs in his search for a church. Besides, he favored larger churches and wanted an established kids’ ministry for Dee. But after talking to Travis and hearing the message he gave tonight, he was already thinking he’d be back Sunday.

  “I’d like everyone to be seated for a moment,” Pastor Travis was saying. He walked down the steps from the pulpit area. “We’re about to have special prayer for a dear mother in the church, Geraldine Sanders.”

  Dee patted Kory’s arm. “Daddy, only twenty-three minutes and fifteen seconds till the New Year.” She had his phone in her hand, using the clock app to count down. This was the first year she’d gotten into the change in calendar year, not realizing its significance in her own life.

  Kory acknowledged Dee with a smile and an arm around her shoulder, but he was focused on what was happening up front. Was something wrong with Grandma Geri?

  “Grandma Geri, how long have you been a member of New Jerusalem?” Pastor Travis held the microphone in front of her.

  Grandma Geri was dressed in white, seated in the front pew. “Elwood and I moved to Hope Springs shortly after we married, when he was working for the railroad. That’s when we joined. ’Bout sixty-four years ago.”

  The congregation reacted with wows.

  “Sixty-four years.” Pastor Travis shook his head, then looked out at everyone. “And a faithful member too. I bet she hardly missed a Sunday in all that time.”

  Grandma Geri said something, but she didn’t have the microphone. Pastor Travis gave it to her. “We couldn’t hear you,” he said. “Could you repeat that?”

  “I said only if I was traveling, because you know I like to stay on the go!”

  “Will the members of Grandma Geri’s family come forward, please?” Travis watched them rise and move out of the pews. “While they’re coming, I want to let you all know that Grandma Geri was recently diagnosed with lung cancer—”

  “Oh, Lord, no.” Kory spoke to himself, but he heard the same rippling throughout the congregation.

  “—but we know our God is a healer—”

  “Yes, He is!” rang forth.

  “—and we don’t intend to go into the New Year relying on a doctor’s report. We’re relying on the Most High God who has already numbered our days and knows the end from the beginning.”

  “Amen!”

  “I believe all the family is gathered. I’d like to ask the congregation to stand again as we pray.”

  “Hold on, Pastor,” someone said.

  The church doors had opened, and Kory turned to see Janelle’s parents and her uncle Wood coming in, and Libby—

  “Daddy, Daddy, look! It’s Tiffany!”

  Kory had spotted her at the same time—along with her mother. Janelle must’ve stayed in town longer than planned. He watched them scurry down the aisle to complete the semicircle that had formed around Grandma Geri.

  Those near Grandma Geri laid hands on her, and the others stretched theirs toward her as the pastor prayed. Kory listened to every word, and his heart fell when he heard the cancer was in a late stage. “Heal her, Lord,” he whispered in agreement. “You’re able.”

  As the prayer ended and the family took their seats, Pastor Travis headed back to the podium. “Five minutes until midnight,” he said.

  “No, it’s not. It’s four minutes and forty-six seconds,” Dee whispered.

  Kory kept Janelle in view. She and her kids had squeezed into a pew on the opposite side of the aisle.

  “As we prepare to step into a new year,” Pastor Travis continued, “I want you to remember that one word I gave you. What was it?”

  “Press!” the congregation yelled.

  Earlier Travis had read the apostle Paul’s words: “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Then he had led them through an exercise where he’d given several scenarios of what they might have gone through this past year, ending each one with, “But I”—and the congregation filled in the blank—“press!”

  “I know some of y’all think I’m too young to know what it means to have to press.” He leaned over the podium. “But believe me when I say I’ve been through some things . . .”

  Kory saw his gaze flitter to the section with Janelle and Libby.

  “Press, saints. Don’t live in the past. Don’t let it stop you from living the abundant life Jesus died to give you today. Press on.”

  The organist struck up a few chords.

  “And you know what the organ means,” Pastor Travis said. “How many seconds do we have?”

  “Twenty!” somebody shouted.

  “Stand to your feet and let’s count down.”

  Kory felt the energy around him as voices rose and the organ played.

  “. . . 18, 17, 16 . . .”

  He felt his own energy rising within. He didn’t have to focus on what happened a year ago. He could press forward.

  “. . . 10, 9, 8 . . .”

  Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus, for Your peace.

  “Daddy, it’s almost here!”

  Kory picked her up as the cheers rang out. “Happy New Year, sweetheart!”

  Dee threw her arms around his neck. “Happy New Year, Daddy!” She watched people spilling out of the pews to hug those around them. She squirmed to get down. “Can I go say hi to Tiffany?”

  Kory glanced in Janelle’s direction, but couldn’t see her or her children with all the mingling. “Sure, sweetheart.”

  “Will you go with me?”

  He felt awkward. He didn’t want Janelle to think he’d shown up hoping to run into her. She’d been hesitant about being friends and certainly hadn’t reached out to him yet. He didn’t want to push.

  “Daddy, come on.”

  Dee started across the aisle, pulling him along. One thing was sure. He was glad Tiffany had brought his daughter out of her shell. He’d been praying for Dee to find a friend like that in Rocky Mount.

  Dee moved through the crowd, finally spotting her quarry. She touched Tiffany’s back, and Tiffany squealed when she turned around. “Dee!” They embraced like old friends.

  Janelle turned, her eyes warm. “Hey. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

  “Same here. I thought you left a few days ago.”

  She looked beautiful as always—gorgeous brown skin, beautiful hair—but it was the beauty that radiated from her soul that captivated him from the beginning. Since everyone was hugging around them, he gave her a quick one too. “Happy New Year.”
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  She returned it easily. “Happy New Year, Kory.”

  They exchanged an amused glance as Tiffany and Dee started in on what they’d gotten for Christmas. Both girls had several pigtails, but Kory could see that Tiffany’s hair was much better styled. He had a long way to go in the hair department.

  “I was sorry to hear about Grandma Geri,” Kory said.

  Janelle nodded. “It was a shock to all of us.”

  “I was just coming to say that, how shocked I am.” Sara Ann had walked up beside them.

  “Hey, Sara Ann,” Janelle said. “I don’t know if you remember Kory.”

  Sara Ann smiled. “I remember pushing your daughter on the swing.” She shook his hand and said hello to the girls.

  “Do you always come to Watch Night Service?” Janelle asked her.

  “I’ve come the last three years. Because I work at the diner, I miss a lot of Sunday services. But on New Year’s Eve the diner’s closed, and it hit me one year, hey, that’s a service you can make. And what better time to praise God than ringing in the New Year. But Calvary doesn’t have service tonight, so . . . here I am.” Sara Ann smiled and shrugged, then her brow creased. “And I wouldn’t have known about Grandma Geri if I hadn’t come. Is she scheduled for surgery?”

  “She’s not a candidate for surgery—it’s too advanced. But she starts chemo on Monday.”

  “Oh, wow. I’d like to pray with her.” Sara Ann glanced toward the front of the church. “She’s got a crowd around her right now. I’ll drop by tomorrow.”

  “That sounds great, Sara Ann,” Janelle said. “I know she’d appreciate it.”

  Kory thought about what she’d said as Sara Ann left. “So your grandmother’s chemo starts Monday? That must be hard for you . . . I assume you have to head back to Maryland this weekend?”

  Tiffany wheeled around with a puzzled look. “But we just got here.”

  Now Kory looked puzzled.

  “I decided to stay with Grandma and help take care of her for a few months,” Janelle explained. “We went home and packed up more stuff.”

  “That’s awesome, Janelle. You’re really something.”

  “It’s not as selfless as you might think. I thought the change of scenery might be good for me.”

  It was dawning on him. “So we’re practically neighbors.”

  She allowed a slight smile. “That kinda sorta crossed my mind as well.”

  “And you know what else that means?”

  “What?”

  He stepped closer to the girls and held a finger atop each head, pointing downward. He whispered, “These two are practically neighbors.”

  She whispered back, “I wonder if they know.” Janelle moved between them. “Tiffany, Dee, did you know you live near one another now?”

  Dee’s eyes got wide. “You live here now?” She turned to her father. “Daddy, can I spend the night at Tiffany’s? I’ve never had a sleepover before. Please, Daddy?”

  “Whoa, sweetheart.” He looked into her pleading eyes. “Tiffany won’t disappear tomorrow. You’ll have plenty of time to play with her.”

  “But I want to go to her house tonight.”

  Kory gave her the look. “Dee, no whining. It’s late and we’re heading home.”

  Janelle moved closer to him and spoke so only the two of them could hear. “She’s welcome, you know. She’s never done a sleepover?”

  “Never.”

  “You trust her with us?”

  “Come on, Janelle.” Kory would trust her with his own life. “But she has no clothes or anything.”

  Janelle gave Dee a once-over. “Looks like she’s wearing clothes to me.” She smiled. “Let her go with us.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  He approached Dee with a grave expression. “Miss Janelle just informed me—now don’t get upset or anything—that it’s okay for you to go home with them tonight.”

  Dee flung her arms so tight around his waist he was knocked a step back. “Oh, Daddy, thank you, thank you!” She looked back at Janelle. “Thank you, Miss Janelle.”

  He felt the moment to his core. He’d come tonight to coat the pain, but God had given so much more—that sparkle he saw right now in his daughter’s eyes. He’d been praying for a friend for Dee, and never in a million years would he have thought it would be the daughter of Janelle. He couldn’t ask for a better influence. And that he might see Janelle more often because of their daughters’ friendship . . . He could think of worse things.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Friday, January 1

  Stephanie leaned back with a big sigh. “So that’s my deal in a nutshell.”

  She’d arrived in Hope Springs a couple of hours earlier, and though she was curled up on the sofa dead tired, she was having a good time with her cousins.

  Janelle and Libby looked at one another, clearly suppressing their amusement.

  “Y’all, it’s not funny. I’m serious.” She propped herself up on an elbow. “I wanted to be real about why I’m here so you wouldn’t be thinking it’s out of the goodness of my heart. This is straight boot camp for me, and you will see me in a funk now and then because it’s not my nature to want to help.”

  Libby laughed outright. “You said that like it’s most people’s nature to go above and beyond. Your vision is just skewed because you grew up under that sister of yours. And I was cursed to be the ‘twin’ of this one, who’ll drop everything to take care of her grandmother.” She crossed her legs. “You didn’t hear me volunteer to do a thing.”

  “I sure wish people would stop acting like I’m doing something huge,” Janelle said. “If life were normal and David were still here, I wouldn’t have volunteered either. I’m just trying to survive.”

  “So I can go ahead and tell God I’m cool then,” Stephanie said. “I’m no more selfish than the next person. No need for boot camp.” She saluted. “Adios, amigas.”

  “Uh, little cousin, I hate to tell you,” Libby said, “but you’re here now and might as well do your time—just don’t try to recruit me.”

  “And just ’cause you said that, I’m gonna pray God throws you in.”

  They laughed as cheers went up on the other side of the room. Kory had come to pick up Dee, and some guy—Stephanie forgot his name, but it wasn’t Al—had come to see Libby. They’d both ended up in front of the television watching the Rose Bowl game.

  “But seriously, Janelle,” Stephanie said, “don’t assume I’ll know how to pitch in. I want you to tell me what I can do to help you. That’s why I’m here.”

  “How long are you staying?” Libby asked.

  “Four weeks, which is how long Lindell will be away.”

  “If it was even four days, it would be awesome,” Janelle said. “I really appreciate this, Steph.”

  “Girl, pray my strength.” Stephanie chuckled as she got up. “Anybody want anything?” She looked across the room, but the guys shook their head no. She licked her finger and stroked the air. “One point already for offering my assistance.” She got her glass from the coffee table and started down the hall. “Going to get some more Coke and some dip to go with these chips. Thank God this ain’t no diet boot camp. I can only combat one vice at a time.”

  Stephanie opened the refrigerator and got the dip. Then she got ice from the freezer, plunked it into her glass, and opened the fridge again for the Coke. She backed up—“Oh.” It was Libby’s guy friend. “Excuse me, I didn’t know you were behind me.”

  “No problem.” He hardly moved. “How was your drive? You said you came from Kansas City?”

  She didn’t bother to correct him. She moved around him to pour her drink. “It was . . . long, but good.”

  He looked at her hand. “Married?”

  She looked at him before pouring. “Happily. Why?”

  He shrugged. “Just asking.”

  She carried the Coke back to the fridge.

  “You’re a good-looking woman, you know that?”r />
  Stephanie pushed the fridge to a close and turned. “Must run in the family, because so is the woman you came here to see.”

  She picked up her drink and the dip and started back.

  Lord, if he says one more thing, I’m going off on him.

  The guy returned to the living room minutes later with a bowl of black-eyed peas Aunt Estelle had made before she and Uncle Russell got on the road back to Florida. He sat next to Libby, and they shared it like two lovebirds.

  Stephanie hadn’t realized how much she and her cousin Libby had in common. She had lived that same life. She glanced over at her cousin. Maybe she was here for more reasons than she knew. She didn’t know if Libby would ever listen to her—Stephanie had been there too. But one thing was sure . . . the road Libby was on was nowhere near as appealing as it seemed.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Saturday, January 2

  Becca could hardly keep the tears at bay. She felt betrayed, like the butt of a cruel joke—and the worst part was her own hand had put it into motion.

  She cut her eyes over to Todd, who was beside himself with excitement. They were at the dining room table, talking to Connie, the realtor.

  “They’re preapproved and they don’t have a house to sell?” Todd said. “This is beyond incredible.” He looked at Becca. “Isn’t this incredible?”

  “A little too incredible.” She couldn’t feign enthusiasm if she tried. “Why hasn’t this family snapped up a house already on the market? There are plenty.”

  “Ah, you have no idea.” Connie put her elbows on the table. “Can I tell you? I got heartburn with these people. House has got to have this and this.” She threw up fingers to tick each item off. “Front and backyard’s got to have that and that. And they wouldn’t bend, not an iota.” She gestured to Becca. “And then you called, and it was like a gift from heaven. And this is me talking, who doesn’t buy into the heaven thing—no offense, Todd. I know you’re a pastor.”

  Todd smiled. “None taken.”

  “And, Becca, you won’t believe this,” Connie continued. “Even though I sold you and Todd this house, I didn’t remember its exact layout. But this morning something told me I needed to see it right away. That’s why I called, and I’m so glad Todd was here. When I saw it again, I knew this was the house they wanted. I had to get them here as fast as I could.”