Matt glanced at Lucy. She was hanging on Justin’s every word, and Matt wondered whether she was gripped by the message or simply charmed by the man.
“It’s been with a very light heart that I’ve fallen into fellowship with this group of people. And I want you to know how much you’ve all come to mean to me.”
Conversation over the next hour ran the gamut from the sharing of scriptures to further sentiment about what the fellowship of the singles group at Grace Community Church had come to mean to its various members. Matt had to admit to himself that he shared the appreciation they spoke about.
George Sedgewick came to mind, and he thought about how many years the two of them had been friends. But there was still so much George didn’t know about Matt’s core beliefs and feelings and desires, because he just didn’t have a spirit that could understand them.
Matt recalled a conversation he’d had with George just a year or so prior; his friend had referred to the Bible as a “history book” and to Jesus Christ as an “influential historic figure.”
“Could we pray for someone?” Matt asked the group. “A friend of mine named George is heavy on my heart, and I’d like to pray for his salvation.”
Matt’s emotions were sitting right in the middle of his throat, and he enjoyed a deep, cleansing sigh as Justin lifted George up in prayer.
And while Your spirit is moving throughout this room, Lord, forgive me for judging Lucy. If Justin Gerard is the man You’ve set aside for her, then let it come about naturally and bless their lives with love. But if he isn’t, open Lucy’s eyes to Your will and let her find the man who will appreciate all of the wonderful gifts that she already possesses.
Another deep sigh and Matt opened his eyes to find Lucy looking directly at him from the other side of the circle, her brown eyes misted with golden emotion. Placing her hand sweetly over her heart, she smiled at him, a pinched-lip smile that dug deep grooves into her shiny pink cheeks.
Justin led devotions tonight, and he spoke about the importance of surrounding yourself with like-minded people who share your faith and beliefs. I was so moved by that, Lord, and I felt more convicted than ever that this trip is all about showing him that I can fit into his world.
I never would have imagined that, after praying to You about finding a life partner, someone like Justin would walk right into Grace Community Church! And this attraction that I feel toward him is self-evident, isn’t it? He just can’t be a coincidence meant for some other woman. I have to believe You sent him for me.
I know I don’t share all of his hobbies, but I learned to make a sweet potato bisque by following a recipe, didn’t I? I know I can learn to appreciate the things he likes in life so that we can share them.
Please start making it all go right instead of so horribly, horribly wrong. It seems like every time I try to impress him by doing something he loves, I end up making a fool of myself or getting injured or eaten alive. I mean, if You sent him for me, let me bond with him by getting something right.
Tonight we’ll have a hayride. That seems safe enough—aside from the potential for frostbite, of course. But tomorrow’s activity for the day is a trip to Blanchard Springs Caverns. I’m trying not to always expect the worst, but you know my thing about closed-in spaces, right? Alison says there will be air in there and room to move around but will there be ENOUGH of it? I mean, You know I need my space to feel really comfortable, so if You wouldn’t mind filling those caverns with some heavy breezes, I’d really appreciate it.
Your oxygen-loving daughter,
Lucy Binoche
Chapter Nine
“WE HAVE THE BENDER FAMILY WITH US TONIGHT,” DAVE ANNOUNCED. “They’re here for a reunion. And then we have the singles group from Grace Community Church in Little Rock. I think you’ve all met one another—am I right?”
They nodded to each other, and Lucy felt the sweep of their glances as the three teenage boys from the Bender clan eyed her. Annie, the red-haired little girl she’d met the night of the fish fry, pushed her way from behind two of the boys and squeezed out in front of them.
“Hi, Lucy,” she called out to her, waving.
“Hi, Annie. Are you having fun?”
The child sheltered one side of her mouth with her hand and squinted her eyes as she shook her head. “Not really. How about you?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
“We’re going to load you all up in the back of these two wagons,” Dave announced, “and take you on a horse-drawn hayride through sixteen acres of the prettiest land God ever made.”
“It’s not like we’re gonna be able to see it,” one of the boys grumbled, and the other two snickered in response.
“There are blankets on the hay bales, so feel free to wrap yourselves up and stay warm. It’s a chilly Arkansas night. There’s also a supply of snacks and thermoses of Betty Sue’s world-famous warm apple cider. So let’s load up!”
“Annie, now don’t forget,” her mother said, “I don’t want you sitting in the hay because of your allergies. Mister Dave said you could sit up front with him.”
Annie looked at Lucy and rolled her eyes.
Matt climbed aboard before Lucy, took hold of both of her hands, and pulled her up into the back of the wagon. While she found a comfy spot atop one of the bales, he remained there and helped some of the others up as well.
What a sweetheart he is, she thought as she watched him.
Alison, Brenda, and Jeff sat across from her, and they were soon joined by the young newlywed couple from the reunion.
“Hi, I’m Brad Reynolds,” the groom announced to them. “This is my wife, Sharon.” He indicated a petite blond, who smiled at them. When an older woman with an unusually black helmet of hair plopped down with a groan, he added, “And this is my mom, Esther.”
Lucy introduced herself, and the other members of the group followed suit.
Justin, Wendy, Cyndi, and Matt piled into the wagon as well, and everyone settled in with blankets while Alison poured cups of cider and Wendy handed them out. Justin plopped down next to Lucy and poked her playfully with his elbow. Lucy’s skin tingled in response, and she was reminded of a past summer encounter with a swarm of ladybugs.
“So how many Benders are here this week?” Lucy asked.
“Thirteen,” Sharon replied, and she began to name all of the family members as she pointed them out.
“This is the first time we’ve all been together since before Annie was born,” Esther explained. “We came from all corners of the country, too.”
“It’s Brad’s birthday gift to his mother,” Sharon said, obviously proud of her husband’s thoughtfulness.
“I wanted us all together just one more time before I die,” Esther declared somewhat gruffly, as if that day might be just around the corner.
Lucy thought that Esther looked to be in fine health but her surly disposition could use a little improvement.
“Annie, you sit down like a lady up there,” Esther called out, and Annie groaned an indecipherable reply from the front seat of the wagon.
Sharon gasped just then, and they all turned to see what had inspired it.
“How many lights are there?” Annie asked Dave excitedly. “I’ll bet there’s a gazillion!”
The horse had pulled the wagon over the top of the hill and onto a path lit as far as the eye could see by a winding luminaria of candles set inside sand-filled bags.
“Oh, Dave,” Alison called out toward him. “What a sight!”
Betty Sue waved to them from the driver’s seat of the second wagon. “Isn’t it somethin’?”
They all shouted back to her in agreement.
“Beautiful!”
“Amazing!”
“Really spectacular!”
The horizon domed over them, a huge deep blue cup with silver glitter sparkling inside it. A perfect slice of a quarter-moon curved overhead, helping the candles to light the way.
Lucy took a sip from the plastic cup of cider and let
the tart cinnamon warmth coat her throat. The chatter of voices dissolved into complete and utter silence, just the clomp-clomp-clomp of horses’ hooves setting a simple and gentle rhythm against the night.
Jeff unfolded another blanket and wrapped it around Alison’s left shoulder and Brenda’s right, leaving himself sandwiched in the middle of them. When his eyes met Lucy’s, he shot her a grin and shivered from the cold.
Lucy glanced over at Justin, who raised an eyebrow and held out a corner of his blanket. She smiled as she moved into it, pulling it snug around her.
A slight tickle up inside her nose caused Lucy’s eyes to begin watering. The tickle lost no time in progressing to a full-on quiver, propelling Lucy into a fit of sneezes, one right after the other.
“Uh-oh,” Matt said in a monotone voice.
“Wha–wha—” But Lucy couldn’t complete the question before another line of sneezes forced their way out.
“What?” she was finally able to ask.
“Hay.”
“Hey, what?”
“Hay, Luce. Remember when you came with me and Lanie to my Uncle Ridley’s farm that summer?”
Several more sneezes delayed her reply.
“Oh no.”
“What is it?” Wendy asked Matt.
“Lucy’s allergic to hay,” he replied.
“Just like our little Annie,” Sharon told them.
“Then why are you on a hayride?” Justin asked directly, and then he seemed to soften as he brushed a lock of hair from her cheek.
“I for–for–” Another row of three sneezes.
“She forgot,” Matt told them, and he got up and leaned over the side of the wagon toward Dave. “Would you mind stopping for a second?”
“Whoa!” Dave called, pulling back on the reins until the wagon slowed to a standstill. “What’s up?”
“Lucy and I are going to walk back to the cabins. It’s not too far, and she’s having a pretty severe reaction to the hay.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Dave replied. “Do you think it would help if she came up here and sat next to me and Miss Annie? Getting her away from the bales might help.”
“Yeah, Lucy. Come ride with us,” Annie exclaimed. “Actually, that might work,” Matt said, standing up and taking Lucy’s arm. “Come on. Let’s get you up front, Luce.”
Aaaa-choooooo. Ahaaahhhhh-shoo. Ah-ah-ah-chooooooo.
As Lucy hoisted one leg over the back of the bench seat, she glanced back at Justin. His head was tilted toward Wendy’s, and they seemed to be deep in conversation. She doubted that he would even notice that she’d moved up front with Dave.
“Mattie,” she wheezed. “Are you coming, too?”
“There’s only room for us up here, little lady,” Dave explained. “But we won’t bite cha, will we, Miss Annie?”
“Nope.”
Matt shook out a blanket and handed it to Lucy before sitting down again.
“Ready, Freddy?” Dave asked her, and Lucy gave a halfhearted nod. “Hah!” he exclaimed and snapped the reins. The two horses set out on their journey once again.
The itching and twitching spread out across her face, and Lucy rubbed her nose hard with the palm of her hand before another stream of sneezes crept upon her.
Hah-chhhhooooooo. Aaaaaa-shoo. Hah-choooooooo.
“God bless you, times three,” Annie offered.
Dave produced a cotton handkerchief from the pocket of his jacket and handed it to Lucy.
“Thanks,” she croaked and then used it to wipe her nose.
Matt knocked on the front door of Lucy’s cabin and waited for someone to answer the door. When it finally creaked open, he was met by a red-blotched and swollen version of Lucy, who rasped out an unidentifiable greeting.
She had pulled her hair upward into a ponytail and secured it with a gathered elastic band, and she wore bright pink flannel pants, a purple pullover sweater, and unmatched cable knit socks. She left him standing in the doorway as she thumped away toward the camel-colored sofa and collapsed on it.
“I brought Benadryl,” he announced, closing the door behind him before following Lucy to the couch. “Betty Sue says it will help you sleep and get you breathing normally again.”
“Dat would be dice,” she replied through a stuffed nose and a closed throat.
Matt chuckled. “I’ll get water.”
He returned with a bottle from the refrigerator and read the back of the package before tapping out one of the capsules and handing it to Lucy.
“Take one now and another in four hours if you’re awake.”
“Oh, Baddie, what is by problemb?”
He couldn’t help himself, and he snorted out a laugh.
“You sound like Rudolph when he has to wear the thing on his nose to cover up the fact that it lights up. Remember that cartoon?”
“Shud up.”
“I’m sorry. Need anything else?”
Lucy plucked several tissues out of the box on the table and began to blow. It sounded like bad television reception that suddenly went wild.
“Just whed we were all cozy, sharig a blanket…this! And then did you see the way he was lookig at Wendy, Baddie? He was pretty quick to forget that I’mb alive.”
“Come here,” Matt said, and he opened his arm toward her.
She stared at him, deadpan, and looked about as sad as he’d ever seen her. “Come here,” he repeated, shaking his arm at her.
When she plopped down beside him, he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close.
“Relax, Luce. Can you do that for me?”
She shook her head. “Uh-uh.”
“Yes, you can. Just try.”
After a long moment of silence, he barely heard her. “K.”
“Okay.”
Matt stroked her hair a couple of times and then planted a kiss on the top of her head.
“Just let things unfold, Luce. You’re going to make yourself crazy with this. And frankly, you’re crazy enough already. I’m not sure there’s room for more crazy.”
She laughed and grabbed for a tissue to dab at her nose.
“Hi, Matt,” Wendy said as she came through the front door. “How’s our patient?”
“On the mend.”
“I’m goig to bed,” Lucy announced, and she groaned as she pushed her way to her feet and walked away from them. “Night.”
“Good night,” Wendy returned, and she smiled at Matt.
Once the bedroom door closed behind Lucy, Wendy sat down opposite Matt on the couch. “Quite a day, huh?”
“It was fun,” he replied. “But I can’t help thinking that maybe Alison over-scheduled us.”
“I feel that way, too. It seems like we’re doing something or going somewhere every minute of every day.”
“I congratulate Alison on bringing this all together,” he said with sincerity. “She worked really hard in putting every cent we raised throughout the year to spectacular use.”
“Yes, she did. But a little reflective time built into the schedule would have been nice, too.”
“I have to agree.”
“Maybe we could wait until we get back and then suggest it for next time.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
Wendy’s grin was brimming with mischief. “I’m full of great ideas, you know.”
“And modesty. Don’t forget that.”
Wendy let out a hearty laugh. “Well, let me tell you about one of the really great ideas I’ve been kicking around. Then I’ll give you some time to ponder it, and you can come back and tell me how brilliant I am.”
Matt tilted his head and gave Wendy a tentative smile. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to zing me right now?”
“I’m not going to zing you,” she told him, and there was a vulnerable lilt to it that took him off guard. “But I think I’m going to surprise you.”
“I don’t surprise easily. But give it a try.”
“Okay. I’ve been thinking that maybe—”
“It is so cold out there!” Cyndi exclaimed. “I wish I’d known it would get this cold. I would have packed warmer clothes.”
“What are you two doing here?” Matt asked the guys.
“We’re gentlemen, Frazier,” Justin teased. “We walked the lady to her door.”
“Color me astonished,” Matt said to Cyndi. “I didn’t know they had it in them.”
“Let’s get out of here and let these women get to sleep.”
Matt turned toward Wendy with a questioning raise of one eyebrow.
“No, it’s fine. Go. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Matt rose from the couch and joined Justin and Rob at the door. “And here I was looking forward to being surprised.”
“Well, I have a few of them left in me,” Wendy said on a chuckle. “I’ll save something for tomorrow.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Good-nights made the rounds, and the clank of the dead bolt punctuated their departure.
“What did we interrupt with you and Wendy?” Justin asked as they headed up the hill toward their cabin, the crunch of gravel underfoot keeping time to their matching strides.
“We were just talking about how over-scheduled we’ve been on this trip.”
“What do you mean?” Rob asked.
“Something planned all day, every day. No downtime whatsoever.”
“That’s the way I like it,” Rob said. “I can be a couch potato in Little Rock.”
“Right, but this is a spiritual retreat. I’d just like a little more time to be spiritual.”
“That’s what nightly devotions are about,” Justin interjected.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What’s the matter, Frazier? Getting a little too old for all this action?”
“Uh, you’re older than both of us, Justin,” Rob pointed out.
“But I’m in better shape,” he countered.
“Not to mention prettier,” Matt said with a shrug. “Let’s not forget what a pretty man Justin is.”
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas Page 9