It was dark by the time Andy went back upstairs. Martin’s boss was gone, and Martin and Fluffy were sitting on the sofa staring out the windows at the lights.
“Don’t you want some light on in here?” she asked, heading for the switch. When Martin didn’t answer, she thought he must be deep in concentration. “I’m fixing salmon for dinner.” Martin loved salmon and usually made some comment to that effect, but not this night. “Martin, are you all right? Do you have pain?”
He turned and looked at her over his shoulder. “I’m fine. I’m just sitting here thinking, that’s all. Salmon sounds good.”
Andy decided two could play at the thinking game. She had every bit as much to think about as Martin. A half hour later, when she put dinner on the table, she’d made her decision. She wanted those thirty acres. Now that she’d had a taste of success, she wanted more. In that way, she supposed she was a lot like Martin. Hopefully, she would never get so involved with her work as to exclude the people most important her: her family. Thank You, Lord for this opportunity. Now how do I tell Martin?
“I’ve got a surprise for you all as soon as we finish working on your résumés.” Julia smiled at their groans. Tonight they had ten girls, several of whom were ready to send out their résumés. She had a list of places for them to send to, knowing that the first time out would most likely be practice.
Fawna burst through the door. “I did it. I got a job.”
“With Peter’s chef?”
“Yes! No more fast food.” She pumped the air with a fist clenching a paper. “I am now an assistant chef.”
The others all clapped and cheered, squealed, ran up and hugged Fawna, and then all of them were in a circle, arms over shoulders, doing a kick dance around the ring. Once around and Clarice stopped, patting her chest.
“I never did a dance like that before.”
“You kick pretty good for someone your age.” Celia fanned her heaving bosom.
“Okay, back to résumés.” Julia raised her voice, then repeated her message louder.
“Slave driver.” A couple muttered but flashed her grins as they took their places again.
“Where’s Hope?” someone asked.
“She supposed to be lying down. Had a big day.”
“She’s right here. What’s the hoopla about?” Hope strolled through the door.
“I got the job!” Fawna rushed over to Hope and showed her the paper. “See, it says so right here. I’m their new assistant chef. Starting tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.” Celia groaned. “Now I’ll have to cook again.”
“And redo the schedule.” Hope hugged Fawna and patted Celia on the back. “Everyone’s gotten so spoiled with you doing most of the cooking. Fawna, you are on your way. Way to go!” They swapped high-fives.
“Okay, back to work, celebration is now on hold until we finish here.”
An hour later, with resumes critiqued, rewritten, read aloud, and cheered, Julia stood in front of them again and nodded. “Good job, girls. You’re dismissed.”
“What’s our surprise?” someone called.
“Surprise, did anyone ever mention a surprise?” She glanced around the eager faces.
“The boxes are in the office. We’ll need help getting them.” Celia and Clarice headed for the office. Two girls leaped up and followed them.
“What’s in them?”
“I’m not telling.” Clarice leaned over to help pick one up.
“Huh-uh, hefting boxes is for young backs.” Celia bumped her away with one hip. “You lead the way.” She started to pick up the box, grunted, and motioned for one of the girls. “Get the other side.”
“I’ll get it, Mrs. C,” Tasha said when Clarice tried to help again.
“Do you mind if I carry the box cutter?” Her question made the others giggle.
All the girls gathered around as they set the boxes up on one of the tables. Clarice cut open the boxes, and a sigh of delight ran from girl to woman at the sight of all the clothes and accessories.
“Okay, let’s lay things out according to sizes.” Hope held up a jacket. “Good interviewing stuff here. Size 10.”
“Brand-new?”
“This would fit you.”
The next half hour, giggles, “ooh’s,” “aah’s,” and holding things up to say, “How does this look?” and “Whatja think?” bubbled and snapped, a girl party like none of them had ever had before.
Hope finally raised her hands. “Here’s the way I see it. Let’s pick out the best outfits for interviewing, in a range of sizes, and keep those in the closet in the office. You wear what fits you for your interviews, make sure they’re clean, and then hang them back up for the next one. When the rest are here, everyone can choose one thing. How does that sound?” She glanced to the others for approval.
Some of the girls drifted away, but some stayed to help, hanging skirts, jackets, shirts, and pants on hangers, then hauling it all into the closet in the office, where others had been pulling the office supplies out and stacking the boxes in a corner.
The door opened, and Hope looked up. “Hi, can I help you?” She caught her breath. “Cyndy?”
The girl nodded. “Is my grandma here?”
Now that Andy was fairly sure she wanted the property in Medford, how should she tell Martin? Before she opened her mouth and said all the wrong things, she decided to get some advice on what to say and how to proceed.
The next morning, she told Martin she had to go to J House for a couple of hours but would be back before lunch. He still hadn’t said much since after his boss left. Was he feeling overwhelmed by all the work he had to do? Had his boss said something to tick him off? Or had he started taking those pain pills again?
She clicked her left turn signal to turn into the parking lot of J House. She had to wait for a black Lincoln Town Car to drive by before she could complete her turn. As it passed, she caught a glimpse of three men. Recognizing the front-seat passenger as Martin’s boss, Brad, she waved. Evidently he didn’t see her, because he didn’t wave back. Either that, or he was intentionally ignoring her.
As always, J House was an anthill of activity. “Good morning, Celia. It’s hard to believe you’re still picking veggies in December.”
“They grow year ’round here if you keep plantin’.” Celia pulled a carrot, wiped it off on her pant leg, and handed it to Andy, top and all. “Could use a washin’.” She uprooted another carrot for Adolph, who was sitting next to her, one paw raised. “Dumb dog. Likes carrots. If I don’t watch him, he pulls his own.”
“My dog at home likes carrots,” Andy said, fighting a jolt of homesickness at the thought of Comet. “She likes Jell-O, too. You should see her try to eat it.”
Celia shook her head. “Did you hear all the news?”
“No. Tell me.”
“Fawna got a job over at the lawyer fella’s building, being the assistant to the chef. And … ” Celia paused for dramatic effect. “Julia’s granddaughter showed up last night.”
“Thank You, Jesus,” Andy said in a whoosh. “That’s wonderful news. Thanks.” She opened the door and went inside. She couldn’t wait to see Julia and tell her how happy she was for her. She followed the sounds of conversation to find Julia, Clarice, and Hope in the kitchen. Andy gave Julia a big hug. “Celia told me the news. You must be overjoyed.”
“I’m still in a state of shock.”
“Did she go back to the hotel with you last night?”
Julia nodded. “She took a shower, washed her hair, and crashed on the couch. When I got up this morning, she was gone.”
“Oh no.”
“It’s okay. She left me a note saying she’d be back this afternoon.” Julia raked her hand through her hair. “Why now?” she wondered out loud.
“Maybe because we’ve been praying so hard,” Clarice said, pouring tea into mugs for all of them.
Julia heaved a sigh. “I’m singing thank-yous, but let me tell you, I have no faith that if she does show up th
is afternoon, she’ll stay around.”
Hope smiled. “It’s a good thing we don’t have to have faith in each other. Only in Big Dad.”
“True, but how many people would call this a coincidence?” Julia asked.
“As far as I can see, there are no coincidences; there are only God-incidences.” Hope sipped her tea. “Let’s talk about the things we need to pray for. Clarice?”
Caught off guard, she hesitated before speaking. “First and foremost, for the future of J House.”
“Thanks and true, but what about for you?” Hope asked.
“I’m off the prayer list. It looks like I’ll be getting my Social Security checks and maybe even part of Herbert’s. That’s all I need.”
“That’s not all you need,” Andy said. “If you plan on living here, you’re going to need a lot more than Social Security checks. We’d better pray that you get everything back.”
Clarice laughed. “That’s okay with me.”
“Julia?” Hope prompted.
“Just that Cyndy comes back … and stays.”
“Andy?”
Andy told them how much better everything had been between her and Martin since their last prayer meeting. “Getting all that off my chest did me a world of good. So I’d like for everyone to pray that it continues. But before we pray, I need to ask your opinion on something.” She told them her situation in as few words as possible. “I want to pray for help in telling Martin that I want to go home and that I want him to come with me. I thought I’d wait until after we get there to tell him about the property. I need to walk the land. It has to feel a certain way … ” She waved her hand in front of her face, as if to say that she knew she was being silly.
Julia stretched out her arm and pretended to be holding something in her fist. “We understand, Scarlett. We surely do understand.”
Andy burst out laughing.
Hope set her mug on the counter. “My prayers are for the coming auction—that God brings about some kind of miracle so we have a new home for J House. And if, at the same time, we need a new vision for our work, that He will please show us what He wants.”
“It’s not like we’re asking for much, is it? Clarice studied the tea in her mug. “I think it’s easier to pray for world peace.”
“So let us pray,” Hope said. “And let’s remember that He is right here with His arms around us.”
After the prayers, the Girl Squad talked at length about how Andy should talk to Martin in a positive way. It was Julia who suggested that she start off by telling him she was going back to Medford—in the kindest possible way—but also in a way that didn’t ask permission. She gave a couple of examples, which Andy committed to memory.
On her way home, she called Martin’s doctor and got an okay for him to travel.
Martin was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at his computer screen, when she went up the stairs.
“Hi, honey. What are you doing?”
“Just fooling around on the Internet.”
She put her purse away and sat down across from him. “Martin, something concerns me.”
He watched her, seeming a bit wary, but nodded.
Here we go. “You seem different since Brad was here. Is everything all right?”
He half shrugged.
“Do you miss going into the office?”
“Not really. I didn’t do it long enough to get accustomed to it.”
“Do you miss traveling?”
“No, not at all.” He closed down his computer.
Was he closing the door on talking to her, too? She waited for him to get up, but when he didn’t, she took that as a sign to continue. “Martin, Mom called yesterday. I need to go home for a week or so. I have things there that need my attention. I called your doctor, and he said you can go with me as long as we go by car, bus, or train. He doesn’t want you flying yet, or driving.” She leaned forward. “If you don’t want to go, I’ll understand, and I’ll find someone to look in on you. Maybe someone from J House, or a home nurse.” His brows drew together in a frown. “I have to be back here before the fifteenth. That’s the day J House goes up for auction, and Hope needs my support.” She reached across the table and took his hand. “I’d love it if you’d go to Medford with me.”
The corners of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “It would be nice to get out of here,” he said, to her great surprise. “I think I now know how a caged animal feels. Maybe we could stop at Granzella’s on the way and get real hamburgers and milk shakes. You know that place in Willows we liked so much.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, all right. You can have the hamburger and milk shake, and I’ll eat a salad.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. He was not only saying he would go, he was saying he’d enjoy going. “I’m sure we could,” she said, wanting to keep him excited. “It’s normally about an eight-hour drive, maybe ten with walk stops. We could drive it in one day, or spend the night in Dunsmuir. Might be fun to stay in one of the cabooses there.”
“What about Fluffy?”
Andy had forgotten about Fluffy. “I’ll ask Julia to pet-sit. I’m sure she’d be delighted to get out of that hotel for a few days and enjoy the comforts of a home.”
For nearly an hour after that, in answer to Martin’s questions, Andy talked about the Girl Squad and what had brought each of them to J House. Martin seemed truly surprised when she told him that Julia was a family-law attorney and that Clarice had been a wealthy woman before Gregor had fleeced her out of her money.
She told him about Hope and Roger, their history, their present, and about their coming miracle baby. By the time she finished, he knew nearly as much about J House and the women who worked there as she did.
“They’re like a second family,” she told him. “I was wrong in thinking there wasn’t anything about San Francisco that I’d like. I love J House. And I love the Girl Squad and Celia.”
“Celia of the two-inch-long-frosted-purple fingernails?”
“That’s the one. She’s a mainstay at J House.”
“Home, sweet home.” Andy drove up the long dirt drive and mentally kissed every row of lavender and blooming chrysanthemums they passed. It felt like she’d been gone for years rather than weeks. Everything looked exactly the same, wonderfully the same. I praise You, Lord, for making such a beautiful place. These days she worked really hard at remembering to praise God not only for the good things, but the bad things, everything—just like Hope preached.
“I’d almost forgotten how beautiful it is,” Martin said, turning to give her a smile.
“I don’t think I could ever forget.”
It was barely noon when they pulled up to their house. Comet came from behind the house barking. When Martin opened the door and got out, the Border collie started yipping with excitement.
“Hey there, you,” Martin said, patting the dog’s head.
“I think she’s missed you.”
Martin laughed. “Yeah, I guess so. Good girl. Good girl. I missed you too.”
Andy searched the yard and saw Chai Lai watching her from her chair on the front porch. Unlike Comet, Chai Lai was far too refined to come running. Instead, she got up, yawned, stretched, then jumped down to sit on the step and wait for Andy to come to her.
“Hello there, sweet cat,” Andy said as she picked her up. “Did you miss me?” Tears filled Andy’s eyes when the cat touched her face ever so lightly with her paw.
“Hey, Mom!” Andy called when she saw her mother coming toward her. “You look great.”
Alice held her arms open to her daughter. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re home.” Andy went into her arms and hugged her mother tightly. “You, too, Martin,” Alice said, waving Martin over and taking him into her embrace as well. “You gave us all quite a scare.”
“Where’s Dad?”
“Walking the fields.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what he likes to do. He loves those pl
ants as much as you do. They’re his babies.” She took Andy’s hand. “Go on now. You two get settled. I’m going to fix us a nice salad for lunch. Be at the house at one.”
Andy nodded, then watched her mother walk away, as graceful as ever.
Martin opened the trunk and took out two small suitcases. They’d just packed enough for the night they’d spent on the road, since they both still had clothes here. “I’ll take these in,” he said, pulling up the handles and wheeling them to the front entry.
Andy stopped in the middle of her family room. She’d never been away from Lavender Meadows more than a few days, so coming home felt extra comforting. She gave it the once-over like a nosy visitor, checking, inspecting, and criticizing. This piece of furniture was out of date, that doodad didn’t fit the decor, the edge of the chair cushion was frayed.
For all its many flaws, it was home, and she wouldn’t change a thing. She loved it just the way it was. She let out a sigh at the thought of having to leave it again. How long before she would be back this time?
Not long, she promised herself. Christmas was coming. Once Martin was back to work, she could come back here to work.
“I’ll take those,” she told Martin, indicating the suitcases. “Why don’t you take a nap until lunch? I’ll bet you’re tired.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “I could use one.”
She unpacked slowly and let herself enjoy putting each item away in its proper place. By the time she was done, it was almost one. She turned to find Martin watching her.
“I forgot how comfortable this bed is. I slept like a baby.”
“Good, but you’d better rise and shine. We don’t want to be late for lunch. You know how grumpy Dad gets if he has to wait.”
“Yeah, I know.”
The way he said it, she knew he was referring to a time, prior to their getting married, when he’d shown up for dinner at her parents’ house fifteen minutes late. Her dad had sat him down and given him a lecture about manners and had embarrassed her to tears.
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