Love Rekindled
Page 26
“He is,” Keturah said. “Even during the times when it seems like He has forgotten.”
Cassie was napping on the couch when Michael came home late.
“Did I wake you?” Michael pulled off his boots inside the door. “I’m sorry. I had a last-minute surgery. Jeff Furman’s dog got hit by a car. The poor thing had a punctured lung.”
“Were you able to save him?”
“Yes. He’ll be okay. Sweet dog. Licked my hand even though he was in pain.”
He sat down at the end of the couch and pulled her feet onto his lap.
“How are you?” he asked. “How has your day gone?”
“I’m continuing to feel stronger, but today wore me out a little.”
“What happened?”
“Rachel came by and brought Bobby and the baby with her.”
“How did that go?”
“Great. You never saw a woman so happy about a child. She was positively glowing. Bobby was adorable, trying to help his mother change the baby’s diapers. He was also practically bouncing off the walls before they left. That child has a lot of energy. Just watching him about wore me out, but Rachel and I had a good visit.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “It feels a little chilly in here, would you like for me to start a fire in the fireplace? It’s been awhile since we got to just sit together and watch a fire.”
“That would be nice,” she said. “I’ll go make you a sandwich while you bring the wood in.”
“Do you feel up to doing that?”
“A sandwich? Yes. Besides, it will make me feel better to do something for you, for a change.”
By the time she got the sandwich made, and took it and a glass of milk into the living room, Michael had prepared the fire. He had put some of the contents of his paper shredder in the middle, had placed the kindling on top of it, and had a couple of logs ready to lay on it once he got it started.
She placed his sandwich and milk on the mantel and stooped to pick up a couple shreds of thick parchment paper he had dropped on the floor. It looked vaguely familiar. She looked closer and saw just enough words that she could identify what it was.
“You shredded the divorce papers?” she asked.
“Yes.” He struck a match.
“When?”
“Before I went to Columbus to see you.”
“Before you knew I was sick?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He blew on the flame until it consumed the nest of paper and began to lick at the kindling. Then he placed the two logs on top. When he was satisfied with the fire, he stood up and said, “I destroyed the papers because I had no intention of signing them. I went to Columbus to let you know that I did not intend to lose you without a fight.”
“And now?” she asked. “How do you feel now?”
He brushed his hands off on his pants. “I still don’t intend to lose you without a fight.”
“Even after my surgery?” she said. “A lot of men would run. A lot of men do run.”
“I have no desire to run from you,” Michael said. “And I never will. I won’t lose you again, Cassie.”
She did not realize she was holding her breath, but she was. It was not so much in the words he had said—anyone could say words—it was the total acceptance she heard in his voice and saw in his face. Michael was no actor. What you saw was what you got, and the only thing she saw in his face was love.
Then he ruined it.
“By the way, Ohio State University called today. I contacted them awhile back. They’re offering me a position of instructor in their veterinarian college.”
“You turned it down, right?”
“No, I told them I would take it.”
Cassie was stunned. “You can’t teach there and work here.”
“I called Doc Peggy today—that veterinarian over at Millersburg. Remember how I mentioned that her daughter graduated from vet school recently. Peggy jumped at my offer.”
“Your offer?”
“To take over Doc Taylor’s practice.”
“I’m confused,” Cassie said. “You love your job. Why would they need to do that?”
“The months we spent apart just about killed me, Cassie. I enjoy living here and working here, but it isn’t worth it if you are unhappy. I’ve also made arrangements to list the house. The sale of the farm will keep us afloat for a long time, you won’t have to work again until you’re completely well.”
“Let me see if I understand,” Cassie said, flatly. “You’ve accepted a position at Ohio State University, made arrangements to sell your practice, and listed this wonderful old house without bothering to mention any of this to me?”
“Yes.” He looked at her quizzically, as though puzzled by her tone of voice. “I thought it would make you happy.”
“You insufferable jerk!” Cassie was surprised at how angry she felt. “How dare you make such decisions without consulting me?”
“Now I’m the one confused,” Michael said. “Why are you so mad? This is exactly what you said you wanted a few months ago. You were even willing to divorce me when I refused to go along with it.”
“Things have changed.”
“How?”
“I’ve been making my own plans,” Cassie said. “I was going to live here with you, and get to know Ivan and Keturah and her daughters-in-law better. Agnes and Betty are so nice and they know things I want to learn. I thought I would look into retooling my law degree and maybe start using it to advocate for children. And I was going to study Pinterest and go to antique stores and flea markets and redecorate this house into something really stunning. Once I beat this disease—and I will beat it—I wanted to live. Really live. I was going to be happy, Michael. And now you’re going to spoil it all.”
Michael looked at her with wide eyes while she ranted. When she stopped, he stared at her for a moment, then he began to chuckle and, the next thing she knew, he was lying back against the couch holding his stomach and laughing so hard he was crying.
She was still indignant. “What’s so funny?”
“You are, Cassie. For such an educated woman, sometimes you are a hoot!”
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I can’t help it.” He sobered up and wiped his eyes. “I guess I’ll have to call Ohio State back, decline that teaching job, tell Peggy that my offer is no longer valid, and start… I don’t know… living my life here with you. It takes me awhile, but eventually I do figure things out.”
It was three in the morning and baby Holly would not stop crying. Rachel had fed her, and diapered her, and rocked her. Joe had seen that his wife was nearly dead from exhaustion, had sent her to bed, and took over.
Joe had the baby in his arms now, walking the floor. His new daughter did not have a fever, and she was much too young to be cutting teeth. Nothing seemed to be wrong except apparently it was her time to cry. He remembered Bobby being much the same at that age.
Bobby. That child was so funny. He had peeked outside his bedroom door, squinting like an old man and begged him to please make the baby stop crying. When Joe said he was trying and not succeeding, Bobby marched out in his Spiderman underwear, grabbed a pair of headphones, put them on, then marched back into his bedroom and slammed the door.
Bobby didn’t mind waking Joe and Rachel at the crack of dawn, but apparently he didn’t like having his own sleep disrupted.
Slowly, as Joe walked back and forth across the floor, the baby calmed down. Finally, when she had been silent for several minutes and he was fairly certain she was asleep, he sat down with her in his arms and simply admired his new daughter.
Their household was in complete chaos, Rachel was worn to a frazzle, Bobby was having to make some major adjustments, and Joe would probably be nodding off at work tomorrow—all because of this tiny scrap of humanity.
She was worth it all.
Too soon, she would be out of the baby stage. She would start crawling, then talking and walking. He would h
ave the honor of getting to teach her and love her through her little girlhood and through her teens. Eventually, he would get to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. She was going to be such a bright strand woven into the fabric of their lives.
Apparently, he had spent entirely too much time around Rachel’s Amish relatives and neighbors. Here he was with a growing family that he wasn’t even sure if he could adequately support—but he had never been happier.
He had a daughter, and a son, and a wife he loved more than himself. He had a thriving restaurant, more good friends than he could count, and his rift with his brother had been healed.
It was amazing to think that all these good things had happened solely because his truck broke down three years ago in this remarkable place called Sugarcreek.
Author’s Note
My son, Caleb, once worked as an English teacher in the Ohio juvenile justice system. He was taught many things, including how to defend a student against another student’s attack, how to disarm a boy coming at him with a homemade knife, and how to teach without using many of the aids most teachers take for granted—like pencils—because they could be used as weapons.
The only thing he could not learn was how to keep his heart from being broken as he helped individual boys study for their GED exams and listened as they privately told him about their fear of the gangs’ young “godfathers” and the possible repercussions if they did not do everything their godfather said to do. He learned that these street gangs, in spite of their ruthlessness, often filled the need for family in a boy’s life.
As he told me about what he was learning of street gang culture, I could not help but compare it to the Amish and their family-centric view on life. The Amish are a flawed people, but there is never a vacuum of family in an Amish person’s life. Next to God and the church, taking care of one’s family is the most important element in the Amish culture. Few decisions are made by individuals or leaders of the church without first evaluating how it will affect their families.
I thought it would be interesting to create a story in which Rachel would have to work within both cultures in order to save a child. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed giving my heroine a happy ending.
-Serena
Also by Serena B. Miller
Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek Series
Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek: The Sugar Haus Inn (Book 1)
Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek: Rachel’s Rescue (Book 2)
Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek: Love Rekindled (Book 3)
Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island Series
Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island: Moriah’s Lighthouse (Book 1)
Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island: Moriah’s Fortress (Book 2)
Love’s Journey on Manitoulin Island: Moriah’s Stronghold (Book 3)
Michigan Northwoods Historical Romance
The Measure of Katie Calloway (Book 1)
Under a Blackberry Moon (Book 2)
A Promise to Love (Book 3)
Uncommon Grace Series
An Uncommon Grace (Book 1)
Hidden Mercies (Book 2)
Fearless Hope (Book 3)
The Doreen Sizemore Adventures
Murder On The Texas Eagle (Book 1)
Murder At The Buckstaff Bathhouse (Book 2)
Murder At Slippery Slop Youth Camp (Book 3)
Murder On The Mississippi Queen (Book 4)
Murder On The Mystery Mansion (Book 5)
The Accidental Adventures of Doreen Sizemore (5 Book Collection)
Uncategorized
A Way of Escape
More Than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting
About the Author
Best Selling author, Serena B. Miller, has won numerous awards, including the RITA and the CAROL. A movie, Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, was based on the first of her Love’s Journey in Sugarcreek series, and won the coveted Templeton Epiphany award. Another movie based on her novel, An Uncommon Grace, recently aired on the Hallmark channel. She lives in southern Ohio in a house that her husband and three sons built. It has a wraparound porch where she writes most of her books. Her mixed-breed rescue dog, Bonnie, keeps her company while chasing deer out of the yard whenever the mood strikes.
For More Information, Please visit
serenabmiller.com