“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Lanced turned toward his room. “Good night, Dan,” he called over his shoulder. “See you in the morning.”
“Sure thing.” And then his brother added, “You should get rid of this dinosaur television set and get yourself a new flat screen TV with a remote. Oh, and don’t bother cooking me any breakfast in the morning. I’m going out to eat with a friend.”
“Okay. Night, Dan.” Lance was tempted to comment about the age of his TV, but kept his mouth shut. He even thought of mentioning church, but thought better of it, too. No point in starting a discussion that could end up in an argument. The best thing to do was just go to bed. Hopefully, with the TV off he could sleep.
“It’s getting late. Are you ready for bed?” Lyle lifted himself from his easy chair.
Heidi held up the notebook in her hand and remained on the couch. “You go on ahead. I’m going to stay here awhile and finish working on my list for the cooking class next week.”
Lyle tipped his head. “I thought you had everything figured out.”
She sighed. “I thought so, too, but after the way some of my students responded to the friendship bread I had them make during last Saturday’s class, I changed my mind.”
“What’s wrong with friendship bread? I’ve always enjoyed the variations you’ve made with the basic recipe.” Lyle smacked his lips. “I especially like when you add raisins or chocolate chips.”
“I think some of the students were okay with my choice, but others, like Allie and Lisa, seemed disappointed. Allie was probably hoping for a dish she could serve her family, and I’m guessing Lisa was looking for something to use in her catering business.” Heidi fiddled with the pen between her fingers. “Neither one of them said anything, but I could sense it. And Todd … well, annoyance was written all over his face, too.”
“So what are you going to teach them next week?”
Heidi shrugged. “I’m not sure. Probably a main dish of some sort, or maybe a salad.”
Lyle glanced at the grandfather clock across the room. “Well, it’s getting late, and we should be heading to bed, so can you wait till Monday to decide what dish to choose for your next cooking class?”
“You’re right, Lyle. My eyes are getting heavy, too.” Heidi yawned and set the notebook aside. “Truthfully, I could probably sit here all night and not come up with what to teach my class. Maybe by Monday I’ll have a clearer head.”
Heidi remained seated a few moments, thinking about Kendra and her baby. I wonder how they’re fairing this evening with the wicked storm and all its noise. Hopefully they aren’t being kept awake because of it. The weather was proving to be a bit unnerving, with the rumbling right above the house and bolts of lightning shooting about. I’m sure if the baby gets fussy, it will test Kendra’s new motherly skills in trying to comfort her precious daughter.
Heidi stood, and as she followed her husband across the room, a flash of lightning lit up the entire living room. She flinched, and their dog howled when the boom of thunder hit. She could almost feel the vibration beneath her feet. Heidi’s dog lay shaking near the fireplace. She bent down and gave his head a gentle pat. “It’s okay, Rusty. This terrible noise shouldn’t go on too much longer.”
Rusty looked up at her and whined.
“Oh, all right, boy, you can sleep in our room tonight.” She looked at Lyle to get his approval, and when he nodded, she clapped her hands and told the dog to come along.
Heidi followed Lyle into their bedroom, and once Rusty was inside, she closed the door behind them. She hoped by morning the storm would pass. It was never fun to travel anywhere with the horse and buggy in stormy weather, and tomorrow, church would be held in a home a few miles away.
New Philadelphia
Bill hung up the phone after talking with his friend Andy Eglund. They’d been discussing their upcoming camping trip and talking about who, including Russ and Tom, would bring what.
It had been a tradition for the guys to leave on Thanksgiving, after having the meal with their families. It had been one of the things Bill’s ex-wife complained about, but her fussing all those years never changed a thing. Nothing kept Bill from spending time with his friends. Going camping was a big deal. His ex just didn’t understand.
Now that Bill was a free man, he usually arrived at camp Thursday afternoon. Since he wouldn’t be having a Thanksgiving meal with anyone, there was no reason not to leave early. Andy, Russ, and Tom usually arrived Thursday evening or early Friday morning. They would spend the next three days getting the cabin cleaned up, and going out to scout where each of them would hunt. Sometimes Russ would bring a few board games along. He liked the friendly competition and said it was something fun to do after eating their supper in the evening.
At least Russ had the good sense to leave his dog at home. When he’d brought up the idea of bringing the mutt, Bill had put the kibosh to it.
The Monday after Thanksgiving was opening day of deer season. With his excitement building, Bill never got much sleep the night before the big day. There was nothing like sitting in his tree stand and watching the morning unfold—something he never tired of. Blue Jays chattered, squirrels gathered nuts, and if luck would have it, a buck would sneak through the area Bill hunted. He’d been told there were bears in the woods near his cabin, but to date, Bill had never seen one anywhere he hunted.
Bill started a list of what he would need to purchase for their long weekend. He got tired of eating a bunch of unhealthy snacks when they all went up to the cabin. The junk he and the guys usually ate was full of artificial colors and preservatives, not to mention too much sugar. It wasn’t even fit for the squirrels. Bill didn’t want to keep adding to his girth, and it wasn’t easy watching his buddies eat like that. Maybe he would bring some healthy things, like some kind of a salad and cut-up veggies to have on hand.
He hoped to surprise his friends this year with some newer tasty meals he’d be learning from Heidi. So far, for breakfast one of the mornings, he planned on making baked oatmeal. Then Bill would serve a loaf of friendship bread to go along with the spaghetti meal he planned on making for one of their suppers.
As he thought about what else he could make, the phone rang again.
“Bet it’s either Russ or Tom calling to discuss more about our Thanksgiving trip.” Bill reached over and picked up the phone from the small table next to the chair where he sat.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Dad. It’s Brent.”
It had been a while since Bill heard from his son, so this was a nice surprise. “Hey, Son, how are you doing?”
“I’m good. And you?”
“All’s well at this end.”
“Say, I won’t keep you, but I was wondering if you had anything going on either the last weekend of October, or the second weekend of November? I was thinking of coming down for a few days to see you. Maybe arrive on Friday night, and spend the weekend with you. Would that be okay?”
“That sounds good, Brent.” Bill smiled, anxious to see his son. “I have both of those weekends free, so whatever is good for you is fine by me.”
“Okay. How about the second weekend of November?”
“Yep, that’s great. I’ll be anxious to see you.”
“Same here.”
They talked about several other things. Brent told his dad Aunt Virginia and Uncle Al had invited him for Thanksgiving dinner. “I remember that you leave for deer camp on Thanksgiving, so I thought it was okay to accept Aunt Virginia’s invitation.”
“I’m glad you did. If my memory serves me right, she puts out a real nice spread for Thanksgiving.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Before you called, I was talking to my friend Andy. We were making our usual deer-hunting plans.” Bill cringed when a clap of thunder sounded, rattling the windows. “Well, I’d like to talk longer, but were having a pretty bad storm right now, and the lights just flickered, so I’d better hang up before the power goes out.”
“Sure, Dad. We can catch up with each other when I come to visit in two weeks.”
“Sounds good. See you then.”
After Bill clicked off the phone, he picked up his tablet, flipping his camping list over to start a new page. He couldn’t wait to visit with Brent, and he started writing things down he knew his son liked to eat. Maybe I’ll make my son a loaf of that friendship bread, after all. Brent might enjoy it, and he can take what’s left of the bread when it’s time for him to go home.
Canton
Kendra felt her chest tighten as raindrops pelted the roof and thunder cracked overhead. She’d never liked storms and used to cower under the covers when she was a little girl to try and calm her fears. Tonight, she felt like a child again, needing the comfort of her mother. But she was a mother now and didn’t feel up to the task. At least, not tonight.
Another clap of thunder sounded, and little Heidi started crying. Waa! Waa! Waa! The noisy storm had no doubt wakened the poor baby.
Kendra turned on her bedside lamp and crawled out of bed. Then she hurried across the room and took her little girl out of the crib. “It’s okay, sweet baby. Mama’s got you now.”
Waa! Waa! The infant continued to howl. Kendra felt sure Heidi wasn’t hungry; she’d fed her just an hour ago. She checked the baby’s diaper, but it was dry. It must be the storm causing her child to fuss. She couldn’t blame her for that.
“Like mother, like daughter,” Kendra murmured against the infant’s ear. “Hush, little one. The storm will be over soon.”
Another clap of thunder sounded, and Kendra’s muscles tensed. It was hard to calm her baby when she, herself, felt nervous. Walking back and forth, from the crib to her own bed, Kendra patted little Heidi’s back, but to no avail.
A few seconds later, her bedroom door jerked open, and Dad stepped into the room. “What’s going on in here? Why’s the baby crying?”
Kendra stiffened at the sharp tone of her father’s voice. She couldn’t get over him barging into her room like that, either. “She’s afraid of the thunder, and I really can’t blame her.”
“Well, you’d better find some way to get her calmed down. We all have to get up early for church in the morning, and none of us can afford to lose any sleep.” His brows furrowed. “If things are going to work out with you living here again, you’ll have to be considerate of other people’s needs.”
“I am trying, Dad. I’m sure she’ll stop crying once the thunder and lightning stops.” At moments like this, Kendra wished she still lived with the Troyers. At least there, she was spoken to kindly and felt a sense of peace. But she’d made her choice when she decided to move back in with Mom and Dad and let them help her raise little Heidi. So she would make the best of it and try to keep the peace. She hoped Dad would let up a bit and not be so demanding. After all, Heidi was his granddaughter, not some stranger Kendra had brought home to stir up trouble.
Dad gave a quick nod, mumbled, “Good night,” and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I wish Mom would’ve come into my room to find out what was happening, instead of Dad. He sure doesn’t have much nurturing in his character. Kendra patted the baby’s back. At times like this, she wished she and little Heidi could move out of this house. But they really had no other place to go.
Kendra breathed a sigh of relief when the storm abated and the baby settled down. Tomorrow would be the first Sunday to take her daughter to church, and she was a bit nervous, wondering what people would say. Of course, everyone knew Kendra had given birth to a child and wasn’t married. But when she showed up tomorrow with the baby in her arms, it could cause some tongues to wag.
Well, I don’t care if it does. Kendra placed the baby into her crib and gently stroked her soft cheek. If anyone says anything unkind, I’ll remind them what the Bible says about judging. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”
Chapter 16
As Kendra sat on a church pew with her parents and sisters, she breathed deeply, trying to ignore those staring at her. Were they surprised to see Bridget and Guy Perkins’s wayward daughter here today, or could they be admiring her sweet baby daughter? Well, what did it matter? Like a dutiful daughter, Kendra had come here today to keep the peace, since Dad had insisted she accompany them, even though she’d been up half the night trying to calm little Heidi. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to attend church—just not today. She felt tired from lack of sleep and utter annoyance at her father for being so grouchy last night about her baby crying.
Kendra fussed with the baby’s outfit, and then she fiddled with her necklace nervously. She could almost feel people’s eyes staring at her and wondered if her family felt it, too. Kendra thought back to when she was a little girl and sat on these pews, under this same ceiling. She glanced upward, appreciating the workmanship that went into creating such a beautiful sanctuary. The ceiling was crafted of wood—which type, she wasn’t sure—but the patterns in each section were a masterpiece of designs. Like a snowflake, no two pieces were the same; each was unique and had a beauty of its own. Huge beams hung strategically along the ceiling’s length. Kendra remembered how, even as a child, she’d found them interesting, since they were salvaged from a local barn torn down many years ago.
This church has been here such a long time. These walls have seen a lot of weddings and other happy events, and also many funerals.
Kendra fixed her eyes on the beautiful stained-glass window close to the peak of the wall in the front of the church where the congregation faced. It was a mesmerizing piece of art, with the Lord Jesus kneeling by a rock, hands in prayer, and a heavenly beam of light shining on His serene face.
Kendra’s gaze returned to her baby daughter, nestled snuggly in her arms. Living with her parents, Kendra’s situation wasn’t perfect, but at least she and little Heidi had not been separated like she thought they would.
Looking back up at the image etched into the window, Kendra mouthed a silent, Thank You, Lord.
She turned her focus on the chorus the congregation had begun to sing, but her eyes grew heavy. Kendra had almost nodded off when the baby started to fuss. She lifted Heidi over her shoulder and patted the infant’s small back. It didn’t help; the baby began to wail. Oh, no. Not a repeat of last night, I hope.
Chris cast a sidelong glance in Kendra’s direction. “You’d better do something quick or you’ll hear about it from Dad,” she whispered.
Kendra pulled the pacifier from the diaper bag and put it in the baby’s mouth. After Dad’s response to Heidi’s cries last night, she knew full well what he must be thinking now. While her father had agreed to her moving back home so they could help with the expense of raising the baby, Kendra felt certain he’d never completely forgiven her indiscretion with Max. As a board member in good standing with the church, Dad saw what Kendra did as an embarrassment to him, as well as the rest of the family. Kicking Kendra out of the house was the way he’d chosen to deal with things when she’d first told him and Mom she was expecting a baby.
She had a hunch the only reason Dad let her come home was to please Mom. The first night she’d returned, her sister Shelly had confided to Kendra that their mother had been miserable since Dad forced Kendra out of the house. While Mom had never said anything in front of the girls, she may have pleaded with Dad to bring Kendra back. For whatever the reason, Kendra accepted the offer in order to keep her child. Even though she was sure the Troyers would make good parents, she would have always felt like a part of her was missing if she’d gone through with the adoption. For some unwed mothers, adoption was the best way, but given the opportunity to raise her child, Kendra had jumped at the chance.
Relieved that the baby had stopped fussing, perhaps from the quieter song they were now singing, Kendra allowed herself to relax. There was a time, not long ago, when the bitterness she felt toward Max and her own father, would have kept Kendra from darkening the door of any church. Now, even though she felt a b
it uncomfortable, at least she could enjoy the service.
Dover
When Lisa returned home from church, she was surprised to see her renter’s dog in the yard with no supervision. Of course, this wasn’t unusual these days. From what she could tell, the poor little pup was sorely neglected. The dog started barking as soon as Lisa got out of her van. She figured with all the racket, one or both of the pup’s owners would come out, but their front door remained shut.
“What’s the matter, boy? Are you lonely?” Lisa bent down and stroked the animal’s silky ears. The dog leaned into her hand, eyes closed and tail barely wagging. “You’re starved for attention, aren’t you?” Lisa couldn’t figure out why anyone would get a pet and not spend time with it. A dog, or even a cat, made a good companion. If I had a dog I’d make sure it was well cared for and give it plenty of love.
Lisa started to walk toward her own duplex unit, when the puppy looked up at her and whined. “Sorry little fella, but I can’t stay here in the yard and pet you all afternoon. I’m hungry and need to eat.” She leaned over, picked up a small stick, and gave it a fling. When the pup ran after it, she hurried up the steps, unlocked her door, and stepped inside.
After placing her Bible on the coffee table, Lisa went to the kitchen for a glass of cold water. Since the room faced the front of the house, she couldn’t help hearing the dog’s continual yapping. She hurriedly made herself a ham and cheese sandwich, then took it to the dining room where it was quieter. She could still hear the pup faintly, but the sound didn’t get on her nerves like it had previously. At least she could eat in peace.
When Lisa finished her sandwich, she went back to the kitchen and put her dishes in the sink. She would stick them in the dishwasher later, because right now she was going back outside to see why that pathetic dog was still carrying on.
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