by JoAnn Carter
“No, not at all. I’m open for any suggestions.”
“Good.” She leaned forward again. “Do you remember the free concerts they sometimes hold in the park?”
Sierra grinned as things began to click into place. “Sure I do. Do you think they’d let me play?”
“Are you kidding? They’re always on the lookout for musicians. I know they’d be thrilled to have someone with your level of accomplishment perform.”
Sierra rolled the idea around for a few seconds. “I like it and it just might work. It would be an easy way for me to reconnect to some of our community and to give back to them via music.”
Melissa walked to the counter. She pulled open a drawer and rummaged around. “I have the number of the contact person here somewhere.” She shuffled through papers.
“Once we have the date, I guess I could make up some flyers to hang around in the Country Store, library, and post office.”
“Sure. I know the town does some publicity, but you can never have too much.” Melissa suddenly straightened and held up a slip of paper in victory. “Ah-ha. Here it is. I knew it was in my junk drawer.”
“Thanks...” She broke off. Words were sometimes so inadequate. Sierra held Melissa’s gaze, hoping she would understand how much her friendship meant. “For everything.”
“Glad to help.”
Sierra tucked the paper in her pocket then rubbed her finger against the rim of her mug. “This will be a great starting point. I know this doesn’t even begin to pay the debt I owe to this town, but hopefully people will be able to see my heart in the offering.”
“Even if they can’t, God does. And when it comes right down to it, He’s the only one you need to please. Don’t give up on Daviston before you even start. I think God has something very special in store for our little community, and you, my dear, are His special agent.” Melissa wrapped her hands around her mug, leaned forward and winked. “Speaking of softening hearts, I heard you had a lunch date with Colton Smith.”
Sierra’s neck grew warm. “It wasn’t a date.”
Melissa softly chuckled. “Would you have liked it to have been?”
“Nope.”
Melissa’s eyebrows rose at the force of Sierra’s words.
“I mean, I’m glad we had lunch. I think God’s going to do great things in Cole’s life if he lets Him. But as for romance and dating,” she shook her head, “that wouldn’t work.”
Melissa raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh. Well, I guess that’s a subject for a later date.”
As Cole rang up Mrs. Whitten’s order, the bell tinkled over the door, and he glanced over to see who was coming in. “Sierra.” His heart hammered, and he grinned like a fool as he tried hard not to stare; today her clothing was even more eye catching than yesterday’s. He conscientiously focused on her brown eyes. “It’s good to see you. What are you up to?”
Sierra stepped towards the counter. “Wow. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She tilted her head to the side and soft strands of her dark hair brushed the fringe of her ruffled neon green top with bright pink flowers.
“Why not?”
Sierra smiled at Mrs. Whitten and then turned her attention back to Cole. “I knew you worked here as a teen but since you left for college, I just assumed...”
He propped his hip against the antique wood and gingerly stroked the smooth, worn counter top. “Yeah, pretty amazing that I ended up right back here running the Country Store but hey, someone has to do it.” He stood straight. “After all, this store has been here since the eighteen hundreds. It would be a shame if our town lost this special bit of its history.”
“True, but why you?”
He let his gaze drop to the floor. Even after five years, he missed his godfather so much. Especially now that his folks were so caught up in their own lives and agendas. He missed Frank’s wit, friendship, and wisdom. Colton spoke around the slight catch in his throat. “I inherited this business from a very special man. My godfather.”
“Wow.”
“I know I’ll never be able to replace him, but I do my best for him and for our town. I hope if he can see me from heaven, that he’s proud of me.”
Mrs. Whitten slapped the counter top. “There’s no way Frank could not be proud of you. You’ve done well here by him and the store.”
Cole smiled. “Thanks. Did you need anything else, Mrs. Whitten?”
Mrs. Whitten tucked her purchase under her arm. “No, that will be all for today.” She acknowledged Sierra with a little nod. “Do you remember me? I own the Mountainside Inn. I saw you at church on Sunday, but I was in a hurry to get home so I snuck out the side door and I didn’t get to say hello.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Whitten. I remember your lovely bed and breakfast. I’ve always admired it when we drove past.”
“Thank you.” She patted Sierra’s arm. “I know we, as a congregation, might not have seemed very open to you yesterday at the service, but I am glad you’ve come back to our town.”
Sierra dropped her gaze to the floor. “Thanks.”
Mrs. Whitten considered her for a moment, and then gave a quick nod. “Well then, perhaps I’ll see you around.”
“I hope so.” As Mrs. Whitten left the store, Sierra turned back to Cole. “Has she always been that nice?”
“Long as I’ve known her.”
“I wish I would have given people a chance when I lived here rather than shutting them out. I think I must have missed a lot.”
“Well, you’re here now so that can change.” He winked. “You can start your practice on me.”
Sierra’s eyes grew wide. “I… I…” She looked towards the back. “Is there still that little post office in here?”
He grinned. OK, message received, but don’t think I won’t be asking again. “Yup. And still the original post boxes, too. Want to see it?”
She glanced down to the paper she had been holding.
“Oh, what’s that?”
She seemed a bit shy, but then held it up for him. “I was wondering if you’d mind if I placed something on the bulletin board outside?”
“No, not at all.” Curious as to what she wanted to post he asked, “What ya got there?”
“It’s an announcement about a concert in the park.”
Cole took the paper from her and read over it. “This is awesome! Count on me being there.” He handed the flyer back to her. “I know you probably hear this all the time, but I enjoyed the song you played at church yesterday. You really are talented.” He nodded. “This is a great idea.”
“I can’t take the credit. Melissa thought of it.”
He grabbed a push-pin off of the little box on the counter next to the cash register and pointed toward the front porch. “Here, let me help you find a spot on the board.”
“That’s OK, I can do it. I don’t want to take you away from your work.”
Cole chuckled. “Don’t worry, it’s slow right now.” He glanced around the empty store. “Have you got time for a cup of coffee?”
“Would it happen to be Vermont Country Roaster?”
“Is there any other kind of coffee beans for a Vermont country store to have?”
“Sure, now that you’ve twisted my arm. Are you sure I won’t be a bother?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if that were the case.” A little voice in his head told him that if some customers decided to stop by his parents would have a different perspective.
Sitting on the store’s wooden porch step, Sierra cradled the paper cup in her hands and absently traced the outline of the white plastic lid. She looked out onto the town green where picnic tables dotted the common. They looked inviting yet small next to the big evergreen trees. Parallel to the store, on the far side of the green, the little town’s used bookstore, which appeared more like a structure of a one-room schoolhouse, was open, and its flag blew slightly in the breeze. But it was the old brick church that caught and held
her attention. What would it have been like if she had been involved in the church when she lived here?
She pictured her family as it was when she was a young girl. They didn’t have a huge home, but it was comfortable and safe. Her mother would often pull out a blanket and place it under the large maple tree and read stories to her and her brother. And her father would take them out in the woods to explore trails.
They were happy.
But things changed. After her brother died, her father was constantly angry at anything and everyone. He was never content; he wanted a bigger home, a faster car, a better life. Mom became so wrapped up in her job there wasn’t time for anything else, much less impromptu picnics or time alone.
When Sierra was thirteen, she awoke to the realization that her father was doing drugs. The innocence of youth was gone like a vapor. She sighed. She was twenty six and still regretted the childhood she missed. A tear streamed down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away. Thank goodness, God could bring about beauty from ashes. She would continue to trust Him to bring something of value out of her experience. If nothing else, it had driven her to Him.
Cole took the spot next to her and drank from his cup. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Sierra exhaled slowly. “Oh, lots of stuff.” She waved away the majority. She took a sip of her coffee, and the warmth tracked right down to her stomach. “Mmm, this is good. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rather than talk about her past, she wanted to focus on the present. “I’m trying to read through my Bible in a year. Have you ever done that?”
“Would you think any less of me if I said no?”
She laughed. “Of course not. It’s just that I have a lot of catching up to do. There’s so much that I want to know. I wish I’d grown up in the church like you did.”
“Just because a person goes to church, doesn’t mean he knows the Bible well.” His broad shoulders hunched, and then dropped. “I think sometimes we… I…get lazy and think I can fill my spiritual tank on Sunday morning.”
“I understand. Even in the short time since I’ve committed my life to Christ, sometimes I become distracted and busy. I don’t know. It’s kind of like my time with the Lord is more of an afterthought than the focus.” She smiled at him. “Still, since this is all pretty new to me, I long to know Him better and hope that will never cease.”
A lawn mower hummed somewhere nearby. Lord, help me encourage Cole in some way. Give me Your words. Sierra smoothed a wrinkle out of her skirt. “I just finished reading the book of Judges.”
A cool breeze lifted Cole’s short bangs making him look even more approachable. She’d better be careful or the crush she had on him in school would worm its way back into her heart.
“Hmm. It’s been a while since I read anything in the Old Testament. What did you think of it?”
Sierra took a sip of coffee. “It struck me how God can use all different people, saint or sinner, to do His good work.” She waved her hand. “It amazes me how He doesn’t require that we ‘clean up our act’ before He uses us.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
She nodded and nibbled on her lower lip thinking for a moment. “This book has been a refreshing take on my own journey.”
Cole scrunched his brow and looked at her a bit funny. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. God does use some pretty unlikely people.”
Sierra nodded. “Yeah, like take Samson…some girl caught his eye. His parents weren’t too happy about his choice since she was a Philistine. Yet there was a verse that said that God was the one actually behind this, He was arranging an opportunity to move against the Philistines.”
Cole laughed. “Just goes to show you how mixed up guys can get over girls.” He grinned.
Heat rose to her cheeks. Was he speaking from experience? She pushed the question out of her mind. “The point is God used him. For all Samson’s foolishness, stubbornness, and pride, God still used him to bring down the Philistines.”
“Yeah. Now that you mention it, I think I remember reading that more Philistines were killed in Samson’s death than in his lifetime.”
She nodded her head, still as astonished as the first time she read the story. “God turned the situation around to help His people.”
Cole gave her another strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just that…you’re pretty amazing. Now you’ve got me wanting to read Judges.”
She clapped her hands and grinned. “Good. I was beginning to worry I may be taking my excitement a bit too far. But really, your curiosity is from God. I’m just a catalyst.”
“Not at all. And speaking of good,” he pointed over to the parking lot “Looks like a customer is headed our way.” He glanced at his watch. “Business will pick up here in a few minutes.”
They both stood and headed back inside. He slipped behind the counter.
“I’m looking for a little something to do between practicing my violin. Do you know of any part-time jobs available around town?”
He smiled, “Looks like your really trying to settle in.” He waited until he caught her eye then winked. “I’m glad.”
Her face grew a pretty shade of pink. “Oh, well, it’s not like it’s something permanent. I just that I thought a job might help me meet more people. Though, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of openings that I can see.”
The bell over the door jingled.
“Hey, Bob. How’s it going?” Cole called out.
Bob looked pointedly at Sierra. “It was going fine.” The man walked towards the refrigerator cases.
Cole leaned his elbows down on the counter so he was eye to eye with her. “How about working for me?”
“W-what?” she sputtered. On the heels of Bob’s reaction to seeing her, her jaw clenched. Just moments ago, she had begun to wonder if she was wrong about her feeling at church yesterday. So far, Cole, Melissa, and Mrs. Whitten seemed glad she was here. But Bob reminded her she would always be unwanted riffraff to some. She understood that. What she didn’t understand was how Cole could offer her a job. A tingle ran down her spine as she vividly remembered how his mother’s hard eyes haunted her dreams last night.
“I could use you for a few hours per week.”
Bob approached the counter. The ugly look Bob sent her way gave her the answer she needed. Acceptance would take time. For some, more time than others. Until then, she needed to tread softly. It would be so easy to say yes to Cole to suit her own purposes, yet she wasn’t convinced it would be a good business move for the Country Store or for him personally. She had already walked the selfish road once, and she didn’t want to travel that path again. Especially if it could hurt someone she was growing to like. She waited until Bob moved away from the counter. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Cole glanced at Bob’s retreating back. He lowered his voice. “Don’t get discouraged. Folks’ll come around. Give it time. Just think about it, OK?”
Suddenly, her shoulders weighed two tons. She didn’t know why Bob’s reaction affected her so; it was what she deserved and expected. Still, the thought of staying where she wasn’t wanted seemed just as intolerable this afternoon as it had yesterday in Church. God, please don’t forget me here.
3
“May I help you?”
A shadowy figure of a college-age girl with a long ponytail was partially hidden behind the Snack Shack’s screen. Sierra took a step closer so she could see the girl better.
“Yes, I’d like to drop off this application. Should I leave it here or is there somewhere else I should take it?”
The screen window slid open. “Here’s fine. I’ll give it to the manager.”
Sierra handed the paperwork through the Snack Shack window and gave what she hoped was a winning smile. Not her dream place of employment, but everyone needed to start somewhere. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” With the window open, she was able to see farthe
r into the building. She glanced past the order counter, to where a cook was preparing food behind a half wall. In the corner stood a humming soft-serve ice cream machine, and a soda bar. It was a pretty tight space, but seemed clean and organized. “Any idea of when I might hear back from the manager?”
“I don’t think it will be too long. Maybe in a day or two.”
“Great! Thanks again.” Something behind Sierra scuffled. From the sound, whatever it was seemed very near. She turned quickly and faced a slender finger pointed so close to her face that it almost touched her nose.
“You!” Mrs. Smith huffed. “Stay away from my son.”
Sierra instinctively took a step back. The wooden counter bit into her spine while heat rushed to her cheeks. She looked to her left, and then her right. It was as she feared. Mrs. Smith had captured the attention of everyone.
Sierra’s stomach churned but she tried to paste on a pleasant expression. She kept her voice as low and even as possible. “Perhaps there’s something you wish to discuss with me, in private?”
Mrs. Smith’s lip curled into a snarl. “I have nothing I wish to discuss with you anywhere...and neither does my son.”
Sierra stifled a sigh. Now what, Lord?
Mrs. Whitten, whom Sierra hadn’t noticed until now, stepped in between them. “Afternoon, Paula.” She nodded. “Sierra.”
Some of the tension between Sierra’s shoulder blades relaxed. She shuffled a bit to gain some space between her and Mrs. Smith.
Mrs. Whitten reached out and let a raindrop fall from the porch overhang into her palm. With a mischievous grin she nodded to Sierra. “Quite the lovely day, isn’t it. At least the ducks think so.”
Mrs. Whitten bent down to hike up her knee highs, and then faced Cole’s mom. Despite the awkward situation, Sierra almost chuckled.
“Now Paula, I can count the times on one hand that I’ve seen you here at the Snack Shack. Are you planning on ordering something, or did you just come to pester this gal?”