Abound in Love

by Rosemarie Naramore

  Candace watched her son and gave a slight shake of her head. If she intended to scold him, she pulled back. Laura suspected guilt prevented her from disciplining her son.

  What was going on with Candace? Really going on?

  While Laura acknowledged that Candace was remorseful for treating her so horribly when they were children, she knew there had to be more to the story. Why had she taken a job, when she had until just recently, always been a stay-at-home-mom? And what was she doing during those evenings she was away from her family?

  Laura knew from her sister’s face that she recognized her children were hurting. So why didn’t she do something to help them? From what Thomas had told her, Candace had always been a loving mother. What had prompted her to essentially turn them over to Thomas at every opportunity?

  And what about Dan? Why was he picking up every over time shift he could manage? Why had two, seemingly devoted parents, suddenly relinquished their children to the care of relatives?

  She wondered, did her mother know what was happening with her oldest daughter? She and Candace had always been close. Laura resolved to call her mother soon. Perhaps she could answer her questions.

  Chapter Ten

  “I won. I won. I won,” Krissy sang, as the group left the mini putt course.

  “Shut up,” Kenny said sourly. “I let you win.”

  “You did not,” she said smugly. “I’m better at lots of stuff than you are.”

  “Enough kids,” Dalton said. “You’re both great at golf.”

  “You’re both certainly much better at golfing than I am,” Laura said.

  Krissy wrapped a comforting arm around her waist. “It’s okay, Aunt Laura. You’re a great writer. You don’t need to golf ever again if you don’t want to.”

  Dalton laughed and tousled the little girl’s hair.

  Laura gave her a squeeze and bent to kiss the top of her head. “Thank you, Krissy. I appreciate your support.”

  Dalton checked his watch. “We need to go. We have a mattress to pick up.”

  Laura shook her head. “Really, Dalton, don’t worry about it.”

  “It isn’t a problem,” he told her, as they left the mall.

  Inside the truck, the kids were quieter than usual, and when Laura turned around to check on them, she realized why. Both had conked out.

  “Wow, I guess we wore them out,” Dalton said with surprise.

  Laura smiled at the sleeping children. “I don’t think they’ve been sleeping very well. Both are so worried about…”

  “I know,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I wish I could make things better for them, but I don’t know how.”

  “You really care about them, don’t you?” she observed softly.

  He gave her a look, as if surprised she’d even have to ask that question. “Laura, I’ve known your family since I was a little kid. Your folks practically took me in. And I was there for both of those kids’ births.” He nodded crisply. “I love your whole family, and those kids are like my own.”

  Laura was taken aback by the sentiment. Not because she didn’t think him capable, but because… She turned away and glanced out the window. Did the sentiment apply to her? Had he cared about her—as deeply as he’d cared about the rest of her family?

  Of course not. She’d always been in the background. An afterthought.

  She felt a tear threaten to drop onto her cheek, and uttered a brief prayer. “Lord, please help me hold it together. I don’t know why I’m so emotional, but please…”

  After taking a shoring breath, she watched the passing scenery. Much of the Vancouver landscape had changed, just as Battle Ground had. She remembered the old quote, ‘You can’t go home again.’ Maybe it was true. Maybe nothing could ever stay the same.

  “Laura, are you all right?” Dalton’s deep voice held a note of concern.

  “I’m fine,” she said too brightly, and turned toward him.

  Dalton clearly wasn’t convinced. His brows were drawn low over his eyes, his mouth downturned. H searched her face. “Laura, everything will work out,” he said finally. “We have to believe God has a plan.”

  She realized he was referring to Candace’s problems, but she couldn’t help wondering what God’s plan was for her. Being back home, and suddenly thrown together with the man who still made her heart flutter, she was forced to concede God’s plan was undeniably inscrutable to her. She certainly hadn’t expected to find Dalton living with her brother, and serving as a major player in trying to hold the Landers family together.

  “Oh, I know God has a plan,” she said, still struggling to put on a cheerful face. Apparently, he wasn’t fooled. He reached across the seat separating them and took her hand. A startling thought came to Laura’s mind. Being with him in that truck, sitting close to one another, and attempting to work out problems together… This feels right.

  She gently tugged her hand away. The last thing she needed was to be caught up in some fantasy that she and Dalton had a future together. She wasn’t a little girl anymore—or even a teenager. She was a professional woman of twenty-eight, who had carved out a life for herself thousands of miles from here. She no longer had any illusions that Dalton could be attracted to her. A man in her life was the very last thing she needed anyway.

  “Laura, what are you thinking right now?” Dalton asked. “I can see the wheels turning behind your eyes.”

  She gave a dismissive, forced laugh. “Nothing. I guess I’m just tired too.”

  “Well, then, you’re in luck. We’re pulling into the storage place now to get that bed for you.”

  Laura sighed. “Dalton, I don’t expect…”

  “I know,” he assured her with a grin. “But I want to assure your stay is as comfortable as possible.”

  “Why?”

  He gave a sheepish grin. “Well, the truth is, I’m hoping you won’t want to leave.”

  Laura’s heart gave a surge at his spoken words, but she quickly tamped down her enthusiasm. She turned back to assure the children were still sleeping, and whispered, “You’re worried about Thomas, aren’t you? You’re afraid the strain of everything is becoming too much for him.” She nodded in agreement. “I know. I’ve been thinking about that myself.”

  Dalton appeared about to say something, but apparently changed his mind.

  Laura cast another glance at the kids. “We should talk later,” she whispered.

  “I’ll just go and get that bed for you,” Dalton said, and dropped out of the truck.

  Laura followed. “You’ll need help.”

  “I can manage,” he assured her with a smile.

  “Just the same…” She glanced back at the sleeping kids and heard the sound of the doors locking. She noted Dalton had the remote in his hand and was aiming it at the truck.

  She gave a relieved sigh, since she didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone.

  “Fortunately, the storage unit is right here,” Dalton told her, gesturing to a nearby door.

  “Oh, good. We can easily see the kids from here.”

  He pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock. Grasping the door, he gave a tug, and it rolled upward with a groan. “Fortunately, the bed is up front,” he told her, as he reached for the box spring, which was propped against a wall. Hoisting it easily, he carried it to the truck and gently lowered it into the back.

  Laura trotted along beside him, trying to help.

  He bit back a smile. “I’ve got it. It isn’t heavy.”

  “Well, I’ll help you with the mattress then.”

  “Really, I can manage.”

  Nonetheless, she walked along with him to the storage unit. He reached in and carefully tugged the mattress out. He had wrapped it in plastic for storing, which turned out to be a good thing since they felt a couple sprinkles of rain on their heads.

  Dalton made a face. “Hey, the weatherman predicted rain tonight—said the afternoon would be clear,” he groused, staring at the gray clo
uds above. He continued to study the sky, as if grappling with whether or not to transport the mattress. “Fortunately, I wrapped the mattress in plastic, but the box spring…”

  He gave Laura a shoring smile and then jogged to his truck. He opened a storage box behind the cab and pulled out a tarp and twine. After draping the tarp over the box spring, he hurriedly retrieved the mattress and positioned it over the box spring. He tugged another tarp out of the storage box, and covered the mattress with it. After tying it down, he turned to Laura. “I’ll just close up the storage unit and we’re good to go.”

  “I already shut it,” she told him. “And it’s locked up.”

  “Thanks,” he grinned and took her arm to lead her to the passenger door.

  When they were both in the truck, neither missed the sprinkles dotting the windshield. “I hope that’s the worst of the rain for now,” Dalton said, and then glanced heavenward. “Lord, that bed won’t get ruined if you keep that sky from opening up.” He nodded. “I’d be grateful…”

  Laura smiled. She had always liked how Dalton spoke to God as if He was a dear friend whom he trusted with absolute confidence. She remembered once, when he was at their house with Thomas and Candace, and a group of friends, he had told them that God was his ‘navigator.’ He had told the group that he didn’t need a map or a GPS system, since all he had to do was pray to God to get him to any destination, and inevitably he arrived there.

  If she remembered correctly, the group of kids had laughed at him. He’d been unaffected by their skepticism and had only shrugged and said, “Doesn’t bother me one bit if you don’t believe me. If you have faith in Him, He always comes through. The key is to let him be the navigator in every area of your life.”

  “So, if God’s your navigator,” one kid had scoffed, “does that mean I have to sit in the back seat now, instead of ride shot gun?”

  Dalton had laughed, but had urged the group to think about what he was saying. He’d listed several examples in his life where God had come through for him, simply because he had trusted Him to do so.

  Laura, who had been sitting at the top of the stairs, desperately trying to avoid detection, had found the idea of God as her navigator appealing. She had begun thinking of Him in those terms too, and as Dalton had insisted, He had literally helped her find her way, whether it was to an unfamiliar destination where she was meeting friends for dinner, or whether she was grappling with a difficult issue in her life.

  “Hey, where’d you go just then?” Dalton asked, smiling into Laura’s face as he turned the key in the ignition.

  She smiled in return. “I was just remembering something you said a long time ago…”

  He watched her with interest. “What’s that? If memory serves, I was rarely shy about speaking my mind.”

  “Do you remember how you always referred to God as your…?”

  “Navigator,” he cut in, with a big grin. “I still do. And He hasn’t failed me yet.” He learned forward and looked out into the drizzling rain. But soon, the sprinkles tapered off to nothing. He heaved a sigh of relief.

  “Is God your navigator, Laura?” he asked, his voice low and intent. Before she could answer, he continued, “Because I’m really hoping He is, and that He’ll help you find your way home.”

  ***

  Laura was still puzzling over Dalton’s remark in the truck, as they arrived back at the house. She decided to think about the meaning of his words later, since she had two sleeping kids to contend with.

  “I’ll unload the bed, and then I’ll help you with the kids,” Dalton told her, just before he climbed out of the truck and hurried to retrieve the mattress.

  “Kenny,” Laura said softly. “Honey, wake up.”

  The little boy startled awake, and Laura’s heart twisted. “Oh, honey, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “You didn’t,” he assured her with a yawn. “I think I was having a bad dream.”

  “Do you want to talk about it, sweetie?”

  He cocked his head in thought, but finally shook his head. “No. I don’t think I remember what it was about anyway.”

  “Okay. Well, we should get into the house. It looks like it’s going to start raining again.”

  Kenny glanced out at the sky, and then to the back of the truck where he saw Dalton pulling the mattress out of the truck bed. He was out of the cab in a heartbeat and helping Dalton carry the mattress inside.

  Laura’s heart swelled with pride. Kenny hadn’t hesitated to pitch in. At only eleven, he could be ill-tempered, but she suspected that had more to do with the current circumstances in his life, and less to do with his true nature. He was a little boy trying to cope with adult-sized problems and doing the best that he could.

  She climbed out of the truck and pulled the lever beside her seat. The seat moved forward, allowing her access to the back, and to her niece. Krissy was still sleeping, with her head drooped to her chest. Laura winced. She didn’t look the least bit comfortable.

  She shook her leg. “Krissy, wake up, honey.”

  The little girl moaned in her sleep, but didn’t awaken.

  Laura shook her again, to no avail. The little thing was really out, and she hated to wake her. Stretching forward, she managed to unbuckle her and then reach for her. She was just pulling her from the truck, with difficulty, when Dalton appeared.

  “Laura, you’re going to hurt yourself. I’ll get her.”

  He easily lifted the petite little girl into his arms. She stirred slightly, but rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “Go back to sleep.”

  Laura closed the truck door behind them and walked alongside Dalton. She dashed ahead to open the screen door, but found Kenny was standing beside it, holding it open. He still looked sleepy. His hair was disheveled and his eyes droopy. Just looking at that little face made her heart swell.

  She grabbed a hold of him and pulled him into a hug. “You are such a good boy,” she told him. “I’ve noticed how you always jump right in to help. Not everybody does that, you know. I’m so proud of you.”

  When he stepped away from her, she saw the small smile on his face, and noted how he shuffled his feet, as if uneasy at receiving the praise. “If you…” He glanced downward, but forced himself to make eye contact. “If you ever need anything,” he said, sounding very grown up. “I’ll be happy to help out.”

  Laura beamed with pride, and he noticed. The smile that hovered on his mouth actually took form, and Laura grinned in return.

  “I could use some help,” Dalton called.

  “Sure. We’ll be right there,” Laura responded, and she and Kenny followed him upstairs. He laid Krissy on her bed. “I’ll take her shoes off and cover her up,” Laura whispered. “You boys feel free to take a break.”

  They left as Laura helped the little girl out of her jacket and shoes. She covered her, and then kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  “Mama…” she said sleepily, and then rolled over and fell more deeply into sleep.

  Laura sighed. Once again, her heart broke for her niece and nephew.

  A moment later, back downstairs, she found Dalton in his customary seat—her father’s old recliner. Kenny was sprawled out on the couch and looking as if he was going to fall asleep again. He started to rise. “Aunt Laura, if you need a place to sit…”

  Once again, she beamed with pride at his chivalrous behavior. “That’s okay, honey. I’m going to check out Uncle Thomas’ kitchen and try to figure out what to cook for dinner.”

  “You’re cooking?”

  “I think I might.”

  Kenny grinned. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” she said cheerfully in return.

  After assessing the contents of her brother’s kitchen, and finding the cupboards and refrigerator in dire need of replenishment, Laura glanced at her watch. It was after five… She made a quick decision to drive into town for groceries.

  When she returned to the living room to find her coat, Kenny had fallen as
leep and Dalton was watching a nature program on low volume. He glanced up when she pulled her jacket out of the coat closet.

  “Are you going somewhere?” he asked.

  “I think I’m going to drive into town for groceries. I’d like to make supper tonight, to give Thomas a break.”

  “Do you want me to…?” Dalton’s words tapered off. He realized he couldn’t leave, since he was babysitting the kids. “Are you sure you want to venture into town without company?” he asked with concern. “The town has really grown…”

  Laura laughed with delight at the idea that she couldn’t manage to find her way around Battle Ground. “Dalton, I’ve managed to do okay in Atlanta. I think I’ll be all right in my hometown.”

  He looked unconvinced and wholly unhappy about her leaving. Or was she misreading him? Of course, she was. Why would he be bothered about her driving into small town Battle Ground alone?

  “I won’t be long,” she told him, as she slipped into her jacket.

  Dalton rose and glanced out the window. “It’s already dark,” he observed, “and it’s starting to rain.”

  Laura chuckled as she opened the front door to leave. To her surprise, Dalton grasped her arm and pulled her into a hug. “Be careful,” he warned. “Those roads out there get slick, and it’s getting cold. We may have some freezing rain…”

  She stepped away from him and gave him a quizzical glance. He was being awfully protective of her, but then… He was clearly protective of the whole Landers clan.

  “I’ll be fine,” she told him. “Besides, I have my cell phone.”

  “Call me if you need me,” Dalton said, but another voice had chimed in. Kenny had spoken the same words in unison. The little boy was propped up on one elbow and watching her sleepily.

  “I will,” she told him, and to Dalton smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Dang, Laura Landers. Is that you?”

  Laura glanced up from her inspection of a tomato in the produce section of the supermarket. She furrowed her brow, unsure who had spoken to her.