He told them about the key role forgiveness had played in his spiritual growth, how he’d needed to come to a place where he laid down the heartache of loss and handed off to the Lord the burden of guilt his parents had placed on his shoulders. He spoke of how he’d had to forgive them, even though they’d passed away, and how he’d managed to let that well of bitterness drain out of him. And then, he spoke of the wondrous sense of freedom and joy that had resulted.
In the end, he challenged folks to submit their hearts to Jesus, and then to go out, find somebody who needed to know the love of Christ, and be bold by showing it. On that note, he reached inside his pocket, pulled out his harmonica, and began to play “Amazing Grace” with eyes closed, heart uplifted.
When he finished the hymn and opened his eyes, he couldn’t believe how many people had come forward and gathered at the wooden altar at the front of the church with arms uplifted in surrender to Jesus.
***
When the service concluded, folks just didn’t seem to want to go home, overflowing as they were with praise and thanksgiving. Many people, including Howard, Coot Hermanson, the Joneses, and the Wimberlys, gathered around Will to shake his hand, give his shoulder an encouraging squeeze, or pat him on the back and thank him for his inspiring message. And they had questions galore, wanting him to expound upon one or more aspects of his fascinating testimony. Although her boys managed to squeeze through the hordes of people to get to Will, Livvie couldn’t make her way through the masses, for all the people who swarmed around her, as well.
“He sure is something, Livvie,” Margie whispered. “My, I had no idea.”
“So wonderful to see you,” said a woman Livvie recognized as the pastor’s wife, grasping Livvie’s hand in both of hers and pumping it up and down.
“Thank you, ma’am. It’s wonderful to be here.”
Margie leaned closer. “I mean, not only is he a fine Christian man, he’s, um, quite amazing.”
“Shh, Margie,” Livvie said out of the side of her mouth.
Stepping back, Margie smiled at the preacher’s wife. “Hello, Esther.” Then, she came close to Livvie again. “What? I’m just saying, he’s amazing. Surely, you agree.”
“Now is not the time—”
“Olivia, I’m so happy to see you safe and sound. My, what an ordeal for you.” This came from Hildi Sherman, a young mother of three, who gave Livvie a hasty yet warm hug.
Livvie smiled. “Thank you, Hildi. It’s good to see you, too.”
When Hildi moved on, Margie continued. “My opinion? You can’t afford to let him get away.”
“Margie, hush.”
“Just look how your boys have taken to him!” She gestured at the crowd across the room.
“Livvie, Livvie! Oh, my goodness! Thank the Lord you’re well.” Cora Mae pressed through the masses and grabbed Livvie close. In her ear, she whispered, “Will Taylor is a wonderful man, don’t you think? My, his story was so inspiring. If you don’t marry that man, I’m going to sink my claws into him.”
“Cora Mae!” she laughed. “You are a living stinker!”
“What?” Margie squeezed in closer. “What did you say to her, Cora Mae?”
“I said, I think—”
“I’ve decided to reopen the restaurant tomorrow,” Livvie cut in. “Will you be ready?”
Cora Mae’s eyes popped. “Ready? I was ready last week!”
“Wonderful!”
“Olivia, praise the Lord and all His creation!” Clara Gillen moved in to sweep Livvie into a monstrous hug. Margie and Cora Mae stepped off to the side, and, while she talked to Clara, Livvie saw them put their heads together.
The warm greetings, hugs, handshakes, and cheerful chatter went on for almost an hour. By 12:30, all but a few parishioners had cleared the sanctuary, and Will and Livvie finally made eye contact, albeit briefly, due to those hangers-on who were known for being the last ones out the door. While she talked with an old high school friend, Vera Warner, Livvie glanced over the woman’s shoulder and saw Margie walk over to Will, shake his hand, and then stand on tiptoe to whisper something in his ear. He smiled and winked, and then she walked away.
A few minutes later, Margie and Howard whisked Alex and Nate out the door with a promise to return them to the apartment by three o’clock. Something smelled fishy, Livvie thought, but it was a good kind of fishy. Reverend White and Esther started collecting papers that had been left in the pews, and the deacons began to put away the extra chairs.
“Livvie.”
She turned at the sound of Will’s smooth, deep voice. “Will, you were wonderful. At last, I get to tell you.”
“It wasn’t me; it was the Lord.”
“I know, but still….” Their eyes met and held, kindling a glow deep within her. “I’m planning to reopen the restaurant tomorrow. What do you say to that?”
“Am I still working for you?”
“What? Of course you are, you silly goon! Why would you ask such a thing?”
He dipped his chin. “Well, I don’t know. I just thought, maybe, you know, with everything that’s happened….”
“Will Taylor! After that inspiring talk you gave, you think I’m going to let you go?”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “May I walk you back home? I can rustle us up something to eat for lunch.”
“That would be lovely. May I help you? I can cook, you know.”
“Really? I never would have guessed,” he said with a wink.
As they walked, their hands touched, but he didn’t move to take hers. So, she did the next best thing and looped her arm through his.
He grinned down at her. “I’m glad you did that.” Then, he put his hand on top of hers as they turned down Market Street, the sun warming their shoulders, a soft breeze keeping them comfortably cool as they strolled. Not once did they lack for topics of conversation. They talked about Clem Dodd’s upcoming trial; Will’s discussion with a BOI agent regarding Orville Dotson’s whiskey still, after which the agent had promised to investigate his claim; Livvie’s plan to call Joe Stewart and fill him in on the recent happenings; and Reggie’s heroic role in her rescue.
When they reached the restaurant, Will took the key from his pocket and held the screen door as he turned the lock in the front door, then pushed it open. The room was stuffy, so they immediately set to opening windows and turning on ceiling fans. Livvie took off her hat and placed it on the closest table. She knew her hair must look a mess, but, somehow, it didn’t matter.
They met in the kitchen, where Will scanned the refrigerator shelves while Livvie hunted through cabinets. “What are we looking for?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Will answered. “What sounds good?”
“Um….” Only one thing came to mind. The dusky room grew silent, and they slowly turned to face each other. “Will, I…I need to tell you something.”
“Tell me anything.” He took a step closer, and she did the same.
“This morning, I awoke around two thirty with the most wondrous sense of peace. God spoke to me, Will. He assured me of His love and faithfulness. There were areas in which I needed to seek His forgiveness, and so I did, and He forgave me.”
“Livvie, that’s wonderful.”
“I’ve learned some things about my past, Will—some disturbing things about how my parents’ house burned. There were some letters. Oh, dear; it’s a long story. Marva Dulane’s father—”
He nodded. “I already know.”
Livvie gazed into his azure eyes with wonderment. “You know?”
“Marva told me. The night we were searching for you, Quinn drove me out to her house. I went there on a hunch, and my hunch proved correct. I know about her father, your father, her mother, the letters…all of it. Marva slipped clear off her rocker, Liv. She told me things she didn’t even know she was saying. That’s how I learned for sure that Clem had taken you. She’s living in a precarious place right now, somewhere between reality and whimsy. I don’t kno
w if she’ll ever come all the way back.”
“I told Margie I want to visit her sometime. I need to tell her I’ve forgiven her.”
He took her hands in his. “I think that could be arranged, provided I go with you.”
Tender warmth emanated from his touch, and her love for him surged in devastating swells. But she didn’t know how to tell him; she couldn’t quite make the words skip from her heart to her mouth. “Margie says you’re an amazing man,” she said instead.
He chuckled. “Is that so?”
“She says I shouldn’t let you get away.”
“She said that, did she?” With his thumbs, he rubbed the backs of her hands, causing a ripple of chills to run straight up her arms. “And what do you say about that?”
“I say, my sister is extremely intuitive.”
“Is that all you can say? That your sister is intuitive?” He released one of her hands and ran a finger beneath her jaw and up her chin. “Tell me what you’re feeling, Olivia Beckman. I want to hear the words.”
Touching his lips with her index finger, she lifted her gaze to search every inch of his magnificent face. “I love you, Will Taylor,” she whispered.
The way he closed his eyes and heaved a loud sigh, the way he licked his lips and then bit down on the lower one, made her heart do a crazy, wild dance. She freed her other hand, took his face between her palms, and repeated the words.
“Livvie, I love you,” he whispered back, swooping down for a kiss that started softly and tenderly but quickly grew in intensity and made her utterly breathless. When they separated, he ran all ten fingers through her hair, then rested his hands on her shoulders. “I told Howard how I feel about you. He approves.”
She felt her eyebrows shoot upward. “He approves?” Her heart skipped so many beats, she thought she might swoon.
“Will you marry me, Livvie Beckman? I would consider it an honor.”
She stood on tiptoe to peck his cheek. “On one condition, Will Taylor.”
He kissed the curve of her neck. “Anything.”
“That you take over the bookkeeping. I’m a lousy accountant.”
“I think I could do that. Are you still the boss?”
“Of course. Some things will never change,” she teased with a smile. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Serenade me, would you?” she asked before he kissed the other. “I love the way you play that harp.”
He took out the instrument and played a few chords, but a scratch at the screen door put a stop to the lovely music and made them turn their gazes to the front of the restaurant. A lop-eared dog stared back at them.
“Reggie!” Livvie exclaimed. “What’s he doing here?”
“Coming to check on his girl, I guess. I’m going to have to tell him to lay off. You’re my girl now.”
Hand in hand, they walked to the front, and Will pushed the screen door open. “Does Coot know where you are, you silly hound?” As if he owned the place, Reggie sauntered past them, turned several circles in the middle of the room, and lay down.
A breeze blew in through the window, carrying with it the scent of the Wabash, where, Livvie knew, fish jumped, ducks paddled, and soaring birds chirped, creating a lovely river song. And wild daisies along the riverbank dipped their yellow heads and thanked their Maker.
From the Author’s Kitchen
My dear readers,
Who doesn’t think the most wonderful aromas originate in Mom’s kitchen? Memories of my precious mother, who went to be with Jesus at the age of ninety-six on January 28, 2010, flood my mind whenever I think about walking through the front door of my beloved parents’ home. Often, I’d find Mom standing at the stove or kitchen counter, frilly apron tied around her waist, whipping up some concoction or another. If it wasn’t bread, pie, or cake, it was a supper casserole, meat loaf, chicken, pasta, or some kind of yummy salad. For me, besides being a place of safety, warmth, and unconditional love, home meant mouthwatering smells emanating from our small, cozy kitchen.
While writing Livvie’s Song, I simply couldn’t stop thinking about my loving mother and some of her finest recipes. For that reason, I am quite certain Will Taylor used many of them while he mixed ingredients in Livvie’s Kitchen—with my permission, of course!
When I finished writing the book, I couldn’t kick the nagging notion that it didn’t feel complete. Then, it came to me like a splash of glorious sunlight: Mom’s recipes! They needed to live on through my wonderful readers! Therefore, it is with great pleasure and joy that I share a handful of them with you. Remember Clara Gillen’s scrumptious baked chicken? Mom’s recipe. And the meat loaf? Straight from Mom’s recipe box. And how about Helen Brent’s pineapple pork chops? Again, from Mom’s collection. I decided to let Fred of Fred’s Place borrow one of my mom’s recipes, too—beef stew.
May your kitchen always be a gathering place full of God’s love and warmth, and, of course, delectable aromas that help create beautiful, lifelong memories.
Blessings and bon appétit!
—Shar
***
Pineapple Pork Chops
Serves as many as needed.
Ingredients:
Pork chops (your favorite cut)
Salt
Worcestershire sauce
Onion, thinly sliced
Fresh or canned pineapple slices (round)
Brown sugar
Ketchup
Orange juice
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Arrange pork chops in a large baking dish coated with cooking spray. Lightly salt each chop and then sprinkle with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Lay a thin onion slice on each one, topped with a slice of pineapple. On top of that, put a heaping teaspoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of ketchup. Finally, douse the pork chops with orange juice (2/3 cup per pan).
Bake, uncovered, for approximately one hour or until tender.
***
Baked Chicken
Serves 6 to 8, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Ingredients:
Chicken breasts
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups bread crumbs
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Melt butter. Dip chicken breasts in butter, then dredge in bread crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 1½ hours or until done.
***
Meat Loaf
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients:
1½ pounds ground beef
½ cup uncooked oatmeal
¾ cup cracker crumbs
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon parsley flakes
1 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup diced onion
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Mix all of the above ingredients and place in a greased loaf pan.
Bake, uncovered, for one hour.
***
Baked Beef Stew
Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat
12 small pearl onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 slice white bread, cubed
1 (12-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 250º F.
Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish.
Cover and bake for five hours.
***
Whole Wheat Bread
This is a very old recipe (on a brown and weathered note card), so some of the ter
minology may be a bit unfamiliar to us modern-day cooks. I remember Mom baking this bread. Oh, how my mouth watered for that very first warm slice!
Ingredients:
8 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
1 cake compressed wheat
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon salt
3¼ cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cake yeast
Dissolve 1 cake yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand 5 minutes, then add the balance of the sugar, water, and salt. In large bowl, knead the flour (one cup at a time), wheat, water, and yeast mixture to a stiff dough. Knead until smooth, then knead in the shortening.
Allow to rise until dough doubles in bulk. Knead again, place towel over dough, and let rise.
Grease two loaf pans. When dough has risen, split and place in loaf pans. Let rise till doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 450º F.
Bake at 450º F for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350º and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
Remove and place pans on cooling rack.
Allow to cool ten minutes before removing loaves from pans to cool completely on the rack.
***
Broccoli Casserole
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup instant rice
¼ cup butter
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed
½ cup diced American cheese
Preheat oven to 350º F.
In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice and remove from heat. Let rest five minutes.
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