By His Hand: Truly Yours Digital Edition

by Jennifer Johnson

  “I hope so. I want Peewee to know who his father was and that Kenny loved him.” She looked at Victoria. “Dylan and I both want that.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Sondra hooked her arm with Victoria’s. “Before we continue our tour, why don’t we head to the house and get breakfast started?”

  Victoria’s stomach grumbled. “Sounds good to me.”

  Feeling as inept in the kitchen as she had in the chicken coop, Victoria did little more than watch as Sondra rolled biscuits, fried bacon, scrambled eggs, and mixed gravy. Being given the seemingly simple task of cracking eggs, Victoria had even botched that by dropping as much shell as egg into the skillet.

  “You’ll learn.” Sondra had tried to encourage her. “Just takes time.”

  Victoria didn’t feel encouraged. She felt like a poor excuse for a person. The things she was good at, like shopping, cosmetology, and hairstyles, were not practical for everyday, real-world living. She could hold her own at movie and television trivia, as well, but that didn’t help here on the farm either.

  Matt woke up, scampered into the kitchen, and wrapped his arms around Sondra’s leg. “I tirsy, Mommy.”

  Victoria smiled at the patch of curls that fell into his eyes. He shook his head and swiped them away.

  “I bet Aunt Victoria will get you a drink of juice.” Sondra unwrapped his arms from her leg and pushed him toward Victoria.

  “Come on, little buddy.” She extended his arms, and he scampered into them. Lifting him to her chest, Victoria nestled her nose against his soft cheek. How could I have spent so long away from you?

  “Juice, Aunt Vic, juice!” Matt grabbed a handful of hair and pulled.

  “No, Matt.” Sondra turned and scolded him. “Do not pull hair. Say please.”

  Matt frowned and stuck out his little bottom lip. Victoria thought she would melt. The child could have her hair, the whole head full. She didn’t want to be the cause of his tears first thing in the morning. Victoria tickled his chin, and he smiled. “Pwease.”

  “A gal can’t resist that.” She grabbed the sippy cup Sondra had set on the counter, opened the refrigerator, and with one arm still holding Matt, managed to pour the juice and attach the lid.

  “Pretty good for a first timer.” Dylan walked into the room, and Matt squealed and practically launched himself toward the man he called Daddy.

  “Come here, Peewee.” Dylan grabbed him out of Victoria’s arms and then tossed him in the air like a play toy. “You gonna help Daddy feed the horses?”

  Matt giggled and nodded his head. A needle still pricked Victoria’s heart that Kenny wasn’t the one taking Matt to feed the horses. Logically, she was happy Matt would have a father to take care of him, but emotionally, Victoria longed to see Kenny with his son. God, Kenny would have been such a good dad.

  “Dylan’s a great dad.” Sondra’s words interrupted Victoria’s thoughts.

  “I can see that.”

  Sondra scooped the scrambled eggs into a serving bowl. “Did you know Dylan was with me when Peewee was born?”

  “No.” Victoria transferred the fresh-from-the-oven biscuits from the baking sheet to a plate.

  “He was. Dylan took care of me when Kenny couldn’t. It’s probably hard for you to see Dylan and Matt together, but he’s proof of God’s mercy and blessings to me and Matt. Even to Kenny.”

  Victoria gazed at Sondra. She couldn’t imagine how it could possibly be a blessing to Kenny.

  “Kenny wouldn’t have wanted me to struggle alone.”

  Victoria sighed. She gazed out the kitchen window and saw Matt scampering as quickly as he could behind Dylan. He struggled to carry a sack, a smaller version of the one Dylan held. No doubt it was the feed for the horses. Even from a distance, Victoria could see Matt’s happiness at getting to help his daddy.

  In that instant, Victoria felt a peace, a real peace. Sondra was right. God had been merciful. He had blessed Sondra, Matt, and even Kenny. Matt was under the tutelage of a man who helped bring him into the world. Kenny would be happy.

  “I need to tell you something, Victoria.”

  Victoria looked at Sondra who was wringing water viciously out of a dishrag and into the sink. “What?”

  Sondra pointed to a chair. “You may want to have a seat.”

  “I’m okay.” Bile rose in Victoria’s throat. Something was about to happen. Something monumental. Again. Victoria didn’t know if she could take many more surprises in her life.

  “A friend of mine is in the insurance business.” Sondra sighed. “I called her last night and asked her if there was any way she could find out who your dad had his insurance with.”

  Victoria slinked down into a chair and plastered a fake smile to her lips. “Yes?”

  “My friend had already heard about your dad’s, uh, situation. He’s fairly well-known. Many people vied for his services.” Sondra wiped splattered milk and egg drippings from the counter. She turned and eyed Victoria. “I might as well just say it. Your dad’s insurance policies weren’t paid up when he left the country.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Sondra placed her hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “What I’m saying is you don’t have any insurance.”

  Chris unscrewed the top to his truck’s gas tank. After selecting the cheaper unleaded gas, he shoved the nozzle into the tank and started to fill up the truck.

  “How’s your car?”

  Chris turned and saw Mandy Reynolds filling up at the pump beside him. “Needin’ some work.”

  “I heard.” Mandy smacked her free hand to her hip. Her two young sons in the back seat began to squabble over a toy. “Roland came home from the vet’s office last night. Said he saw the whole thing and that the girl wasn’t paying a bit of attention.”

  Chris cringed. He tried to keep a low profile in this “May-berry” town. He hated being the topic of conversation, especially after the rumors that had gone around when his ma had up and decided to leave. He and Abby still dealt with the hurt that resulted from the townsfolk’s talk.

  “Virginia called me last night, too. Said the gal was just a hoity-toity, young thing. Came running through the town like she owned the place. Virginia said that girl wasn’t the least bit sorry for ruining that wonderful car you spent all that time fixing up.” Mandy turned toward her sons whose squabble had escalated to an all-out, fist-flinging war. “Give me that toy. Neither one of you gets it.”

  Chris released the handle to the pump and pulled it away from the tank. Glad he’d used his debit card, all he had to do was screw on the cap and he could go.

  “I don’t know who these young gals think they are these days,” Mandy continued, “thinking they can go around slamming into people’s cars …”

  “It was an accident, Mandy.” Chris interrupted her. “She was sorry. It could happen to anyone.” With a nod of his head, he jumped in the truck and added, “Have a good day.” He started the engine and drove toward the ranch. He hoped Victoria didn’t plan on staying too long. If he was having a conversation like that this early in the morning, then Victoria would have a hard way to go around here.

  He glanced at the paper that sat on the passenger’s seat beside him. He’d figured a very fair, actually quite low, price. Her insurance company shouldn’t have a problem with it, especially once they saw the pictures he had taken last night. The fact that he would do the labor for free should also help keep her rates down a bit.

  Pulling into the ranch, he couldn’t seem to get a handle on the sinking feeling that seemed to plague his gut. Probably just the burned biscuits and undercooked eggs from breakfast this morning. Abby had awakened still miffed over her one-month grounding, but Chris had stuck to his guns. He had spoken nicely to her but hadn’t budged on the punishment.

  Chris shut off the engine, grabbed the paper, and opened the truck door just as Victoria opened the screen with a coffee cup in her hand.

  “Chris?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “We just finished the
breakfast dishes, but I’m sure Sondra won’t mind if I find you something to eat …”

  “I’m fine. Already eaten.” Chris smiled. Either country hospitality had already begun to rub off on her, or she genuinely had a sweet turn. Taking in the truth and sincerity radiating from her light eyes and remembering her silent prayer in his car the day before, Chris decided to believe the latter assumption. “I just came to pick up the eggs for the food bank. Brought some milk, too.”

  Victoria frowned. “Food bank? Milk?”

  “Yeah, we swap. I bring Sondra milk, and she donates her extra eggs to families in the county who need them.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all. You take them for her?”

  “A few years back when my pa was still living, he came up with a ministry to take the eggs to the bank as well as distributing them to those who couldn’t get out.”

  Victoria wrapped both hands around the coffee cup and peered into the sky. “Sounds like your dad was as giving a person as Sondra.”

  “Yep, true about both of them.”

  She glanced back at him. “But why does your truck say ‘By His Hand’ on the side?”

  “My sister was so excited about Pa’s ministry that she wanted to give it a name. Once we decided on one, she and I painted the letters on Pa’s older work truck.”

  The memory of his sister and him working all day one Saturday to paint the letters drifted into his mind. They’d gotten into a paint fight, and by the time they’d finished, they were covered in blue and red splotches from the tops of their heads to their toes. Abby’d had blue paint splatters in her hair for weeks afterward.

  Victoria sighed, forcing Chris from his memories. “I don’t know what I’d do without Sondra right now.”

  Unsure of where this conversation was headed and confused by the winsome tone in her voice, Chris cleared his throat and scuffed his shoes along the dirt. “Yes, well …”

  “Anyway.” Victoria placed the cup on the porch railing and wiped her hand on her shorts. Her neck and cheeks blazed red. “Can I help you load them or anything?”

  “No, she always has them boxed and ready by the coop.” He pointed toward the building.

  “Oh.” Victoria furrowed her brow. “I helped her with that this morning and didn’t even realize what we were doing.”

  Her sincerity struck Chris as funny and he laughed. “It’s all new to you, huh.”

  Victoria shrugged and smiled, exposing straight teeth, whiter than he’d ever seen. “Yep, but I’m enjoying it.” Her light eyes danced as she scanned the land around him. “I think I could get used to all this. I’ve never seen so much green and blue in all my life.”

  Chris followed her gaze and wondered if he took nature’s beauty for granted. Looking back at Victoria and the childlike awe in her expression, he knew he did.

  “Do you think God likes blue and green the best?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Have you ever noticed how so much of nature is colored in some shade of the two? I’d never realized it before.”

  “Can’t say that I’ve paid much attention either.” Chris smiled and stepped closer to the porch, feeling drawn to her innocence. For a moment, he wanted to see things from her eyes. He wanted to get to know her more, to find out what she was thinking and what made her think that way. He wanted to ask how her heart felt about the God he served. Could she be as sold out as he wanted to be?

  She blushed again and backed up toward the door. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I say the silliest things. I better go and see if Sondra needs any help.”

  Knocked back into reality, Chris shook his head and looked down at the figures he held. “I also wanted to give you the estimate for fixing my car.”

  Her expression fell, and her eyes clouded. “O–kay.”

  The weight lodged in his gut again, seeming to hold his breath beneath it. Something strong and fierce told him that she would not be able to pay to fix Mary Ann, and he would spend the next two or three years raising the money to do it himself.

  Sondra walked out onto the porch. “Chris, how nice to see you. Come on inside.”

  Chris shook his head. “I just came to bring you some milk and pick up the eggs for the food bank. Give Victoria my figures, as well.” He handed the paper to Victoria. “They’re low. I only put the cost of parts on there since I’ll do the labor myself. Your insurance company shouldn’t have a problem.”

  “O–kay.” Victoria took the paper from him. Her eyes widened as she scanned the page.

  Sondra nudged her shoulder. “You need to tell him.”

  Chris looked from Sondra to Victoria. Victoria’s eyes swelled with emotion for a moment, but she quickly blinked it away. Something in him longed to touch her cheek and tell her everything would be all right. He shook his head. He didn’t even know the woman, except that she was a disaster waiting to happen. And he could sense the wait was about to end … again.

  Victoria glanced at her sister-in-law.

  “Just be honest with him. He’s a great guy,” Sondra whispered.

  She turned to Chris. “I’ve gotta check on the kids. I’ll let you two talk.”

  Victoria glanced at Chris. The snarl on his face compared to that of a bulldog. She just couldn’t quite see the “great guy” Sondra kept talking about. Every time Victoria spoke with him, it was under a large amount of tension. Admittedly, tension caused by her, but it made her nervous nonetheless.

  “So what’s going on?” Chris said the words with what could only be described as vehement dread.

  Victoria inhaled and straightened her shoulders. She would not feel inferior to this man. The accident was her fault. Her circumstances were not. She would do what she could, in whatever way she could, to make things right. After all, she had the Creator of the universe to turn to for guidance, and He never failed her. She smiled. “Would you like to have a seat?” She pointed to one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Lifting her cup, she added, “Maybe a cup of coffee?”

  Chris frowned and the snarl deepened. The Dukes of Hazzard hunk had transformed into a red-eyed bull whose gaze targeted on her. Victoria looked down to see what she’d chosen to wear this morning. Noting the crimson color, she wished she’d chosen more calming attire.

  “No, thank you. Just tell me what you have to say.”

  He did add a thank-you to the no, which encouraged her. Maybe he would take her news better than she’d anticipated. Just spit it out and get it over with. “It seems I don’t have insurance. My daddy didn’t renew our policy, and I didn’t know it.”

  Chris lowered himself into one of the rocking chairs. He closed his eyes and exhaled. She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in an effort to control what he must be feeling.

  Okay, so maybe he’s taking it exactly as I expected. She sat in the chair beside him.

  “All those years. All that saving,” Chris mumbled.

  “I am sorry. I’ll do whatever I can …”

  “Are you?” Chris’s eyes opened and he sat up straight. “Well, that’s wonderful. You come storming into town, smashing my car with no insurance, but you’re nice and sorry.” He stood and stomped off the porch. “I’m so glad you’re sorry.”

  Victoria jumped out of the chair and walked to him. She stood to her full height even though he still towered over her. Lifting her chin, she glared at him. “I will still pay for your precious Mary Ann.”

  “That’s good. It’s the least you could do. After all, it’s your mess …” He pointed at his chest. “And I’m fixing it.”

  “Go on home, Mr. Ratliff.” Victoria stomped away from him. Reaching the porch, she turned to face him. She touched her finger to her other palm. “The money is as good as in your hand.”

  Chris jumped in his truck, growled with the engine, and drove away.

  She bit the inside of her lip. “Now how am I going to go about doing that?”

  five

  Victoria looked away from the pawnshop owner and down at the r
ing one last time. It had been a priceless treasure to her grandmother. Her grandfather died before Victoria had been born, and Grandma had often told her stories of their courtship.

  “My daddy used to chase your grandpa off the porch each time he came around.” Victoria could hear Grandma’s voice and her tongue clicking as if she were in the room with her.

  “But your grandpa would come back the next day anyway.” She had laughed. “Used to drive my daddy crazy.”

  Victoria would nestle into her grandmother’s lap and close her eyes as Grandma combed her fingers through Victoria’s hair. “But your grandpa and I were crazy in love.”

  Victoria touched the small, round diamond resting in a square setting. Smaller diamonds made their home on each side. In truth, the ring wasn’t much to look at, but it had always been precious, first to her grandmother, and since her death, to Victoria.

  “You know I really don’t mind loaning you a little money to help get you started,” Dylan leaned over and whispered in her ear.

  Victoria flashed a smile at the oversized cowboy. He’d really grown on her in the last few days. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Pride isn’t always a good thing, Vic.”

  Victoria sighed, gazing back at the ring. “It’s really not about pride. I’ve never had to work for anything. Never had to lose anything.” She peered up at Dylan. “I’m spoiled. I always have been. I don’t know if I can fully explain this to you, but I have to do this on my own.”

  Dylan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a quick squeeze. “You’re all right, Vic. You’re gonna be just fine.”

  With that, Victoria quickly handed the ring to the pawnshop owner and grabbed the offered money off the counter. “You’ll keep my ring for one month, before anyone can buy it?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The man smiled exposing a missing front tooth. He didn’t appear like someone to be trusted according to every television program Victoria had ever seen, but Dylan had promised that the man ran a legitimate business.