Summer's Glory: Seasons of Faith Book One (Arcadia Valley Romance 2)

by Mary Jane Hathaway

  “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,” they sang. She needed peace. She needed perspective. “Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon…” Violet had always been a peacemaker, the type of teacher who brought students together. It had been effortless. “…where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.” Her life had been easy before Silas had come back to town. She was above all of the gossip and fighting, even among her friends.

  “O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console…” Violet had sung the words a hundred times before. She’d known the song since before she could read. She found herself hearing them in a new way. When Silas had first tried to apologize, she’d refused him. Of course it would have given him peace. She hadn’t wanted that. She’d wanted him to suffer. “…to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love…” Anytime Silas had seemed like he was offering an olive branch, she’d rebuffed him.

  “For it is in giving that we receive…” Tears burned in her eyes as Violet struggled to sing the words. She’d allowed Silas to say he was sorry but she’d made him work for it. She’d thought she was giving him the gift of her forgiveness, but it was Silas who had given her a gift by reaching out, again and again.

  “…it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” Violet saw herself clearly for the first time in years. She’d been carrying around a grudge and the only person it had been wounding was herself. Silas’s apology hadn’t freed her from all the pain of his bullying and teasing. That would never come until she put down her burden and reconciled herself with the past. “And it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”

  As the song ended, Silas slid the hymnal into the pocket of the pew and glanced back at her. Their eyes met and he smiled tentatively. Violet dropped her gaze, hoping her tears hadn’t been obvious from where he stood.

  For years Violet had hoped Silas was suffering the consequences of his actions, paying for all the hurt he’d caused. Even after they’d grown closer, a small part of her wanted him to feel the humiliation and fear she’d felt.

  How wrong she’d been. Silas had made peace with God, and as best he could, with her. He had moved on. She was the one still stuck in the past.

  And the only person who could make it better was herself. Regardless of the details on the robbery, Violet still had work to do.

  ***

  Violet hovered at the doorway to Elise’s hospital room. The beeping of the machines and the antiseptic smell had her on edge. She hadn’t been in a hospital since she’d broken her arm at age twelve.

  Peering inside, she could see Luke, Romy and Mrs. Delis were already in the room. Elise was being treated for a heart ailment and Violet wondered if she might not appreciate seven visitors at a time. “Maybe we should come back later. How about an hour from now?” she asked.

  “You just come on in,” Ron said, waving them inside. Silas stood and offered Mrs. Delis his seat. She smiled at him but shook her head. Silas looked at Violet, gesturing to the chair and she debated for a moment whether to accept. If she didn’t, they would all be standing with two empty chairs, which was silly. If she did, she would have to cross the room and come closer to Silas. Just as a shadow of sadness passed over his face, she decided. She would have to take the first step, literally, to bridge the gap between them.

  “Thank you,” she said and settled into the chair next to Elise’s bed. Romy smiled at her from where she stood next to Luke. They were close, but not touching. If it didn’t blossom into something more, Violet would be very surprised. Reaching over, Violet took the older woman’s hand. “Can I get you anything?”

  “A new heart would be grand,” Elise said, smiling.

  There was an uncomfortable pause and then Ron laughed. “That’s my girl. Never loses her sense of humor.”

  “So there’s no decision yet?” Violet’s mother reached out to Elise on the other side of the bed.

  She shook her head. “Still waiting. And I hate that I left you in the lurch for the canning. You’re probably so far behind.”

  “Don’t you worry for a second. Not one.” Mrs. Delis managed to sound fierce and loving at the same time, her thick Greek accent softening the tone of her voice.

  Elise smiled. “That wasn’t an answer.”

  “Everything is under control. Whatever you need, you know you can count on us.” Violet squeezed her fingers gently. “I don’t have to be back in the classroom until late August. We have plenty of time to get everything done.”

  “Except the tomatoes are all harvested and getting them processed into sauce is a big undertaking.” Tears shimmered in Elise’s eyes. “I just hate letting down my friends.”

  “Oh, hey.” Ron leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You’re not lettin’ anybody down. No way.”

  “We’re almost done. Few more days.” Mrs. Delis looked at Luke and Romy. “Summer is a big feast here. Always was. Always is.”

  “Right,” Luke said. “I’m helping Romy put up their produce, too. Stavros is coming home to help out for a few days, Nico and Charlotte were pitching in yesterday, and Theo is back from his camping trip to the Sawtooths. It’s harvest time and we’re all working hard. But when haven’t we had to prepare and can around our schedules? It’s always this way.”

  Silas added, “We’re doing fine, but of course we miss you.”

  “You’ve always been so good to me. All of you.” She looked around at them. “Every time I need help, someone is already there, taking care of it. Silas is watering my garden and Demi took some canned food to the library to pay my fines.” She noticed Violet’s confused expression. “Charlotte, the director, started Food for Fines. You can pay off your fines with a donation for the food bank.”

  “You’ve always been the one helping out when there was a need,” Luke said. “Now it’s our turn. Don’t worry. Everything is okay.”

  Romy hadn’t spoken yet and Violet noticed her eyes were shining with tears. Of course being in the hospital room must remind her of when her mother passed away. Violet glanced at Silas and noted the tenseness in his jaw and the straight line of his mouth. He was struggling, too, and not just because Elise was ill.

  “Now, you all go out and have a great afternoon. You don’t want to spend all your time in here with me,” Elise said.

  Violet started to protest at the same time as Silas. “We don’t mind―”

  “Of course we want to stay―”

  Elise held up a hand. “I’m real grateful for your visit but what a waste of a sunny day for you all to stay in here.” She looked from Silas to Violet. “Go take those dogs out for a walk. Maybe they’ll hit it off.”

  Luke snorted. “I’d say they already hit it off too well.”

  “What does that mean?” Mrs. Delis asked.

  “They got friendly with each other when Violet brought Thor over to help with the garden.” Romy shrugged. “Nobody was watching.”

  Ron started to laugh. “Oh, boy. I didn’t see that one coming.”

  Elise looked confused for a moment before a smile bloomed on her face. “Well, that’s wonderful!”

  “Nothing is for certain,” Violet said. “It would be better if it was just a false alarm.”

  “Well…” Silas frowned up at the ceiling.

  Violet shot him a look of surprise. Was he going to say he wanted them to be raising puppies together? They had enough trouble just having a conversation that didn’t devolve into tears or apologies.

  “Loki’s been acting oddly,” he said.

  “Uh oh,” Violet said. “How oddly?”

  “You can’t tell yet, can you?” Violet’s mother asked.

  “It’s only been a few weeks but there are signs. She’s got a few chew toys she likes. She’ll drag them around and hide them under the table, things like that. But now, it’s just weird… She’s sort of adopted one and sleeps with it, like it’s a baby.” Silas sho
ok his head. “Maybe it’s nothing.”

  “Nope, sounds like she’s feeling broody.” Ron hitched his thumbs in his belt loops. “Congratulations, you two. I mean, you four.”

  “It’s not really a good thing.” Violet tried to temper the irritation in her voice. “We’ve got potential vet bills, appointments, and finding homes for the puppies, just to start.”

  Elise wasn’t deterred. It was as if she’d been told Christmas was coming early. “If it’s the money, I can help out,” she said excitedly. “We need a litter of beautiful mastiffs in Arcadia Valley. How exciting!”

  “No, no, we’ll be fine,” Violet said quickly. It wasn’t really about the money. It was just so awkward to think of them being connected that way. She glanced at Silas and saw the same hesitation on his face. It wasn’t planned, but here they were, doing the best they could with what was given them. Of course puppies were wonderful. Everybody loved puppies. But it seemed to happen out of the blue. She wasn’t prepared. She hadn’t even considered it. If she had, she would have seriously thought on whether to go through this with Silas, the man she used to hate but now... Now her feelings were so different, so much deeper. She was afraid to even put a name to them.

  “I’ll be praying for puppies,” her mother said, looking happier than Violet had seen her for quite a while. She was fairly bouncing on her toes. “You’ll have to start planning on where her birthing place will be. It has to somewhere she feels safe, but also gives her some privacy. I bet Silas could make a beautiful whelping box.”

  Violet started to say Silas had better things to do than building whelping boxes in his spare time but he was nodding. “I’m sure there are some good plans online. I’ll look around.”

  “It’s going to be a lot of work. I’m sorry that most of it will land with you guys.” She looked to Romy.

  “We’ll all pitch in,” Romy said. She smiled for the first time. “To be honest, I can’t wait. If it turn out she isn’t having puppies, I’m going to be very disappointed.”

  “Well, whatever happens, is God’s will,” Mrs. Delis said.

  “Of course it is.” Violet felt like a Grinch for being so hesitant about the puppies. “I just wish we’d had more warning. Or maybe even some choice in the matter.”

  “Well, timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance,” Violet’s mother said. She looked positively giddy.

  “Mom, I don’t know what that means.”

  “It’s just a saying,” Elise said. “Something us old folks like to spout when we want to sound wise. It means we’re usually the ones behind whatever is happening to us.”

  Violet started to protest. “But we really had no intention of―”

  “Now, you kids get outside and enjoy the sun. I can’t stand thinking of you wasting such a nice day in here with me.” She lay back on the pillow.

  As much as they insisted they wanted to stay, Elise was having none of it. She accepted a hug and kiss from each, then waved them away. “Go,” she said. “Go and do something exciting for me. I’m stuck in here but you don’t have to be. Use those strong hearts and muscles. Go for a swim, take a hike, run around with those dogs. I’ll rest up here, and I’ll be smiling when I think of you young people out there having a good time.” She looked paler than she had just a few minutes ago.

  As they silently made their way down the hallway, Violet thought of Elise’s words. Go and do something exciting for me. She wasn’t the adventuring type. She really enjoyed her quiet life, working in her garden, teaching her eighth graders, helping out her mom, playing with Thor. She wasn’t the kind to rush out and jump off a cliff. But Elise’s directive touched something deep inside her. She only had a little time on this planet, and if she wasn’t going to use it wisely, what was she doing here?

  “Hey, what do you guys think about taking a hike?”

  “Sure,” Silas answered. “We can bring Thor and Loki. They’d love it.” He paused, looking at the others. “I mean, if everybody is free.”

  Luke shook his head. “I’m on call and I can’t get too far from the hospital.”

  “Romy?” Violet asked, feeling a sudden flash of panic. Please, say yes.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. Charlotte’s coming back to help me organize the basement pantry and check that the jars are all sealed.”

  “Do you need help? I can lend a hand, too,” Luke said. “I just might have to run to the hospital if I get called.”

  Romy’s cheeks went pink but she sounded perfectly normal. “Sure. That would be great.”

  “Oh, I forgot about the canning.” Silas grimaced.

  She put a hand on her brother’s arm. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve worked hard all week and I appreciate everything you’ve done already. You guys go ahead. Like Elise said, it’s sad to waste such a beautiful day being inside.”

  Violet swallowed hard. Her mother hadn’t acted any differently toward Silas in the hospital room, but the fact she’d postponed the new project seemed to hang over them all. She couldn’t trust her emotions and there wasn’t any resolution about the robbery, but she was going to have to decide, one way or the other how she and Silas moved forward.

  Silas seemed to read the doubts in her eyes and said, “Maybe it’s not the right day for a hike. It’s pretty hot outside. We could just stay home and read where it’s cool.” He caught himself and hurried on. “Separately, I mean. Different books. In different places.”

  Violet watched his face turn a dark shade of pink and tried not to smile. It was rare that Silas expressed anything less than perfect confidence. “Hm. Maybe. If I do, I’ll be reading Master and Commander. And you?”

  She could see him debating whether to respond but then he decided to give her the answer he’d withheld the day of the robbery. “Probably The Secret of the Caves or The Clue in the Embers.”

  Violet’s mouth dropped open in surprise. So, the unflappable bad boy Silas Black loved the Hardy Boys. She couldn’t have predicted that in a hundred years. “The Mark on the Door is good, too.”

  “One of my favorites.”

  Luke and Romy were watching them with puzzled expressions. “So, are you guys not going? That’s a shame,” Luke said.

  Violet cleared her throat. Her pulse was pounding as she came to a decision. She was going to take her elderly friend’s wisdom to heart in a way she hadn’t anticipated. Spending the afternoon with Silas, far away from any distractions of the city, wasn’t what she’d envisioned when she’d made the invitation, but her life never seemed to go as planned around her old nemesis.

  “I’m still up for a hike.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us.”

  “Guess so,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant and feeling as if she was failing miserably.

  “Great,” Romy said. “Now I don’t have to feel guilty for ruining your afternoon.”

  Luke flashed them both a smile and opened the door for Romy. As they all filed out into the blazing summer morning sun, Violet tried not to smile. She really shouldn’t be surprised that something so simple as a group hiking invitation had turned into a cozy and intimate outing. It seemed that no matter how Violet tried to keep Silas at arm’s length, they ended up back in each other’s orbits, like planets pulled together by forces beyond their control.

  Sneaking a glance at him, Violet noted the set of his mouth and the hunch to his shoulders. She didn’t know if it was good or bad that Silas felt as uncomfortable as she did at the prospect of spending the afternoon alone.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Nature's first green is gold,

  Her hardest hue to hold.”

  ―Robert Frost

  Silas tried not to think of how awkward it was going to get in the next few hours. Violet didn’t seem to be as suspicious of him as her mother, but she definitely had doubts or she would have dropped by or called. Clearly she thought there was some possibility he’d been involved in the robbery that threatened both o
f their lives.

  As they walked into the parking lot, Silas tried giving Luke a distress signal but either his friend was unconcerned, or he was oblivious to Silas’s subtle hints. Silas figured it was the latter when Luke and Romy drove off minutes later. They said goodbye, but Silas felt like they were abandoning him without a backward glance. Of course he didn’t fault Luke for taking any opportunity to be close to Romy. Silas had to admit he was a little bit jealous of the way they seemed to be moving so easily from friendship to something more.

  “Where are you parked?” Violet asked.

  “Eastern corner,” he said, pointing.

  “Me, too.”

  He fell into step beside her, trying to think of something entertaining to say. The heat shimmered off the blacktop and Violet brushed a hand across her forehead. Silas thought of someplace cool and quiet to go. Maybe the park at the end of Main, or take a dip in the swimming hole. No, not the swimming hole. A memory flashed into his mind and he almost groaned out loud. The summer between seventh and eighth grade he’d gone there with friends. Violet and two girls were already there, splashing around the deep pool under the rope swing. Five minutes of shouted teasing and the girls had scrambled out. They’d glared as they gathered their towels and marched away, but Silas and his friends had simply laughed. Mission accomplished, they’d gotten the swimming hole to themselves.

  Silas slowed as he saw that she’d parked a few spots away from his truck. “So…” he said, wishing he had some of Luke’s natural glibness. He bet when Luke asked Romy out, it hadn’t been in a sweltering hospital parking lot surrounded by dirty cars.

  “You really don’t have to hang out with me. I just thought of it because Elise and somehow it sounded like a good idea.” She wasn’t looking directly at him, but rather focusing somewhere over his left shoulder.