By Summer's End (Christian Fiction)

by Rosemarie Naramore

  “I’m just trying to help,” he said, feigning innocence.

  “Go!”

  Annabelle sighed woefully. “Please, Holly.”

  She laughed. “Okay. I’ll take him off your hands.”

  Annabelle gave her an imploring glance. “Keep him for as long as you can abide him. Please.” She winced. “Wait, you’ll be back in a minute and a half, based on that criterion…”

  “Hey, I’m a delight,” Ryan said, as he took Holly’s elbow.

  Annabelle and Brianna were already back to their planning efforts and engaged in a rousing conversation about the best place on the property to have the wedding. They were discussing the merits of renting tents, considering the temperamental Pacific Northwest weather when Ryan and Holly left them via the French doors at the back of the great room.

  To Holly’s surprise, Ryan reached for her hand. He led her down a long stairway off the expansive back desk and out towards the barn. Inside, he took her to see their new acquisition. “This is Zeus,” he said, pointing out the massive black stallion. “He’s a good looking chap, isn’t he?”

  She nodded. “He’s beautiful. Intimidating, but beautiful.”

  Ryan nodded and then laughed without humor. “Annabelle’s timing leaves a lot to be desired,” he murmured, watching the horse as it pawed at the ground. “She had to have this guy, but now she plans to leave him for a year or more, which means...”

  She met his gaze.

  “Which means, I’m either going to have to hire a caretaker for this place, or stay here myself.”

  “But … don’t you live here?”

  “I have been since I got back from my trip, but I had been living in a condo in downtown Vancouver.”

  “Did you like living in a condo?” She had a difficult time envisioning him holed up in a small space, without a yard to call his own. Perhaps the condo had a backyard, she speculated.

  “I did like the condo,” he told her. “I bought it move-in ready and there was little more than a postage-stamp sized backyard to care for, and I wasn’t responsible for mowing it.” He sighed. “It was great.”

  “Maybe you could … move back?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Sold it. And now I’m here, my future cast upon the wind…”

  She searched his face. Although he was attempting to be light-hearted, she sensed a sadness to him. She reached for his arm and gave it a squeeze. “Maybe you should take some time to simply ‘be,’ she said. “Annabelle seems to think you’ve earned a break.”

  He smiled at that. “She’s glad I’ve made the decision to sell. I know that.” He turned to study the stallion for a moment. “Apparently, I’m not cut out for the business.”

  “Before, you told me a little about what you do…”

  “And I got the definite impression you disapproved.”

  Her eyes widened. “Ryan, I’m sorry if…”

  “No, Holly.” He shook his head, his frustration aimed at himself. “I’m sorry. That came out so wrong. The truth is, I disapproved of what we did, yet, I did it so well,” he added with a sad smile.

  “But you’re not doing it anymore?”

  “No, I can’t. I … just can’t.”

  He drew silent again and continued staring at the stallion. “I oughta pack him up and send him with her,” he mused aloud.

  “You’re going to miss her.”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Do you think you’ll stay in the house?”

  He turned toward her. “Do you want me to?” He sighed bleakly. “Sorry, that was forward of me.”

  She hesitated before answering, but opted for the truth. “Yes.”

  His lips twitched into a smile. He turned back to the horse, but draped an arm over Holly’s shoulders. “You fit,” he said, without looking her way.

  She had to agree, she did fit. His arms around her felt perfect, as if they were made to hold her and only her. When he kissed her, she met him willingly, greedily, and wondered, who was she?

  She had her convictions! She couldn’t date a man unless she knew he was a Christian, and she had decided to postpone any serious romantic entanglements until she was debt free. Yet…

  She forced away the troublesome thoughts, allowing herself to lose herself in the moment. Kissing Ryan felt so right, how could it be wrong?

  ***

  “Did you enjoy your walk with Ryan?” Brianna asked, as she and Holly drove home from the McGraw’s.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You kissed him,” she said smugly, but quickly clarified, “well, he probably kissed you. I hope you had the good sense to let him. I want a big brother.”

  Holly chuckled. “You do, huh?”

  “Yes. I’m too young for a father-in-law.”

  Holly gave her a puzzled glance. “What?”

  She shook her head, deciding it was too complicated to explain.

  Holly, however, wasn’t letting the subject drop. “I wholly agree. You’re too young for a father-in-law.”

  Brianna sighed happily—her emotions seeming to change from one spectrum to the other in the span of a blink. “I can’t wait for Annabelle’s wedding.” She paused and frowned. “Actually, yes, I can. I’m going to really miss her when she’s gone.”

  “You two do have a lot in common,” Holly said.

  Brianna turned toward her quickly. “Not as much as we do,” she said honestly. “Holly, I want you to know that I really respect you a lot. If I’m half the person you are when I’m adult, I’ll be a good person.”

  Holly’s heart swelled at the compliment. After pulling into her drive and parking, she turned to Brianna. “You are a wonderful person, and I love you … and … I can’t wait to try out the chair. I’ll race you!”

  The two hurried out of the car. Brianna was first to top the porch. “Oh, well,” Holly said. “I’m happy to give you the first turn.”

  “No, you first,” Brianna insisted.

  They entered the house and both were just about to head for the chair when someone knocked on the front door. “Who can that be?” Holly wondered aloud, as she hurried to answer it.

  Brianna followed, but Holly put a protective hand behind her, to keep her sister safely tucked out of harm’s way. It was an instinctive gesture that never failed to warm Brianna’s heart.

  Holly pulled open the door. A young man was standing on the porch. Sandy, straggly hair hung across his eyes and his clothes were bedraggled.

  He smiled widely. “Hi. I was just wondering if you could use any help around here. I know you just moved in. Anyway, I’m a pretty good handyman and…”

  Holly smiled. “Thank you so much for the offer, but we really don’t need any help right now. We’re doing pretty well making repairs on our own.”

  The smile on his face vanished and he took a step closer. “I saw that the old fence out back is a wreck,” he observed. “I could fix it for you.”

  “We just don’t have the money to buy materials right now,” she told him honestly.

  “What about the barn door. It sticks when you try to…” The instant he said the words, he realized he’d said too much.

  Holly’s eyes narrowed. “So you’ve gone out back of our property…?”

  He attempted a reassuring smile. “I just wanted to help. But if you don’t need me, I’ll … just go.”

  He spun on his heel and jogged off. Holly was surprised to see he had a vehicle. A decrepit Dodge Dart was parked at an angle behind her car. She continued watching him as he started the car and began backing it around, so he could drive nose-first out of the drive.

  “Brianna,” she called. “Do you have your phone handy?”

  “Yes. Should I call 911?”

  “No, but make note of this license plate for me, will you?” She recited the license plate number, along with the color and make and model of the car. “Hang onto it please. Don’t delete it. If something happens around here, I have a feeling we’ll know who’s responsible.”

  As muc
h as Holly hated to judge the young man, there was something sinister about him. Being close to him had caused the hairs to stand up on the back of her neck. She hadn’t missed the predatory look about him, or the way he attempted to see past her and into the house. She also hadn’t missed how his eyes kept moving to Brianna, as if he was desperate for a closer look.

  She continued watching the kid, to assure he drove away, and then closed and locked the door. She hurried to the back of the house, to make sure the door was locked as well. Thankfully, it was. She turned to speak to Brianna, only to discover she was on the phone.

  “Yes, Ryan. He was youngish, with long, stringy hair. I have his license plate number, as well as the make and model of the car.”

  Holly wasn’t sure how to react to discovering that Brianna had called Ryan. It wasn’t his responsibility to take care of them, or to ward off strangers on their behalf. He hadn’t signed on to be their knight-in-shining-armor.

  “Sure, Holly is right here.” She passed her the phone.

  Holly took it. “I’m sorry, Ryan. I didn’t know Brianna was going to call you.” She sent her sister a frustrated glance.

  “I’m glad she did,” he said. “I’ve entered his plate into my phone, as well as the make and model of the car. I’m going to have a friend of mine at the police department run a check on it first thing in the morning.”

  “Oh, I’m sure that’s not necessary,” she said, albeit half-heartedly.

  “It’s no big deal,” he assured her. “It concerns me that he knew about the condition of the fence and about the barn door sticking. Obviously he’s been back there. Did you do a walk-thru inside?” He paused. “You know what. I think I’ll just head over there—to be on the safe side.”

  “No, Ryan. That’s not necessary. I’ll check out the rest of the house and if there’s anything of concern, I’ll call you. But I’m sure everything is fine. Besides, it’s not as if we have anything of real value here.”

  Yes, you do, he thought. You’re the treasure in that house, and that kid sister of yours…

  “Well, please don’t hesitate to call me if he shows up again. Call 911, but me directly after, please. I’d rather you not take any chances.”

  “Thank you for your concern,” she said, smiling.

  Brianna noticed the dreamy look on her ever-sensible sister’s face. She broke into a smile. “Holly loves Ryan,” she began singing softly, as she danced around her. “Holly loves Ryan…”

  Holly shook her head and showed her sister to her room with a sharp point of her pointer finger in that direction. Brianna laughed as she went into her room to get ready for bed.

  Holly spoke to Ryan a moment or two longer and then signed off. When Brianna returned, she found her staring at the phone with a dreamy expression on her face. She clapped her hands gleefully. “The mighty have fallen!” she cried.

  Holly gave her a dirty look, but couldn’t help laughing. “You’re an awful kid,” she said, trying to subdue her laughter.

  “You love me,” she said smugly. “Hey, let’s try out the chair.”

  “You first,” Holly said, “because when I finally sit down, I probably won’t be able to get back up.”

  They walked over to examine Brianna’s handiwork. Holly ran a hand over the polished wood. “This rose is beautiful,” Holly gushed. “When did we buy a rose stencil?”

  “We didn’t. I made it myself.”

  “You free-handed this?” she said, sounding stunned.

  She nodded.

  “Wow, Brianna, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe you made this yourself.”

  Brianna smiled. “I’ve always enjoyed drawing.”

  “You never told me that.”

  “I never thought about it.”

  “You know, with your artistic ability, and my propensity for finding peoples’ castoff furniture on the sides of local roadways, we might manage to make a little extra money.”

  “What are you thinking?” Brianna asked with interest.

  “Well, maybe you and I could refurbish pieces to sell. Of course, we’ll try to furnish our place first. And since you already have a job, we’ll probably wait until the fall, but…”

  Brianna was nodding in agreement. “We could pick up old pieces and make them beautiful,” she said eagerly. “I like it.”

  Holly offered an impish grin and dropped into the chair. “Ahh,” she said. “It’s perfect.” She gently began rocking and found herself growing sleepy.

  Brianna sat down in the nearby recliner. “Tonight was fun at the McGraw’s,” she said with a yawn herself. “It’s weird, but they feel like family.”

  Holly considered the observation. Annabelle did feel like a sister, though Ryan felt anything but like a brother to her. She could, however, understand how Brianna might look up to him with the same hero worship she might feel for an older brother.

  “Ryan so has the hots for you,” Brianna said with a smile. “He couldn’t wait to get you alone so he could kiss you.”

  “You’re making assumptions,” Holly said.

  “Nuh uh,” she said confidently. “Besides, when you came back in, his lips had turned a particular shade of coral…”

  “Oh, wow,” Holly groaned. “I hope Annabelle didn’t notice.”

  “She did, and boy howdy, she was grinning. I’m pretty sure she’d like to see Ryan happily married.”

  Holly didn’t respond. She simply smiled and leaned back against the hard, wooden headrest. “I can’t get married,” she mused. “I’m a bad catch. Remember? I come with a huge bill.”

  “It wouldn’t bother Ryan that you have a little debt,” she assured her.

  “There’s nothing little about it.” She forced herself to stand and gave a dismissive wave. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. We both have early mornings.”

  Brianna stood from the recliner and they linked arms and walked first to Brianna’s room. Holly gave her a quick hug and left her for her own room. After ducking in her bathroom to get ready for bed, she spotted the bed from the doorway, sighed with pleasure, and crossed the room. She sunk into the comfort of the mattress and pulled the light covers up to her neck.

  “Lord,” she prayed sleepily, “let thy will be done.”

  And for the first time, she found herself hoping, praying, that she and God were on the same page. She hoped He would find a way to help her pay off her debt. She also hoped Ryan was a Christian.

  She should have asked him, but she feared receiving an answer she didn’t want to hear. She would ask him tomorrow. She yawned. Yes. She would ask him tomorrow.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Holly didn’t have the opportunity to ask any questions of Ryan, since she didn’t see him during the next week. Saturday came around, and now Sunday, and she still hadn’t had occasion to see or speak to him.

  He wasn’t at church today either. When she nonchalantly asked Annabelle how he was doing, she had answered with a long sigh. “He’s been working twenty-four seven finalizing the details of the sale of the business. When I suggested he sell, I had no idea how much was involved.”

  “I hope things go smoothly,” Holly said.

  “I appreciate that, but my impression is, it’s anything but. Apparently the parties are having trouble agreeing on some of the specific terms.” She gave a shrug. “Ryan can handle it.”

  Holly left church alone, since Brianna accompanied Annabelle home to assist with wedding planning. Home by herself, she felt an unfamiliar sadness settle over her. She missed her sister and began thinking about all the years that had passed in which she hadn’t had the opportunity to know her. She felt a wave of resentment threaten to overtake her and struggled to force it away.

  She hurried to fix herself a sandwich for lunch, and then sat down at the kitchen island to eat it. Unable to understand the odd melancholy she was experiencing, she decided to take a walk after finishing her lunch.

  She changed out of her top and skirt and into shorts and a t-shirt. After locking
up behind her, she left the house and began walking along the roadway. Whenever she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle, she was careful to stay to the far right of the road.

  She was relieved when she came to a small lane that dissected the main road. She took a right and began walking up the tree-lined lane. To her left she spotted a herd of cows, to her right, fields of blueberries. The sight of the berries made her mouth water.

  She was delighted to see the property owners had set up a small stand just ahead, in which they sold the ripened berries to passers-by. After purchasing a pint, she turned back toward home and munched on the delicious berries as she walked.

  She enjoyed the soft sounds of nature around her—a frog croaking, a cow mooing from a distant pasture, several birds chirping. A small rabbit skittered out from a bush and a butterfly tickled her elbow. “Thank you, Lord,” she prayed. “You’ve given me so much beauty to enjoy.”

  Breathing deeply, she inhaled the heady scent of hay nearby. Even the tantalizing scent of berries teased her nose, though she’d left the fields behind her. She paused briefly to enjoy the feel of the warm sun on her shoulders and had the sense of coming home.

  When she reached the end of the lane, she paused to allow traffic to pass. To her surprise, Ryan pulled up in his truck. “Out for your Sunday constitutional?” he asked with a smile.

  She nodded. “It’s such a gorgeous day in such beautiful country.”

  He searched her face and frowned. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine. Why do you ask?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem…”

  “You’re very perceptive,” she told him, surprised he had picked up on her feelings. “I guess I’m feeling a little gloomy but my walk has definitely been a pick-me-up.”

  “Well, climb in. I’ll take you for ice cream in town. That’ll cheer you up even more.”

  She smiled her thanks but shook her head. “I’ve been told you’ve been working around the clock. You probably have a lot to do at home.”

  “Yes, I do, but I just came from there. My sister and yours are currently neck-deep in wedding preparations. While I was there, Annabelle constantly asked me my opinions—she’s under some misguided notion that if she doesn’t include me in her wedding planning, I’ll feel left out—but the truth is, I don’t have a clue about any of it.” He gave a shrug. “I don’t know anything about wedding flowers and she was determined I make some sort of informed decision about them. I told her to pick the wild flowers beyond the north pasture for her bridal bouquet.”