Kate

by Janice Thompson

  Minutes later, Kate’s eyes grew heavier, heavier, heavier. Though she tried to fight the sleepiness, before she realized it, her eyes were closing—and she was sound asleep. She dreamed of rats and spiders, all chasing her down a big hill!

  Kate couldn’t be sure how much time passed, or if she was dreaming. But at some point, she heard the sound of a man’s voice outside the barn and the sound of a dog barking. It sounded like a distant echo, like something from a dream.

  “W–what is that?” She sat up, trying to figure out where she was. She could only make out shadows in the dark barn, but she definitely heard sounds coming from outside. The barking continued, sounding more and more familiar!

  “Biscuit!” Was she dreaming? It sounded like her canine companion!

  “Is anyone in there?” a man’s booming voice rang out.

  Kate jumped up, her eyes still heavy with sleep. “Sydney! They’ve found us.”

  Sydney awakened and rubbed her eyes. “W–what? Who’s found us?”

  “Sounds like Pop and Uncle Ollie!” Kate tried to stand but could hardly move, she was so cold. Every joint and muscle ached.

  “We’re in here!” she called out. “Help us, please!”

  “We’re here! We’re here!” Sydney called out, sounding hoarse and tired.

  The door to the barn swung wide, and Kate’s father stood there. Uncle Ollie appeared next to him with Biscuit at his side. The dog ran straight for Kate, jumping into the pile of hay and spreading it everywhere.

  “Kate!” her father called out, his voice cracking with emotion. “I was so scared!”

  “Pop! I’m so glad you’re here! How did you know where to find us? I couldn’t use my phone.”

  “Michael came and got us,” Uncle Ollie explained. “He told us you were here.”

  “Michael?” Kate and Sydney spoke at the same time.

  “How did he know we were here?” Kate asked, more confused than ever.

  Uncle Ollie shrugged. “I’m not sure. He just said he saw you girls go into the old red barn on the south side of the pass. He was worried you might be in trouble.”

  “We were in trouble, so why didn’t he come inside and talk to us?” Sydney asked. “That doesn’t make any sense! He left us all by ourselves.”

  Uncle Ollie shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know that he saved your lives by telling us you were here! We owe him our thanks.”

  “Humph.” Sydney crossed her arms and made a face.

  Biscuit jumped up and down, licking Kate in the face.

  “He’s happy to see you!” Uncle Ollie said with a nod.

  “I’m happy to see him too. I…I wasn’t sure I ever would again.” Kate burst into tears at once, realizing just how scared she’d been.

  “How will we get back to the inn?” Sydney asked, looking nervous. “My ankle is injured. And I think it’s really bad this time.” Her tears started up again.

  “Oh, we’re on the snowmobiles,” Kate’s father explained. “But if you’re injured, we’d better take you to the emergency room as soon as we get back to town.”

  Sydney’s tears started flowing when she heard the words emergency room. “I’m never going to get to ski in the competition now. I can’t believe this!”

  “Remember, ‘all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose,’” Uncle Ollie reminded her. “God will use this situation in a good way. Just watch and see.”

  “I don’t see how He can, but I’m going to choose to believe that,” Sydney said with a sigh.

  Minutes later the girls climbed aboard the snowmobiles. Kate rode behind her father, and Sydney rode behind Uncle Ollie. As they made their way up one hill and down another, Kate thought about everything that had happened that day. Sydney’s ankle. Almost falling down into a frozen creek. Finding refuge in a barn. Michael.

  Hmm. Thinking of Michael raised so many questions. He hadn’t been a mirage after all. But why didn’t he stop to talk to them? Why did he run off, even if it was to get help?

  Something about that boy just seems wrong.

  As soon as they arrived at the inn, Kate’s mother and aunt Molly ran out to greet them. The girls were showered with kisses, then Kate’s mom called Sydney’s mother on the phone to tell her what had happened.

  She gave them permission to take Sydney to the emergency room, and the girls and Mrs. Oliver piled into the car. As soon as they got inside the car, Kate finally felt free to cry. Oh, what a day it had been! Her tears flowed—partly in relief for being safe and partly because of the things she had faced earlier in the day.

  Just then, her cell phone beeped. Now I get a signal! She glanced down, noticing a text message had come in from Elizabeth. Strangely, it was a scripture verse, the same one she and Sydney had been quoting all day.

  Kate almost cried as she read the words: I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

  Somehow she knew this was more than a coincidence.

  Curds and Whey

  Later that evening, after returning from the emergency room, Kate and Sydney enjoyed a quiet evening with the family. Thankfully, Sydney’s ankle wasn’t broken, though the doctor said it was a bad sprain. After putting a splint on it, he warned Sydney to stay off it for at least two weeks and to keep it elevated. She didn’t care for that idea very much.

  “That’s my whole Christmas break!” she had argued. Still, she had no choice. Under Aunt Molly’s watchful eye, Sydney kept it elevated for the rest of the day and kept ice packs on it. Every time she started to put it down, Aunt Molly would tell her she was going to call her mama. Then Sydney would put it back up again and groan.

  As they ate their dinner, Kate kept thinking about the skiing competition. What a shame! Three hundred dollars lost! Sydney wouldn’t get to go on her mission trip now, after all. But what could be done about it? And with Sydney’s ankle in such bad shape, would they ever figure out what was going on at the creamery? Surely Kate’s parents wouldn’t let her go alone to snoop, not after what happened today!

  After a wonderful meal, everyone relaxed around the fireplace and told stories. Kate told everything that had happened to them on the ski course, right down to the point where she almost fell into the frozen creek. Her mother’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Oh, I should have gone with you! I can’t believe I let you go without an adult. Can you ever forgive me for letting you go alone?”

  Kate rushed to her mom’s side and leaned against her. “There’s nothing to forgive, Mom! We wanted to go by ourselves, remember? But I forgive you, anyway…if it makes you feel better! I’ve learned to forgive quickly and not to hold a grudge!” She gave her mom a squeeze. “Not that I could ever hold a grudge against you—even if you did do something wrong, which you didn’t!”

  “Thank you, sweetie,” her mother said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. “That makes me feel better.”

  “Forgiving quickly is always a good plan,” her father said. “Remember that time I had to forgive the man who claimed he invented one of my robots?”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Kate said. “I’d forgotten about that.”

  “And remember the time that woman backed out of her parking space and hit my car?” Kate’s mom said. “She wasn’t very nice about it, and neither was the insurance company—but I had to forgive.”

  “I remember it was tough—especially because she wasn’t nice about it.” Kate shook her head, wondering how some people could be so mean. Why can’t everyone just be nice…like my mom and dad?

  “Once, someone found my checking account number and stole some money from my bank account,” Uncle Ollie said. “He took hundreds of dollars and I was really mad. At first. But I got over it. I read that verse about forgiving as Jesus forgives and decided it wasn’t worth holding a grudge.”

  “It never is,” Aunt Molly said. She turned to Kate with a wink. “And I’m sure you’ve already forgiven the boy in your class who made fun of you, haven
’t you, honey?”

  “Yes.” Kate nodded. “I’ve forgiven him.”

  Sydney groaned and everyone looked her way.

  “What’s wrong?” Kate’s mom asked with a worried look on her face. “Are you in pain?”

  “No.” Sydney looked sad. “I guess I just have to learn to forgive myself. I got so excited, thinking I could win that contest, that I put all my hopes in myself instead of in God. And I let myself down by getting hurt.”

  “You can hardly be mad at yourself for getting hurt!” Aunt Molly said. “That just doesn’t make sense!”

  “Oh, I know. But I’m disappointed in myself because I was so sure I was going to win the prize.” Sydney shrugged. “Just goes to show you I was putting my trust in the wrong person. Me.” She looked at the floor, her eyes filling with tears. “I guess I do that a lot, actually. I’m pretty good at sports, so sometimes I think I can do things on my own without God’s help. I forget that He’s the one in charge.”

  “I think we all do that sometimes,” Uncle Ollie admitted. “But God always forgives us, if we ask.”

  “I will. I promise.” Sydney smiled. “And if He wants me to go on that mission trip, I’ll go—one way or the other.”

  “That’s right! He always makes a way where there seems to be no way.” Kate’s dad said. “That’s a promise from the Bible. And you know God’s promises are true. He is faithful to do what He says He’s going to do.”

  Sydney nodded and smiled for the first time all evening. “I feel so much better. Thank you for reminding me. I needed to hear that!”

  Kate didn’t say anything, but she was glad for the reminder too.

  After dinner, they all gathered in the big central room, where they ate large slices of warm apple pie and drank apple cider flavored with cinnamon sticks. As Kate leaned back against the super-sized pillows on the sofa, she looked around the room and thanked God for the special people in her life. She also thanked Him for protecting her and getting her back to her family safely.

  For a moment—a brief moment—she felt a little sad. After all, they only had three more days in Mad River Valley. She and Sydney hadn’t solved the mystery, and now Sydney wasn’t going to get to ski. Looked like things weren’t working out the way they’d hoped. Still, she had to believe God would work everything together for His good, just like Uncle Ollie said.

  “A penny for your thoughts, Kate,” Aunt Molly said with a hint of a smile.

  Kate turned to her with a grin. “Oh, I’m just thinking of how God always has bigger and better plans than we do!”

  “He sure does!” Aunt Molly agreed. “And I have a sneaking suspicion He’s got more plans ahead than you know!”

  Kate thought about that. Maybe Aunt Molly was right. Maybe there were plenty of adventures ahead!

  A couple of hours later everyone headed off to bed.

  “It’s been a long day,” Aunt Molly said with a yawn. “I’m going to sleep like a bug in a rug tonight.”

  “Ooo! Did you have to say that?” Kate said. “Thinking of bugs reminds me of all those spiders we saw today in that old barn!”

  “Sorry, kiddo,” said Aunt Molly. “I’m going to sleep well tonight.”

  “I’m not sleepy at all,” Kate admitted. “My mind is still going, going, going! I can’t seem to stop thinking about everything.”

  “Well, try to get some rest anyway, honey,” her mother said. “You need to enjoy our last few days in Vermont, and that won’t happen if you don’t get enough sleep.”

  Kate and Sydney dressed for bed and then climbed under the covers. Kate tossed and turned for at least an hour. She finally gave up and kicked off the blanket.

  “What’s up?” Sydney asked, opening one eye.

  “It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I just can’t go to sleep,” Kate said with a loud sigh.

  “How come?” Sydney asked with a yawn.

  “I have too much on my mind. Things are all jumbled up.”

  “Really? What do you mean?”

  “My thoughts must look kind of like the curds and whey in that big container at the creamery. Everything is all mixed up. Lumpy.”

  Sydney chuckled. “Sounds funny, but I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.”

  “Well, I have a lot on my mind. The competition. The creamery. The picture of that rat. The woman in the white coat…and her husband. Michael and the barn filled with spiders.” She shook her head. “It’s just a lot to think about. I’m having trouble falling asleep with my mind whirling like this.”

  “Well, try counting sheep,” Sydney suggested.

  Kate pulled the blanket back up and closed her eyes, but for some reason, all she saw were rats and spiders. “Ugh!” She tried to fall asleep with her eyes open, but that didn’t work either. Suddenly, Kate sat up in the bed and gasped. “Sydney! I just remembered something!”

  Sydney rolled over in the bed and groaned. “We’re never going to get any sleep!”

  “I know, but this is important!”

  “What is it?”

  “The man behind the creamery…the one with the woman in the white coat…”

  “What about him?” Sydney asked with a yawn.

  “His name was Mark.” Kate pushed the covers back once more, suddenly very nervous. “Remember? The woman called him by that name!”

  “So?”

  “So, Alexis said Mark was the name of the man who owns Cheese De-Lite, Mad River’s main competitor. Right?”

  “Ah.” Sydney sat up in the bed. “That’s right. And didn’t she say his picture was on the website?”

  “Yes, I think so. There’s only one way to know for sure!”

  The girls sprang from the bed and tiptoed out into the great room of the inn, where Uncle Ollie kept two computers for guests to use. Kate quickly signed online and typed in “Cheese De-Lite.” When the web page came up, she gasped.

  “Oh Sydney, look!” She pointed at the screen. Right there—in living color—was a professional photo of the man and the woman they’d seen on the tour that day, and again behind the creamery. “Mark and Abigail Collingsworth, owners of Cheese De-Lite in central Vermont.” Kate shook her head as she read the words aloud. “Do you think they…”

  “I don’t know.” Sydney began to pace back and forth. “I suppose it’s possible. Maybe they want to make Mad River Creamery look bad so they can steal their customers.”

  “Seems weird.” Kate thought about it. “Why would they go to such trouble? Why not just hire an advertising firm to come up with better commercials or something?” She began to list several different possibilities, but none of them made sense.

  “I don’t know.” Sydney shrugged.

  Kate shook her head and continued to stare at the photo. “I just have the strangest feeling about these two. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “What are you thinking?” Sydney asked. “Tell me…please!”

  Just then a light snapped on in the room. “What in the world are you girls doing up after midnight?”

  Kate turned when she heard her dad’s voice. “Oh Dad, I’m sorry! We didn’t mean to wake you up, but we just found another piece to the puzzle!”

  All of the noise woke up Biscuit, who began to yap and run in circles. Before long, Uncle Ollie came into the room. Then Kate’s mom. Then Aunt Molly. Then Dexter, who rubbed his eyes and looked at them all like he thought it was morning.

  “What’s happening, girls?” Aunt Molly said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  Kate turned her attention to the website, showing it to the others.

  “Do these people look familiar to you?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” Aunt Molly squinted. “Wish I had my glasses on…I’d be able to see better. But they don’t look familiar to me. What about you, Ollie? Do you know these folks?”

  “I don’t recognize them.” He snapped his fingers. “But, come to think of it, I did hear Michael say some couple was snooping around town, asking a lot of questions abo
ut the creamery.”

  “Michael said that?” Kate released a breath, then leaned back in her chair.

  “Yes.”

  Even stranger. “This is Mark Collingsworth,” Kate explained, pointing at the picture of the man. “And his wife, Abby.”

  “What about them?” Aunt Molly asked.

  “They own a creamery about fifty miles away. A competitor. This is the man Sydney and I saw the other day behind the building. And this woman was with him.”

  “Wow. Very suspicious.” Uncle Ollie nodded. “We’ll have to call the Hamptons in the morning and tell them.” He scratched his bald head and pursed his lips. “Do you think he and his wife are the ones sabotaging the creamery?”

  Kate sighed. “Maybe. I’m not sure. We don’t really have any proof, and I hate to accuse someone unless I know for sure.”

  “We just know they were doing something behind the building that day,” Sydney added.

  “Well, let’s talk about this in the morning,” Kate’s dad said with a yawn. “There’s no point trying to solve a mystery in the middle of the night. We all need our rest, especially if we’re going to go to the Winter Festival.”

  Kate’s heart twisted at his words. If Sydney couldn’t compete, what was the point in going?

  Just as the girls crawled back into bed once more, Sydney sat up with a silly grin on her face. “I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!”

  “What is it?” Kate asked, yawning.

  “Just because I can’t enter the competition doesn’t mean you can’t.”

  “W–what?” Kate sat straight up and stared at her friend in disbelief. “Did you just say what I thought you said? You want me to take your place in the competition?”

  “Sure! Why not? You did a great job skiing down the Rat. And I’d be willing to bet the people in charge of the festival will transfer my entry fee to you once they hear that I’m injured.”

  “But, why?”