A Place Called Home (19 page)

Both of Julia's sons hung onto her legs after she dismounted and bent to kiss them.

Christine, in watching the little boys at Julia's legs, missed the tenseness that passed between husband and wife.

Once in the barn, Christine moved to unsaddle her horse for a rubdown, but Mac stepped in. “Here, Christine, I'll get that. Boys, take Christine out and show her the puppies.”

Christine had no time to protest as each little boy grabbed a hand and dragged her outside.

Julia could feel Mac's eyes resting upon her. She stopped her work and met his eyes over the dividing wall between the stalls. “I'm sorry, Mac.”

“Why, Julia? We have an agreement. Why did you break it?”

“I wanted to be alone with Christine so she would feel free to open up with me.”

“The boys and I were gone all morning. You could have talked here at the house.”

“But she loves to go riding. I thought it would be relaxing for her and she would want to talk.”

“Those are all excuses, Julia, and well you know it!” Mac's voice was stern but not angry. “Does Christine know you broke our agreement?”

“I lied to her.” Julia began to cry. “I told her I had to ride with someone if I went further than the ranch, and not specifically with you or one of my brothers. I'm sorry, Mac, so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry!” Julia was engulfed in Mac's embrace, his arms holding her tightly against him.

“I've got to talk with her,” Julia hiccuped. “I've got to tell her I was wrong and ask her forgiveness. You forgive me, don't you, Mac?”

“You know I do.” The words came out just as he covered Julia's lips with his own.

This was the scene that Christine, Charles, and Calvin came upon when they returned to the barn. Christine held back, but the boys, evidently accustomed to such sights, ran directly to their parents. Mac and Julia each bent to scoop up a child, the four of them sharing a family hug.

Julia broke away and came toward Christine. Upon seeing the wetness on her cheeks, Christine became concerned.

“Julia?”

“We'll talk later,” she assured her with a smile. “Come on, we'll change clothes and get lunch on the table.”

The MacDonald kitchen was small but cheery. Christine listened with a bit of awe as first Charles and then Calvin thanked God for the meal. To know Christ at such a young age was wonderful.

The conversation around the table turned to the topic of the weather.

“We'll have snow next month, won't we?” Calvin asked.

“I don't know, Cal. It's getting colder every day, but there's no sign of snow,” Mac answered.

“Well, it's got to snow in November,” Charles stated.

“Why is that?” his mother wanted to know.

“Mama! You can't have Thanksgiving without snow! How would you go sledding?” His young voice was incredulous, as
if he couldn't believe his mother didn't understand such important details. The adults all hid amused smiles at this declaration.

After the meal the boys begged Christine to swing with them. Christine hesitated, but Mac spoke his encouragement. “Go ahead. I'll help Julia with the dishes.”

Later, as they washed, Mac looked out at the three at play. “Christine looks enough like you to be a sister.”

“Considering her face and figure, I'll take that as a compliment, but today I don't believe Luke was thinking of her as a sister.”

Mac became instantly alert, his hands going still on the cup he was drying. “Julia, are you matchmaking?”

“No.” His wife turned to him with wide, innocent eyes. But Mac looked skeptical. “Honest, I haven't said a word.” Mac only shook his head in resignation and went on drying.

Julia watched out the window a moment. “I must admit, I did think of what a good-looking couple they would make, but I wasn't going to say anything.”

“Just remember, the Holy Spirit doesn't need your help.” Mac felt the need to remind his well-meaning wife.

Julia watched again as Christine pushed first Charles and then Calvin. All three were laughing. The boys shouted at the air as they swung up higher and higher.

Julia sighed. “They would have made such a cute couple. It seems so romantic.”

Quietly, so quietly that Julia almost missed it, Mac said, “I think so too.”

Julia looked over to see her husband taking special pains with the dish he was drying. Julia moved until she was standing directly in front of him, her height allowing her to look directly up into his face. Mac finished with the dish and reached
for another, but Julia's hand stayed him. “Did you picture Luke and Christine together as a couple?”

“It did cross my mind,” he reluctantly admitted.

Julia stood there until their eyes met and they both began to laugh. Throwing her arms around his neck, Julia said, “I love you, John MacDonald.”

“And I love you, Julia MacDonald.”

Once again Christine came upon the embracing couple. This time without the boys, she withdrew quietly to give them privacy.

Moving through the house, Christine went into the parlor and took a comfortable chair. Seeing this happy Christian family caused Christine to feel discontented. Unbidden, Luke on horseback, handsome and masculine, flashed through her mind. She shoved the picture aside as she also saw Caroline, lovely and dainty in her blue riding habit, on the horse beside him.

Christine was still praying for she knew not what when Julia joined her. “I really should be getting back to Grandma Em's.”

It was tempting for Julia to simply agree to this and take Christine back, but she knew it was best to get it out right now.

“I wanted to talk to you before you go.” Christine, remembering Julia's tears in the barn, waited quietly. “I did something wrong this morning, Christine, and I need to tell you and ask your forgiveness.”

Christine's eyes widened but she kept her peace. “Earlier I told you when I rode further than the ranch I needed to go with someone. I was not completely honest. My agreement with Mac is that I ride with either him or one of my brothers.” Julia stopped, her eyes on the clenched hands in her lap, too ashamed to even look at Christine.

“You're my new sister in Christ. And instead of being an example and a help to you, I lied to make myself look important and to impress you. I would ask you, Christine, from the bottom of my heart, for your forgiveness.”

“It's all right, Julia…”

“No.” Julia cut her off. “Christine, it's not all right and I don't want you to say that it is. Saying it's okay would be condoning what I did. Saying you forgive me would tell me you understood I've done wrong, but you accept my apology and we can forget it and go on. Can you forgive me, Christine?”

Christine saw the truth and importance in Julia's words and was thankful for them. She took Julia's hands in her own. “I forgive you, Julia. I love you and thank you for coming to me. You
have
been a wonderful example to me today. More than you'll ever know.”

“Thank you, Christine. I couldn't have asked God for a more special friend.”

All four MacDonalds took Christine home that afternoon and stayed to share a light supper with her and Grandma Em. Mac, Julia, Charles, and Calvin hugged Christine as they left, thinking that their lives were a bit sweeter with the presence of Christine Bennett.

Since it was too soon for Sue and the baby to be out, Sunday dinner was at their home. Sue stayed up in bed, allowing one visitor at a time, but Elizabeth was brought downstairs and she made the rounds.

The table space at Mark and Sue's did not allow all the adults to eat in the dining room. Christine cheerfully agreed to eat in the kitchen with the children. Luke scowled in Christine's direction as she headed for the kitchen. He was unaware that her reason for going to the kitchen was because she genuinely loved spending time with the children and not because of Caroline's remark the week before. He thought about going after her, but decided against it.

Christine saw the frown and wondered at it. It stayed with her even as she enjoyed a wonderful time with the kids. The three children tried to outdo one another on memory verses. Christine was amazed at all they knew.

Finally she asked, “Why do you memorize Bible verses?”

Calvin answered, “It helps you not to sin. There's even a verse about it.” The children all thought for a while, but could not remember it.

Luke, standing unobserved at the doorway, came in and whispered in Emily's ear. She beamed at them and said, “I will hide God's Word in my heart.” She hesitated, and Luke again bent to her ear. Emily nodded and started over. “I will hide
God's Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” Luke kissed her cheek before pulling up a chair at the table.

Suddenly Christine lost her appetite, so conscious was she of Luke's presence right across the table. She listened to him and the children but only sipped her milk and pushed her food around for something to do with her hands.

“Aren't you going to eat? You can't have dessert unless your plate is clean. Don't you like chicken?” Emily's innocent questions set Christine's cheeks ablaze. She looked over at the little girl next to her and then back at her plate, knowing that the table was quiet, awaiting her answer.

Christine wished with all her heart at this second that the floor would open up so she could fall through.

“Have you always embarrassed so easily?”

Christine's head snapped up at this casual question to find Luke regarding her thoughtfully, his elbow on the table and his chin propped up in his hand. Christine's blush only deepened as he studied her face.

“Uncle Luke, you shouldn't tease Christine.” Calvin, who knew his uncle well enough to have caught the teasing tone in his voice, admonished him in a grown-up way.

“You're right, Cal,” Luke answered, all teasing gone and without taking his eyes from Christine's face, “but Christine is beautiful when she blushes. It's nearly impossible to resist.” Luke smiled at her then. Perfect white teeth stood out against his tan features.

He continued to smile and regard her with such warm amusement that Christine couldn't stay at the table. Luke, who half expected her to give as good as she got, felt badly when, too flustered to speak, Christine fled the table and began to prepare water for the dishes.

Luke sat a bit longer with the children. He noted how Christine was careful to keep her back to the room. Her every
movement spoke of tenseness, and he knew that saying anything, even in kindness, would only make matters worse. So, taking pity on her, he left the kitchen.

“How long have you been a nurse, Maggie?”

“Ah! Now that would be telling. You might even be able to guess my age.” As usual, Maggie was businesslike.

Christine laughed and said, “It must have been wonderful to see Elizabeth come into the world.”

“You're right about that. In all my years of nursing it's a sight I never grow tired of.”

“Are you the only person in your family in medicine?”

“No, no, my father was a doctor and my oldest brother has a practice. His daughter, my niece, is in nurse's training right now. So you can see that my decision to become a nurse was an easy one.”

“Well, for purely selfish reasons I'm glad you are,” Christine told her.

Maggie laughed, “Let's get this coffee to the front room.”

Christine carried a tray full of cups and saucers. Maggie's tray held the coffee, cream, and sugar. Christine's idea to help Maggie serve went out the window when, after she set her tray down, she noticed the occupants of the couch.

Luke sat comfortably holding his baby niece, her downy blonde head moving, her eyes open and searching as Luke talked to her. Next to him, leaning over his arm to see the baby, was Caroline. The entire pose was so tender and familylike that Christine felt tears beginning to form.

Mumbling an excuse to no one in particular about checking on the children, Christine turned for the back door. Once outside, Christine drew in great gulps of cold air, somehow
hoping to freeze the ache in her chest. She could hear the children at the side of the house and took a quick peek to see if they had their sweaters on. Christine thought absently of the coat that Mrs. Hall had ordered. She would be needing it soon.