Betting on Love (10 page)

They didn’t talk as they ate their sandwiches, apples, and cookies, but Drew noted that she did eat. In fact, she ate everything on her plate. She must have been starving. She stared off into space, and Drew prayed for the right words to say to her.

“It was good you got Roy to the hospital so quickly.” She nodded.

“They believe he’s going to make a full recovery.”

She gazed at Drew. Her eyes pooled with tears. “I was so scared. I thought he was going to die right there in the living room. I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did exactly what you were supposed to do.”

She shook her head. “But I couldn’t help him. Not really. I could make him comfortable and keep him from vomiting all over himself, but I couldn’t fix him. I couldn’t make him better. I couldn’t control—” Her voice broke, and she sucked in a deep breath. She picked up a paper towel and patted her eyes.

Drew reached across the table and patted her hand. “Melody, you did everything right. Just like Renee said, you did good.”

Melody shook her head. “I had no control.”

Drew furrowed his eyebrows, beginning to see the basis of Melody’s need to be the best for the first time. “None of us do. Not really.”

The next morning Drew woke up long before the sun. Several of his friends were supposed to come over to start framing his house. With spending the afternoon with Melody and most of the evening at the hospital, he’d forgotten to tell them they’d wait until next week.

He started down the stairs to get the coffee brewing before his dad woke up. The strong aroma filled his nostrils before he made it into the kitchen. He saw his dad already dressed in work clothes and boots, sitting at the table with a steaming mug pressed against his lips. He set the mug down and looked at Drew. “‘Bout time you got up, son. I thought we had a house to frame today.”

Drew furrowed his eyebrows. “Dad, I just assumed we’d wait. What with Roy’s stroke yesterday, and—I’m sure no one is going to show up.”

“I guess I’m no one,” Nick’s deep voice sounded from inside the pantry. He held a dainty, rose-framed container of sugar in his left hand and his fish-decorated coffee cup in his right.

Drew grinned at how ridiculous his oversized friend looked pouring sugar from that container into the oversized mug. “Nick, what are you doing here? You should be with your dad.”

Nick guffawed. “Are you kidding? Dad’s mad as a hornet that he couldn’t be here. You know how the man is. He was carrying on, even while slurring his words, that he was slacking on his part.”

Drew pursed his lips. He knew Nick was probably telling the truth about that. Roy never shirked on a task he’d told someone he’d do. Nick’s and Drew’s dads had raised both of them to be that way. If a person told someone they were going to do something they had better do it.
A man’s only as good as his word.
He’d heard Roy and his dad say those words so many times they used to make him sick.

Drew scratched at the stubble on his jaw. “Well, I think the three of us will have our work cut out for us. Won’t be easy framing the house with just us.”

“Now why would you think that?” His dad scooted his chair back and leaned his arm against the table. “Mike and his dad and brother, as well as about five guys from church, are all coming to help get that house framed. It’s just a little ranch house. We’ll have it done by the end of the day.”

Drew’s jaw dropped. “They’re all coming?” He scratched his head. “I just assumed—I mean, Roy had a stroke, and we all lost a good part of a day’s work on the farm.” He nodded toward Nick. “Not that we minded. You know Roy’s health comes first.”

Nick lifted his hand to stop Drew’s words. “Enough of that, sleeping beauty.”

Drew looked down, noting that he still wore the basketball shorts and white T-shirt he’d worn to bed.

Nick shooed him with his hand. “Just get your tail on up those steps and get ready. We’ve got a house to frame.”

Drew turned and climbed the first two steps. He looked back at Nick. “Roy’s really doing good?”

Nick swallowed hard, and Drew knew yesterday had nearly scared the life out of him. Drew couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if it had been his dad lying in that hospital bed. It was bad enough that it was Roy. He was like an uncle to Drew.

Nick nodded. “He really is. I’ve already talked to Mom this morning.” He cleared his throat, probably warding off a show of emotion. “We’re very thankful.”

“How ‘bout Melody? She was still pretty shook up when I left yesterday.”

“Melody is so hard to figure out.” Nick leaned against the pantry door. “Usually she has something to say or argues about everything. But she was real quiet yesterday. I can’t tell what’s going on in her head.”

Drew nodded then headed back up the steps. Melody was a hard one to read. No doubt about that. But yesterday he felt he’d seen a little insight into her “problem.”

The woman needed to be in control. It was no wonder she hadn’t accepted God as her Savior. Becoming a Christian was all about faith and being willing to give up control of her life to follow Jesus. As long as Melody clung to being in control of her life, she could never accept Christ.

Drew’s heart felt heavy. She had to know she didn’t really have control of anything. She had to see it in her life and in nature. There was no controlling a tornado or a flash flood. She couldn’t decide who was willing to seek her mechanical abilities or even how other people drove their cars. Yesterday, she momentarily lost control at the hospital and allowed him to comfort her with a hug and kind words—something he knew she would normally never do.

God, help her to see that the most control she will ever have over her life or circumstances is when she gives it up to You… when she has faith that You will give her peace and hope in whatever life brings her.

Drew sighed as he realized anew what a terrible witness he had been. His competitive spirit was really just that—a competitive spirit. He loved to battle and win. And he had to admit he was really not very good at losing at all. It was actually something he really needed to work on—losing gracefully.

But his competitive nature wasn’t about him controlling the world around him. He
wanted
to win, but Melody
needed
to. Realizing the difference between them weighed his heart with conviction about the way he’d allowed his pride to get wrapped up in their ridiculous battles.

God, forgive me. Draw Melody to You. Whatever it takes, may she give her life to You.

The doorbell rang, and Melody hopped off the couch and opened the front door. A woman from the church stood on the porch with several deli sandwiches in her hands. “Hi. I brought some lunch.”

Melody forced herself to smile to be polite. They’d already had so many visitors, and they had more food than they’d be able to eat in a week. More than anything, Melody just wanted to have a little time alone. She waved to the woman. “Come on in.”

“Thanks, Melody.” The woman walked through the living room and into the kitchen and placed the sandwiches on the table. She extended her hand. “I’m Sheila. Can’t remember if we formally met.”

“And I guess you already know I’m Melody.”

“Is that Sheila?” Aunt Renee called from the back of the house. She walked into the kitchen and gave Sheila a quick hug. “Roy’s resting. Thanks so much for bringing us lunch.”

“I didn’t have time to cook, as I have to be at work in thirty minutes, but I was sure to pick up food I know Roy can eat.”

Aunt Renee turned toward Melody. “Sheila’s a nurse.”

Melody took in the pastel-flowered nurse uniform top and blue pants. “I can tell.”

Sheila looked at her watch. “I better be going. Tell Roy we’re praying for him.” Sheila walked back to the front door. “Oh… I almost forgot. Sarah gave this to me at youth last night and asked me to give it to you.” She pulled a homemade card out of her purse.

Aunt Renee chuckled. “The girl got her nose out of a book long enough to make him a card?”

“Yep.”

“That was so sweet of her.”

“She’s a good kid.” Sheila raised her hand. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later.”

Aunt Renee shut the door behind her. She opened the card and read the contents to Melody. The teenager’s sentiments were kind and heartfelt, and her aunt had to brush a tear out of her eye. “Will you put this on the table with the others? It will make Roy’s day to see all these things once he wakes up.”

Aunt Renee gave the card to Melody then gripped her free hand. “I’m so thankful our Roy is going to be okay.”

Afraid her emotions would get the best of her again, she looked away and mumbled, “Me, too.”

Melody walked into the dining room, taking in the magnitude of cards her aunt had stood up on the table.

Several flowers sat around the room, most of them either various shades of blue or adorned with blue ribbon. It was obvious his church family understood Uncle Roy’s fanatical feelings about the University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball team. The kindness shown by his church family would overwhelm him once he was able to see all they’d done.

And the food! In addition to the cold cuts and baked dishes, fresh vegetables and fruits, several people had also brought over dishes just for her and Aunt Renee: desserts rich in chocolate that they were supposed to indulge in whenever Uncle Roy took a nap.

Her cell phone buzzed in her front pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the number on the screen. It was her mom. Melody had called her the night before to tell her about Uncle Roy, but she’d gotten the voice mail and had only been able to leave a message. It had been so long since Melody talked to her. Her heart raced with a need to hear her mom’s live voice, to know she was all right. She pushed the T
ALK
button. “Hello, Mom.”

“Hi, Melody. I got your message. How is Roy?”

“He’s doing good. They were able to get him medicine at the right time. He should make a full recovery.”

“That’s great.”

Melody could hear her mother’s husband talking in the background. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he sounded frustrated. Melody sucked in her breath. She really didn’t like that man. “How have you been, Mom?”

Her voice sounded muffled, and Melody assumed her mother had put her hand over the phone so Melody couldn’t hear her talking to her husband. It was apparent she was more concerned with getting back to her new husband than she was about her brother-in-law’s health. Or talking with her only daughter. Their relationship, as strained as it had been all the years after her dad walked out, seemed to get worse instead of better. Melody wondered if it was easier for her mother to simply put all of the painful past behind her and start anew with the new guy.

Her mother’s voice sounded again. “I’m sorry, Melody. Frank and I were just getting ready to head to town. I’ll talk to you later.”

Before Melody could respond, her mother hung up. She sucked in a deep breath and bit her bottom lip as she pulled the phone away from her ear and clicked it off. She would not focus on her lack of a relationship with her mother. She bit her lip harder. She refused to feel sorry for herself.

Aunt Renee walked into the dining room. She held a piece of paper in her hand. “Melody, could you do me a big favor?”

Grateful for the opportunity to think of something else, she turned toward her aunt. “Absolutely. Anything.”

“You know I didn’t get to finish my grocery trip, and even though I don’t think we’ll need much food for a while…”

Melody chuckled. “I think you’re right about that.”

“We still need toilet paper and toothpaste and several other things. Would you be willing to go for me?” She held out the paper. “Addy offered to go, but I thought you might like to get out of the house for a while.”

Melody nodded. “Of course I’ll go.” She was glad for the excuse to go somewhere. When AJ insisted she not come in to work today, she’d been grateful for his kindness, but she also knew that sitting around the house would make her feel antsy. She’d want to be working on something, but her tractor was ready for the tractor pull on Friday, and they’d weeded the garden two days ago. Aside from cleaning the house, which she did not like the idea of doing, and it didn’t need it anyway, she really had too much time on her hands today. She added, “I may stop by Gracie’s on the way home.”

“Yes, you do that. It will do you good to get your hands on that sweet little guy.”

Melody chewed the inside of her lip. Her love for Wyatt Jr. was apparent to everyone. The little guy had her wrapped around his chubby finger.

She took the list, grabbed the keys off the counter, and headed out the door. It didn’t take long to get everything on her aunt’s list, especially since most of it had been marked through because of all the food they’d been given.

She pulled into Gracie’s driveway and saw Gracie pushing Wyatt in the swing in the backyard. Melody honked, and Gracie scooped Wyatt into her arms, making him wave his chubby hand at her. Melody got out and made her way through the gate and into the backyard. “Hey. Thought I’d stop by for a minute.”

“I’m so glad you did.”

Wyatt leaned over, reaching his arms out to Melody. She cooed at the baby and took him from his mom. “Come here, you rotten stink.”