By Summer's End (Christian Fiction) (9 page)

Holly steered her small car along the
road into town.  It was a beautiful day, the sun shining bright on the
countryside.  She took in the sight of the rolling pastureland that reminded
her of a patchwork quilt.  The pastures gave way to a forest of tall Evergreens
that lined the roadway.  Sunlight shone through the gaps in the trees,
twinkling on the windshield of her car.  Soon, the trees thinned and she passed
several homes along the road.  Just past the homes, she spied a field of cows,
and then a large farmhouse standing alone amidst a wide clearing.

She suddenly braked to a stop.  At the
end of a gravel roadway, she spotted a piece of furniture.  She couldn’t quite
discern what it was until she got out of the car, since there was a large paper
sign draped over the top identifying the item as ‘free.’

She tugged the sign away and gasped.  It
was a wooden rocking chair.  She bent and ran her hand along the piece. 
Although there were gouges in the wood and a good deal of wear and tear, she
just knew she could refurbish it easily enough.  She imagined it sitting in her
great room, a plump pillow on the seat and a throw blanket draped over the back. 

She rose and glanced around.  Could she
stow the rocker in the trunk of her car.  The trunk was large, considering the
car was a small sedan…

She put the sign aside and reached for
the rocker.  It was much heavier than she’d anticipated and she set it down and
stepped back to assess the situation.  Discovering it was heavy and well-made
was terrific news, but made it that much more difficult to handle.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed both
arms and hefted the chair.  She groaned under the weight of it as she awkwardly
moved toward the back of her car.  Once there, she set the chair down
carefully.

She stepped back to eye the chair again
and then moved to stare at her trunk.  She checked her watch.  If she didn’t
pick up her pace, she might be late to work. 

She feared the trunk was just too small
and wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.  If she managed to lift the chair into
the trunk and it didn’t fit, she was going to have to tug it out.  It wouldn’t
be easy.  She glanced along the gravel road and toward the farmhouse.  Did she
have time to walk over to the house and request that they hold onto the chair
for her?

Her problem was seemingly solved when a
large pickup truck pulled behind her.  She didn’t have to see the driver to
know who was behind the wheel.

Ryan was beside her in a heartbeat.  He
grinned her way as he lifted the chair and carried it to his truck.  He gently
set it down on the gravel just long enough to open the tailgate and then put it
in the back.  It happened so quickly, Holly could only watch after him,
surprised.

He soon returned and smiled.  “I guess
you’ve found chair number two.”

“Thanks to you, I guess so.”

“Where are you headed?” he asked.

“To work.”

He appeared disappointed.  “I should
have assumed…  I’ll, uh, take your chair by your place for you.  May I leave it
on your front porch?”

“That would be so great.  Thank you,
thank you,” she said.  “You’ve already done so much.”

“It’s not a problem,” he assured her,
and then held her gaze for several long seconds.  “Uh, may I stop by when you
get off work?  There’s … something I need to talk to you about?”

“Sure.  That would be fine.”  She
smiled.  “Thanks again, and I’d better scoot.  I don’t want to be late for
work.”

“You’re welcome, and I’ll see you this
evening.”

Holly climbed into her car.  Her spirits
were buoyed from her find.  In her mind’s eye, she could envision her sister
rocking in the chair with Dave in her arms.  She smiled as she glanced in her
rearview mirror.

Ryan had already climbed into his truck
and was apparently waiting for her to drive off, since he didn’t start his
ignition until she’d pulled onto the roadway.  She gave a wave in her rearview
mirror and saw him lift a hand and wave back.

It was a surprise to have him show up
when she needed him—he seemed to have a knack for it.  She smiled.  God was good. 
She had prayed to Him to help her to be able to provide for her sister’s needs,
and adding a chair to their furnishings was a real boon.

“Thank you, Father,” she said, glancing
heavenward.  “I can always count on you.”

As she drove, she thought about Brianna
and the incredible progress she’d made since their move.  It was as if she were
a different teenager.  “Thank you for that, as well, Father,” she said. 

Her heart swelled just thinking about
how far she and her sister had come in such a short time.  Brianna was
flourishing in her new home.  Holly was so proud of her, since she’d never compared
her former luxurious home to her present home—except to gush about how much she
loved their cozy little place.  Like Holly, she had many plans for it—specifically
her bedroom.  She was eager to get her desk refurbished and ready for the start
of the school year.

Once again, Holly felt a burst of
pride.  Brianna was obviously creative and could see a piece of discarded
furniture and envision what it could become with a little tender loving care. 

Holly felt a sense of peace descend over
her.  The move to Washington had been a good one.  Her world suddenly felt full
of possibilities.

Thinking about ‘possibilities,’ Holly’s
thoughts were drawn to her Good Samaritan, Ryan.  She remembered him asking if
he could drop by to see her that evening.  She wondered what reason he’d asked
to visit.  Could Brianna be right?  Was he … attracted to her?

She abruptly scoffed at the idea. 
Brianna was a teen—prone to romantic musings.  She was reading far too much
into Ryan’s limited involvement in their lives.  He was probably a good man who
saw two women in ‘distress’ and had simply come to their aid.  It was good to
know there were chivalrous men in the world.       

And … as attractive as he happened to
be, the last thing
she
needed was any sort of romantic entanglement at
the moment.  Brianna was her focus and it was critical she remain such.  Unfortunately,
at the moment, she seemed unable to focus on anything, other than the picture
of Ryan’s handsome face in her mind’s eye.

After
Holly had left for work, Brianna set about tidying up the house.  She was glad
to help out, eager to make a contribution.

Holly was always so grateful to her for
any small act of kindness and she felt a surge of love for the sister she had
known for such a short time.  It was nothing short of miraculous to her that
they had bonded so well since the move.

She felt a stab of regret that she’d
been so hard on her sister for the months they’d lived together previously.  She
hadn’t known how much Holly had truly wanted to be a part of her life from the
moment she was born.  She’d felt so lost and angry and alone…  Thankfully, Holly
hadn’t given up on her.

She smiled at the thought.  She hoped
she was a lot like her sister and less like her father and mother.  A slice of
pain cut through her.  She missed her parents terribly.  She’d been thinking a
lot about them lately and had realized she missed them for what ‘wasn’t’ rather
than for what ‘was.’  They hadn’t led by positive example, but had shown her
who she didn’t want to be. 

It was a sad reality and left her
feeling conflicted.  She wondered if she should talk to Holly about her
feelings, but was having trouble understanding them herself.  How could she
love her parents so desperately, but know at the same time that they hadn’t
been very good people.

Holly, on the other hand, had shown her
more attention, compassion, and love in the short time she’d been with her than
her parents had during her fifteen years on the earth.  Why had they been so
distant and outwardly focused, rather than inward and toward what was
important—their family.

What was different about Holly?

Brianna knew the answer.  She’d realized
right away that Holly had a relationship with God—that she spoke to Him all the
time.  She didn’t understand why, or what she gained specifically from the
relationship, but she knew Holly had a sense of peace about her that her
parents had never had.  Often, she talked about having ‘God time’ in the
evenings and early mornings, and referred to God as her ‘Father.’  Maybe He had
filled the void left by both her biological father and her stepfather.

It occurred to Brianna that their father
had missed out by not remaining in Holly’s life.  He had forgone the
opportunity to know his own daughter. 

When Brianna was little and had asked
him questions about Holly, he had been dismissive and told her awful things.  Untrue
things.  She knew in her heart they were untrue.  But why had he done that?

Why had her parents been intent on
keeping the sisters apart?  Why would her father have turned his back on Holly? 
It was a wonder that the rejection by her father hadn’t caused Holly
irreparable harm.  It had to have hurt.

How had she managed to overcome her pain
and live a happy life?  How had she overcome the loss of her mother and
remained cheerful?  How had she retained a love for life?  How had she been
able to love
her
?  Why hadn’t she held a grudge?

Her father, despite his failings, had
chosen her over his oldest daughter.  He’d remained in her life.  He may not
have been the best influence, but he stayed. 

She walked out to the front porch and
dropped onto the top porch step.  She sat, pondering the many questions that
troubled her, when Ryan drove up in his truck.  She rose and watched him
curiously.

When he gave a wave, jumped out of the
truck, and hurried to the bed and pulled out a rocking chair, she understood
why he’d come.

“Your sister found another chair,” he
informed as he approached.  “Shall I put it on the porch?”

“Yeah, sure.  That would be great.”

He set it down and she hurried to have a
look at it.  As Holly had done previously, she ran a hand over the arms and
seat.  The chair was fairly beaten up but nothing she and Holly couldn’t
handle.  “This is nice,” she said.  “Thanks for bringing it.”  She frowned. 
“How did…?”

“I spotted your sister on the side of
the road, beside this rocker, and looking a bit lost.”

“Yeah, her trunk’s a good size, but not
this big.”  She smiled.  “Thanks again for helping us out.  We really
appreciate it.”

He gave her an assessing glance. 
“You’re a nice kid.”

She appeared taken aback.  “I am?”

“You are.  Most kids your age wouldn’t
appreciate an old…”  As his words trailed off, he realized he’d essentially
diminished a piece of furnishing that she valued.  He felt horrible for his
stupidity.

She read his thoughts.  “Don’t worry
about it,” she said.  “It is just an old broken-down chair now, but it’s going
to be beautiful.”

He smiled.  It was sweet of her to let
him off the hook so easily.  “So…”

“Yeah?”

“You and your sister haven’t known one
another for very long…?”  He abruptly made a guilty face.  “I’m sorry.  I
shouldn’t pry.”  He raised a fatherly finger.  “And once again, I want to
emphasize you really shouldn’t be talking to a strange man…”  He grimaced.  “I’m
not strange, but you don’t know me.  Frankly, I probably shouldn’t be here
talking to you…”

He paused and took a deep breath.  There
were extenuating circumstances.  This girl and her sister were currently
residing on property that didn’t belong to them—property that belonged to
him—and he was in a definite quandary about the situation.  If not for that
difficult situation, he wouldn’t be here chatting with a young girl.  He
desperately hoped no one would ride by and jump to conclusions.

“You’re a good guy,” she said adamantly,
breaking into his thoughts.

“Well, yeah, although not everybody’s
particularly fond of me,” he admitted with chagrin, and then wondered why he’d
said it.

“Really?”

“Oh, well, yes.  In my line of work…”

“What do you do?”

He gave a dismissive wave.  “Let’s not
get into it.  I haven’t actually ‘done’ my work for a while, well, since I went
on a long trip…”

“Where’d you go?”

“All over the world,” he replied simply.

“I’d love to travel,” she said
wistfully.  “Someday I will.  Driving here with Holly was the longest trip I’ve
ever taken.”  She glanced around, her eyes wide and hopeful.  “Washington is
really beautiful, isn’t it?  It’s so green, even though it’s still summer.”

“It’s pretty country, that’s for sure,”
he said with a sigh.

“You don’t … really like it here, do
you?”

“I … do.  It’s … complicated.”

Boy, that was an understatement, he
thought.  It was complicated and getting more complicated by the passing
second.  He found himself feeling bad that this girl and her sister seemingly
loved their new home and as Jim had said, he was about to pull the rug out from
under them, literally.

“Well, I’d better get moving.”  He
remembered he was coming by later, to see Holly.  “I’ll see you later today.”

“You’re coming back?”

He nodded.  “I need to talk to your
sister.”

“Any … message I can give her?”

“No, this is something I need to do
myself,” he said woefully.

She furrowed her brows.  “You sound so
sad.”

“I’ll see you later.”

She reached for his arm.  He turned and
she grinned into his face.  “Don’t worry.  I think she likes you too.”

He pulled back, surprised.  “What…?”

“I mean, as I said, I haven’t known her
long, but I can already read her face pretty well.  She thinks you’re hot.” 
She smiled.  “I mean, how could she not?  You’re drop-dead gorgeous.”

“Oh, well, thanks.  I think.”

“Just ask her out.  Short and sweet. 
Painless.  You can practice on me if you want to.”

Ryan froze and his mouth dropped open in
surprise.  “Uh, that’s not what this evening is about…”  And he certainly
didn’t need any tutoring when it came to asking out a beautiful woman.

She folded her arms across her chest and
pinned him with a look.  “You like her.”  Her eyes held a challenging gleam. 
“Tell me right now you’re not attracted to my sister.”

He raked a hand through his hair, spun
on his heel, and jogged to his truck.  He was inside in a heartbeat and backing
out of the drive before the kid could say another word.

The truth was, he was attracted to Holly,
the recent transplant to Washington State who was about to be homeless—or
rather, property-less, courtesy of him.  Yeah, he definitely liked her, but she
wouldn’t like him for long—if indeed she actually did.

He felt sick to his stomach.  He should
have stayed gone.  He should have extended his trip.  He should have forgotten
about this plot of land that had been a pain in his backside for as long as he
could remember.

He ought to hand it over to his sister
and let her do whatever she wanted with the place.  He could simply walk away. 
Maybe Harrison would sign up for the aggravation of developing the property
into some sort of equine paradise, along with Annabelle. 

What was he going to do?

As he drove toward home, he wondered,
should he offer to sell Holly the property on which her home sat?  No.  He
couldn’t do that.  Well, if he sold the property to the would-be buyer, he
couldn’t do that.  They wanted the entire acreage, inclusive of Holly’s little
corner.

If he held onto the land, he could sell
it to her, provided Annabelle was in agreement, and she would be.  His sister
had a heart of gold—particularly when it came to those less fortunate—and Holly
and Brianna were certainly in a tough spot.

It killed him to think he had something
to do with putting them there.  Every day that he allowed her and her kid
sister to grow more attached to their home and environment, he was playing with
their emotions. 

If only there was a solution to the
problem…

Perhaps Holly could move the home to a
lot in a nearby manufactured home community.  He remembered the closest was an
over fifty-five development, which would preclude Brianna from moving in. 
There was another community several miles away.  Moving the home would be
expensive, and then Holly would face a monthly rental charge for a space in the
park.  Could she afford it?

He pushed the thoughts aside.  
It
wasn’t his problem.
  The truth was, he’d come home to unload the acreage
and then move on.  This was business and he of all people had learned to
separate personal issues from his work life.  Unfortunately, the division wasn’t
so simple in this case, but…

The outcome was the same.  He’d sell the
property, walk away with a tidy sum, and move on to the next endeavor.  It
wasn’t his fault a young woman and her teenaged sister had been misinformed, or
rather, not been informed at all as to the ownership of the land beneath them.

And it really wasn’t his job to inform
them of anything.  It had been wholly unprofessional for Forrest to leave town
without tying up any loose ends.  He should have clarified via a letter to Holly
that the property beneath the home did not belong to her.  It should have been
so simple.

He found himself growing angrier and
angrier at the attorney.  He’d really made a mess of things.  Maybe it was time
to find a new attorney…

Or, he would simply track down Forrest. 
Surely his assistant knew where he was.  He could make a simple phone call,
urge the attorney to do the same, and … problem solved.  Let Forrest be the bad
guy…