The Healing (6 page)

D
uring Bonnie’s first two days in Kentucky, she’d stayed at a hotel in Hopkinsville. The first day she had attended her grandmother’s funeral—alone, without her father because he’d refused to come here for his own mother’s funeral. The service had been held at the small church in Fairview where Grandma and Grandpa had attended. There wasn’t a large crowd, since many of Grandma and Grandpa’s friends were old and had passed on, but the people who had come seemed nice and offered Bonnie their heartfelt sympathies at her grandmother’s passing.

The second day, Bonnie had met with Grandma’s lawyer, Michael Givens, to go over the will and some other important papers. She still couldn’t believe Grandma had left her the house, as well as all her money. It really should have gone to Dad, but when she’d called him the other day, he’d said he wanted nothing that was his folks, including their money—nothing at all. Mr. Givens had reminded Bonnie that since her father was Grandma and Grandpa’s only child and was estranged from his parents, she should accept what had been left to her and be grateful.

This morning, Bonnie had driven out to her grandparents’ home in the small town of Pembroke, where she’d been going through cupboards and closets and putting some things in boxes. It was a monumental job, but if she was going to get the place ready to sell, it had to be done. It was difficult sorting through these things—especially Grandma’s, as she’d been the last one living in this cozy old house. In the dresser drawers, Bonnie had found an abundance of cotton hankies with lace edges, several sweaters and slippers Grandma had obviously knitted, two flannel nightgowns, and some of Grandma’s lingerie.

As Bonnie sat on the edge of the bed in Grandma’s room, which was on the main floor of the rambling old house, her fingers trailed over a pair of light blue knitted slippers. Grandma had taught her how to knit during a summer visit when Bonnie was twelve. She’d also helped Bonnie sew an apron, which she’d worn when she helped Grandma bake some cookies. Those were happy memories, and Bonnie wished she could relive them.

The rumble of a vehicle interrupted Bonnie’s musings. She went to the window facing the front yard and looked out. A dark blue truck was parked in the driveway, next to the small red car she’d rented when she’d flown into Nashville. A young man with dark curly hair stepped out and trudged through the snow up to the house.

Bonnie left the room and hurried to the door before he had a chance to knock.

“Hi. I’m Allen Walters,” the man said. “I was driving by and noticed a car parked in the driveway so I decided to stop.”

Bonnie tensed and folded her arms. “If you’re selling something, I’m really not interested.”

He shook his head. “I’m not a salesman. I’m a general contractor, and I understand that the woman who used to live here passed away recently, so I was wondering if the place might be up for sale.”

Bonnie relaxed a bit. She might be able to sell the place quicker than she’d thought. She smiled and extended her hand. “I’m Bonnie Taylor, and this house belonged to my grandparents, Andy and Margaret Taylor. I live in Portland, Oregon, but when I found out that Grandma had died, I came here for the funeral. Today I’ve been going through her things, trying to decide what I should get rid of and what I might want to keep.”

“Did your grandmother leave the house to you?” he questioned.

Bonnie nodded.

“Are you going to sell it?”

“That’s the plan.” She hugged her arms around her chest, feeling the cold air penetrate her skin. “So if you bought the house, would it be for you?”

He shook his head. “I already have a house in Hopkinsville. However, I’m still interested in buying this place.”

“How come?”

“I often buy homes that need fixing up. Then after I renovate them, I turn around and sell them again.”

“In other words, you make a profit?”

Allen nodded, reached into his jacket pocket, and handed Bonnie his business card. “Give me a call once you’ve decided how much you want for the place.”

“Okay.”

As Allen walked away and Bonnie shut the door, a feeling of nostalgia washed over her. She didn’t know why, but she was suddenly having second thoughts about selling the house. But if she didn’t put Grandma and Grandpa’s place on the market, what would she do with it?

She moved toward the fireplace to warm up and took a seat on the floor near the hearth. Looking about, despite the fact that the house was in dire need of repairs, it had a certain appeal and quaint-looking charm. The solid oak cupboards in the kitchen, with matching table and chairs; the spacious dining room with a built-in hutch; a roomy living room with a cozy window bench near the window; a simple, but beautiful, stained-glass window above the front door—this homey place reminded her of a quaint bed-and-breakfast she’d stayed in once along the Oregon coast. She’d been relaxed and comfortable there and hadn’t wanted to leave.

I wonder what Grandma would think if I turned her house into a bed-and-breakfast. There are no hotels nearby—the closest ones are in Hopkinsville. If I opened a B&B, it would give folks visiting this area a nice place to stay. Bonnie rubbed her hands together in front of the fire as she contemplated the idea. But then, if I did that, I’d either have to hire someone to run the place or move here and run it myself
.

She stared at the flames lapping against the logs in the fireplace as she continued to ponder things. I’m really not that happy living in Oregon anyway, so if I quit my job and moved to Kentucky, it would be a new beginning for me. I have fond memories here, and it would certainly be an adventure
.

Samuel flopped onto the sofa in Titus’s living room with a groan. He hadn’t slept well last night, and it had been all he could do to hitch his horse to the buggy this morning and take Marla and Leon to school. As soon as he’d dropped them off, he’d come right back, prepared to spend the day resting. He knew he couldn’t lounge around forever though. Once he found someone who’d be willing to watch his kids, he’d look for a job.

“Can Jared and me go outside and play?” Penny asked, tugging on Samuel’s shirtsleeve.

Samuel shook his head. “You can play in here.”

She thrust out her bottom lip in a pout. “We wanna play in the
schnee
.”

“I said no. It’s cold outside, and you don’t need to play in the snow.”

“But there’s nothin’ to do in here. Uncle Titus don’t have no toys for kids to play with.”

“The toys we brought with us when we moved are in one of the boxes in my room.” Samuel rose from his seat. “Let’s go see.”

Samuel headed for the bedroom, with Penny and Jared trudging after him. He looked through a couple of boxes that had been stacked along one wall, but the kids’ toys weren’t in any of them—just their clothes. When he opened another box, his breath caught in his throat. It was full of Elsie’s things.

“What’s this?” Penny asked, pulling a soft yellow baby blanket from the box. It was one Elsie had made for the baby she’d lost when she’d fallen down the stairs.

Samuel grabbed the blanket from Penny and clutched it to his chest. “It’s nothing. Just a blanket, that’s all.”

She reached out her hand. “Can I have it, Daadi?”

“No!” he said a bit too harshly. Then, gaining control of his emotions, he put the blanket back in the box.

To Samuel’s relief, he found another box marked K
IDS’
T
OYS
. Picking up the box, he hauled it out to the living room, set it on the floor, and opened the flaps. While the kids played with their toys, he would lie on the sofa and take a nap. Sleeping was the only way he could deal with his pain and escape from the raw emotions that still consumed him every waking moment and even in his dreams.

As Esther headed in her buggy down the road toward Titus’s house, she thought about Samuel’s children and wondered how they were doing. She’d done some baking this morning and had decided to take a batch of cookies to the kids.

Sometime later, Esther pulled her horse and buggy into Titus’s yard and was surprised to see little Penny and Jared rolling around in the snow with only lightweight jackets and no mittens or boots.

“What are you two doing out here in the cold?” Esther asked after she’d tied her horse to the hitching rail.

“We’re makin’ snow angels,” Penny said, standing up and pointing to her latest impression.

Looking around at all the imprints, Esther could see that the children had been quite busy. The urge to plop down and relive that special childhood memory was hard to resist, but right now she wanted to take the cookies inside and speak to Samuel about his two youngest children.

“Where’s your daed?” Esther couldn’t imagine him letting them play out here by themselves. Especially little Jared, who was hardly more than a baby. What if he’d wandered off?

“Daadi’s in there.” Penny pointed to the house.

With the container of cookies tucked under one arm, Esther took the children’s hands, and they trudged through the snow to the house, where she knocked on the door. When no one answered, she turned the knob and went in. Samuel lay asleep on the sofa. She didn’t know whether to wake him or tiptoe to the kitchen and leave the cookies. Before she had the chance to decide, Samuel sat up with a start.

“Wh–what’s going on? What are you doing here?” he mumbled, barely looking at her.

“I brought some cookies for your kinner,” she explained. “When I got here, I was surprised to see the little ones playing in the snow by themselves, wearing only thin jackets and no boots or mittens.”

“What?” He jumped up and glared at his children. “What were you two doing out there? I told you not to go outside!”

Penny and Jared turned red-faced and looked guilty. Crystals of snow slowly melted from their hair.

“Would you two like some peanut butter cookies?” Esther pointed to the container she held. “I made them this morning.”

The children’s eyes lit right up. “Can we have some
kichlin
?” Penny asked, looking up at her father.

“I should say no, since you disobeyed me and went outside, but if you promise to behave yourselves, you can have some cookies,” he said. “Go to your rooms first and take off your jackets and wet shoes before you go to the kitchen.”

“Okay.”

Penny grabbed her little brother’s hand, and they hurried down the hall.

Esther felt a bit awkward, standing there holding the cookies, so she looked at Samuel and said, “Should I put these in the kitchen?”

“Jah, sure,” he mumbled without looking at her.

I wonder who’ll watch Samuel’s kids once he gets a job, Esther thought as she headed to the kitchen. I hope he’s not foolish enough to leave them home by themselves
.

H
ey, Titus! How’s it going?” Allen asked when he stepped into the woodshop where Titus knelt on the floor, sanding a cabinet door.

Titus looked up and smiled. “Pretty good. How are things with you?”

“Not bad.” Allen looked at Suzanne’s brother, Nelson. “How’s business overall? Have you been keeping busy here at the shop, or do you need more outside jobs?”

“We can use all the work we can get right now.” Nelson, who was just a few years younger than Suzanne, pushed his red hair off his freckled forehead and frowned. “Things were real busy before Christmas, but they’ve slowed down a lot since then. Suzanne’s not even working here in the shop this week.”

“That’s too bad. Things have been a little slower for me, too, but hopefully work will pick up in the spring.” Allen smiled. “When it does, I’m sure I’ll have a lot more jobs for you.”

“I hope so.” Titus swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead. “With five more people living in my house right now, I need to keep working steady.”

“Hasn’t Samuel found a job yet?” Allen asked.

Titus shook his head. “He’s been here two weeks already, and as far as I know, he hasn’t really been looking.”

“How come?”

“Says he doesn’t have anyone to watch the kids, but I’m sure if he finds a job we can find someone willing to watch them,” Titus replied.

“I understand he’s done some painting for Zach.”