Faith (26 page)

"Looks like Adam and Sissy could use some help baiting
those hooks."

Faith looked up, surprise crossing her sun-kissed features
when she saw him. Like Lilly, he thought, Faith refused to
wear her bonnet. "Oh, we'll manage." She jerked, missed a
catch, and brought her line back in.

The moment felt awkward and strained. Where was her
earlier laughter; the laughter she shared so easily with Dan?

"Tried your luck lately?" she asked.

It wasn't exactly an invitation, but Nicholas took it as
one. Walking to the edge of the water, he stood for moment, watching water skimmers on long, comical legs
skitter across the pond. He'd never noticed how nice Faith
looked in a dress. The blue-and-white gingham brought out
the violet in her eyes. Had she worn the dress before?

Adam jerked, and his line snarled around a nearby stump.
He pulled back, popping the hook. It shot by Sissy's ear like
a bullet. She screamed and dropped her pole on the ground.

The boy whipped the rod in the opposite direction and
caught the brim of Sissy's hat, yanking it into the water.
Bending over, Sissy picked up a rock and hurled it at him.

Nicholas moved in. "Hold on now-no rock throwing."
As he walked past Faith, he leaned down, his breath warm
against her ear. "I'd like to call a truce."

Faith looked up. "A truce?"

"If you're agreeable."

He could see she must surely be tempted to remind him
of the past month, a month when he had managed to torment, tease and ignore her; but she didn't. Would she be
willing to call an end to their childishness? Blessed are the
peacemakers.

"If that's what you want."

"I'd like that very much." He missed her, more than he
thought he'd miss any woman. The thought left him
unsettled. "Shake on it?" Nicholas extended his hand.

They shook, sharing forgiving smiles.

"Sorry I was so short with you."

"Sorry I've been such a twit."

Sissy and Adam reminded Nicholas that he needed to bait their hooks. Nicholas reluctantly released Faith's hand. "I'm
sorry our arrangement hasn't worked out."

"So am I."

Why hadn't they tried harder to make it work? Why
hadn't he tried harder? Pride? Was pride blinding him the
way it so often had Papa?

"No hard feelings?"

Faith deserved a husband closer to her age. As much as
Nicholas hated to admit it, Dan would be good for her.
Nicholas was older, more set in his ways. He couldn't imagine playing ball with young children, frolicking around the
churchyard like frisky colts, running hand in hand with
Faith through fields of bluebonnets. But for one irrational
moment he wanted to. A thought hit him like a thunderbolt. What would their children have looked like-blond
and fair like he was, or dark and olive-skinned like Faith?
He had never pictured himself as a father, but he realized
either would suit him just fine.

"No hard feelings," she granted.

"Mr. Shewperd, are yew gonna put this woorm on my
hook or not?" Nicholas was jolted from his thoughts to find
Sissy, cane pole in one hand, an ugly-looking night crawler
dangling in the other.

He frowned. "Are you sure you want that hearty fella on
your line?"

Sissy solemnly nodded.

Nicholas looked at Faith and wrinkled his nose. "That's
what I was afraid of "

Time passed too quickly. Before Nicholas knew it, the
sun had set in a purple-streaked sky.

"Faith, it's almost time for the fireworks!" Adam breathlessly announced after his fourth journey to the churchyard.

"Adam, you come on now," Dan yelled, holding Lilly in
his arms and standing on a small rise at the back of the
churchyard.

"Be there in a moment, Adam," Faith promised. The little
boy allowed his sister to take his hand and lead him up the
steep embankment.

Nicholas helped Faith gather poles and other tackle. "Kids
love those fireworks."

"Adam's been looking forward to them all day."

As they started up the incline, Faith suddenly stopped,
whirled, and reached up to give him a little peck on the
cheek. Then she simply gazed at him. "I'm sorry, but I can't
leave without doing that."

Surprised, Nicholas didn't know what to say. "I'm glad
you didn't ... leave," he clarified. "Without doing that."

She released a breath of what sounded like relief. "I hoped
you'd see it that way." Playfully rubbing the goose-eggsized knot on the back of his head, she confessed, "I need to
say I'm sorry about hitting you with that ball. That was
most impolite of me."

"If that's what it takes to get a kiss from you, you have
my permission to fell me with a ball bat."

He heard her say softly, "Well, actually, my kiss was about
more, but that's neither here nor there."

He frowned.

She stopped his next question by resting a fingertip on his
lips. "The fireworks will be starting. I promised I'd watch
them with Adam. I don't want to disappoint him."

As they started up the steep incline, Nicholas reached for
her hand. Hand in hand, they climbed the hill. When they
reached the top, he reluctantly released her hand and
headed back to his mother.

Nicholas had thought that once he apologized to Faith
and settled their dispute, he'd feel better.

Oddly enough, he felt worse.

Before the fireworks started, Faith shredded paper and
bunched it into a loose ball. She told Adam to hold out his
hand.

"Why?" Adam questioned.

"It's a firework," Faith answered. "Not a real one, but a
pretend one. I want you to see what one looks like."

"Really?"

"Really. Are you ready to use your imagination?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"OK, here we go." Faith stood over Adam. "Feel all the
little bits of paper, rolled into a ball?"

Adam carefully examined the paper ball with his fingers.
"Yes."

"Well, that's a firework before it's lit. But when its fuse is
lit, the firework shoots far up in the sky, exploding into a
hundred million brilliant colors and shapes as it falls back to
earth."

"What are the colors?" Adam asked excitedly.

"Blue-"

"Cool," Adam squealed. "Like the ice!"

"Red-"

"Hot!"

"Like the stove," Faith said. "Now close your eyes, and
we're going to shoot off our pretend firework. You'll feel
the little pieces of paper when they fall on your face. Imagine the real ones falling from the sky, only they're hot and
burn themselves out before they reach the ground."

"That's a good thing, huh, Faith?" Adam turned sober.

"A very good thing. If they didn't, we'd all have little
blisters...."

"'Cause they're red-hot!"

Faith laughed. "Are you ready? The fireworks are about
to begin!"

"Yes!"

"Are you using your imagination?"

"A whole bunch!"

Faith made a sizzling, sputtering sound like a rocket about
to take off. Loosening the paper ball, she clasped his hand to
hers. They tossed the tiny pieces in the air, letting them
burst free and cascade down on Adam's face as the first
rocket went up. The crowd ooohhed and ahhhed as the
missile soared into the heavens, exploded, then rained down
in a myriad of spectacular colors.

"Fireworks! Red, blue-hot and cold-I can see them,
Faith! I can see them in my 'magination!"

Tears sprang to Faith's eyes. Adam didn't need eyes to see the beauty. God had given him a lively imagination, one
where virtually nothing was out of his reach. "Aren't they
beautiful!"

"They're beautiful," Adam repeated, jumping up and
down. "So beautiful!"

Dan looked at Faith, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"You're amazing."

Faith shook her head. "No. Your son is the amazing one.
And I like to think that somewhere your wife, Carolyn, is
looking down, so very proud of him right now."

Just then the sky lit up with another explosion. Faith sat
beside Adam as the rockets burst in midair, their dazzling
colors a stark contrast to the nighttime sky. Sissy squealed
with delight, hopping on one foot, then the other. Lilly
bawled, wanting her bottle. Hand in hand, Adam and Faith
watched with a new appreciation for Deliverance's Founder's Day fireworks display.

The celebration came to an end. Weary mothers and
fathers loaded sleepy children into wagons. While Dan
packed the buckboard, Faith stepped over to talk to Jeremiah.

"Jeremiah, may I have a word with you?" she asked, not
exactly sure how to broach the subject of his relationship
with Liza.

"You most certainly may." Jeremiah smiled. "How can I
help a pretty little thing like you?"

"I couldn't help overhearing you and Liza earlier
today...."

"Water under the bridge, I assure you."

"Jeremiah, maybe it isn't." Faith searched for the right
words. She didn't want to make the situation worse. "I
think perhaps Liza realizes she was a little ... shall we say,
brusque with you today?"

"Oh, I believe she made herself quite clear." He laughed,
but his eyes exposed deep hurt.

"I don't think she meant to be so harsh. In fact, I think
you should give Liza another chance."

Jeremiah eyed Faith. "Another chance to insult me and
turn me down?"

"No. I have a feeling you'll be getting a different response
from now on."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Faith had no intention of betraying Liza's confidence. But
she believed that once Liza surrendered her hurt to God, he
would be swift to lighten her burden. She winked at Jeremiah. "Just trust me on this one. Please?"

Jeremiah hesitated, absently stroking his beard. "Well ...
I'll take the matter under consideration."

"Thanks, Jeremiah." Faith stood on tiptoes and kissed him
on the cheek.

"My," Jeremiah said. "What's brought this on?"

"Nothing." Although Faith wanted to tell him she was
leaving, she feared she would get emotional. She gulped.
Better to warn him now than to betray his friendship. "I
must leave, and you must keep my secret."

He frowned.

"Nicholas has left me no other choice."

"Child, with time-"

"Please, as my friend, allow me this."

He nodded.

When they arrived back at the Walters home, Mary Ellen
and Albert waited as Faith helped Dan get the children into
the house.

Less than an hour later, exhausted but happy, the two
women sat at the Finneys' kitchen table, each thinking
about the strange day.

Faith had fallen in love with Nicholas Shepherd.

She had realized it this afternoon at the pond. Nicholas
had tried to smooth things over, but it just made her want
more of him. Somehow he had seemed more relaxed, at
peace, and he was wonderful with the children. Her heart
ached. She supposed worse things could happen than falling
in love under these circumstances. But the thought somehow failed to cheer her.

LIZA?" Doc got up from his desk and
motioned Liza into his office.

"Hi, Doc. I took a chance you weren't busy."

"Never too busy for you." Doc pulled up a chair and
invited her to sit down. Perching on the edge of the desk,
the portly, silver-haired gentleman smiled. "How's
Nicholas?"

"Fine, just fine."

"Heard that he and Miss Kallahan are having quite a time
gettin' the knot tied."

Liza didn't care to discuss Nicholas's personal problems.
Molly Anderson and Etta Larkin were doing a fine job of
that. "Seems that way."

Doc's features sobered. "Something I can do for you,
Liza?"

It was the moment she'd dreaded, yet now she fully
welcomed it. It was the first step to relinquishing all her
hurts and disappointments to God. The thought no longer
frightened her; she felt a peace for the first time since
Abe's death. But she had to know how much time she
had left. There were matters to be set in order.

"I ... haven't been feeling myself lately."

"Oh?" Doc frowned. "How long?"