Gold in the Fire and Light in the Storm (25 page)

Beth grabbed a navy blue sweater in case she got cold from the breeze off the lake and went to answer the door. “Hi! I’m so glad you asked me to go with you all. I needed a reason not to do some yard work.”

“I work hard to avoid yard work. Glad we think alike.” Samuel pointed to a basket on the table in the foyer. “Is this the food?”

She nodded. “What’s for dessert?”

“Nothing. The kids want to come back to the ice
cream parlor on Main and have some after our picnic. Is that okay with you?”

“Ice cream. Let’s see. Next to banana cream pie, vanilla ice cream with hot caramel topping is my favorite dessert, so I guess it’s okay with me.”

“I hear Miller Point is a nice place to have a picnic.”

“There are several places around the lake that are nice. Miller Point is fine with me.”

“With spring break the kids have been eager to do some things outside. Craig and Allie brought some fishing poles to see if they can catch anything. Do you fish?”

“Nope, but I don’t mind watching.”

Samuel lifted the basket and allowed Beth to go first. He shut the door and made sure it was locked before descending the steps. Beth slid into the front seat and turned to greet Allie and Craig.

“Will you help me pick some wildflowers? I’ve seen some pretty ones from the road,” Allie said as her father started the car.

“Sure. There was a time I knew the names of a lot of them. But I haven’t gone wildflower picking in years.” She’d been so busy doing other things she’d forgotten how much she liked doing something simple like that. She and her sister used to walk along the lake and collect wildflowers to put in a vase on the kitchen table. They had always tried to get as many different colors as possible. Her sister had called it a rainbow bouquet. “Miller Point is perfect for that. There’s a meadow not far from the lake’s edge.”

Craig screwed up his face into a frown at the very mention of flowers. Beth added for his benefit, “You are welcome to help us, Craig. I don’t want you to feel left out.”

“No way. That’s for girls.”

“Son, when you get older, you’ll realize giving flowers to a girl becomes very important to a guy,” Samuel said with a smile.

“Not for me,” Craig muttered, staring out the side window as his father drove toward Miller Point.

“What about Susie? Mary Ann says her older sister likes you and you like her,” Allie said in a singsong voice.

“No, I don’t!”

“Yes, you do. You talk to her when she calls.” Allie stuck her tongue out at her brother, who returned the gesture.

Samuel slowed his car, pulled over and said, “If you two are going to fight, we can go home to do that.”

Both crossed their arms, lifted their chins and turned to look out their respective car windows. Beth bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face. This little skirmish between brother and sister brought back bittersweet memories of raising her siblings. There had been times when they had been constantly at each other’s throat and she had wondered if she would ever have any peace in the house again. Now she had more peace than she knew what to do with.

Samuel resumed driving. “Sorry about that, Beth.”

“No problem. I’m used to it. You ought to hear some of the students at school.”

Five minutes later Samuel pulled into a parking area near Miller Point. Allie and Craig were out of the car the second he turned off the engine. They raced toward the water, one going east along the sandy shore and the other west.

“I knew I was going to have a problem when I found out Allie’s new best friend’s older sister liked Craig. Allie is constantly teasing him and he isn’t taking it very well.”

“Sort of like he teases Jane about Ryan?”

“Yep. There are times I sneak out of the house and seek some quiet at the church.”

Beth laughed. “I’ve been there. I know what you mean.”

Samuel opened his door. “Let’s spread the blanket under that maple over there.” He gestured toward the largest tree in the area.

Carrying the blanket while Samuel took the basket, Beth walked beside him to the maple. Craig ran back to the car to get his fishing rod while Allie explored the shoreline, picking up some stones to examine and pocketing one.

After setting the blanket down and spreading it out so only part of it was shaded, Beth tossed back her head and let the warm rays of the sun bathe her face. Inhaling lungfuls of the rich air, she let the peacefulness of her surroundings seep into her. The chirping of the birds and the soothing serenade of the insects combined with the water lapping against the sandy beach to complete the ideal picture.

She turned toward Samuel, who had already opened the basket to peek inside. “Again I want to thank you for this wonderful suggestion. It’s beautiful. Today no one should spend any time indoors.”

“It’s one of those perfect spring days that reconfirms God’s presence.” He closed the lid.

“Does the meal meet with your approval?”

“You could have brought just about anything and I wouldn’t have cared less. I’m not a picky eater, as opposed to my daughters. One is a vegetarian and the other only likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, any kind of sweet and spaghetti.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, I almost forgot, and hamburgers and French fries.”

“Not your healthiest food.”

“Nope. I’m only hoping it’s a brief stage she’s moving through.” He flipped his hand toward the basket. “But I can see you must have read Allie’s mind. You have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. How did you know?”

“Not many children their age hate PB and J sandwiches.”

“True. You know children well.”

“Raising three and teaching hundreds does have its advantages.”

Allie raced toward the car and retrieved her fishing rod. She joined her brother, who sat on a large rock jutting out over the water. Passing her pole to Craig, Allie watched as he baited the line.

“What’s he fishing with?”

“Bologna.”

“Grant you, I’m not a fisherman—or is that woman? Oh, well, I’m not one of those, but I’ve never heard of bologna being used to lure fish to your hook.”

“Allie screams if we use anything live like worms.” Samuel moved back to sit on the blanket. “Surprisingly they have caught some using bologna, so Craig goes along with it.”

Beth eased down next to Samuel, everything about the day feeling so right. It seemed natural to her that they were sitting and watching the two children fish as though they had for years. Samuel was easy to talk to. He made her feel important, special, very much a woman. If she hadn’t had her life planned, it would have been easy to fall for him. Why had someone come along when she had stopped looking for a husband, a man to love? She had to keep focused on her trip in the summer.

Samuel rested one arm on his bent knee, never taking his gaze off his children. “How are your plans coming along? Have you heard back from the organization?”

“Yes,” she said with less excitement than she would have thought. “I received my acceptance a few days ago.”

“Where are you going?”

“Brazil.”

“Where the dart landed?”

“Yes, that was as good a way to decide as any. The world is full of places I haven’t been to.” Beth crossed her legs, stretched out in front of her. “I’m going to be assigned to a mission at the upper reaches of the Amazon just before the border with Peru.”

“The Amazon! That’s a far cry from Sweetwater.”

“Yes, but what an adventure. I’ve decided to keep a journal of my travels. I may write a book one day. I’ve always wanted to, and this will be my chance to do good for God and fill pages and pages with the new things I’ve learned.”

“I wish I could capture your enthusiasm and give some to Jane.”

“Her grades are improving. She doesn’t complain to me anymore while we’re working.”

“That’s good, since you’re doing her a favor. Have I thanked you in the past week?”

Beth smiled. “Yes, every time I come over.”

“Okay, I’ve probably carried the appreciative-dad role just a little too far, but because of you Jane is doing better and she doesn’t complain like she used to about going to school.”

“Soon I’m going to approach her about using the resource room when she needs help. It’s staffed with two special ed teachers who assist students on IEPs with their class work, any long-term assignments and taking tests in a quiet environment where there aren’t very many distractions.”

“She won’t do it.”

“She’ll need something after I’m gone if she runs into any trouble. Right now she’s using me, but next year I won’t be here.”

Samuel flexed his hands, then curled them into fists. “I know.”

The tight edge to his voice caused Beth to angle her head to look him directly in the eyes. “I want her to learn to advocate for herself and not to be ashamed of needing help with certain projects. We all need help from time to time.”

“From where I’m sitting you look pretty together.”

“Well, I’m not all the time.”

“When?”

“The night you took me to Andre’s. I was a basket case.”

He quirked a brow. “You were?”

“I haven’t dated much. Not very good at it when I have. If you haven’t noticed, I’m shy.”

“You could have fooled me. Of course, I haven’t dated much either.”

“So neither one of us is an expert at dating.”

“I know a solution to that.”

“What?”

“Go out on another date with me.”

Her heart skipped a beat, then began to pound. “I…” She was at a loss for words.

“If you don’t say yes soon, I’m liable to be set back years with this dating.”

“By all means, we wouldn’t want that.”

“Then it’s a yes?”

“Yes,” she said with a laugh.

B
eth slipped from the extra-large booth at Alice’s Café to grab the coffee. She poured some for Tanya and herself. “I’m glad Alice doesn’t mind us monopolizing this table for several hours.” She held up the glass pot. “Any other takers?”

“No, strictly tea for me.” Zoey dunked her used tea bag into her hot water and added some sugar. “I’m thinking about getting another macadamia cookie. Anyone else want one?”

Darcy placed her hand over her stomach. “Not me. It’s gonna be weeks, probably months, before I can fit into my clothes again. Dieting is the pits.”

Jesse raised her mug. “Here’s to the day when we don’t have to watch our weight.”

“I’m afraid I’d be dead by that time,” Beth murmured, sitting again in the booth next to Tanya.

“Me, too.” Tanya cupped her chin and rested her
elbow on the table, looking despondent, deep lines carved into her expression.

“What’s going on, Tanya?” Beth asked, realizing that for the past half hour her friend had said little.

A heavy sigh escaped Tanya’s lips. “I didn’t want to say anything, at least, not till the end, because I hate to put a damper on our gathering.”

“Nonsense.” Jesse waved her hand in the air. “That’s what these gatherings are for. To help each other through the rough times. Has something else happened to Tom? Is he hurt again?”

Tanya shook her head, her eyes watering. “No, I…” She swallowed hard. “He wants a divorce. I received the papers a few days ago.”

“You did! Why didn’t you tell us immediately?” Zoey asked, stirring her green tea.

“I’m embarrassed.” Tanya hung her head, staring into the black darkness of her coffee.

Beth laid her hand on her upper arm. “There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You can’t control what Tom wants, especially with him in prison. Have you talked to him since you received the papers?”

“He doesn’t want to talk with me or see me. I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Oh, Tanya, I’m so sorry.” Tears pooled in Darcy’s eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. “My hormones are running rampant.” She wiped the wet tracks, only to have more tears flow. “I’m not gonna be much help. You talk to her, Beth. You’re always so sensible.”

Beth slipped her arm about Tanya’s shoulders and pulled her friend toward her. “Give it some time. Maybe he’ll come to his senses.”

“I don’t think so, but Reverend Morgan is going up there today to talk to Tom. He came by this morning to see how I was. I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t for our new reverend. His words have kept me focused on what’s important—my daughter. I can’t let this cause a setback for me. I just can’t.”

“Samuel does have a way about him,” Beth murmured, picturing the man under discussion.

“Samuel
does?” Jesse arched a brow. “Hmm. That sounds awfully cozy, if you ask me.”

Beth shot Jesse an exasperated look. “I’m not asking you. Don’t you start, Jesse Blackburn.”

Tanya smiled. “You two need to stop it before Alice throws us out for causing a scene. Beth, don’t you know you’ll never be able to change Jesse’s nature? She’s a born matchmaker.”

“I would refer to her as a born busybody.”

“Busybody!” Jesse clasped her chest, her mouth forming a large
O.
“I can’t believe you said that about me.”

“If I don’t shut you down immediately, you’ll weave a fantasy with me marrying our minister and having his baby.”

The grin on Jesse’s face was pure mischief. “I don’t have to. You’re doing a great job of it yourself.”

“Now I know why Beth is sitting at one end of the table and you at the other.” Zoey shook her head, then
took a swallow of her drink. “If I remember correctly, we were going to discuss Crystal’s birthday coming up in a few weeks. She’ll be fourteen—only two years to her sweet sixteen birthday.”

“My daughter is growing up,” Tanya said, pulling herself together as the conversation turned to Crystal’s birthday.

Beth relaxed back, noticing that Tanya was no longer teary eyed. In fact, she was sipping her coffee and throwing herself into the party planning for her daughter. While listening to the discussion, Beth said a silent prayer that Samuel’s trip to the prison would be successful.

Samuel sat at the bare table in the bare room at the prison, waiting for Tom Bolton’s appearance—if he appeared, and Samuel was beginning to feel he wouldn’t. He checked his watch for the third time and wondered what he should do if the man refused to see him, too. As the minutes ticked away, frustration coiled in Samuel’s stomach until it ached.

Then suddenly the door swung open and a man walked in with a guard behind him. Tom limped to the table, his eyes downcast. But even though his face was averted, Samuel saw the swollen lip and cut under his eye. He blew out a breath of air, hoping God would guide him in what he should say to this man.

After Tom eased into the chair and the guard backed away to stand by the door, Tanya’s husband finally lifted
his gaze to Samuel’s. The despair in his eyes shook Samuel to the core of his being. This was a man without hope.

Tom blinked, and the despair was replaced with anger. With his arms folded over his chest, his hands fisted and his eyes narrowed, Tom said nothing as he stared at Samuel.

Samuel coated his dry throat and scooted his chair closer to the table, placing his elbows on its wooden surface. “Your wife asked me to come and see how you were.”

A nerve in the man’s jaw twitched. “How does it look to you?”

“You’re not doing too well.”

“I guess we can’t say you’re blind, Reverend.”

“What happened?” Samuel indicated the cuts on Tom’s face.

“I walked into a brick wall. An occupational hazard in here.”

“Have you reported—” Samuel glanced at the guard “—the brick wall?”

Tom shrugged, all expression shutting down completely.

“Is there anything you want me to do? Maybe I can talk to someone for you.”

Again another shrug.

“I will pray for you.”

“Suit yourself. It won’t help, reverend. Nothing does.”

The man’s words held no hope, and the expression
in his eyes was weary as though he didn’t care anymore about anything.

“Perhaps we can pray now.”

“I stopped praying the day Crystal fell from the horse. What good is praying to a God who allows your baby to be hurt?”

Hearing Tom’s anger, which mirrored his own at one time, made Samuel wince. Was that how he had sounded after Ruth died? He was ashamed of those feelings now. No good came of them except to throw his family, his life, into chaos. He wanted to help Tom see that.

“You have a beautiful daughter who is full of life. She isn’t letting the fact she’s in a wheelchair slow her down. She’s—”

“Stop right there, Reverend, or this meeting is over. I won’t listen to you talk about God and His grand plan that somehow involves my daughter being crippled. So if that’s all you came to talk about, then I guess you wasted your time.”

“No, that’s not all,” Samuel murmured, staring at Tom’s closed expression. The silence lengthened into a long moment while Samuel tried to decide how to approach Tom about the divorce. He couldn’t think of any way but straightforward. “Tanya doesn’t want a divorce.”

Tom blinked rapidly several times, then that blank look reappeared. “That’s too bad, because I do.”

“Will you at least see her and talk to her about it?”

Tanya’s husband shook his head. “No use in wasting either one’s time.”

“She doesn’t feel it’s a waste.”

“Too bad.” Tom scraped the chair back and rose. “You’ve wasted enough of my valuable time. I have to get back to work.”

The almost monotone quality to his voice sent chills down Samuel’s spine. Desperation made him ask, “Don’t you want to know how your family is doing?”

Tom closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and looked right at Samuel, no expression whatsoever on his face. “They’re better off without me. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Tom was at the door when Samuel said, “Your daughter misses you.”

The man’s back stiffened, but he didn’t turn around or say anything to Samuel’s last remark. When the guard and Tom left, Samuel scanned the bleak decor. It mirrored his feelings. He made his way out of the room and toward the guard at the end of the hall. The only result of this meeting with Tom was that he needed to prepare Tanya for the worst.

Lord, help me to be there for her in her time of need. Guide me in what I need to say to help her through this. And please be with Tom. He has lost all hope and needs it—and You—more than anyone.

Beth paused on the stone path, hesitant to go any farther into the Garden of Serenity. Samuel sat on a wooden bench near the pond with his head bent, his
hands clasped together and his elbows resting on his thighs. He was a man lost in prayer.

She’d started to leave when he raised his head and peered at her. No, he was simply a man lost. His dejected expression ripped through her composure and sent her forward, her only thought to comfort. “What’s wrong?”

The haunted look in his eyes shifted as though he was trying to mask it but was not quite able to. “I went to see Tom in prison.”

Beth settled next to him on the bench. “I know. Tanya mentioned it earlier today at Alice’s Café.”

“Yeah. I forgot about your meeting with the others.” He scanned the area as if he finally realized they were sitting in the middle of the church garden. “How did you find me?”

“Jane said you headed over to the church when you returned from your trip. I saw you as I was heading into the building to find you.” With only a few inches separating them, she felt tension emanating from him and her concern grew. “What happened with Tom? Will he see Tanya?”

“No. He is adamant about that—and the divorce.” Samuel took hold of her hand and gripped it. “I couldn’t help him, Beth. I tried, but he wouldn’t listen. He has turned away from the Lord.”

Even though Samuel’s clasp was tight, what unnerved her about his touch was its intensity, its desperation. “Sometimes there’s nothing we can do to make
a person listen to reason. You can’t make a person believe in God’s purpose.”

“I have no business being a minister. I can’t help my parishioners. I can’t help my family. I can’t help myself.”

Beth sucked in a deep breath and held it until her lungs felt on fire. Such despair wrenched her heart, constricting it into a painful lump that seemed to barely beat in her chest. She covered their clasped hands with her other one and angled her body so she faced him. “Where in the world has that idea come from?”

His darkened gaze shifted to hers. “Take a good look around you.”

Her throat closed around the words she wanted to say. She swallowed several times before she felt she could talk above the barest whisper. “I have. Today I sat with Tanya and listened to her sing your praises for the help you have given her through this difficult time. That doesn’t sound like a person who hasn’t been able to help someone. You can’t help everyone. I’ve learned that the hard way as a teacher. You try your best and hope you can, but it doesn’t always work.”

“When I came to Sweetwater, I felt this was my last chance to prove myself as a minister.”

She hadn’t thought it possible, but his eyes became even darker, as though turmoil churned in their depths. “Last chance? You had a good record as a minister.”

“Not since my wife’s death. I guess you could call what has happened to me a crisis of faith. So how can
a minister who is questioning God’s purpose in his own life help others see God’s purpose?”

“When my mother died, I was angry at God for taking her away and leaving me with three siblings to raise. I didn’t know how I was going to make it. Raise them. Finish college. Have a life. We all have times in our lives when we wonder about the plans God has for us, even reject the direction He wants us to go. Just because you are a minister doesn’t mean you’re immune to doubts or questions concerning your faith.”

“But Tom still won’t see Tanya. He’s still proceeding with the divorce.”

“And we’ll be there for Tanya. We can’t control Tom’s actions, but we can help Tanya deal with them.”

He released a deep breath through pursed lips.

“You must keep talking to God. He’s there. He’s listening. Always,” she added.

“I’m trying.”

“That’s all you can do. Try your best. As far as your family goes, your children adore you. Yes, Jane is rebelling, but that’s typical of a teenager. I’ve seen some growth over the past few months, mainly because she knows you’ll love her no matter what. That’s powerful stuff when you’re dealing with raging hormones.”

Samuel smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting. “I guess you should know, since you’ve raised three teenagers and dealt with hundreds on a daily basis.”

“Yes, the teacher knows best.”

He chuckled. “I thought that was the father knows best.”

“As my students say,
whatever
.”

Samuel straightened, removing his hand from hers. “Did you need me for something?”

For a few seconds Beth battled disappointment that they were not holding hands any longer. Then she thought of the danger in that and pushed her conflicting feelings to the back of her mind. “We were planning Crystal’s birthday party in a few weeks and wanted it to be a surprise for her. Do you think we could use the rec hall for the party? Her birthday is on a Wednesday and she has youth choir practice that evening.”

“That’s a wonderful idea. We can have the party after the practice.”

“That was what I was hoping you would say.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. Tanya, Jesse, Darcy, Zoey and I have it all planned. We’ll just need your presence.”

“You’ve got that.” Samuel rose and offered his hand to help her to her feet. When she stood, he moved back a step and said, “Now, about that date we discussed going on. How about going to the movies? Maybe next Saturday night?”

Date.
There was that word again. “That sounds fine.”
That sounds dangerous,
an inner voice taunted. “Why don’t you come over for dinner at my house beforehand?”