The Quilter's Daughter (23 page)

Suddenly, Abby saw herself inside her bedroom, with fire and billowy smoke threatening to choke her to death. Lester was by her side, grabbing the quilt off her bed. Their fingers intertwined as they pulled on the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. Abby and her betrothed were trapped in the inferno and would perish together.

Abby’s eyes snapped open, and her trembling fingers trailed along the narrow ties of her black bonnet. Had she fallen asleep and been dreaming again? She sat for a few minutes in the company of her bitter regrets, then decided she must forcibly rearrange her thoughts. She stared out the window, attempting to focus her attention on the passing scenery, but it was no use. All she could think about was Lester, and how he wouldn’t be waiting for her when she arrived in Ohio. He’d given his life trying to save her quilts, and she should have been there to stop him.

Abby gripped the edge of her seat, as tears blinded her vision.
Oh, Lester, how can I go on living without you? I’ll never forgive myself for causing your death
.

Jim entered the kitchen, switched on the overhead light, and glanced at the clock. It was four in the morning, and he didn’t have to get up for work until six, yet he hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d gone to bed late last night, tossed and turned for hours, then finally gotten up.

“Why did I let Linda talk me into attending church with her folks on Thanksgiving morning?” he groused as he ambled over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a container of apple juice, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and filled it to the brim.
If I go to church on Thanksgiving, will Linda keep nagging me to attend services with her and Jimmy on Sunday mornings?

He gulped the juice down, placed the empty glass in the sink, and snapped off the light.
Might as well see if I can sleep a few more hours. Maybe I’ll just crash on the couch
.

Jim headed for the living room and tripped over a pair of Jimmy’s sneakers on the way. He cursed and gave one shoe a
swift kick. It flew into the room and hit the coffee table with a thud.

He dropped to the couch but jumped up when something sharp jabbed his hip. He groaned when he realized it was a toy truck. “If I’ve told that kid once, I’ve told him a hundred times, not to leave his things lying around.” Jim grabbed the truck, pitched it across the room, and flopped down with his head on a throw pillow.

He lay there with his eyes closed, hoping sleep would come quickly. A few seconds later, Jim heard a
click
, and he bolted upright. A ray of light coming from the hallway streamed into the room. Who would be milling around this early in the morning?

Jim heard the sound of running water coming from the kitchen, so he decided to investigate. He found Linda’s father, clad in a pair of navy blue flannel pajamas, standing at the sink.

Thomas whirled around. “Jim! You scared the daylights out of me. What are you doing up at this hour?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

“Woke up to use the restroom and decided I was thirsty.”

“Same here. I mean, about the thirsty part,” Jim said with a snicker. “I bedded down on the couch, hoping I could get a little more sleep before it was time to get ready for work.”

Thomas raised his dark, bushy eyebrows. “Are you and Linda getting along okay?”

“Sure. Why do you ask?”

“Just seems as if there’s some tension between the two of you. And then with you sleeping on the couch I figured there might be some serious problems.”

Jim grunted and flopped into a chair at the table. “She didn’t kick me out of our room, if that’s what you’re getting at, Tom.”

Linda’s father shook his head and took the seat opposite Jim. “That’s not what I meant to imply.” He grinned. “And thanks for not calling me Thomas. I’ve hated that name since I was a boy, but it’s what most people call me, and it’s kind of late in the game to start using a nickname.”

Jim fingered the edge of the blue vinyl tablecloth. “It’s never too late for anything.”

Tom cleared his throat. “About you and Linda. . .”

“Yeah?”

“Are you having some problems?”

Jim compressed his lips. Just how much should he tell Linda’s dad? Would he be in for a lecture if he voiced his complaints? It was only natural that a father would defend his daughter, and it wasn’t likely that his father-in-law would take Jim’s side.

“Whatever you tell me won’t go any further than these kitchen walls,” Tom said with a nod.

Jim drew in a deep breath and decided to plunge ahead. “To tell you the truth, things haven’t been good between Linda and me for some time.”

“I see.”

“Linda has always been somewhat needy, and after we got Jimmy, she became overprotective and whiny, always wanting her own way.” Jim grimaced. “This doesn’t feel right, me talking about my wife to her father.”

Tom shook his head. “That’s okay. I’m not so naïve as to think my daughter has no faults.”

“I appreciate your understanding.”

“How is Linda acting now?”

“She’s done an about-face.” Jim popped a couple of his knuckles. “Awhile back, she began going to church with some religious friend of hers. Ever since then she’s been syrupy sweet and way too compliant. It makes me wonder if she has some ulterior motive.”

“Such as?”

He shrugged. “Maybe getting me to go to church with her and Jimmy. Maybe adopting another child.”

“But you’re going to church on Thanksgiving, right?”

“Yeah, against my better judgment.”

“And you don’t want more children?”

Jim blew out his breath. How could he explain things without Tom asking a bunch of questions he wasn’t prepared to answer? “I think Jimmy’s enough for us. And since Linda and I don’t see eye-to-eye on many things that pertain to raising the boy, I can’t feel good about bringing another kid into our home.”

Tom nodded. “I think I understand. Claire tended to be overprotective with both our daughters when they were growing up, but Cheryl has always had an independent spirit and has pretty much done as she pleased since she’s been out on her own. Linda, on the other hand, was afraid of everything when she was a child, and she’s never had much confidence, not even as a young adult.”

“Yeah, I know. She has improved in that area some, but we still have a lot of problems.”

“Have you considered seeing a counselor?”

Jim clenched his teeth. Not the counselor thing again. He shook his head. “Don’t need a counselor. Things will be fine. You don’t need to worry.” He pushed away from the table. “I think I’ll go upstairs and get ready for work.”

“So soon? It’s only five o’clock.”

“Might as well get an early start. Since I’ll be losing a whole day on Thursday, I need to get as much done these next few days as I can.”

“Linda thinks you work too hard, and I’m inclined to agree with her.”

Jim frowned. “How else can I provide a decent living for us if I don’t put in long hours? Can’t pay the bills and buy the things Linda might want if I sit around the house all day.”

“That’s true, but—”

“Gotta run, Tom. I’ll see you after work this evening.” Jim rushed out of the room before Linda’s father could say anything more.

Fannie sat at the kitchen table watching a wisp of steam as it curled and lifted from her cup of tea, then vanished into the air. Abby had only been gone a few hours and already she missed her. Would her daughter be all right on her own? Could she handle the pressure of going back to Ohio and facing the remains of her shop, knowing Lester had been killed trying to rescue her quilts? The thought sent a shiver tingling down Fannie’s spine. So many hopes for the future had been dashed away in a single
moment. If there was only some way to change the past, she surely would.

“Are you okay, Mama Fannie?”

Startled by the sound of Nancy’s voice, Fannie whirled around. The young girl stood off to one side, and Fannie realized Nancy must have slipped into the room while she was deep in thought. “I was just havin’ a cup of tea,” she mumbled.

“Mind if I join you? The twins are down for a nap, and I could use a little break.”

Fannie nodded at the pot sitting in the center of the table. “It’s probably empty. I’ve already had three cups.”

Nancy reached for the teapot and carried it over to the stove. “I’ll add some hot water and another tea bag. Would ya like some zucchini bread to go with it?”

Fannie shrugged. “I’m not so hungry right now.”

A few minutes later, Nancy joined her at the table. She poured them each a cup of tea and passed the plate of zucchini bread to Fannie. “You need to keep up your strength.”

Fannie glanced at the clock on the wall across from her. “Wonder how Abby’s doing. Sure hope she’ll be able to sleep on the bus. She’s had a rough couple of days, and I hated to see her leave for Ohio so soon.”

“She did have a pretty nasty bump on the head.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. I was referring to the trauma of Lester dying.”

Nancy nodded. “I can’t imagine how she must feel, losin’ her entire quilt shop and the man she was plannin’ to marry.”

“It’s always hard to lose a loved one, but having them die in a tragic accident is ever so sad.” Fannie took a sip of tea and hoped it would push down the lump that seemed to be stuck in her throat.

“I remember how we all felt when our mamm was hit by a car,” Nancy said. “It was like a part of us died that day.”

Before Fannie could comment, Nancy reached across the table and patted her hand. “ ’Course, havin’ you as our new mamm has helped to heal that pain.”

Fannie’s eyes filled with tears. “Bein’ married to your daed
and helpin’ him raise his brood has filled a void in my life, too.”

Nancy leaned her elbows on the table. “You think Abby will ever find love again?”

“It’s too soon to be thinking of such things. Abby needs time to grieve and put her memories to rest before she can consider love or marriage again.”

“She sure is brave, going back to Ohio by herself.”

Fannie nodded. “Brave and determined to do what’s right by Lester’s mamm.”

“Abby’s a real special woman, ain’t it so?”

“Jah, but I wish she would learn to care for her own needs.”

“Doesn’t the Bible teach that we should love others and do to them as we would have done to us?”

“It does, but it also teaches that we need to love ourselves.”

“Where’s it say that?”

“In the New Testament Gospels, Jesus tells us that the second greatest commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself.” Fannie smiled. “How can we love others if we don’t love ourselves and take care of our own needs?”

Nancy took a sip of her tea. “And you don’t think Abby does that?”

“Most of the time she’s worried about everyone else and tries to meet their needs instead of her own. Many times, my daughter has done without or given up her plans for me. She did that when she came to help during my pregnancy.” Fannie shook her head. “To tell you the truth, Abby’s been overly self-sacrificing ever since her daed died of a heart attack when she was sixteen.”

“When she stayed on after the twins were born, it made sense, but then after you seemed strong enough, I figured she would go right back to Ohio,” Nancy said.

“Exactly. Now I’m wishin’ I had insisted she go sooner. If she had, Lester might still be alive.”

Nancy’s dark eyes showed obvious concern. “You can’t blame yourself for that, Mama Fannie. Abby came here of her own free will, and she stayed because she wanted to. I’m sure she doesn’t blame you for what happened to the quilt shop or to Lester.”

“That’s what Abraham says.” Fannie sighed. “About all we can do now is pray for Abby. Pray that in the days ahead she will find comfort from us, as well as the Lord.”