Woodlands (13 page)

Leah wasn’t in the habit of trusting anyone but herself. And now that she realized she couldn’t trust herself to settle her own emotions and to make sense of the tumble of recent events in her life, she felt completely lost.

Opening her eyes, Leah turned the key in the ignition. That’s when she noticed a note on her windshield, wrapped in what looked like a used plastic sandwich bag. Apparently it was supposed to keep the note dry. Leah retrieved the note, which was damp despite the plastic bag. The name at the bottom of the scrawled lines was “Seth.”

H
er heart began to pound as she read Seth’s simple words on the note he must have left while she was in the travel agency.

I thought of you this morning when I read this vers
e:
Song of Songs 6:11
.

Seth

Leah’s spirits instantly rose.
He thought of me? But what does the verse say?

Since Leah didn’t have a Bible handy, she laid the note flat on the passenger’s seat so Seth’s words could dry out. Then she drove to the grocery story for a quick purchase and on to Franklin’s house, as she originally had planned.

Seth thought of me
.

Leah arrived with a smile on her face and found Franklin napping in his favorite recliner. The spry old man always left the door unlocked. He said it was so the “Cleaning House”
people would know to come on in if he didn’t hear them knock. Leah tried to tell him once, years ago, that the contest was run by the Publishers Clearing House. But Franklin still called them the “Cleaning House” people.

As far as Leah knew, Franklin sent in his entry form every time one came in the mail. He only subscribed to two magazines but that didn’t stop those “Cleaning House” people from inviting him to enter every contest they had.

Leah called out from the entryway, “Franklin? Hello, it’s Leah. I brought you a little something.”

Franklin stirred in his old, brown recliner and immediately perked up. “Well, look at you! And with flowers to boot.”

“Flowers and candy.” Leah waved the bag of peppermint patties for him to see. She knew they were his favorite candies. Or at least they were the easiest candies for him to eat.

“It’s not even my birthday,” Franklin said, struggling to stand up with the help of his cane.

“Don’t get up.” She went over and gave the old gentleman a kiss on the cheek.

He settled comfortably back into the recliner.

“What have you been doing?” she asked.

“Making plans,” Franklin said with a twinkle in his eyes. His glasses were so dirty Leah didn’t know how he could see her.

“Here, let me clean your glasses, Franklin. I’m going into the kitchen to put these flowers in water. I’ll be right back.”

“Leave the candy here with me,” he said, reaching for the bag.

“Yes, sir,” she teased. “Don’t eat them all before I come back.”

“Just watch me try,” Franklin quipped.

Mavis, the day nurse who cared for Franklin, was in the kitchen fixing chicken for dinner. She had a small television on
the counter and was engrossed in an afternoon talk show. Leah helped herself to a vase for the daffodils and then washed and dried Franklin’s glasses.

When she returned to the living room, Franklin had opened the bag of candy and was letting one of the mint patties melt in his mouth. She handed him his glasses.

“Oh, much better,” Franklin said, adjusting them a bit. “You are much too kind to me, Leah darlin’. And that’s why I’ve been making plans.”

Leah slid over to the couch, where she sat down, wondering if Seth had been right about the will. Was Franklin going to announce he had left her his house? His old recliner? Or was Franklin going to declare he had bought her tickets to the movies?

“You know I enjoy visiting you and bringing you treats,” Leah said. “You don’t have to make any plans to do anything for me, Franklin. And you certainly don’t have to give me anything.”

“Who said I’m doing anything for you?” Franklin spouted. “I’ve been making plans for you to do something nice for me.”

“Oh!” Leah felt her cheeks turn red. “What do you want me to do for you?”

“I want you to take me to Hamilton Lodge.”

“Do you mean at Hamilton Hot Springs? That’s more than four hours away. Why do you want me to take you there?”

“I haven’t been there since Naomi passed on.” He leaned back, and a tender look crossed his face the way it always did when he spoke of Naomi. “That used to be our favorite place. We were among the first customers to stay in their new facility. That was on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. After that, we went every other year. Like clockwork. It was our special place.”

Leah quickly calculated and deduced that the new facility must have gone up in the sixties. This brought her an instant vision of a resort done up in harvest golds and avocado greens, just like the house she had grown up in.

“I’d like you to take me there,” Franklin said. “You name the weekend.”

“I—I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what? You don’t know if you want to take me, or you don’t know which weekend?”

How could she say that the last place she wanted to go was a sixties-style hot springs resort? She knew she shouldn’t be so picky, after complaining for years about never going anywhere. But this all seemed so strange. First the cruise to Alaska and now the hot springs. And both of them on tight time schedules so she had to make decisions right away.

That wasn’t the only reason Leah hesitated. She didn’t know how to tell Franklin she didn’t want to be responsible to care for him for a weekend away. Visiting at his home and occasionally taking him out for a drive was one thing. Going all the way to Hamilton Hot Springs and caring for him for a weekend was asking a lot.

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable with someone else like Mavis?”

“Mavis deserves some time off,” he said.

Leah knew the next obvious choice would be Seth. She had a funny feeling Franklin was waiting for her to ask about his nephew. “What about Seth?”

The glimmer was back in Franklin’s eyes. “I have his picture right up there on the mantle.”

“Yes.” Leah noticed the photo of Seth was now front and center. The picture showed a much younger, less tan version of Seth with hair longer and darker than his current shade of sun-kissed blond. The smile was the same. Leah tried not to let her
feelings show. Seth had such a nice smile.

“He turned out all right, didn’t he? You know he had that crazy spell when he lived with the monkeys in the jungle. You know that, don’t you?” Franklin paused, waiting for Leah’s reaction.

“Wasn’t it the rain forest in Costa Rica?”

Franklin feebly waved his hand as if to dismiss all the details he couldn’t keep straight. “Point is, he turned out all right in the end, don’t you think?”

Leah hesitated.

Franklin sat up a little straighter and answered for her. “Yes, he did. He turned out all right. And so did you. Now answer my question, Leah. Will you take me to the hot springs this weekend?”

“I can’t go this weekend.”

“Then how about the next weekend?”

“I don’t think so.” She was starting to feel bad about saying no.

“Why not?” Franklin persisted.

“It’s May Day weekend, and I’m helping Shelly with the May Day event at the camp.”

“Oh,” Franklin looked down at his thin hands. “Then it was nice of you to bring me the May Day flowers early this year. I ’spect you’ll be too busy on May Day to stop by. I understand.” He lifted his gaze. “You’ve been good to me, Leah, honey. I wouldn’t want to take you away from all your other friends.”

Franklin was a sly one. Did he sound more frail than usual? Was he making his voice weak so she would take pity on him? Leah knew she would miss him when he was gone. It made her realize that once Franklin died, the last piece of her childhood would be gone. She didn’t have parents or grandparents left to connect her with her early years. Only Franklin.

“Oh, all right, you ruthless trickster, you,” Leah said, picking up a throw pillow and pretending she was going to toss it at Franklin.

“Good. Which weekend?” His voice seemed to have improved.

“The last weekend in May. Is that okay for you?”

“That’s just fine. I’ll make the reservations tomorrow.”

“I don’t know how you talked me into this,” Leah said, sauntering over and snatching one of the candies from his bag. She also didn’t know how she could go on the cruise and fit in a trip to the hot springs with Franklin.

“We’ll have a grand time,” Franklin said. “All three of us.”

Leah stuck the candy in her mouth and froze before letting her teeth sink into the thin layer of chocolate. “And who would the third person be, Franklin?” she finally asked after swallowing the mint.

Franklin smiled smugly but said nothing. He just sat there smiling and chuckling to himself.

I
nstead of driving home from Franklin’s house, Leah drove straight to Kyle and Jessica’s. Too much had been happening too fast for Leah. She needed perspective, and Jessica often had provided her with just that.

Travis answered the doorbell and said his mommy was upstairs with Sara. Leah asked, “Could you tell her I’m here and see if she needs any help?”

Travis took off up the stairs, and Leah called after him, “And ask her if she has a Bible nearby.”

Leah thought she remembered seeing a Bible on the living room bookshelf so she meandered in and pulled the leather Bible off the shelf. Turning to Song of Songs 6:11, Leah eagerly read the special message Seth had left for her. “I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.”

She stared blankly at the wall. “
Garden of nuts”? “Fruits of the valley”? This verse reminded Seth of me?

Jessica appeared holding Sara, who was bathed and in her pajamas. “Congratulations!” Jessica said.

“For what?”

“Alissa told me you won a cruise to Alaska. That’s fantastic! When are you going?”

“May 15. Would you like to go with me?”

Jessica hesitated.

“I’m only kidding. You have your hands full.” Leah put down the Bible and stood, reaching out for Sara. “Come here, my little Sara Bunny.”

Sara went right to Leah and cuddled up.

“She’s really tired,” Jessica said. “We had an early dinner. All my kids need to get to bed early tonight. I think the weekend of parties and sugar took a toll on them.”

“It has been a wild week,” Leah said.

“Do you want to put Sara to bed, and I’ll get the other two settled? Then we can talk. I want to hear all about this cruise. Kyle won’t be home for a couple of hours so you and I can have a good, long visit.”

Leah felt relieved. That was exactly what she needed to hear. Jessica had time to listen and hopefully to help Leah figure out what was going on in her life.

Just then Travis padded into the room with a heavy Bible in his hands. “Here you go, Auntie Leah. You can use my dad’s Bible.”

“Thank you,” Leah said, taking the Bible from him. “You are such a great helper, Travis. How about if you and I help your mom tuck your sisters into bed?”

Travis slipped his hand in Leah’s, and they followed Jessica up the stairs. It took almost an hour to settle all three of the kids into bed. Leah helped herself to some cheese and crackers and poured a large glass of orange juice. She and Jessica sat
in the living room facing each other in comfy chairs by the window that looked out over the driveway.

“You know this pocket of grace you said I fell into?” Leah began their conversation. “Well, I don’t think I want to be there any longer. It’s way too crazy.”

Jessica smiled. “Why do you say that? Don’t you want to go on the cruise? I think it’s another one of God’s gifts to you. Do you remember what I said before? You can’t outgive God.”

“It’s not the cruise,” Leah said. “It’s everything. A week ago Seth Edwards walked into my corner of the world—my little Snack Shack—and nothing has been the same since.”

“You two seemed so comfortable around each other last week when you came to pick out a puppy. Have your feelings changed?”