A Gift of Grace (21 page)

“What are you saying? She’s done plenty wrong!” he exclaimed.

Rebecca frowned. “I won’t allow you to send her back.”

“You won’t allow me?” He chuckled with sarcasm. “I don’t think it’s your decision.”

“I think it is. For fifteen years I’ve kept my silence while you made all of the rules in this house, but I won’t do it any longer. This is my house too. In fact, this was my parents’ house. I have a say in who lives here, and I want the girls here. They need guidance and love, not judgment. They will stay here. God has sent them to us.”

Daniel’s eyes flashed with shock and then returned to cool frustration. “Are you sure it’s God’s will, Rebecca?” His voice was soft but trembling with emotion.

“
Ya
, I’m sure. I can feel it in my heart. That’s my final word, Daniel Kauffman. The girls stay.” With her body shaking like a leaf in a windstorm, Rebecca kept her stare fixed on his enraged eyes.

Silence engulfed the room while a steady rain beat on the windowpane and the roof.

A quiet knock sounded on the door, but Rebecca and Daniel continued to study each other.

“Aunt Rebecca?” a voice asked outside the door. “The company is here.”

“Thank you,” Rebecca said with her eyes focused on her husband. “I’ll be right there.”

Daniel continued to stare at her in silence.

She waited another moment for him to speak and then retreated toward the door, her heart overflowing with disappointment. She’d hoped Daniel would listen to her and finally understand her love for the girls.

But no, he’d kept his stubborn feelings and chose to follow the bishop over her.

Stepping into the hallway, she found Jessica leaning against the wall, frowning. Rebecca closed the door behind her and pushed thoughts of Daniel from her head.

She forced a smile on her lips and looped her arm around her niece’s shoulders. “You ready to celebrate your birthday?”

“What was that about?” Jessica nodded toward the bedroom door.

“Daniel and I were having a discussion. It’s nothing for you to worry about.” She tugged Jessica toward the stairs. “Let’s go downstairs and visit.”

“No.” Jessica stopped and studied Rebecca. “You were talking about me. What was he saying?”

Rebecca sighed. She didn’t want to hurt her niece, especially tonight. “Daniel and I were having a disagreement, but it was nothing you should worry about. Sometimes married people disagree.”

Suspicion sparkled in her niece’s eyes. “But I heard my name. That tells me it has everything to do with me.”

Rebecca rested her hands on her slight shoulders. “Jessica, today is your birthday. This is a happy day, and a special day. In fact, I have something for you.” She nodded toward the end of the hallway. “Come with me.” She led Jessica to the sewing room, where she picked up a folded quilt. “I want you to have this.”

Jessica took the quilt and ran her hands over the intricate stitching in a lonestar pattern. She lifted a questioning gaze to Rebecca.

“Your mother made it a long time ago,” Rebecca said. “I want you to have it.”

Jessica’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday.” Rebecca gave her a quick hug and then started for the door. “I have to go downstairs before our guests think we left. Put the quilt in your room and come down when you’re ready.”

Heading down the stairs, Rebecca prayed that the rest of the evening would somehow go smoothly.

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H
appy birthday!” Lindsay’s voice rang out over the mutters of conversation that greeted Jessica when she entered the living room.

Jessica forced her lips to form a smile. She wished the party had been canceled. While taking the beautiful quilt to her room, a wave of memories and regret had crashed down on her.

She’d wished she could’ve spent a quiet birthday at home, since she couldn’t shake thoughts of her parents from her mind all day. She’d awoken in a cold sweat at four this morning after having a nightmare about the night her parents had died. Celebrating her sixteenth birthday without them had only made the nightmare seem more horrible and real.

A pang of guilt roared through her as she replayed her conversation with her mother just minutes before the accident. Why had Jessica been so pigheaded? She sighed, knowing she couldn’t change the past.

She scanned the sea of faces for Rebecca and Daniel, while the words she’d heard through the door haunted her. She’d only heard bits and pieces of the conversation.

However, Rebecca’s words were loud and clear when she said that the girls would stay. Jessica couldn’t help but wonder if Daniel wanted to get rid of her and her sister. If that were true, then everything would change. Jessica wondered what would happen to Lindsay now. She had found a home here—would she be as happy in Virginia? Had Jessica ruined everything for her?

But there was nothing she could do about it now as she stood before the Kauffman clan. She had no choice but to go along with the party.

A chorus of “Happy Birthday” broke out, and Rebecca weaved through the throng holding a large chocolate sheet cake decorated with flowers, “Happy Birthday Jessica” written in purple icing, and four burning candles.

“Oh wow,” Jessica said when the singing ceased.

“Make a wish!” Lindsay hollered above the conversations breaking out around her.

Closing her eyes, Jessica blew out the candles, wishing she could somehow go home. She opened her eyes while the folks around her clapped.

“Happy birthday,” Rebecca said. “Let’s cut your cake.”

“Happy birthday.” Lindsay wrapped her arms around Jessica.

“Hey.” A hand squeezed her shoulder. “Happy birthday.”

Jessica turned to see Jake grinning at her. “Jake!”

He pulled her into a warm hug. “I got you a little something,” he said.

She pulled back and stared up at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did.” He handed her a small purple gift bag. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you,” she said, but before she opened it, a determined hand yanked her arm.

“Come have some cake,” Lindsay said, tugging her toward the kitchen. “I made a lemon meringue pie just for you.”

When they reached the kitchen, a plate with a heaping piece of lemon meringue and a fork were shoved into her hands. A swarm of Daniel’s relatives engulfed Jessica in conversation, pinning her into a corner of the large room.

While the knot of relatives chatted, Jessica glanced at the doorway where Jake smiled at her. She wished she could sneak away and talk to Jake in a quiet, private room, away from the loud voices and meaningless conversation.

After finishing her pie, Jessica placed the plate on the counter and excused herself from the loud kitchen.

She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket on her way to the living room. She fished it out and found Trisha’s name on the display. A hand on her arm stopped her from flipping it open.

“Are you going to open your gift from me?” Jake asked.

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I was so afraid you’d left.”

“Are you kidding?” He shook his head. “I would never bail on you. I was just waiting for you to get away from the Kauffmans.”

She scanned the room. “Let’s go talk somewhere.”

“How about the porch? We’ll be safe from the rain under the roof as well as the prying eyes.” He took her hand and steered her through the crowd and out the front door.

“Finally,” she said, lowering herself into the swing. “Peace and quiet.”

He chuckled and sat next to her. “You’d think they’d be quiet and reserved, but they can cut loose at times.”

“You can say that again.” She placed the gift bag on her lap.

“Please open it.” His fingers brushed hers.

The tissue paper crinkled while she fished through and located a small box. Opening it, she gasped when she spotted a new cellular phone. “Jake,” she said. “This must’ve cost you a fortune.”

“Not really.” He shrugged. “It’s the newest model with the best battery. It’ll keep a charge much longer than your current phone. We’ll just take it down to the phone store in town, and they’ll switch out the cards. Then you’ll have a new phone with the same number.”

“Wow.” She opened it and examined the features. Then she frowned. “So, you’re trying to prevent me from using your truck to charge my phone so often, huh?”

“Not at all.” He grinned. “You don’t need an excuse to ride in my truck. I just thought you might want a better battery so you can keep in touch with your friends.” He pointed to a button. “It’s got this really cool camera. Just push that.” He grinned, and she took a photo of him. “Now you can take photos and send them to your buddies back in Virginia.”

“Why?” she snapped. “They don’t call me anymore.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “Brian and Morgan still haven’t called me. It’s been almost two weeks. They didn’t even call to say happy birthday.”

“They don’t deserve to have you as a friend.” He shook his head. “Not calling on your birthday is just plain terrible.”

She sniffed back tears. Her old phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out. “Trisha again,” she whispered, reading the screen.

“Go ahead and answer it.” Jake nodded toward the front door. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

“No.” She grabbed his sleeve. “You can stay. I won’t be long.”

He stood. “How about I go get you a drink?”

“That would be nice. Thanks.” She flipped the phone open while he headed into the house. “Hello?”

“Happy birthday, Jessie!” Trisha sang into the phone. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” She leaned back in the swing, which swayed in the humid July air.

“I’m sorry I mailed your card late. You should have it by Tuesday.”

“That’s okay. How are things at the beach?” Jessica flicked a piece of lint off her jeans.

“It’s been really busy. I’m sorry I haven’t called or written in a while,” her godmother said. “I think of you and Lindsay all the time. Business is picking up again with the construction company. We just got another condo deal. Pretty soon this place will be known for the condos and not the beach.”

Jessica closed her eyes and frowned. Her father used to say those same words.

A surge of regret and sorrow slid through her. How she missed her parents—especially today. She should be home in her old house celebrating her birthday with them, not with this family she barely knew.

“Jessie? You still there?” Trisha asked.

“Yeah.” Jessica’s voice quavered, and she cleared her throat. “Have you talked to a lawyer?”

Silence greeted her on the other end of the phone, and Jessica’s stomach soured. She knew the answer before her godmother spoke.

“Honey, I didn’t get good news,” Trisha said.

“What do you mean?” A lump swelled in Jessica’s throat.

“I have no right to contest your mother’s will.”

“Why?” Jessica brushed away an errant tear with her palm.

The swing shifted, and she turned to see Jake sitting next to her, his eyes full of concern while he studied her. He placed two plastic cups on the porch railing.

“Because I’m not a blood relative, Jessie. I can’t do anything.”

“But you’re my godmother, Aunt Trisha. Doesn’t that count for anything?” Jessica swallowed a sob.

Jake rubbed her back, but she kept her focus on her lap.

“The lawyer said that’s just a church ritual,” Trisha said. “It means nothing in the eyes of the law. What matters is your parents wanted you and your sister with your aunt Rebecca. That’s what the will said, so that’s what the law sides with.”

“But I don’t want to be here. I want to be with you. I want to come home.” Jessica couldn’t stop the sobs wracking her body. When Jake pulled her into his arms, she pushed away and popped up from the swing. She padded to the other side of the porch without looking back.

“Jessica?” her godmother said. “Jessica, listen to me. Are you there?”

“Yeah,” Jessica whispered. “I’m here.”

“You have to make the best of this, honey. Two years from today you’ll be eighteen, and you can do whatever you please. You just have to hang on for two years.”

“That’s impossible,” Jessica said. “I can’t stand another week working in that stupid furniture store. The days are long and boring, and one customer even yelled at me earlier this week. It’s a nightmare.” Jessica leaned on the railing, watching the rain pound down on the dirt driveway. “I just want to go home and finish high school. Then I can go to college.”

“You can go to college in two years. You can get your GED and go to any school you want.”

“I can’t do it, Aunt Trisha. I have to get out of here before I go insane,” she said. “I don’t belong here.”

“You’re going to have to make the best of it. I’ve done all I can. I’m sorry it wasn’t enough.” Trisha sighed. “Look, Frank and I will get caught up at work and then we’ll visit. Rebecca said we can come back any time to see you.”

“I don’t want you to visit,” Jessica said, wiping her eyes again. “I want you to come get me and take me back to live with you. Nobody wants me here—especially Daniel.”

The roar of an engine startled Jessica. Looking up, she spotted Jake’s pickup rumbling down the dirt driveway toward the main road, and her stomach clenched.

“Oh no,” she whispered. “Jake.”

“What’s wrong?” Trisha asked.

“Nothing.” She shook her head as more regret bubbled through her. She’d hurt him. He’d been the one person who’d reached out to her and not judged what she said or did, and she managed to mess that up like everything else she’d done since she’d come here.

“Jessica, I tried the best I could,” her godmother said. “I called three lawyers, and I got the same answer from each one. You just have to make the best of it and go out on your own when you’re eighteen.”

“I can’t stand another two years here,” Jessica said through gritted teeth despite the tears spilling from her eyes. “I’m sixteen. I’ll have myself declared emancipated or whatever you call it.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Trisha said. “You can’t touch your parents’ money for a few more years.”

“I don’t need money.” She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hands. “I’m going to tell Aunt Rebecca that I want to leave. I’ve had enough.”

“Jessica, you might not want to do that.”

“I’ll talk to you later.” Jessica snapped the phone shut and stared out across the dark pasture while the large raindrops soaked her jeans and her blouse. She was ready to go. Nothing was keeping her in Lancaster County.

Except Jake.

But nothing could ever happen between them. They were just good friends. He was happy with his simple life of working in grandfather’s furniture store, and Jessica wanted more. She wanted to go to college and get her degree. She wanted to see the world. She wasn’t like these Plain People.

Glancing up at the sky, she thought of Jake’s words. He’d said her being there was God’s plan. But somehow it didn’t seem right. She didn’t know why her parents had died, but she didn’t think God intended for her to be here. It didn’t feel right.

No, this wasn’t what He’d planned for her at all.

She fingered her mother’s wedding ring dangling from the chain around her neck. Jessica was like her mother, and it was time she started acting like her. She was a Bedford, not a Kauffman.