A Touch of Grace (9 page)

“There’s no one with the time to go fishing since you put Samuel in charge of feeding all the young stock. He hardly has time to run his snares either. Sophie was asking when she could have rabbit on the menu again.”

“Maybe that’s another thing young Gould should learn.”

“I’d love to get that buck that took out part of a row of corn.” Ingeborg glanced over at the porch to see Grace feeding Inga, who was sitting on her pa’s lap. A burst of laughter said someone had told a funny story. Interesting how Jonathan fit in so well when they’d been expecting him to be a problem. She watched his face and realized he was watching Grace. Come to think of it, he watched Grace a lot. Was Kaaren aware of that? And did it matter? After all, he’d be heading back to New York at the end of August and Grace would start teaching with her mother at the Blessing School for the Deaf.

“I thought I’d come tell you first.”

Ingeborg jerked her attention back to the conversation going on around her. She stared at Penny, sure she knew what was coming.

“I have agreed to sell my store to move to Bismarck. I really debated on finding a manager, but I think a clean cut might be better—” Her voice broke. She blinked and raised her chin. “Better in the long run. Otherwise, I will be tempted to give up and come back.”

Recognizing how hard it was for Penny to keep from breaking down, Ingeborg willed her own eyes not to leak. While she wanted to take Penny’s hand, she clenched her own in her lap. She and Penny were much alike, not wanting to weep in public. And these would be not only tears of sorrow, but tears that tore one’s heart out and dashed it against a stone wall.

Even Hjelmer stammered when he said he was grateful that Haakan and Lars were buying the machinery business, since that made it so much easier for him to part with it.

Ingeborg stared from Hjelmer to Haakan. When had that transpired? And without talking it over with her? She glanced at Kaaren to see a look of astonishment on her face too. Here, she’d been wanting to talk to Haakan about the possibility of their buying the store with the agreement that Penny could buy it back at the same price if she so desired down the road. Meaning if things didn’t work out in Bismarck for Hjelmer.

Shock and disappointment moved on to disgust, finally flaring from a bed of burning coals. Hadn’t they always discussed everything? Hadn’t she depended on that for trust and wisdom? “I think I’ll go check on Carl.” She felt like she had a steel bar up her spine and she was chewing on glass.
Lord, please help me get through the rest of this
day without letting the others know of my anger—no, resentment—no, I
am so mad at him I could scream. I haven’t been this mad for years. I
thought I was over such displays of temper. Temper, my right foot
. Both small child and Elizabeth were still sleeping soundly. She heard footfalls on the back steps and steeled herself, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. One more and she could turn and be civil.

“You didn’t know that, did you?” Penny’s voice sounded soft in the twilight.

“No, and neither did Kaaren. When did it come about?”

“Just this afternoon, I think. Hjelmer has said he hoped they would do that. He went to them with a good offer.”

Ingeborg turned, shaking her head. “I was hoping to buy your store, but now I don’t see how we can swing both. At least not for cash, and I know you need the money to buy a house.”

“Everything I have is tied up in my store.” The tone of her voice said far more than money was involved. Penny had loved her store ever since she first dreamed of it, long before it actually came about.

More steps and Kaaren pushed open the screen door. “You might as well fill me in too.”

“It happened just a little while ago.”

“Was there such a hurry they couldn’t wait to talk with us? It’s not like we were gone or something. Or that Hjelmer was leaving tomorrow.”

“Not tomorrow, but the day after. They’ll sign the papers at the bank tomorrow, and then he’ll take what he has and go looking for a house for us. He needs to start work next week.”

“Hjelmer Bjorklund is not going to like working in an office on someone else’s time schedule. He likes his freedom too much.”

“You know that and I know that, but he has to learn that for himself.” Penny mopped her eyes with a tatted-edged handkerchief. She reached for Ingeborg and collapsed against her shoulder, tears soaking the soft calico and her own shoulders shaking.

Ingeborg’s tears dripped off her chin as she stroked Penny’s back and murmured comforting mother sounds.

Kaaren gave the grate a good shaking and added small sticks to the glowing coals. She opened the draft, added bigger chunks, and slammed the lids back into place. “They don’t deserve fresh coffee.” Her mutter pierced the heavy gloom and made all three of them sniff.

“You could make it with dishwater.” Ingeborg clapped a hand over her mouth.
Uff da!
What was she saying?

“Adding pepper was more along my way of thinking.” Kaaren dumped the grounds from the bottom of the pot into the bucket for compost. They didn’t feed the coffee grounds to the chickens for fear it might taint the eggs. After rinsing the pot, she filled it with water from the reservoir so the coffee would be ready sooner.

“Mor, is the lemonade—?” Astrid stopped and stared at the three women. “What happened?”

“Nothing. We’ll talk about it later.” Ingeborg’s hands fluttered in a shooing motion, as if she were herding chickens. “The lemonade is in the well house. There should be ice out there too to put in it.” She reached out and patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, all right?”

The look Astrid gave her said she wouldn’t let it drop forever, but she headed back out the door.

That evening after all the others had left and the house was closed up for the night, Ingeborg sat on the edge of the bed and grimaced when her brush caught in a tangle. She gave it a jerk rather than gently disentangling the recalcitrant hairs and clamped her teeth together.
I will not bring it up. He has to know how angry this makes
me
. She caught his steady gaze in the mirror.

“I know you are angry with me.”

“That I am.” She turned to look at him. “What was the hurry that we couldn’t discuss it?”

“I knew you wouldn’t want to.”

“How did you know that?” She tried to speak sweetly, but it sounded more like vinegar.

“You don’t want them to go.”

“And you do?”

“Not at all, but Hjelmer needs to do what he thinks best. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes. If this is God’s will for them, then they must be about it.”
If
you don’t sound sanctimonious
. Her strokes softened, then picked up speed again. “But I am not convinced this is what God wants them to do. They are rushing into it.” She watched his eyebrows go up.

“You think God will run things by you?”

“Haakan Bjorklund, what a thing to say.” Her eyebrows rammed against each other in the center of her forehead. Her jaw ached from the clamping teeth until her thoughts careened back to their discussions on buying more cows and how bullheaded she’d been. She still thought she was right. “I was hoping that we could buy the store and machinery all at once, so if they wanted, or needed to, they could come home again.”

“What is stopping us? Just because you are angry that I went ahead … if that is what you were thinking, why are you … ?” He shook his head slowly, his jaw askew. “Ingeborg, sometimes you just have to trust me.”

“You think this is about my trusting you?” It was her turn to shake her head. The newly purchased cows stood in a row between them. “It seems more like you not trusting me.”

She braided her hair much too tight but tied a ribbon at the end and threw the braid over her shoulder. A gentle tug told her Haakan wanted to turn out the light and let this be done with. She clenched her teeth again and heard a voice in her head so clearly she dare not argue.
Do not let the sun go down on your anger
. The sun had gone down long ago, but the voice reminded her that she and Haakan had agreed early in their marriage to follow God’s Word, and this was one point they’d agreed to honor. She sucked in a deep breath.
I cannot
say I’m sorry. This isn’t my fault. It is Haakan’s
.

“Come, my Inga, let us put this on the shelf for now. I am sorry I didn’t talk with you first.”

She followed the tug on her braid and scooted back into his welcoming arms. “I forgive you.”

“Good. And I you.”

“But I—” He cut off her argument with a gentle kiss. “ ’Night.” Though it was awhile before they went to sleep, she felt the comfort of his arm over her waist and listened for his first gentle snore that told her he was really asleep.
God, I wish there were easy answers at
times. One thing settles out and something else comes up. I don’t like
changes like this. I will miss Penny and Hjelmer dreadfully. Besides, how
could I run a store with all the other things I have to do? But what do
you want us to do?

C
OULD THERE BE ANYTHING
more precious in the whole world?

Grace stared down into the basket, where the twins slept cuddled together. Hamre’s hair was so fine as to look bald, while darker wisps feathered little Joy’s head. She traced the tiny perfect fingers on a baby hand with a tender touch. Her heart swelled with a love she’d not known before.

“They are so perfect.” She signed the words so the sound wouldn’t wake the babies.

“I know,” Sophie signed back. “But they are not so perfect when they both demand to be fed at the same time.”

Grace smiled and settled back in the rocking chair. Sophie had moved into Bridget and Henry’s quarters after having the woodwork repainted, new curtains hung, and the furniture rearranged. Perhaps when the twins were older, they would have a room of their own, but for now the basket sat on a trunk at the foot of the bed.

She couldn’t get over the difference in her sister. Already she’d slimmed back to half the size she’d been before the delivery. Black circles under her eyes testified to lack of sleep, but their mother said that was normal for a new mother, even more so with twins.

“Do you have enough milk for both of them?”

“So far, although they want to nurse every two hours. Hamre eats and falls asleep before getting full enough, I think. Then he wakes up first. Dr. Elizabeth said to keep him awake to make him eat more. Ha! I can’t keep me awake, let alone him. Thank God for Mrs. Sam.”

“You could go take a nap now while they’re asleep.”

“But you are here to visit, and I so long for something besides babies.”

“Sophie!”

“I know. I love them so much, and I’m grateful they are all right, but I’m even more grateful they are all right and now outside of me.”

“You were huge.” Grace pantomimed how big Sophie had been.

“I know. Believe me, I know.” Sophie leaned forward and signed, “Can you keep a secret?”

Grace pulled back. “You’re not running away again, are you?”

“Don’t be silly. How could I run away with all this, and besides, all I want now is right here in Blessing.”

Grace stared at her sister—the dreamy look in her eyes, the gentle smile. “So the rumors are true.”

Sophie’s eyes popped open. “What rumors?”

“That Mr. Wiste and you … that you’re …”

“What? That he loves me?”

Grace nodded.
And why
she wondered yet again,
didn’t you tell me?

“I wanted to tell you, dear Grace, but Garth asked me to wait until he could talk with Far.” Sophie clenched her hands harder. “Please don’t be cross with me. I love him. We are going to be married as soon as his house is finished, and Mrs. Valders is going to have not just one fit but many, for it won’t have been a full year since either his wife or my husband died, and I don’t really care.” Sophie reached for Grace’s hands and folded them in her own. “I know it is soon, but his children need a mother and mine need a father. His sister will bring Grant and Linnie out as soon as the house is finished, and she and her family will live with us until their new house is ready. Did I tell you Garth’s sister Helga and her husband are moving to Blessing?”

“I think you might have mentioned it. Have you talked with Far and Mor—about getting married?”

“Garth is going to talk with Far tomorrow night after the board meeting for the flour mill.”

“And Mor?” Did Sophie not realize that if Grace had heard the rumors so had their parents? Had she become so distant from all of them that their feelings didn’t matter? Grace tried to push down the seed of resentment.

“I was hoping she would come in today with you.”

“She and Ilse are canning strawberries and making jam. I should be helping them, but I wanted to come and be with you.”

“Thank you. Well, are you happy for me?”

Grace tamed her thoughts before nodding and giving Sophie a gentle smile. “Yes, I am. Mr. Wiste is a fine man.” She paused again and then grinned. “And he’s not likely to take you away from Blessing.”

“So what about you?”

“What?”

“Astrid says Jonathan Gould can’t keep his eyes off you.”