While he wandered through the house, making notes on his phone, Nolan realized that it was still larger than he truly needed. He briefly considered trying to find a smaller home, but the sounds of children playing ball down the street and the memory of his new neighbor checked him. Too large or not, this house was considerably smaller than the home he’d just sold, and the neighborhood was perfect.
By the time the doorbell rang, Nolan’s stomach growled. He groaned as a perky teenaged girl handed him the pizza he’d ordered for Grace. It wasn’t hard to assume that his Chinese was probably en route to Grace’s house. As he debated what to do with the pizza, a white minivan, marked
Wong’s Wok
, stopped across the street. He tried to intercept the driver and swap boxes, but the Asian man hurried past. The little man obviously thought that Nolan was trying to steal the food and scolded him.
Standing behind the irate Asian, and still holding the pizza box, Nolan looked sheepish as the little man shooed her back into the house. Irritated by Grace’s lack of cooperation in protecting herself from the evil pizza swapper behind him, the deliveryman drove away. “You got my Chinese. I sent you a pizza. They didn’t have lasagna, and pizza was the closest they could offer.”
“Uh huh, bub! I don’t give up Chinese easily.” Grace sniffed the box. “Kung Pao and egg rolls at the least. My favorite.”
Nolan laughed and started to say goodnight. Before he knew what happened, Grace snatched the pizza box and disappeared inside, calling for him to wait. After a few awkward minutes, she re-emerged carrying a tray holding the pizza and two heaping plates of Chinese food. She placed the food on a wicker table and motioned for Nolan to sit in the nearest chair. “Would you like something to drink? Water? Soda? What can I get you?”
Nolan hesitated and then asked for soda. “Water makes the spices stronger and my mouth burn longer!”
Once drinks were procured, the multi-cultural dinner commenced. They ate in comfortable silence at first. Eventually, Grace asked where Nolan was from, and he in turn, questioned her about the neighborhood, different churches, and the length of Grace’s residence in her house. That question got him more than he could have expected.
“I was born here.”
“Born here as in this town, your parents lived in this house at the time; you were born in this house? Which?”
Grace shook her head. “No. Here. On these steps. They couldn’t move my mother, she screamed in pain if they jostled her the slightest bit, so, three ladies held quilts up for privacy while I was born right on this porch. My brother drove everyone nuts by sneaking over the back fence to come find Mom and see me.”
“I guess you could say that you have roots in this house, then, couldn’t you?” Nolan tried to imagine a woman giving birth in such a public way but didn’t quite succeed.
“Mom used to joke that when she decided to try for a natural birth, she went all the way.” Grace’s laughter was infectious.
Grace’s neighbor, Verily Wirth, walked to his mailbox, apparently to make sure that the mail carrier hadn’t decided to make a late night delivery. When she was finished, Grace gathered the plates onto her tray. Nolan offered to help clean up from the meal, but Grace demurred. “Thank you for offering, but I’ll get it. I should go in. Mr. Verily is likely ready to call my brother and give him a play by play of our meal. Have a nice evening, and thank you for providing dinner. I was hungry.”
“Happy to do it. You’ll have to introduce me to Mr. Verily sometime. He sounds like a man I’d like to meet.”
After a moment scanning his face to see if he meant it, she nodded. “If you need help moving, finding your way around town, or just need a cup of sugar, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She turned, dragged the screen door open with her foot and without looking back added, “Oh, and if you hear rattling late at night, it’s Joe Alden’s dogs from across the fields getting into the old metal trash cans in the alley behind your fence. I’d appreciate it if you’d get rid of those.”
She heard him chuckle as he wandered back to his dark, empty house. Minutes later, she saw Nolan’s headlights flash across her living room wall as he made a U-turn and drove out of the neighborhood. “Well, at least he has a sense of humor. That’s a good thing, isn’t it, Grace?”
Her hearty laughter rang out a short time later as she heard the faint rattling of metal trashcans. “I think he’s is taking them away tonight! Wait ‘til Craig hears about that.”
~*~*~*~
Grace sobbed into her pillow, wondering how she was going to get through the night. After three showers, Grace felt no more relaxed than she had when she saw Cade’s little body fly through the air. At the thought of the thud that must have followed, a fresh wave of tears threatened to overtake her. Pulling her Bible back to her, Grace re-read the words that had always comforted her at times like this.
“Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
Isaiah 58:8-10
As Grace lay on her bed praying, tears still streaming from her eyes, the phone rang. “Craig?”
“I knew you’d be struggling. I’m so sorry, honey. Do you want to pray for a while?” Craig’s voice was filled with love and concern.
Grace hesitated. “What about Mel? Doesn’t she need her sleep?”
Craig assured her that his wife slept peacefully while he paced the floor of their living room in concern for his little sister. “Grace, let’s pray. You need to take this to the Lord.”
An hour later, Grace slept. The Lord’s peace had stolen over her as her brother prayed for the “peace that passes understanding” to fill her heart and mind. As Grace slept, Craig continued to pray until his alarm clock woke his wife and started his day.
Chapter Five
Early Saturday morning, Grace awoke, dressed, and rode with Craig and Melanie to the orchard. Several boxes of seconds needed immediate processing, but the free fruit was something she’d never refuse. Nolan’s moving truck sat parked halfway into his garage when they returned.
Grace sang old songs while she and Craig lugged her fruit into the house. She chose to keep her mind off the monstrous task ahead of her by singing of Kalamazoo and Chattanooga with Glenn Miller playing in her head. Grace had been on a big band streak lately, much to the bemusement and relief of her family. The Cyndi Lauper kick a few months back had been especially annoying.
Nolan noticed his busy neighbor in between loads of his own and started toward her house to help. Torn between the instinct to help Grace with her burden, and not wanting to create an uncomfortable situation, Nolan paused. In his experience, women generally took offers of help as a sign of his interest in them and occasionally even resented the implication that they needed a man’s help. He still didn’t know how to get around that one. He finally overrode his cautions as he saw her make a third trip to the back of the minivan.
Before he could cross the lawn, a man and a very pregnant woman followed her to the van to help. Nolan winced as the woman waddled to the back of the van and reached for a box of what appeared to be fruit. Before she could heft the heavy carton, the man with her took the box away and shooed her into the house ahead of him. Grace chuckled and started singing about a naughty woman on a street somewhere. Satisfied that she had sufficient help, he returned to his own work with a light heart. If his neighbor turned out to be the friend that he thought she would, he’d find out about that song later.
~*~*~*~
“Craig, you are too funny!” Grace and Melanie giggled at Craig’s serious overreaction to her impromptu dinner with her new neighbor.
Grace led her exhausted sister-in-law down the hallway to her spare room as they mocked her brother’s over protectiveness. “You rest. I have to have words with your husband. Wake up in an hour, and I’ll put you to work.”
“I told him that he was being ridiculous. Don’t be surprised if he goes across the street and checks out the masher.” Melanie winked, turned on her side, and was asleep before Grace could get back to the kitchen.
“
Craig
! Those are for canning, not for your perpetually empty belly!” Grace smiled as she poked at her brother’s stomach and started a sink full of water and fruit soap.
“Tell me again why you sat on your porch and had dinner with a complete
stranger
?” Craig’s tone was heavy with concern. “That’s not
like
you, Grace!”
“I told you. He hit my boy. My food was in the oven. He drove to the hospital to check on Cade. He realized I didn’t have a car. He offered me a ride, knowing I wouldn’t accept his offer. I only called you so that it wouldn’t seem like I was ungracious…” Grace continued giving Craig a play-by-play of the evening’s events. Again.
Craig listened but still seemed skeptical. “I am just amazed that you sat out there and ate dinner with him. Since when do you have dinner with strange men?”
“Since the children that I am responsible for dash out in front of moving vehicles and subsequently cause me to ruin my dinner. Well, I only eat with the ones that also replace said ruined dinner.” She paused and forced him to meet her eyes. “Craig, I didn’t let him in the house. I had the porch light on, and Mr. Verily was watching every move we made. He checked his mail at almost nine p.m.” Grace winked and started scrubbing apples. Her humor was wasted. Craig was already on a mission.
“I’m going to go help him; got any sodas?” Craig wasn’t the subtlest of men, but Grace knew that he loved her and took his role as her brother very seriously.
“There are some on the top shelf. Drink those. Leave the ones on the second shelf alone.”
Craig looked at her strangely. “Why?”
“Because
Squirt
fits you, and I’m afraid of the subliminal messages you might get if you take a
Mug
.”
~*~*~*~
“Need a hand with that?”
Nolan, deliberating as to the best way to get his couch through the doorway, looked up. He seemed happy for the diversion. “Thank you, I’d be grateful for any help I can get. I’m Nolan Burke.”
“Craig Buscher. Grace is my sister.”
“Did she tell you what I did last night?” Traces of pain laced Nolan’s voice.
“Grace told me what Cade Crenshaw did— foolish boy. He knows better. Maybe now he’ll obey when he’s given rules to follow.” Craig’s concerned tone softened the apparent harshness of his words. “Just so you know, Grace talked to his mother this morning; they said he was released late last night. He got away with just losing a chunk of the back of his head.”
“I’ll bet his jacket is a goner, though.”
Craig nodded. “Grace is hoping to buy a Cubs jacket he’s been wanting as kind of a ‘hope you’ve learned your lesson’ gift.”
“Cubs? He likes the Cubs?”
“He knows they’re bad. Says he likes the uniforms. Maybe he thinks the “C” stands for Cade or something. Kids. Go figure.”
The men grunted through their chuckles as they maneuvered the couch into Nolan’s new living room. Craig started to push it against a long wall, but Nolan stopped him. “I’m thinking about setting it here. This will create a separation from the breakfast bar over there.”
Craig nodded and they hefted the couch once more to shift it into the new position. “Do you have time to help me with my mattress?”
Craig answered Nolan’s question with a silent nod. Those who knew Craig well would know that he had something to say. Craig tended to become very quiet just before “speaking his piece.” A framed photograph caught Craig’s eye as Nolan held it against the wall here and there looking for the right place to hang it. He recognized the view from nearby Lake Danube. “That’s a great picture. Did you take it?”
“Mm-hmm. I climbed the rocks behind the lake and snapped it at sunset.
“You’re good.” Before Nolan could reply, Craig continued. “Nolan? Got a question for you.” Craig’s voice was serious.
“Friendly,” Nolan countered in a firm but pleasant tone.
“You sure?” Craig surveyed the man in front of him. Nolan was tall, he was extremely handsome, and it was obvious that he was also successful. Craig didn’t want a womanizer to trifle with his sister’s affections.
“Do you doubt it?”
Craig’s gaze didn’t waver. “I have to be sure. She’s my sister. I am almost all the family that she has.”
“Craig, what would you have done in my situation? Would you have driven away without checking on the child or ensuring the woman had a ride home?” Nolan’s respect of Grace’s brother rose by the moment.
Craig looked at Nolan. His eyes were honest, and he was not offended by Craig’s interrogation. “You’re right. Grace is right. I overreacted. Thanks for understanding. Let’s go get that mattress.”
~*~*~*~
Grace watched from her window as the two men laughed and carried in Nolan’s things. He had a credenza that she would have paid a fortune for, if she had a fortune to spend. She sighed. Making ends meet was hard enough without dreaming of furniture that she couldn’t afford.
Grace measured the cinnamon and the trace bits of nutmeg and ginger she used in her applesauce. With everything ready, she set up her pans. Jugs of apple juice stood ready to add liquid if necessary. She arranged a chair with a Dutch oven on the seat and set up her apple-peeling gadget. She was on her second box of apples before Craig returned.
“I found you some more hands, Grace. Where do we start?” Craig stood at the sink scrubbing his hands in preparation for a morning of fruit peeling.
“Why don’t you scrub? Do you mind? The water is really drying out my hands for some reason.”
Turning to Nolan, Grace smiled her welcome. “We’re happy for the company, and you’re welcome to just sit there and amuse us.” Grace chuckled and went back to turning her apple crank.