Seasons (34 page)

“How are Randi and her family doing?” Jaci’s sister-in-law asked.

“They’re doing okay now, but you know, Randi had problems with her pregnancy, then the baby had problems. When they got through
that, Randi’s father showed up making demands . . . they’ve had a pretty rough time.”

Jaci’s brother jumped up from his recliner. “He what! Oh man, I should have beat the crap out of that sucker years ago. He
must be stone crazy.”

J.P. laughed. “Don’t worry, I took care of it. And I’m looking forward to doing it again if he doesn’t stay away from Jaci.”

“You took care of it? How?”

“I whipped his butt. I think he was convinced that he could show up and pick up where he left off with no problem. He’s not
suffering under that misconception anymore. Man! It felt good! My hand was sore for days, but I’ll do it again if I have to.
That guy almost destroyed Jaci.”

“Yeah, I know it. And I know now we should have done more to help her, but Jaci kind of went undercover.”

“I don’t have any say over whether Randi sees him or not,” J.P. said. “Jaci left it up to her to make that decision. But Jaci
. . . He’d better stay away from her if he values his life.”

At the Hilliards’ home, Munroe Hilliard sat in his old chair, unashamed by the tears that streamed down his face. Munroe and
Valerie still missed the cousins, even after all these years.

“Riverwood just hasn’t been the same without ya’ll,” Valerie said. “We still laugh about all the stuff ya’ll used to get into.
Remember that time ya’ll were trying to smoke Grampa’s cigar butts and burned the old outhouse down?” she asked, laughingly.
They all cracked up.

“Yeah,” Big Ben exclaimed, “we ought to beat Gina’s butt right now, she was the one who messed up.”

“Just try it, buster,” Gina responded. “We were all in that thing together. I think it was your match that set my dress on
fire anyway.”

“Oh my God!” Nita said, a look of horror on her face. “Ya’ll, it’s a wonder Gina didn’t burn up that day. It took all of us
beating away at that nylon dress to put out that fire. We didn’t even notice that the cigar butts we had thrown down had set
the outhouse on fire. By then that old wood was going up in smoke.”

“Yeah,” Buddy said. “And our behinds were smoking for the next week. I haven’t wanted to smoke since.” They all cracked up
again and started recalling some of their other escapades that had kept their small community from ever becoming boring.

While the banter continued, Munroe disappeared into a back room and returned with an electric guitar, which he handed to Dusty
to hook up to speakers, then steered Jaci to the old piano in the corner. “Kids, ya’ll sing some of the old songs. I been
waiting for years to hear ya’ll sing together again.”

“Oh my goodness!” C.J. said. “I don’t know if I even remember those old songs.”

Amazingly, the tunes and words came back. It wasn’t long before they were all shedding tears, remembering and missing those
no longer around who had also loved to hear those songs.

Although it was called the Winslow Family Reunion and it had been planned by Jaci’s mother and her siblings, most of the community
turned out for many of the festivities. The old school principal and several of the older schoolteachers, now all retired,
were present to see and be seen by the many they had taught. The cousins stayed together for the most part, getting to know
one another’s family and friends.

Saturday’s activities got underway early at the old high school that had been converted into a community center. A lengthy
program in which the cousins were coerced into singing was followed by lunch, games, dancing, and visiting.

I
t had been so good to be in Riverwood with her cousins. After the reunion Jaci returned to Houston full of anxiety over all
she had to do. By the next Friday, she had packed up most of her things and completed several tasks on her wedding. Her vacation
was almost over and she dreaded the thought of returning to work.

Jaci sat on the sofa in the family room to take a breather from her packing and looked out through the patio doors. She took
in the large backyard filled with greenery and trees and the soothing blue water of the swimming pool. Curiously, she felt
peace and contentment rise up within. It suddenly occurred that maybe she should consider Jason’s desire that she quit her
job. After all, she did have options now. She felt overcome with gratefulness.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your mercy.

The time spent in Riverwood with her family was the most time she had spent there since leaving after college. She now realized
that somehow the visit had sparked a change in her. Oddly, her thinking seemed clearer, her spirit calmer, and her outlook
on life better than she had experienced in a very long time. She saw glimpses of the young, enthusiastic Jaci who had left
Riverwood filled with hopes, dreams, and plans. Had that person been hiding in her subconscious all these years? Overshadowed
by disappointment, and disillusionment, and obscured by one stormy season after the other?

Yes, she decided. It was time to let that enthusiasm for life resurface. She stopped dreading her return to work and began
to look forward to it, deciding to trust that God in His graciousness would restore all that had been devoured and destroyed
by the enemy.

It was springtime. Her favorite season! A season of renewal. A season for hope and faith to take prominence in her life again;
a season for new beginnings; a season to start believing that good rather than evil would come her way. A season for a change!

As if on cue, the telephone rang. She looked at it with displeasure, thinking . . .
It didn’t take long for that fantasy to end!

She slowly picked up the phone, half expecting to hear the resumption of Linda’s threats. As soon as she said a cautious “hello,”
she heard a scream, then Gloria saying excitedly, “Girl, I just had to call you! There’s big happenings in the place! You
should be here!”

“Hey, girl!” Jaci said to the excited woman. “What’s going on?”

“Jaci!” Gloria refused to calm her excitement. “Wynola is gone, girl!”

“What do you mean, gone?” Jaci asked curiously.

“I mean gone, like no longer here! She was given a choice—resign or be fired. I don’t know which one she took, but she cleaned
out her office and walked out without a word to anybody.” Gloria paused to get her breath. “And get this! Linda, that crazy
woman that’s been stalking you, is Wynola’s sister. That’s why Wynola has been doing all those hateful things to you—to help
her. They even created that fictitious letter accusing you of having an affair with a married man to get you fired. I still
can’t believe Wynola was that stupid. And guess what? Linda is gone too. Wynola’s husband told Mr. Shannon that Linda is back
in New Orleans and under the care of a psychiatrist.”

Jaci was speechless. “Oh God, Gloria. I’m . . . I don’t know what to say. I’m not happy to see anyone lose their job, but
. . .”

“I am,” Gloria said with no compunction. “She deserved it. She didn’t have to do what she did. Remember when she denied your
leave request when you needed to go see about your grandmother and she told you it was because she felt like it? I wonder
how she’s feeling right about now?”

Mixed emotions flooded Jaci’s mind. She didn’t want to rejoice over another’s downfall, but she couldn’t help but be relieved
that the trouble the sisters had caused her was over.

“Gloria. Thanks for calling, girl. I need to go so I can take all of this in. I’ll see you Monday, okay? Bye.” Jaci hung up
the phone in a daze. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. As it began to sink in, she jumped up and praised God for
His goodness and mercy. Linda and Wynola had made a choice to do what they did. Now they had to deal with the consequences.
She didn’t feel guilty glorifying God for delivering her from their hateful actions. She ran around her house like somebody
crazy, shouting and thanking the Lord. Then she picked up the phone and called. Jason. “Jason? I just heard that Wynola is
gone! Can you believe that?”

“Good,” he answered. “I knew it was going to happen, just not when. That’s why I didn’t say anything.” It was definitely a
day to get a serious praise on!

A strange atmosphere greeted Jaci when she arrived at work the following Monday. The buzzard mentality was in full force as
her coworkers swarmed around her, picking Wynola apart and claiming to have single-handedly defended Jaci. She held her tongue,
knowing it wouldn’t be long before she was back on their menu. She entered her office and checked the work status. A hearing
scheduled in two weeks required some attention, and she needed updates from her staff on their activities while she was out
of the office. As she went about her duties, she quietly thanked the Lord for His peace. All she had ever wanted was to do
her job in peace.

Just as she was getting focused and organized, the phone on her desk rang. It was Ed Shannon’s secretary. “Jaci, Mr. Shannon
would like to see you in his office right away.”

“Okay. I’m on my way,” she answered, while wondering,
Lord, what now?

Jaci sat in shock as she heard Ed Shannon say in his slow Texas drawl: “I want to offer you the position vacated by Ms. Dickson.
I realize you have a lot on your mind right now, with your wedding coming up soon, so I don’t expect you to give me your answer
right away. Give it some thought and get back to me as soon as you can. I have no doubt you’ll do well in the position. In
fact, I’ll even go so far as to say you’ve been handling the bulk of the managerial responsibilities in the division anyway.
You might as well get paid for it.”

Jaci was so stunned it took her a moment to respond. “I have to be honest with you, Mr. Shannon. My fiancé would like for
me to quit after we’re married. It’s not a settled issue, but the possibility is there.”

“How do you personally feel about it?” Ed asked, thinking what a gigantic loss it would be to the department if she left.

“Well, I would really like to make twenty-five years. That’s almost two more years. But like I said, it’s still under discussion.”

“Tell J.P. to lighten up!” Ed said laughingly. “What does he want, for you to be a housewife?”

“No, not at all. He wants me to work for him.”

“Oh!” Ed looked thoughtful. “I can’t say that I blame him for that. He knows you’ll be a real asset to him. Well, think about
it. Even if you take the position for just a short period of time, it’ll be to your advantage.”

“I will not only think about it, I’ll pray about it, and discuss it with Jason,” Jaci said as she stood up to leave. “I really
appreciate your considering me for the position, Mr. Shannon. I’ll try to give you an answer soon.”

“You are more than welcome, Jaci. And I hope things turn out favorably for both of us.” He watched her leave, thinking J.P.
Gilmore was a lucky man.

Jaci sat down at her desk, her mind in a whirl and all thoughts of work definitely out the window. She dropped her face into
her hands, wondering if her life would ever settle back into a comfortable routine. It seemed that one thing after another
lined up to keep her in turmoil.
What’s up with this, Lord?
she questioned, but stopped herself before going any further.
Lord, I’m sorry for complaining. Thank You for the blessings that are being manifested in my life. I ask for wisdom, guidance,
and direction for myself and Jason. Whatever decisions we make, Lord, let them be according to Your plan and purpose.

She was, without a doubt, in a new season, and life as she had known it was over. She was almost tempted to yearn for the
old, comfortable struggles. At least she had known how to handle them. Now she was drowning in the unfamiliar—her quickly
approaching marriage already had her in a tailspin of doubt and confusion. Now this job offer added to that. But the changes
were good, she reminded herself, and began to pray
Thank You, Lord, for bringing these good things to me. I know it does not have to be so.

She picked up the phone to call Jason. Might as well let him know what was happening. She knew to expect the very heated discussion
her news would set off.

J
aci was surprised to find a catering truck parked along the side of the house, tables and chairs already set up around the
spacious backyard and pool, and bustling activity underway by the caterer and his staff. A huge barbecue pit emitted mouth-watering
aromas, and long tables filled with every conceivable condiment were set up under a large tent. The kitchen was a mass of
activity as the caterers prepared the usual side orders of baked beans, potato salad, green salad, macaroni salad, and rolls.

Jaci arrived early, thinking Jason might need help with the preparations. She should have known better. After Jason let her
in, and they had settled in the family room where they could observe the activity going on in the backyard, she looked at
him with admonishment. “Wow! This is going to be a big event. Had I known that, I probably would have chosen not to come.
You know I don’t like large social events. Maybe I should leave now before everyone arrives.”

“Nope. That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. And remember, I had to endure your family reunion last month. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Yeah, right! Who had smoke blowing out of his ears when I got back to my brother’s house that Friday evening?”

Jason smiled, remembering. He had been upset with her for leaving him alone with people he didn’t know for so long. But she
had warned him that would happen and tried to talk him out of going with her. So he couldn’t complain too much.

“This is something I do every year. It’s simpler for me to have one big event and invite everyone—family, personal friends
and acquaintances, employees—and whoever just happens to drop by. It fulfills my obligation to throw a party and gives everyone
a chance to network and get to know each other. And of course, this year I want everyone to meet you. By the way, did you
invite Randi and her family, and your cousin and Lena?” At her affirmative nod, he continued, “Are they coming?”