by Jayna Morrow
There. Now she could relax and finish the book she’d been reading.
She’d managed another page and a half when there was another knock at the door. After marking her place, she laid the book on the end table and went to the door, wondering who could be here this time. Only a couple more pages, and she’d have been cozily ensconced in bed. With a sigh, she turned the knob and pulled the door.
Gabriel.
Earlier, she would have been excited for his nightly visit. Now she was still upset and emotionally drained.
He stood with his hands in his pockets and his head down. He wore a pair of athletic pants and a t-shirt with sneakers.
Sparrow blinked. She’d never seen him wear any footwear except boots. “Gabriel?” She sensed this wasn’t his usual trip to say good night and steal a kiss. “Is everything OK?”
The porch light illuminated his shocking blue eyes. They drew her like a moth to a flame. Instead of inviting him in, she stepped onto the porch and shut the door to prevent a fleet of moths, June bugs, and mosquitos from getting into the house.
“I’m having a get-together for Slade and his friends tomorrow evening. We’re gonna watch baseball, and I’m cooking hamburgers and mushrooms. I’d like it if you’d come.”
She looked at her feet and fidgeted with the hem of her t-shirt. “I don’t know, Gabriel. I’ve got a few things to wrap up at work before I take the month of June off.”
“Are you avoiding me?” His point-blank question took her aback.
“Of course not. Why would you think that?”
“Then what’s going on? We’ve been together every day for weeks, and I really enjoy your company.”
“I enjoy your company too. Nothing is wrong. Really.”
He shook his head. “I know there’s something. I know...you. What is it?”
She nervously crossed her arms and braced for his reaction. “OK, so there’s…something. But at the same time, it’s nothing. I don’t know.”
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I know Slade is coming around and you don’t wanna rock the boat. And, well, we never really talked about the status of our relationship. Ahhh!” She groaned and rolled her eyes, frustrated. “Why is this so hard?”
“Sparrow, what is it?” His eyes searched hers in question.
“My brain knows why you avoided Slade’s question about us yesterday at the diner, but my heart wishes you would have just told him.”
15
Sparrow reread the page in the novel she’d started this morning. Again. She understood it about as well as she had the first time.
Two folding chairs in the hallway outside Gabriel’s office created a makeshift waiting area. Cold and loud, it was also accentuated by occasional mooing. The smell wasn’t all that appetizing either.
She glanced at Irelynn Rafferty, Gabriel’s right-hand man, er, woman, who gave her an understanding smile.
“He should be back from his rounds any minute now, Miss Walker.”
Her nimble fingers worked briskly at entering information from what looked like receipts into the computer. She didn’t miss a key as she talked.
“Thank you.”
Sparrow was fidgety. At any moment, she expected Slade to spot her and accuse her of stealing his father away. Wasn’t that what she was doing, essentially? No, she only wanted to share.
After their encounter at the diner when he’d expressed concern that Gabriel would push him away, she’d felt it necessary to pull back and give them some space. Space wasn’t the best choice for her or Gabriel, but she did it for Slade. She’d spent most of that time alone, reading and missing Gabriel. She’d had a lot of time to think, too. The conclusion she’d come up with was to take a dose of her own medicine. Her prescription for Gabriel? Build a relationship with Slade. Now she must do the same. That decision made, she’d driven straight here to the dairy.
Gabriel, a hardworking man in a position of power, understood her basic nature. At the same time, he challenged her at every corner in ways that brought out her control freak, know-it-all traits. They stood in equal measure on a balance, but each time things leveled out, one would jump to tip the scale. Over the months, they’d both learned to be still and let the balance settle. And be happy with the balance of power.
Would her step forward today collapse the scale or just shake things up a bit before leveling back out? Since she couldn’t imagine her life without Gabriel, she hoped for the latter. She could muddle through some heart-shake but couldn’t bear heartbreak.
She’d fallen in love with the headstrong owner of this operation.
“Miss Walker?”
Irelynn’s voice snapped her back to attention. “Yes?”
“I see Slade coming down the catwalk now.”
“Thank you.”
She gathered her bearings and walked in the direction Irelynn pointed. The concrete catwalk with chain link-railings brought back memories of prison visits with Phoenix. Barbed wire spirals along the top would make the similarity complete. The dairy wasn’t a beautiful place, but beauty wasn’t its purpose.
The prison-asylum-hospital-kennel feel abruptly ended once the big, brown-eyed cows entered the picture. A row of windows along the top of the wall let sunshine pour in. Of course, the other wall was all cargo bay doors that remained open during operating hours and provided a connection to nature. No wonder Gabriel never stayed in his office. That side of the building was positively stifling. From her view at the edge of the catwalk, she watched all the activity in amazement. She’d learned through some research that the cow merry-go-round was called a rotary milking parlor. The complexity and size of Gabriel’s business boggled her brain. You run a business, too, a meek voice in her head piped up. True, a school was sort of like a business.
She straightened her spine and jutted out her chin as she approached Slade, extending her hand in a gesture of professionalism and mutual respect. The tall, blond young man, nicely dressed in work boots, pressed jeans, a buttoned-up Hearth Dairy shirt, and a look of confusion, shook her hand cautiously. She hardly recognized him. “You look like a real businessman. How are you, Slade?”
“I’m good, Miss Walker.” While they stood on the catwalk, carefully regarding each other, an employee handed him a clipboard with paperwork attached. He looked it over, signed his initials, and then passed it back. The employee walked back in the direction he had come. “What brings you out here? Dad’s meeting with some new clients in Bishop.”
“I know. I’m here to see you.”
Slade stared at her blankly for a moment. Then he leaned against the railing with nothing but chain link keeping him from falling a great distance to the milking parlor floor below.
Sparrow held her position dead center, not brave enough to trust the railings with her life.
“I told you, I’m good. What else can I do for you?” His choppy words were laced with more confusion than attitude.
Knowing that shaky balance could change at any moment, Sparrow allowed a smile to spread across her face.
“I want to get to know you, Slade. I thought I could steal you away from cleaning stalls for some lunch or something, but it doesn’t look as if you’re cleaning stalls today.”
He studied her face for so long it was as if he’d spotted some spinach in her teeth and was contemplating whether to tell her or not. “I’m not. Dad’s letting me make rounds today while he’s gone to see how I do. He didn’t realize I’d already done a lot of training with my grandfather. I know more than he thinks I know, and I’m definitely beyond the cleaning stalls stage.”
“I’m well aware of how intelligent you are.” Sparrow smiled, determined to win him over. “But I had no idea of your knowledge about dairy farms. Would you enlighten me to the extent of your expertise?”
For what seemed like an eternity, he contemplated her words—big words that she’d carefully chosen from her vocabulary bank for him because she knew he was that smart, and he’d enjoy the challenge.
“I could give you a tour of the facilities while I make rounds. Just let me file this report with Irelynn.” He walked to the office and then returned moments later. “You already know what kind of business my family has, but I’ll show you how it all works. Have you ever been on a tour of a dairy?”
“Never.”
“You’re in for a treat then.” A twinge of excitement colored his voice.
Maybe this would be the breakthrough she'd prayed for.
“Hearth Dairy is considered a mid-sized facility, somewhere in between a milk mecca and a mom-and-pop operation.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
Gabriel hadn’t taken her on a tour of the dairy, so she was delighted Slade had suggested the idea. And they would get to spend some quality time together. Once across the catwalk, they descended steep stairs that led to an area with goat holding pens. The last time she was here, she ate dirt and got humiliated for her escapades as an amateur goat wrangler. Today, there were no goats, only empty pens. Relief swept over her.
“Hop in.” Slade slid behind the wheel of an ATV splattered with mud.
When she’d awakened this morning, one thought kept repeating in her mind—be patient with him. Easier said than done, since she’d grown up in a military household with a “take action” attitude. She’d never been taught to wait and let things unfold. When she’d done her term in the marines, she’d met a young Christian woman who taught her how to see God’s Word and to trust Him to take care of things. She’d been raised a Sunday Christian, but never picked up the Bible on her own, never prayed about things, and never put things in God’s hands.
They’d practiced this together, reading the Bible at night and comparing notes on how they’d seen God work in people’s lives. Sparrow had been amazed to find that, once she opened herself to the possibility, she started seeing God’s work everywhere.
Latosha Lynch was as tough as nails, but had a strong feminine side. She loved wearing heels and going out—even kept a pair of fancy stilettos in her trunk at the end of her bunk. She’d bring them out and hold them and talk about the next time she’d get to wear them. But Latosha had been killed in an accident during training.
Sparrow had kept her high heels. She wore them whenever she felt her life was out of control. They reminded her that all could be unstable and clumsy until one let God take control. She looked down at her feet and smiled at the cream-colored, suede heels that adorned her feet, and then climbed awkwardly into the ATV. She was a problem solver, and this situation with Slade could be just another problem to solve, but she had decided to let God handle this one. She closed her eyes. I love him, Lord, him and his father. Eyes wide open now, she gave Slade her full attention. “I’m all ears.”
One stop after another, they toured the grounds, all four barns, and the three milking parlors. She watched as the cows, well-versed in their routine, walked into the parlor independently and went through the eight-minute process without complaint. Slade explained that cows were creatures of habit and quickly learned what to do. “Did you know that our top-quality milk has won awards, Miss Walker?” Pride radiated in the young man’s voice. “Ten thousand cows in this dairy, and they all get milked twice a day. We have about a hundred employees, and Hearth Dairy has contracts with Barnett Foods and Food Source Grocery.”
She’d actually heard of both of those. Impressive.
“I’ve got one more place to show you. I think you’ll love it.” He pulled into yet another facility on the property. A large wooden cut-out of a stork carrying a baby calf adorned the front. Slade pointed it out. “Irelynn’s idea of a joke. Welcome to the birthing barn.”
“How precious.”
They entered the barn, which was very different from the other buildings. The stalls were painted pale blue and pink, pictures of calves were tacked to the walls, and hay covered the floors. The overall feel was soft, warm, and welcoming. Classical music provided a calming effect.
“Calves are born here every day. Sometimes several in the same day. Check this out.”
She followed him to a stall in the far corner. He flipped the latch and swung the gate open. A little brown blur rushed by her. “This little guy is Pirate Brownleg. See the patch of black fur over one eye and his one brown leg that looks like a wooden leg?”
“Oh, my, he’s adorable.” She bent down as best she could in heels and petted Pirate Brownleg on the head.
He enjoyed the attention and pranced around like a playful puppy.
“He’s a six-week-old bull calf.” Slade beamed with pride. “I’m not gonna let him be sent to slaughter. He’s gonna have a great life of grazing and making babies in our beautiful pastures.”
“A life of leisure, indeed.” She gave Slade a big smile.
Then they walked back to the vehicle.
After making a couple of stops for Slade to check on things and sign off paperwork, they made it back to the main building.
Sparrow climbed the stairs and crossed the catwalk like a reasonable person, but on the inside, she was doing cartwheels, handsprings, and dancing. Never in a million years could she have imagined her visit with Slade would have gone so well. Her heart swelled. Her cup ran over.
She and Slade approached the building, the tour completed.
Gabriel was watching them from his office, so he must have arrived while they were on the tour.
She thanked Slade for his time. She didn’t know what to make of the confused expression on Gabriel’s face.
Slade smiled at her and returned to work.
Gabriel opened his office door. “Sparrow, I’m glad you’re here. I need to show you something.”
No cheery greeting or small talk. No questions about her presence and what happened with Slade. This must be important. “Of course.”
He searched through a stack of papers until he found one with both typed and handwritten sections. It looked like an employment application.
“I shouldn’t reveal any personal information for privacy reasons, but I know I can trust you.”
Well, now she was very curious. He handed her the application. She glanced at it and immediately recognized the name at the top—Phoenix Walker. Her hand went to her mouth.
“I received that from a probation officer. I didn’t know you had any relatives in the prison system, but there’s only one family of Walkers in Sweet Home. I’m about to hire someone to fill Glen Church’s position. If this is a relative of yours, then I’ll give him a chance.”
She nodded, no longer able to hold back the tears. “Phoenix is my brother.”
16
“I’m so happy you’re home, but how?” Sparrow shook her head. “I’m confused.”
Phoenix glanced up from his half-eaten plate of grilled chicken and pasta. They were having a nice dinner at home, just the two of them. Corbin Bleu lay curled in her lap, breathing contentedly while Sparrow scratched his ears.
“I got released early for good behavior and overcrowding. Otherwise, I would have written and told you about it.”
“That’s great. I mean, not about the overcrowding, but...” She sighed. “You’re home. Are you ready to face the real world and work every day and all that?” Seemed like a fair question.
“Yeah, I really am. And I’m excited about working for Hearth Dairy. Thanks for putting in a good word for me.”
“Gabriel had already decided to hire you. I didn’t know you’d applied.”
“Well, he hired me because of you. I’m thankful for that. There aren’t many employers who would give someone like me a chance.” A huge grin split his face. “Gabriel, huh? You on a first-name basis with my new boss man?”
Her face flushed. Phoenix hadn’t wasted a minute sniffing out information. She remained hesitant to speak up about it.
“You can’t blame me for wanting to know. After all, it’s my duty as your brother to protect you. He may be my boss, but if he’s involved with you, then that changes things.”
“You always we
re protective, little bro. But there’s nothing to worry about with Gabriel. We are together and going strong.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “I’ll admit it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but we’ve worked out a lot of…I don’t know. Baggage, I guess. Now, things couldn’t be better. Better get on board this train, because I’m following my heart with this one.”
“I just don’t want you to end up getting it broken.”
“Neither do I, but Gabriel is worth the risk.” She poked at a piece of chicken on her plate. “What happened before was an isolated event, Phoenix. It won’t happen again.”
He regarded her with heavy-lidded, cobalt blue eyes full of concern. “Do you love him?”
She nodded. “Very much.” Her voice betrayed her and cracked under uncertainty.
“But he hasn’t told you that he loves you?”
She shook her head.
“How do you feel about that?”
She shrugged, and her bank of wordless, uncertain gestures was tapped out. “You’d have to know Gabriel. He’s a very reserved person, not the type to reveal his true feelings to anyone.”
“Don’t you think he should make an exception for you? I do.”
“I’ll give him a little more time.” She dropped her fork and pushed her plate away.
Phoenix rose and started clearing the table.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Sure I do. This is my home, too, for the time being. Gotta do my share.”
She relented with a weak smile and continued. “Gabriel’s gone through some painful events in his life, all of which he ran away from. He’s come a long way and has faced some of those things, but he still has a way to go.”
“What do you think the future has in store for you two?”
