Contemporary Christian Romance: Love Again
Page 10
“Why do you insist on smiling constantly?”
“I’m happy.”
“I find that hard to believe. You live in the middle of nowhere and have, like, no life.” Levi kept the smile on his face and brought the paper back up to read. Jess felt like she was a bit harsh with him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just… really upset right now. Sorry.”
“You don’t even know me or my life. You’re just a city brat and I’m just a country hick, so let’s just keep our distance from each other.”
“You think I’m a brat?”
“No, I don’t think you are…”
“Good…”
“No, let me finish. I know you are a brat.” He lowered his paper and glanced at her. “The way you carried on in there with your grandpa was horrible. I wouldn’t be caught dead talking to anyone that way, let alone my own grandfather.”
Jess shook her head with her tongue in cheek. “You know what? You’re right. Let’s keep our distance from each other.”
Levi raised his paper back up to read, and she scowled at him. Her grandpa came into the living room and said, “Levi.”
Setting his paper down, he stood up and walked into the kitchen with her grandpa. Her mom noticed the tension between them as she and Henry came in and sat on the opposite couch from Jess.
“What’s that all about?”
“Nothing, Mom. Just a country boy living in a bubble.”
“What happened?”
“Well… he laughed at me for falling, for starters.”
Henry snickered.
“Stop that,” her mom said to Henry.
“And then… he called me a brat.”
Her mom couldn’t help from smiling, but she covered her face in the attempts to hide it. “I’m sorry, dear… You should try to get along with him though; he’s been helping your Grandpa a lot out here.”
Jess sighed, shaking her head. I should have just taken that offer of Tragan’s. That would have made more sense than being here. “Sure, Mom,” Jess replied, rolling her eyes. She and Tragan, her friend in Seattle, were going to room together after Jess had learned of the summer at grandpa’s idea of her mom’s. She figured she was eighteen and could do whatever she wanted; her mom couldn’t stop her. But after looking into the cost of splitting rent on a two-bedroom apartment in Seattle, she decided against it. There was no way she would be able to finish her senior year, spend time with her friends and work all at the same time, so she elected to obey her mother. Thinking back on it now, she wondered if she had made the right choice.
Chapter 4 ~ Roy
Standing up from the kitchen table, Roy extended his hand and shook Levi’s firmly. Every week, after writing him a check, they’d shake on it. There was no need for contracts or other paperwork miscellanies out in the back country. The people out there were trusted and relied on by their word and their handshake.
“Be sure to tell your father hello for me.” Roy retrieved a pocket watch from his pants’ pocket and placed it in Levi’s hands. On the face, it had an etching of a train stopping to let people on, and the exterior was entirely made of gold. “I want you to have this. I picked it up from the flea market the other day, and when I saw it, I thought of you.”
“What about it made you think of me?” Levi asked.
“Life is kinda like a train. Sometimes it stops; sometimes it goes, but along the way it’s always on track going somewhere. When my train had stopped, you were there to hop on.”
“I’m sorry, but that sounds quite ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous or not, I want you to have it.”
“I can’t take this,” Levi said, rubbing the surface before trying to hand it back to Roy.
“Please take it. I’ll be offended if you don’t. Now, don’t forget to tell your father hello for me.”
“I will, sir. It’s always a pleasure working with you.” Heading for the side door that led out of the kitchen and into the porch, Levi turned to Roy. “You have your work cut out this summer with that girl.”
Roy smiled. “I know.” Patting him on the back, Roy said, “That’s why I have God to help me.” Levi nodded and proceeded out into the porch, shutting the door behind him.
Walking through the kitchen, Roy could hear his daughter and grandchildren conversing about him in the living room. Stopping, he leaned against the doorway and listened.
Jess laughed. “He belongs in a home. You know it, I know it… we all have known it since Grandma passed. It’s just ridiculous that he’s draining his retirement paying that stupid boy.”
She sure doesn’t like him.
“My dad isn’t going to give up this farm, Jess, that’s just the way it is. This farm is in his blood. Without it, who knows how long he’d hold on. Meadows down the block from our house in Seattle would be perfect for him… but I don’t see it ever happening, and I don’t know if I want it to, either.”
Roy sighed heavily as he leaned against the door frame. She’s already looked into it? As if the next minute aged him fifty years, Roy found himself exhausted. Going back into the kitchen, he took a seat at the table and glanced out the large kitchen windows that overlooked the front yard. He watched as Levi walked the sidewalk out to his truck.
“Grandpa?” Henry said, walking into the kitchen.
“Yes?”
“Do you miss your dad?” Henry asked, as he climbed up to a seat at the table. Reaching across the table, he snatched an apple from the bowl of fruit.
“Every day,” Roy replied. Over the years it had gotten easier for Roy, not because he’d missed his fatherless, but because he’d learned to live with a hole in his life.
“I miss my dad… a lot,” Taking a bite of his apple, Henry had a smile crawl on his face. “He should be back in town when we get back to Seattle though, so it’s not too far from now.”
Roy rubbed Henry’s head as he ignored the comment about Brandon entirely. “Are you ready to go fishing tomorrow?” Henry nodded as he took another bite of his apple. “How big of fish are you going to catch?”
Henry leaped up from his chair. Stretching one arm up as high as he could reach, he said, “This big!”
“Ha,” Jess said, walking into the kitchen to the fridge. Opening the door to the fridge, she sighed heavily. Roy didn’t keep much food that the kids would enjoy around the house; he had forgotten to fetch some for their visit. That was something that Lucille had always taken care of before the grandchildren would arrive.
“There’s soda on the porch, I know how you kids don’t enjoy lemonade much,” Roy smiled, hoping it would be good enough.
Jess shut the fridge and opened the door leading into the porch. Leaning, she looked out and laughed. “Diet caffeine-free…”
Henry cringed as he heard his sister. “Gross, Grandpa.”
“I’m sorry about that. We can get some food and stuff tomorrow. Henry and I will be sure to swing by the grocery store on the way back from fishing.”
Jess was going to leave the kitchen, but stopped and looked at her grandpa. “There’s really nothing to do out here.”
“You could go for a walk on the hill, read, paint, and draw… Really, anything is possible out here if you put your mind to it.”
“Cell phones and cable aren’t possible, no matter how much you put your mind to it.”
“That’s true, but those things are just distractions. You have to embrace life out here without all that technology.”
“Whatever,” Jess said, rolling her eyes as she walked out to the porch.
“She stresses mom out,” Henry said, looking intently at his grandpa. “We don’t know what to do with her.”
Laughing, Roy said, “Who’s we?”
“Mom and I.”
Roy furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re ten years old. You don’t need to worry about Jess. She’s not your concern. That’s your mom’s territory.” Henry nodded and got down from the table. Watching as Henry walked out of the kitchen, sadness overtook Roy. Henry was
but a child, and he was attempting to fill a void that only a father could. Roy knew he had a long summer ahead of him, but more importantly, he knew God had a plan in the midst of the chaos and turmoil in those two children’s lives.
Looking out the window at the chicken coop across the yard, Roy watched as Jess ventured over to it. It reminded him of Tiffany’s fascination with the chicken coop when she was but a child. Back years ago when she was six, she’d go out every morning before breakfast and collect all the eggs. While she didn’t have a fondness for the smells that resided in the chicken coop, she loved those chickens and hens dearly.
“How many hens do you have now?” Tiffany asked, coming into the kitchen and leaning her head over Roy’s shoulder.
“We have twelve,” Roy replied with a smile, watching Jess open the door and go in.
Tiffany took a seat at the table and Roy turned to her. “She’s not as lost as you think she is, Winnie.”
“You don’t know how difficult it is…” Tiffany said, putting her hands to her forehead as she rested her elbows on the table. “She doesn’t listen to anything I say, Dad, and she hates everyone and everything except her father and her friends.”
Roy placed a hand on Tiffany’s and brought it away from her face. “She’s just a teenager. You were there once.”
“Nothing like this, Dad.”
“I’m sure it’s different, but it’s still the same. Children go through phases in life and she’s going through one right now. You add in the fact that--”
“I know,” Tiffany interrupted.
Roy stood up from the table and kissed his daughter’s forehead. “I love you, Winnie, and your children are going to be okay. Just trust that God is doing a work here.”
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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank God. God’s salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us all the ability to have a personal relationship with the creator of the Universe.
I also want to thank my wife. She’s my muse and my inspiration. A wonderful wife, an amazing mother and the best person I have ever met. She’s great and has always stood by me with every decision I have made along life’s way.
I’d like to thank my editors and early readers for helping me along the way. I also want to thank all of my friends and extended family for the support. It’s a true blessing to have every person I know in my life.
About the Author
T.K. CHAPIN writes Christian Romance books designed to inspire and tug on your heart strings. He believes that telling stories of faith, love and family help build the faith of Christians and help non-believers see how God can work in the life of believers. He gives all credit for his writing and storytelling ability to God. The majority of the novels take place in and around Spokane, Washington, his hometown. Chapin makes his home in the Pacific Northwest and has the pleasure of raising his daughter with his beautiful wife Crystal. To find out more about T.K. Chapin or his books, visit his website at www.tkchapin.com.
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Author’s Note
Thank you for choosing to read Love Again. Did you know your opinion matters? By simply leaving even a one line sentence review letting others know how the book was for you, you are helping keep the lights on for me. You also are helping other readers like yourself know whether or not to pick up the book. Less than two minutes of your time is all it takes.
Thank you!