by Tricia Goyer
She picked up a small bird figurine that Charlotte had owned since she was a little girl and turned it over in her hands.
“Yes, well some people have to hunt for their antiques, and I suppose I just keep my stuff until it’s old.” Charlotte chuckled. “And personally, I’ve talked to Bob a few times about remodeling the kitchen, but there’s always something that comes up.”
Charlotte’s mind turned to the kids. Ever since they’d come to Heather Creek Farm they’d taken up all her time—especially that extra time she’d devoted to her hobbies.
“Speaking of old, we’d better get some coffee while it’s fresh. Do you use cream or sugar?”
Shayla smiled. “Yes, both please. I’m a wimp. I can’t handle the black stuff.” She washed her hands in the sink and then helped herself to a piece of coffee cake on the counter. She had a natural way about the kitchen, a way that made Charlotte like her instantly. She wasn’t one of those uppity Nashville types that Charlotte expected to see later that day.
Charlotte poured two cups of coffee and then took them to the table.
“This is the best coffee cake ever,” Shayla said. “Seriously, I could just take you on the road with me. Of course, I’m sure your family would hunt you down.” A warm smile filled Shayla’s face, and Charlotte thought she recognized that smile.
“Yes, I’m sure they would, and to be truthful, I’m not sure I’d do so well on the road anyway, although I’m sure my granddaughter Emily would think it was very glamorous.”
“Glamorous is what it’s not. I mean, I love it and all, but I really only have an hour in the morning for myself. Most days are usually filled with meetings, lunches, or charity events. And by four we’re already doing a sound check at the venue. After that it’s a quick dinner and then a meet and …”
Shayla glanced up. “You know, just meetings with fans and stuff. Pretty soon it’s showtime, and then the rest is repeated the next day.”
Charlotte didn’t know what part of the show this young woman helped with, but she sure seemed comfortable in her own skin. And then as Charlotte sat with her she began to wonder. Could this Shayla be Shae Lynne? Maybe it was a stage name.
No, don’t be silly. This girl is much too innocent and sweet to be that famous singer everyone’s talking about.
“Look at me, I’ve just been jabbering away. Enough about me,” Shayla said. “Tell me about you.”
So Charlotte did. She told the girl about the farm and about the kids. She told her about some of the challenges of the year and yet some of the ways God had blessed them too. Charlotte also mentioned that more than anything she wished she could have another day with her daughter to tell Denise how much she loved her and to walk through the sunflowers once again, like they used to when Denise was young.
Tears filled the young girl’s eyes, and she dabbed the corners with her napkin.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” Charlotte got up and poured them both another cup of coffee. “It’s been hard, and we miss Denise and all, but Bob and Pete and I really do enjoy having the kids here. And we all enjoy each other.”
“Oh, it’s not only the story that’s sad,” the girl sniffled. “It’s … well, what I’m trying to say is that things have just been really hard for me lately. So many people tell me I should be honored to do what I do, and I am, but there’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind having a cabin in the woods somewhere with a husband and a few dogs. To lead a simple life. To not wake up in a new town and have to look at our schedule to figure out where I am. I’d love to have a family and a house like this, filled with love.”
More tears came, and Shayla covered her face with her hands. She made no sound, but her shoulders shook slightly. Charlotte didn’t try to give her pat answers. She didn’t trying to overstep her bounds. Instead, she put a hand on the girl’s shoulder and silently prayed for her.
Streams of light filtered through the windows, and as the room brightened Charlotte began to see everything more clearly. She had a feeling, deep down, that their farm hadn’t been chosen by accident. She knew that God had brought this crew—as crazy as it was—not just to help with some of the financial burdens. Perhaps he’d also brought these people here for their sake, too.
Life on the Stevensons’ farm was simple, but their love for each other and for God was evident. And maybe those who visited would walk away from the farm a little different—more settled—than before.
After a few minutes, Charlotte stood, remembering she still needed to make Bob’s breakfast. She also had an unexplained urge to do something for all those who were on the farm. “You know, I can make some more coffee cake for the rest of the crew. Do you think they would enjoy that?”
“Are you kidding? I bet they’d really like that.” Shayla smiled, but Charlotte could tell her eyes were a little bit puffy.
“And what about Shae Lynne? Do you think she’d like coffee cake?”
The young woman laughed and a smile filled her face. It was a smile Charlotte recognized … from the posters hanging around the fair.
“Yeah.” The young woman stood and followed Charlotte into the kitchen. “Since she’s already eaten two pieces I imagine she would.”
Chapter Twenty-One
By the time the teens woke up the production crew was in full swing. Charlotte didn’t tell the kids she’d already spent the morning talking with Shae Lynne. She just enjoyed the surprised looks on her grandchildren’s faces when Shae Lynne approached her and offered a big hug.
“Charlotte, please would you introduce me to everyone?”
Charlotte introduced her grandchildren first and then Jordan. Finally, she introduced Nicole, Lily, and Kaitlin, who looked as if they were going to burst with excitement.
“Can I get my photo taken with you?” Nicole nearly squealed the question.
Shae Lynne chuckled. “Sure, why don’t I get one with each of you?” She glanced at the boys. “Then you can have something fun to post on MySpace.”
Jordan’s jaw dropped open as if he wondered how she knew that’s exactly what he planned on doing.
Shae Lynne posed with each of the teens, and Charlotte had to admit that if it weren’t for the wide smile she would have a hard time believing it was the same girl she’d talked to that morning. Shae Lynne must have added extensions to her hair because it seemed to have grown six inches in the last two hours. Not only that, it was teased up and sprayed. It had sort of a wind-blown look, but the wind wasn’t blowing. More than that, it didn’t move an inch as she smiled and posed.
Her makeup was thick and rather dark, and Charlotte guessed that it was done that way for the cameras. She wore skinny jeans and a white, flowing blouse.
When the photos were done, Shae Lynne clapped her hands together. “Y’all are welcome to stay and watch, but you have to be as quiet as possible. Most videos use soundtracks recorded in studio, but I like to actually sing when we film. It prevents me from looking like I’m lip-synching.” A laugh split the air, and Charlotte looked behind her to note Pete approaching.
He pushed his John Deere cap back from his forehead and smiled. “No lip-synching, huh? Now, that’s refreshing.” Pete stretched out his hand. “I’m Pete by the way.”
Shae Lynne’s eyes brightened. “Pete. It’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Shae Lynne.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, I know. My girlfriend has one of your CDs.”
“Really? Wow, I’m honored.”
Charlotte took a step back, noting the interaction. If she didn’t know better, she’d think that Shae Lynne was actually blushing.
Shae Lynne looked down at her outfit. She placed a hand on her hair. “Oh, sorry for my getup. You know how the video thing works.”
“Actually I don’t. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like this.”
“Really?” Shae Lynne cocked her head. “I thought you were the actor to play …” She paused. “To play my love interest in the video,” she cooed, smiling.
Pete laughed. “Now that’s funny. No, I’m just Farmer Pete.” He spread his arm. “And this is my place. Or rather it’s my parents’ place, and I help out around here.”
Shae Lynne touched her neck, and Charlotte could clearly see the red creeping up to her face.
A horse that looked similar to Britney rounded the corner; the hunky-looking man with the vest was still riding her.
Charlotte pointed. “That’s probably your leading man.”
Shae Lynne’s nose scrunched in disapproval. “Please tell me that’s not so.”
Charlotte shrugged.
“Shae, do you have a minute?” Will was carrying a clipboard in his hands. “I wanted to go over the shot list with you before we get started.”
“Sure, and there’s, uh, something I wanted to talk about with you too,” she said, striding off.
“Wow, Uncle Pete. Shae Lynne thought you were going to be the main guy in her video, not just the dude driving the tractor.” Emily seemed impressed.
He shrugged. “That’s only because she had all that goopy makeup on her eyes and wasn’t able to see clearly.”
“Uncle Pete.” Emily slugged his arm. “I think she’s beautiful.”
Charlotte hung out with the kids for the rest of the morning. They watched as Shae Lynne sang in front of the barn. And during her break they watched as the crew shot more video inside the barn.
They spent at least an hour shooting the stalls and hay loft from various angles. They even made Trudy a star by filming her.
“Is our cow going to be in the video?” Christopher walked over and scratched behind Trudy’s ear.
“Yeah, she most likely will be. We’re taping all this as background. Then if we need to green-screen it later we can go back and do that.”
“Green-screen it?”
“Shae Lynne likes to feature her band in her videos. As you can see, they’re not here, and they won’t be here until they fly in to do the concert on Saturday night. So we videotape the barn and then we videotape the band against a green screen and splice them together.”
“Wow, I wonder what Trudy will think about that.”
“Do you think she’ll know?” Nicole frowned. “Honestly, she’s a cow. Don’t be so dumb.”
“Nicole.” Charlotte tried to keep her voice calm. “We don’t talk to each other that way.”
“Uh …” Nicole got a sheepish look on her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know. I think we’re all getting a little tired and cranky around here. It was a long night of anticipation and a lot has been going on around the farm this morning. It might be best if you and your friends head home. We’ll just let the video crew finish up what they’re working on.”
Nicole frowned and opened her mouth. Charlotte was wondering what was going to come out, but instead of arguing Nicole turned and headed toward the house.
“Who cares? I got my photo with Shae Lynne, which means I won fifty bucks,” Charlotte heard her saying.
“Are the girls leaving?” Shae Lynne strolled into the barn.
“Actually, they are. They slept over last night, and now that they’ve seen you, they’re ready to head back to the fair.”
Shae Lynne nodded, but Charlotte could tell she wasn’t listening.
“Uh, do you know where Pete is?” Shae Lynne asked.
“I think I saw him behind the barn changing the oil in the tractor.”
Shae Lynne turned to leave the barn, and Charlotte’s gaze moved from Emily to Sam. “What do you think that was about?”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know, but I want to find out.” He nodded to Jordan, and the two boys sauntered outside as if they weren’t following.
EMILY JOGGED UP THE STAIRS to see if Nicole, Lily, and Kaitlin needed any help loading their things into Kaitlin’s car. Emily had tried to enjoy the morning with them the best she could, but the only thing on her mind was calling up Ashley and Hunter and trying to fix things.
“Oh, my gosh!” Kaitlin’s voice caused Emily to pause at the top of the steps, right in front of her bedroom door.
“What?” Nicole sounded upset, most likely because she’d been asked to head home.
“Look at Emily’s closet. I’ve never seen such a sad bunch of clothes in my life. Is this honestly all she owns?”
“Yeah, well, what do you expect, living with her grandparents, being totally poor, having no fashion sense.” It was Lily talking. “I mean she’s so skinny and plain. If you ask me, I feel totally sorry for her. I mean, she’s never going to get a boyfriend. Never going to—”
“Emily?”
Emily had been so focused on the conversation in the room that she hadn’t heard Christopher approaching.
“What?” she snapped, turning to him.
He took a step back. “Man, I was just going to ask you if you wanted your CDs signed by Shae Lynne. She said she’d sign them for us.”
“Not now,” Emily hissed. She turned toward the door, and then to Christopher again, unsure of what to do, what to say.
The door swung open, and three faces stared at her with looks of half-pity and half-annoyance. She could tell that they knew she’d heard every word.
“Hey, Emily.” Nicole swung her backpack over her shoulder. “I think I got everything, but if I left any clothes or whatever, you can just keep them.”
Nicole smiled, and Lily snickered. Emily didn’t even want to see Kaitlin’s reaction. But with Christopher blocking the stairway, Emily turned and ran into the one place she could go to be alone. She darted into the bathroom and slammed the door, leaning her back against it and sliding to the floor.
Suddenly nothing good that had happened that week mattered. Her ribbons didn’t count. The fact that she had one of her favorite singers at her house didn’t matter. All Emily knew was that her heart hurt. Bad. And that she’d messed up, big time. She had totally ruined things with the friends she did have while trying to befriend the girls who lived to make her life miserable.
Emily pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees. Her lower lip trembled, and she wished she could cry. Wished she could release the pain. Instead she just sat there and wanted everything to be different.
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS, Charlotte learned that the video crew taped hard, fast, and continuously. She enjoyed watching the process, as did the kids. Sam and Jordan liked talking with Shae Lynne during the breaks, and Christopher had a hundred and one questions about how the cameras and other machines worked. The best part was that other than a few more cars driving down their country road, it seemed like the attention given to the video shoot had died down.
Reluctantly, Charlotte glanced at her watch after lunch, realizing she had to get to the fair for her shift at the Amen Pies booth. She had headed inside for her purse when she noticed Emily sitting by herself on the couch. It was only then Charlotte realized she hadn’t seen Emily outside all day.
“Emily?” Charlotte approached, sitting beside her. “Is everything okay?”
Emily shrugged but didn’t comment.
Charlotte patted her granddaughter’s hand. “Are you feeling bad about Ashley and Hunter?”
Emily nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“And did something else happen with Nicole? More than her winning that bet, which really made me mad, just so you know.”
Emily nodded again.
“Well, maybe tonight, after I get home, we can talk about it.” Charlotte rose, glancing at her watch again. She knew if she didn’t leave now she’d be late.
“Grandma, no. Wait.” Emily grabbed her arm. “I need you to help me. I need you to fix things. Can you call Mrs. Givens for me? She likes you. Maybe …”
Charlotte shook her head and brushed a strand of Emily’s blonde hair back from her face. “Oh, Emily. I can’t fix things for you. As much as I love Ashley and Hunter, t
hey are your friends, and—”
“And I need to make things right?” Emily mumbled.
Charlotte squeezed her shoulder. “Yes, you need to make things right. And while I commend you for trying to reach out to Nicole, I’m sorry that so many other things went wrong.”
“Yeah, I wish I could go back and do it over. I would rather have gone to the barrel races and had Ashley spend the night.”
“Well, it’s not too late to create new memories. The fair isn’t over. Summer isn’t over. Why don’t you think about what you can do to show Ashley and Hunter how much you care?” Charlotte tucked her hair behind her ear. “And I want you to know something else too.” She paused, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say. “You reached out to Nicole. You did what was right. You forgave her for her words at the fair, and you tried again. And even though things didn’t work out the way you wanted them to, I’m sure God is smiling down at you because you chose to love someone who is very difficult to love.”
Charlotte looked at her watch and noticed she was late. “And when I get back tonight you can tell me about what your plan is to make things right with Ashley and Hunter. Deal?”
“Yeah, okay.” Emily smiled. “Deal.”
Charlotte turned to leave and then paused. She glanced back over her shoulder. “Remember, Emily. You messed up, but they are your friends. They will still love you.”
Emily nodded, and Charlotte could see tears springing to her granddaughter’s eyes. Then she turned and left, knowing, trusting, that Emily could take it from here.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The scents assaulted Charlotte again as she entered the fairgrounds, and even though they worked with animals on the farm, the fair had certain smells all its own.
For one, each livestock barn smelled differently—and the smells often became overpowering when that many animals of similar type congregated together.
She passed the swine barn, noticing the ammonia scent. Passing the cattle and sheep barns, the fragrance of sweet sawdust was even more overpowering than the animals. But the most intriguing smells came once she got past the barns and moved to the row of food booths—Lions Club, Rotary, the high school cheerleaders.
