Come to the Lake

by Macarthur, Autumn

  “Pie? There’s pie?” He mimed surprise.

  “There’s pie.” Turning to gesture proudly to the pie dish, his wife huffed. “As you well know. Look at that beauty.”

  He turned, too, but kept one arm wrapped around her slightly thickened waist, a welcome reminder of the new life growing inside her. “That certainly is a pie.”

  Pastry strips the exact right shade of golden brown crisscrossed the top. Not a single burnt patch. The apple and huckleberry filling had bubbled over slightly in places, staining the edges a rich purple, but it didn’t detract in the slightest from how good it looked. His mouth watered as he gazed at it.

  “What do you think?” Her anxious squeak reminded him — even after more than six months of marriage, she sometimes needed reassurance she was doing it right. And that he’d still love her, even if she never learned to cook.

  He dropped a kiss on her adorable nose. “It looks perfect. Everything a pie should be. But you know what the real test is.”

  “The eating.” She nodded, pulled off her oven mitts, and picked up a knife. “Let’s do it.”

  “No photos first?” Usually, everything she cooked, whether a success or a total fail, ended up on her blog, so her many readers could either commiserate or celebrate with her.

  Laughing, she reached for her camera. “Oops. I was so excited, I nearly forgot.” After snapping several images, she put the camera down and picked up the knife again. “This is it. A historic moment in the Novak household. This could be the day I baked a proper pie at last.”

  As she cut through the pastry, her lower lip clamped between her teeth, he silently prayed this time she had gotten it right. Not that he minded taste testing her failures, but he hated seeing her disappointment when things didn’t work out.

  At least she didn’t judge herself or see herself as lacking now because of it. She simply wanted to learn to cook.

  “So far so good.” Bright eyes and arched brows peeped up at him as she eased a spatula under the slice. “Hold out a plate.”

  He did. But as she lifted it, the slice disintegrated, showering fruit filling and crumbled pastry back into the pie tin.

  “Ohhhh!” Her shoulders slumped, and her long, sighing moan echoed through his heart. “I’m never going to get this right. Another one for the trash can.” She pulled on the oven mitts.

  He grabbed her hand before she could pick up the pie tin and empty it into the trash. “Don’t you dare. It looks and smells too good not to at least let me try it.”

  “Are you sure?” Uncertainty shadowed those bright eyes scowling at her attempt. “It’s a mess.”

  “But we don’t know yet whether it’s a delicious mess.” He held out the plate again. “Just scoop the broken bits on here, pass me a spoon, and I’ll tell you.”

  As she stood by watching, he raised the spoon to his lips. The warm pastry melted on his tongue. The fruit filling had precisely the right mix of sweet and tart.

  “Mm.” He smacked his lips together. “You’ve nailed the flavor. It tastes every bit as good as one of Maddie’s or Liz’s pies.”

  “Really?” A frown furrowed her brow. “You’re not just saying so?”

  “Really. I’ll eat a second serving to prove it.”

  Gratitude warming her face, she victory punched the air. “Thank You, Jesus. Now all I need to do is get the pastry right.”

  “You’ll do it. Sooner or later.”

  Smiling, she flung her arms around him, forcing him to put the plate down fast before he dropped it.

  “Hey, I wanted another spoonful,” he protested.

  She gazed up at him, blue eyes earnest. “You will. But first, I want to say thank you. Despite my lack of domestic skills, you married me anyway. I’m so glad that teacher of mine was wrong.”

  “I love you just as you are, my imperfectly Proverbs 31 wife.” His arms tightened around her, snuggling her nearer. “That’s why I promised I’d spend the rest of my life with you. I wouldn’t have you any different.”

  Only one good way to prove that. He lowered his lips to hers, in a sweet and tender kiss he never wanted to end.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading…

  I loved writing this story of faith, self-acceptance, and discovering what matters most in life. I hope so much that you enjoyed reading it!

  If you did, please consider leaving a review. Reviews help other readers like you find the books they’ll want to read.

  Plus, if you liked this story, you’ll probably enjoy my other books. All include love, faith, characters overcoming real issues, and a happy ever after! You can see all my currently released books here, on my website Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming.

  Huckleberry (or any berry!) Pie recipe

  Pie Crust

  8 oz plain flour

  6 oz shortening (margarine, butter, or lard)

  pinch of salt

  2 tablespoons cold water

  (Or 2 quantities shop-bought ready-made pastry for 9” pie crusts)

  Rub flour, shortening, and salt together until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

  Add 2 tablespoons water to make a soft but firm dough.

  Divide into two pieces.

  Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the larger portion of pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2 inches larger than an inverted 9” pie plate. Lift into pie plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side, leave edges of pastry handing over edge of pie plate.

  Set aside.

  Fruit Filling

  6 cups/ 2 pounds huckleberries (or blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries - can mix berries or add apple as needed to make up quantity)

  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  1/4 cup sugar (vary this depending how sweet or tart the berries naturally are. 1/4 cup may not make a very sweet pie if berries are tart. Up to one cup of sugar can be used according to taste)

  1/4 cup cornstarch, mixed with just enough water to make it runny

  For finishing

  1 egg white

  2 tablespoons water

  Instructions

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  In a medium saucepan combine the berries, lemon juice, and sugar. Add just enough water to barely cover the bottom of the saucepan (omit if using frozen berries!). With soft or frozen berries, more than enough juice will release from the berries as they cook! Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to stop the berries sticking. Add cornstarch when there is a good amount of liquid released from the fruit. Bring to a boil but watch closely as it may boil over easily! Reduce heat if needed. Cook until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture has thickened. Pour berry mixture into prepared piecrust.

  Some recipes use a different thickening agent, and don’t cook the berries when using fresh or frozen huckleberries on their own as the filling - for example: https://whatscookingamerica.net/Desserts/HuckleberryPie.htm

  Cut back overhanging crust to 1/2”. Top with rolled out remaining crust (as a whole, in strips, or as cutout shapes). If using strips, moisten the entire edge of the crust and then turn the overhang from the bottom crust up over the ends of the strips so the edge of the crust is flush with the edge of the pie plate.

  Crimp edges of crust to secure it on edge of plate. Mix together the egg white and water and gently brush over top pastry layer for better browning. If using whole crust, be sure to add slits to allow steam to escape. You don’t want to repeat Sam’s exploding pie!

  Place pie on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in case filling spills over during baking. To stop edges browning excessively, they can be loosely covered with foil.

  Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. If foil used to cover edges, remove for last 15 minutes of cooking. Oven temperatures vary, so yours may need more or less time.

  Cool slightly, then slice and serve as desired.

  Bible Verses

  Chapter 3

  I lift up my eyes to the mou
ntains — where does my help come from?

  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

  Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

  Chapter 5

  Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

  Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

  Psalm 100: 1-2 KJV

  You are not the same as those who don’t believe. So don’t join yourselves to them. Good and evil don’t belong together. Light and darkness cannot share the same room.

  2 Corinthians 6:14 ERV

  Chapter 8

  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

  Romans 8:28 NIV

  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

  Matthew 19:26 NIV

  Fear can be a trap, but if you trust in the Lord, you will be safe.

  Proverbs 29:25 ERV

  Chapter 9

  The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

  1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

  And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

  Luke 22:19-20 NIV

  Chapter 10

  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

  Your kingdom is built on truth and justice. Love and faithfulness are servants before your throne.

  Psalm 89:14 ERV

  Chapter 11

  Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands.

  Romans 12:19 TLB

  Chapter 12

  She speaks with wisdom and teaches others to be loving and kind. Proverbs 31:26 ERV

  I’m so grateful for:

  My author friends. It’s a huge blessing to know such dedicated, God-focused women! Special thanks to Jan Elder for proofreading. I loved your suggestions!

  My superb editor, Dee at Brilliant Cut Editing, a true sister in Christ who always shows me how best to polish my words, as well as being a beautiful demonstration of love and faith in how she lives her life.

  My writing buddy and dear friend Shannon Marie, whose relationship insights and super-power to find where my stories need more work always amazes me. She is a real blessing to me!

  My beloved husband Arthur, who supports me in my work and accepts that I DO need to stay up all night when I have a deadline, even when he can’t quite understand why.

  Lisa TerKeurst for her example of what a true Proverbs 31 woman is, her unswerving faith, and her grace under pressure.

  These words from her blog (posted after I’d finished this story!) reflect exactly what I wanted to say: Many people think Proverbs 31 is a picture of a perfect woman; but the Proverbs 31 woman is, at her core, someone who seeks the Lord in everything she does and trusts Him wholeheartedly with her life. Our mission is to meet women where they are in the real, hard places we all experience, and to intersect God’s Word right there. We are simply a group of women sold out to saying yes to God—and He truly does the rest.

  As always, my deepest most heartfelt thanksgiving and praise to God for his love, support, mercy, and forgiveness. His grace is truly shown in Jesus, who died for us when we least deserved it.

  And thanks to you, dear reader, for coming this far with me. I hope this story blessed and uplifted you.

  IMPERFECTLY PROVERBS 31

  A Huckleberry Lake romance

  Copyright 2017 © by Autumn Macarthur

  First ebook edition released as part of the Picnics & Promises boxed set, July 2017

  This solo edition published by Faith, Hope, & Heartwarming

  Contact details: autumn@faithhopeandheartwarming.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— for example, electronic, photocopy, recording— without the prior written permission of the author. The only exception is brief quotations in printed or broadcast reviews. Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  BIBLE VERSION COPYRIGHT NOTICES

  Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Copyright © 2006 by Bible League international

  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

  New International Version (NIV): Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  The Living Bible (TLB) Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

  Midnight Clear

  Huckleberry Lake Book #3

  Autumn Macarthur

  “Stop fighting and know that I am God!”

  Psalm 46:10 ERV

  About the book

  He could be her Mr. Right. Only she knows she’s his Miss Wrong.

  Fiercely independent and notoriously snarky, school teacher Claire Robinson moved to Huckleberry Lake to teach in a one room schoolhouse and escape the grief of losing her happy ever after. No one in the welcoming Idaho community guesses her secret heartbreak.

  Including Ryan Connor, who seems to think she’s “the One”, aided and abetted by match-making friends.

  Sure, he’s handsome, kind, and her students light up brighter than the classroom Christmas tree when he’s around. If it wasn’t for just one thing, he’d be her perfect man. He wants a big family, something she can’t give him. Her snark and attitude should make him forget her.

  Problem is, both God and Ryan seem to have other plans!

  Dear Reader,

  I found writing this story an intensely moving experience. Every story I write is, of course, but this one was particularly emotional. Not only had I been blessed with new story words after several months of being unable to write because of health problems, the story ended up touching on some deeply personal issues that have affected me directly, both as a woman, and as a nurse/ midwife.

  God snuck that one up on me! I didn’t discover Claire’s hidden past until halfway through writing the story. Although my past is not the same as Claire’s, He used this story to move me closer to healing right alongside her. The process reminded me yet again of how important it is to trust God’s plan and purpose, and let go our own plans when He guides us in a different direction. No matter how painful or discouraging things seem at the time, He always plans for our highest good, often in surprising ways.

  I hope and pray you enjoy Claire and Ryan’s story, and that you’re as blessed and uplifted when you read as I was as I wrote!

  Prologue

  Her hands wrist-deep in soapy water, Jeannie Connor forgot the breakfast dishes for a minute, and gazed out the kitchen window at Ryan, working in the yard. She appreciated everything her son did for her. And he did so much. Moving back in when his Dad fell ill, staying to help her since Hank passed on.

  A man like Ryan deserved a wonderful wife.

  Yet here he was, thirty and still single, when all his friends married years ago. This big old house had housed four generations of Connors, with room enough for half a dozen children, though she and Hank were only blessed with the one. She’d gladly deed the place to Ryan,
move into a granny annex or a smaller home, if that meant he could raise his family here.

  Hank’s death this past year, at barely sixty, reminded her of two things. The Lord’s goodness, above all else. And how we could never know how much time we have left here in this world.

  More than anything, she longed to see Ryan happily married, with children of his own.

  “It is not good for man to be alone.” The pastor quoted that verse at every wedding. And yet here her son was, still alone. All she could do was pray.

  Lord, please find a very special wife for Ryan. You know how much he wants a family of his own, and how much I’d love grandchildren. I’ve even suggested he try internet dating! There are some good Christian sites, after all.

  But I’ve seen that certain glow in his eyes when Claire Robinson is around. And sometimes, when she thinks no one is looking, I’ve seen her peek at Ryan with that same glow. So though she’s always feisty and argumentative with him, and though I can’t help wondering if she’s hiding some sort of heartbreak, if You could get those two together, that would be just perfect.

  Chapter 1

  Heavy boots thudded on the schoolroom porch, a sound Claire Robinson recognized all too well in her second winter teaching here. Someone stomping snow off their boots before coming to the door. The likely identity of the “someone” snapped her senses to instant alert.