Kind-Hearted Woman
Page 16
“It means we want Lolly to expand the book, and we’ll publish it. To that end, I have a contract for you. We think it’ll be a big hit.”
She shook her head. “I’m not a writer.”
He held up the notebook. “This says you are.”
She looked at her brothers. “What do you think?”
“It’s your decision,” George said. “I think it’s worth looking into.”
“If someone is willing to pay you money for pink roses and lavender ponies or whatever this stuff is that you write, I say go for it.” Bud grinned. “Actually, what I say is take the money and don’t look back.”
Money. She looked around the farmhouse, which had seemed so forlorn when they’d first arrived, before they filled it with voices and warmth and food.
“Is there money with this contract?” she asked. “I don’t mean to be crude about it, but—”
“There is a modest amount as an advance. There should be royalties, too, once the book is published and sells enough to recoup the advance.”
“Would it be enough that we could stay here?”
“As I said, it’s modest, but you should be comfortable for the rest of the year. At least until next spring.”
“Is it enough for all of us to stay here?”
He touched her hand, very lightly. “We should probably talk about what you mean by ‘all of us.’ ”
Her heart shivered. His gaze caught and held hers, and without looking away, she said, “Go outside, Bud and George.”
“Why should I have to—” Bud began his litany of complaint, but George hustled him into his coat.
“Why don’t you and I go take a look at that old barn and see how it’s doing?” George asked his brother.
“Well, this is stupid. There’s going to be snow all over it. We won’t be able to see anything. Let’s look at it tomorrow. I just got nice and warm, and I don’t want to lea—”
George yanked his brother toward the door. “Again, for the twelve hundred millionth time, I apologize for my brother. You two take as long as you need and give us a holler when you’re ready for us to come in.”
When they’d left, Colin took her hand in his and dropped to the floor on one knee. Bruno woke up again and brought the chewed corncob to Colin.
“Ewww,” Lolly said, kicking it out of the way. “They should have taken you, too, dumb dog.”
“Lolly, put simply, I love you. I want to spend my entire life with you. Will you marry me?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Bruno stuck his snout right on it, but Colin adroitly pushed him away. “This isn’t for you.”
Lolly opened the box. Inside was nestled a ring, a layered combination of gold and silver with a diamond centered squarely on top of it. “Oh, Colin!”
“If you say yes, we can get married at any time. Tomorrow or next year or a decade from now. Whatever you say, my kind-hearted woman.”
“I say yes,” she said. “Yes to both contracts. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”
She flung her arms around his shoulders, and he stood, holding her and kissing her. “Let them stay outside for a few more minutes,” she said at last. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
epilogue
We are together at last, forever. Spring is the time of new beginnings, and we have chosen to unite our lives as life touches the earth again, as it does each year to remind us that God’s love never leaves us, never forgets us, never overlooks us. We are His. We belong to Him. He has given us this love, and we consecrate this union to Him.
From the Mankato Free Press:
Eleanor Ann Prescott and Colin Edward Hammett, both currently of Valley Junction, Minnesota, were joined in Holy Matrimony on April 2, 1936, in the Community Church, Reverend William Wellman presiding.
Miss Prescott was presented for marriage by her brothers, George and Barnaby. Ruth Gregory was her attendant.
A dinner was served after the ceremony at the home of the bride.
Mr. and Mrs. Hammett will be at home on the Prescott family farm following a honeymoon trip to New York City.
The honeymoon in New York City had been wonderful. Lolly had met Colin’s family and the details of opening a Minneapolis branch of the company were in the works. Within a few months they’d be moving there, but now she was back at home in Valley Junction, as Mrs. Colin Prescott.
The old house was actually cozy once Colin and her brothers finished the work in it. It had taken them all winter to refurbish it, but now it was charming. It was small but as Colin said, as long as Bruno stayed in the main house, it was large enough.
The thought of starting her married life in the same tiny house where her parents had begun theirs was wonderful. She couldn’t imagine a better place.
As a wedding gift, she’d embroidered the Bible verse that had started Colin on the journey that led him to their home. It had taken two months and was a bit uneven in places where she’d had to undo the stitching several times, but it was truly a labor of love. George framed it and hung it in the dining room.
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17: 7–8
“We got you something, too,” Bud said. “Bring it in, George.”
“You could help,” his brother said through clenched teeth.
“I could. But I’m not.” Bud grinned cheerfully at Lolly.
George muttered as he muscled a small table from the corner. “We took the fence post with the cat carved on it and made it into the base of this table. See?”
Lolly sank to her knees and traced the outline of the cat. “Kind-hearted woman. I love it! Thanks so much, you two!”
“It was my idea,” Bud said.
“I did the work,” George countered. “You couldn’t be bothered to—”
“Oh, you did not do the work. I did it. You were busy making googly eyes at Ruth and sucking down colas and planning your own wedding while I was at the hardware store getting the sanding—”
“Stop!” Colin held up his hand, laughing. “We get the idea. It’s from both of you.”
Lolly interrupted. “Wait. Did I hear the word wedding?”
“You did. We’re planning for October, when the harvest will be over. You and Colin will be in Minneapolis by then, so we can live in our house. Bud can stay with us, too.”
Lolly threw her arms around her older brother. “I’m so glad!”
“If I tell you that I’m taking Sarah Fallon to the church social next week, would I get a hug, too?” Bud asked.
“Of course!” She followed through on her promise and nearly choked when Bud squeezed her so hard he lifted her right off the floor.
“We have something else, too,” George said, handing Lolly a large flat packet.
She opened it. “Look, Colin!” It was their marriage license, framed and under glass.
“It’s got the glass over it,” Bud said, “so Bruno can’t eat it.”
The dog cocked his ear at the mention of his name.
“Let’s put it here,” she said as she put it over the fireplace. “Safe and sound, so nobody will knock into it. And where Bruno can’t possibly reach it!”
The dog sighed and lay down to sleep, but if anyone had been watching, they’d have noticed that one eye didn’t close all the way but was instead tracking a path from the table to the couch to the fireplace—all to check out the treat that was hanging over it.
About the Author
In first grade, JANET SPAETH was asked to write a summary of a story about a family making maple syrup. She wrote all during class, through morning recess, lunch,
and after-noon recess, and asked to stay after school. When the teacher pointed out that a summary was supposed to be shorter than the original story, Janet explained that she didn’t feel the readers knew the characters well enough, so she was expanding on what was in the first-grade reader. Thus a writer was born. She lives in the Midwest and loves to travel, but to her, the happiest word in the English language is home.
Dedication
To my good friend Colette Riely.
You are a truly kind-hearted woman.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
Janet Spaeth
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683