Wisdom Tree

by Mary Manners

  “Good. Who sent you those gorgeous flowers?” Carin gushed at the sweet floral scent.

  “They’re not for me.” Hailey handed the vase to her. “They’re for you.”

  “Me? Who on earth are they from?”

  Hailey tapped the card tucked into a small plastic holder. “I wanted to peek, but…”

  Carin plucked the card from its holder and tore open the envelope.

  “What does it say?” Hailey peered over her shoulder, and Carin felt warm breath tickle her neck. “Spill the beans.”

  Carin read aloud as she scanned the words. “Looking forward to tomorrow night. Jake.”

  “Jake? Pastor Jake?” Hailey’s hazel eyes brightened. “Oh, Carin, that’s wonderful! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “What’s to tell?”

  “You’re going out with him.”

  “Just to dinner. He’s…simply a friend.”

  “Sounds like he wants to be more than a friend.” Hailey winked conspiratorially. “And how about you? Do you want to be more than friends?”

  “No…maybe…I don’t know.” Her insides bubbled with the idea. After lunch yesterday, she and Jake finished nailing the landscape timbers and helped unload and spread a truck’s worth of mulch into the play area. When the work was done, they’d settled together beneath the shade of the pavilion, sharing a plate of chocolate chip cookies and more bottled water. His laid-back attitude and quick humor put her at ease, and she didn’t remember laughing so hard—enjoying the day so thoroughly—since…well…forever. “I haven’t thought much about it. It’s…confusing.”

  “So, maybe you want to be more than friends, right? And maybe is good.” Hailey nodded approval. “Maybe has potential. Greg and I started out with a maybe, and look where we are now.”

  “Happily married with two kids and a dog.”

  Hailey leaned in and splayed a hand over her belly. “And another on the way—a kid, that is. Not a dog.”

  “No!” Carin gasped with pleasure. “Really?”

  “Yes. I just found out yesterday, and you’re the first one I’ve told, besides Greg, of course.”

  “Oh, Hailey, that’s wonderful news!” Carin jostled the arrangement into one arm and hugged Hailey with her other. “Three beautiful kids. Wow. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks. But enough about me.” She handed Carin a small package wrapped in a baby-blue lace bow. “This came with the flowers, too.”

  A slight thrill danced up Carin’s spine. She handed the arrangement to Hailey and turned the package over in her hands. “What do you think it is?”

  “Feels like a book of some sort. I don’t know. Open it!”

  Carin tore eagerly at the wrapping to find Hailey’s guess was spot-on. Inside she found a small Bible. It was scuffed and worn, and when she opened the navy front cover a note slipped out. She caught the paper before it fluttered to the polished tile floor.

  Dear Carin,

  This book has traveled many miles and seen me through more challenging times than I can number. It’s guided me well, and now I’d like you to have it.

  Jake

  “Wow.” Hailey dabbed her nose with a tissue. “Look at that.”

  Carin flipped through the Bible pages, many dog-eared, and saw that several passages were highlighted and a few marked with colorful neon strips of post-it notes. “It’s…really too much.”

  “No, it’s not, Carin. It’s just right.” Hailey handed the flowers over. “How did you meet Jake, anyway?”

  “Remember how you suggested I talk to him about Corey? Well, I went over to the church that afternoon and he was mowing. Except I didn’t know it was him, and…” She sighed, shaking her head.

  “Long story, huh?”

  “Exactly.”

  “The good ones always are. Looks like you’ve got some reading to do.”

  Carin slipped a finger across the worn leather. “Yes, I guess I do.”

  “Better get going, then. I’ll herd Corey and Amy from your room, get them moving on home. You go on.”

  “Thanks, Hailey.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Carin’s belly flip-flopped as she strode through the school’s front door and into cool afternoon sunshine. She breathed in the sweet scent of flowers while she balanced the vase on the passenger seat and wedged it into place with her filled tote bag. Then she leaned against the car and gathered her cell phone. A quick call to information connected her directly to the number she needed. It was late, and the church secretary had probably left an hour ago, but maybe she’d still catch Jake.

  “East Ridge Church.” Jake answered on the second ring. “May I help you?”

  Carin could barely contain her laughter. “I hear you mow lawns, and I’m looking for a caretaker to tame my grass.”

  A slight hesitation, then, “Carin, is that you?”

  She burst into laughter. “Yes, Jake, it’s me.”

  “Well, this is a nice surprise.”

  “Talk about surprises—I called to thank you for the flowers…and the Bible. The floral arrangement is lovely, and the Bible—well, are you sure you want to part with it?”

  “I already have. I want you to have it.”

  Carin warmed at the sincerity in his tone. “Thank you.” She lowered her voice and turned her face to the sunshine. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow night, too.”

  “Oh, about tomorrow…” Jake paused and she heard him tap a pencil on the desk blotter that kept track of his appointments. “I have a small problem.”

  “You do?” For a fleeting moment she thought maybe he’d found out—somehow, some way—about what had happened with Cameron…and maybe Phillip, too.

  “Yes,” Jake continued. “You see, I don’t have any idea where you live.”

  Relief. “Oh, that. Well, that’s a problem I’ll be more than happy to help you solve.” She gave him her address.

  “Thanks. Problem solved. Now, if they were only all that easy.”

  “Um, Jake?” Carin cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder and leaned toward the passenger window. A gust of wind carried the musty scent of leaves and the cool nip of fall.

  “Yes?”

  “Corey’s just leaving school. He and Amy have been working on the school paper. He told me about getting grounded for ruining your cell phone. He also said if he comes home too early you’ll make him—and I quote—muck out the church bathrooms tonight.”

  “Muck out…oh, brother. I think you should have recruited him for the drama club instead of the newspaper staff.”

  “Not a bad idea.” Carin laughed again. “Anyway, I just thought you’d want to know in case he’s a bit late. Amy’s mom is driving him home.”

  “Yeah, he told me that this morning. Can you believe it, after how hard he fought not to work with her? I think the two are becoming an item.”

  “Ironic, I know.”

  “I appreciate all you’re doing to help him. It’s been a rough road.”

  “I can only imagine.” She thought about Cameron, wished for the millionth time she might have helped him, too. “Maybe you’d like to share…sometime.”

  “I would. Anyway, I think I’ll meet Corey at the door with a mop and a bucket just to see his reaction.”

  “Now, that I’d like to watch.”

  “Tune in for tonight’s journal-writing. Should be interesting.” Jake paused and lowered his voice. “See you tomorrow night?”

  Carin’s heart leapt at the thought. “Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

  ****

  Jake arrived a bit early to pick up Carin, so he took his time strolling up the walk to her tidy house. The white, clapboard siding was surrounded by a planked-wood porch. Hardy mums grew tall and full in the front flower beds, adding waves of yellow and crimson. Maple trees shed orange and gold leaves that danced across the grass like confetti. He breathed in their rich, musty scent and was glad for sunshine that staved off the chill of a slight autumn breeze.

  Carin
surprised him by opening the door just as he was about to knock. The sight of her in a knee-length, flowing skirt paired with a floral blouse stopped him in his tracks. Her hair was pulled back, twisted and secured with a delicate silver clip, showing off the sleek curve of her neck and striking, emerald eyes. The warm scent of sandalwood clung to her skin.

  “Wow.”

  “Wow, what?” Her eyebrows knit together.

  “You look…wow.”

  “You clean up pretty good yourself.” Her gaze swept the length of him. She nodded appreciatively then stepped back from the doorway. “C’mon in.” She ushered him into a cozy living room. Plump burgundy pillows decorated a tan couch, and a dog-eared paperback lay open on the side table. The scent of cinnamon wafted from a candle on the coffee table. Carin bent to extinguish the flame. “I’m almost ready. I just have to feed Scooter.”

  “Scooter?”

  “My cat.” A gray ball of fur bolted through the doorway and skidded across the hardwood floor to wrap itself around Jake’s ankles. “His name’s Scooter.”

  “Hey, Scooter.” Jake knelt to scratch between the cat’s spiked ears, and he purred like a semi roaring down the highway.

  “He likes you.” Carin nodded. “That’s a good sign. Animals have good instincts about people.”

  “Whew.” He swiped a hand across his brow. “I’m glad I passed that test.”

  “Me, too. If he’d tried to bite you, I would have had to send you packing.”

  “So he’s, like, your dating barometer, huh?” Jake laughed and scooped the cat into his arms. “Hey, buddy, meet your new best friend. We need to have a long talk, OK?”

  Carin laughed as he purred and burrowed against Jake’s chest. “Just let me put some food in his bowl, and we can go.”

  Jake followed her into the kitchen with the cat in his arms. Waning sunlight danced through the window over the sink, bathing cheery-white cabinets. The flowers he’d sent graced the center of a polished dinette table, and their sweet scent filled the room. The Bible lay open at a chair, a half-drained glass of iced tea beside it.

  “I was reading,” Carin explained as she followed his gaze.

  Jake set Scooter down and pressed a finger to the Bible. “Do you mind?”

  “No. Go right ahead.” Carin reached into the cabinet to the left of the sink for a can of cat food. She spooned the tuna mixture into Scooter’s dish that was set out on a plastic mat near French doors that opened onto a small patio. The cat brushed against her legs and cranked his motor up a notch.

  Jake picked up the Bible and grazed his fingers over the passage he’d highlighted five years earlier, when he’d decided to leave his job as a CPA at Carson and Brewer to become a pastor. It had been a confusing time, because the wordly part of him was attached to all the toys and gadgets the money brought in, while his heart longed for something more—much more. His dad had understood, and they’d talked through the confusion until Jake had found the path he was meant to travel. But now his dad was gone. Jake cleared his throat and brushed a dark cloud of sadness aside. “Ah, Proverbs. And one of my favorite verses, too.”

  “What’s that?”

  “‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall guide your path.’”

  “Hmm…yes. I love that one, too. But it’s a hard one to accept.”

  “Why?”

  “Because sometimes things happen…and they don’t make sense at all.”

  “Like…?”

  Carin sighed. “Like my friend Lilly. She has the onset of Alzheimer’s, and she gets confused sometimes. She’s all alone now, in a room at the senior center, except for when I go to visit her. And sometimes she doesn’t even know who I am, and it breaks my heart, so…”

  “So, that was you.” Jake shook his head. “I thought so.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you at the center last Thursday evening after I came to visit you at school. You were coming back from the pond, pushing a woman in a wheelchair.”

  “That was Lilly.” She shifted feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you, Jake.”

  “I hurried to get out there with Pastor Julian, but you were already gone.”

  “Lilly likes the pond. She thinks she sees her late husband there.”

  “Pastor Julian says the same thing…about his wife.”

  “Do you think there’s something to it?”

  “Why not? They believe there is.” Jake shrugged. “Pastor Julian swears he smells the spearmint his wife used to grow in their backyard garden. And the funny thing is, lately I smell it, too.”

  Carin gasped. “Lilly grows spearmint in a small box she keeps near her window.”

  “Where’s her room?”

  “First hall to the right, next to the last room on the left.”

  “Well, that explains the spearmint, at least.” Jake rubbed his chin and smiled. “Pastor Julian just moved in next door to her.”

  9

  “Ming Tree Restaurant.” Carin scanned the vibrant black and red marquee as Jake made a right turn off the main road. “I’ve never heard of it.”

  “No?” Jake maneuvered the Jeep into a parking space and killed the engine. “Then you’re in for a real treat. You’re about to sample the best Chinese food in the state.”

  “Money back guarantee, huh?”

  “In full.” Jake slipped from the driver’s side and came around to open the door for her. Cool evening air caused ripples to dance across the surface of the river beyond. A few strands of Carin’s hair escaped from a silver clip, caressing smooth, flushed cheeks. A gentle breeze carried the scent of her perfume. She pulled a cotton sweater over her shoulders.

  “It’s pretty here.”

  “Yes, especially on a clear evening like this, when the sun dips below the horizon.” He watched her tilt her face into the breeze and breathe in the scent of autumn leaves that rustled along the riverbank. “After dinner we can take a walk along the river boulevard, if you’d like.”

  “That sounds nice. I would like to…very much.”

  He followed her up the walk and through double wooden doors decorated in an Asian motif. The soft melody of a mandolin wafted from the foyer, and a lighted saltwater aquarium boasted giant koi fish that swam in a slow, mesmerizing cadence. The fish reminded Jake of Corey, who always liked to pause for a moment to make silly faces through the aquarium glass. He hoped Corey wasn’t giving Patrick and Julie too much trouble.

  The aroma of marinated meats and vegetables filled the air. Jake’s stomach growled as an older, portly Chinese woman named Sulee greeted them.

  “Hello, Pastor Jake.” A broad smile revealed a slight gap between her two front teeth. Her dark hair, peppered with gray, was smoothed into a tight, neat bun. She wiped her hands on a starched white apron. “And who’s this?”

  “Sulee, I’d like you to meet Carin O’Malley.”

  “Well, hello there. Nice to meet you, Miss O’Malley. Welcome.” Her head bobbed as she reached for Carin’s hand. “I have a special table reserved for you.”

  The aroma of won-ton soup and egg rolls washed over Jake as Sulee led them through the restaurant, past booths tucked into corners and tables bathed in the soft glow of light from paper lanterns, to a wall of windows. There she motioned to a table with a river view backdropped by cloud-haloed Smoky Mountains.

  “Oh, Jake, it’s wonderful.” Carin gazed out the expanse of windows as waning sunlight masked in hues of frothy peach and ripe berry danced across the horizon. “What an amazing sunset.”

  “Thanks, Sulee.” Jake winked. “This is perfect.”

  She handed them menus. “Would you like the usual, or do you need a few minutes?”

  “The usual?” Carin asked.

  “Beef and broccoli,” Jake tapped the menu. “Gotta have my greens.”

  “That sounds good.” Carin nodded. “I’ll have the same.”

  Sulee nodded. “Pe
rfect choice.” She smiled at Carin and poured steaming Chinese tea into a gold-rimmed, floral teacup. “Jake, you have a very pretty girl with you today. Smart, too. Left Corey at home, yes?”

  “He’s with a friend. You remember Dillon?”

  “Of course—the boy who spilled soda all over the floor and broke two glasses playing table hockey with a wadded piece of paper?”

  “Ouch.” Jake grimaced. “Yes, that’s Dillon.”

  “I remember.” She nodded again. “Good for you to have some quiet time to share dinner with such a nice girl. Enjoy…both of you.”

  “Table hockey?” Carin grinned as Sulee turned to leave, murmuring fervently in Chinese. “Come here often?”

  “More than I should. Corey likes the food, and Sulee always gives him a handful of fortune cookies filled with Bible verses and unique messages. He gets a kick out of cracking each one open to read.”

  “Yes, I think he did mention something about fortune cookies in his journal.”

  Jake laughed. “What has he not mentioned in his journal?”

  Carin sipped her tea and a cloud of steam billowed over the rim of the cup. “He hasn’t written anything about your parents. Not a word.”

  “Still too raw, I expect.” Jake reached for the tea.

  “What happened, Jake, to your parents?”

  Jake leaned back in the chair and sighed as her question brought on an onslaught of memories. Even now, nearly a year later, the answer came with great difficulty. “Corey was at a church retreat when he got real sick—ruptured appendix. My mom and dad were rushing to get to the hospital, because the doctors hurried him into surgery. It was raining, and they were on I-40 at the state line into North Carolina, passing a semi when one of its tires blew. The car flipped into a culvert and they both…died instantly.” The news had come on a storm-laden Saturday evening, and in his mind Jake heard the echo of wiper blades as he raced down the highway to get to Corey before he came out of surgery. The memory was surreal, even now, right down to the song that played on the radio as he pulled into the hospital parking lot and found a police officer waiting in the emergency room.