by T. K. Chapin
“I’ll be on my way then; I don’t want to keep you, and it seems to me we are done here.”
“Thank you for the help today. I’ll write your check, but first get the hay conveyor equipment put away. Just come inside the farmhouse when you’re done.”
Roy climbed down the ladder and Levi followed behind him. As Roy exited the barn doors, he could see his daughter faintly behind the reflection of the sun off the windshield of her silver Prius. Love overcame him as he made eye contact with her. His daughter was the apple of his eye, and he felt she was the only thing he had done right in all the years of his life on earth. He’d never admit it to anyone out loud, but Tiff was his favorite child. She was the first-born and held a special place in his heart. The other kids gravitated more to their mother anyway; Tiffany and he were always close.
Parking in front of the garage that matched the paint of the barn, red with white trim, his daughter Tiffany stepped out of the driver side door and smiled at him. Hurrying her steps through the gravel, she ran up to her dad and hugged him as she let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief.
Watching over her shoulder as Jess got out of the car, Roy saw her slam the door. He suspected the drive hadn’t gone that well for the three of them, but did the courtesy of asking without assuming. “How was the drive?”
“You don’t want to ask…” she replied, glancing back at Jess as her daughter lingered near the corner of the garage.
Roy smiled. “I have a fresh batch of lemonade inside,” he said, trying to lighten the tension he could sense. Seeing Henry was still in the backseat fiddling with something, Roy went over to one of the back doors and opened the door.
“Hi Grandpa,” Henry said, looking up at him.
Leaning his head into the car, Roy smiled. “I’m looking for Henry, have you seen him? Because there’s no way you are, Henry! He’s just a little guy.” Roy used his hand to show how tall Henry should be and continued, “About this tall, if my memory serves me correctly.”
Henry laughed. “Stop Grandpa! It’s me, I’m Henry!”
“I know… I’m just playing with you, kiddo! I haven’t seen you in years! You’ve grown like a weed! Give your ol’ Grandpa a hug!” Henry dropped his tablet on the seat and climbed over a suitcase of Jess’s to embrace his grandpa in a warm hug.
“Can we go fishing, Grandpa? Can we go today?”
Roy laughed as he stood upright. “Maybe tomorrow. The day is going to be over soon and I’d like to visit with your mother some.”
Henry dipped his chin to his chest as he sighed. “Okay.” Reaching into the back trunk area of the car, Henry grabbed his backpack and then scooted off his seat and out from the car. Just then, Jess let out a screech, which directed everyone’s attention over to her at the garage.
“A mouse, are you kidding me?” With a look of disgust, she stomped off around Levi’s truck, and down the sidewalk that led up to the farmhouse.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Tiffany asked, which caused Jess to stop in her tracks. She turned around and put her hand over her brow to shield the sun.
“What, mom?”
“Your suitcases… maybe?” Tiffany replied with a sharp tone.
Roy placed a hand on Tiffany’s shoulder. “That’s okay. Henry and I can get them.”
“No. Jess needs to get them.” Roy could tell that his daughter was attempting to draw a line in the sand. A line that Roy and his late wife Lucille had drawn many times with her and the kids.
“Really, Mom?” Jess asked, placing a hand on her hip. “Those suitcases are heavy; the men should carry them. Grandpa is right.”
Henry tugged on his mother’s shirt corner. “I think you should let this one go, Mother.” He smiled and nodded to Roy. “Grandpa and I have it.”
Tiffany shook her head and turned away from Jess as she went to the back of the car. “She’s so difficult, Dad. I hate it,” Tiffany said, slapping the trunk. “She doesn’t understand how life really works.”
“Winnie,” Roy replied. “Pick your battles.” The nickname Winnie came from when she was three years old. She would wake up in the middle of the night, push a chair up to the pantry and sneak the honey back into her bedroom. On several occasions, they would awaken the next day to find her snuggling an empty bottle of honey underneath her covers.
“I know. It’s just hard sometimes, because everything is a battle with her lately.”
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Other Books
Available Books
By T.K. Chapin
(Inspirational Christian Fiction & Romance)
Diamond Lake Series
One Thursday Morning (Book 1)
One Friday Afternoon (Book 2)
One Saturday Evening (Book 3)
Summer 2016
Embers & Ashes Series
Amongst the Flames (Book 1)
Out of the Ashes (Book 2)
Up in Smoke (Book 3)
After the Fire (Book 4)
Love’s Enduring Promise Series
The Perfect Cast (Book 1)
Finding Love (Book 2)
Claire’s Hope (Book 3)
Dylan’s Faith (Book 4)
Stand Alones
Love Interrupted
Love Again
A Chance at Love
The Lost Truth
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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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