Lorna Seilstad - [Lake Manawa Summers 03]

by The Ride of Her Life

  © 2012 by Lorna Seilstad

  Published by Revell

  a division of Baker Publishing Group

  P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

  www.revellbooks.com

  Ebook edition created 2012

  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 publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ISBN 978-1-4412-3789-7

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  Scripture is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  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.

  The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

  Published in association with Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.

  “With her expected wit and humor, Lorna Seilstad has penned another winner. You’ll be captivated by the characters and history in The Ride of Her Life. Hang on and enjoy—this book is truly a fun ride.”

  —Judith Miller, bestselling author of the Daughters of Amana series

  “Buckle up, it’s going to be a fun ride! With a sparkle of humor, heart-pumping romance, and a writing style that is fresh, fun, and addictive, Lorna Seilstad takes you on The Ride of Her Life—and yours—along the fun-filled shores of 1906 Lake Manawa.”

  —Julie Lessman, award-winning author of the Daughters of Boston and the Winds of Change series

  Praise for Making Waves

  “Lorna Seilstad pulled me into the world she created around Lake Manawa with the lake breeze, the sailboats, and the leisure of summer days. But the love story and the characters were what made the book great. This needs to be everyone’s first choice for a vacation read, or if you just want to open the pages of a book and be transported from your recliner to the beach.”

  —Mary Connealy, author of Doctor in Petticoats and Wrangler in Petticoats

  Praise for A Great Catch

  “A Great Catch weaves humor, history, romance, and spiritual truths into a delicious story that will delight readers’ hearts. What a fun, relaxing read! I’d like to remain at Lake Manawa forever.”

  —Laura Frantz, author of The Frontiersman’s Daughter and Courting Morrow Little

  “A Great Catch is a grand slam! In a story as refreshing and invigorating as lemonade, Seilstad raises deep questions about a woman’s relationship with God, her dreams, and the people in her life—while making me laugh so loudly my kids came running to get in on the joke.”

  —Sarah Sundin, author of the Wings of Glory series

  To my husband, the risk taker.

  Thank you for taking me on the ride of my life,

  and for being a man of God.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Endorsements

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  1 2 3 4 5

  6 7 8 9 10

  11 12 13 14 15

  16 17 18 19 20

  21 22 23 24 25

  26 27 28 29 30

  31 32 33 34 35

  36 37 38 39 40

  41 42

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Books by Lorna Seilstad

  Back Ads

  Back Cover

  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

  1 Corinthians 2:5

  1

  May 1906, Lake Manawa, Iowa

  “Look, Mama!”

  What had Levi dragged in now? Lilly rolled her eyes as she eased a large slice of peach pie onto one of the diner’s plates. She wiped her finger on her starched apron before she turned toward her son.

  Swinging his arm in a wide arc, he thrust a monstrous, writhing snake toward her nose.

  With a shriek, she leapt backward.

  “Isn’t she pretty?” Levi ran his finger over the snake’s scaly head. “You wanna pet her?”

  Inching backward until her shoulders lodged against the cold metal pie safe, Lilly fought the fear seizing her voice. The counter between her and that monster dangling from her six-year-old’s chubby fist hardly seemed an adequate barrier. “N-no, I do not want to pet that thing.”

  “Shhh. You’ll hurt her feelings.” He lifted the snake’s head to his cheek. “She won’t hurt you, Mama. See? She’s just a gardener snake.”

  “Get it away from your face! And, Levi, it’s a garter snake, not a gardener.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  She swallowed hard, vaguely aware of the roller coaster workers seated in the corner chuckling. She lowered her voice.

  “A gardener works in a garden, and a garter—well, uh … holds up a lady’s …”

  “A lady’s what?”

  “Stockings,” she whispered, but more chuckles ensued from the men in the corner. She pointed at the front door. “Why don’t you take your friend outside? I think she wants to go home.”

  “Silly Mama. Snakes are like you and me. She ain’t got no home.”

  “She doesn’t have a home.”

  “That’s what I said.”

  The snake twisted beneath Levi’s grasp, and Lilly scooted even further away. “Please, put your friend back where you found her.”

  “Out front? Under the diner’s front stoop?”

  Lilly’s heart squeezed. Lord, haven’t I been dealing with enough snakes lately? You had to put one where I have to walk every day?

  A wooden chair grated against the floorboards, and seconds later one of the workers, the one the others called “Boss,” laid a hand on Levi’s shoulder. Lilly winced. Great. He must think her a simpering female. But when she lifted her gaze to his face, even his cobalt eyes seemed to smile.

  “Hey, buddy, your snake’s a beauty. Must be a whole foot long. Why don’t we find a new home for your ‘gardener’ snake?” He grinned at Lilly, and his eyes twinkled. “Ma’am, do you mind if we men take care of this little creature?”

  She did mind, because she should be the one helping her son. She was the parent. But given the fear nailing her feet to the floor, she didn’t expect that escorting Levi and the snake to a new home would happen anytime soon. Besides, the man seemed nice enough. She nodded, and Blue Eyes took her son’s hand and led him through the door of Thorton’s Lunch Counter.

  She picked up her dishrag and wiped down the counter. What was she going to do with that boy? Six years old, afraid of nothing, and way too much like his father.

  God rest his soul.

  “Hey, where’s my pie?” one of the workers called, smoothing a hand over his rounded belly.

  Like you need more pie. Lilly snagged the plate and skirted around the end of the counter. “Here you are, sir. Can I get you fine fellows anything else?”

  The door banged open, and Lilly spun, expecting the triumphant return of her son. Instead, her breath caught.

  “Lilly.” Claude Hart’s silver hair peeked from beneath a stylish bowler, and he leaned heavily on the ivory greyhound topping his cane.

  Beside him, her former mother-in-law, Evangeline, stood ramrod straight
with her lips turned downward in a nearly permanent frown. “May we speak to you—in private?”

  Lilly sighed. Would she ever be free of these people? Dear Lord, gentle my spirit, ’cause just seeing them makes me feel like a big ol’ grizzly.

  She glanced around the almost-empty diner, wishing this was a month later. Once Lake Manawa Park officially opened, there wouldn’t be an empty table in the place, and she’d have a better excuse not to speak to her meddling in-laws.

  “I think this corner is about as private as we’re going to get.” With a flick of her wrist, she indicated the empty table.

  Claude strode over, pulled out a chair, and held it for his wife. Evangeline scowled at the chipped paint on the chair. Pinching her lace-trimmed handkerchief between her thumb and forefinger, she dusted the sunny yellow seat and finally lowered herself in place. Claude sat down opposite her.

  Lilly remained standing. She needed to use every inch of her small stature to her advantage. Claude and Evangeline Hart were used to getting whatever they wanted, but it wasn’t happening this time. Not when the object they sought was her son.

  “What can I get you?” Tilting her head toward the chalkboard on the wall, she mustered a smile. “I pulled the peach pie out of the oven less than an hour ago.”

  “You know we don’t want the food here.” Evangeline said the word here as if the snake had crawled back in and was lying coiled beneath her chair.

  “Please have a seat, Lilly.” Claude laid his hand on the back of the chair beside him.

  “I think I’ll stand.”

  “You are the most stubborn person I’ve ever known. I don’t know what my Benjamin saw in you.” Evangeline touched her handkerchief to her eye as if the thought of her dearly departed son brought tears to her eyes.

  Lilly’s heart softened, although she suspected Evangeline was using her grief to get her way this time. Still, no matter how difficult Evangeline was, Lilly couldn’t discount that the woman hurt over the loss of her son. Lilly understood.

  “If you two came to get me to reconsider moving back into your house, you might as well not waste your breath. Levi and I are doing fine.”

  Claude scowled. “You’re working in a Midway diner, serving food to common workers. You call that fine? What would Benjamin think if he could see you now?”

  Lilly’s heart splintered at the mention of his name. Why did it sound different coming from someone else’s lips? He’d always be her Ben.

  She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. “He’d be proud I’m rearing our son the way we planned.”

  “In a tent? On the lake?” Evangeline’s voice quaked. “My son didn’t plan that.”

  Lilly heard the bell on the door jingle but didn’t turn. If it was Levi, he wouldn’t come running over. Her in-laws frowned on public displays of affection, so he would avoid his grandparents.

  Claude’s gaze met Lilly’s. “You had a home with us.”

  “I had a room.” Lilly glared back. “You made sure I understood it was your house. Then you insisted I send my son away.”

  Evangeline tugged at her cape. “We simply want him to have the best.”

  “What’s best about sending a little boy halfway across the country to a boarding school?”

  “Surely you, of all people”—Evangeline wrinkled her nose—“should understand what our grandson is going to need to compensate for—”

  “For what? For being my son? The son of a lowly household servant?” Lilly’s voice rose.

  “This is ridiculous.” Claude stood. “The boy belongs with us. Levi, come here. You’re going home with your grandmother and me.”

  Lilly whirled to find Levi standing beside Blue Eyes. She stepped beside him and grabbed her son’s hand. “He is not going anywhere.”

  Claude took a step forward.

  “You heard the lady.” The words fell like a stone in a pond and rippled across the room. Blue Eyes crossed his arms over his broad chest. “The boy is staying here.”

  Gripping his cane, Claude pointed the ivory greyhound toward Lilly. “This isn’t over. I didn’t want to take legal measures, but I will. No grandson of mine is going to shiver in the cold in a tent. He belongs with us.”

  Guilt tugged at Lilly’s heart. The temperatures had dipped last night. Had Levi been cold? No. They’d piled on blankets, and besides, living with her former in-laws was another kind of cold—a cold touching the soul, much harder to stave off.

  “No sir.” She squared her shoulders. “Levi is my son. He belongs with me.”

  Claude turned to Evangeline. “Come, darling, we’ll return when Lilly is ready to be sensible.”

  Fighting the urge to retort, Lilly clamped her mouth shut. They were still Ben’s parents and, as such, deserved every morsel of respect she could bestow on them. She nudged Levi forward. “Say goodbye to your grandparents.”

  “Please don’t take me away, Grandpa.” Levi hid behind Lilly’s skirt.

  “See what you’ve done?” Evangeline glowered at Lilly. “You’ve made him fearful of his own grandparents.”

  “You did that all by yourself.”

  Evangeline’s mouth dropped, but she snapped it shut. “Please be reasonable. He’s all we have left of our Benjamin, and it’s our duty to do what’s best for him. We have the means, and you’ll certainly never be able to give him all he deserves.”

  “Even you must admit Levi deserves a home.” Claude let the words hang.

  Lilly squeezed Levi’s shoulder. “I agree, and as his mother, I’ll do whatever it takes to get him one.”

  Silverware scraped against the china plates, echoing through the otherwise silent diner. Not one word had been uttered since the Harts’ departure. When Lilly turned toward the roller coaster workers at the corner table, they averted their eyes.

  Humiliation and anger burned in Lilly’s chest. How could she honor Ben’s memory by treating his parents with respect when they wanted to steal her son?

  Blue Eyes cleared his throat beside her. “Hi. I’m Nick Perrin.”

  She stared at the large hand extended in her direction, then lifted her gaze to his face. Concern filled the cobalt-blue pools, and she bristled.

  “And I suppose you expect a thank-you.” She jammed her fists onto her hips. “I’ll have you know I didn’t need your little ‘you heard the lady.’ I was doing fine all by myself.”

  “Hey, I was only trying to help.” Nick started toward his table and then turned back. “You know, if I were you, I’d take all the friends I could get. Those two seem determined to take your boy from you.”

  “But he’s my son. Mine.” The tremor in her voice betrayed how unnerved she was. “I’ll take care of him, Mr. Perrin, and I don’t need help from you or anyone else.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  Levi tugged on the seam of Nick’s tan work pants. “Mr. Nick, can you be my friend even if my mama doesn’t like you?”

  2

  “Mrs. Hart, may I speak to you?”

  Lilly whirled at the sound of her employer’s formal tone. “Be right there, Mr. Thorton.”

  She hastily piled the remaining dishes from the roller coaster crew’s table. Balancing the dishes on her left arm, she zigzagged around the other empty tables and then deposited the dishes in a tub of soapy water. She wiped her hands on her apron, smoothed the sides of her hair, and took a deep breath before nearing Mr. Thorton’s tiny office.

  Warmth from the oven after this morning’s baking had left the area cozy, but the stern look on Mr. Thorton’s face sent chills up Lilly’s spine. When had he arrived? It was easy enough for him to slip in the back door and hide in his cubbyhole of an office set off to one side of the kitchen. Had he seen her in-laws? Maybe he believed she’d taken liberties while she should be working. Her pulse quickened. She could not lose this job.

  “Good afternoon, sir.” She smiled, attempting a cheerful appearance.

  Mr. Thorton nodded toward her. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Hart. I
have a matter to discuss with you. Please have a seat.”

  She sat down on the stool in the corner, the only place to sit besides Mr. Thorton’s desk chair. Her heart thundered against her ribs. “Is there a problem?”

  “I’m afraid so.” He rubbed his wiry, peppered beard. “You know I value your work. You’ve been the best employee I’ve had in a long time. Since Mrs. Thorton’s passing, I’d not found anyone who could cook and run this place as well as she until I found you.” His lips gave way to a hint of a smile.

  She swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”

  “But …” He paused. “I heard the way you were talking to Mr. Perrin, the roller coaster boss. He’s an important man. Not only is he in charge of the project, he also designed the whole shebang. Mrs. Hart, you’ve got to be nice to that man.”

  “But he—”

  Mr. Thorton held up his hand. “I don’t care if he tracks in a sty’s worth of mud on your newly mopped floors. He and his workers are the only reason this lunch counter is open this early in the season. If he decides to arrange food at a different location for his workers, then we’ll close down until the regular park season begins. That would mean no work for you. Do you understand?”

  Lilly’s mouth went dry. Her stupid pride had made her spout off to the man for his act of kindness. What if Nick Perrin took his men and left? She licked her lips. “I understand, sir, and I apologize.”

  “Don’t be apologizing to me. It’s him you need to apologize to.” Mr. Thorton sat down in his chair. “And I expect you to do just that the next time he’s in. Do I make myself clear?”

  Lilly eased off the stool. “Perfectly.”

  “Good.” Mr. Thorton picked up his pen. “Now, did I smell peach pie?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll get you a piece.” Lilly hurried from the office area, all too ready to have this confrontation behind her. As far as dressing-downs went, this one probably wasn’t significant. But apologize to Mr. Perrin? That was not only unfair, it was unnecessary. She doubted the roller coaster builder had given their little disagreement a second thought.

  Nick jammed the shovel into the recently thawed earth much harder than need be. He’d only been trying to help when he’d spoken in the lunch counter on the lady’s behalf. Wouldn’t any gentleman do the same?