Jacob looked over his smudged and sweaty congregation. He didn’t think he’d ever seen them all together in their work clothes before. He felt a renewed surge of affection for these earnest, kind, sometimes frustrating people.
He wanted to stay.
But still. He glanced at Natalie, who was still looking over the blueberry-stained crowd with awed disbelief.
“I’m afraid I can’t say yes or no right this minute, Arlene.”
“Why ever not? It seems simple enough to me. You’ve said all along that this church is a family. Well, families have their spats, but they don’t give up on each other. So? Are you staying or was all that just a lot of talk?” There was a telling little wobble at the end of Arlene’s voice, but Jacob recognized the set of his secretary’s bony chin. She’d dug in her heels, and he wasn’t getting out of this yard until he gave her some kind of answer.
So he gave her the only answer he could. He reached over and took Natalie’s hand in his. “I’m going to need to talk to Natalie first.”
There was a collective intake of breath around them. Abel Whitlock chuckled.
“So, that’s the way it is now. I figured as much.”
“That’s the way I hope it is. We still have some things to iron out.” He looked down into Natalie’s startled eyes and tightened his grip on her hand. The people crowded around them faded into a blur. “Natalie? I wasn’t exactly planning to do this today, but I—”
“Jacob Stone, you stop right there!” Arlene’s voice cut through the moment like a machete.
Jacob watched the sweet wonder in Natalie’s eyes cloud, and he turned furiously on his secretary. “Arlene!”
The older woman stood her ground. “Don’t you dare propose to that poor, sweet girl right here in front of all these people! What on earth are you thinking? Good grief, don’t you ever plan out anything? Proposals are supposed to be romantic. And private. Even I know that much. Come along, the both of you.”
Before Jacob knew what was happening, Arlene had her fingers clenched tightly around their arms, hustling them toward the nearest building.
She shut the door of the goat barn firmly behind them and stationed herself outside. “Now.” Her voice was muffled by the wooden door. “There you are. It’s not fancy, but beggars can’t be choosers. That’s what you get for not planning ahead. And Natalie, I wouldn’t blame you a bit if you turned him down flat. Men!”
Jacob was almost afraid to look down into Natalie’s face, but when he did, his heart swelled with relief.
She had one hand jammed against her mouth, her eyes were squeezed nearly shut and she was trying mightily to stifle her laughter.
“Sorry about all this,” he whispered to her, but he wasn’t. Not really. He’d never seen Natalie giggle like that before, helplessly, her shoulders quivering and her eyes twinkling with mirth.
Joy looked good on her.
She couldn’t speak, but she nodded, waving away his apology with one hand. “It’s all right,” she managed to gasp finally. “They’re all...amazingly sweet, really. I still can’t believe they came out here to pick all those blueberries for me.”
“Why, of course we did.” Arlene’s voice came clearly through the weathered barn door. “You’re part of the family now, aren’t you? And that’s what families do. They stick together. Right, Jacob?”
“Arlene.” Jacob raised his voice, but he didn’t take his eyes off Natalie’s. “Move away from the door, please.”
“Oh, come on. I can barely hear anything.” Arlene fussed as she edged a miniscule distance farther away.
“At least Arlene and I agree on one thing. I wouldn’t blame you if you turned me down flat, either. You were right the other day, Natalie. I will always be a minister, and there’ll always be another church. If it’s not Pine Valley Community, it’s likely to be another one just like it. If you take me, my ministry is part of the package.”
“I’m kind of a package deal, too, Jacob,” she reminded him.
“If you’re talking about Ethan, I couldn’t love him more if he were my own son.” He gathered both her hands in his now, praying for the right words to say. “But I know how you feel about church, Natalie, and—”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she interrupted him softly. “I think maybe church, one particular church, anyway, might be growing on me just a little.”
He smiled. “Good to hear. But still, I understand that this is my calling, not yours. You’ll always have the freedom to decide how involved you want to be in what I do. I want you to know that.”
“I appreciate that. And, Jacob—” Natalie began.
“There’s more, and you’d better let me say it before I lose my nerve.” He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on her hands. “My work demands a lot of me. There’ll be times when I’ll be elbows deep in somebody else’s crisis, when my ministry will take up a lot of my time and attention. I’ll always owe a part of myself to whatever congregation I’m serving. But I promise you this—you’ll have all the rest of me, Natalie. You’ll possess that part of my heart that nobody else even comes close to. In fact—” he traced the soft curve of her jaw with a gentle finger “—you have it now, you and Ethan. You’ll have it always, no matter how you answer me today.” He paused. “So, there it is. That’s all I had to say. Except... I love you, Natalie. Will you marry me?”
“Oh, Jacob.” Natalie pressed his hand against her cheek. “A heart like yours is plenty big enough for me to share with a church or two. Besides, I don’t really have much choice, do I? Because I love you, too. And—”
“She just said she loves him.” They could hear Arlene’s stage whisper from outside the barn. There was a questioning murmur from the crowd. “Of course he’s not down on one knee. Don’t be ridiculous! He’s in a barn, and he has his good pants on!”
Natalie’s tremulous smile sputtered into giggles, and the sweet seriousness of the moment dissolved. Jacob threw an exasperated look in the direction of the barn door, but since he still held Natalie’s hands in his own, he couldn’t be too angry with Arlene. “I’m sorry. She means well.”
“I understand.” Natalie’s laughter faded into a gentle smile. “And I know I’m not the only one around here who loves you, Jacob. Far from it. But from now on, I plan to be the one who loves you the best. And the longest. Of course I’ll marry you.”
“We have a yes!” Arlene’s triumphant announcement to the crowd outside was greeted by a cheer, immediately followed by a shriek of dismay. “Lois! That goat has his dirty nose stuck in my layer cake! I spent all the morning on that thing. You were supposed to be watching him! Do I have to do everything myself?”
“I’ve got news for you, Arlene Marvin. That goat is impossible to deal with! And anyway, I don’t see why I got stuck minding your cake. If it’s so important to you, maybe you should look after it yourself!”
The sound of the two older ladies squabbling came clearly through the door.
“Don’t you think you’d better go out there and tend to that before it gets out of hand?” Natalie murmured as Jacob tugged her closer.
“Nope,” Jacob answered, not taking his gaze from hers. “This time they’re just going to have to figure things out for themselves.”
Then he leaned down and covered Natalie’s smiling lips with his own.
Epilogue
“Cora’s going to be here any minute to pick up the key.” Natalie watched as Jacob tamped more dirt around the base of the wobbly fence post. “Do you think you’ll have the pen fixed?”
“Yes.” Her husband of two weeks gave the post one last wiggle. “But honestly, sweetheart, I don’t think it’s going to make much difference. Abel was right. Rufus can get out of any fence we put up.”
“What are we going to do with you?” Natalie directed that question to Rufus, who flicked an ear at her from behind the fence. “You can’t m
ove to town with us, and I couldn’t find anybody willing to adopt you. If you don’t behave yourself today, Cora won’t let you stay here, either.”
“Natalie—” Jacob began, but he was interrupted by a short blast from a car horn. They turned to see a silver sedan pulling to a stop in front of the house.
“She’s here.” Natalie put up a nervous hand to smooth her hair. “Come on, let’s go talk to her. And Rufus, for once in your life, please. Stay put.”
When they reached Cora, she was standing beside her car, looking at the farmhouse. She spoke without turning her head. “My word. I haven’t been out here in years.” She sighed. “This is harder than I thought. My Ed and I argued so often about this old farm. Now that he’s gone, I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn about it.”
The sadness in the older woman’s voice settled Natalie’s skittish nerves. Cora wasn’t so intimidating after all. She was just another woman who’d made mistakes and had her share of regrets.
Natalie stepped away from Jacob’s protective embrace and slipped her arm around the other woman’s waist. “Here’s the key, Cora. Why don’t we go and take a look at the inside together?”
Cora looked surprised, but she nodded. “I’d like that. Congratulations on your marriage, by the way.” She shot Jacob a narrow look. “I must say, you certainly didn’t waste any time.”
“Three and a half weeks from the proposal to the ceremony,” Jacob replied cheerfully. “I think that’s a Pine Valley record.”
“Well, you needn’t boast. It’s barely decent. You’d have raised a few eyebrows if people didn’t already know how hasty you always are with your decisions, Pastor Stone.”
Jacob glanced at Natalie, and his polite smile spread easily into a genuine grin. “There was nothing hasty about this decision, Mrs. Larkey. When something’s right, you know it.”
“I suppose,” the older lady responded doubtfully. “Well, let’s get this over with.”
Their tour ended in the kitchen, and Cora trailed a finger along the countertop. “I’ll give you credit, Natalie. You’ve certainly kept the house nice and clean. It needs a good bit of repair work, though. I’d no idea the place had gotten so run-down.”
Jacob cleared his throat. “Are you still planning to sell?”
Natalie sent him a pleading look. They’d already discussed this, several times. Jacob needed to live in town, close to their congregation and his work. Lark Hill Farm was too far out to be a practical choice for a busy minister.
But Jacob knew how much she’d loved living on the old farm. No matter how often she assured him that she’d be perfectly happy in the pretty cottage they’d rented in town, or pointed out how much more convenient it would be when she started taking classes at Fairmont Community College this fall, he remained unconvinced. Just this morning, she’d caught him totaling up figures on a legal pad, trying to figure out a way to buy Lark Hill for her.
From the frustrated look on his face, he hadn’t managed it, but that didn’t matter to Natalie. Her heart had overflowed with a gratitude that bordered on disbelief. Jacob wanted so much to make her happy.
He didn’t seem to realize that he already had.
“Yes, I’m planning to put the farm on the market.” Cora was saying absently, “In fact, Bailey Quinn’s already made an offer. It’s not quite up to market value, but I’m inclined to accept it. Miss Quinn is all in a dither about those blueberries Ed put in. She says she wants to market them exclusively from her little store, and she even talked about making up a special label for them. Lark Hill Blueberries.” Cora cleared her throat gently. “I think my Ed would’ve...rather liked that. Let’s take a look outside now, shall we?”
Outside? But that was where Rufus was. Natalie felt a tingle of apprehension. She’d better play it safe and make her plea now.
“Cora, when I came here, I found a goat in the barn. Is there any way he could stay until we find him a new home? We’ll drive out and feed him, of course. And it would only be temporary.” Hopefully.
“I don’t see why not, as long as he causes no trouble.” Cora reached for the doorknob.
Rufus causing no trouble? Not likely. Natalie sent a frantic prayer upward. Lord, You’ve already done so much for me. You’ve given me a man and a marriage beyond my wildest dreams, and I’m very thankful. I feel bad asking You for anything else, but Jacob tells me that You really don’t mind. So, if You would please make Rufus stay in his pen until Cora leaves, I’d sure appreciate it. Amen.
They were halfway across the backyard when it happened.
Rufus came barreling around the barn, headed straight toward them.
Oh no! She couldn’t let Rufus anywhere near Cora, not after the way he’d flattened Adam.
“Jacob!” Natalie called frantically. Her husband, who’d lingered behind to answer a call, dropped his phone in the dirt and sprinted across the yard. Before he could collar the goat, Cora turned and caught sight of the animal racing in her direction.
“You! Stop right there!” the old lady thundered. Startled, Rufus skidded to a stumbling halt, ending up just inches from Cora’s leg. He looked up at her, his yellow eyes wide.
Cora considered him without changing expression. “This is the goat you were telling me about?”
“Yes,” Natalie admitted miserably. “That’s Rufus.”
Rufus craned his neck to nibble on Cora’s slacks. Cora tapped the animal smartly on his nose. “Behave yourself! Those are new.” Rufus backed up a pace, and she nodded approvingly. “Good boy. That’s better.” She rummaged in her pocketbook and unearthed a package of peanut butter crackers. “Here,” she said, holding one out. “I imagine you’ll find this tastes better than my pantsuit, you silly thing.”
Natalie finally found her voice. “I’m so sorry. We’ve fixed the fence, several times, but he just—”
“Gets out. Of course he does. Goats are herd animals. They don’t like to be alone.” She held out a second cracker, which Rufus accepted enthusiastically. “My father kept goats when I was a girl. They’re fabulous animals.”
“Fabulous,” Natalie repeated. That wasn’t exactly the adjective she’d have picked, but she wasn’t about to argue. She heard a muffled snort and looked suspiciously at Rufus. He was chewing contentedly on his cracker. The noise had come from Jacob, whose shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.
Natalie wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.
“Are you laughing at me, Pastor Stone?” To Natalie’s astonishment, Cora seemed more amused than insulted.
“I...” Jacob managed to say finally “...am merely rejoicing over the delightful surprises in God’s creation.”
“Mmm. I’m sure you are.” Cora walked into the middle of the backyard, Rufus tagging along behind like an obedient dog. She surveyed the fields and pines around her. “What a lovely place this is,” she murmured softly. “And what a silly fool I was.” She glanced over at Natalie and Jacob. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m not selling. I’m getting tired of that retirement complex. There’s nobody there but old people. Miss Quinn can lease the blueberry field, if she likes, and this goat can stay, as well. All he needs is a firm hand, and I’m just the woman for that. I might even get a few more animals to keep him company.” Cora hesitated before adding, “And, to be honest, that’s not the only reason I have for wanting to move here. I want you to know that I’m truly sorry for how my grandson and I treated you, Natalie.”
“That’s all forgiven and forgotten.” Natalie glanced up at Jacob. “Besides, I think we can safely say that God’s worked it all out for good, just like He promises to.”
Cora nodded. “I’m glad you feel that way because I’d like the chance to get to know that little boy of yours. After all, he is my great-grandson. If you’ll allow it, that is.”
Natalie gave the woman an impulsive hug. “Of course, Cora. I’d love that!”
&nbs
p; The older woman smiled, and some of the fretful wrinkles smoothed from her forehead. “We’ll consider it settled then. And just so you know, I’ve already started depositing Adam’s old allowance money into a college fund for Ethan. Where is the baby? I was so hoping to see him.”
“Arlene’s keeping him for us today.” To everyone’s surprise, Arlene had accepted their speedy marriage without the flicker of an eyelash and promptly appointed herself Ethan’s honorary auntie.
“If you won’t take a proper honeymoon, at least let me do some babysitting here and there. The two of you need some time alone before the rest of your little ones start coming along,” she’d told them firmly. “Which I hope will be soon, by the way. I like a nice, big family for a minister. Keeps him humble and leaves him no time for causing his secretary any grief.”
Natalie had laughed and agreed. So far, the arrangement was working out nicely.
And Ethan’s fingernails had never looked better.
“Well, that’s nice of Arlene, I suppose. I knew her back when we were in school. A fine, smart girl, but just between us, she was a bit bossy. Come along, Rufus. Let’s go look at that barn of yours. It looks as if it could use some repairs.” Cora drew in a deep breath of the spring-scented air. “Yes, I believe I’ll move out here just as soon as I can arrange it. No sense waiting. It’s just as you said about your marriage, Pastor. When something’s right, you know it. Although—” she paused, lifting one thin eyebrow “—I must say, I’m amazed you got old Pastor Michaelson to go along with such a hasty wedding. I had quite a time with him over that first one. He’s a fine minister, mind you, but he’s grown awfully set in his ways. However did you manage it?”
“Yes, well.” Jacob cut a glance at Natalie. She knew exactly what he was about to say, and their eyes twinkled together. “The truth is, he just happened to owe me a favor.”
* * * * *
If you loved this story,
pick up the first book by
new author Laurel Blount,
A Baby For the Minister Page 18
