Paul wrapped up the sermon by reminding the congregation that everyone is a work in progress, and to not forget the first G of discipleship when training for the race: grace.
After the service, he received a great many compliments and observations on his words. The accolades were pleasant, but what he really prayed was that he had moved people to speak and think and reflect. What more could a pastor wish for than to motivate his congregants to seek God’s will actively?
KATE BAKED ALL AFTERNOON. She had tons of nervous energy jumping around inside her, and she expected it would keep jumping until Andrew pulled the family’s rental car into the driveway.
Her counters were laden with four loaves of cinnamon-raisin bread and two more each of her pumpkin and apple pies. With these apple pies, she took special care, cutting decorative teardrop-shaped holes in the top of each crust to release the steam.
Just as she took the pumpkin pies out, there was a knock at the door. Paul was out on bereavement call, so she quickly set the pies on raised racks and hurried to the door.
To her surprise, Emmaline stood there.
“Well, hello,” Kate said. Her heart sank. Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest, and dealing with Emmaline had ceased to be restful some time ago. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”
Emmaline shrugged. “You drop in on me. I didn’t realize it would be a problem.”
“It’s not,” Kate hastened to assure her, wondering if her expression had given away her thoughts. “Please come into the kitchen. I’ve been baking. Would you like a slice of pumpkin pie and a cup of tea?”
“I’d love some,” Emmaline said. As they rounded the corner into the kitchen, she said, “Goodness! You’ve been busy. Who is all this for?”
“Most of it’s for the Faith Freezer program,” Kate told her. “And a little for family.”
“Goodness,” Emmaline said again. She held up a sketch pad. “Remember the iris sketch I started after seeing your iris panel?”
Kate nodded as she took down a mug from the cupboard.
“Well, I had a brainstorm.” She crossed the room to the kitchen table and flipped the pages of the sketch pad. “I thought it would be nice to do a seasonal set. Irises in spring, maybe a sunflower for the summer one, for autumn maybe a chrysanthemum or an aster, and for the winter, either poinsettia or holly. Wouldn’t that be striking?”
Kate nodded. “It sounds lovely. What colors would you use?”
The two women began to discuss the pieces in earnest as Emmaline’s fingers flew, adding detail to the sketches and jotting down notes for color. Kate started working on dinner while she talked.
Then Emmaline said, “I’d like to commission you to do these in stained glass, Kate. The iris panel should be easy, since you’ve already done your own, which wouldn’t be too dissimilar. What do you think?”
Kate stared at her friend, nonplussed. “I-I don’t know, Emmaline. I’d have to think about it.”
“I’m certain you could do it,” Emmaline said urgently. “Please, Kate? It would mean a lot to me. I’d pay you well.”
Kate wondered at this statement. How could the woman afford to make such an extravagant offer when clearly her medical bills were piling up?
Just then, she heard a car door slam. Paul was home, she thought with a surge of relief.
“Excuse me,” she said to Emmaline as she went to meet him at the door. “It’s Paul.”
“I smell pie,” Paul said, inhaling an exaggerated breath as he walked in through the front door. As Kate approached, he slid an arm around her waist for a kiss. “Mmm-mmm. Smells delicious, Katie.”
“I have a guest in the kitchen,” Kate whispered, smiling up at him. Louder, she said, “Thank you. But you still can’t have any pie.” Then she stepped away from him.
As she turned to lead him into the kitchen, she stopped abruptly. Emmaline was standing not ten feet away in the large living room.
“Paul, you know Emmaline. She dropped by to visit for a few minutes.”
“Hello, Emmaline,” Paul said. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You too.” But Emmaline’s voice was tight. Why did she always behave so curtly with Kate’s husband?
Paul pulled off his suit jacket. “Ah, what a long day.”
“How was the visit with the Davies?” Kate asked. To Emmaline, she said, “Paul was with a family who lost their dad and granddad today.”
The old man who had passed away, Harold Davies, had gone suddenly in his sleep during the night on Saturday, and the family had called Paul right after church. It had been something of a shock for the Davies family, since Harold had been in good health, even at eighty-three years of age.
“The family is doing all right,” Paul responded. “Grieving, of course, but the general feeling is that he had a good life, and this is how he would have wanted it.”
“Well, it’s surely a blessing that he passed so peacefully. But let’s focus on some happy thoughts now,” Kate said. “It’s only a few hours until Andrew and his family arrive.”
“I know.” Paul grinned. “I bet the kids have grown a foot.” He headed for the bedroom. “I’m going to change my clothes.”
Kate turned to glance at Emmaline, who had been silent but now was breathing heavily. The woman put her hand on her heart.
“Emmaline, are you okay?” To Kate’s dismay, Emmaline had tears in her eyes.
Emmaline abruptly returned to the kitchen and gathered her sketch pad, her handbag, and her jacket. “I’m fine. I have to go.”
“But...you look upset,” Kate persisted.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was brusque. She started for the door. “I have to go.” Halfway across the room, she stopped. Without turning around, she said, “I really want you to do those panels, Kate.”
Kate frowned. That had sounded more like an order. “I can’t make any promises. I’ll let you know in a few days.”
“Why not tomorrow?” There was a belligerence in Emmaline’s tone that, unfortunately, Kate was coming to know all too well.
“My son, Andrew, and his family are arriving in a little while,” Kate reminded her. “I’ll be too busy to think about much of anything until they leave on Wednesday.”
“Oh, all right.” With poor grace, Emmaline grabbed the door handle and pulled the door wide. “I’ll talk to you soon, I guess.”
“I...All right.” Kate didn’t want to offend Emmaline, but it appeared the only thing that made Emmaline happy was Kate’s undivided attention. “I’ll call you in a couple of days.”
Emmaline closed the door with what Kate thought was unnecessary force as she left.
A moment later, Paul returned. “Did Emmaline leave?”
“Yes,” said Kate in a tone that didn’t disguise her relief.
“Is she being difficult?” Paul asked.
Kate snorted. “Difficult, no. Impossible, definitely yes.”
Paul sighed. “That bad, huh?”
“Well...” Kate felt bad about her exasperation. “She just seems so unhappy.”
“This friendship has turned into something of a burden for you,” Paul said regretfully.
“In some ways.” Kate didn’t know what else to say, so she just replied, “Why don’t you set the table? Dinner’s nearly ready.”
She had prepared a grilled fish fillet, lightly breaded zucchini slices, and some of her homemade applesauce. Even though Paul was the one who had requested additional fish dishes after Eli suggested a special prerace diet, he made a joking complaint about the lack of cholesterol. But Kate noticed he appeared to savor every bite.
After eating, they cleaned up the kitchen, and then Kate took one last tour through the house to be sure everything was neat and clean. Not that it would stay that way for long with four extra people living there for several days.
She smiled wistfully. She wouldn’t mind cleaning every day if only the kids could stay longer. Sometimes it was difficult living so far from their family, although Tennes
see was quite a bit closer than San Antonio had been. And Atlanta, where their middle child, Melissa, her husband, John, and their daughter, Mia, lived, wasn’t even five hours away. An easy drive compared to visiting Andrew in Philadelphia or Rebecca up in New York City.
She prayed a long, silent prayer, thanking God for her precious children and for the upcoming visit with her son and his family.
As if on cue, she heard the sound of tires crunching on the driveway.
“They’re here!” Kate and Paul both rushed for the door.
Andrew, his wife, Rachel, and their children, Ethan and Hannah, spilled out of the van, stretching. The children rushed toward Paul and Kate, and chaos ensued, everyone talking and hugging at once.
Andrew went around to the trunk of the rental vehicle and pulled out their suitcases, which he and Paul took into the house with the children’s exuberant assistance. Kate and Rachel followed, arm in arm. Oh, they had so much to catch up on!
“SO, MOM,” Andrew said sometime later, after the children had been put to bed on air mattresses on the floor next to the sofa bed in Paul’s study, “what kind of mystery are you embroiled in now?”
After moving to Copper Mill, Kate had helped figure out so many mysterious goings-on that people now came to her on purpose when they had a problem or mystery to solve. Paul sometimes said she was rather like a free private-detective service.
Kate filled in the details about Emmaline’s unexpected collapse in the Bristol and her own subsequent unsuccessful quest to learn the truth about the woman.
After Kate finished the long story, Rachel’s eyes looked troubled. Hesitantly, she said, “But if she doesn’t want anyone to know what’s wrong, shouldn’t you respect that? I’m just trying to see things through her eyes,” she added hastily.
“I understand,” Kate said. And she did. Her daughter-in-law was an exceptionally sensitive and thoughtful girl. Kate paused. How could she articulate the feeling she had about Emmaline? “I’m not just pursuing this because I want to know what’s wrong with her. I sense that she is very troubled emotionally and spiritually by something other than an illness. When I say spiritually, I don’t mean in terms of a relationship with God because, unfortunately, she doesn’t appear to have one. But she is very troubled, and I sense something in her reaching out for help, even though she can’t say it and may not even acknowledge it.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kate arose at her usual early time in the morning. As the days grew shorter and winter approached, it was quite dark until well after six, and she had the quiet house to herself while she began her day with prayer and Bible reading.
Just as she finished, Paul and Andrew staggered blearily out into the living room. Paul was completely dressed.
Andrew had his sneakers in his hand. While Paul waited, Andrew sat down on the floor and put them on. “Ready?” he asked his father.
Paul nodded. “Anytime.”
“All right.” Andrew yawned hugely as he got to his feet. He came to Kate’s side and bent, kissing her cheek. “Morning, Mom.”
“Good morning,” Kate said softly. What a delight it was to see her son first thing in the morning.
Andrew said, “I want it on the record that I made this sacrifice for my father, despite the fact that I am on vacation. I could be snuggled happily in my warm bed for another hour, but no, I play the part of a dutiful son and accompany my father on a training run. I was really looking forward to skipping my runs for a couple of mornings.”
“Slacker,” Paul said, grinning.
“Slave driver.” Andrew punched him in the shoulder as the two men went out the door, leaving Kate smiling after them.
THE MEN WERE BACK shortly before eight. Paul rushed off to get a shower, and then came to the kitchen still knotting his tie. Kate made silver-dollar pancakes and heated maple syrup for breakfast. Andrew joined Paul at the table. Rachel was sleeping in, Andrew explained, and Ethan and Hannah wouldn’t be up before nine unless they were awakened.
Kate hadn’t eaten earlier, and her stomach let her know that it was not okay to wait for a meal more than two hours after rising.
She sat down at the table with Paul and Andrew after pouring juice and coffee. The three of them clasped hands, and Paul offered a heartfelt prayer, thanking God for the safe arrival of his son and family, whom he’d missed very much. Kate and Andrew echoed “Amen,” and then they picked up their forks.
“Thanks, Dad,” Andrew said, and Kate was surprised to see the faintest glimmer of tears in his eyes. “It’s good to be here.”
Paul nodded, gazing into his son’s eyes. “It’s good to have you here,” he responded.
The talk at the table was family-oriented. Kate caught Andrew up on his sisters’ lives, and then Andrew shared stories about his children’s recent doings. Ethan was playing soccer; his team was the only undefeated team in its league, and Andrew had several stories about the matches they had won. Hannah wanted a dog, Kate knew from their telephone conversations, but Andrew explained that it had to be a black dog with a white spot on its chest. And its name was going to be Banksie.
Kate and Paul said, “Banksie?” in unison, and Andrew laughed.
“That’s exactly what Rachel and I said. I have no idea why. When we ask her about it, she just says she likes the name.”
Soon afterward, Paul rose from the table and carried his dishes to the sink. “Thanks for running with me today,” he said to his son. “You’re welcome to join Eli and me tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, Dad,” Andrew replied. “You made me look bad today.”
Paul chuckled. “That is highly debatable.” He came around the table and bent down to kiss Kate on the cheek. “See you this afternoon,” he told them both.
“Have a good day,” Kate replied as he headed out the door. The moment the door closed behind her husband, Kate turned to Andrew. “So, tell me, how is he really doing with the running?”
Andrew hesitated. “It seems to me he’s doing pretty well. I mean, he didn’t have any trouble keeping up with Eli, and he did everything Eli suggested or asked him to try. But I’m no marathon runner, Mom, so I couldn’t say for sure. Why?”
“Just checking,” Kate told her son. “Until recently, he was concerned that he’s not going to make it...that he’s not in good enough shape.”
Andrew’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t think there’s any danger. He’s in amazing shape and he’s running really well.”
Kate nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”
“If anything,” Andrew went on, “I got the sense there was a bit of competition involved. Not from Eli as much as Dad.”
“Competition!” Kate’s mouth fell open. “He’s supposed to be doing this for charity, not as a way to proclaim his youth and fitness.”
Andrew began to laugh. “Can I listen when you tell him that?”
LATER IN THE MORNING, the telephone rang as Kate was playing a game of Parcheesi with her grandchildren, who turned out to be a pair of übercompetitors themselves. They came by it honestly, she thought.
“Hold on a sec,” she said to the kids. “Nobody rolls until I get off that telephone.” She reached for the receiver as the children giggled. “Hello?”
“Katie, I think we have a problem.”
Kate’s heart nearly stopped. “Paul, what’s wrong?”
There was a silence on the other end of the phone. “I think you’d better come over to the church when you get a chance.” His voice was very serious.
“Now? Are you all right?” Her heartbeat picked up as concern rose.
“I’m fine,” Paul said. “Honest. But I do need you to come over here. It won’t take long.”
When Kate hung up the telephone, her grandchildren were regarding her expectantly. “Come on, Grandma, it’s your turn!” called Hannah. “Ethan just sent you home again.”
Kate groaned. “It’ll take me forever to roll another two or five.”
“Sorry, Grandma.” But Ethan didn’t sound sor
ry at all, and he was grinning.
Kate laughed. Then she said, “I’m going to have to find a substitute. Your grandfather needs me at the church.”
“Right now?” Ethan asked in disappointment.
Kate nodded. “Sorry, buddy. We can play again later if you like.” She stuck her head into the living room, where Rachel was curled up in the big overstuffed chair with a book. “I hate to interrupt, but Paul needs me at the church. Could you take my place in the Parcheesi game?”
Rachel groaned. “Do you care who wins?”
Kate’s eyebrows rose. “I take it the correct answer is no?”
Rachel smiled as she got to her feet. “I can’t remember the last time I won a Parcheesi game when I played with those two.” As she passed Kate on her way into the kitchen, she gave her mother-in-law a hug. “You are going to owe me so big.”
Kate laughed as she grabbed her handbag and a jacket. “Shoe shopping, darling girl, next time I come up to your city. Just you and me. And that’s a promise.”
It only took her a couple of minutes to reach the church. She parked the Honda and went straight to the office.
“Hi, Millie,” she said to the secretary. “Paul’s in his office?”
“Yeah, and he’s got a trustees’ meeting in thirty-five minutes,” Millie warned in her scratchy voice that sounded as if she’d been puffing on cigarettes for years.
“I won’t be long,” Kate said, hoping she wasn’t fibbing. She went into Paul’s office. It reminded her of a cozy den, with walls of bookshelves and toasty cocoa paint. It was perfect for Paul.
He was sitting behind his desk, and he looked up when she walked in. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey. What’s going on?” She hadn’t seen him smile, hadn’t noticed even a glimmer of amusement or humor in his warm blue eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “But there’s something here you need to see.” He got up and walked out from behind his desk, proffering a plain white envelope.
Kate took the envelope and sank into a chair opposite the desk as Paul leaned a hip against it. “What’s this?” She opened the flap and pulled out a single sheet of paper. Quickly, she skimmed the printed message, reading out loud:
How the Heart Runs Page 15
