Hope Springs

by Kim Cash Tate

  “I can do it.” Daniel was standing over his paper, putting light strokes of blue on the sky.

  Claire gave him a skeptical eye. “Can you really?”

  Tiffany gave a matter-of-fact nod. “Sure he can.”

  He took the same brush and with a few strokes painted a Chihuahua on the newspaper covering the table.

  Claire’s face lit up. “That’s my Chihuahua!”

  A rap on the door sounded as Daniel walked around to paint the dog on Claire’s paper.

  “It’s Dee!”

  Tiffany and Claire threw their brushes on the newspaper and dashed to the side door with their paint smocks on.

  Janelle followed and opened up, looking first at the little girl with the big smile. “Hey, Miss Dee.”

  “Hi, Miss Janelle,” Dee said, but Janelle barely heard it because Tiffany and Claire had her by the hands, pulling her inside, exclaiming, “Come on, we’re already painting.”

  Janelle looked up then, and instantaneously she was in Kory’s arms.

  He held her with a sweetness. “I haven’t seen you since Sunday.” She felt his breath on her ear. “That’s six whole days . . . feels like forever.”

  “For me too. Even though we’ve talked on the phone, it’s not the same.”

  She allowed herself to savor the feel of her head on his shoulder, his arms around her waist, the scent of his sweater. But only for a moment. She stepped back and led him inside.

  He smiled as he entered the kitchen. “You all have quite the art lab going on. Thanks for inviting Dee to join the fun.”

  Someone had already put Dee in a smock and tied it in back. Libby was outfitting her with a brush, paper, and a plastic tray to squeeze her paints into.

  “Libby’s idea,” Janelle said. “I was wondering what the kids could do on a lazy Saturday, and she said she’d bring paint.”

  Janelle and Kory stood a little away from the table. He lowered his voice. “I can think of something for the two of us to do. Why don’t we go for a ride?”

  Janelle replied with a semi-frown. “A ride where?”

  Kory shrugged. “Wherever.”

  “I can’t. Aunt Gladys is with Grandma in the family room, but we’ve got a house full of kids here. Wouldn’t be right for me to just leave.”

  “Go!”

  Janelle smirked at the women. “I thought this was a private conversation.”

  As she turned back to Kory, her heart skipped a little. Time alone with him would indeed be very special. And he was right, the “where” didn’t matter.

  “Hey,” she announced, “Kory and I are going for a little ride. We won’t be long.”

  “Take your time,” Libby said, face to her painting. “We got it covered.”

  Janelle grabbed her jacket and followed him out. He walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and she brushed past him as she got in. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d ridden in the car with him. Still felt like a new experience, one that gave her a feeling of anticipation.

  “Where to?” he asked over the start of the engine.

  “I have no idea,” she said.

  “How about Stony Park?”

  “Isn’t that in Wilson? Never been, but I’ve heard some of my younger cousins talk about it.” She narrowed her eyes at him playfully. “Is that where you took your high school sweethearts?”

  Kory drove off, wagging his eyebrows at her. “I shall neither confirm nor deny.”

  A short ride down the highway later, Kory took the Wilson exit. Signs appeared almost immediately, directing them to the park. They drove about two miles, then turned into the park, and the sunlight dimmed slightly as they rode beneath a canopy of trees. They weren’t lush, as they were in summer, but the overhead effect was beautiful nonetheless.

  Kory took a road that branched left. Janelle hadn’t seen a single soul yet, maybe because it was winter. Everything was peaceful. Even the two of them had lapsed into a comfortable silence.

  He parked the car in an almost empty lot, and they got out and started walking. Janelle shivered a little with the forties temperature and zipped her jacket to the top. Kory took her hand, rubbing the back with his thumb. They nestled closer together as they stepped onto a walking trail. In that moment, there wasn’t a single place she’d rather be.

  His hand wrapped tighter around hers. “I think this is the closest we’ve ever come to a date.”

  She watched their feet walking slowly in sync. “But it’s definitely not a date.”

  “Okay. What should we call it?”

  “Two friends taking a Saturday afternoon stroll.”

  “. . . holding hands, hearts beating wildly . . .”

  Janelle laughed. “Hearts beating wildly? You might be a bit of a romantic, Mr. Miller.”

  “Maybe a little,” he said.

  The tree-lined path narrowed, moving them closer. Janelle looked up at him. “How are you feeling? About Monday?”

  “It’s been on my mind a lot this week. If I’m feeling anything, it’s relief. I’m ready to put this part of my life behind me.”

  “Not even a little sadness?”

  He thought about it. “For Dee, yes. She didn’t ask to be caught up in all this. But not for me. Not anymore.”

  “Is Shelley coming to the hearing?”

  “She said she is. I don’t know when she’s flying in. She told Dee she wanted to see her, but I haven’t heard anything from her since.”

  “What does Dee think?”

  “Hasn’t even mentioned it, which is weird because she doesn’t forget things like that. Maybe she’s guarding against disappointment in case she doesn’t see her, or I don’t know . . . I’m seeing distance between the two of them as far as Dee is concerned. Maybe she just doesn’t care.”

  “Oh, I hope it’s not the latter.” Janelle’s heart went out to the little girl. “She needs her mother. I really hope they get time together.”

  Kory sighed. “If Shelley doesn’t start making a real effort soon . . . She hardly knows Dee at all.”

  They continued in silence, which made every other sight and sound come alive. “Are you hearing all these songs out here? It’s like we happened into a bird convention.”

  “Look up there.” Kory pointed to a tree branch directly ahead of them.

  “Ooh, pretty cardinal. So striking against the bare branch.”

  The bird looked as if it were staring at them, so they stopped and stared back. Janelle took a tiny step forward and imitated a birdcall. It flew away.

  Kory looked at her as they walked on. “What was that?”

  “I was trying to speak its language.”

  “You probably spoke the blue jay war cry or something. He thought you were the enemy.”

  Janelle laughed. “Well, we certainly don’t want to start a war—wait, I just thought of something,” she said. “There are no snakes out here, are there?”

  “Probably only nonpoisonous ones.”

  “Probably . . .” Janelle stopped dead in her tracks and surveyed every inch of space around them. “If I see a snake of any sort, I’ll have a heart attack on the spot.”

  “They’re not thinking about you.” He tugged her along. “You gotta get a little tougher, city girl. You’re in the country now.”

  Their path forked, and Kory took them right. They came to a picturesque spot with a beautiful lake view. Two mountain bike riders came whizzing by, and they moved quickly aside. Janelle turned and kept looking, thinking it’d be nice if she and Kory did that one day. She hadn’t been bike riding in years.

  “Speaking of the country,” he said, “any idea how long you’ll be down here?”

  She’d wondered herself lately. “It’s hard to say. Grandma Geri’s doing fairly well, considering, and her chemo will be done soon. But I’m not sure what it means. If the chemo did what they hoped, it might mean she has a year instead of a few months to live.” Her eyes were focused on the water. “I don’t know if I’ll go back home a
fter this school semester or what. I’ll have to see how she’s doing.”

  “Do you want to go back?”

  Goose bumps came with the question. “We still have our house in Maryland and other commitments we’ve put on hold.”

  “Janelle.” He moved in front of her, still holding her hand. “Would you consider relocating permanently to North Carolina?”

  “What reason would I have?”

  “Me. Us.”

  Janelle sighed and let his hand drop for the first time since they’d started walking. “I can’t go there, Kory. I can’t think of the future, can’t think in terms of an us.” She walked ahead.

  He pulled her to a stop again. “Can you in two days?”

  She looked at him, but barely. “I don’t know . . . Thinking about the future is scary regardless.”

  “It’s scary for me too.” Kory’s eyes bored into hers. “But somehow, it’s a little less scary when I picture you in it.”

  “Kory, still . . . asking if I’d relocate is awfully premature. Technically, we’ve never even had a date.”

  “Okay.” Kory took her hand back. “Will you go on an official date with me? How about Monday night?” His boyish grin penetrated her soul. “We don’t have to go anywhere or do anything. Just being with you is enough.”

  This was the moment Janelle had longed for sixteen years ago, hearing him say he wanted to be with her, to build an “us.” If anything, this moment meant more, knowing that after so much time had passed, they had found their way back to one another.

  She looked deep into his eyes. “It’s a date, Mr. Miller.”

  He lifted her off the ground in an embrace. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy about a date.”

  She continued gazing into his eyes as he lowered her slowly to the ground, his arms locked tight around her. Their faces touched, and she knew if she closed her eyes she’d be lost in his embrace. Lost in the feeling of a kiss she’d known only once . . . and had never forgotten.

  So she kept her eyes open and took a small step back, grabbing his hand instead. She would save the kiss. For their first date.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Sunday, February 7

  Janelle, it’s not a big deal if I stay at the house.”

  “And it’s not a big deal if you wear those jeans to church.”

  Libby plopped on the sofa and clicked the remote to catch the Sunday news programs. Janelle walked to the television and turned it off.

  “Janelle, please. Get in the car. Go to church. Leave me in peace.”

  “But you’re not listening to me,” Janelle said. She sat next to her. “You said you would go if you had brought the right clothes, and I’m telling you it doesn’t matter. I think it’s awesome you want to go. Don’t let something like that stop you.”

  “Want to go is an exaggeration. I said I was willing to go, and only because Grandma is finally up to going and said she wanted all her granddaughters to go too. I thought it would be nice to give her that, but then I realized I didn’t have any clothes.”

  “People wear jeans all the time to my church in Maryland.”

  Libby looked at her. “Huh. Funny you’re wearing a skirt today. Oh”—she sat forward and flung open her hands—“because you’re not in Maryland! You know no one wears jeans at New Jerusalem.”

  “Want me to change and put on jeans?”

  “Don’t be silly.”

  “Mommy,” Tiffany called. “Aunt Gladys said her and Grandma Geri are about to leave for church.”

  “Come here, Tiffy,” Libby said. “Let me see what your momma put on you.”

  Tiffany came skipping in.

  “Don’t you look cute . . . in your nice church dress and patent leather shoes.” Libby gave Janelle the eye.

  “I’m ready,” Stephanie called. “What’s the verdict, Libby?”

  “Not going,” Libby yelled back.

  “Even if I’m wearing jeans?”

  “Let’s see.”

  Stephanie strolled into the family room, modeling her denim down the carpeted runway, then striking a pose. “You know I get excited when it comes to breaking protocol. Come on, girl.”

  They heard the side door open and tiny feet running through the house, then they heard squeals.

  “Tiffany, what’s going on?” Janelle called.

  Tiffany and Claire appeared in the family room.

  “Claire’s going to church with us!” Tiffany said.

  They all looked at Claire. “Your mom and dad said it’s okay?” Janelle asked.

  “I asked and Dad said why not?”

  The girls held hands, yelling, “Yaaay!” all the way out the door.

  Libby raised her brow at the two of them and got up. “Oh, I’m so going to church today.”

  Libby wished she had a video camera to record facial expressions as their carload strolled up the walkway and into the church building. It was bordering on comical. The second glances and stares almost made them seem like celebrities. She wondered which was drawing more attention, Steph’s and her denim against the backdrop of suits and dresses, or Tiffany and Claire holding hands and swinging them as if they had not a care in the world.

  “Hey, there’s Dee!” Tiffany saw her friend coming through the glass door.

  Janelle gave her a look. “Shh . . . inside voice, Tiff.”

  Kory and Dee walked in, and the girls did their best at low-volume squeals. Kory walked straight to Janelle and hugged her. Libby loved that he didn’t play coy. Janelle was obviously special to him, and he made a point of showing it.

  As they waited for an usher to seat them, Libby saw that Travis had gone out front to talk to people coming into church. The women in particular seemed quite enamored with him. There was no doubt he looked especially handsome in a suit.

  Someone opened the door wide, and Libby caught Travis’s eye from just inside. She turned away slightly. She hadn’t expected to see him before the service. And afterward she’d be able to slip out. She moved up with her group, waiting for the usher to return.

  “Good Sunday morning.”

  Great.

  “Good morning, Travis.” Janelle and Stephanie said it simultaneously.

  Kory shook his hand. “Hey, good morning, Pastor Trav.”

  “Daniel, my man.” Travis gave the little boy a super firm handshake that made him laugh, hugged Tiffany, then stopped. “And Claire? Does your dad know where you are?”

  Claire giggled. “Yes.”

  Libby looked at him. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, yourself.” He smiled at her. “You know you didn’t have to dress up.”

  “You’re funny.”

  He held her gaze. “Good to see you here.”

  An usher led their group up the center aisle. Libby saw her grandmother and Aunt Gladys in front. They filed into a pew almost two-thirds of the way back and chatted until the band started playing. Five people came out to lead praise and worship, which was new. Libby remembered only a choir before.

  The congregation stood, and Travis moved up the side aisle to the front row. Libby wished Janelle was sitting near her—Stephanie, the girls, and Daniel were in between—because she wanted to ask about these little changes. Seemed like Pastor Richards used to have a processional down the middle aisle to start the service and he sat on the platform.

  Since she didn’t know the words to the first song, and there was no big screen, Libby’s eyes drifted around the sanctuary. The makeup of the people had changed too. When she used to come on visits to Hope Springs, she’d said that everyone was her grandmother’s age—an exaggeration, but only a slight one. She never would’ve thought New Jerusalem could draw an influx of people her age and younger. She wondered what they’d do if they outgrew this place. It was already crowded, and people were still arriving.

  A family with young kids came in, and behind them, a woman. Everything about her was striking—clothes, hair, poise. Libby saw an usher approach her, but she only whispe
red something and remained where she was. Libby guessed she was trying to find her family—until she realized who the woman was and which family she was trying to find.

  “Excuse me.” Libby moved quickly past Stephanie and the kids to get to Janelle. She spoke into her ear. “You will not guess who just walked in.”

  Janelle shifted her head slightly to see, then shifted back. Her eyes said it all. She whispered to Kory, whose head snapped back. He looked forward again, his mind clearly figuring what to do. He whispered something to Janelle, left the pew, and walked to the back. A minute later he and Shelley had left the building.

  Kory’s heart was beating fast, and he couldn’t fathom why. He knew Shelley was coming to Carolina for the court hearing tomorrow, and he knew she wanted to see Dee. But showing up unannounced like this made him think she was up to something. The last thing he wanted was for Shelley’s antics to interfere with him and Janelle.

  He walked outside, well away from the front entrance, before confronting her. “What are you doing here, Shelley?”

  Her hair blew in the breeze. “I thought you’d be pleased that I came to church.”

  “How did you know what church I attended?”

  “You haven’t changed the password on your bank account. I saw the canceled checks.”

  How could he have overlooked that? He hated the thought of her in his business. He knew what he’d be doing when he got home.

  “Instead of snooping, you could’ve just asked. Would’ve been nice to know when and where you were planning to pick up Dee.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I do want to see Dee, but my main motivation was seeing you.”

  “Me.” She was definitely up to something. “Why?”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  “We’re talking right now.”

  She held her arms through her coat. “Kory, can we go somewhere? It’s cold out here.”

  “Shelley, I’m not in the mood for games. Tell me right here what you need to talk to me about.”

  She hesitated. “I want to talk to you about postponing the court hearing.”

  He stared at her, trying to keep his head about him. “We can talk in my car.”