Longing For Home
Page 15
By noon a For Sale sign stood in the front yard. Brandi sank down on the bar stool with a ham and cheese sandwich. Until now the only food she’d eaten since she’d been here was what Krista brought at night. But suddenly details like eating were important. She needed all her strength for cleaning.
After she ate she pulled her hair up in a bear-claw clip letting the ends stick out. Krista called it her runway model look, but Brandi couldn’t clean without doing it. Having her hair out of her face was important to getting the job done.
She tackled the bathrooms first and got them sparkling clean. After both bedrooms were finished she headed to the kitchen. Could it be suppertime already? She grabbed some cereal and milk. No time to fix anything. And corn puffs and milk went well with the sports channel. Looking guiltily over her shoulder she remembered Krista had asked her to turn it off.
But Krista was out with Dan.
On her second bite of cereal the sports channel news anchorman captured her full attention. “In other sports news St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jake McFadden, who was expected to announce today that he’d signed a new contract with the Cards, instead had a very different announcement to make. Here’s an excerpt from his press conference this morning.”
The camera faded to Jake in midsentence: “. . .baseball and my work discouraging teen drug and alcohol use have been my life for so long. I thank God for blessing me with success in both areas.”
Jake’s smile was filled with peace and hope. Brandi’s heart thudded in her ears as he continued. “But now I have a dream for a simpler life, one where I’ll still work with teens but on a more personal level. I won’t be signing a contract with the Cards, and I’m retiring from major-league baseball.”
“Mr. McFadden! Mr. McFadden!” Reporters called from all corners of the room.
The picture cut back to the anchorman who looked mournfully at the camera. “It’s a sad day in Mudville when Jake McFadden gives up the mound. Jake refused to answer any questions regarding his decision, but he assured reporters it is final, and he’s looking forward to a future following his new dream.”
Brandi stared at the screen in disbelief then realized she had a spoonful of corn puffs halfway to her mouth. She dropped it back into her bowl and jumped up. She had to—what? What did she have to do? Pack? Turn cartwheels? Run out in the street and yell, “I love Jake McFadden, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure he loves me, too!” at the top of her lungs?
The doorbell rang, and she shoved the bowl onto the counter, heedless of the milk dripping down the sides. She skipped down the hall to the door. “Krista, you weren’t supposed to come tonight, you silly goose! But you’ll never guess what just—” She looked out the peephole, and the words stuck in her throat. Jake. Jake was on her porch.
She looked down at her housecleaning clothes for a split second then yanked the door open.
He was leaning against the porch post, and she stared at his face, trying to read his mind. For once she was speechless.
“Of all the B&Bs in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine.”
Brandi burst out laughing then ran out the door and into his open arms. He swung her around but released her sooner than she wanted him to.
“Brandi, I need to tell you something. I’ve quit—”
“I know! I saw the press conference a few minutes ago.” Tears started streaming down her cheeks faster than she could wipe them off while she was talking. “Jake, I put the house up for sale this morning. I was coming to find you.”
He pulled her to him again and wiped her tears with his hand. “You’re incredible—did you know that?”
She shook her head. The tender expression in his eyes made her feel like a princess in a fairy tale. The happily-ever-after variety, not the locked-in-tower kind. At least not anymore. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, honey.” He tugged her over to the wicker bench beside the door. She sat down, but instead of sitting beside her he got onto one knee.
“Jake?”
He gently took her trembling hand in his. “Brandi, we can live anywhere you want to live now. I love you more than words can possibly express. Will you please make my dreams come true by agreeing to be my wife?”
“Yes!” she yelled then slapped her hand to her mouth. Leave it to her to make her husband-to-be deaf in one ear before the wedding. “I love you, too, and I don’t care where we live.”
Jake stood and pulled her to her feet. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her soundly. Any scars that lingered on her heart from her tumultuous childhood disappeared with that kiss. Nestled in his arms she knew his love had fulfilled her constant longing for home.
Epilogue
“Hey, Jake, nice house!” Holt called with a big grin as they walked up the sidewalk.
Brandi laughed. Five months ago Jake’s brother and his wife had welcomed them into this same house for Thanksgiving dinner. Now Holt and Megan were on the porch, and Jake and Brandi stood inside playing host and inviting them in to join the rest of the family for Sunday lunch.
Since his brother had been getting ready to put the house up for sale, Jake had bought it for her as a wedding present. She loved everything about it, especially the fact that it held so many childhood memories for Jake. But always present in her mind was the realization that home wasn’t inside four walls.
“Brandi! Megan!” Annalisa called from the kitchen. “We need your help!”
She left Jake with the rest of the men and ran into the kitchen, Megan hot on her heels. “What’s wrong?”
Gram stood beside Brandi’s mom and Jake’s mom right inside the door. They all three backed into the living room, hands up as if to make it plain they had nothing to do with whatever it was.
Jessa and Annalisa both had something white all over their faces, and they were laughing so hard they could hardly breathe. Brandi looked from one to the other in disbelief.
Megan shook her head. “I don’t even want to know how this happened.” She grabbed a whipped-topping can from each of their hands and set them on the counter.
They looked at her mock-stern expression and laughed harder holding on to each other. Megan looked over her shoulder at Brandi.
“You can’t ever leave these two alone. They’re trouble waiting to happen.”
Brandi grinned.
“She started it!” Annalisa protested, smiling.
“No way!” Jessa got a paper towel and started to wipe her sister-in-law’s face. “I told you it was an accident.”
Just then Jake came into the kitchen and stopped beside Brandi. Both of the cream-covered women started giggling again. Megan took their arms. “Come on, ladies. We don’t want Brandi’s new husband to think we’re going to corrupt her.”
After Megan took them down the hall to the bathroom to get cleaned up, Jake looked over at Brandi. “And you feel at home here?”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Definitely.”
About the Author
CHRISTINE LYNXWILER and her husband, Kevin, live in the foothills of the beautiful Ozark Mountains in their home state of Arkansas. Christine’s greatest earthly joy is her family and aside from God’s work, spending time with them is her top priority. She has written three novellas for Barbour canthologies, the most current one being “My True Love Gave to Me,” included in the All Jingled Out and Simply Christmas anthologies.
Dedication
Dedicated to my sister, Jan Reynolds, who went above and beyond the call of duty to help me meet my deadline. And to my other sisters—Sandy Gaskin, Lynda Sampson, and Vicky Daughety. I’ll always remember our all-night plotting session.
Thanks to Tracey Bateman, Lynette Sowell, Annalisa Daughety, Susan Downs, and Susan May Warren for critiquing parts or all of this for me. Thanks to my husband, Kevin, for being incredibly patient and understanding. I love you.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
<
br /> Christine Lynxwiler
Author Relations
PO Box 719
Uhrichsville, OH 44683