She opened her mouth to explain, then decided to leave that job to Brenda. “Darjeeling, please, Cody. And I believe I’ll have a lemon bar with that. It’s a little more sugar than I ought to eat, but you know Pete likes me looking ample.”
“I know,” Cody said. “You and Pete are friends.” He leaned over. “I think Jennifer Hansen is beautiful. Brenda told me she’s coming to the TLC today. Do I look handsome as all get-out?”
Patsy smiled. “You sure do, honey. Ever since we cleaned you up, you get handsomer by the day. But Brenda said Jennifer is already starting her missionary studies over at Hidden Tribes Learning Center near Camdenton. I hope you’re not still counting on marrying her.”
“Yes, I am.” Cody solemnly stirred his tea. “I’m counting on it a lot. But don’t tell Jennifer when she comes to the meeting. She thinks we’re just friends like you and Pete, and she doesn’t know that I love her in a wife kind of way. She also doesn’t know she’s going to marry me. That comes later.”
“I see.”
As she absorbed this information, Patsy’s notion of a glorious gabfest with the other ladies in the club transformed into a knot at the bottom of her stomach. This childlike puppy love Cody had developed for Jennifer Hansen could grow into a real problem. Everyone in the community understood that the young man was unusual—in an endearing sort of way. He was always helpful, kind, cheerful, and sincere.
But Cody simply didn’t understand life the way most people did. He looked at the world from a different angle, almost as though his eyes and brain had been borrowed from some other creature. Often it required patience to spend time around Cody. And people didn’t always have patience to spare. Patsy herself had snapped at him a few times. Though she felt bad about it, she just couldn’t help herself. But Cody always forgave her immediately.
“You took the last lemon bar,” he informed her now. “That’s bad social skills, Patsy. But it’s okay, because no one knows but me, and I won’t tell on you. Hey, here comes Kim Finley and Miranda Finley. They don’t look mad at each other today. You can tell because they’re both smiling. And here comes Esther Moore. She should bring Charlie. Then there would be two men in the TLC. Oh, boy, here’s Brenda’s car! Look, there she is! Isn’t she beautiful?”
Patsy nodded as she settled into a chair. She knew Cody wasn’t talking about Brenda, though the older woman was certainly lovely. Cody’s focus was on Brenda’s daughter. When Jennifer Hansen stepped into the salon, Patsy could see she had left her long blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders, and she wore a simple T-shirt, a pair of khaki shorts, and plain sandals. Unlike her younger sister, Jennifer had never been the homecoming queen or the center of the social whirl at Camdenton High School. She was quiet, studious, and as sweet and wholesome as apple pie.
With a sinking feeling, Patsy watched the young woman’s face light up when she spotted Cody. He gave an eager wave as he pointed to the empty chair beside him. Jennifer said something in a low voice to her mother, confiding woman-to-woman in a way that unsettled Patsy even more. Even if she genuinely liked him—which Patsy dearly hoped—he would be crestfallen when his romantic aspirations weren’t returned.
“Hey there, Cody,” Jennifer said brightly. She slipped into the seat he had saved as he fumbled to rise and pull it back for her. “Hey, Patsy. The salon looks great. You’re really packing people in this summer.”
“Just don’t tell me you want to cut off that beautiful long hair,” Patsy said. “I couldn’t do it.”
Jennifer chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. I just pin it up if I get too hot. It’s easy.”
Unfortunately, this comment caused her to demonstrate, which in turn drew Cody’s attention like a moth to a bug zapper. He positively gaped as Jennifer flipped her hair over her shoulder, twirled it around her index finger, pulled a clip from her pocket, and secured the roll on the back of her head. It was deftly done, but Patsy knew Cody wasn’t admiring the young woman’s dexterity. Those bright blue eyes were glued to Jennifer’s face and neck … and right on down.
“Wow,” he said.
Jennifer shrugged. “It’s easy, Cody. I’ve been putting it up since I was a kid. Patsy’s the one who taught me how to braid. I used to do my little sister’s hair all the time.”
“I remember that,” Patsy said. “And now you’re all grown up and studying to be a missionary.”
“A missionary?” Miranda Finley had somehow finagled a pair of chairs for herself and Kim at the table. “A lovely young woman like you? Oh, dear. But I suppose you’re determined.”
Jennifer smiled. “I certainly am. I’ve been praying about where to serve. I loved my mission trip to Africa so much, but I’m thinking more and more about going to New Guinea.”
“Not to dash your spirits, dear, but has it occurred to you that the people in New Guinea probably have a perfectly good religion already?”
“Some of them know Christ, but there are still lots of unreached tribes.”
“I have never understood why Christians are so determined to impose their religion on others,” Miranda said. “I realize you’re enthusiastic about your beliefs, Jennifer, but I can assure you that Hindus are very happy as they are. So are Muslims, for that matter. You’ll find a great deal of zeal for Islam in the Arab world, of course. No doubt those tribes you’re going to visit have a way of worshipping that’s comfortable to them too. In my opinion, all paths lead to God.”
Kim sighed. “Yes, Miranda, we know what you think. I’m sure everyone here has seen you and Buddha on the deck.”
At that, Miranda clamped her mouth shut. But not for long. “Well, at least I’m tolerant of letting people worship however they please. I don’t go around trying to convert people to my faith system. I accept all teachings of all religions.”
“All except Christianity,” Jennifer pointed out.
Everyone at the table turned to stare at the young woman who had spoken up. Brenda Hansen’s face sobered, and she glanced across at Kim. Clearly the two women were realizing they had a couple of firecrackers at the table and there was likely to be trouble.
“What do you mean by that, Jennifer?” Miranda asked with a sweet expression. “Of course I accept Christianity. It’s a perfectly valid path to God. Along with all the others. How can you say I don’t accept Christ’s teachings?”
“Christ insisted that there is only one way to God. He said, ‘No one can come to the Father except through me.’”
“John 14:6,” Cody cut in. “It’s in the Bible. I’ve got that whole chapter by memory.”
“Really?” Jennifer studied the young man for a moment, as if absorbing and filing away this information. Then she returned to Miranda. “Anyway, if you agree with Jesus that He is the only way to God, you can’t accept all the other religions, too.”
Miranda shook her head and let out a sigh. She took a sip of iced tea, commented on the delicious flavor, and then turned back to Jennifer. “I must assure you that I do accept all the teachings of Jesus as valid. Of course He believed He was the path to God. So did Muhammad and Buddha. These three men had experienced profound spiritual revelations, and they taught valuable truths that can enlighten us on our own personal journey of self-discovery. I choose to accept them all.”
“All except Jesus.”
Brenda laid a hand on her daughter’s arm. “Jennifer. Let’s talk about something else. Why don’t you tell everyone our news. You know … about your sister.”
“Jessica’s getting married,” Jennifer muttered, and in the next breath, “Mrs. Finley, Jesus instructed His followers to go out into the world and make disciples of everyone. When you or anyone else wants to deny Christians the right to try to convert people, then you deny us the practice of our religion. And that’s discrimination.”
“Well, but I—”
“If you truly accepted Christianity, Mrs. Finley, you wouldn’t object to my desire to teach tribal people in New Guinea about my faith, because you would understand that evangelism is
an essential part of Christianity. Christ was very clear about that.”
For a moment, everyone at the table sat in silence. And then Cody began to clap. “Yay, Jennifer,” he said. “That was a long speech about Jesus. I liked it. I thought it was good. You’re the best Christian I ever met.”
All the time Cody was speaking, Patsy was frantically trying to think of something to say that would divert the conversation away from religion. She briefly thought of asking about Jessica’s upcoming wedding. But the truth was, Patsy liked what Jennifer had said, and she admired the way the girl had spoken without the least bit of hesitation. So instead of inquiring about the Hansen engagement, she heard herself echoing Cody.
“You sure are going to make a good missionary, honey,” she told Jennifer. “I don’t know the last time I heard such conviction from anyone but a preacher. No wonder you’re going out into the world. I doubt that wild horses could keep you here in Deepwater Cove.”
“But Deepwater Cove has plenty of people who need missionaries,” Cody spoke up. “People like Mrs. Finley, who dances on the deck in her bathing suit. She worships idols, and that’s against the Ten Commandments, so she definitely needs a missionary.” He turned to Miranda. “You should come to church with us and find out what it’s like there. If you did, you would know that one day idols shall be utterly abolished. ‘And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.’ Isaiah 2:19-21. Right, Jennifer?”
All eyes at the table turned to the young woman, who was gazing across the room with an odd expression on her face.
“Patsy, why are there five pictures of me on your wall?” she asked, pointing at Cody’s mural. “Right over there. Five of them. That’s me, isn’t it?”
Cody grinned. “I painted them,” he said. “I put beautiful ladies on the wall to show off lots of hairstyles.”
Jennifer looked at him. “But the faces all look like mine. Don’t they? Does anyone else see that?”
Thank goodness, at just this particular moment, Esther got up and began tapping the side of her tea glass with a spoon. “Ladies, ladies,” she said loudly before Cody could whistle them into silence. Then she beamed at the young man. “Ladies and gentleman, welcome to today’s gathering of the Tea Lovers’ Club. We’re thrilled to have so many in attendance on a hot afternoon. Before we return to our tea and conversation, let me just recap our old business and mention one thing new.”
Esther reached into her purse for her little notebook, and Patsy took the opportunity for a quick glance around the table. It was not a comforting sight. Jennifer was staring at the paintings of herself on the salon wall. Miranda was glaring at Jennifer. Kim was frowning at Miranda. Brenda was eyeing Cody. And Cody was downing the last of Patsy’s lemon bar.
“There isn’t much old business to report,” Esther said. “It’s been a glorious summer so far. All the yards look lovely, and we ought to especially recognize Brenda Hansen, who planted red, white, and blue annuals in a tribute to our great country. As we’ve said before, the Fourth of July barbecue was a stellar event. The commons area and the streets were lined with nearly a hundred small flags generously donated by Ashley Hanes, courtesy of the country club. Opal provided a relish tray and several apple pies, which delighted everyone. We had more salads and side dishes than we could eat. The pork steaks were delicious, and a good time was had by all. Well … it looks like that’s about it. Is there any other old business to report?”
When no one spoke, Esther charged on. “Then let’s get down to new business. I propose we have another Deepwater Cove gathering for Labor Day weekend. How about Sunday after church? It’ll still be warm enough for the kids to swim, but we could add a fishing contest at the docks. I was thinking about a hayride, but Charlie says it’s too early for that. We definitely want to honor the working men and women among us, so I was thinking about a parade.”
“Brad wouldn’t march in a parade to save his life,” Ashley said. “I’m not too crazy about it either. Would you and Steve march in a parade, Brenda?”
“I doubt that’s exactly Steve’s idea of fun,” Brenda said of her real estate agent husband. “Maybe the barbecue, fishing contest, and swimming would be enough, Esther.”
The self-elected chairwoman of the TLC folded her hands and looked down at her notebook. “Well, if that’s how you feel about it …,” she said, her voice trailing off. “I always loved a parade.”
“A raid?” Opal spoke up. “When? I never heard any sirens.”
Patsy knew everyone was thinking the same thing—Opal wouldn’t hear sirens if they did start wailing.
“I have something to share,” Brenda said. “My youngest child, Jessica, has just gotten engaged. They haven’t set the wedding date, but I’m sure you’ll all be welcome.”
“Congratulations,” several women said.
“That Jessica is so pretty,” someone said. “Just like her sister.”
“I’m not a bit surprised some boy snapped her up,” another commented.
“I’d like to introduce some new business,” Miranda said, standing so suddenly that the table jiggled and tea sloshed out of the china cups. “Esther, may I please have the floor?”
“Why, certainly, Miranda. We’d love to hear what you have to say.”
For several hammering heartbeats, Patsy was afraid Miranda intended to expound on her theory that all paths led to God. Or maybe she wanted to defend her decision to put Buddha out on the Finleys’ deck. But then she smiled warmly and turned to the table where she’d been sitting.
“Cody,” she said gently, “I want to announce that I have found your aunt.”
A gasp went up from the entire gathering. And then everyone fell silent. Cody stared straight ahead, looking at no one, blinking rapidly.
Finally, Miranda spoke again. “Marylou Annette Goss lives in western Kansas. She’s your father’s sister. I have spoken with her by phone, Cody. A long time ago, before you were born, your father became estranged from his family, and they never spoke or had any contact after that. Your aunt Marylou had no idea what had become of your father.”
Patsy reached under the table, found Cody’s hand, and wrapped hers around it. He still wasn’t moving, so she gave his hand a little squeeze. “It’s a big shocker, isn’t it, sweetie pie?” she murmured. “How about that? Mrs. Finley found your aunt, just like you wanted.”
“I know,” he said. “I heard what she said.”
Miranda smiled. “I propose that the members of the Tea Lovers’ Club take up a collection to buy a bus ticket for Cody. In fact, I’ve already looked into it. I can put him on the bus in St. Louis, and his aunt will pick him up in Garden City, Kansas. From there, she’ll drive him toward the Colorado border to the town where she lives.” Miranda beamed at everyone as she seated herself again.
Patsy slipped her arm around Cody’s shoulders. “Sounds like you turned up a lot of stuff when you were looking for Cody’s family. I guess his aunt must be pretty excited to see him.”
Miranda took a sip of tea. “Well, of course,” she said. “She didn’t even know he existed. I’m sure she’ll enjoy him as much as we all do.”
“Maybe not, if she finds out I’m kind of dumb,” Cody said.
Jennifer leaned against him. “No way, Cody! You just quoted more Scripture than most of us have ever memorized.”
“Your aunt Marylou didn’t know your mother and father had passed away,” Miranda said. “Mr. Goss didn’t contact his family after Cody’s mother died. He must have simply decided to take Cody and leave.”
“We went a lot of places,” Cody put in.
“Marylou told me she’s always
wondered what became of her brother.”
Deciding it was time to change the subject, Patsy gave Cody a little hug. “Oh, my stars, my cup is dry as a bone. Cody, honey, would you mind getting me some more tea?”
He looked around the table, his blue eyes settling on Jennifer for a moment before he rose and headed for the hot-water urn.
As Miranda turned to Esther, Patsy noticed that the older woman’s eyes had filled with tears.
Esther slipped her agenda notebook into her purse and pulled out a tissue. Dabbing her eyes, she nodded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” she said, sniffling loudly. “If Cody’s aunt wants him to come … and if Cody wants to be with family … well then …” She gulped. “Well, let’s all pitch in and make this farewell a send-off to remember.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Where are the candles?” Frowning, Kim rummaged through a drawer in the kitchen. “I always keep plenty of birthday candles on hand.”
“In the pantry!” Miranda sang out as she hurried through the kitchen bearing a bowl of cheesy popcorn. “I reorganized the baking supplies for you, Kim. I hope you don’t mind, but that drawer you had them in was a shambles. I put everything in a lovely wicker basket on the top shelf.”
Kim gritted her teeth and hurried to the pantry. No, she would not get angry. Not on this special day. A party day. A day of celebration, thankfulness, and sweet good-byes. Kim had every reason to smile. The twins were turning eleven, Cody was going to meet his long-lost aunt in Kansas, and Kim was determined to focus on her blessings instead of her woes.
True, Miranda was still staying in the Finley house and evidently would be forever. Derek had not uttered a word about the plan he had confided to Lydia that evening on the porch. So Kim told herself she still did not “officially” know that her mother-in-law wouldn’t be leaving with the start of school. But she had decided to try to keep her thoughts to herself in order to keep peace in the home. She had suppressed the hurt and anger that Derek’s decision—and his refusal to communicate with her—had caused.
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