Milk Money

by Cecelia Dowdy

  “Like cooking?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Yes, like cooking. It’s something to do to keep my mind off drinking.”

  “Do you still have the urge to drink?”

  He looked at her. “Honey, the urge to drink never goes away; you just have to learn to be strong and not act on it. It’s scary thinking about not ever having another drink, but you have to take it one day at a time.”

  She blew air through her lips. “I didn’t realize that.”

  “I had to let you know all this. I’d still like us to get to know each other again. I’m different now.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. I think I’d like to give us a chance. I wondered if we could get to know each other as friends again.”

  His lips touched her nose. “I’m too attracted to you to be just your friend, but I’d like to spend time with you again.”

  She smiled at him. “I’m attracted to you, too. And I have an admission of my own to make.”

  He chuckled. “What’s that?”

  “I’m a lousy cook.”

  He laughed. “I know. You told me that when I first met you. Maybe my cooking skills will balance everything out between us.”

  She smiled. “Yes, maybe your cooking skills will balance everything out.”

  During the next few months, Frank continued to struggle with his decision to ask Emily to marry him. Even though they were getting to know each other better, he still faltered as far as his alcoholism was concerned. It was a daily struggle, and he prayed each day for the strength to let go and trust himself and believe in the Lord enough to trust his decision to marry Emily.

  As he got to know Emily again, he found his love for her grew as the days passed. Since Laura was gone, Emily was out at the farm alone, and he often worried about her living by herself in the country, running the farm solo. He visited often after work, and he realized she wasn’t kidding when she said she couldn’t cook. His frequent late-evening visits often included takeout. Sometimes in the evenings, while she was in the barn milking the cows, he’d stop at the grocery store to buy food to make dinner for her.

  He knew he had really fallen hard for her when he arrived unexpectedly at five in the morning on a Saturday. He’d worn his oldest clothing and a pair of battered sneakers. After parking in the driveway, he traipsed to the familiar barn. The cows were chained in their stalls, eating their piles of food. He recalled Emily telling him about the corn, soybeans, and alfalfa they grew to make feed for the cows. A clear liquid squished through the pipes, and Frank found Emily in the room where the milk tank and sink were located. “Frank!” Her eyes shone with delight as they embraced. “What are you doing here?”

  “I know you like having somebody to help you milk the cows, so I came to give you a hand.” Since Emily had been milking the cows most of her life, he figured he’d be more of a hindrance than a help. But he was determined to learn how to milk so he could help her eventually. He gestured toward the sink. “What are you doing?”

  She explained that she was cleaning the pipes and the equipment with an acid and water solution before she started milking. He washed his hands before he followed her as she went into the barn carrying the mobile milking units. She gave him a pair of gloves, patiently explaining how she cleaned the udders of each cow using an iodine dipper. She left and returned with a steaming bucket of liquid. “I could have carried that in here for you,” he said.

  She smiled, patiently explaining he could carry it next time if he came back to milk again. Since he felt so uneasy cleaning the teats and udders of each cow and attaching the units, Emily ended up doing most of the milking herself. Nevertheless, it felt good to be out in the barn with her, watching her do the chores. He found that he was a better help once the cows were milked. She pushed a cart full of feed and handed him a shovel. “After milking we feed the cows grain, soybeans, and corn feed.” She told him what to do. “Just shovel some in front of each stall. After they’re done, we need to let them out to graze a bit. I’m going to clean the milking equipment.” As he shoveled feed, he glanced at the pipes, noting that clear liquid again swished through them as Emily did her cleanup. Once they’d cleaned the floor and let the cows out, he followed her to the porch. She removed her barn boots, and he took off his shoes, wiggling his toes.

  “Thanks for helping me this morning, Frank.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure if I was much help.”

  She touched his arm. “You were a big help.” When they’d washed up, Frank made bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast. Once he said grace over their meal and they were eating, Emily told him something. “My sister, Sarah, called me last night.”

  “Did she want money?”

  “Yes.”

  “How much did she want?”

  “She said she needed two hundred dollars to pay her phone bill. If she doesn’t pay it soon, they’re going to turn her phone off.”

  “Are you going to give it to her?”

  Emily shrugged. “I don’t know. I told her I’d have to think and pray about it. I said I’d call her back in a couple of days to let her know what I’d decided to do.” She sipped her juice. “Have you spoken to your mother lately?”

  He sighed, spreading butter and jelly on his toast. “Yes.”

  “How is she doing?”

  “She’s doing okay.” He didn’t bother to mention that his mother had not been vocal about his dating life in a long time. He still wasn’t sure if she was learning to accept his choices or if she had more pressing things on her mind. “Trish spends time with her every week, so I’m glad about that.”

  “How are the kids doing?”

  “They’re doing fine. Next month is Regina’s birthday. I’m flying up to Chicago for that.” He stopped eating and took her hand. “I’d like for you to come with me if you can get somebody to do the milking for you.”

  “I’d love to come with you, Frank, but I can’t make any promises. I’ll see if I can find somebody to do the chores for me the weekend of the party.”

  They continued to eat in silence for a few minutes before he mentioned he was going to the rec center later on. “You know, I didn’t realize how much I missed spending time with young people until I started doing it again.”

  “Yeah, I can tell you enjoy it. It’s nice of you to spend time mentoring the kids at the center.” After a few moments, she touched his arm. “I enjoyed having you with me this morning to milk the cows. It was nice.”

  He took her hand, squeezing her fingers. “I enjoyed doing it with you. Is it okay if I come and help you milk on the weekends?”

  Emily returned his squeeze. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”

  Later that day, Frank found a store in Monkton that sold barn boots. When he returned to Emily’s for the next milking, he brought his new footwear with him. He left his new barn boots at Emily’s, placing them right beside hers.

  When Frank had been helping Emily milk cows for a couple of months, he finally felt it was time to ask her to marry him. On the day he purchased the ring from the jeweler, he called his mother. “Hello, Franklin.” His mother was one of the few relatives who still called him by his full name.

  He hesitated. “Mom, hi.”

  “You’ve got a worried tone in your voice, son.”

  “How are you?”

  His mother spoke for five minutes about her health and how her regular visits with Trish and her grandchildren were going. Frank blurted his news before he lost his courage. “I’m going to ask Emily to marry me.”

  “Emily? That farmer you told me about when you came home?”

  “Yes, Mom. You can’t treat her the way you treated Julie. I don’t like that kind of behavior.” He failed to mention that his parents’ actions had intensified his grief after Julie’s violent death. “I love her too much to hurt her like that. She’s a strong, proud woman, and she’s running that farm by herself right now.” When she rema
ined silent, he mentally said a quick prayer before he reminded her how he’d met Emily through his job and how they’d grown closer in recent months. “If she says yes, then she’ll be a part of the family.”

  “This is so sudden,” she began.

  Frank still wondered what was going through his mother’s brain. “It’s not so sudden. I just explained how long I’ve known her. I love her, Mom, and it’ll hurt me if you reject her for superficial reasons.” When his mother remained silent, he finally ended the call. Once he’d hung up the phone, he fell to his knees. “Lord, please, if this is your will and Emily says yes, please make everything work out with my mom. Amen.”

  When Emily arrived at Frank’s apartment for their Saturday night dinner date, the sight of the lit tapered candles on the table made her stop and stare. “Why are we eating by candlelight?” She had been a bit suspicious when he’d called earlier, saying he would not be by that evening to help her with the milking.

  He pulled her into his arms, kissing her nose. “I just wanted to share a romantic dinner with you. What’s wrong with that?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “I think you sometimes forget how much I enjoy your company.” He led her to the table. “Let’s eat.”

  When he placed the shrimp cocktail on the table, she looked at him. “Shrimp cocktail?”

  He took her hand, asking the Lord to bless their food. Once they said their amens, he commented, “I made crab cakes and rice pilaf for dinner.”

  “All my favorites.” When he continued to hold her hand, she wondered when they were going to dig into their meal. He kissed her fingers, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips against her skin.

  “I have a question for you.” His voice was low and husky, and his dark eyes shone in the candlelight.

  He released her hand and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket. He presented it to her. When she popped the box open, the diamond solitaire ring glittered. “Frank!”

  “Will you marry me, Emily? You know how much I love you.”

  “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, Frank!”

  He pulled her into his arms, and they shared a blissful kiss.

  epilogue

  Frank stood at the altar of Monkton Christian Church, his smile so wide he thought his face would split apart. Christine, Kelly, Trish, and Emily’s sister, Sarah, served in the wedding as bridesmaids. Their canary yellow dresses looked becoming as the bright sunlight streamed through the church’s stained glass windows. Mark, decked out in his tuxedo, was a junior groomsman, and Regina served as a junior bridesmaid.

  His mother sat in the front of the church, looking uncomfortable as she scanned the crowd. Both he and Trish were trying to convince their mother that her strict way of judging others was wrong, and so far she’d been cordial to Emily, not shunning her the way she’d shunned Julie.

  Laura Cooper sat in the front row, crying openly. Since Frank was going to live with Emily on her dairy farm, Laura had confided to him that she felt better about her decision to leave and move in with her daughter.

  Frank’s heart palpitated when Emily walked down the aisle. Her white silky dress complemented her smooth brown skin. As Devon Crandall and his other friends from church served as ushers, Frank and Emily vowed to love each other forever.

  I would like to thank a lot of people for helping me with my extensive research for this novel—namely, the Higgins family. Thanks so much for allowing me to visit your small family dairy farm and for answering my numerous questions. I also appreciate your allowing me to assist with the milking of your herd.

  I also want to give credit to my ACFW writing buddies: Pam Hillman, Anne Schrock, and Mary Connealy. Your advice about dairy farming proved to be very useful while I penned this novel.

  I would also like to acknowledge Farm and Ranch Accountant Patti Randle, CPA, for answering my questions about farm bookkeeping practices.

  A note from the Author:

  I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:

  Cecelia Dowdy

  Author Relations

  PO Box 721

  Uhrichsville, OH 44683

  CECELIA DOWDY is a world traveler who has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. When she first read Christian fiction, she felt called to write for the genre. She loves to read, write, and bake desserts in her spare time. She also loves spending time with her husband and her toddler son. She resides with her family in Maryland. You can visit Cecelia on her Web sites: www.ceceliadowdy.com and www.ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com.