Bless His Heart

by Jessica L. Elliott

  Greyson snorted. “I’m pretty sure that’s a he, Gram.”

  “Is it?”

  Hope giggled. “Yes, Dumpling is a gelding.”

  Georgie’s cheeks flushed. “Oh my, I’m so sorry, Dumpling.”

  The horse gave a quiet snort and shifted his weight.

  “He’s one of the gentlest horses we have,” Hope said. “I don’t think he’s at all offended. Once you’re ready, I’ll help you mount.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I can do it myself,” Georgie replied.

  “Gram, don’t be difficult,” Greyson said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let Hope help you. It’s her job, after all.”

  “Bossy pants,” Georgie said with a slight pout.

  He grinned at her. “That’s me.” Greyson watched as Hope pulled a mounting block over which helped Georgie get closer to the saddle. She patiently held Georgie’s hands and then boosted her into the saddle when needed. Guilt flooded him as he recognized just how gentle and loving she was with his grandmother. As he watched Hope lead the horse into a small paddock, he wished he hadn’t snapped at her the night before. He’d placed guilt and blame on someone innocent. If anyone should feel guilty, it was him.

  A sigh escaped him. If only he could convince Gram to move to Kansas City with him. It would be hard at first, but he was certain she would thrive under his care. He watched the session for several minutes before pulling out his cell phone. Despite having taken an extra three weeks off for Thanksgiving, he knew there would still be work for him to do with the accounting firm. He checked emails, scheduled appointments, and did a few other tasks while every now and again glancing up to check on his grandmother. On a whim, he took a few photographs with his phone, knowing Georgie would appreciate them. The westward dip of the sun cast a golden glow on the field and bathed Hope in its light. “She looks like an angel,” Greyson whispered. He admired the view of the pasture, and the beautiful woman helping his grandmother ride.

  As the session ended, Greyson walked forward to where Hope was helping Georgie dismount. “How are you feeling, Gram?”

  “I’m sure I’ll be feeling this tomorrow, but oh what a wonderful ride we had!” she replied. She patted the horse’s neck. “You and I are going to be the best of friends, Dumpling, I’m sure of it.”

  Smiling, Hope said, “You did great, Miss Georgie. Now, in the time between now and your next session, make sure you’re doing any other physical therapy your doctor has recommended. A lot of what we do here is build up your mental and emotional strength, though certainly some time is put into physical strength as well.”

  “I’ll do that,” Georgie said. “Now, you’re going to stop by for dinner tonight, aren’t you?”

  Hope hesitated. “Well, I don’t know.”

  “Please come,” Greyson said, surprising himself. “I’d very much like to hear more about how this horse therapy works.”

  “I don’t want to impose,” Hope replied, a frown tugging at her lips.

  “It wouldn’t be an imposition because I invited you, dear,” Georgie said, grinning widely. “Please come. I’ll even have Greyson make the dinner, so you won’t have to cook a thing.”

  Hope laughed. “That’s sweet, but I’m pretty sure Mrs. Lark is bringing you dinner tonight.”

  “Then you have no excuses. Everyone knows Sherry is the best cook in town,” Georgie said with a grin.

  “Better than you?” Greyson asked.

  Georgie shrugged. “Well, perhaps not better than me.”

  “Let me stop by my house first and get myself cleaned up. Then I’d be happy to join you for dinner,” Hope said.

  Greyson tried to push down the rush of butterflies swarming his midsection. “Sounds good,” he replied. “Thanks for doing this.”

  She flashed him another of her brilliant smiles, causing his heart to beat a little faster. “It’s my pleasure. Now you’d best head home if you’re going to get there before Mrs. Lark.”

  “We’ll see you soon,” Greyson said as he led Georgie to the car.

  Hope nodded before turning away, leading the large palomino horse back into the stable.

  As Greyson got into his seat and put on his seatbelt, he was aware of his grandmother giving him a knowing look. “What?” he asked.

  “Hope’s a very sweet girl, don’t you think?”

  “She seems to be,” he replied slowly.

  “You know, she does live right next door to me. I’m sure you could arrange a way to be closer to me with her.”

  Greyson rolled his eyes. “Gram, Hope is not going to sell her house to me just so I can live closer to you.”

  She scoffed. “That’s not exactly what I meant, dear.”

  He returned her earlier grin and statement, “I know.”

  Georgie glared at him, though she couldn’t quite force the twinkle from her eyes. “You, my charming grandson, are trouble.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said before starting the engine of the car.

  Chapter Four

  Hope walked to the Montgomery house after taking the time to shower and change. A crisp chill to the air caused her to pull her jacket a little closer about herself. The afternoon warmth didn’t last long after the sun began dipping west. She walked up the steps, taking note of the leaves scattered across the lawn and tall grass. A frown touched her lips. Perhaps she could have done more to help her neighbor. She forced her thoughts away as the door opened. Greyson stood in front of her with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “No,” he said quickly. “No, I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.”

  Smirking at him, Hope glanced down at the simple, blue gingham sundress she’d worn. “You’ve only seen me three times now. And believe it or not, sometimes I like to dress up a bit.”

  Greyson gave her a sheepish grin as he opened the door wider. “I guess I didn’t expect you to come dressed up. I figured you’d be in jeans and a tee-shirt.”

  “Not this time, and I certainly wasn’t going to come naked,” she retorted as he took her jacket to hang on the coat rack. Greyson coughed and his ears went pink. Hope laughed, her cheeks reddening. “Sorry,” she said. “Mom always did say I had a rather unorthodox sense of humor.”

  “She wasn’t wrong,” Greyson muttered. “Gram’s in the dining room already, but before we get there I did want to take a moment to say I’m sorry about last night. It was unfair and unkind of me to assume you weren’t watching out for Gram.”

  “You weren’t entirely wrong either,” Hope admitted. “There may have been more that I could have done. That’s the problem with hindsight. It’s twenty-twenty whereas present sight seems to be about five-twenty.”

  Greyson chuckled. “If that. But, I still want to apologize.”

  “Apology accepted,” Hope said with a smile.

  “Greyson, dear, did you and Hope get lost out there?” Georgie called.

  Rolling his eyes, Greyson said, “What do you think, Gram?” He grinned at Hope. “Guess we should head in there sooner rather than later.”

  “It would probably be best,” Hope said. She followed him into the dining room and hugged Georgie before sitting down at the dark cherry table. A matching hutch nearby displayed Georgie’s antique china and crystal pieces which had been in her family for generations.

  “I’m so glad you decided to join us, Hope,” Georgie said. “Sherry seems to have forgotten that Greyson and I are just two people, not an army.”

  Hope laughed. “Well, she is used to cooking for a crowd. Besides, the leftovers will probably be a wonderful blessing over the next few days.”

  “Try the next few weeks,” Georgie retorted. “Look at all this. There’s no way Greyson and I will be able to eat it all before it goes bad. And I’m sure you’re going to tell me that other people are bringing food tomorrow.”

  “And the day after that and the day after that,” Hope admitted with a rueful grin. “What can I say, Miss Georgie? We love you and
want you to relax and let us take care of you for a while.”

  “As sweet as that is, how am I supposed to take care of all the leftovers?”

  “Save them for Thanksgiving?” Hope suggested, knowing that she had brought rolls for that very purpose.

  Georgie scoffed. “What a ridiculous thing to say. Everyone knows that I always make a full Thanksgiving meal every year.”

  “She’s right, Gram,” Greyson said gently. “Saving some of this to have at Thanksgiving isn’t a bad idea. You’re not going to be able to do your full feast this year.”

  Glaring viciously at her grandson, Georgie asked, “And why not?”

  “Why don’t we say grace and eat while the food’s still warm?” Hope said. The last thing she wanted was to witness a power struggle between her hosts. Especially since she knew exactly who would win, and it would not be Greyson.

  The two stared at each other for a while before Georgie said, “Yes, that would be the proper thing to do. Greyson, dear, would you please bless our meal?”

  Hope bowed her head and listened to the gentle cadence of Greyson’s voice as he offered thanks for their meal. No sooner had he concluded than Georgie asked, “What do you think of Blessings, Hope? Isn’t it the most perfect town imaginable?”

  Swallowing slightly, Hope said, “Well, I suppose that depends on your perspective, Miss Georgie. Blessings has always been home to me and I can’t imagine living anywhere else, but I’m sure other people might not agree.”

  “People like Greyson, bless his heart.” Georgie sniffed.

  “Gram, please,” he said. “Don’t do this. And don’t say ‘bless his heart’ like I don’t know you’re calling me an idiot.”

  “I’m not calling you an idiot. He’s trying to get me to move out to that overcrowded monstrosity he calls a city,” Georgie continued indignantly.

  The salad spoon Greyson had been holding clattered to the tabletop as he said, “It’s not a monstrosity. It’s a city, and it would be a great location for you.”

  “He doesn’t think I can take care of myself anymore.”

  “Oh.” Hope stammered. Her appetite fled as she realized why she’d been invited. “I really don’t think you need my opinion on this,” she said at length. “I think what you two need is to sit down and talk it through yourselves.”

  “Oh we have, but I’m not going to Kansas City. Or anywhere else, I might add,” Georgie said with a stubborn glare.

  “Why not?” Greyson demanded, his tone rising as he practically flung his mashed potatoes onto his plate. “It wouldn’t kill you.”

  “But maybe it would,” Georgie said. “There’s no way I’d be able to drive around such a crowded place.”

  “You wouldn’t have to.”

  Georgie slapped her hand onto the table. “Ha! Now you’re saying I can’t drive either.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Then what are you saying?”

  Greyson pushed his chair back and stood. “I’m saying you need to think about someone other than yourself for a change. Maybe consider how the rest of us feel. Think about how I feel. What does this backwater town have that I don’t, huh?”

  Silence fell over the room and Hope tried desperately to disappear into the hard-backed chair as Georgie said sternly, “Greyson, sit down. Your dinner’s going to get cold.”

  He sat and began pushing the food around on his plate.

  For a long while, no one spoke. It was the first time Hope could ever remember feeling uncomfortable at her neighbor’s house. “You know,” she said when she couldn’t stand the quiet any longer, “I think maybe I should go home. It’s clear you two have things to talk about and I’m only making things awkward.”

  “No, Gram’s the one making things awkward,” Greyson replied, glaring at his grandmother. He turned to her, his brown eyes pleading. “Please stay.”

  Hope shook her head. “To be honest, I’d rather go. Mrs. Able, you know I love you and I would have been happy to give you advice on your argument to stay here in Blessings. But I feel like you invited me under false pretenses. I honestly wish you’d brought me here as another one of your matchmaking schemes.”

  “Who says it isn’t to get you together?” Georgie asked, the mischievous light dancing in her eyes. “You’d be a wonderful couple.”

  Greyson snorted. “I don’t think so, Gram.”

  “We go together about as well as a bull goes in a china shop, Miss Georgie,” Hope admitted, though she wasn’t sure she believed herself. “In any case, bringing me here just to solidify your argument because your grandson is too polite to tell you what he really thinks isn’t fair. So, I’ll just see myself out.” She rose from her seat and started toward the door. Then she turned. “By the way, if you want my opinion on whether you should stay or go, just ask. I think you would do just fine staying here. Blessings has friends, a good doctor, and all the things you’ve grown up with. It’s home to you, and I get that. But,” she added as Georgie smirked at her grandson, “I also think there would be a lot of advantages to living closer to your grandson. He’d be right there if you were to have a sudden illness or another stroke. And you’d be able to spend more time with him. Kansas City has a wealth of hospitals and doctors, lots of shopping from what I’m told. Everything Blessings has, just on a larger scale. In the end, I guess it’s your choice. But maybe talk it through with Greyson, without making him feel like a jerk.” She turned once more to the door.

  “Wait, Hope,” Georgie said with a deep sigh. “At least let Greyson help you pack some food to take with you. Lord knows we won’t eat it all.”

  Greyson motioned for Hope to follow him to the kitchen. “I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he said as he walked to a counter where several large dishes sat with the remainder of the meal Mrs. Lark had brought.

  “I’m sorry too,” Hope replied. “Miss Georgie isn’t normally quite that antagonistic.”

  “Yes, well, I don’t think you’ve ever suggested she leave the only home she’s ever known.”

  “It’s a frightening proposition if you think of it that way,” Hope said gently. “Can I give you some advice?”

  Greyson lifted an eyebrow before turning to the containers and spooning mashed potatoes into one of them. “I suppose whether I want it or not you’re going to give it to me.”

  “I don’t operate that way, Greyson,” Hope said with a stern frown. “If you don’t want to hear it, I won’t tell you.”

  He smiled at her, causing the room to feel warmer. “I appreciate that. Go ahead. What’s your advice?”

  Hope placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Listen to your grandmother. I can promise you, you weren’t the only one scared by that stroke. Miss Georgie is one of the strongest women I’ve ever known. And my experience with strong women is they don’t like to ever show weakness. Having a stroke, being unable to do everything she’s used to, suddenly being confronted by her own mortality; it’s a scary thing. She perceives it as weakness. And now you’re suggesting one more scary thing to the list.”

  Greyson rolled his eyes. “Moving isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

  “That’s not what scares her, Greyson,” Hope said.

  “Then what does?”

  “Feeling useless, that’s terrifies her. It scares her more than anything else in this world. If she moves in with you, or into a home of some sort, she’s giving up her independence. She’s admitting to not being as useful as she’s always been.”

  “That’s ridiculous though,” Greyson replied.

  “Is it?” Hope sighed and looked out the nearby window. “Greyson, what if you were suddenly told you couldn’t work anymore? What if you were told you had to move in with a caregiver? And don’t use your logic to tell me that eventually that will happen anyway. What if that happened tomorrow?”

  Greyson remained quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on the lid he was putting on Hope’s leftovers. He gave a deep sigh and said, “I guess I see what you mean.”


  “Talk to her. Listen to her. And maybe take a look around this backwater town,” Hope said, giving him a teasing grin. “You might find it’s not as bad as you think.”

  He grimaced. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure Blessings is great. Are you sure you won’t stay?”

  “I’m sure,” Hope replied. “I need to get to bed early tonight. We’re operating on Beauregard tomorrow and I’m going to have a really early morning.”

  “Who or what is Beauregard?” Greyson asked, gathering up the dishes with Hope’s leftovers.

  “He’s a one-ton horse who’s taller than I am,” Hope replied with a smile, taking a few dishes from Greyson. “Back in his glory days, he always led the plow pull during the Harvest Festival. They’ve since replaced that attraction with a hayride, but believe me, watching that horse flex his muscles was a sight to see.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it,” Greyson said, walking her to the front door, helping her into her jacket, and continuing onto the front porch. “What’s the surgery for?”

  “Beauregard has been having some joint problems in his left foreleg for the last few years,” Hope explained, barely aware that Greyson had continued walking with her down the path. “So, the surgery is to help correct the issues at hand, and be sure there’s nothing else going on. It is a reasonably routine procedure, but with Beauregard’s age, there are some concerns about anesthesia. Typically older animals have a harder time coming out of it than younger.”

  “Same with people, I suppose.”

  Hope nodded. “Anyway, if you want to add him to your prayers, I’m sure those of us who love him would appreciate it.”

  “I’ll do that. I hope the surgery goes well.” Greyson paused and Hope realized that while they’d been talking they’d made it to her house. “I guess with that surgery you’re going to be really busy, huh?”

  “Most of the day. I’m assisting Dr. Hanson with the surgery itself and then I’ll be monitoring Beauregard during recovery. I probably won’t get home until late afternoon.” Hope glanced up at Greyson. “Why?”