the harbor. He was leaving a piece of his heart behind.
****
Jo sat in church, her mind not on the service at all. The only thought filling her was of a certain Englishman who was, at this very moment, flying away from her.
Thank you God for sending John to us. Thank you that we changed his mind about Sydney. Give him a safe flight on to Ayres Rock and then home. I am so grat— She was lying to God. Even in her anger she knew that was pointless as He knew how she felt. She sniffed back tears . Why? You finally send a bloke my way who gives me a second look and then You take him away! Fix this. Please fix it.
A week later she was still mad with God.
Oh, she still read her Bible, went to church, and prayed, but her prayers were angry, self-centered ones. She picked up the mail, hoping there would be something from John there. Her heart leapt as she found a postcard from Auckland.
And then fell as she turned it over. The note was addressed to Pip and Jo. Pip and Jo? Am I an afterthought now?
“Dear Pip and Jo. Having a great time in Auckland. Weather good, and lots of things to do. Dorrie would love the volcanoes. Thanks again for having me to stay at such short notice. I really enjoyed it. If you’re ever over my way and need a place to stay, let me know. Will probably be home by the time you get this. John.”
She took the card into the kitchen where Pip chatted on the phone. Pip glanced up and pointed to the coffee cup on the side. Jo gave her the card and picked up the cup.
She wandered across to the window until Pip finished talking and hung up. “Who was that?”
“That was John.”
“Oh. Didn’t he want to talk to me?”
Pip shook her head, reading the card. “No. He said he’d gotten home safely with his suitcase. Thanked us for having him. Spoke about his trip a little.”
“Oh, I see.” She put down the coffee and turned, heading from the room, anger spilling from her. Obviously I read way too much into the time spent with him and what he said about dating me. I was a holiday romance, an interlude, nothing more.
She flung herself onto her bed, her eyes burning with tears she refused to shed. Then she heard John’s voice echo in her mind.
“God knows what’s best for us, besides life would be boring if we got everything we asked for. We may well end up like spoilt children. Always whining and wanting more and throwing tantrums when we didn’t get it.”
“Very true. We’d all end up doing time out on the naughty step.”
With a thud she realized she was probably on God’s naughty step right now. She’d lost her temper with her Father, and like a parent ignores a toddler throwing a tantrum, He was probably giving her time out until she calmed down. Sliding off the bed, she dropped to her knees, and closed her eyes. Sorry.
5
A week later, Jo sat in the kitchen, chin propped on her hand, left leg tapping the base of the stool. She heard the door open and shut, but didn’t bother to turn around or glance up until the cup clinked on the worktop in front of her.
“Coffee.”
“Thanks.”
Pip eyed her thoughtfully. “Are you ever going to stop moping?”
“I’m not moping.”
“Yes, you are. You’ve got it bad, girl.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. And that should be who I’m talking about.”
“Whom,” Jo corrected.
“Whatever. If the cap fits…”
Jo pushed a hand through her hair in irritation. She jumped from the stool. “And I don’t need a lecture on how foolish I was from you.”
“OK. If you’re not interested, then I guess you don’t want this.” She waved an envelope under Jo’s nose. “It’s from England, and it’s addressed to you.”
Jo reached for it. Pip jerked it away teasing her, and Jo squealed in protest. “Give it me.”
“Give it me? Where’s your grammar, woman?”
“In her house, probably knitting blankets. Now give me my letter.”
Pip finally relented and
****
Jo sat in church, her mind not on the service at all. The only thought filling her was of a certain Englishman who was, at this very moment, flying away from her.
Thank you God for sending John to us. Thank you that we changed his mind about Sydney. Give him a safe flight on to Ayres Rock and then home. I am so grat— She was lying to God. Even in her anger she knew that was pointless as He knew how she felt. She sniffed back tears . Why? You finally send a bloke my way who gives me a second look and then You take him away! Fix this. Please fix it.
A week later she was still mad with God.
Oh, she still read her Bible, went to church, and prayed, but her prayers were angry, self-centered ones. She picked up the mail, hoping there would be something from John there. Her heart leapt as she found a postcard from Auckland.
And then fell as she turned it over. The note was addressed to Pip and Jo. Pip and Jo? Am I an afterthought now?
“Dear Pip and Jo. Having a great time in Auckland. Weather good, and lots of things to do. Dorrie would love the volcanoes. Thanks again for having me to stay at such short notice. I really enjoyed it. If you’re ever over my way and need a place to stay, let me know. Will probably be home by the time you get this. John.”
She took the card into the kitchen where Pip chatted on the phone. Pip glanced up and pointed to the coffee cup on the side. Jo gave her the card and picked up the cup.
She wandered across to the window until Pip finished talking and hung up. “Who was that?”
“That was John.”
“Oh. Didn’t he want to talk to me?”
Pip shook her head, reading the card. “No. He said he’d gotten home safely with his suitcase. Thanked us for having him. Spoke about his trip a little.”
“Oh, I see.” She put down the coffee and turned, heading from the room, anger spilling from her. Obviously I read way too much into the time spent with him and what he said about dating me. I was a holiday romance, an interlude, nothing more.
She flung herself onto her bed, her eyes burning with tears she refused to shed. Then she heard John’s voice echo in her mind.
“God knows what’s best for us, besides life would be boring if we got everything we asked for. We may well end up like spoilt children. Always whining and wanting more and throwing tantrums when we didn’t get it.”
“Very true. We’d all end up doing time out on the naughty step.”
With a thud she realized she was probably on God’s naughty step right now. She’d lost her temper with her Father, and like a parent ignores a toddler throwing a tantrum, He was probably giving her time out until she calmed down. Sliding off the bed, she dropped to her knees, and closed her eyes. Sorry.
5
A week later, Jo sat in the kitchen, chin propped on her hand, left leg tapping the base of the stool. She heard the door open and shut, but didn’t bother to turn around or glance up until the cup clinked on the worktop in front of her.
“Coffee.”
“Thanks.”
Pip eyed her thoughtfully. “Are you ever going to stop moping?”
“I’m not moping.”
“Yes, you are. You’ve got it bad, girl.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. And that should be who I’m talking about.”
“Whom,” Jo corrected.
“Whatever. If the cap fits…”
Jo pushed a hand through her hair in irritation. She jumped from the stool. “And I don’t need a lecture on how foolish I was from you.”
“OK. If you’re not interested, then I guess you don’t want this.” She waved an envelope under Jo’s nose. “It’s from England, and it’s addressed to you.”
Jo reached for it. Pip jerked it away teasing her, and Jo squealed in protest. “Give it me.”
“Give it me? Where’s your grammar, woman?”
“In her house, probably knitting blankets. Now give me my letter.”
Pip finally relented and
Similar Books
