asked, “What did you and Haydn talk about for so long out in the barn?”
“Now, Gladys, don’t jump to any conclusions.”
A quiet knock on the door interrupted them, and Ma came in.
“I’d like to hear what you have to say.” She took a seat. “And Gladys. Pull up a chair and talk like a sensible young woman.” Once everyone was situated to her satisfaction, she settled back in her chair. “Now, Herbert.”
“Did you ask him what his intentions toward me are?” Gladys spoke crisply.
“Not in so many words.” Pa squirmed a bit. “I think he felt threatened when I warned him not to do anything to hurt you. And I asked him if he had enough money to support a family.”
Taken aback, Gladys almost laughed. Of course Haydn had work. He had come to Calico to conduct business with Mr. Keller.
“Gladys,” Ma said. “You’ve wandered away from us.”
Blinking, Gladys brought her thoughts back to the conversation. “What was Haydn’s answer?”
Pa cleared his throat. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Stop beating about the bush.” Ma’s voice held firm, but her hand cushioned Gladys’s in its grip.
“He said he had no interest in you in that way. That what brings the two of you together is your desire to bring Mr. Keller out of his solitude.”
Gladys had come to the same conclusion about their relationship. So why did it hurt to hear the truth come from her father’s lips? “He’s right, you know.” She squeezed Ma’s hand.
Ma’s gaze pinned Gladys, daring her to speak the truth. “If you say so, Gladys. I will confess”—she cast one of “those” looks at Pa, the kind that always reassured Gladys that her parents loved each other and everything was all right with the world—“the way you look at Haydn when you think no one is watching reminds me of the way I used to look at your Pa when we were courting.”
Shame flamed heat into Gladys’s cheeks. “You’re the ones who taught me there’s a difference between wishing and the truth.” Not wanting to say any more on that topic, she added, “But I do believe God has more for me to do with Mr. Keller.”
“Then all is well.” Pa looked as relieved as a dog who escaped a scolding after licking his master’s face. “That is exactly what Mr. Johnson proposed: that the two of you continue to partner in your work with Mr. Keller.”
As always, Ma knew all was not well with Gladys. She kept the younger children out of her way as much as she could with the seven of them housebound. Gladys didn’t know if she could take another day inside. Now, with the storm ended, she determined to get to the diner, even if she had to shovel the path herself. She donned several layers before she walked to the kitchen. Ma was already there, stirring up eggs and oatmeal. “You’d better eat a hot breakfast before you go out in this cold.”
At least Ma didn’t argue with Gladys about heading to work today. Even though Gladys’s insides felt like burning fire, she wouldn’t refuse the food. She added a bit of butter and milk and honey and cinnamon to the oatmeal and took a spoonful. Delicious, soothing, especially with the light-as-air eggs that were even better than the ones Aunt Kate cooked at the diner. The warm coffee finished the job. “Thank you, Ma. For everything.” She threw her arms around her mother and hugged her. “You knew I’d head to work today.” She buttoned up her coat.
“Of course.” Ma grinned. “You have to get more soup for Mr. Keller.”
Haydn hadn’t slept much since Saturday night. After Grandfather’s foolish hours spent chopping wood outside, he had turned really and truly sick. Haydn had never experienced a storm quite like this. Wind and snow blew so hard, a person could get lost walking from his house to the barn and back. With Grandfather so ill, Haydn did what he could and prayed for the best until the storm ended.
Dozing in the chair beside his grandfather’s bed, Haydn woke with a start
“Now, Gladys, don’t jump to any conclusions.”
A quiet knock on the door interrupted them, and Ma came in.
“I’d like to hear what you have to say.” She took a seat. “And Gladys. Pull up a chair and talk like a sensible young woman.” Once everyone was situated to her satisfaction, she settled back in her chair. “Now, Herbert.”
“Did you ask him what his intentions toward me are?” Gladys spoke crisply.
“Not in so many words.” Pa squirmed a bit. “I think he felt threatened when I warned him not to do anything to hurt you. And I asked him if he had enough money to support a family.”
Taken aback, Gladys almost laughed. Of course Haydn had work. He had come to Calico to conduct business with Mr. Keller.
“Gladys,” Ma said. “You’ve wandered away from us.”
Blinking, Gladys brought her thoughts back to the conversation. “What was Haydn’s answer?”
Pa cleared his throat. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Stop beating about the bush.” Ma’s voice held firm, but her hand cushioned Gladys’s in its grip.
“He said he had no interest in you in that way. That what brings the two of you together is your desire to bring Mr. Keller out of his solitude.”
Gladys had come to the same conclusion about their relationship. So why did it hurt to hear the truth come from her father’s lips? “He’s right, you know.” She squeezed Ma’s hand.
Ma’s gaze pinned Gladys, daring her to speak the truth. “If you say so, Gladys. I will confess”—she cast one of “those” looks at Pa, the kind that always reassured Gladys that her parents loved each other and everything was all right with the world—“the way you look at Haydn when you think no one is watching reminds me of the way I used to look at your Pa when we were courting.”
Shame flamed heat into Gladys’s cheeks. “You’re the ones who taught me there’s a difference between wishing and the truth.” Not wanting to say any more on that topic, she added, “But I do believe God has more for me to do with Mr. Keller.”
“Then all is well.” Pa looked as relieved as a dog who escaped a scolding after licking his master’s face. “That is exactly what Mr. Johnson proposed: that the two of you continue to partner in your work with Mr. Keller.”
As always, Ma knew all was not well with Gladys. She kept the younger children out of her way as much as she could with the seven of them housebound. Gladys didn’t know if she could take another day inside. Now, with the storm ended, she determined to get to the diner, even if she had to shovel the path herself. She donned several layers before she walked to the kitchen. Ma was already there, stirring up eggs and oatmeal. “You’d better eat a hot breakfast before you go out in this cold.”
At least Ma didn’t argue with Gladys about heading to work today. Even though Gladys’s insides felt like burning fire, she wouldn’t refuse the food. She added a bit of butter and milk and honey and cinnamon to the oatmeal and took a spoonful. Delicious, soothing, especially with the light-as-air eggs that were even better than the ones Aunt Kate cooked at the diner. The warm coffee finished the job. “Thank you, Ma. For everything.” She threw her arms around her mother and hugged her. “You knew I’d head to work today.” She buttoned up her coat.
“Of course.” Ma grinned. “You have to get more soup for Mr. Keller.”
Haydn hadn’t slept much since Saturday night. After Grandfather’s foolish hours spent chopping wood outside, he had turned really and truly sick. Haydn had never experienced a storm quite like this. Wind and snow blew so hard, a person could get lost walking from his house to the barn and back. With Grandfather so ill, Haydn did what he could and prayed for the best until the storm ended.
Dozing in the chair beside his grandfather’s bed, Haydn woke with a start
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