others as “Jimmy” ran up the hill where his nervous mother stood watching.
Jake spoke quietly to Rachel. “Glad you came?” He wore his tan uniform today.
“Very,” she replied, glad to be talking again without that clenching uneasiness. She hadn’t realized how important his friendship was to her until he’d left the night before last and she’d felt an acute sense of loss. It had still taken her a half hour to gather enough courage to call him. “I have to say that Jimmy was a lot cuter before he was fitted with the ear tag and collar, though.”
“True. Unfortunately, that’s the way it has to be.” He nodded toward the kids and professionals whowere gearing up to walk the next field. “Ready to try again?”
“Absolutely,” Rachel replied with a smile. And she wasn’t referring to spotting newborn calves.
Late that afternoon, after Haskell, Keene and the teachers and students had gone, Rachel watched Jake toss the suspension scale into the back of his truck, then return to where she stood beside her red Explorer. She liked the way he moved. Unhurried, yet with purpose. A light breeze tempered the afternoon heat and tossed his dark brown hair.
“Three calves,” he said. “Not bad for this early in the birthing season. Nice of the weatherman to give us a good day. We should thank him.”
“Wrong. The weatherman didn’t supply the blue skies and sunshine.” She pointed skyward. “He did.”
For a second, Jake seemed at a loss for words. Then he grinned and tapped her sunburned nose. “Planning to thank Him for your sunburn, too? You’re going to look like Rudolph after the sun sets.”
“I thank Him for everything.” She paused. “But I get the feeling you don’t.”
Jake leaned a hip against the red SUV’s front fender. “I’m just not … churchy.”
“Were you ever?”
He thought about that. “Yeah, I guess so. I was raised a Christian. My dad’s an agnostic, but my mom made sure Carrie, Greg and I attended services. Things changed for me after my sister was killed, though.”
“You blamed God.”
“You bet. I couldn’t believe He’d allow something like that to happen to her. Then, when I was throughbeing mad … I guess I just stopped caring. Faith wasn’t high on my priority list then anyway. I was sixteen and into friends, girls and every sport you can name.” He shrugged. “After that, the distractions of daily living pretty much pushed religion to the background. People get busy, Rachel.”
She didn’t understand that. She’d never be too busy for God. She needed the peace that came with being a woman of faith. “No problem,” she returned smiling. “He’ll be there for you the next time you need Him.” She hesitated for a moment, then her nosy self asked the question. “So … the next time you planned to be in a church was on your wedding day?”
He raised a dark eyebrow, but he still replied, “That was the plan.”
“Can I ask why it didn’t work out?”
He smiled. “You can ask, but it’s not something I feel comfortable talking about with you, so you won’t be getting an answer. Let’s just say that I’m now one of those confirmed bachelors you’ve heard about.”
The smart thing to do was to back off. But after the hurt—or anger—she’d heard in his voice a few days ago, she knew he was still coming to terms with whatever had happened. “Would you feel better discussing it with someone else?”
Jake straightened from the car and met her eyes, though not in an adversarial way. “Why do you think I need to talk to anyone?”
“So you can move on and be happy.”
“I have moved on. I am happy. But you know what would make me even happier?”
She waited expectantly. “What?”
“Helping you paint the bathhouses a little later. Thisfield trip cost you a whole day’s work, and I’m feeling guilty about it. I need to make it up to you.”
Rachel sighed. Once again, he was tabling the discussion.
And that’s his
Jake spoke quietly to Rachel. “Glad you came?” He wore his tan uniform today.
“Very,” she replied, glad to be talking again without that clenching uneasiness. She hadn’t realized how important his friendship was to her until he’d left the night before last and she’d felt an acute sense of loss. It had still taken her a half hour to gather enough courage to call him. “I have to say that Jimmy was a lot cuter before he was fitted with the ear tag and collar, though.”
“True. Unfortunately, that’s the way it has to be.” He nodded toward the kids and professionals whowere gearing up to walk the next field. “Ready to try again?”
“Absolutely,” Rachel replied with a smile. And she wasn’t referring to spotting newborn calves.
Late that afternoon, after Haskell, Keene and the teachers and students had gone, Rachel watched Jake toss the suspension scale into the back of his truck, then return to where she stood beside her red Explorer. She liked the way he moved. Unhurried, yet with purpose. A light breeze tempered the afternoon heat and tossed his dark brown hair.
“Three calves,” he said. “Not bad for this early in the birthing season. Nice of the weatherman to give us a good day. We should thank him.”
“Wrong. The weatherman didn’t supply the blue skies and sunshine.” She pointed skyward. “He did.”
For a second, Jake seemed at a loss for words. Then he grinned and tapped her sunburned nose. “Planning to thank Him for your sunburn, too? You’re going to look like Rudolph after the sun sets.”
“I thank Him for everything.” She paused. “But I get the feeling you don’t.”
Jake leaned a hip against the red SUV’s front fender. “I’m just not … churchy.”
“Were you ever?”
He thought about that. “Yeah, I guess so. I was raised a Christian. My dad’s an agnostic, but my mom made sure Carrie, Greg and I attended services. Things changed for me after my sister was killed, though.”
“You blamed God.”
“You bet. I couldn’t believe He’d allow something like that to happen to her. Then, when I was throughbeing mad … I guess I just stopped caring. Faith wasn’t high on my priority list then anyway. I was sixteen and into friends, girls and every sport you can name.” He shrugged. “After that, the distractions of daily living pretty much pushed religion to the background. People get busy, Rachel.”
She didn’t understand that. She’d never be too busy for God. She needed the peace that came with being a woman of faith. “No problem,” she returned smiling. “He’ll be there for you the next time you need Him.” She hesitated for a moment, then her nosy self asked the question. “So … the next time you planned to be in a church was on your wedding day?”
He raised a dark eyebrow, but he still replied, “That was the plan.”
“Can I ask why it didn’t work out?”
He smiled. “You can ask, but it’s not something I feel comfortable talking about with you, so you won’t be getting an answer. Let’s just say that I’m now one of those confirmed bachelors you’ve heard about.”
The smart thing to do was to back off. But after the hurt—or anger—she’d heard in his voice a few days ago, she knew he was still coming to terms with whatever had happened. “Would you feel better discussing it with someone else?”
Jake straightened from the car and met her eyes, though not in an adversarial way. “Why do you think I need to talk to anyone?”
“So you can move on and be happy.”
“I have moved on. I am happy. But you know what would make me even happier?”
She waited expectantly. “What?”
“Helping you paint the bathhouses a little later. Thisfield trip cost you a whole day’s work, and I’m feeling guilty about it. I need to make it up to you.”
Rachel sighed. Once again, he was tabling the discussion.
And that’s his
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