hand, she headed for the barn to find Jonathan.
He was not there. She felt keen disappointment but pressed on to the corrals behind the barn. Slate was working with a young stallion, putting the horse through a brisk trot. Jonathan was watching with a critical eye.
“He does toe-in that left front foot,” he called to the young man. “We’ll have to work on it.”
Virginia moved up beside him and leaned on the rail. “Guess what?” she said as he turned to her. “I just received a letter from Jenny. She’s coming.”
“Here?” A frown deepened the slight furrow of his brow. He lifted a hand and removed his brimmed hat and ran fingers through his thick hair. “Why?”
Virginia felt her own feelings turn uncertain. “Well, to see us all, of course. Does she need a special reason?”
Jonathan did not reply for a long moment. He stood watching the young stallion, but Virginia knew his thoughts were not on the horse.
“You don’t sound pleased,” she said.
“I’m not.” There was no apology in his tone.
“Why? Mindy will … ”
“Mindy. That’s why. Mindy has not seen her mother since she was—”
“I know—and she will be so excited.”
“Will she? Or is it you who’ll be excited?”
He turned to face her, his eyes probing hers.
“What … what do you mean?” she stammered.
He ran his hand through his hair again and pushed the worn hat firmly down on his head. “Jenny is your friend,” he said at last. “I respect you for sticking with her … all these years even when she has done nothing to deserve your loyalty. I was … I am able to … to give her free rein where your friendship is concerned. But Mindy? That’s different. You know how much it took to get her to where she felt loved … accepted … able to face life. She’s settled in with us now. She’s doing fine. I don’t want that woman coming in here and upsetting everything.”
“But she won’t—”
“How do you know that?” He swung around to face her with his full attention. “How can you be so sure? Mindy’s just a child. An emotional child. She can’t help but be thrown off balance, coming face-to-face with a mother she knows only by name. It’s bound to do something to her, Virginia, and I don’t think it will be for her good.”
Virginia bit her lip. She had never seen Jonathan’s face so set, almost angry.
“You’re saying she can’t come?” she asked at last.
He did not answer for a long time. His hand moved to his hat, but he did not remove it, just tugged on the brim. Finally he looked at her again. “I’m not saying that,” he answered. “You are my wife. This is your home. I am not ordering you as to what you can or can’t do. But I will say that I don’t like it—not one bit. I think it will upset our Mindy.”
“We’ve been praying,” pleaded Virginia. “Don’t you think this could be the answer to our prayers?”
He hesitated again. She watched his eyes soften. “Look,” he finally said. “She’s coming. I don’t expect you’ll be able to turn her away. We have no idea why she’s coming. We have no idea how Mindy will react. But I’ll tell you this—if she starts making waves … ” He left the sentence unfinished.
Virginia nodded. The letter hung limply at her side. All of the anticipation had gone from the coming visit. She was no longer anxious to share the news with Mindy. Had Jonathan spoiled everything? Sometimes she thought he could be a bit narrow, overly protective. He certainly was protective where his children were concerned. And Mindy was as much his—theirs—as any of the little ones who shared his home.
When Virginia did tell her, Mindy’s reaction was difficult to interpret. One minute she seemed excited about the fact that Jenny was coming. The next, she seemed quiet and withdrawn—probably frightened about the prospect of meeting this woman who had brought her into the world and then brought her to Virginia.
“Perhaps God is working to
He was not there. She felt keen disappointment but pressed on to the corrals behind the barn. Slate was working with a young stallion, putting the horse through a brisk trot. Jonathan was watching with a critical eye.
“He does toe-in that left front foot,” he called to the young man. “We’ll have to work on it.”
Virginia moved up beside him and leaned on the rail. “Guess what?” she said as he turned to her. “I just received a letter from Jenny. She’s coming.”
“Here?” A frown deepened the slight furrow of his brow. He lifted a hand and removed his brimmed hat and ran fingers through his thick hair. “Why?”
Virginia felt her own feelings turn uncertain. “Well, to see us all, of course. Does she need a special reason?”
Jonathan did not reply for a long moment. He stood watching the young stallion, but Virginia knew his thoughts were not on the horse.
“You don’t sound pleased,” she said.
“I’m not.” There was no apology in his tone.
“Why? Mindy will … ”
“Mindy. That’s why. Mindy has not seen her mother since she was—”
“I know—and she will be so excited.”
“Will she? Or is it you who’ll be excited?”
He turned to face her, his eyes probing hers.
“What … what do you mean?” she stammered.
He ran his hand through his hair again and pushed the worn hat firmly down on his head. “Jenny is your friend,” he said at last. “I respect you for sticking with her … all these years even when she has done nothing to deserve your loyalty. I was … I am able to … to give her free rein where your friendship is concerned. But Mindy? That’s different. You know how much it took to get her to where she felt loved … accepted … able to face life. She’s settled in with us now. She’s doing fine. I don’t want that woman coming in here and upsetting everything.”
“But she won’t—”
“How do you know that?” He swung around to face her with his full attention. “How can you be so sure? Mindy’s just a child. An emotional child. She can’t help but be thrown off balance, coming face-to-face with a mother she knows only by name. It’s bound to do something to her, Virginia, and I don’t think it will be for her good.”
Virginia bit her lip. She had never seen Jonathan’s face so set, almost angry.
“You’re saying she can’t come?” she asked at last.
He did not answer for a long time. His hand moved to his hat, but he did not remove it, just tugged on the brim. Finally he looked at her again. “I’m not saying that,” he answered. “You are my wife. This is your home. I am not ordering you as to what you can or can’t do. But I will say that I don’t like it—not one bit. I think it will upset our Mindy.”
“We’ve been praying,” pleaded Virginia. “Don’t you think this could be the answer to our prayers?”
He hesitated again. She watched his eyes soften. “Look,” he finally said. “She’s coming. I don’t expect you’ll be able to turn her away. We have no idea why she’s coming. We have no idea how Mindy will react. But I’ll tell you this—if she starts making waves … ” He left the sentence unfinished.
Virginia nodded. The letter hung limply at her side. All of the anticipation had gone from the coming visit. She was no longer anxious to share the news with Mindy. Had Jonathan spoiled everything? Sometimes she thought he could be a bit narrow, overly protective. He certainly was protective where his children were concerned. And Mindy was as much his—theirs—as any of the little ones who shared his home.
When Virginia did tell her, Mindy’s reaction was difficult to interpret. One minute she seemed excited about the fact that Jenny was coming. The next, she seemed quiet and withdrawn—probably frightened about the prospect of meeting this woman who had brought her into the world and then brought her to Virginia.
“Perhaps God is working to
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