home from
school that day, Cary offered that he might have been
wrong about Robert.
"Maybe it's because he's not from around here,"
he said. "At least he doesn't follow Adam Jackson and
that crowd. He asked me to give him some sailing
lessons. Maybe this coming weekend," he thought
aloud.
I bit down on my lip and nodded. I felt like
someone tiptoeing over a floor of fragile glass, afraid
that if I stepped down a little too hard, it would all
crack, shatter and break around me.
"You can come along, too, if you want," he
said. "That sounds like fun, Cary."
"We'll wait and see how the weather is. As for
it being fun, that will depend on how good a student
he is."
"Robert said he definitely could get away from
his work at the hotel?" I asked.
"Well, I promised I'd help him stain the inn's
back deck on Thursday. I've got some time," Cary
said.
"You would?" I couldn't believe what I was
hearing. "I mean, you do? I mean--"
"It's no big deal, Laura. If he holds his own,
we'll finish in an hour," Cary said, with more than a
hint of challenge in his voice.
On Wednesday, as Cary had promised, we picked up May and went to the Sea Marina. I introduced May to Robert's mother and taught her some sign language to use while Cary and Robert went out back with Robert's father to look at the dock. Whatever Cary recommended pleased and impressed Robert's father, who had only high praise for Cary afterward. We all enjoyed some cold lemonade on the front porch, while Cary and Robert's father continued
their talk about the building repairs.
May loved Robert's mother, who gave her an
inexpensive watch, still in working order, she had
found in a dresser drawer in one of the rooms when
they had first taken over the property. It had Roman
numerals and a pearl-like casing with a thin, leather
strap. May was so excited about it, she walked all the
way home with her wrist raised so she could admire it
better.
"Daddy's going to ask her about that," Cary
warned. "We can't tell May to lie."
To both of us, May was so precious and special,
the very thought of having her do something even
slightly sinful was upsetting. No one was purer in
spirit.
"Let her tell the truth, Cary. We haven't done
anything wrong. It's just being a good Christian to help other people. If Daddy says anything, we'll remind him of I Corinthians 13, 'And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth
me nothing.' "
Cary laughed.
"Serves him right for having us read the Bible
every night before dinner," he said.
Daddy did ask about the watch, but he didn't
understand May's answer and asked me. I told him the
truth. He was quiet for a moment.
"I don't like her taking things from strangers,
Laura," he said.
"Mrs. Royce isn't a stranger anymore, Daddy, at
least to me," I added. He didn't look happy, but he let
it go and May kept the watch.
On Thursday, Cary went home with Robert and
helped him stain the rear deck. I didn't go along, but I
was so nervous about the two of them together
without me around that I couldn't do anything but
stare out the window and wait for Cary to come home.
True to his word, he wasn't gone much more than an
hour. I hurried downstairs to greet him at the door. "You finished it already?" I asked as he stepped
up to our porch.
"What's the big deal?" he said with a shrug.
"Painting a hull, now that's a big deal."
"Did Robert think it was as easy as you did?" I
asked. I was really asking if they had gotten along. "He held his own," Cary replied. "I guess I'll
spend a few hours teaching him something about
sailing on Saturday," he added. "If you want to come
along--"
"Oh, Cary," I cried and embraced him. "Thank
you." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
He stood there, frozen for a moment. It was
almost as if my kiss had burned him. We hadn't kissed
each other for some time, both of us self-conscious
about it. But I was like springwater gushing. I couldn't
help it.
"It's no big deal," Cary said
school that day, Cary offered that he might have been
wrong about Robert.
"Maybe it's because he's not from around here,"
he said. "At least he doesn't follow Adam Jackson and
that crowd. He asked me to give him some sailing
lessons. Maybe this coming weekend," he thought
aloud.
I bit down on my lip and nodded. I felt like
someone tiptoeing over a floor of fragile glass, afraid
that if I stepped down a little too hard, it would all
crack, shatter and break around me.
"You can come along, too, if you want," he
said. "That sounds like fun, Cary."
"We'll wait and see how the weather is. As for
it being fun, that will depend on how good a student
he is."
"Robert said he definitely could get away from
his work at the hotel?" I asked.
"Well, I promised I'd help him stain the inn's
back deck on Thursday. I've got some time," Cary
said.
"You would?" I couldn't believe what I was
hearing. "I mean, you do? I mean--"
"It's no big deal, Laura. If he holds his own,
we'll finish in an hour," Cary said, with more than a
hint of challenge in his voice.
On Wednesday, as Cary had promised, we picked up May and went to the Sea Marina. I introduced May to Robert's mother and taught her some sign language to use while Cary and Robert went out back with Robert's father to look at the dock. Whatever Cary recommended pleased and impressed Robert's father, who had only high praise for Cary afterward. We all enjoyed some cold lemonade on the front porch, while Cary and Robert's father continued
their talk about the building repairs.
May loved Robert's mother, who gave her an
inexpensive watch, still in working order, she had
found in a dresser drawer in one of the rooms when
they had first taken over the property. It had Roman
numerals and a pearl-like casing with a thin, leather
strap. May was so excited about it, she walked all the
way home with her wrist raised so she could admire it
better.
"Daddy's going to ask her about that," Cary
warned. "We can't tell May to lie."
To both of us, May was so precious and special,
the very thought of having her do something even
slightly sinful was upsetting. No one was purer in
spirit.
"Let her tell the truth, Cary. We haven't done
anything wrong. It's just being a good Christian to help other people. If Daddy says anything, we'll remind him of I Corinthians 13, 'And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth
me nothing.' "
Cary laughed.
"Serves him right for having us read the Bible
every night before dinner," he said.
Daddy did ask about the watch, but he didn't
understand May's answer and asked me. I told him the
truth. He was quiet for a moment.
"I don't like her taking things from strangers,
Laura," he said.
"Mrs. Royce isn't a stranger anymore, Daddy, at
least to me," I added. He didn't look happy, but he let
it go and May kept the watch.
On Thursday, Cary went home with Robert and
helped him stain the rear deck. I didn't go along, but I
was so nervous about the two of them together
without me around that I couldn't do anything but
stare out the window and wait for Cary to come home.
True to his word, he wasn't gone much more than an
hour. I hurried downstairs to greet him at the door. "You finished it already?" I asked as he stepped
up to our porch.
"What's the big deal?" he said with a shrug.
"Painting a hull, now that's a big deal."
"Did Robert think it was as easy as you did?" I
asked. I was really asking if they had gotten along. "He held his own," Cary replied. "I guess I'll
spend a few hours teaching him something about
sailing on Saturday," he added. "If you want to come
along--"
"Oh, Cary," I cried and embraced him. "Thank
you." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
He stood there, frozen for a moment. It was
almost as if my kiss had burned him. We hadn't kissed
each other for some time, both of us self-conscious
about it. But I was like springwater gushing. I couldn't
help it.
"It's no big deal," Cary said
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