before he let anything
happen to her. She’s already got him wrapped around her little finger.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I
know. It’s just going to be hard having to share her all of a sudden.”
“He’s pretty angry about it,
huh?” He lifted one hand and rubbed her shoulders affectionately.
Again she nodded. “He’s
furious. It was a mistake not to tell him before she was born. I
don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for this. I should have listened to
you.”
Jory patted her
shoulder. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about his forgiveness if I were you and
Raale isn’t likely to allow him to stay angry long. She likes peace and
harmony.”
“I never dreamed I’d come
back here to live, but now that I have, I don’t see much chance of peace and
harmony in my life in the near future.” She was envisioning fights
with her mother on a daily bases and now, having to maintain a relationship
with Rafe that looked difficult, to say the least. All she could see in
her future was chaos.
“Mesa, everyone makes
mistakes in their lives. The most helpful thing one can do is recognize
the mistake for what it is and then try to learn from it,” Jory counseled
softly. He of all people understood that.
She sighed. “I’m tired
of conflict already. Maybe it would have been better to have hired a
couple of nurses and a manager for this place and stayed in Branson.”
“And let your mother spend
this place into bankruptcy? This is Raale’s heritage. Keep
reminding yourself what you’re fighting for.” Jory wrapped his big arms
around her for a quick hug before he turned and went into the house.
Chapter 5
Jory knew most people found
his and Mesa’s relationship incomprehensible. There were times when he
did, too, but he loved her in a way that he’d never loved another human
being. He loved her as he would have loved the daughter he’d never had.
During a time in his life
when all he looked forward to was his next bottle of booze, he’d heard her
voice floating through the falling snow like the voice of an angel. It
gripped his heart and drew him and he followed it through the trees until he
saw her. It was so cold snowflakes were starting to fall and she sat
there in jeans and a light jacket, holding a guitar, singing her heart out,
completely unaware of the frigid temperature or anything else around her.
The sweet sound of her singing anchored him and all he could do was stand there
in the cold and watch and listen. The wind was whipping her long brown
hair around, her eyes were closed, her fingers danced over the strings of the
musical instrument in her hands, giving life to a simple melody, and the voice
floating up from deep inside her melted his heart.
Jory Madison was overwhelmed
and as he watched and listened, icy tears escaped his eyes. The song she
was singing was about a young man who’d had a fight with his wife and wandered
into a bar. He’d ordered a drink of ‘the good stuff,’ and the bartender
was telling him what he’d asked for didn’t come in a bottle. It was found
in a loving home and wasn’t promised to be there forever, therefore, it should
be treasured and carefully nurtured. In the sweet words she sang, Jory
saw his past life. The wife he’d loved, the son they’d been expecting,
the fiery car crash that had taken both of them from him, and the overwhelming
grief that had led him downhill and into this foggy, numb world of unending
drunkenness.
When she stopped singing,
Mesa was surprised to discover that she wasn’t alone. She put the guitar
aside and walked over to the man kneeling in the brown grass that was quickly
disappearing beneath the falling snow. “Hey mister, are you alright?”
Jory shook his head
negatively and wiped his tears away. He struggled to his feet again and
swayed slightly, his mind still hazy but he didn’t know if it was grief or
liquor.
Mesa could smell the alcohol
on his breath,
happen to her. She’s already got him wrapped around her little finger.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I
know. It’s just going to be hard having to share her all of a sudden.”
“He’s pretty angry about it,
huh?” He lifted one hand and rubbed her shoulders affectionately.
Again she nodded. “He’s
furious. It was a mistake not to tell him before she was born. I
don’t think he’ll ever forgive me for this. I should have listened to
you.”
Jory patted her
shoulder. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about his forgiveness if I were you and
Raale isn’t likely to allow him to stay angry long. She likes peace and
harmony.”
“I never dreamed I’d come
back here to live, but now that I have, I don’t see much chance of peace and
harmony in my life in the near future.” She was envisioning fights
with her mother on a daily bases and now, having to maintain a relationship
with Rafe that looked difficult, to say the least. All she could see in
her future was chaos.
“Mesa, everyone makes
mistakes in their lives. The most helpful thing one can do is recognize
the mistake for what it is and then try to learn from it,” Jory counseled
softly. He of all people understood that.
She sighed. “I’m tired
of conflict already. Maybe it would have been better to have hired a
couple of nurses and a manager for this place and stayed in Branson.”
“And let your mother spend
this place into bankruptcy? This is Raale’s heritage. Keep
reminding yourself what you’re fighting for.” Jory wrapped his big arms
around her for a quick hug before he turned and went into the house.
Chapter 5
Jory knew most people found
his and Mesa’s relationship incomprehensible. There were times when he
did, too, but he loved her in a way that he’d never loved another human
being. He loved her as he would have loved the daughter he’d never had.
During a time in his life
when all he looked forward to was his next bottle of booze, he’d heard her
voice floating through the falling snow like the voice of an angel. It
gripped his heart and drew him and he followed it through the trees until he
saw her. It was so cold snowflakes were starting to fall and she sat
there in jeans and a light jacket, holding a guitar, singing her heart out,
completely unaware of the frigid temperature or anything else around her.
The sweet sound of her singing anchored him and all he could do was stand there
in the cold and watch and listen. The wind was whipping her long brown
hair around, her eyes were closed, her fingers danced over the strings of the
musical instrument in her hands, giving life to a simple melody, and the voice
floating up from deep inside her melted his heart.
Jory Madison was overwhelmed
and as he watched and listened, icy tears escaped his eyes. The song she
was singing was about a young man who’d had a fight with his wife and wandered
into a bar. He’d ordered a drink of ‘the good stuff,’ and the bartender
was telling him what he’d asked for didn’t come in a bottle. It was found
in a loving home and wasn’t promised to be there forever, therefore, it should
be treasured and carefully nurtured. In the sweet words she sang, Jory
saw his past life. The wife he’d loved, the son they’d been expecting,
the fiery car crash that had taken both of them from him, and the overwhelming
grief that had led him downhill and into this foggy, numb world of unending
drunkenness.
When she stopped singing,
Mesa was surprised to discover that she wasn’t alone. She put the guitar
aside and walked over to the man kneeling in the brown grass that was quickly
disappearing beneath the falling snow. “Hey mister, are you alright?”
Jory shook his head
negatively and wiped his tears away. He struggled to his feet again and
swayed slightly, his mind still hazy but he didn’t know if it was grief or
liquor.
Mesa could smell the alcohol
on his breath,
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