fragrance. “Let’s go put these in the house. They need more water right away. I’ve already got a vase ready and waiting.” Before she could move, Dalton grabbed her by the shoulders. “Wait!” he grinned, quite proud of himself. “That’s only part of the surprise.”
He turned her around to face the house. He was still standing behind her, but he heard her breath catch in her throat. Turning to him, she threw her arms around his neck.
“Dalton, it’s beautiful! I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. It’s the perfect gift.” She sighed and turned back to face the house and her new flower garden. She pulled his arms around her waist and leaned her head back against his shoulder. “It will always be a beautiful reminder of the day we began our life together.”
Laurellyn was right. The garden would always remind Dalton of her. It had indeed been her great joy, and she had spent many hours working in it. Jenny too, had spent much of that time at her mother’s side while Laurellyn taught her about weeding and tending the delicate flowers planted there.
Dalton let out a sigh of frustration. Now when he thought of Jenny working the garden, he pictured her with Jillian, and not Laurellyn.
Just a week ago, when Dalton came in from working the cornfields, the scent of wildflowers—as strong as he ever remembered it being—hit him as soon as he had closed the door of the house. Their soft fragrance was always in the air outside when they were in bloom, but it was muted out in the open. There hadn’t been flowers inside the house since Laurellyn died. The scent today was strong, overpowering, and filled with memories. He could see a large bouquet in the center of the table and another one in the parlor.
Jillian had just finished putting biscuits in the oven for dinner. She had looked up at him and smiled when he came through the door. She looked away when she saw the troubled expression on his face, but said nothing. When he saw her distracted by her work, he took a moment to recover.
“Look, Pa,” Lisa exclaimed when she caught sight of him. “Look at all the pretty flowers we picked today. Ma says I can pick some every day if I want and bring them into the house. We even put some in my room.” Then she made a face. “Brenn tried eatin’ ’em, but Ma told him that they looked a lot prettier than they tasted. He didn’t listen, though—just kept right on tryin’ to eat ’em until Ma got him a cookie.” Lisa made another face. “He let Digger lick his cookie before he finished eatin’ it and ate the rest anyway! Boys are so disgusting, aren’t they, Pa?”
Dalton looked over at Jillian. She was listening intently to Lisa and trying to suppress a smile. When he caught her eye, she couldn’t hold back her smile any longer, and he found himself smiling too. At least the awkward moment had passed.
“Well, now, Lisa.” He sat in a kitchen chair and lifted his daughter onto one knee. “I do suppose we men can be a little different at times than you women folk, but we also have some very good qualities, I like to think.” He looked over to Jillian and winked. “Remember, the other day when you and Brenn were playing ball with Digger and the ball rolled into that big puddle of mud?” Lisa nodded her head. “Well, remember how you didn’t want to go get to it because you didn’t want to get your dress and shoes all muddy?” Again Lisa nodded her head. “Well, who went running right into the puddle and got the ball for you?”
“Brenn did.” Lisa smiled and looked over at her brother, who didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, but smiled back and waved anyway.
“That’s right, Brenn did.” He looked over at Jillian. “So you see, my little angel, we boys might be a little disgusting at times, but we would do almost anything for a lady.” With that, Lisa gave her dad a big hug and hopped off his lap. She hurried back over to Brenn, giving him a big kiss on
He turned her around to face the house. He was still standing behind her, but he heard her breath catch in her throat. Turning to him, she threw her arms around his neck.
“Dalton, it’s beautiful! I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. It’s the perfect gift.” She sighed and turned back to face the house and her new flower garden. She pulled his arms around her waist and leaned her head back against his shoulder. “It will always be a beautiful reminder of the day we began our life together.”
Laurellyn was right. The garden would always remind Dalton of her. It had indeed been her great joy, and she had spent many hours working in it. Jenny too, had spent much of that time at her mother’s side while Laurellyn taught her about weeding and tending the delicate flowers planted there.
Dalton let out a sigh of frustration. Now when he thought of Jenny working the garden, he pictured her with Jillian, and not Laurellyn.
Just a week ago, when Dalton came in from working the cornfields, the scent of wildflowers—as strong as he ever remembered it being—hit him as soon as he had closed the door of the house. Their soft fragrance was always in the air outside when they were in bloom, but it was muted out in the open. There hadn’t been flowers inside the house since Laurellyn died. The scent today was strong, overpowering, and filled with memories. He could see a large bouquet in the center of the table and another one in the parlor.
Jillian had just finished putting biscuits in the oven for dinner. She had looked up at him and smiled when he came through the door. She looked away when she saw the troubled expression on his face, but said nothing. When he saw her distracted by her work, he took a moment to recover.
“Look, Pa,” Lisa exclaimed when she caught sight of him. “Look at all the pretty flowers we picked today. Ma says I can pick some every day if I want and bring them into the house. We even put some in my room.” Then she made a face. “Brenn tried eatin’ ’em, but Ma told him that they looked a lot prettier than they tasted. He didn’t listen, though—just kept right on tryin’ to eat ’em until Ma got him a cookie.” Lisa made another face. “He let Digger lick his cookie before he finished eatin’ it and ate the rest anyway! Boys are so disgusting, aren’t they, Pa?”
Dalton looked over at Jillian. She was listening intently to Lisa and trying to suppress a smile. When he caught her eye, she couldn’t hold back her smile any longer, and he found himself smiling too. At least the awkward moment had passed.
“Well, now, Lisa.” He sat in a kitchen chair and lifted his daughter onto one knee. “I do suppose we men can be a little different at times than you women folk, but we also have some very good qualities, I like to think.” He looked over to Jillian and winked. “Remember, the other day when you and Brenn were playing ball with Digger and the ball rolled into that big puddle of mud?” Lisa nodded her head. “Well, remember how you didn’t want to go get to it because you didn’t want to get your dress and shoes all muddy?” Again Lisa nodded her head. “Well, who went running right into the puddle and got the ball for you?”
“Brenn did.” Lisa smiled and looked over at her brother, who didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, but smiled back and waved anyway.
“That’s right, Brenn did.” He looked over at Jillian. “So you see, my little angel, we boys might be a little disgusting at times, but we would do almost anything for a lady.” With that, Lisa gave her dad a big hug and hopped off his lap. She hurried back over to Brenn, giving him a big kiss on
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