grandfather …” Tears shimmered in her eyes. She blinked quickly, clearing the moisture. She grinned. “He was very handsome.”
Paul couldn’t comment on that—what did he know of handsome? But he shared what he knew to be true. “Cecil Zimmerman was a good man. Quiet, gentle, hard working.” He’d always thought Suzy was natured more like her father than her outspoken mother. “I had a lot of respect for him. Our community suffered a great loss when he went on to his eternal reward. God surely welcomed Cecil into heaven with accolades for being a good and faithful servant.”
Alexa seemed to drink in his words. “He died when I was very young. All I really remember is that Mom cried a lot and I felt bad because she was so sad.”
Why hadn’t Suzy come home for her father’s memorial service? Or for anything else, for that matter? Indiana and Kansas were far apart, but not so far the distance couldn’t be traveled. She’d missed her father’s memorial service, her brother’s and sisters’ weddings, the birth of nieces and nephews, all events worthy of a visit home. He considered asking Alexa what had kept them away, but he didn’t want to be nosy.
She looked at the picture again and released a wistful sigh. “I wish I could have known him.”
Paul couldn’t hold back a question. “Hasn’t your mother told you about him?”
Alexa bit down on her lower lip, consternation creasing her face. For a while he thought she wouldn’t answer, but then she spoke in a rush. “Mom doesn’t like to talk about her life before she moved to Indiana. The few things she’s told me were shared with such apprehension, I almost felt guilty asking. I’dhoped when we came here I’d learn everything about my family, but—” She stopped as abruptly as she’d started.
Holding up the locket, she offered a wobbly smile. “Thanks so much for finding this and showing me how to open it. I better go inside and wash the mud from my skirt before it sets in for good.” She sidestepped gingerly around the dog and then dashed off.
Pepper whined and rose, but Paul said, “Pepper, stay.” The dog lay down and rested her chin on her paws, staring after Alexa and twitching in eagerness to get up and follow. Paul stayed next to Pepper until Alexa disappeared around the corner of the house. Then he shook his finger at the dog. “Next time, behave yourself. No jumping on people.”
Pepper leaped up and batted the leg of Paul’s work trousers with one paw. He chuckled and gave her neck a scratch before turning toward the house. Pepper trotted alongside him, her tongue hanging from her mouth and her ears flopping. Paul frowned. Although he’d never been one to stick his nose into other people’s business, he couldn’t deny the desire to understand why Suzy had been so secretive about her past with her daughter and why she’d never come home. Yet at the same time he resisted uncovering the reason.
He wasn’t naive. What he and Suzy had done in the barn loft was wrong. His parents had lectured him about remaining pure because giving in to temptation once made it easier to give in a second time, and then a third. Had his indiscretion led Suzy down a path of promiscuity, which in turn caused her to hold her daughter away from her grandparents and other family members? If so, he needed to seek forgiveness for more than he’d imagined.
Suzanne
“All right, that’s enough.”
At her mother’s brusque statement, Suzanne arched backward and pressed her hands to the small of her back. After leaning over the bed and rubbing hermother’s calves for the past half hour, she needed a back massage. And a hand massage—her fingers were cramping from working Mother’s muscles. She made a mental note to add able to massage cramping muscles to the list of qualifications for the replacement nurse.
“Isn’t it close to lunchtime by now?” Petulance laced Mother’s tone.
Suzanne silently prayed for patience as she checked her
Paul couldn’t comment on that—what did he know of handsome? But he shared what he knew to be true. “Cecil Zimmerman was a good man. Quiet, gentle, hard working.” He’d always thought Suzy was natured more like her father than her outspoken mother. “I had a lot of respect for him. Our community suffered a great loss when he went on to his eternal reward. God surely welcomed Cecil into heaven with accolades for being a good and faithful servant.”
Alexa seemed to drink in his words. “He died when I was very young. All I really remember is that Mom cried a lot and I felt bad because she was so sad.”
Why hadn’t Suzy come home for her father’s memorial service? Or for anything else, for that matter? Indiana and Kansas were far apart, but not so far the distance couldn’t be traveled. She’d missed her father’s memorial service, her brother’s and sisters’ weddings, the birth of nieces and nephews, all events worthy of a visit home. He considered asking Alexa what had kept them away, but he didn’t want to be nosy.
She looked at the picture again and released a wistful sigh. “I wish I could have known him.”
Paul couldn’t hold back a question. “Hasn’t your mother told you about him?”
Alexa bit down on her lower lip, consternation creasing her face. For a while he thought she wouldn’t answer, but then she spoke in a rush. “Mom doesn’t like to talk about her life before she moved to Indiana. The few things she’s told me were shared with such apprehension, I almost felt guilty asking. I’dhoped when we came here I’d learn everything about my family, but—” She stopped as abruptly as she’d started.
Holding up the locket, she offered a wobbly smile. “Thanks so much for finding this and showing me how to open it. I better go inside and wash the mud from my skirt before it sets in for good.” She sidestepped gingerly around the dog and then dashed off.
Pepper whined and rose, but Paul said, “Pepper, stay.” The dog lay down and rested her chin on her paws, staring after Alexa and twitching in eagerness to get up and follow. Paul stayed next to Pepper until Alexa disappeared around the corner of the house. Then he shook his finger at the dog. “Next time, behave yourself. No jumping on people.”
Pepper leaped up and batted the leg of Paul’s work trousers with one paw. He chuckled and gave her neck a scratch before turning toward the house. Pepper trotted alongside him, her tongue hanging from her mouth and her ears flopping. Paul frowned. Although he’d never been one to stick his nose into other people’s business, he couldn’t deny the desire to understand why Suzy had been so secretive about her past with her daughter and why she’d never come home. Yet at the same time he resisted uncovering the reason.
He wasn’t naive. What he and Suzy had done in the barn loft was wrong. His parents had lectured him about remaining pure because giving in to temptation once made it easier to give in a second time, and then a third. Had his indiscretion led Suzy down a path of promiscuity, which in turn caused her to hold her daughter away from her grandparents and other family members? If so, he needed to seek forgiveness for more than he’d imagined.
Suzanne
“All right, that’s enough.”
At her mother’s brusque statement, Suzanne arched backward and pressed her hands to the small of her back. After leaning over the bed and rubbing hermother’s calves for the past half hour, she needed a back massage. And a hand massage—her fingers were cramping from working Mother’s muscles. She made a mental note to add able to massage cramping muscles to the list of qualifications for the replacement nurse.
“Isn’t it close to lunchtime by now?” Petulance laced Mother’s tone.
Suzanne silently prayed for patience as she checked her
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