Easter Blessings (4 page)

“I
’m glad you decided to stay for a while,” Sadie said.

Mariel held her grandmother’s arm as they strolled down the gravel lane toward the big field. Sadie wanted to see the lilies up close.

“Me, too,” Mariel admitted. She’d been here for a week now and she had to admit, she was sleeping better and she felt better over all. “I’ve been burning the midnight oil for so long, I’d forgotten to stop and rest.”

“And to stop and smell the lilies,” Sadie said, patting Mariel’s arm. “You look rested. So Heath isn’t working you too hard?”

Ah, Mariel had wondered when they’d get around to the subject of Heath Whitaker. “Not really. I’m used to hard work. But this work is different. It’s interesting and it keeps me busy.”

“Interesting enough for you to accept my proposition?”

“Granny, I’m just not sure I feel comfortable, knowing that if…something happens to you, this place would suddenly be my responsibility.”

Sadie stopped as they reached the outskirts of the big field. “Let’s go sit on my bench.”

Mariel guided her to the old wooden bench perched across the wide lane, underneath a towering live oak that had been there for two centuries. The secluded spot gave a perfect view of the sloping field.

It was late afternoon. The day had been warm, but now the gloaming had arrived. Mariel could feel the cool drafts from the nearby woods. “Are you cold?”

“No, dear, I’m fine. Just right.” Sadie straightened the skirt of her dress, then turned to Mariel. “You need to understand something, darling. I picked you for the job because I know I can trust you. I’ve always favored you over my other grandchildren.”

“Granny—”

“Now, before you go getting all worked up, hear me out. The boys know how I feel and they don’t begrudge me that favoritism, because you are the firstborn. They know I love them and my other grandchildren, but honestly, those citified teenagers of theirs don’t give two hoots about this old farm. They only come to visit when their parents force them out here. So we have an understanding. I won’t bother them about being all lovey-dovey, if they won’t tell me what to do with my land and property. It works for me.”

Mariel shook her head. “But it shouldn’t have to be that way. Your grandchildren need to learn respect, and they need to understand that this ‘old farm’ gave their parents a good, solid start in life.”

“They wouldn’t get it,” Sadie replied, a stubborn set to her lips. But Mariel saw the hurt in her grandmother’s expression, too.

“Maybe we should clue them in,” she said quietly.

Sadie sighed, her gaze moving over the flowing lily rows. “Maybe. But there is one more very important rea
son I want you to consider this.” She turned to Mariel then, her expression softening. “It’s your mother.”

“Mother? What’s she got to do with this?”

“Everything,” Sadie said. “I don’t know where I went wrong with Evelyn. I loved her just as much as I loved the boys, spoiled her at times, at other times held firm against her rebellion. I tried to teach her values as any mother would, but we’ve just never seen anything eye-to-eye.”

Mariel shifted on the bench. “So you’re willing me the farm to appease my mother?”

“No, I didn’t say anything about appeasing anyone. It’s a solid business decision, based on prayer and careful reflection. But I am hoping that if you inherit this place, maybe move back here to run it, it will bring your mother home. Even if I’m not here to see it happen.”

Mariel stared at her grandmother, an outpouring of love pooling inside her heart. Sadie was a devout woman, a woman who believed in the power of God’s healing grace. It was so like her to think of others instead of herself. So like her to still love and care about the daughter who had turned her back on her family long ago.

Obviously, Sadie had thought about this for a long time. And obviously, she thought this was the only way to bring a sense of healing to her family. If Mariel moved back to White Hill, eventually Evelyn would have to come home to visit. And Sadie was hoping that would begin to heal the rift that had developed between Evelyn and her family years ago. In her own gentle, loving way, her grandmother was offering her more than a lily farm. She was offering Mariel a legacy that would sustain the generations. And bring her mother back home.

“What if Mother doesn’t agree to this?” Mariel asked now. “What if she resents you for…this manipulation?”

“Do you think I’m trying to manipulate you?” Sadie asked.

“Are you?” Mariel countered. “Granny, it’s not like you to tell others what to do. You’ve always been so strong, so supportive, but never interfering or demanding.”

“I’m not interfering or demanding now,” Sadie replied. “I’m just preparing the way for the next generations.” She took Mariel’s hand in hers. “You can walk away from this at any time, without guilt. I only want you to accept this if it’s truly what you want in your heart.”

“And you think this is what’s in my heart?”

Sadie nodded. “I’m praying that it is, yes. But in the end, I won’t force anyone to do anything. I haven’t tried to force things with your mother. I never did, even when she married so young to a man I didn’t trust—but I’m hopeful.”

Hopeful.

Mariel looked out over the lilies. The tall stately plants seemed so silent, so knowing, as if they, too, were listening to Sadie’s request. And it was a simple request.

She wanted her family back together.

Why wait until it was too late? Mariel wondered. Why couldn’t Evelyn come home now?

A plan formed in Mariel’s head. “Granny, what’s your one desire?”

“I just told you,” Sadie said. “I want to keep this farm intact. I want it to stay in this family.”

“And don’t you want all of your children to come and visit more?”

“That would be lovely, yes.”

“Well, how about we go into action? Easter will be here in a few weeks. Why don’t we bring everybody here for Easter dinner? I’ll cook or I’ll have the food catered, but I think you need this right now.”

“Catered?” Sadie stood up, all five feet, four inches of
her. “I have never had an Easter meal catered, and I’m not about to start now.”

“Okay, we’ll cook together,” Mariel replied. “Is it a plan?”

Sadie nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Consider it done, then,” Mariel told her.

A voice from the edge of the woods caused them both to turn around. “Consider what done?” Heath asked as he emerged from the trees.

Heath saw the startled look on Mariel’s face. Her green eyes grew wary. She still didn’t trust him.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he walked toward them. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Sadie smiled up at him. “No, no, we were just talking. We’ve decided to have the entire family home for Easter.”

“Really?” He looked at Mariel. She nodded, still silent, still watchful. “Your idea?”

“In a way,” she said, her tone defensive. “Granny needs her family around her now.”

“But that’s a big effort—cooking, preparing.”

“I’m going to help her.”

Sadie shifted between them. “I’m perfectly capable of preparing a big meal. Been doing it for years.”

“But you’re—”

“If one more person tells me I’m sick, I’m going to scream,” Sadie replied, her voice calm in spite of the threat of a tantrum. “I have heart problems and I’m taking my medicine and trying to adhere to a proper diet. Beyond that, it’s in the Lord’s hands. But that doesn’t mean I have to be shifted off to the old folks’ home. Not just yet. And that certainly doesn’t mean I can’t carry my part of the load. I want my family home for Easter. And that’s that.”

Heath felt properly put in his place. “I didn’t mean to patronize, Sadie. We’re just worried about you.”

“I didn’t mean to criticize,” Sadie countered. “And I
appreciate the concern. But if you two want to help me, want to make me feel better, you’ll keep doing what you’ve been doing. Take care of my lilies.”

“We will, Granny,” Mariel said.

Heath saw the warning gleam in her eyes. “Yes, we will do that. And I can report that our first shipments went off without a hitch. We’ve got more trucks coming in next week. Looks like this Easter season is well under way. Might be our best season yet.”

Sadie smiled then. “Well, good. You have brought in some much-needed improvements, that’s for sure.” She started toward the house.

“Wait, Granny,” Mariel said, rushing after her. “Let me walk you back.”

“No, you stay and chat with Heath,” Sadie said, waving over her shoulder. “I want to be alone for a while.”

Mariel looked puzzled. Shrugging, she glanced at Heath. “Okay, but be careful.”

“I know the way well,” Sadie called out. “You two sit and enjoy the sunset.”

Heath didn’t think he’d even see the sunset if he sat down with Mariel. She radiated a glow that far outshone the sun. And right now, she looked especially lovely with her fire-tinged hair down and flowing around her shoulders. She wore a short denim skirt and a long-sleeved, lightweight floral sweater.

His heart did that little fluttering thing again.

“Want to sit?” he finally asked, hopeful.

“Sure.” She sank down on the bench. “So where have you been?”

He indicated the collapsible fishing pole he carried. “I walked down to the pond, hoping to catch a catfish for my supper.”

She laughed, tossed her thick hair, made him swallow
and look away. “So that’s what you do with a few hours off?”

“You have a problem with me fishing?”

“Nope. Just figured you’d work right through the weekend.”

“Sadie doesn’t like the trucks to run on the weekend.”

“But you do—
run
that is—I saw you up bright and early this morning, making your rounds through the greenhouses. You’re like that little bunny on the battery commercials.”

“You got a problem with that, too?”

She shifted, folded her arms over her midsection in a defensive measure. “I don’t have a problem with anything you choose to do. I—I just couldn’t sleep this morning and I saw you.”

“Spying on me, huh?”

“No!” She got up, pivoted to stare down at him. “Why would I have any reason to spy on you?”

He reached out a hand, pulled her back down onto the bench. “Because you don’t quite trust me, right?”

Mariel looked at his hand on her arm, but she didn’t pull away. “Right now, I don’t trust myself. I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I’m confused about this whole setup. And I just figured out from talking to Granny that she’s really doing this to bring my mother back home.” She stopped, hitched a breath. “She said she wanted to make peace with my mother, even if she’d not be here to witness it. She wants to hold on to this place—”

Heath saw the tears forming in her eyes. His heart hurt for her. “She wants her family to have a safe haven, even if they don’t think they need it.”

Mariel turned to him then, her green eyes wide. “You do understand, don’t you?”

He slowly nodded. Then because he couldn’t stop himself, he reached out and pushed her hair off her face. That
gesture brought a soft gasp from her parted lips, and brought her head up, her eyes locking with his. “You don’t know everything about us though, do you?” she asked. “You don’t know about things between my mother and me, between my grandmother and my mother?”

He dropped his hand, shook his head. “Sadie doesn’t talk about your mother much. And when she does, she gets this sad look in her eyes. So I don’t pry.”

“Did she tell you that my parents married very young, when they were teenagers? They had me shortly afterward. That’s why I’m so much older than my cousins, even though my mother is the youngest child.”

“Should that matter to me?”

She glanced away, but not before he saw the discomfort and shame in her eyes. “It shouldn’t matter to anyone, but it does.”

Puzzled, Heath didn’t know how to respond. “Want to explain that?”

“Not really. You wouldn’t understand all the details.”

“I’m pretty good at sifting through the details.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m a good listener. I learn from listening and observing. Just ask the lilies.”

She grinned then. “There are a lot of things I need to ask those lilies.” Then she gave him a quick glance. “So
you’re
the real spy.”

“No, yes, maybe. I see things, hear things.”

“Did you hear us talking?”

“No. I wouldn’t deliberately eavesdrop on a private conversation. I don’t have to—I can see the pain of this in your eyes.”

She turned away again. She obviously didn’t want him to see anything about her.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” she said finally. “It’s complicated. My mother
hasn’t been happy since my father left fifteen years ago. And for some reason, she blames my grandmother…and me, for her troubles.”

He sat back, silent for a minute. Then he decided maybe if he opened up to her, she’d do the same with him.

“I came from a solid family,” he said. “My mom and dad were happily married for over thirty years.”

Mariel looked up then. “Were?”

“My dad died a few years ago—I think I told you.” He shrugged. “When he died, I lost my anchor. We’d always worked together. Without him, I grew restless.”

“You told me you traveled?”

“Yes. I was searching for something to replace the emptiness I’d felt since he died.”

“And what about your mother?”

“She has a strong faith, and she turned to family. She went on with her life, in spite of the pain.”

“I wish my mother could do that.”

“She could if she’d—she’d let her family back into her life and turn to God.”

He’d expected her to bolt at that suggestion, but instead Mariel’s eyes met his again. “Is that what helped you?”

“My faith, you mean? It brought me here,” he said, his words low.

She smiled, but looked skeptical. “And so, here we are.”

“Yep. Here we are.”

“You know, Heath, I think my grandmother has an ulterior motive for bringing me here.”

“Oh, and what’s that?”

“You,” she said softly, simply. “I think she wants us to—”

“Fall in love?” he asked, his breath catching with the suggestion.