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A clinking glass caused Brendan, and about every other soul present to turn toward the front of the tented area. It seemed like all of Little Bend, along with the entire staff of Living River Ranch, were present for the pig roast. It was a sight to see with so much positive energy in the air this evening.
“Noah and I,” Margaret said, slipping an arm around her fiancé, “are so grateful you all came out to celebrate this perfect summer with us. We would not be able to carry on with everything we do out here without all of you graciously helping. So far, we have helped through therapy sessions, 46 vets, 61 children, and 16 others, and the year is only half over. We are thankful the harvest and slaughter numbers are above average, as you know, so much of that goes out into the world to sustain others. We thank God as we are truly blessed and want to share with all of you,” she raised a glass.
“Jake, our Social Worker, would like to say a few words,” Margaret added, handing the microphone over to him.
He stepped forward, and Brendan noticed the man’s hand was shaking. He had become friends with him, and not once had he seen him lose his cool or not be under control. He at once began worrying that something might be wrong.
“Belle, I know much of this is due to your hard work. Would you please come to join me?”
Belle moved to Jake’s side just as he fell to one knee in front of her.
“Belle Townsend, you are the best human I know with the biggest heart to help others. I have been so honored to come here to stretch my horizons and expand my family. I have sought your father’s and mother’s permission, but now I need to know from you – would you be my wife?”
Belle looked like she was going to pass out as she stood with a hand over her mouth and huge eyes. For a moment, she didn’t utter a sound, and the silence was deafening as everyone present waited for her answer.
“Yes,” she said, suddenly swiping at a tear. “Of course!”
Jake slipped the ring he held on her finger and stood. Embracing Belle, he planted a kiss on her lips.
“I think that is about all I have to add,” he said, turning back to Margaret.
“Oh, my goodness,” Nancy said, wiping her eye right next to him.
“What is wrong, Ms. Nancy,” Piper asked.
“Sweetie, I’m just so happy for Belle and Jake,” she said, wiping tears.
“You cry when you are happy,” Charlotte asked, looking very confused.
“Sometimes.”
“Grownups are weird,” Charlotte said.
Brendan couldn’t help but agree with his daughter. Humans fight, love, and wage battles with each other. They cry when they are sad, but out of the mouths of babes, the truth comes forth every time.
“You want to go see the sheep?” Matthew said, stepping right into their conversation. Charlotte and Piper were big favorites of his.
“Can we, dad?” Charlotte asked.
“I will watch them close,” Matthew said, puffing his chest out slightly.
“Thank you, Matthew,” Brendan said, before nodding to the girls that they could follow him to see the sheep.
“Wow, do they ever run out of steam,” Nancy asked when the girls were out of earshot.
“Yes. Unfortunately, there are only two modes, full force, and then they stop, fall over, and sleep,” he chuckled.
“Thought you might like to have dinner with us this coming Tuesday night.”
“Us? You mean the girls and you?”
“Yep. Taco Tuesday and they cook,” he said, trying to restrain his face as he awaited her answer.
They were brand new to this dating game, and adding the girls into the mix so quickly might not be the smartest idea. He just couldn’t let it go too far without knowing how they would all get along. He was finding Nancy’s company fantastic and was surprised that he kept seeking her out every chance he could get. Reflecting, he had expected the first date would be a flop after all that had transpired lately. It turned out to be an amazing date, however, so moving on with taco Tuesday seemed like a natural next step.
“I would love to have dinner with the three of you,” she said.
“Excellent,” he said, muting abruptly as he caught sight of Carl Swifett across the open space.
The man looked as if he had come from the barns and was still on the clock. He had been to the food table when he caught sight of Brendan and turned around to go back the direction he had come.
“Excuse me a minute,” he said to Nancy.
“Brendan,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he said and continued to walk as fast as he could until he overtook Carl.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you would be out here tonight. This is a huge shindig,” he said, keeping his head downturned.
Brendan looked over his shoulder and back at the man. He looked like how he had felt, beat down, and finding little to live for in his daily world. Brendan looked over toward the barns, and he broke into a smile when Piper’s laughter and Charlotte’s lit up face came into view. As he glanced back at Nancy, he could see the worry on her face as she bit down on her lip. He was so blessed, and despite everything, he had friends, family, and a lot of good years ahead of him. At that moment, he knew what he needed to do. They were here to celebrate the killings of this season that would fill their stomachs with all kinds of food; it seemed as good a time as ever to allow a bit of healing to start.
“Carl,” he said, holding his hand out, “I forgive you.”
Carl looked up at him, and tears filled his lids and spilled over. The sheer wonder in his face was something to behold, as he stood up for the first time since Brendan had been acquainted with him.
“I’m going to spend every moment of the rest of my life trying to make up for that day,” he said, swiping at the tears as he laid his hand in Brendan’s.
“I know you will,” he replied, looking at the date emblazoned on the man’s wrist. “I know you will. Now, why don’t we get you some food?”
Carl nodded at him as they turned and walked in unison toward the food table. Brendan glanced up to see Margaret, Jake, Belle, Nancy, Noah, and so many others staring back at him. Their eyes were glistening in the night. This was his family, and of that he was confident, Caty would have loved every one of them!
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Read More by Everlee Whitman
BOOK 4: A TIME TO Tear Down and A Time To Build
Book 5: A Time To Weep and A Time To Laugh
Book 6: A Time To Mourn and A Time To Dance
Book 7: A Time To Scatter and A Time to Gather
Book 8: A Time To Embrace and A Time to Refrain
Book 9: A Time To Search and A Time to Give Up
Book 4: A Time To Tear Down and A Time To Build
Chapter 1 Preview
Avery was pulling a load of clean sheets from the dryer when the doorbell sounded around the corner. She peaked her head around the door jamb and was surprised to see Pastor Necome with Margaret enter.
“Good Morning Avery.”
“Morning, Pastor. Morning Margaret.”
“We came to meet with you and Marissa this morning,” Margaret said with a small smile.
“Okay,” she straightened up from the work she was doing, as tension climbed her spine.
Avery had been here since the birth of her daughter Jayne just eight months ago, but she already considered Living River Ranch her home. She tried to recall anything she might have done that could have caused a problem so big Margaret would have called on Pastor Necome. She came up short. Marissa adored her and loved having Jayne around. Ruth, who baked with them on Wednesday, was passing on family recipes to her. Stormi, Belle, and she were fast becoming friends and had even gone to town for a night out twice now. Nothing she could rally from her memories explained this visit. Anxious, she followed them into the sitting area and saw Marissa enter from the other opening to the room directly from the kitchen.
“Thank you for considering my proposition,” Pastor Necome said extending his hand out to Marissa.
“You haven’t asked for favors often, but I kind of listen when it involves your boss,” she said with a good-hearted chuckle.
“Point taken, but I think we have a real opportunity to help a young lady in great need,” he said with a sad shake of his head.
They all found seats in the little sitting-room, and then Pastor Necome looked to Margaret to start the meeting.
“Marissa, I know we spoke in general about Emily Bradley, but Avery wanted to get you up to speed. We would like to extend her a job here at the B&B as another set of hands for Avery, as I know things are busier than ever. Besides, she might need some extra encouragement as she receives therapy with Belle. What we are going to have Pastor Necome share was done in the greatest of confidence, so we are trusting everyone here to keep this information close and not share it with others.”
She looked at Avery, who was curious about where this was going, but nodded her head. She liked the idea of being able to help give back to a newcomer to the ranch, just like so many had done for her when she first arrived. On the other hand, from the solemn looks on Pastor Necome and Margaret’s face, she already knew it was not going to be a happy story they were about to share.
“Emily is from a farm outside of Duluth, Minnesota. We purposefully are trying to find a safe place for her far enough away from family that she would not be able to be located. Emily was found two months ago, in a dog crate outside because she had tried to go into town with some friends. Her father, who I will add, will be certainly judged by someone much smarter than us, is controlling and harsh with his treatment of her. Emily has sought refuge from her home, a place to heal and a job where she can earn her keep. She has been in the haven of a women’s shelter until now, and brought to my attention through mutual friends in my field of work.”
“How old is Emily again?” Marissa interjected.
Pastor Necome sighed deeply, “the poor woman is twenty-four, but that is not obvious when you first see her as she is very undernourished, and skittish as an abused puppy. I thought her to be in her late teens when I went up to visit her this past weekend. She has a charming disposition, but she has been torn down a lot in her life and thus needs some help rebuilding her confidence to live the life I believe she can.”
“Well, that’s what Living River Ranch does,” Avery volunteered. “I will help in any way possible.”
“We will just need you to show her the way around and be patient as she learns the routine. If you have any issues or concerns that arise, we are all here to aid on a moment’s notice. We believe through integrating her into a routine and helping her learn to live outside of her family farm will be the best choice for her healing,” Margaret added.
“Absolutely, anything I can do,” Avery said emphatically.
She felt silly about her earlier thoughts and so grateful to be included in such an important task as this. To be asked to do this, truly made her feel grateful and able to give back. Avery adored her daughter Jayne, and their little life they were carving out here on Living River Ranch. How a father could have hurt his grown daughter to such an extent was beyond Avery’s comprehension. The thought of doing anything that was not wholly in Jayne’s best interest was utterly foreign to her.
Belle had told her recently that people who hurt other people, typically had a mental illness or other compulsions that made them believe they were doing the right thing in many cases. Their version of good and evil had been distorted either due to their own experiences or due to an impairment on their part. The effects of these situations without intervention to break the cycle could be catastrophic to both the victim’s further capabilities and have an overall negative impact on society. It is critical to act and rectify things in time. Hopefully, even at twenty-four, they could get Emily to lead the best life possible.
After listening a bit longer to the conversation, Avery excused herself when the topic changed to some other concerns. She had a bounce in her step as she went back to the tasks at hand. She was looking forward to this new helper, and maybe if she was lucky, they might end up as friends.
