THERE WAS AN air of excitement on May Hollow Road. The upcoming wedding had set them all scurrying around like mice, everybody hoping to make it a special day for Scott and Mary Beth.
Even though Mary Beth had hired a caterer for the wedding, there was still so much food to get ready for all of Evelyn’s house guests as well as her own. Beulah cut out biscuits and put them in an aluminum pan and covered them with foil so they would freeze. Breakfast was the main meal they needed, since Scott and Mary Beth had meals planned out for the rest of the time for their family.
Stella had not been back to Somerville since her stay at the old stone house and the fire that had nearly destroyed it. The renter with the fly-a-way red hair had been in a bad place back then, ready to end her life, and had even tried while she was in the old stone house. Divine interruptions kept her from succeeding. From the letters she had written Beulah after leaving Somerville, she knew Stella was doing the hard work of paying off her debts.
Woody’s frequent trips up north had probably not hurt her feelings, either. Woody was picking her up at the airport tomorrow and bringing her to stay with Beulah for the weekend. After having Rossella for a week, Stella Hawkins would at least not be fighting her for the kitchen.
Scott’s family from Dothan, Alabama, would arrive today. Some of Scott’s family members were staying in Evelyn’s guest rooms and the guest cottage while Jake camped out on Evelyn’s couch. Extended family and friends were booked at hotels in Rutherford. It would be a whirlwind.
Jake had the Wilder farm slicked up and shining. He and Annie had barely seen each other all week.
Beulah pressed down on the biscuit cutter and twisted, then poked the biscuit onto the tin pan. Another good piece of news came when Annie told her she found a job at Richwood Manor. It was good to see her granddaughter excited about something she was gifted to do. She would be a blessing to all the old folks out there, just as she had been a blessing to her these last several months.
As if on cue, Annie walked in the back door.
“The house is coming along,” Annie said. “I want to show Stella since she was so worried about it after the fire. I’m sure it will make her feel better to come back and see it being fixed.”
Beulah washed the dough off her hands and wiped them with the hand towel. “What time does Scott’s family arrive?”
“Scott and Mary Beth are picking them up around four in Lexington, but they are taking them around to see a couple of horse farms and then to dinner, so they won’t get to Evelyn’s until sometime tonight. I thought I would go over to help place tables. They should be setting the tent up by now.”
Later, she drove the biscuits over to Evelyn. Friends and family of Scott and Mary Beth were bustling about moving chairs and tables under the tent. There was a dance floor and long tables set up for food and such. It already looked festive, even without the tablecloths, decorations and lights. Her heart lifted in joy at all the activity. There was nothing like a wedding celebration.
***
When Woody’s truck crunched up the gravel driveway the next day, Beulah took off her apron and smoothed out her dress. From the kitchen window, she watched as Woody came around to the passenger’s side and helped Stella out like a real gentleman. Stella, who walked with hunched shoulders when she saw her the first time, stood straighter. Her frizzy red hair was smoothed back off her face. It was as if her inner peace had turned on her outward beauty.
“Welcome,” she said, holding open the screen door.
“Beulah, we’re just coming to drop off her luggage and then I’m taking her over to my farm to show her around,” Woody said, holding Stella’s arm as he steered her onto the back porch. “Booger’s not out, is he?”
“No, I think he may be gone for the winter.”
“Thank you so much for having me.” Stella extended her hand and Beulah took it.
“You’re most welcome. I have your room ready upstairs. Woody, if you want to take her up, it’s to the left, just above the kitchen here. And show her where the bathroom is, too.”
Might as well let Woody do the showing since he’s intent on holding on to Stella, she thought. They were soon gone and she suspected she was likely to see very little of her houseguest other than bedtime. Woody had plans to spend every minute with Stella outside of the wedding activities. At least the young woman could see what she might be getting into with Woody early on, just in case she wanted to jump ship.
***
While Beulah washed the dishes, her thoughts went again to Benito and the letter she was composing to him. Janice agreed to translate it when she was finished. She wasn’t accustomed to writing many letters and she wanted to get this one just right, so she was taking her time. Annie had already scanned the pictures of Ephraim and e-mailed them to Benito and his family. Annie said Vincenzo had responded for him, saying how thankful they were, and how much they all thought Benito looked like his father. The resemblance was truly striking.
In the letter, she was inviting Benito and his family to be guests in her home for a visit as soon as they could come. “Practice hospitality,” the apostle Paul had written. It did take practice because sharing of a person’s space and giving up routine did not come easy. Like practicing anything, the more it was done, the easier it got.