Chapter Fifteen

Are you sure you’re up to doing this?” “I’m fine, honey.” Paul finished putting a Windsor knot in his tie and gave her a reassuring smile. “Eli is here in case anything goes wrong. Just be sure to bring my Bible, and we’ll be on our way.”

Kate watched him make his way out to the living room. He had tried so hard to look normal for his first public appearance since his accident.

The jacket of the charcoal pinstripe suit she picked up at the cleaner’s the day before hung perfectly on his athletic shoulders. From the waist up, he looked handsome and fit.

The tailored effect was marred somewhat by the dark gray sweatpants he’d changed into after finding there was no way the matching charcoal slacks would fit over his moon boot.

She heard him giving Eli the same kind of assurances she had heard since bringing him home from the hospital. “It probably wasn’t necessary to drag you out early, but I appreciate having you here, just in case.”

Kate followed the men out into the living room, trying not to laugh. The man needed help getting into his clothes, for goodness’ sake.

He did admit to needing Eli’s help getting down the step into the garage where Kate’s Honda was parked, but he insisted he was fine, perfectly ready to preach a sermon.

Eli showed a knack for rendering aid without making his assistance obvious to Paul. Once he had made sure Paul was situated comfortably in the passenger seat, Eli got into the rear and held the crutches across his lap.

“I might as well leave my truck here and ride over and back with you. No sense using two vehicles when one will do.”

Kate gathered up their Bibles and locked the door behind her, making a mental note to bake a special batch of chocolate-chip cookies in return for Eli’s tactful help.

“GOOD. Nobody else is here yet.”

Kate noted the relief in Paul’s voice when they pulled into the church parking lot. He had insisted on leaving early so they would arrive ahead of the rest of the congregation.

He might insist he was doing fine, but his masculine pride obviously wasn’t ready for a crowd of observers in the event his performance on crutches wasn’t quite as graceful as he hoped.

Kate went on ahead to open the front door, leaving the two men to work out the logistics of Paul’s exit from the car. Better to preserve his dignity than hover over him like an anxious mother hen.

He was fine, she reminded herself. Paul was right: his injury could have been far worse. She thought back to the long evening spent in the emergency room and wondered how Eppie Barlow’s husband was getting along.

THANKS TO ELI, Paul made it from the car into the church without any mishaps and had settled himself in a chair on the platform by the time the first worshippers arrived. Their show of concern for him warmed Kate, although she noted a good number of them refrained from venturing across the aisle to greet her as well.

She lifted her chin, determined not to show how the pointed omission stung. Someday soon the truth would be known, and she could put this painful chapter in her life behind her.

After the opening hymn, Paul made his way to the pulpit, navigating with his crutches like an expert. When he set them aside and steadied himself with his hands on either side of the pulpit, the congregation burst into applause.

Kate’s eyes misted over, and from the roughness in Paul’s voice when he began the opening prayer, she knew he felt as deeply touched as she did.

Help him get through the service, Lord. Give him the strength he needs, and the wisdom to know when he’s overdoing it. And help me quit worrying so I can focus on worshipping you.

The rest of the service went smoothly. Kate knew she could relax when she heard Sam Gorman play the final notes of the closing hymn. As he segued into the postlude, she gathered up her coat and purse.

Livvy circled around the knot of people who crowded the platform to speak to Paul and headed straight for Kate.

“I’m so sorry. I would have been over to help out yesterday, but I had to make up for the time I took off work when I was sick last week.”

She clasped Kate’s hands. “I feel like a bad friend.”

Kate pulled her hands free so she could wrap her arms around Livvy and give her a warm hug. “You’d have to do a lot worse than that to call yourself a bad friend, Livvy Jenner.”

Livvy glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “Any more ideas on the Mustang caper? Or have you had any time to think about it with all that’s been going on?”

“I’ve hardly had a moment to call my own since I got the news about Paul being hurt.” Kate peered between the well-wishers to check on him.

“I remember when Justin broke his arm playing football.” Livvy patted her on the shoulder. “It’s a full-time job, isn’t it?”

“And then some.” Kate forced a laugh. She hesitated before continuing but knew Livvy wouldn’t make light of her feelings.

“To be honest, I’m frustrated. And that makes me feel incredibly guilty, but it’s hard for me to adjust when my regular routine is thrown for a loop like this.

“On top of all the usual things, there’s taking care of Paul, plus trying to solve the Mustang caper”—she grinned at Livvy’s term for the diner mystery—“plus needing to work on that special order. I did tell you about that, didn’t I?”

At Livvy’s look of surprise, she quickly brought her friend up to date.

Livvy’s eyes shone. “That’s wonderful, Kate! I’m so pleased for you. It’s time your work started getting the recognition it deserves.”

Kate felt her cheeks grow warm from Livvy’s praise. “Thanks. I have to admit it was a morale boost to get that order just when everything else in my life seems to be going crazy.”

She checked again to see how Paul was getting along. He had returned to his seat in the chair, but he still looked like his energy level was high.

Livvy wore her practical-librarian look. “There has to be a way to manage things so you can get it all done. What’s on for tomorrow? More on the car mystery?”

“I’m afraid that’s going to have to go on the back burner for the moment. I really ought to get to work on that fanlight. No, make that I really need to. I’ve got to focus on it before the time gets away from me.”

She shot another look toward the platform. Paul’s smile looked a bit strained. Maybe the pain medication was wearing off.

“I’d better get Paul home now, Livvy. Thanks for the sympathy. It’ll all work out somehow.”

Livvy gave Kate’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “Of course it will. What you need is to get some time in your studio and lose yourself in the creative process. Just step back from all the other stuff for a bit. You’ll be able to look at things from a clearer perspective.”

Kate saw Eli moving forward to help Paul retrieve his crutches. Apparently he had the same idea she did.

“Thanks, Livvy. You always make me feel better. God really blessed me by giving me a friend like you.”

Kate slipped out of the church to retrieve her car and pull it around to the front entrance, then she waited for Eli to help Paul get settled in the passenger seat. The two men talked basketball on the drive home, leaving her free to mull over her conversation with Livvy.

I really do need to relax more and not get stressed over things I can’t change.

She glanced over, noting that Paul looked tired but still wore a smile. He’s taking all this much better than I am. As he keeps reminding me, it’s only a broken ankle.

She pulled into the garage, determined to get her mind off the things that were weighing her down and focus on counting her blessings instead.

For one thing, Paul wasn’t totally incapacitated; he was up and around, even if he was moving more slowly than usual.

For another, he had a wonderful attitude. Some men would be griping and complaining from sunup to sunset.

They also had a great friend in Eli, who stood ready to help out any way he could. She stepped out of the Honda and watched him help Paul out of the car.

And then there was Livvy. God truly had bestowed a special blessing with their friendship.

Kate bumped the driver’s door shut with her hip and let herself into the house with a lighter heart, leaving Paul in Eli’s capable hands.

She set the Bibles on the arm of the couch and stepped into the kitchen while Paul and Eli followed more slowly.

“Thanks for your help,” Paul said to Eli. “I appreciate being able to call on you.”

The younger man patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad everything went smoothly. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do. Right now, it looks like you’re ready for a nap.”

“How about having lunch first?” Kate asked. “You don’t need to be skipping any more meals, Paul. Eli, would you like to stay and eat with us?”

Eli’s eyes lit up. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“I’d say we’re the ones who imposed on you,” Paul told him. “Why don’t you let us turn the tables and do something for you in return?”

“We’re having pot roast.” Kate opened the oven to check its progress, releasing a tantalizing aroma into the air. “I had it on time bake. It should be ready in about twenty minutes. I’m fixing potatoes and gravy too,” she added.

Eli closed his eyes and sniffed appreciatively. “I’ll stay. You don’t have to twist my arm one bit more. Your cooking isn’t something I would ever turn down without a good reason.”

Kate bustled around the kitchen finishing the last-minute preparations while the men retired to the living room and continued their conversation.

She set three places at the table then pulled the roast from the oven and poured the drippings into a pan. She added flour, milk, and a dash of salt, stirring the mixture carefully to keep any lumps from forming.

The men’s voices formed a pleasant hum in the background. Kate transferred the thickened sauce to a gravy boat and pulled her favorite platter from the cupboard.

Taking out a sharp knife, she began slicing the pot roast, only half listening while the topic of conversation moved from basketball to the previous month’s Chamber of Commerce meeting to the latest news around town.

But Eli’s next comment caught her full attention.

“I hear the fellow who owns the Mustang that hit the diner got a pleasant surprise in yesterday’s mail. His insurance company sent him a settlement check, and it sounds like he came out quite well on the deal.”

“I don’t follow you,” Paul said. “Why would that surprise him?”

Kate set the knife down and listened.

“For one thing, the insurance company gave him a hard time at first. Out of all the cars he has cluttering up his property, it seems the Mustang was the only one he had insured besides that ’56 Chevy he drives.”

“I’ve seen that Chevy. He did a nice job on the restoration.”

“The insurance company also had a problem with him not reporting the Mustang as stolen right away. But since Sheriff Roberts wrote it up as a theft, and the car was totaled, they didn’t have much choice but to cover the loss. And from what I hear around town, they shelled out a pretty fair amount for it.”

“That seems odd,” Paul said. “Why have full coverage on a car he didn’t drive?”

Kate peered through the doorway and saw Eli shrug. “That’s a good question. Myers is kind of a character, though. There’s no telling what makes him do some of the things he does.”

Paul chuckled. “I suspect the same thing could be said for a good many of us.”

Kate heard Eli laugh as she returned to arrange the roast on the platter and carry the serving dishes to the table. Then he cleared his throat, and his voice took on a more solemn tone.

“As tired as you must be today, Paul, it probably isn’t a good time to bring this up. But I’m not sure there ever will be a good time.”

“You know you can talk to me anytime, Eli. You’re my friend as well as a church member, and I’m always glad to hear from you, whether it’s good news or not.”

What now? Kate set the gravy boat next to the bowl of potatoes and strained to listen.

“Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ve been sitting on this for a few days, trying to decide what to do, or whether I needed to do anything. I still haven’t made up my mind yet, but I think it’s something you should be aware of at any rate.”

“Go on.” Paul’s tone carried the same curiosity Kate felt.

“I stopped by the church the other day to pick up some tools I’d left in the storage shed, and I noticed the lawn mower was missing.”

“That’s odd. Did you ask Avery about it?”

“I would have, but he wasn’t around that morning. I caught Millie just as she was leaving her office, and she told me she’d seen Avery loading it onto his truck and driving away with it.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t say anything to me about it. Do you think the mower needed some repair?”

“That’s just it,” Eli said. “I checked it over before we put it away last fall. It was running fine then.”

“Well, whatever his reason for taking it, maybe he’s brought it back by now.”

Kate stepped to the door to call the men to the table and saw Eli’s pained look.

“I went by yesterday and checked. It’s still missing, Paul. I don’t know what’s going on, but I thought you should know, especially in light of the comments some of the church members are making about Avery.”

Paul noticed Kate and clapped Eli on the shoulder. “It looks like it’s time to eat. Thanks for telling me. I’m sure everything is fine, but it’s good to be aware of what’s going on.”

KATE RINSED OUT THE SINK and squeezed the water out of the dishrag. After one last glance around the kitchen to make sure she hadn’t missed any dirty dishes, she wandered into the living room and stretched out on the couch.

She settled her head into the cushion with a grateful sigh. Despite her misgivings about Paul returning to the pulpit so soon after being injured, the day had gone without mishap.

Once Eli left, Paul headed to the bedroom for his much-needed nap, leaving her with an afternoon to herself.

Kate stirred on the couch. She ought to take advantage of this time, do something to sort out the tangled maze her life had become of late. But she didn’t have the least idea what that “something” would be.

Her eyelids drifted shut, and she let herself sink into the soft cushion. Maybe a nap of her own wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Livvy was right, she needed time to let the cares of the world fade away and get back to feeling like herself again. Things would start coming together again the following day. She just knew it.