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Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1, KJV
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TARA-HOUSE WAS SUMPTUOUS in Jill’s opinion. Victorian splendor surrounded them in the charming Georgian country mansion in the county of Londonderry. From Londonderry, they could explore the towns of Derry to the north; Ballyshannon a little further west of County Donegal; Carrickfergus, Antrim, and Belfast in County Antrim, farther to the east; and Monaghan to the south.
She was at once in love with the pretty rose-colored wallpaper and dark, cherry wood furniture in their suite, which included comfortable, but elegant sofas and chairs; a spacious, king-size bed with an elaborately carved headboard; and a romantic table for two. In addition, they had a private balcony with French doors leading outside. Jill was in heaven. She’d danced about the room putting away their things, leaving Logan to wonder how he’d get her to leave Ireland or their room.
After visiting the lighthouse in the county of Donegal, they’d driven to the neighboring county and settled in for a few days in the northern part of Ireland. Jill woke up the following morning to a scrumptious, traditional Irish breakfast for two, and the steady rhythm of Logan’s comforting, soft, but manly snoring. While some women might be annoyed, she counted it for a blessing after waking up a widow for almost four years. It still made her smile and feel completely safe to hear him snoring away beside her.
She slipped into her peach satin robe—the one she’d purchased for their honeymoon with the matching, floor-length, spaghetti-strap nightgown—and crossing the bedroom, stepping onto the patio through the French doors. Though there had been a time in her life when she dreaded the dawning of a new day after the loss of her husband and coping with her grief, now she wanted to drink in the sights and sounds of each morning. The sunrise felt like the hope and joy she now carried inside her heart since returning to Wyoming, falling in love with her childhood sweetheart all over again, and giving her life to Jesus. She still marveled at how the Lord in His great mercy had given her a second chance at love and life. She and her children were thriving and her Savior had worked a miracle for her beyond anything she’d ever expected.
Jill caught sight of a sparrow flitting among the branches of a tree and a few seconds later, a butterfly landing on a coral rose. She couldn’t help but embrace the day with a heart full of thanksgiving for all of the good things which had happened to her. It wasn’t a perfect situation, but it was a full and rewarding life she shared with Logan. Though they’d only been married seven months, they were truly becoming a family. Life was good, other than feeling frequently overwhelmed with parenting. She stepped back inside to sip the hot coffee and sat down at the table to pray, read her Bible, and spend a little time with the Lord before waking her husband. Soon it was time to rouse him from sleep before their breakfast grew too cold to enjoy.
“Look, love, they’ve brought us everything. Bacon, eggs, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, soda bread, butter, jam, orange juice, coffee, and tea,” Jill announced as she peeked under the warming lid of her plate. “Come join me so we can always remember this romantic setting. You know I’ll have to write an article about our adventures and publish it in a travel journal when we return home.”
Logan groaned, face down in his pillow. Then he sat up. “I was sleeping so well. I really like this bed.”
“It’s comfortable, isn’t it?” Jill buttered some of the Irish soda bread.
“I guess I am hungry.” Rising, Logan tied the belt to his terry cloth robe and joined her at the table where she had the French doors open wide to the fresh morning air and the pleasant sound of chirping birds.
“Here’s your Irish Breakfast Porridge. I peeked at the menu. This is no ordinary porridge. It’s steel-cut oats, with apples and maple syrup. Also, here are your potatoes and sausage. They’re seasoned with freshly chopped parsley, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and brushed with olive oil.”
“Wow,” he blinked. “Everything looks delicious. I can get used to this kind of food.” He bowed his head in silent prayer.
She sipped her tea and then placed her cup back in the saucer. She’d already prayed for her food. She pulled her silk robe closer about her shoulders and leaned back to admire the beauty of the morning before them.
“Where are we going today?” He took a bite of the potatoes and then closed his eyes and grinned. “These are great.”
Jill tried some of the potatoes. She liked the way the fresh parsley tasted with them. “Mmm, yes, these are amazing. Darling, if you don’t mind, I’d just like to take a walk in the gardens here, enjoy the hot tub, swim in the pool, and do some writing. Can we just hang out here and have dinner in our room or the Tara-House dining room? The manager told me we can order anything we want from the menu and they’ll send it to our suite, or we can eat in the Victorian dining room surrounded by windows with a view of the woods and meadows on the property. I peeked in the dining room last night and saw a giant fireplace there, too. They had romantic lanterns on each table.”
Logan buttered his soda bread. “Sounds like my kind of day. I wanted to work on writing a few new sermons. Let’s eat dinner in the dining room then and enjoy the day here. I’m kind of worn out from all the other sights we’ve taken in. We can take a walk on the grounds and explore the garden this morning and then after, we can swim. I hear Tara-House has one of the few and most beautiful Victorian rose gardens in Ireland.”
“I’m glad you agree. I can’t get over how lovely this place is. I don’t feel the need to leave when there’s so much beauty right here. Did you see those lush, green meadows out there?” She had particularly enjoyed a bubble bath the night before in the vintage bear-claw bathtub in the luxurious bathroom of their en suite. It was going to be hard to leave the Victorian mansion, but it gave her all sorts of ideas for her books.
“It’s like something on one of those scenic postcards.” Logan tried some of the steel-cut oats.
“It’s everything I imagined it would be and more. In fact, everything in Ireland has been, thanks to our careful planning. I loved the cottage, too. Those flowery meadows are going to be hard to forget. How’d you like the shower?” She tasted some of the eggs.
“Great water pressure, but honey, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you and I keep forgetting or getting side-tracked.” He stabbed a sautéed mushroom with his fork. “I should have talked to you first about it and I feel guilty about not doing that. Then, too, I should have told you a long time ago. Now I think it’s bothering me so much I keep pushing it away from my mind.”
“What’s that?” She sipped some of the orange juice, one eyebrow up in curiosity.
“I hope you won’t be upset, but I gave Buck an acre of our land and an old two-bedroom cabin to fix up for him and Ella.” Logan peered at her, waiting for reaction.
Jill leaned forward to add elderberry jam to her soda bread. “Oh, is that all? Honestly, Logan, I was hoping you’d do something for him. We have so much. I wouldn’t mind if you’d given him two or three acres.”
“Well, I didn’t feel inclined to do that. The land has been in my family for generations and I’m the first Haven to lose an acre of it, but he needs to act on his faith and start preparing a home. And honestly, after praying about it, I felt like it’s what the Lord wanted me to do.” He ate some more of the steel-cut oats. “I really believe Ella’s going to come out of this coma at some point and bringing her home to life in the barn loft isn’t feasible. After he sold his property to help pay for her medical bills, I felt it was the very least we could do.”
“Of course it is. I’m glad you did it. We’re not going to miss an acre. Buck is practically part of the family.” Jill tried some of the bread. “I know your mom was telling me they’ve known him since before they were married.”
“Very true. The cabin needs some updating and cleaning up, but that’s all part of him acting on his faith. In addition to having a place to bring Ella home, now they’ll have a place to bring the grandchildren to visit and gather with family.” He drank some of the orange juice, appearing relieved to have finally been able to share his burden with her. “I didn’t want you to think I would make major decisions about the property we share now that we’re married without including you. This was just kind of one of those things that seemed obvious to do.”
She placed her hand comfortingly on his and gazed into her husband’s eyes. “It was the right thing to do. Now we just have to keep praying Ella will wake up soon. These Saturday trips with you flying him in our helicopter to Cheyenne every weekend are getting old.”
“Don’t I know it? And fuel isn’t cheap.” Logan leaned back in his chair and crossed a leg over his knee. “The thing is, to be completely honest, I woke up one Saturday morning disgusted. I was disgusted I had to keep making these flights to Cheyenne. You see, I was angry at what the devil was doing to Buck and Ella, and to us in a way, since we’re part of his life. I was tired after a long week of work. I was worn out from managing the ranch and then getting up early on Saturday mornings when I shouldda been able to sleep in a few hours and spend the day with you and the kids.”
“I don’t blame you for feeling the way you did.” Jill tried some of the oatmeal and then sipped some of her tea. “I have often felt the same things, feeling like we were losing precious time with each other and as a family. I think I was even starting to grow a little bitter about it, now that you mention it.”
“Exactly. Instead of having time with you and the kids, I had to fly to Cheyenne and then try to put together the finishing touches on my sermons for preaching in The Sweetwater Chapel while I waited around on Buck in the hospital. By the time we flew back, the whole day was just gone. Then getting up early to preach on Sundays and being completely wiped out afterwards. It hasn’t left any time for much of a family life for us during one of the most crucial times in our lives, the first seven months of our marriage. So in a way, it was purely selfish on my part. I got down on my knees at the altar in the chapel that morning before flying Buck to Cheyenne and I just got a hold of the Lord and begged for mercy.”
“Oh, Logan, I’m so glad you’ve shared this with me. My prayers have grown really intense about the situation as well. I’ve been holding on, hoping for a breakthrough, so we can do more as a family.” Jill leaned forward and sighed, placing her chin on her joined hands, resting her elbows on the table.
He nodded. “After that morning, I felt as though the Lord gave me the idea to give the one acre of land and that outdated cabin to Buck. However, I want you to know, this is our gift to him but as unto the Lord. I feel like Buck needs our loyalty through this time. Some people think the devil is a myth, but the truth is, we fight a very real enemy. He’s been running roughshod all over Buck, Ella, and us for a long time, but the Lord has a way of making all things work together for our good.”
“You’re right, and I’m believing with you.” She took a deep breath and ate some more of her oatmeal.
“Let’s hope God’s mercy counts our actions and Buck’s as faith. It’s just a mustard seed, really, but it’s a start.” He reached for his coffee cup.
“That’s all it takes, just a mustard seed.” She took a few more bites of the steel-cut oats. “Wow, with the apples and the maple flavor, this is really delicious. Nothing like that instant stuff. No wonder the Irish are such good cooks.”
Logan chuckled. “Yeah, I had no idea all the stuff they can do with potatoes until we came to Ireland. They make potato everything.”