Read Online A Touch of Grace by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online Page A

schoolyard, laughing and playing.
    Jonathan kept watch, and when Dr. Elizabeth rejoined her family, taking Inga from her father’s arms, he approached her. “Dr. Bjorklund?”
    “Yes, Mr. Gould, how can I help you?” She looked better than she had in the church.
    “Well, I’m thinking that perhaps I could help you, and please, I am not Mr. Gould. That is my father.”
    “Jonathan, then. How is it you could help me?” Her smile welcomed him closer. Her little daughter leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder, eyes drifting closed.
    “I saw that you weren’t feeling too good, and I thought … well, I have played the piano since I was six, and with a bit of practice I could learn the service and play the hymns.”
    “Have you ever played for church before?”
    “No, but I read music well, and I’m sure Pastor Solberg would translate or tell me what to do. If you want some help, that is.” He held his hat in his hands and reminded his fingers not to crush it. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all.
    “Jonathan, I would be most grateful if you could do this. Let’s go find Pastor Solberg and ask him about it.”
    “I’d best ask Haakan too. I mean, I really would need practice time, and there isn’t a lot of that lying around.”
    “You go get Pastor Solberg, and I’ll meet you at our buggy. I’m going to lay this sleepy one down before she breaks my arm.”
    Pastor Solberg led the singing of the grace and then joined them at the buggy as he said he would. “So you could be a replacement for Dr. Elizabeth for a while. Is that right?”
    “I think so. I mean, if you would like we could go inside and I’ll play for you.”
    “The only problem would be the liturgy. You don’t know Norwegian, but I could write it out in English so you could follow along.” He rubbed his chin as he spoke and nodded, obviously giving it some serious thought. “Have you mentioned this to Haakan yet?”
    “No, but here he comes.”
    Within minutes they’d all agreed on the new plan and joined the others for Sunday dinner. Jonathan would be staying after church to practice for a couple of hours, giving up his first chance to go fishing with all the young men that afternoon. His gaze sought Grace’s across the gathering. She nodded and smiled wistfully. How had she already learned what was decided? And why was she looking so sad?

“W E NEED PARTIES MORE OFTEN. ”
    “I agree.” Kaaren swiped the hair from her face with the back of her hand. “Good thing our fishermen did well.” She took a cake pan from Ingeborg’s warming oven and added the four fish she’d just finished frying to the growing stack.
    “So Sophie and the babies and the boardinghouse are doing well?” Ingeborg put glasses on a tray, along with silverware, to be taken outdoors.
    “Ja, Mrs. Sam is making her toe the line. Not that nursing twins gives Sophie much time for anything else. That little Joy latches on and sucks her mother dry. Hamre has to be encouraged more.”
    “I’ve noticed that with boy babies. I think girls are stronger.”
    “Only because they have to learn early to fight to live.” Kaaren laid another cornmeal-coated fish in the frying pan and pulled it back to keep from spattering grease so wildly. “Ingeborg, I know I loved my children, but there is something so special about holding grand-babies.”
    “I know. It’s hard to keep from spoiling Inga something terrible. When she screws up that little mouth and narrows her eyes when she doesn’t get what she wants, I have to swing her up in my arm and kiss the daylights out of her. Then we both giggle, and she is back to being her sunny self. I watch little Carl and wonder what he will be like. Right now he is more content to sit on my lap and cuddle and watch his cousin running on her tippy toes.”
    “I am so glad and grateful that Sophie came home, and I get to be there with her. I might have had to take that train to Seattle more than once a year.” She