to him sing and splash, she sat down to read the guidebook she found in the Marshalls’ living room. A visit to the famous Lake Michigan dunes climbed to the top of her wish list.
“Hey, Eddy!” she called and then went to stand near the bathroom. “Has anyone ever told you the legend of the Sleeping Bear?” she asked.
Eddy slapped bubbles with a frayed brown terry washcloth. “I don’t think so,” he sang, in time to the splashing. Grace smiled.
“Listen. It’s from Ojibway Indian stories. Long ago, in the land of Wisconsin, Mother Bear and her two cubs swam into Lake Michigan to save them from a raging forest fire. The cubs swam strongly but the other side of the shore was too far away. They fell farther and farther behind and sank in the waters. When Mother Bear reached the Michigan side, she climbed to the top of a bluff, pacing and looking back across the water, searching in vain for her cubs. The Great Spirit saw her and took pity on her vigil. He piled up the two Manitou Islands to mark the place where her cubs vanished and put Mother Bear to sleep.”
She set the book down and went into the bathroom. She reached into the cooling water of the tub to pull the plug and wrap a big fluffy towel around Eddy as she hauled him out.
“Why did the mommy bear have to sleep?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“So she could have good dreams about her children, I suppose.” She cradled him, rocking gently, reveling in her good fortune to be part of this little guy’s life. “Let’s get you in bed and see what kind of good dreams you have.”
* * * *
The spasm of misgiving that taunted Randy since he signed his son up for the youth group trip grew into a heart attack of doubt when he dropped Jimmy off at the church parking lot. About twenty kids and five chaperons milled about with parents or siblings. Beach bags and coolers were being loaded into the back of the bus and someone already had a guitar strumming. Jimmy gravitated slowly toward the music. Randy’s heart shimmied when Kaye arrived with her niece. They didn’t attend First Covenant Church, so what were they doing here? Tanya’s friends must have invited her along on the trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Randy stared at Kaye, the hunger and longing a slow ache that had never healed over twenty years. And now… He narrowed his eyes. What was with that kid? After complaining about rising so early to meet the bus, Jimmy changed directions mid-pace to meet up with Tanya.
Randy paced by his car, thinking maybe he should tell Jimmy not to go after all. This was not a good development. The whole business had started three days ago at the diner when the kids met at lunch. The sparks that flew between his son and the waitress could have lit a fire. Not good—not good at all. Nothing good comes from high school romances. He should know. He couldn’t help it; he had been short with the girl. He’d complained about the coffee first, knowing that ordering hot coffee in the heat of August was a mistake. The pot had obviously been left over since breakfast and tasted stale. Still, a good waitress would have made fresh.
He had ignored her when she brought a full pot several minutes later. Tanya, with uncustomary shakiness, spilled a few drops on his silverware. He gave her the look then, and watched her retreat, breathing hard, her face scrunched and red. A good waitress shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. Of course his attitude fed the animosity Jimmy carried as a chip. Jimmy got on his case then.
“Dad, why’d you have to be so hard on her?”
Randy ignored him while he drowned his French fries in ketchup.
He had been unprepared for Kaye’s steely-eyed assault when she brought their check.
“What gives, Randy?” she had asked point blank.
Randy was already ashamed of his behavior, embarrassing his son like that. He didn’t make excuses. “Sorry about that. Bad morning.” He left an overly generous tip and muttered, “Have to get back to work. See
“Hey, Eddy!” she called and then went to stand near the bathroom. “Has anyone ever told you the legend of the Sleeping Bear?” she asked.
Eddy slapped bubbles with a frayed brown terry washcloth. “I don’t think so,” he sang, in time to the splashing. Grace smiled.
“Listen. It’s from Ojibway Indian stories. Long ago, in the land of Wisconsin, Mother Bear and her two cubs swam into Lake Michigan to save them from a raging forest fire. The cubs swam strongly but the other side of the shore was too far away. They fell farther and farther behind and sank in the waters. When Mother Bear reached the Michigan side, she climbed to the top of a bluff, pacing and looking back across the water, searching in vain for her cubs. The Great Spirit saw her and took pity on her vigil. He piled up the two Manitou Islands to mark the place where her cubs vanished and put Mother Bear to sleep.”
She set the book down and went into the bathroom. She reached into the cooling water of the tub to pull the plug and wrap a big fluffy towel around Eddy as she hauled him out.
“Why did the mommy bear have to sleep?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“So she could have good dreams about her children, I suppose.” She cradled him, rocking gently, reveling in her good fortune to be part of this little guy’s life. “Let’s get you in bed and see what kind of good dreams you have.”
* * * *
The spasm of misgiving that taunted Randy since he signed his son up for the youth group trip grew into a heart attack of doubt when he dropped Jimmy off at the church parking lot. About twenty kids and five chaperons milled about with parents or siblings. Beach bags and coolers were being loaded into the back of the bus and someone already had a guitar strumming. Jimmy gravitated slowly toward the music. Randy’s heart shimmied when Kaye arrived with her niece. They didn’t attend First Covenant Church, so what were they doing here? Tanya’s friends must have invited her along on the trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Randy stared at Kaye, the hunger and longing a slow ache that had never healed over twenty years. And now… He narrowed his eyes. What was with that kid? After complaining about rising so early to meet the bus, Jimmy changed directions mid-pace to meet up with Tanya.
Randy paced by his car, thinking maybe he should tell Jimmy not to go after all. This was not a good development. The whole business had started three days ago at the diner when the kids met at lunch. The sparks that flew between his son and the waitress could have lit a fire. Not good—not good at all. Nothing good comes from high school romances. He should know. He couldn’t help it; he had been short with the girl. He’d complained about the coffee first, knowing that ordering hot coffee in the heat of August was a mistake. The pot had obviously been left over since breakfast and tasted stale. Still, a good waitress would have made fresh.
He had ignored her when she brought a full pot several minutes later. Tanya, with uncustomary shakiness, spilled a few drops on his silverware. He gave her the look then, and watched her retreat, breathing hard, her face scrunched and red. A good waitress shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. Of course his attitude fed the animosity Jimmy carried as a chip. Jimmy got on his case then.
“Dad, why’d you have to be so hard on her?”
Randy ignored him while he drowned his French fries in ketchup.
He had been unprepared for Kaye’s steely-eyed assault when she brought their check.
“What gives, Randy?” she had asked point blank.
Randy was already ashamed of his behavior, embarrassing his son like that. He didn’t make excuses. “Sorry about that. Bad morning.” He left an overly generous tip and muttered, “Have to get back to work. See
Similar Books
