care of.
But she hadn't been alone. God was always there.
"Don't you think maybe God sent her to us so we can show her love?" Susie couldn't help but wonder.
"I know God's in our driver's seat, Susie, but if it comes down to this girl or Jed and Mack, we can't let her hurt them."
Susie didn't say anything to that because of course they wouldn't let Clarissa come before their child and granddaughter.
Paul wasn't done.
"Of course, I thank God every day you didn't turn your back on me when I was hurting you and Jed."
Susie reached out and brushed a hand down his cheek, loving the feel of the tough skin, weathered with age and time and elements and life. "You're my heart. I love you. God got us through, and He's used that time over and over to help impact other's lives. We'll just have to believe and trust and obey."
Paul leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then pulled her close. "You've always been as smart as they come, Susie Dillon."
She laughed and leaned into him. "You've always been the love of my life."
The screen door slammed and Mack ran into the room, bringing all her energy and light and laughter. Only this time she also brought news.
"Gran, Gramps, the sheriff's coming, the sheriff's coming."
Chapter Six
People were nice. Remarkably nice. That's all Clarissa could think as they left the Shawnee hospital where they'd dropped off the family from the church. All day the people of Stearns had stopped by Pete's to see what they could do, and all day Pete had poured cup after cup of coffee. The Red Cross and FEMA were on site. The National Guard was there to help. But the biggest help had been the people she saw day to day at the diner.
She and Jed had gone with Lester Pyle to visit Mrs. Norene Albright at the Shawnee hospital. Clarissa teared up a little thinking about the two lonely souls. Lester was obviously in love with Mrs. Norene. Mr. Albright had “gone to meet his maker when he’d had a heart attack jumping into a cold pool on a hot summer day more than twenty-five years ago.” Mrs. Norene told that story on a regular basis, but since Clarissa had been working at Pete’s she’d never seen the woman give Lester any reason to think he had a chance.
Today though, before they left the hospital, Clarissa thought maybe she’d seen a spark of something between the two. She hoped Lester got his happy ending.
Being around the Dillons was changing her, making her soft. Not exactly what she needed.
Now Clarissa was tired, and, strangely, she was happy. She wasn't exactly sure, but she thought the lightness in her heart might actually be contentment.
"You want to stop and eat?" Jed asked, and she almost laughed because right now, in the midst of mass chaos, this felt so normal. Normal was a fairy tale of sorts, and she was living it.
Part of her brain screamed to stop, to get away now. But she pushed that away, decided to enjoy the moment. Reality would smack her around plenty soon, but for now, she could pretend.
A few minutes into lunch, Clarissa knew she’d made a mistake.
She needed to tell Jed the truth. He wasn't her kind of people. He wasn't her kind of anything. Not that she'd lied to him. But sometimes silence was the biggest lie of all.
She put down her tea, took a deep breath and told herself this was for the best.
"You know I've been thinking," Jed said before she could speak, and silently she groaned.
"Yeah, me too."
He put his burger down and indicated for her to go first.
She couldn't do it.
"You go ahead. Mine can definitely wait."
He gave her a long questioning look before continuing.
"You were really good with the kids today. You get them. You understand kid stuff, make them laugh, don't get frustrated when they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
She laughed at the wonder in his voice.
"They're not aliens. They're people only little. And their world shifted yesterday. They need to be able to express themselves."
"See, that's what I'm
But she hadn't been alone. God was always there.
"Don't you think maybe God sent her to us so we can show her love?" Susie couldn't help but wonder.
"I know God's in our driver's seat, Susie, but if it comes down to this girl or Jed and Mack, we can't let her hurt them."
Susie didn't say anything to that because of course they wouldn't let Clarissa come before their child and granddaughter.
Paul wasn't done.
"Of course, I thank God every day you didn't turn your back on me when I was hurting you and Jed."
Susie reached out and brushed a hand down his cheek, loving the feel of the tough skin, weathered with age and time and elements and life. "You're my heart. I love you. God got us through, and He's used that time over and over to help impact other's lives. We'll just have to believe and trust and obey."
Paul leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then pulled her close. "You've always been as smart as they come, Susie Dillon."
She laughed and leaned into him. "You've always been the love of my life."
The screen door slammed and Mack ran into the room, bringing all her energy and light and laughter. Only this time she also brought news.
"Gran, Gramps, the sheriff's coming, the sheriff's coming."
Chapter Six
People were nice. Remarkably nice. That's all Clarissa could think as they left the Shawnee hospital where they'd dropped off the family from the church. All day the people of Stearns had stopped by Pete's to see what they could do, and all day Pete had poured cup after cup of coffee. The Red Cross and FEMA were on site. The National Guard was there to help. But the biggest help had been the people she saw day to day at the diner.
She and Jed had gone with Lester Pyle to visit Mrs. Norene Albright at the Shawnee hospital. Clarissa teared up a little thinking about the two lonely souls. Lester was obviously in love with Mrs. Norene. Mr. Albright had “gone to meet his maker when he’d had a heart attack jumping into a cold pool on a hot summer day more than twenty-five years ago.” Mrs. Norene told that story on a regular basis, but since Clarissa had been working at Pete’s she’d never seen the woman give Lester any reason to think he had a chance.
Today though, before they left the hospital, Clarissa thought maybe she’d seen a spark of something between the two. She hoped Lester got his happy ending.
Being around the Dillons was changing her, making her soft. Not exactly what she needed.
Now Clarissa was tired, and, strangely, she was happy. She wasn't exactly sure, but she thought the lightness in her heart might actually be contentment.
"You want to stop and eat?" Jed asked, and she almost laughed because right now, in the midst of mass chaos, this felt so normal. Normal was a fairy tale of sorts, and she was living it.
Part of her brain screamed to stop, to get away now. But she pushed that away, decided to enjoy the moment. Reality would smack her around plenty soon, but for now, she could pretend.
A few minutes into lunch, Clarissa knew she’d made a mistake.
She needed to tell Jed the truth. He wasn't her kind of people. He wasn't her kind of anything. Not that she'd lied to him. But sometimes silence was the biggest lie of all.
She put down her tea, took a deep breath and told herself this was for the best.
"You know I've been thinking," Jed said before she could speak, and silently she groaned.
"Yeah, me too."
He put his burger down and indicated for her to go first.
She couldn't do it.
"You go ahead. Mine can definitely wait."
He gave her a long questioning look before continuing.
"You were really good with the kids today. You get them. You understand kid stuff, make them laugh, don't get frustrated when they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
She laughed at the wonder in his voice.
"They're not aliens. They're people only little. And their world shifted yesterday. They need to be able to express themselves."
"See, that's what I'm
Similar Books
