A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2)(97)

Del’s throat tightened again. “Very good. And, John, is that a field of wheat?”

The boy nodded, eyes on the paper. “Yes.”

Del gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. Adam had said he’d heard John speak that night when he came to get help for his father, and of course she knew he spoke to his family. But she’d never heard his voice before herself.

“It’s lovely.” Del forced her own voice to stay even. She bent to John’s level. “Are those men harvesting it?”

John nodded. “Like those ’uns who came and helped my pa.”

“You worked that day too. I saw you.” Del touched his shoulder gently, and he didn’t flinch away. Much. “You both have been a wonderful help to your family.”

John hung his head a moment, then looked up and met her eyes, tears in his. “I miss my pa. Even though he was mean sometimes.”

Del swallowed hard. “I know.”

“I prayed Pa would stop drinking,” Bethany said, her voice small. “Do you think that’s why God made him die?”

“Oh, dear one.” Del covered the little girl’s hand, still around her pencil, with her own. She bent to look into Bethany’s eyes. “No, no, my dear, none of this is your fault. There’s so much in this world we don’t understand and won’t until heaven.” Her voice caught. “All I know for sure is that the Lord promised to be right with us through it all.”

“He was there that night Pa died.” Bethany nibbled her lip.

John stared at his sister. “Who? Pa?”

“God, silly.” Bethany shook her head at him. “I didn’t see Him, but I knew He was there.” She looked up at Del. “You know what I mean, Miss Nielsen?”

Del managed a smile. “I do.” Oh, Lord, I think I do. I pray I do.

With a final touch to each of the children, she hurried away.

Lark found her a little while later in the cloakroom while Lilac was reading to the children. Del had her head buried in her coat sleeve as she leaned against the wall.

“There you are.” Lark tucked a handkerchief into the damp crook of Del’s arm. “What’s wrong? Del, what is it?”

“John spoke.” Del sniffled and mopped her face with the handkerchief. “Did you hear?”

“I did.” Lark rubbed her shoulder in small soothing circles.

“It’s just . . . so hard.” Del blew her nose and drew a long breath. “Life, sometimes, you know?”

Lark hugged her. “That’s why we need the hope of heaven. Oh, my dear sister.” She blew out a tear-tinged breath. “I know something else: they’ve almost finished framing the roof. Want to come see?”

“Already?” Del wiped her cheeks and followed Lark out the door toward the schoolhouse site. The sun was heading fast toward the western horizon, already starting to gild the gray autumn clouds with crimson and gold.

“There you are.” RJ climbed down from nailing a rafter to the center beam. “We were wondering what happened to the teacher.” He came to stand by her and surveyed the building. “What do you think?”

Del shook her head, swallowing back tears again. “It’s wonderful.” The walls were in various stages of sided in with an open doorway and spaces left for the windows, which would soon be set with glass panes donated by the Youngs.

“I’d like to build you a bell tower, but that might have to come later.” RJ shoved his hands deeper into his coat pockets as the air chilled. “But we should be able to get the roof on next Saturday.”

“So we can move into the school in time for our Thanksgiving program the following week.” Del rubbed her arms and shook her head again in wonder.

“The interior won’t be completed.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She paused to swallow again. “RJ, I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

He shrugged, still scanning the structure with his critical engineer’s eye. “It was all of us. I didn’t do much.”

“Yes, you did.” She turned toward him, willing him to hear how much she meant it. There was so much this man had done for them all since he came to this town. How could she have ever thought him heartless and cold?

He looked at her then, a depth of feeling in that warm brown eye that caught her in the chest and sent a thrill down her arms. Something trembled between them, fragile and precious. RJ drew a breath as if about to say something more. He reached to take her mittened hand in his.

“Hey, Boss, anything else you want done tonight?”

The tender thread between them broke. Lowering his hand, RJ turned to answer his workman’s call.

Del’s shoulders slumped. What had he been about to say?

Shivering as the evening breeze rose, she hurried to the remaining wagons to thank the adults and bid her students good-bye. She hugged Forsythia and the children, promising to see them at church in the morning, then looked around for the Kinsleys, but they had already left. Thank you, Lord, for bringing Alexander back to his family. Please bring your healing and provide for them. So much abuse and heartache they had to overcome.

She had to pause and nod. Her mother’s voice rang as clearly as if she were standing right there. “Nothing was or is or ever will be impossible with God.”