Home to Walnut Ridge (4 page)

“
But he loved it,
Trace.”

“
I know he did. And they
loved him. But the first hint of trouble with Mom, and what did
they do? They kicked him out the door.”

Alex took another sip of tea but said
nothing.

“
All those years he gave
to them. Then at the worst time of his life, when Mom humiliated
him by taking off like she did, instead of supporting him in his
time of need, they gave him the boot.”

“
You know it wasn’t like
that. It was‍—‍”

“
Dad did nothing wrong.
They punished him for something Mom did. It isn’t
right.”

“
Why are we rehashing all
this again? We’ve been over it a thousand times before.”

Tracey blew out a huff. “I know, I
know. But it still irks me.”

Alex reached over and covered Tracey’s
hand with her own. “You’ve got to let it go, Sis. Dad did, so you
need to forgive them and move on.”

Tracey picked at the polish on her
thumbnail. “Dad may have forgiven them, but it took a long time
before he could.”

“
I know. I don’t know what
we would have done if Uncle Rob hadn’t shown up.”

“
Of all people, who would
have ever thought Uncle Rob would be the one to get through to
Dad.”

Alex smiled. “The Lord certainly moves
in mysterious ways. But dragging Dad out of the house on that road
trip was exactly what he needed.”

“
Remember how funny he
looked perched behind Uncle Rob on his motorcycle?” They both
laughed out loud. “I thought for sure he’d fall off before he got
to the end of Main Street.”

“
And he looked
so
serious, sitting
ramrod straight, with his hands clamped to Sam’s waist but at arm’s
length?”

They simultaneously mocked the pose
then laughed at themselves.

“
My, how far he’s come
now,” Tracey chuckled. “He looks like he’s ridden all his
life.”

Alex grabbed a cookie and turned to
face her sister. “Enough about Dad. Tell me about you. I can’t
believe we’ve got you home for two whole weeks! What do you want to
do while you’re home? Any plans?”

Tracey’s thoughts jumbled at the
sudden question. She took a long sip of tea, wondering what she
should say. “Well, to be honest‍—‍”

“
Out with it,
already!”

“
I don’t know, Alex.
Mostly, I just need a break. I want to unplug, sleep late, maybe do
a little cooking‍—‍” Her cell phone chirped, interrupting her wish
list.

“
So much for unplugging,”
Alex added.

Tracey silenced the tone as she saw
Morgan’s name on the small screen. “Yeah, I might have to keep this
thing buried somewhere. I really need to be
unreachable.”

“
Do you need to take that
call?”

“
No. I absolutely
do
not
have to
take it.” She slipped the phone back in her pocket. “So where were
we?”

“
You were telling me what
you want to do while you’re home.”

She waved her off. “I’m here. I’m
home. That’s good enough for me.”

“
Good! And since you
mentioned cooking, come on in and help me get dinner ready,” Alex
said, standing. “I made apple cobbler for dessert.”

“
Yum! I think I gained
five pounds from just visualizing it.”

Alex took her empty glass. “Which you
could stand to gain. You’re too thin, Trace. I’ve got to fatten you
up while you’re home. But first I’ll help you get settled up in
your room.”

Tracey opened the door for her.
“Martha, Martha, Martha. I’m pretty sure I can handle that by
myself. You go. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“
Deal. And stop calling me
Martha. You know I don’t like that.”

“
Sure thing, Martha‌—‌I
mean,
Alexandra
.”

“
Thank you,
Tracey Jolene
.”

Chapter
3

Buddy wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“Alex, I believe this may be the best meatloaf you ever made. And
I’m not just saying that.”

Alex passed the biscuits to Tracey.
“You say that every time I serve it, Dad. You just love it because
it’s Granny Jo’s recipe. You grew up on it.”

Buddy smiled. “Maybe, but I still say
yours is the best.”

“
It’s the chili sauce. I
use chili sauce instead of the ketchup in Granny’s recipe. Gives it
a little more flavor.”

“
See?” He nodded toward
Tracey. “Do I know my meatloaf or what? Your mother didn’t have a
clue how to make a meatloaf. I hope Mr. Movie Mogul likes dining
out because he’ll starve if he’s living off Regina’s
cooking.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Dad, let’s
not‌—‍”

“
I’m just saying, it’s a
good thing he’s got money. He probably hired a chef after the first
time she cooked dinner for him.”

“
How’s Mom doing?” Tracey
asked her sister. “Have you heard from her lately?”

“
She actually called last
week.”

Buddy’s head snapped up as he stopped
chewing.

“
Really?” Tracey
asked.

Alex smirked. “She wanted to let me
know she was about to have a tummy tuck.”

Buddy guffawed, falling back in his
chair.

“
You’re kidding, right?”
Tracey asked.

Alex took her time sipping her coffee.
“Apparently Jared likes her thin, and she’s put on a little
weight.”

Buddy continued laughing, wiping his
eyes with his napkin. “Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.
Your mother never weighed more than a hundred pounds her whole
life. Jared must go for the anorexic look.” He tossed an
exaggerated shudder.

Tracey ignored him. “Didn’t she just
have some cosmetic work done last year?”

“
Just a brow lift and a
lip plump. Nothing major.”

Buddy composed himself though a smile
still lit his handsome face. “Girls, you have no idea how often I
thank God that He sent your mother away from us.”

Tracey flinched. “Daddy, don’t say
that.”

“
But it’s true, Tracey Jo.
I know God doesn’t ever like to see a marriage end in divorce. But
the truth is, just because two people get married doesn’t mean
God
ordained
that
marriage. I knew when I married your mother that she had little use
for the Lord. When I gave my heart to Christ a couple years later,
she didn’t seem to mind. But when I felt God calling me into the
ministry, she let me know she sure didn’t hear God calling her to
be a pastor’s wife.”

“
But she stayed with you,”
Tracey said. “All those years, she stayed.”

“
Well, you girls had come
along by then. I think somewhere in that selfish heart of hers, she
knew you girls needed her to stay. I’ll give her that much. You
were both well on your own before she took off.”

When he grew silent, Tracey and Alex
shared a silent glance. They both knew that despite all the
bravado, he still had a soft spot in his heart for their mother. It
had come as a complete shock to both of them. She’d called each of
them, explaining the whole sordid story of reconnecting with her
childhood sweetheart. Jared Blakely had searched her out on
Facebook, of all places. He said he’d never forgotten her and had
to see her again. An A-list agent in Hollywood, he wasted no time
sending his private jet for her.

At the time, Buddy was overseas in
Thailand on a month-long mission trip. He knew nothing about it
until he got home. By then, Blakely had wined and dined Regina,
lavishing her with expensive gifts and introducing her to some of
the biggest names in Hollywood. It was the perfect escape she’d
been looking for. She filed for divorce immediately, and didn’t
even bother coming home to pack her things. Apparently, she had all
she needed in Beverly Hills.

Alex and Tracey had taken the news
hard, stunned by their mother’s brash disregard for their father’s
feelings and the implications it would have for him. She’d minced
no words, saying she’d paid her dues and was glad to finally be rid
of Jacobs Mill, the church, and yes, even Buddy. “He bored me to
tears,” she liked to say.

Tracey flew home to be with her father
even though her sister still lived in town. Alex had taught at the
elementary school in Jacobs Mill for twelve years, a respected and
cherished member of the community. Though she’d never married,
she’d bought a cottage a few miles south of town where she lived
happily in a home cluttered with books and travel guides to places
she’d visited and dreamed of visiting.

But when Buddy Collins came back to
find his wife gone and his deacons murmuring for his dismissal, he
lost it. He’d slipped into such a deep depression, the girls
quietly had him admitted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
Several weeks later, they’d brought him home, and Alex moved back
into Walnut Ridge.

Now, as Tracey passed her father
another biscuit, she tried to move the conversation back to safer
ground. “Well, all I have to say is, thank God for Alex and Uncle
Rob.”

Buddy blinked away the moisture in his
eyes, his smile slow but sincere. “And I do thank God for them. And
for you too, sweetheart. Every day.”

Alex lifted the bowl. “Who wants more
mashed potatoes?”

Tracey reached for it. “I do, Sis. I
can’t remember the last time I had mashed potatoes.”

“
Did you tell her your
news?”

Tracey and Alex turned simultaneously
toward their father. When Tracey realized he was addressing her
sister, she slowly caught her breath, thankful the question wasn’t
aimed at her. “What news?” she asked.

“
I assume you’re referring
to my early retirement?”

“
You retired? But Alex,
you’re only thirty-four!”

Alex glared at her over her glasses.
“And thank you so much, little sister, for reminding me. But
this has nothing to do with my age.”

Buddy wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“Tell her how you let ol’ Deacon Stone have it.”

“
Alex? What did you
do?”

Her sister toyed with a green bean.
“Oh, nothing really. I just refused to bow at the altar of the
almighty ruler baron of Jacobs Mill.”

“
Meaning?”

“
Meaning,” Buddy answered,
“that among other things, your sister threatened to rat him out for
swindling all these old folks around here out of their
property.”

“
Dad, you know that’s not
what hap‌—‍”

“
How on earth did you get
involved in
that
?” Tracey stared at her.

Alex placed her silverware on her
dinner plate. “That’s a long story for another day.”

“
Go on, Alex. Tell her,”
Buddy pressed.

She stood, gathering their dishes.
“No, Dad, I really don’t want to talk about all that
tonight.”

“
But what will you do?”
Tracey asked. “Are you looking for another teaching
position?”

Her sister scoffed. “No point in that,
not as long as Deacon’s still on the School Board.”

“
I’m so sorry. I had no
idea.”

“
Don’t be sorry. Besides,
I think I’ve decided to make a new start. Do something different
for a while. Someday I may go back to teaching, but in the
meantime, take a look under the tablecloth.”

Buddy looked at her then at Tracey
then back at Alex. “What are you talking about?”

“
Here, let me show you.”
She set the dishes back down and reached down to pull the cloth
back.

“
Is this a new table?”
Tracey asked.

“
No. Look
closer.”

Buddy moved his tea glass out of the
way and pulled the cloth back on his side. “Well, I’ll be. That’s
our old table, isn’t it? What’d you do to it?”

Alex cocked her head to one side.
“Gee, Dad, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Tracey studied the finish
on the surface of the large oblong table, then leaned over to look
beneath at its elaborate legs. The old cherry finish had been
painted over with a creamy ivory paint of some kind then distressed
in all the right places to show some of the dark cherry. “This
is
beautiful
,
Sis. Isn’t this what they call shabby chic? Who did it for
you?”

“
Nobody. I did it
myself.”

Tracey sat back up. “You
did it
yourself
?
When did you‌—‌did you take a class or something?”

“
No, I learned how to do
it from one of those HGTV shows. I’d been wanting to do something
with this old table for a long time. It was all scuffed up and
scratched and desperately needed refinishing. But I wanted
something different, so I got some paint and voila! New
table.”

“
She’s right, Alex,” Buddy
said. “This looks great. How come I never noticed it
before?”