Summer Breeze (34 page)
When she couldn’t answer, he handed the box containing his pie to Derek Finley, took Patsy by the arm and planted a kiss right on her lips. “How’s them apples, sugar?” he asked.
Patsy nearly fell right off her platform sandals. All around her, the men began to cheer. The Finley twins chanted, “Pete and Patsy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! First comes love, then comes marriage—”
“Hold it right there!” Patsy said, snapping out of her trance. “If you all will excuse me, I’ve got to go and sit down.”
As she stepped away, trying to stay balanced on her sandals, Patsy could hear the crowd laughing and murmuring behind her. Well, she’d managed to be the focus of yet another spectacle—and once again Pete Roberts had caused it. Only this time, Patsy wasn’t angry. Far from it. In fact, she was so flustered, so dizzied, so downright discombobulated that she didn’t know if she could make it back to the plastic chaise.
Just when she feared she might have to slump down into the grass and take off her shoes, Pete slipped his arm under hers. “Are you mad at me again?” he asked, leaning way too close for comfort.
Patsy couldn’t believe it, but he smelled like heaven itself. He’d splashed on some kind of aftershave that had hints of lemon and spice, and his breath was sweet, and it was all she could do to keep from turning him around and giving him a smooch to end all smooches.
“Patsy?” he said. “Please don’t get upset. I thought you’d be glad I shaved after all this time. Especially right before winter. That’s when I usually let the ol’ beard grow as bushy as it can. But you kept telling me I ought to shave and get a haircut, so I finally listened. In fact, I did it for you. I’d given you a few teacups, and I couldn’t think of another thing that might please you. I really did want to make you happy.”
Patsy paused and turned to look into his amazing blue eyes. “You did, Pete,” she said. “I’m happy, but … but I’m kind of scared, too.”
“Scared? Of what? It’s just me.”
“But you look so different. You’re … well, you’re handsome.”
He burst out laughing. “Handsome! First time anyone ever said that about Pete Roberts. But if that’s how you feel, you’ll never see another whisker on my face as long as I live.”
Patsy practically tumbled onto the plastic chaise, and Pete sat down beside her on the grass. She stretched out her legs, closed her eyes, and tried to make herself think straight. Pete could
not
be that handsome. It simply wasn’t possible. How many beards had she shaved off men in her lifetime? At least a dozen, and what was underneath never looked as good as that. And how many men had she seen with brand-new haircuts? Thousands? But they were never as handsome as Pete Roberts.
“You’ll like my pecan pie,” he said, taking her hand. “I shelled the nuts myself, and I made the crust, too. It was my grandma’s recipe. You wouldn’t think a fellow like me could bake up a pecan pie, but if there was a fair anywhere near here, I bet I’d win first prize.”
You sure would,
Patsy thought.
But not for your pecan pie.
She opened her eyes a little and peeked over at him. No doubt about it. Pete was handsome. Oh, he wasn’t rippling with muscles or sporting a deep golden tan. He didn’t have gleaming white teeth and dimples. But that craggy face could just about stop a woman’s heart.
“Before the men get back here, Patsy,” he spoke up, “I want to tell you something. It’s about fishing.”
“Oh, Kim already told me,” she said. “Charlie thought up the idea when he was trying to get Esther to go out to Aunt Mamie’s. It worked so well that Charlie told Derek, and now all the Finleys are fishing left and right.”
“They are?”
Patsy hesitated. “By fishing, do you mean that special way of talking to someone so you get what you want from them? Like Derek winning back Kim’s admiration, and Kim winning Miranda’s acceptance? And Lydia winning Luke’s permission to be his diabetes buddy at school, even in front of all his friends?”
Pete scratched at what had once been his beard. Seeing as now it was just his chin, he didn’t do it long. “I’m not talking about that kind of fishing,” he said. “Though Derek Finley and I did discuss another kind of fishing after church last Sunday. You remember how the ladies were all bunched up talking about Jessica Hansen’s wedding?”
“Yes. Jennifer is going to be the maid of honor, and they plan to wear apricot and carry calla lilies. I’m doing the whole bridal party’s hair and nails. We’ve already scheduled it in my appointment book.”
“Okay, well, while you were discussing all that stuff, some of us men lingered around our cars waiting for you to finish up. That’s when I asked Steve Hansen about this ‘fishing for men’ business. He explained it to me pretty well, and then Derek Finley went to asking questions. And before long, Steve had up and decided to start a men’s Bible study at Rods-N-Ends at six o’clock every Wednesday morning.”
Patsy sat up straight. “A men’s Bible study? Are you going to it?”
“Of course. It’s at my store, remember? And that brings me to what I wanted to tell you. Even though I don’t completely understand about being ‘born again’—or exactly why anyone would want to fish for men—I’m giving it a shot. Derek said he’d come to the Bible study too. We’re both kind of ignorant, but we like what we see in church. Even better, we like the people we know who call themselves Christians. So, Patsy, I may not be all I should be—or could be—but I hope you know I’m trying.”
“Oh, Pete!” Unable to bear it another moment, Patsy threw her arms around the man’s neck and hugged him tightly while tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’m so happy I don’t know what to say! I can’t believe you really listened to me. And cared about what I think. And shaved off that beard. And decided to go to Bible study. And—”
“Whoa, hang on a minute!” Pete’s arms tightened around Patsy. “Slow up, girl. We’ve got us a potential problem here. It looks like trouble—but I think Derek’s got it covered.”
Patsy lifted her head and tried to see through the mist of tears that covered her eyes. “What is it, Pete?”
“There’s something out in the lake. Looks too big to be a carp or a catfish. I don’t think it’s a paddlefish either. Why is it that every time we have a barbecue we wind up with a hitch in our giddyup?”
Still folded in Pete’s arms, Patsy turned around and wiped at her eyes. She could see a dark shape a little way from the shoreline. It seemed to be drifting along at a slow pace—maybe it was a log or even a large turtle. Derek had picked up a heavy stick and was walking toward the water. Parents called their children out of the swim area, and everyone gathered in clumps with their arms around each other.
Just when Patsy had decided the object was some kind of debris, it rose straight out of the water. The whole crowd cried out and stumbled backward. The thing was standing now, wading to the shore.
“Is it a deer?” Patsy asked.
“Too hairy and tall. It might be a bear. It’s too big for a raccoon. What is that thing?”
At that moment, the thing lifted a hand and began waving. “Hi, I’m Cody!”
“Cody!” Patsy scrambled out of the chaise so fast that Pete found himself holding air. Kicking off her sandals, she ran for the water. “It’s Cody! Cody, you came back!”
“Hey, Patsy Pringle! Hey, Pete! Hey, Brenda Hansen! Hey, Steve! Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Moore!” Dripping, Cody Goss staggered onto the beach. His hair and beard had grown scraggly, and his T-shirt was covered with grease stains. “Hey, Mrs. Finley and Officer Finley! Hey, the other Mrs. Finley! Hey, Ashley and Brad! Hey, Opal!”
Patsy rushed right up to Cody and threw her arms around his skinny, wet shoulders. A moment later, nearly every person in Deepwater Cove was making a valiant effort to hug Cody. Brenda Hansen began sobbing. Ashley Hanes started tossing necklaces over his head. Kim Finley wrapped him in beach towels as her twins danced around him. Esther and Charlie were so happy they broke into a spontaneous waltz of joy. Even Brad Hanes began to applaud Cody’s arrival in the neighborhood.
“You came back to us!” Patsy said as the young man made his way onto the grass. “Oh, Cody, we’ve missed you so much!”
“I missed you, too.” He sank onto a blanket someone had spread out, and everyone gathered around him. “I missed everyone, and let me tell you something. Deepwater Cove is not an easy place to find.”
“But why did you decide to leave Kansas?” Miranda Finley asked. “We thought you would be happy with your aunt.”
“I think my aunt is a very nice lady,” Cody said. “She told me she liked me, and she was sorry my daddy had died. Aunt Marylou stays at her flower store pretty much all the time. She makes bouquets for weddings and funerals and birthdays and holidays and church altars and hotel lobbies.”
“She’s a florist!” Esther said.
“Yes, and she has a big television in her house, and she told me to watch it all the time while she was gone. When she came home, we would eat together. My aunt is a vegetablearian. We ate beans and peas and lettuce and carrots. But we never ate meat. Or eggs. Or nothing interesting but nuts. We ate lots of nuts—peanuts, walnuts, macadamias, you name it.”
“Yuck!” Luke Finley announced. “That’s worse than my diabetic food.”
“You’re right,” Cody said. “Yuck. Besides that, my aunt and I didn’t have too much to talk about, because she was always at her shop working on flower bouquets. She said she didn’t have time to teach me reading or social skills, and she didn’t want me to clean anything in her house or mow her yard. Aunt Marylou always said, ‘I’m glad you came for a visit. How long do you plan to stay?’ I told her I was glad to have a family and a home. Anyway, one day I decided I had watched enough television to last me for a long while, because in case you didn’t know, the things they do on television are not good. So I wrote my aunt a letter to say good-bye and thank you for the vegetables and come see me in Deepwater Cove sometime, because that is my real home and my real family. And then I bought a bus ticket back to St. Louis.”
“St. Louis!” Patsy exclaimed, imagining the innocent young man stranded in the middle of such a large city. “But that’s miles from here.”
“I know. I could not find any of your houses or even Just As I Am or Rods-N-Ends. I lived in the woods for a while, just like my daddy and I used to do. But living in the woods makes you stink. And that’s why … well, after I found Deepwater Cove a few minutes ago, I tried to get into the lake and wash off.… But Brenda will tell you
I am not a fish
. So, that’s how come I stink.”
“I don’t think you stink.” The voice belonged to Jennifer Hansen, who stepped between Patsy and Pete. She was carrying a plate, and she offered it to Cody as she settled down cross-legged beside him.
“Three hot dogs!” he practically shouted. “And chocolate cake!”
“Cut into squares, not triangles,” Jennifer said. “Because squares are better.”
Cody stared at her for a moment as if he truly could not believe his eyes. Then he picked up a hot dog. “This is the happiest day of my life,” he announced. “And here’s another thing I want to say. I love you, Jennifer Hansen.”
The young woman smiled. “Everyone here loves you, too, Cody,” she said. “Welcome back to Deepwater Cove. Welcome home.”
The principles and strategies illustrated in this novel are taken from
The Four Seasons of Marriage
by Gary Chapman. In this book, Dr. Chapman discusses marriage as a journey back and forth through different “seasons.”
- Springtime
in marriage is a time of new beginnings, new patterns of life, new ways of listening, and new ways of loving. - Summer
couples share deep commitment, satisfaction, and security in each other’s love. - Fall
brings a sense of unwanted change, and nagging emptiness appears. - Winter
means difficulty. Marriage is harder in this season of cold silence and bitter winds.
- In
Summer Breeze
, which season of the year is it in Deepwater Cove, Missouri? Which season of marriage do you think Derek and Kim Finley are experiencing? What are the signs that let you know? - At the start of the book, someone has drowned near Deepwater Cove. What changes does this event bring about in Derek’s life? How does the drowning affect Kim? What does the news mean to Cody? Can you think of an example in your own experience in which God has used one event to bring about change in many peoples’ lives?
- What are Luke and Lydia like at the beginning of the book? How do their personalities change through the story? How does a family’s structure affect children? How does the parents’ relationship affect children’s behavior?
- On the way to church, the Finley family erupts into a furious argument (pages 135–139). What is the end result for each member of the family? Do you ever find your own family engaged in disagreements on the way to church? Catherine Palmer’s family refers to these quarrels as “holy wars.” Why do you suppose tensions are so high at such times? Can you think of some good ways to prevent “holy wars” in your family?
- Patsy Pringle gets angry with Pete Roberts over the lawn chair incident at the Fourth of July barbecue (page 117). How does her version of the event differ from his? What is the root cause of her anger? Twice, Patsy is challenged to forgive Pete. Why do you suppose it takes her so long to admit her wrongdoing? What does Cody say that finally propels Patsy to forgive Pete? How can we forgive others?
- What does Miranda think of Christians? What are her own religious beliefs? How does Jennifer Hansen respond to Miranda’s declarations about religion (page 183)? What do you think of Jennifer’s method of stating her beliefs? Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone else? Has anyone tried to tell you about a religion different from yours? What happened?
- In this book, Kim and Derek are dealing with Luke’s diabetes. What impact can a chronic illness have on a family—financially, physically, emotionally, and in other ways? How is Kim handling the situation at the start of the book? What is Derek’s attitude about Luke’s problem? How has Dr. Groene chosen to deal with his diabetes?
- In the first book in this series,
It Happens Every Spring
, Steve and Brenda Hansen’s marital problems grew from within their relationship. In this book, Kim and Derek face trouble that comes from outside their marriage. They are struggling not only with Luke’s illness but also with a blended family and with in-law relationships. But Kim and Derek also have trouble within their marriage. What are some of the mistakes they have made in building their relationship? - Strategy 3 in
The Four Seasons of Marriage
encourages couples to discover and speak each other’s primary love language. The five love languages are (1) words of affirmation, (2) acts of service, (3) receiving gifts, (4) physical touch, and (5) quality time. What love language does Derek speak? How can you tell? What is Kim’s response to his way of communicating love? What is Kim’s love language? How does Derek feel about it? - In this book, Charlie Moore teaches Derek how to “fish” (pages 171–172). “Fishing” is Strategy 4—empathetic listening—in
The Four Seasons of Marriage
. What is the goal of this kind of “fishing”? Practical ways to do this include (1) listening with an attitude of understanding (not judgment); (2) withholding judgment on the other person’s ideas; (3) affirming the other person, even when you disagree with his or her ideas; and (4) sharing your own ideas only after the other person feels understood. How did Derek begin to listen empathetically to Lydia? to Kim? How was Kim’s “bait” different from Derek’s? Can you describe how you might listen empathetically to your spouse or loved one regarding an area of disagreement in your relationship? - Think about the other couples in
Summer Breeze
. Along with Kim and Derek Finley, you have met Ashley and Brad Hanes, Esther and Charlie Moore, and Brenda and Steve Hansen. Patsy Pringle, viewing her salon as a garden, describes the season she believes each woman is experiencing in marriage (pages 85–87). From what you have learned about these marriages, would you agree with Patsy? Why or why not? - During a meeting of the TLC, Cody quotes a Bible passage his father taught him, Isaiah 2:18-21: “Idols will completely disappear. When the Lord rises to shake the earth, his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. On that day of judgment they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as he rises to shake the earth” (NLT). What characteristics of God does this passage reveal? Do these traits fit with your concept of Him? What are idols, and why is God so angry about them? Idols made of gold, silver, brass, clay, and wood are still worshipped in many countries of the world, mostly in the East. Are there other things that people in the Western world idolize?
- In this book, the character of Cody is childlike in his faith and understanding. Recall some of the truths he speaks and how they affect the other characters. What was your favorite “Cody moment”?