Where the Wild Rose Blooms (48 page)

Jackie laughed. "You don't need to. Clayton is here, and he can give you lessons next week."

Lexa only groaned and said she didn't think she would be up to it.

Tours of the house were next. Addy wanted to see the bedrooms, so Eddie took her that direction while Robert led Morgan around the downstairs. For a few minutes, Danny found herself alone with Jackie.

'Tell me what's happened, Jackie," she said quietly. "You're not the same girl who left Georgetown on May 1. What's happened to you?"

Jackie smiled. "I'm so glad I'm not the same girl. I fought it, Danny; I fought it for so long, but I finally gave myself to Christ."

Danny hugged her older sister. They were very much the same height now, and Jackie clung to her. Upstairs the women were doing some hugging of their own.

"You have something to tell me, don't you, Edwina?"

Eddie smiled. "How did you know?"

"Because you're radiant."

They hugged, and Addy held her oldest daughter very close, her heart crying and rejoicing at the same time. They would be far from Boulder by the time this link one entered the world.

This is what my mother felt,
Addy thought of the woman long dead.
This was what she experienced when I had my babies far from her reach. This is the separation she felt in not touching them or seeing them.

"Mother," Eddie said gently. "You look about to cry."

Addy's smile wobbled dangerously. "For the first time ever I agree with your father about wanting you to move to Georgetown."

Eddie laughed and hugged her again. "I know," she suggested. "Let's have Robert pressure Father about moving here to Boulder."

"Oh, no," Addy said. "Just about the time we do that, one of you girls will meet someone from New York, and we'll be off across the country again."

"Mother, are you in here?"

"Here, Sammy."

"Oh. Is this your room, Eddie?"

"Yes. Isn't it pretty?"

"Um hmm." she agreed as she took in the green curtains and counterpane. It was not overly feminine but had enough masculine touches to make Eddie and Robert both comfortable. The greens ranged from a pastel to a deep forest, and the effect was very soothing.

"What have you been doing, Sammy?" Addy wished to know.

"Just wandering and wishing I could live here all the time."

The older women smiled. "We waited rather late to come this year," Addy said. "Maybe another year you can come and spend some time during the summer." She paused for the space of several heartbeats. "Especially if you can be a help with the baby."

Sammy's
eyes
shot to Eddies, and Eddies heart melted at the love she saw there. They embraced for many minutes, neither capable of words. Addy left them to find Morgan. He needed to see Eddie and learn firsthand of her news. Addy wanted to see the rest of the house.

"Did you know, Mother? I mean, could you tell?"

"Yes and no, Jackie," Addy confessed.

It was late in the evening now, and Addy had walked Jackie and Sammy up to Jackie's room. Sammy had gone to retrieve something from her mother's case, so Addy was given a few moments alone with Jackie.

"What do you mean, yes and no?"

Addy smoothed Jackie's brow as her daughter's head lay on the pillow.

"You made a confession as a child, and I thought it genuine as I talked to you that day, but then things didn't really change for you. They did for Danny, who accepted Christ at the same time, but not for you. I also must admit to you, Jackie, I
wanted
to believe you understood. I've had to confess that. It was very wrong of me. I told myself I couldn't judge you that way, and then God reminded me that I was still judging you: I was judging you saved. If that wasn't true, then that was the worst thing I could possibly do."

"So you think that if a person is saved it will be evident?"

"Yes. I didn't always. I mean, I tried to tell myself that if a person told me he had made that choice then I should believe him, but James puts it very well in James 2. He says I'll show you my faith by my works. If the conversion is real, my darling, then the whole world should be able to tell."

"Oh, Mother," Jackie took her hand. "It's never been like this. I want to pray all the time, and I love it when someone reads the Bible to me. I've always been so bored and restless with church, but I can't wait until tomorrow."

Addy leaned over and put her arms around Jackie, her heart so full that she couldn't even speak. They were still hugging when Sammy returned. Addy kissed her youngest daughter good-night and teased them both about giggling and talking in bed. As she then joined Morgan in their own room, she only hoped that Jackie would have a chance to tell him all that had happened. Since Jackie had left Georgetown, Morgan had been more attentive and at home as much as he was able, but Addy suspected that he was still trying to come to God his own way. Their marriage was more precious right now than she ever dreamed it could be, but Morgan's views on how to get to heaven still lay between them. As always, Addy continued to pray.

Clayton Taggart's face lit with surprised pleasure when he saw the Fontaine family. He hugged all the women and shook Morgan's hand. He was doubly pleased when Robert invited him to come for Sunday dinner so he could have a long visit. Such an invitation took all the pressure off him to talk to them at church. He was able to stand back while they met the church family, knowing his time with them would come.

However, his heart didn't completely step away. Whenever he was in the same room with Jackie, he was aware of her every move. The other girls had all grown so tall and were prettier than ever, but Clayton had eyes for only one, and she would never see him again. Amazingly, that didn't matter. Claytons heart and attitude had not changed in the least, except that he wanted to cherish Jackie all the more. And he knew that he would.

Jackie, however, didn't know it. If there was one great advantage to her loss of vision, it was that he could look at her beloved face and still keep his feelings to himself. Someday she would know his voice well enough to know what he was thinking, but right now he'd kept a close watch on himself.

After he had told Jackie about his feelings concerning her spiritual state days before, Clayton had gone home to pray. In truth, he couldn't pray right away. His heart felt broken, and he wept off and on for two hours before falling into an exhausted sleep. When he awoke, he turned to his Bible. He read for the rest of the day and turned Jackie over to God. He knew an amazing peace, but he had no sense that something had happened. He simply knew for the first time since seeing her again that he could live without her. He told God he was going to pray for her salvation if it took the rest of his life, but he was also going to obey Gods Word, and that meant no marriage to a nonbeliever.

When Robert had come the next day to tell him what had taken place, Clayton was so shocked he could hardly speak. He was not sorry for the way he'd talked to her, but it never occurred to him that God might use his words in such a powerful way.

It
was on that day that Robert told him to come back on Friday to teach. He'd gone and found Jackie in
the
study. One look at her as she pored over that book, and he knew he was more in love than ever. When she asked him to read from the Bible, it was as if the Lord was saying, "She's yours now, Clayton. You can finally have her." Now, two days later, his feelings were just as strong. He even considered talking to Morgan but decided against it. The time to tell Jackie of his feelings might not come for months or even years. No matter to Clayton's mind. He could wait. Her friendship was beyond value to him, and the rest would come in God's time.

"I guess
I'll
see you next Sunday." Claytons voice came low to Jackie's ears. The day was getting on, and Clayton thought it a good time to go. He found Jackie alone at the front, on the wide stone porch that swept halfway around the house. She was sitting on the stone bench, the skirt of her new green dress spread out around her. Clayton found her enchanting.

"Next Sunday?" Jackie looked uncertain and shifted the glass she was holding to her other hand. "I didn't think your class started for another week."

"It doesn't, but I assumed you would want to have time with your family."

Jackie licked her lips. She did want time with her family but not without him. In addition, she began to doubt his excuse. Was that how he really felt, or did he need some time away from her?

"Well, I guess its probably best." She tried without success to keep the disappointment from her voice. "You must want some time to yourself after all of this, and especially with school starting."

Her head had dropped forward, and although she couldn't see, it was as though she was avoiding Claytons
eyes.
He couldn't stand it. He stepped to stand in front of her, and with a gentle hand he captured her jaw and raised her gaze. He bent from the waist and spoke directly into her upturned face.

"I don't need any time off," he told her. His thumb moved gently on her cheek, and her breathing became labored. "I was thinking only of you. I could come as usual or just for a few hours. Whatever you want."

"Oh, Clayton, I wish I could see you," she told him honestly. "I wish I could tell if you really mean it."

"I mean it," he said, the hand still in place. It was amazing that they'd managed to be alone as long as they had, but when Clayton heard footsteps behind him, he moved his hand and took a step back.

"What time shall I come?" he managed in a normal tone.

"Maybe I should ask Eddie, just in case they've made plans."

In truth, it had been Addy who was headed their way, but when she saw how close Clayton had been to Jackie, she stopped short, beaming with pleasure.

"Your mother is here," Clayton said loudly enough for that woman to hear. "Why don't we ask her?"

Addy came forward and Jackie did just that. Addy pleased her daughter to no end when she said, "Well, even if we do have plans, Clay can join us."

Jackie didn't comment on that, but her delight was more than obvious. Clayton knew some delight of his own, but his stemmed from the way Addy looked at him when he finally said his goodbyes. She was no fool, and his feelings for Jackie were more than clear. Her approval, given with kind, beautiful
eyes,
was crystal clear as well.