Tender Love (8 page)

“I heard hamburgers and French fries mentioned.”

“Oh, we can do better than that. I'll take you to a nice restaurant.”

“That wouldn't be a good idea. All three of us look scruffy. We'd better take a rain check on the nice restaurant.”

“We'll compromise. I know a place that serves hamburgers and French fries, but also dinners. And there's an adjacent playground that the kids will like. I'll meet you at the church parking lot in a half hour.” Alice was pleased that she'd thought of this—she mustn't damage Mark's self-esteem by always giving and not taking. And the evening meal shouldn't be too expensive.

“Okay. I'll telephone Gran to tell her our plans and that we'll bring her dinner.”

To pass the time while they waited for Mark, Alice encouraged the two children to walk with her around the quiet neighborhood where the church was located. Mark was punctual, arriving soon after they returned from their walk. Kristin rushed to sit with Mark in the front seat, and with an apologetic shrug, Mark met Alice's eyes. With a nod she indicated that she understood.

“Why does Kristin always get to ride in the front seat?”

“Wait until you're a little larger, Son, and then you can take your turn.” He stepped out of the car and removed his tie and coat.

“I might as well be comfortable like the rest of you,” he said, observing their shorts and sleeveless shirts with envy.

A ten-minute drive on Midlothian Turnpike brought them to a restaurant that pleased all of them. The children's favorite foods were available; Mark ordered a shrimp dinner, and Alice chose roast beef.

It seemed strange that Eddie sat with Alice, while Kristin wanted to be beside her father. Eddie talked more than he had at first, but he was still quieter than Kristin, who chatted to her father about their day's experience. As they waited for their food, Alice observed her adopted family. All three of them had gained weight since she'd come to them, and certainly the improvement in Eddie was almost miraculous. Since Alice had kept him outside much of the time, his pasty white complexion had given way to a slight tan, tinged by rosy cheeks.

“Did you give all of your clothes away or do you still have some left?” Mark asked with a grin after listening to Kristin's account of the big sacks they'd brought to the church.

“I'll need some school clothes,” Kristin said.

“She's outgrown most of her things,” Alice said, “but Eddie can still wear a lot of his. We'll need to go shopping, but not for another couple of months.” She tried to forestall any worries he might have about financing their school clothes. Alice had never seen him so relaxed, and she wanted him to stay that way.

As she ate the succulent roast beef, Alice said,
“This does taste good. I must be tired of my own cooking.”

“You'll have to forgive me, Alice,” Mark apologized. “I've not been thinking straight lately. We'll start eating out at least once a week.”

“I wasn't complaining, but this is a nice experience.”

 

The children asked permission to go out and play on the swings before Alice and Mark finished their meal, and Mark excused them.

“What kind of work do you do at the bank?”

“I'm in charge of personnel. It was fortunate for me that when I needed employment, the head of the Personnel Department retired.”

“Do you like the work?”

“Yes, I do. I enjoy working with people, and I have the opportunity to do some counseling, which I've been trained to do. I supervise the employees in the main bank, as well as their branch facilities. I have more than a hundred employees to deal with—it's time-consuming, but when I'm at work, I don't fret about my other problems.”

“I know it isn't any of my business, but when do you intend to return to the ministry?”

He covered her hand with his, and his feelings for her were evident by the intensity of his expression. “Anything you want to know about me
is
your business, but I don't know the answer.” He squeezed her fingers and she returned the clasp. “It's a question that's in my mind all the time. I took a vow to serve the Lord with my whole life, and although I feel that the work I'm doing is worthwhile, it's not what God called me to do. I've lost enthusiasm for His work,
Alice, and until that returns, I can't go back to the pulpit.”

Their conversation was interrupted when Kristin came back to their table, with Eddie walking behind, his head down, and Alice quickly disengaged their hands. Eddie slid into the seat and snuggled over to Alice—she put her arm around him and held him close.

“Eddie's afraid,” Kristin said in a haughty voice. “He won't get on the swings and the slide. He's no fun to play with.”

“You wouldn't remember, Kristin, but the first time you went to a playground, you were afraid, too. We're finished now, and we'll come out and play with you.”

When they got outside, Mark said, “Let's try the swings first, Son. You get on the seat, and I'll push the swing, but not too high.”

Kristin jumped in one of the swings and propelled herself up and down. Her achievements intimidated Eddie.

“Let Alice hold me,” he begged.

“I'm too heavy to sit in a swing. Just hold on to the chain, and you won't fall.”

Eddie shook his head, and Mark said, “These are heavy-duty swings, and you shouldn't overload them, Alice, if you want to swing with him.”

“I'm heavier than you think,” Alice said with a laugh. “We may have to pay for a damaged swing, but I'll try it. Come on, Eddie.”

She sat down and lifted Eddie to her lap. Slowly, Mark pushed the swing, and Alice helped their progress with her feet. She sensed Eddie relaxing.

“I like it. Go higher, Daddy.”

Alice looked over her shoulder and Mark grinned at her. “You're right—you are heavier than you look.” She made a face at him.

After about ten minutes, Eddie agreed he could manage without Alice's help, so she went to watch Kristin enjoy herself on the slide. When Mark and Eddie joined them, Eddie whined, “I can't do that— I'm afraid.”

“You don't have to play on the slide,” Mark said, “if you don't want to.”

“I want to play, but I'm afraid.”

Mark checked out the small slide. “There are only six steps to the top, Eddie. If Alice stands behind you, and I catch you when you come down the slide—do you think you can do it?”

“I don't know.”

“Let's try,” Alice said, “I'll climb up the steps behind you, but I'm not trying the slide,” she stated in response to Mark's amused expression and his uplifted eyebrows.

Eddie trembled by the time he climbed the six rungs on the ladder, and even when he got situated at the top, he wouldn't budge from his perch. Alice climbed until she could peer over the slide at Mark.

“I'll give him a little push. Be ready to catch him.” She gently unlocked Eddie's hands from the sides of the slide and gave him a nudge, holding on to him as long as she could. He screamed, and though he made it into Mark's arms safely, Eddie's face was white and his lips trembled.

“I don't want to slide anymore, Daddy. I'd rather swing.”

Alice sat on a nearby bench while Mark took Eddie to the swings, and Kristin played alone on the
slide. When Eddie learned how to swing alone, Mark joined her on the bench, their shoulders touching lightly.

An elderly couple came out of the restaurant and stood watching the two children for a few minutes. The woman turned and spoke to Mark. “You have a lovely family. We've been watching you while you played with them. You must be proud of your children.”

Alice gasped slightly and lowered her head, but Mark replied steadily, “Why, yes, we are proud of them, thank you. They're fine children.”

Alice got up and wandered to where Eddie was swinging, and after the couple moved on, Mark joined her.

“What else could I say? We are proud of them, aren't we?” he said with a shrug. “I didn't think explanations were necessary.”

 

Knowing that the farm activities might not be enough entertainment for Kristin and Eddie, Alice packed the softball and bat, and a badminton set she'd found among the cartons in her bedroom. She took her portable television along in case the children wanted to watch a program in their rooms. She knew they wouldn't lack for food at the farm, but she bought some pudding cups, potato chips and a few two-liter bottles of cola as special treats.

Mark helped her pack the van the night before they left.

“I'm going to miss you—all of you,” he added meaningly.

“I do feel guilty taking your kids away from you
for a week. I was thinking of the good it would do them, not considering how it would affect you.”

“Oh, I wasn't feeling sorry for myself. I want them to have this experience, but I'll be lonely.”

Without looking directly at him, Alice said, “Look on the bright side—Ethel will be here to keep you company.”

He grinned at her, his dimple deepening—it was obvious that she had nothing to fear from Ethel.

“You'll come to the farm for the weekend, won't you?”

“If I don't get involved in something at the bank that keeps me late, I'll come Friday evening. I'll call and let you know.”

A
s they traveled, Eddie importantly taught his sister the game he and Alice had played when they'd gone to the church camp. That kept them occupied for a while, and when they started fussing, Alice produced some puzzle books and pencils. To break the ride, she stopped at a roadside park that had a few playthings for children, and to eat the picnic lunch that she had packed. They arrived at the farm in midafternoon.

The hundred-acre farm was in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The buildings were located along a lazy river meandering through the middle of the farm, fed from the wooded hills to the north. About half of the farm was arable, and it was planted in corn and soya beans. In addition to the two-story dwelling, there was a large barn, garage, and a chicken house. As they drove along the lane that took them to the farm-stead, Alice observed with pleasure the neat fields, and the new-mown pasture fields behind the barn. Her uncle was a good farmer.

Landon Wilcox wasn't a handsome man, for above his freckled face was a thatch of wild and unruly red hair. His long drooping nose was high at the bridge giving his face a beaklike appearance, but his gray eyes sparkled mischievously, indicative of his jovial personality. He sat on the wide veranda that surrounded the old house. When he came off the porch to greet them, a basset hound and a half-dozen puppies ran after him. By the time petite, fair-haired Margaret came out of the house, Kristin and Eddie had dropped to the ground, and the pups were climbing all over them.

Laughing, Alice said, “I see you've added some new livestock to the farm. And I was afraid there wouldn't be enough to keep the kids from being bored!”

Landon gave her a bear hug, and Alice stooped to kiss Aunt Margaret. “So these are the children you're caring for?” Margaret said.

“Eddie, Kristin, leave the dogs alone for a few minutes and meet my relatives.”

Eddie and Kristin both held a puppy in their arms, but they stood up, the other pups yipping and chewing on their shoes and socks.

“This is my Aunt Margaret and Uncle Landon. We're going to be their guests for the week.”

Eddie stuck out his little hand toward Landon. “I'm Eddie Tanner.”

Smothering a smile, Landon shook his hand. “Glad to meet you, Eddie. We don't have any boys around here, so you'll have to help me on the farm this week.”

“What are we supposed to call you?” Kristin asked.

“Whatever you want to, dear,” Margaret said.

“Then we'll call you Aunt Margaret and Uncle Landon, just like Alice does. We don't have any uncles at all, and only one aunt, and she lives in Tennessee so we don't see her very often.”

Eddie again dropped to the ground to play with the puppies, and he looked up at Landon, his eyes bright and hopeful.

“Can we have one of the puppies, please?”

Landon glanced at Alice.

“That's a decision for your daddy to make, but don't get your hopes up. He may not want to adopt a puppy.” She looked at Margaret. “Mark, the children's father and my employer, may come up over the weekend. I hope that'll be all right.”

Margaret nodded, and Landon said, “The more the merrier. Come on, Eddie, let's take a ride on the tractor. I have to plow a section of the garden this afternoon.”

“Can I take the puppy?”

“Not on the tractor. You can play with the puppy after supper.”

“Don't I get to ride on the tractor?” Kristin asked.

“Sure thing,” Landon said, “but only one kid at a time.”

Reluctantly, Eddie and Kristin released their puppies, and the mother dog waddled back to the porch, her brood awkwardly following her.

“Let me put some sunscreen on you, Eddie—I don't want you to get a sunburn.” Alice rummaged in the back of the van to find the bag she'd packed for emergencies, and after she rubbed his arms and legs generously with the lotion, she said, “I wish I'd brought a cap for him.”

“He can wear one of my straw hats,” Landon said.

“Kristin,” Margaret said, “you come and help me string green beans for supper, and you can ride on the tractor tomorrow.”

As Alice unpacked the van, she saw Eddie following Landon out to the garden. The sight of the boy with the big straw hat flopping down over his ears was hilarious, and she grabbed her camera. She'd noticed very few pictures at the Tanners, and she intended to record their activities this summer. She snapped a picture from the rear, and when he turned, she got a close-up of his face, barely visible under the floppy brim.

Eddie was skittish of climbing on the tractor, but Landon had grandchildren, and he knew how to calm the boy's fears. Alice was sure he'd waited until their arrival to plow the garden to give Eddie a chance to ride the tractor.

Landon placed Eddie on the seat before him, and Alice paused to watch. Eddie put his little hands beside the hairy freckled hands of Landon, and when he saw Alice looking their way, he straightened his back and yelled over the tractor's roaring motor, “Look at me, Alice. I'm driving. Take my picture.” Alice was glad she'd bought several extra rolls of film.

She carried all their luggage upstairs and placed it in the three rooms Margaret had prepared. Afterward, she located Kristin and Margaret on the back porch, where Kristin was slowly getting the knack of snapping the long green beans. She took a picture of that activity, too—partly to have mementos for the chil
dren, but also so Mark wouldn't miss altogether what his children were doing.

When bedtime came, Alice realized that she'd forgotten to pack one very important item—a night-light. When they started upstairs, Kristin peered out the living room window.

“It's dark outside. I can't see anything. And you can't hear any sounds at all.”

Eddie didn't comment, but he edged close to Alice, and clutched her jeans as they walked upstairs.

She showed the children to their bedrooms, where she'd laid out their pj's on the bed. Kristin and Eddie tiptoed around, only adding to the quietness. The rooms, with their high ceilings and antique wooden furniture intimidated the children. When Eddie climbed into the full-size bed, he did look awfully small.

“We'll leave the bathroom light on tonight,” Alice told him as she bent and kissed his cheek. “And I'm in the room across the hall—there's nothing to be afraid of.”

He nodded solemnly, but his blue eyes looked enormous in the dim light.

Alice paused at Kristin's open door. “Are you all right?”

“I think so. What are those funny sounds outdoors?”

“Night insects—katydids and locusts, and lots of other kinds I can't recognize. They're in cities, too, but we can't hear them because of the traffic and other noises.”

Alice turned off the hall light, but left the bathroom light on to keep the children from being afraid. She undressed in the darkness, and slipped between
the sheets. The farmhouse wasn't air-conditioned, and she welcomed the breeze drifting through the open window.

Alice lay with her hands behind her head, propped up on the pillow, not the least bit sleepy. She hadn't been here to stay overnight since her marriage ten years ago. What a lot had happened to her in that length of time. Married and widowed. The last time she slept in this bed, she'd never heard of Mark Tanner, and in spite of the thirty-five years she'd lived before she met Mark, it seemed as if her life had only started two months ago when she'd entered his home.

“Alice.” Her thoughts were interrupted by Eddie's timorous voice. He stood in the doorway. She sat up in bed.

“Yes. What is it?”

“I'm scared. It's awful quiet, but still I can hear squeaking sounds. I can't go to sleep. Maybe we ought to go home.”

“But if we go home, you wouldn't be here to ride the pony tomorrow. You don't want to miss that.”

He didn't answer, but Alice thought she heard a sniff.

With a quiet sigh, she said, “Would you like to crawl in beside me for a while?”

His bare feet pattered across the floor, and she reached out a hand to lift him into the bed. With a little giggle, he scooted across the mattress, until he was pressed close against her side.

“You smell good, Alice, and you're soft and cuddly just like my bear.”

“That's quite a compliment.”

“Can I come, too?” Kristin's voice sounded from the hallway.

“Don't tell me you're afraid?”

“No, but that's an awful big bed for just me.”

Alice turned back the bed covers. “Come on.”

The two children were soon asleep, but Alice lay between them unable to settle down. Betty would have a fit if she knew Alice permitted her charges to sleep with her—no doubt it was against nanny rules. But her growing love for Mark extended to his children, and she found it difficult to refuse their requests.
Where was this going to end?
Mark had made it plain that remarriage wasn't in his plans. What did the future hold for her? Was she drifting into deep water from which there wasn't any return?

 

On their second evening at the farm, Mark telephoned while they were eating supper, and Alice's hand itched to take the phone when Landon said who was calling. She stayed in her chair while Kristin and Eddie ran to get the receiver—Kristin winning as usual. Eddie hopped from one foot to the other as his sister talked, and grabbed the phone with alacrity when it was his turn.

Mark must have asked if he was having a good time, for he said, “Yes, I am, Daddy. I've been driving the tractor, riding the pony, and playing with the puppies. And we're waiting until you come Saturday to go on a picnic in the woods. Uncle Landon calls it a hayride.”

Alice could envision Mark's eyes lighting as he listened to Eddie's ramblings.

“Alice, Daddy wants to talk to you.”

Careful, she thought as she left the table. Aunt
Margaret is pretty shrewd—she'll catch on quickly. But she couldn't keep a lilt out of her voice when she answered.

“How are things going? The kids sound as if they're having a good time.”

“All of us are.”

“Then they haven't worn you out completely?”

“Not at all. We're sorry that you can't be with us, too. How's Gran getting along?”

“Fine. She had most of dinner ready when I got home tonight. Ethel was all set to come every day, but I rather forcefully dispensed with her services. I told her if she wanted to be of help, she could check on Gran over the weekend.”

“I'm sure that wasn't the kind of service she had in mind.”

“She's pretty hard to discourage, but I want you to know I've tried.”

“I believe it.”

Alice gave him directions on how to find the farm and handed the phone back to Kristin, who had stood nearby listening intently.

The rest of the week passed quickly, and the children retained their enthusiasm for rural life. Alice and Landon took them fishing; Margaret kept them fed well with fresh-baked cookies and other pastries, and both children enjoyed riding the lazy pony around the barn lot. It was only at night that they seemed to miss their father, and when they were ready for bed, as a matter of course, they went into Alice's room and got in her bed.

She wanted them to enjoy their week, and since she wasn't heartless enough to force them to sleep in their rooms, she turned the time to good use. After
they got in bed, and before she turned off the light, she put her arms around both of them and told them Bible stories. Their favorite was the time Jesus had called the little children to him and blessed them, and they wanted to hear that every night.

“When we visited the Holy Land several years ago, we saw the places that Jesus visited and where He might have been when He blessed the children. He probably sat on a little hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee.”

“Is that a pretty place?” Kristin asked.

“The hillsides aren't as pretty and green as we have here in Virginia, but any place Jesus has been is beautiful.”

“Have you been lots of places?”

“Yes, I have, Kristin. My husband was associated with the state department, and before his illness, he had many occasions to travel in foreign countries. I always went with him, and after he finished his work, he took a week or so of vacation, and we went sightseeing.”

“What happened to your husband?” Eddie asked.

“He died and went to be with the Lord.”

“Just like our Mommy,” Eddie said. “Are you sad, too, Alice?”

“I used to be, but not since I've had the two of you to take care of.”

“And Daddy, too?”

Alice's heart beat like a jackhammer at the question, but she managed to answer lightly. “Daddy doesn't actually need taking care of. He's big enough to look out for himself.”

Once the story time was finished, Kristin and Eddie slept soundly, but Alice didn't. For one thing,
Eddie was restless and turned frequently, usually yanking the bedcovers with him. Also, she was troubled. If she was a good nanny, she would know how to reassure these children and put them in their separate beds. But a good nanny wouldn't have fallen in love with her charges' father, either. Why had she listened to Betty? Why hadn't she returned to teaching? That way she could have worked with children during the day, and they would have returned to their parents at night, and her heart wouldn't have been involved.

Alice was also worried about the weekend. She was so eager to see Mark that she could hardly bear to wait the hours away before he arrived. Could she possibly conceal her feelings for Mark from Margaret and Landon? If her pulse raced when she even thought about Mark, how would her emotions stir when she saw him after a few days' separation?

Lying in the bed she'd slept in when she was a child, she remembered the times she'd prayed for guidance in her life. As soon as she recognized the Lordship of Christ, Alice knew He had a purpose for her, and she thought that meant becoming a mother. Had she mistaken His leadership when she married John Larkin? She'd never doubted that she would have children, but it was a subject they hadn't discussed before marriage, and she didn't know until later that John was reluctant to take on the responsibility of a young family at his age. Alice hadn't insisted.