Do you have a problem with that? You can always walk like you wanted to a few minutes ago.”
Jane folded her arms across her chest, her hands clenched, and stared out the side, muttering under her breath.
Beth started to decline the offer of help, but she caught Samuel’s look. He shook his head as though he knew what she was going to say and wanted her to accept their assistance. She snapped her mouth closed and gave him the scrapers.
While Samuel and Jane cleared the snow and ice built up on the windows, Beth watched, feeling guilty that she was warm while they were freezing. She didn’t accept help well and this was making her very uncomfortable, especially when she saw Jane’s face set in a frown, her cheeks red from the cold, her body beginning to shake because she was dressed in a short skirt with a heavy jacket that covered her only to her waist. Except for a pair of half boots, large portions of the teenager’s legs were exposed to the fierce elements. At least she wore gloves, Beth thought, tapping her hand against the steering wheel to keep herself from snatching the scraper from Jane and finishing the job.
Ten minutes later father and daughter settled back into the Jeep, their sighs indicating they relished the warmth. Beth’s guilt soared. She had a problem with wanting to do everything for everyone else. She had to learn to say no and to let others do for her. Darcy and Jesse were always telling her that at their Saturday get-togethers. She should listen to her friends. But it was tough to go against ingrained behavior.
Negotiating out of the parking lot, Beth drove slowly, glad that most people were off the roads and hopefully safely in their homes. “Too much longer and I’m afraid we would have been stuck at school.”
Jane gave a choking sound, which caused her father to send a censuring look her way. Having raised three siblings as well as teaching high schoolers for the past fifteen years, Beth understood the inner workings of a teenage mind. Jane fitted into the category of those who hated school and would rather be anywhere but there—hence her desire to strike out and walk home in a snowstorm, even though she wasn’t dressed properly for any kind of walk.
“Where were you last stationed in the army?” Beth asked, hating the silence that had descended.
With his gaze fixed on the road ahead, Samuel said, “Leavenworth.”
“Where the prison is?”
“Yes.”
“Stuck in the middle of nowhere,” Jane offered from the back seat.
“Were you ever stationed overseas?”
“Germany and Japan, which gave us a chance to see that part of the world.”
Thinking of all the places she would love to visit, Beth chanced a quick look toward Samuel. “That must have been interesting.”
“If you could speak the language,” Jane said.
Beth heard the pout in the teenager’s voice, but didn’t turn to look at her. She could imagine the crossed arms and defiant expression on the girl’s face, often a permanent part of her countenance. “True. That could be a problem, but they have such wonderful programs for teaching languages. I’ve been using a taped series to learn Spanish.”
“I always tried to learn at least some of the language when we were stationed in a country. Japanese was hard, but I found German easy, especially to read.” Samuel shifted in his seat, taking his attention from the road. With a smile he asked, “Have you traveled much?”
Beth shook her head. “But that’s about to change. My brother’s at college, so as of a week ago I have no one left at home.” Beth recalled the mixed emotions she had experienced when she had said goodbye to Daniel at school. Elation at the sense of freedom she now had mingled with sadness that he would be starting a part of his life without her.
“Are you planning on going somewhere they speak Spanish?”
“Yes, but I don’t know where yet. I’m going to spread a map of Central and South America out in front of me and throw a dart. I’m going where it lands.”
Samuel chuckled. “An unusual method of planning a vacation.”
“It won’t be a vacation. I want to live there, for a while at least.”
“What about Brazil? That takes up a good portion of South America, and they speak Portuguese.”
“I understand there are a lot of similarities between the two languages. If I end up in Brazil, it will just make the adventure even more exciting.”
“So when are you going to throw that dart?”
“Soon. I’m thinking of having a party and inviting all my friends to be there for the big moment.” Saying out loud what she had been toying with for the past few months made her firm the decision to have a party in celebration of a new phase in her life, even though she rarely threw parties.
Beth pulled up in front of the rectory, a large two-story white Victorian house that sat next to the Sweetwater Community Church. “Tomorrow call Al’s Body Shop. He should be able to help you with your car. He’s a member of the church.”
Jane threw open the back door and jumped out, hurrying toward the front door, her uncomfortable-looking high-heeled short boots sinking beneath the blanket of snow.
Samuel observed his daughter for a few seconds, then turned to Beth. “Thanks for the ride. You’re a lifesaver. Are you sure you’ll be okay going home alone?”
“I’ll be fine. I only live three blocks over. If it gets too bad, I can always walk and then call Al’s tomorrow myself.”
“At least you’re more suitably dressed for a hike in the snow than my daughter. I’d better let you go.” He opened the door. “I’ll have a talk with Jane, and she’ll be there after school on Monday.”
As he climbed from the Jeep, Beth said, “See you Sunday.”
Samuel plodded toward the porch while Beth inched her car away from the curb. He was thankful she had been there to help them with a ride home. Just from the short time he had been around the woman he got the impression she went out of her way to assist people when she could. He liked that about her.
Picturing Beth in his mind, he smiled. Her blue eyes had sparkled with kindness and her generous mouth had curved with a smile meant to put a person at ease. He imagined she had a hard time keeping her reddish-brown hair tamed and in control, but he liked it, because every other aspect of Miss Beth Coleman was restrained, down to her neat gray dress and matching pumps. She probably thought of her long curly hair as her bane, while he thought it softened her prim and proper facade.
Taking one last look back, Samuel noticed the white Jeep quickly disappearing in the blowing snow. The bad weather had swept through so quickly that it had caught most people off guard. The only good thing about today was that Aunt Mae had arrived before the storm.
When he entered his house, where boxes were still stacked all over the place, delicious aromas teased him, causing his stomach to rumble. At least now with Aunt Mae here, they would have a decent meal instead of his feeble attempts at cooking. There was even a chance that his house would come together before summer vacation.
Shaking off the snow that still clung to him, he stomped his feet on the mat he was sure Aunt Mae had placed in front of the door, then shrugged out of his overcoat. He took a deep breath, trying to figure out what his aunt was preparing for dinner. Onions. Garlic. Meat. Hoping it was her spaghetti, he headed toward the kitchen to see.
“Dad.”
Samuel stopped in the doorway into the den and peered over the mound of boxes to find his middle child on the floor with his bottom stuck up in the air while he tried to look under the couch. “Did you lose something, Craig?”
His son straightened, one hand clutched around his Game Boy. “Allie is hiding things again. Can’t you do something about her?”
“I’ll have a talk with