Twin Wishes. Kathryn Alexander

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СКАЧАТЬ there, isn’t it? I mean, compared to yesterday…and the day before. You know, the rain, the tornado warning…the storm and all.” Great, she thought. Let’s see what other stupid thing I can ramble on about.

      “Yes, it’s good weather for the Fourth of July,” Luke remarked. And he almost smiled. Julianne seemed off guard, maybe a little nervous; he couldn’t decide exactly what was bothering her. But she definitely didn’t seem quite as sure of herself as she usually appeared in the classroom.

      “The parade starts in fifteen minutes,” Frank announced as he walked into the kitchen with an armful of assorted flowers he’d gathered from the garden. He handed them to Maggie and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “For you, my dear.”

      Maggie smiled. “Thank you, hon. They’re beautiful.” Then she reached into the cupboard under the sink for a large white vase. “I’ll put these on the table.”

      Julianne’s heart ached, mostly with jealousy, she supposed. She wanted what Maggie had. A man to bring her flowers, someone to kiss her with the assurance she was his to kiss, someone to love for a lifetime. She wanted to belong with someone the way Maggie belonged with Frank.

      “C’mon, let’s get going.” Frank was giving orders instead of Maggie for a change. “Nora! Todd! It’s time to go to the village green to watch a parade.”

      The children came running from the living room. “It’s time?” Nora ran to Julianne while Todd grabbed his father around the leg.

      “Yep, it’s time,” Luke answered, reaching down to pick up the little boy who looked so much like him. Then he glanced toward his daughter and her teacher. “Ready, Nora…Julianne?”

      Both females nodded and Julianne smiled at the sound of Luke speaking her name. It sounded nice…so much better than “Miss Quinn.” She took Nora’s hand and they all started their walk toward the village green on that warm summer day.

      The morning parade went as planned, and it delighted the twins. It was noisy, too long and handfuls of candy were thrown from many of the passing floats and vehicles. The fire engines from Fairweather and neighboring communities were part of the procession with their sirens blaring. The volume worried Julianne as she remembered the fiasco with the tornado siren. Todd seemed unaffected by it all. The noise, however, did send Nora into her father’s arms with her ears covered but with a grin on her face.

      The community came together after the parade for the afternoon festivities on the village green. The church picnic was attended by virtually everyone in Fairweather and many from Baylor’s Landing. If the attendees themselves weren’t official members of The Old First Church, they were either related to or friends with someone who was. The hours were filled with speeches from the mayor and Reverend Ben Hunter as well as patriotic musical selections performed by the Fairweather High School band. The contest for the Strawberry Queen was held and the pretty red-haired daughter of the local police chief was selected by the judges amid applause and cheers from the crowd. Emma Fulton, a former Strawberry Queen herself, had the honor of placing the golden tiara upon the reigning queen’s head.

      Concession stands practically covered the village green, and there were red, white and blue balloons and streamers everywhere. The strawberry shortcake stand, coordinated by Betty Anderson, offered more dessert than they could eat for two dollars with all of the proceeds going to the anticipated expense of the Harvest Celebration to be held in the fall.

      Maggie and Frank, Julianne and Nora, and Luke and Todd spent most of the day together in a group, much to Maggie’s dismay. She kept trying to shoo Julianne and Luke off by themselves—to eat strawberry shortcake, play a carnival game, listen to the local entertainment at the bandstand…anything without the kids tagging along. But it didn’t happen that way. The kids were stuck to the adults like Velcro all day. Not just to their father, whom they hadn’t seen enough of lately, but also to Julianne.

      The affection Julianne freely offered was something the children seemed starved for, and the more they needed from her, the more she wanted to give. Julianne had been told by Maggie that she too often thought of other people so much that she disregarded her own wants and needs, but it wasn’t going that way with the twins. Nora and Todd’s companionship was exactly what Julianne needed and wanted that beautiful Fourth of July. They turned that summer holiday into the fun time Julianne had promised herself, and her goldfish, that she would have.

      When time for supper came around, the Wrens, the O’Haras and Miss Quinn returned to Frank and Maggie’s house where leftovers from the picnic became a light supper. The kids’ excitement over the impending fireworks display scheduled to take place over Baylor Lake at night was wearing on Luke’s patience. He soon suggested they head over to the lake where the kids could run and play for a while until the fireworks started.

      “Good idea,” Maggie agreed as she patted her plump tummy. “But this kid already has me worn out,” she said in gentle reference to the child within. “I think I’ll pass on the fireworks display this year. But you and Julianne go ahead. The twins need to get out for a while, and the lake would be a good place to take them. Perhaps there will be other children there for them to play with.” Frank went to Maggie’s side, slipping a hand around his wife’s waist.

      “I’ll stay here with Maggie,” Frank said. “You okay, honey?”

      Maggie nodded and smiled. “I think so. I’m just tired from today’s activities. That’s all.”

      Luke looked toward Julianne, who was playing cars on the floor with Todd and Nora. “Will you come with us?” he asked as he watched her race a small metal car up Nora’s arm prompting a round of giggles from the child. Then Julianne looked up.

      “Yes, Luke. I’d like that,” she answered. Then she saw what she thought could be the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. After enjoying this day with him and his kids, getting him to smile was becoming almost a personal challenge.

      They all thanked Maggie for her good food and hospitality that holiday. Then the four of them headed toward the truck. The kids climbed into their usual seats in the extended cab and then Julianne slid into the passenger seat. She knew she probably should feel nervous about going off like this for the first time with Luke; but with two rambunctious children in the back seat, she gave little thought to the matter.

      The ride to Baylor Lake took only minutes since it was a short three miles from the center of Fairweather. The kids had barely finished singing some silly song when Luke pulled into a parking spot at the far end of the lake.

      “Can we sit in the back of the truck while we watch the fireworks?” Todd asked.

      Nora reached underneath the seat to pull out a blanket. “No, Todd, because Aunt Maggie sent this blanket for us to sit on. Remember, Daddy?”

      “No, I don’t remember that, Nora, but it doesn’t surprise me. Maggie seems to think of everything.” Luke walked around the truck to open the door for Julianne.

      “Aunt Maggie thinks of everything, and God takes care of everything,” Todd said from his seat in the back of the vehicle. “Doesn’t He, Daddy,” Todd added matter-of-factly.

      Julianne’s eyes widened in surprise. Wasn’t this the forbidden topic Maggie had warned her about? She looked from Todd straight into Luke’s frowning face as he gripped her arm firmly enough to help her from the truck without responding to his son’s statement.

      “He didn’t hear that from me, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Luke remarked quietly and moved his hand away from Julianne’s СКАЧАТЬ