Summer's Promise. Irene Brand

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      David had stayed with the Weavers for one day after the newlyweds left for a short honeymoon in Niagara Falls and Bert and Spring started for North Carolina with their family. David invited Summer to spend the day with him at one of Ohio’s well-known amusement parks. She refused at first. She had enjoyed the prewedding days with David, but his vibrant, outgoing personality, so different from hers, often made her uncomfortable.

      But David was persuasive, so she’d gone with him, and to her surprise, they’d shared a wonderful, exhilarating day. For the first time in her life, Summer felt happy-go-lucky. They took several turns on the roller coaster, rode the merry-go-round and other attractions in the children’s area. They strolled along the walk-ways, stopping to watch three blockbuster shows at open-air theaters. They ate hot dogs, french fries, ice cream and popcorn.

      David’s jollity had brought unfamiliar laughter to Summer’s lips. She laughed at David when he won a cap in the shooting gallery, and laughed with him after the cap fell off when they were suspended upside down on a roller coaster. Summer hadn’t laughed that much before or since. It had been a thought-provoking day because she seemed like a different person when she was with David, and Summer liked herself the way she was.

      Traveling homeward, David had lowered the convertible’s top, and after she tied a scarf around her short auburn hair, Summer luxuriated in the breezy ride. They watched the full moon rise above the horizon, and it was dark by the time they reached the farm. They’d stood for a few minutes on the back veranda, leaning against the rail, shoulders touching, looking toward the white gazebo where both Spring and Autumn had been married.

      “I’ve enjoyed today,” David had said. “That will give me something to think about while I’m on duty in Germany the next few months.”

      Summer gasped when he’d leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, and the sudden surge of excitement she experienced was so unexpected that it startled her. She pretended not to be affected, and said, “Thanks for a nice time.”

      Summer had been kissed often on high school dates, but not one of those kisses had even ruffled her composure. David’s kiss stimulated emotions new to her and had ignited a little spark in her heart that had kept her awake most of the night wondering where association with David might lead. When her sisters had fallen in love, they were willing to sacrifice their wishes to be with the men they loved. Summer knew what she wanted, and she didn’t intend to let David Brown or any other man interfere with her plans.

      David had sent her two letters from Germany, but she hadn’t answered, and he hadn’t contacted her again. She wanted to put David totally out of her mind, but when she least expected it, she would think about the day she’d spent with David, ending with his gentle kiss.

      When the passengers were asked to prepare for landing in Columbus, and David still hadn’t mentioned their previous meeting, Summer breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps their first encounter hadn’t impressed David as it had her. During his exciting life in the Air Force, he’d probably forgotten all about her until he saw her a few days ago. That conclusion should have pleased Summer, but somehow it didn’t.

      Chapter Two

      A week later, Summer peered out the window of another plane hovering over New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Like a robot, she fastened her seat belt for landing, closed her eyes and winced as she always did when the plane’s wheels hit the runway, took her bag from the overhead compartment and deplaned. She wasn’t in the mood to wait for a shuttle, so she took a taxi to her Manhattan apartment.

      Summer was displeased with her behavior the past week. She wished now that she’d mentioned Spring’s request about taking care of the children.

      Prior to the funeral, Summer had kept busy greeting family and neighbors who called at the Weaver home, and she had no time to consider how Spring’s death would change her life. But as she’d watched the children’s woebegone expressions and the fear in their eyes, Summer’s heart had been touched by their sorrow, and she’d made little exploratory gestures to see if she possessed any maternal traits. She’d taken them to the florist to choose flowers to put in their parents’ caskets, and on the way home, they’d stopped by Autumn’s farm so Timmy and Nicole could see the new baby boy, Lannie, born the day after Spring had died. Summer envied Autumn’s easy ways with the children, wishing she didn’t feel so inadequate when she was with them.

      The night before the funeral, after the children had gone to bed, the Weavers and Bert’s family had met in the living room of the Weavers’ Victorian home to discuss the children’s welfare.

      “We’ll take them,” Autumn had volunteered immediately, and Bert’s parents had also said they’d be glad to take Timmy and Nicole.

      Forestalling any immediate arrangement, David said, “Shouldn’t we put off a decision until we learn if Spring and Bert made provisions for the guardianship of their children? If they made wills, I suppose they’ll be at their home in North Carolina. I’ll try to find out, if you want me to.”

      “Yes, that should be checked out,” Landon Weaver had agreed. “And in the meantime, we’ll keep Timmy and Nicole with us. There’s no need to disrupt their lives more than necessary until we know what David learns.”

      Summer opened her mouth to say something then, but if David was right and Bert and Spring had made other provisions for the children, perhaps her promise wouldn’t matter. Hopefully, Spring’s mind had been rambling when she’d made her request. Summer had volunteered to stay at the farm and help with the children until David could check out the will, but her mother had insisted that she go back to her job.

      “You’ve already missed more than a week of work,” Clara Weaver said. “We’re getting along fine with the children. You’ve always sacrificed for your family, but it’s time for you to think about your own future. Don’t worry about us.”

      Three days after the funeral, her father took Summer and David to the Columbus airport where David’s flight to Atlanta was scheduled an hour before she left.

      After they checked in and cleared security, David said, “Let’s get something to drink before my plane leaves.”

      Summer agreed, although she was eager to be rid of David as well as everyone else who distressed her. The first time she’d met David, it had taken months for her to erase his memory from her mind, and the longer she stayed around him now, the more difficult it would be to forget him.

      At a small coffee shop, Summer found a table overlooking the runway while David brought coffee for himself and a glass of orange juice for her.

      David was alert to Summer’s moods, and although he understood how the tragic events of the last week would have disturbed her, he sensed she was troubled about something else. She’d hardly spoken on the drive from the farm to the airport, and she’d given a sigh of relief when her father had told them goodbye at curbside and she had entered the airport. Why was she so eager to leave the farm?

      She sipped on the glass of orange juice and stared out the window, but David didn’t think she was aware of the departing planes. He studied her face speculatively.

      “Are you all right, Summer?” he asked at last. She turned her moody blue eyes toward him, as if she’d forgotten he was even there.

      “What? Oh, yes, I’m all right. It’s been a bad week.”

      “I couldn’t sleep last night, worrying about the kids. It’s a terrible experience СКАЧАТЬ