wasn’t. He was here, helping her and Pete and everyone else on the square. Clarissa brushed away her tears as she shrugged off his thanks, feeling embarrassed. "It was nothing."
"Nothing?” Jed wouldn’t let her words stand. “I heard all about that nothing. You worked for hours at the church helping others even though you'd lost everything. That's sacrifice, and it's mighty amazing sacrifice at that."
The warmth of recognition, of being told she’d done a good thing, soothed her aching soul. Clarissa stood in the midst of life destruction on more than one level, and yet, these people saw her as someone worthy of praise. It had been a long time since she’d seen appreciation or approval. It had been a long time since she’d felt worthy.
A warm gust of wind blew, and Clarissa saw something fluttering where it was stuck under a piece of splintered wood.
She reached down, grabbed its edge and started to tug, surprised anything had made it through this mangled mess.
When she shifted the wood slightly, she gasped. The one thing she wanted, and it was in pristine condition. The only photo she had of her grandmother.
She picked it up and held it to her chest, and as she did she heard her Gran's soft, sure voice. Fate's fickle, God's eternal. You'll be okay, baby girl. You'll be okay.
If only she could believe. One way or the other she was starting over. Maybe the tornado hadn’t been a sign to leave. Maybe it had simply wiped her slate clean.
Back at the Triple Eight, Susie Dillon took a tray of cookies out of the oven and acknowledged that her husband was right. Jed was more than a little interested in Clarissa Dye.
And Paul was right about something else. The wariness in Clarissa's eyes came about from something dark and troublesome.
"She' s hurting, she doesn't trust and she's not sure about sticking around here, you can tell that," she said.
"I imagine she's a lot like the barn kittens. Scared to death to get close to anyone," Paul agreed, his blue eyes sad and sure. Susie remembered those eyes back when they were bloodshot and unfocused morning after morning. When they were hiding truths. When they were bitter and angry, and she felt alone against the world with a gift of a baby boy and a ranch to take care of.
But she hadn't been alone. God was always there.
"Don't you think maybe God sent her to us so we can show her love?" Susie couldn't help but wonder.
"I know God's in our driver's seat, Susie, but if it comes down to this girl or Jed and Mack, we can't let her hurt them."
Susie didn't say anything to that because of course they wouldn't let Clarissa come before their child and granddaughter.
Paul wasn't done.
"Of course, I thank God every day you didn't turn your back on me when I was hurting you and Jed."
Susie reached out and brushed a hand down his cheek, loving the feel of the tough skin, weathered with age and time and elements and life. "You're my heart. I love you. God got us through, and He's used that time over and over to help impact other's lives. We'll just have to believe and trust and obey."
Paul leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then pulled her close. "You've always been as smart as they come, Susie Dillon."
She laughed and leaned into him. "You've always been the love of my life."
The screen door slammed and Mack ran into the room, bringing all her energy and light and laughter. Only this time she also brought news.
"Gran, Gramps, the sheriff's coming, the sheriff's coming."
Chapter Six
People were nice. Remarkably nice. That's all Clarissa could think as they left the Shawnee hospital where they'd dropped off the family from the church. All day the people of Stearns had stopped by Pete's to see what they could do, and all day Pete had poured cup after cup of coffee. The Red Cross and FEMA were on site. The National Guard was there to help. But the biggest help had been the people she saw day to day at the diner.
She and Jed had gone with Lester Pyle to visit Mrs. Norene Albright at the Shawnee hospital. Clarissa teared up a little thinking about the two lonely souls. Lester was obviously in love with Mrs. Norene. Mr. Albright had “gone to meet his maker when he’d had a heart attack jumping into a cold pool on a hot summer day more than twenty-five years