Love is Patient - Kay P. Dawson Page 0,35

he knew immediately it had to be hers. He held his breath, hoping the men would at least be kind enough not to make any faces as they took a bite.

Thankfully, each of them ate without giving anything away and moved on to the next pie. He watched as she visibly relaxed too. For a woman who had grown up in the city and had never needed to do anything for herself, it still amazed him how these simple little things like making a pie for a small town fair could mean so much to her.

As he stood beside his daughter, watching this woman beaming with pride and excitement over something he would have never thought she’d care about, he realized there was a lot more to Kathryn Reeves than even he might have been willing to admit.

Kathryn sat under one of the trees along the edge of the church yard, vaguely listening to the other women talking. She sipped on a lemonade and sighed with relief as the cold liquid made its way down her throat.

The wind had picked up during the day, as she was becoming accustomed to out here, but as she’d soon discovered, quite often even the winds didn’t bring any relief from the heat. If anything, it seemed to just move the hotness around more.

But even with the uncomfortable warmth, Kathryn couldn’t remember a day in her life when she’d had more fun.

After her earlier run-in with Martha Pembrooke, she’d been sure the day would be ruined. However, the town of Promise had lived up to its name today and made sure that every resident here had the best time possible.

Spirits were high, laughter was plentiful, and friendships were cherished throughout the day. For the first time in her life, Kathryn truly felt like she belonged.

She knew it would sound so strange to anyone who’d grown up with less than her to be able to understand how she could feel that way. It wasn’t like her family hadn’t been wonderful—in fact, Kathryn knew she’d been truly blessed to have the life she’d been given.

But it hadn’t changed the fact she’d never liked living in the city. The way they’d lived hadn’t been her choice, and so many times she’d found herself simply going through the motions of what she was expected to be doing. It was never the life she would have chosen for herself.

Kathryn preferred the quiet life she had found out here. The kind of place where the work was harder, but the reward was sweeter. She was witness to it every day as neighbors helped neighbors without question and everyone enjoyed the simpler things life had to offer. It wasn’t about material goods or monetary value.

What mattered to the people here was family, friendship, and community. As long as they had enough to survive, they would give their last dime to help one another.

Her eyes found the familiar figure of the man who’d undoubtedly become someone she knew she could count on. Even though he’d irritated her and seemed a bit gruff from time to time, Colt was someone she could trust.

“I still can’t believe your pie went for such a high price. Colt must really enjoy your baking for him to pay that much for it.”

Fae’s voice pulled her back into the conversation as she turned her gaze to her friend’s smiling face. “Well, I don’t know about that, because truthfully, there have been many evenings the past week I know he was having trouble swallowing the ones I made. I think he and Caleb were just trying to be nice.”

Mercy laughed as she adjusted her legs under herself to get more comfortable on the blanket. “It was quite entertaining to watch the two of them bidding. They’re good men and they were determined to make sure your pie got the best price.”

Now Kathryn laughed and rolled her eyes. “It went for even more than Mrs. Pembrooke’s, and she won the pie contest judging. She didn’t look happy when my pie got the highest bid.”

“I imagine poor old Uncle Clarence got an earful for missing the auction. He could have at least kept the bidding going. I had visions of her pulling him by the ear back home when she went stomping away to find him.” Mercy tried to look serious, but soon all three women were giggling like schoolgirls, trying not to be too loud in case anyone overheard them.

“Miss Reeves! Hurry, I need you to be my partner for