Hope's Corner by Chris Keniston

Author:Chris Keniston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Indie House Publishing
Published: 2013-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Woman, will you stop your fussin’.”

Jeff watched his mother flitter around her husband like a moth unable to ignore the flame. Seeing his father propped in his favorite recliner blustering at his mother’s attention only two days after spending the night in the hospital was almost enough to lift the heaviness that had settled in Jeff’s heart a few nights before.

“Don’t you take that tone with me.” Etta Mae gave one more tug on the quilt she’d placed across her husband’s lap.

His father looked to the ceiling, probably praying for patience, and Jeff covered his mouth to conceal his amusement.

“Ma,” Carol Ann called from the kitchen. “Mrs. Cahill is on the phone. Shall I tell her to call back later?”

“No. I’ll be right there.” One more time, Etta Mae fluffed the pillows, tugged on the blanket, and shifted the half-empty glass of lemonade forward on the table. “As soon as I’m done with Mrs. Cahill, I’ll bring you a fresh glass.”

Not waiting for a response, his mom turned on her heel and marched off to the kitchen. It was a nice feeling knowing some things would never change. Whether it was a twenty-four-hour bug or a massive heart attack, Etta Mae Parker would mother you until you weren’t so sure which was worse, the disease or the cure. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. Neither would his dad.

“Before your mother comes back, I want to talk to you.” Harlon Parker flung the heavy quilt to one side and leaned forward. “I want you to think about what you’re doing.”

“Pop.” Jeff grabbed the blanket and spread it out over his father’s legs. “Now isn’t the time. You just got out of the hospital. If Mom walks in on anything other than a conversation on baseball stats, she’ll skin me alive.”

“This is important. Your whole future is at stake.”

“I’m more worried about you. We almost lost you the other night. The whole town’s been praying for you.”

“No one almost lost anything. Except maybe you and your senses. The doc fixed my medication.”

“Yes, and he also said to take it easy and avoid stress.”

“You think not talking about this is going to make it any less stressful for me?” His father glowered at him with the same laserlike gaze that could make a lifelong sinner repent.

Jeff raked his fingers through his hair and carefully considered his options. Lying to his father wasn’t something he’d made a practice of growing up, and he didn’t want to start now. On the other hand, all through college he’d been guilty, and then some, of what the Catholics called a sin of omission.

But he wasn’t in college anymore, and like it or not, there would be no convincing his father of anything if he didn’t talk to the man. Jeff simply didn’t want to talk now.

Maybe this time, though, God was on Jeff’s side. The sound of the door chime rang through the house. He was literally saved by the bell. He could almost laugh at the timing.

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