No Place for Fear by Al Lacy

Author:Al Lacy [Lacy, Al]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-78058-4
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-05-25T00:00:00+00:00

“Uncle” Gary Williams was playing dominoes at the kitchen table with Chris and B. J. while Patty Ruth entertained herself nearby playing “doctor” with Tony the Bear. Tony had a fever, and Doctor Patty Ruth Cooper was wiping away sweat with a cloth Uncle Gary had provided.

Chris shouted, “Domino!” at the same moment they heard the front door open and Glenda call out for everyone to come.

Glenda, who was standing with her arm around Abby’s shoulders, said, “I want all of you to meet Abby Turner. She is now an honored guest in our home. Dr. O’Brien said she’s doing well enough to move in right now.”

Gary stepped forward, smiling. “Hello, Abby. I’m Gary Williams. Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Abby, smiling. “I’m very happy to be here.”

Gary leaned down, looked her in the eye, and said, “It is the custom in this household that when we take in an honored guest who’s as pretty as you are … I get a hug.”

Abby’s face tinted slightly as she hugged the warm, gentle man. She liked him immediately.

Glenda then introduced Abby to Chris, B. J., and Patty Ruth. As they greeted her, Patty Ruth watched her oldest brother closely. She could tell he thought this girl was something special. Patty Ruth smiled to herself. Now she had something new to tease her big brother about.

“Well, Cooper clan,” said Hannah, “it’s time to get all of you in bed.”

As Hannah and her brood turned to leave, Abby wrapped her arms around Mary Beth and said, “I don’t want you to go. Couldn’t you stay here with me … just for tonight?”

“She can if it’s all right with her mother,” Glenda said.

Hannah smiled, stroked Abby’s face, and said, “You’ve had many sudden changes in your life. If it will help you to have Mary Beth stay with you, it’s all right with me. What about it, Mary Beth?”

“Oh, I’d love to!”

“All right,” said Gary. “It’s settled.”

“I’ll see that Mary Beth has a nightgown, Hannah,” said Glenda.

Moments later, when Hannah and her other three were gone, Glenda said, “Both the spare bedrooms have two single beds. Let’s go upstairs, Abby, and see which one you want for your room.”

One of the spare bedrooms was at the rear of the house, and the other was at the front, overlooking the street. Abby chose the one at the front. She not only liked the view from the windows, she also liked the furnishings.

The front bedroom faced east and would have early morning sunshine through its sparkling windows. The room was cheerful and airy, and the windows were decorated with white ruffled crisscross tie-back curtains. Both of the single beds were piled high with feather mattresses and blue-and-white checked quilts. Blue area rugs lay on the hardwood floor beside each bed, and a glowing kerosene lamp sat on a table with an embroidered cloth between the two beds. Next to the lamp lay a Bible.

There was a dresser with plenty of drawers, and a large mirror above it.

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