What Hope Remembers by Johnnie Alexander

Author:Johnnie Alexander
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Man-woman relationships—Fiction;First loves—Fiction;Christian fiction;Love stories;FIC042040;FIC027270;FIC027020
ISBN: 9781493407194
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

Gabe unharnessed the horses and led them to the trailer. “No more trips today, fellas. You get to ride home.”

After getting Abner and Casper settled, Gabe scanned the oval area next to the house. Most of the guests had gone, and those who’d stayed were busy with cleanup. He jogged over to where Paul Norris, who owned the farm east of Misty Willow, and AJ were folding the long tables.

“Need a hand?”

“Won’t say no,” Paul said. “I want to get these back to the church this evening.”

“I’m on it.” Gabe set a table on its side, snapped shut the legs, then slid it into the back of Paul’s truck. Once all the tables were loaded, Paul slammed the tailgate shut.

“Do you need help unloading?” Gabe asked.

“Seth and I can take care of it. He’s around here somewhere.”

“I think he’s around front with Jonah,” AJ said, then turned to Gabe. “Seth is Paul’s son. He’s an ag student at Ohio State.”

“I met him on one of the hayrides. He talked about livestock genetics. Interesting young man.”

“He’s a great linebacker too,” AJ said. “Our team had a rough season this past year without him there to lead our defense.”

“They’ll do better this year,” Paul said. “Gabe, I’m looking to hire someone to help with the wheat harvest while Seth is on a mission trip. AJ said you might be interested.”

“I told him you’re a hard worker,” AJ said. “You can pay me for that one later.”

Gabe chuckled, then shifted to Paul. “I’d be glad for the work.”

“Great. Could you start a week from Monday?”

“I sure can.” Gabe extended his hand, and Paul shook it. “I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it. Now I need to round up my family.”

After he left, Gabe and AJ retrieved drinks from a galvanized tub half full of melting ice, water bottles, and soda cans. They sat in a nearby glider, facing the stone circle.

“Thanks for the recommendation,” Gabe said as he popped the tab. “When I came here, I didn’t think anyone would give me a chance. It’s nice to see I was wrong.”

Truth be told, he’d dreaded being here today. Practically a stranger among people who’d known each other for years, some of them all of their lives. But driving the hay wagon had allowed him to get acquainted with only a few at a time. A handful of people, good friends of Tess’s, remembered him as a boy. Those had been the best trips back and forth to the creek, the ones where his passengers told stories about Rusty.

The only trip he’d enjoyed more was the last one. With Amy sitting beside him, smiling that pretty smile that took his breath away, he hadn’t wanted the ride to end.

Maybe that was how old Jeb felt—well, when he was young Jeb—and Eliza first smiled at him. The young soldier couldn’t have known that one day Eliza would be his wife. Everything seemed set against them. The country was in turmoil, he was an escaped prisoner, and they were on opposite sides of the fight.

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