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  A blush covered her friend’s entire body as she smiled at Davis. “I'm glad to see you, too. Are you coming into the library again this week?”

  Faith’s head jerked towards her brother as she gave him a questioning look. Since when did he go to the library? As far back as Faith could remember, Davis had hated reading.

  “I sure am, Hope. I’ll return my books about growing crops and pick up a new one about fertilization techniques.”

  Even though the topics made sense, Faith suspected if he was going to the library, it wasn’t for the books. He had never paid much attention in school and reading had been his least favorite subject. Was her brother interested in her best friend?

  “I’ll put a couple aside for you,” Hope promised with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

  “Thanks. I’ll let you two finish up and tell the family you’ll be ready to go soon, Faith.”

  As her brother sauntered off, Faith wondered what she had just witnessed. Neither one of them had told her Davis had been going into the library, which made her wonder if they had been hiding their interactions. Was there something going on between them that they didn’t want anyone to know about?

  Before Faith could question her friend, Hope gestured towards her mother who was standing at the bottom of the steps. “I have to go. Mother and I need to get home so we can make dinner.”

  Faith watched as her friend walked over to join her mother, before turning to face the tree. She found the spot where hers and Nathan’s initials were carved into the trunk.

  F.A.

  +

  N.M.

  As she traced her finger along the edges, Faith thought back to when they first had put them there. They had wanted their relationship to stand the test of time, like all the other sets of initials which sprinkled the tree’s trunk.

  It had become an unofficial tradition for couples to sneak into the church courtyard at night. They would make promises of how they would love each other forever, under the covers of the moonlight and twinkling stars. Life was simple before the war broke out in America. Everything changed in Myrtle Grove because of it, and now, she wasn’t even sure if her relationship with Nathan would survive.

  “I remember when we carved those.”

  Faith glanced over her shoulder, but avoided making eye contact with Nathan, still hurt from his earlier behavior. She didn’t want to reminisce with him after the way he treated her.

  “My parents are ready to go. We should head over to them,” Faith stated as she moved towards the pathway which led from the church grounds.

  Nathan stretched out his hand and stopped Faith from leaving. “I’m sorry about the way I acted. You didn’t deserve my mistreatment. Coming home has proven more difficult than I had expected and I haven’t been handling it well.” He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Will you please forgive me?”

  Faith gazed into his eyes and saw the sincerity of his plea. She couldn’t stay angry at him, even if she had wanted to. Nodding, she stated, “You know I will. I love you.”

  “And I love you, too.” Letting her go, he leaned against the tree as he glanced over at Hope. “What were you two talking about?”

  “She asked if we would come over today for dinner.”

  “What was your answer?”

  “Under the circumstances, I thought it would be best if we declined the invitation.”

  She could tell by his expression he was contemplating what to do. After a few seconds ticked by, he shrugged. “If it’s important to you, we can go over.”

  Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You would be all right with going?”

  “Consider it my peace offering,” he stated with a grin.

  Faith smiled back at him. “Thank you. Let me go tell Hope.”

  Grateful for the turn of events, she knew it was a sign from God to not give up on Nathan. If he was willing to do something that made him uncomfortable just to make her happy, then he was trying to make things right between them. The least she could do is make the same effort in return.

  Chapter 12

  “It’s so good to see you both,” Joanna Hammond proclaimed as she opened the door and gestured for them to enter their home. “Come in, come in.”

  It was obvious the house had recently been cleaned. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere and the large home smelled of lemons. Like Faith’s family, the Hammonds had come from a long legacy of plantation owners, but along with Mr. Hammond’s leg and son, the war had taken most of their plantation too. The crops failed with no one to tend to them, and if they weren’t able to find a way to start producing again, they would lose their family home and land.

  “When Hope told me you could make it, I was glad to hear it. I think it will do Luke good to have company, especially someone with a similar history.”

  Nathan realized Mrs. Hammond was hoping her husband could relate to Nathan and form a bond over their experiences in the war. What she didn’t realize was Nathan was sure neither of them wanted to talk about it. It was easier to avoid the subject, but of course civilians didn’t understand that.

  Hope's mother gestured towards the dining room. “Why don’t you both sit down at the table. Hope and I are finishing up in the kitchen.”

  Faith and Nathan made themselves comfortable, taking their seats around the table. A few moments later, Luke Hammond entered the room hobbling on one leg with a crutch under his arm to keep his balance. Mr. Hammond’s frown showed his displeasure over their presence.

  “I see my wife and daughter are at it again. They dragged someone else home hoping to force me to make peace with the war.”

  Nathan ignored his barb, stood up, and moved around the table until he was next to Mr. Hammond. He extended his hand, saying, “I don’t think we have met Mr. Hammond. You were already serving when the military conscripted me. I’m Nathan Maddox. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

  “Believe me, son, it’s no honor to meet me,” the other man slurred out in anger. From his bloodshot eyes, and the stench of liquor permeating from his pores, it was clear Mr. Hammond was drunk. “I was prideful and foolish when I rushed off to serve in the war. By the time I realized what I’d done, it was too late to rectify the poor decision. I tried to make the best of it, figuring I could survive the war while serving my country. Unfortunately, I lost my leg because of my stupidity and misplaced loyalty. The military wasn’t happy to stop there though; they decided they needed to take my Gregory too. Now I’m a—”

  Mrs. Hammond walked into the room and interrupted, “Now that’s enough, Luke. We have guests and you need to stop right now.”

  “I don’t have to do any such thing, Joanna,” Mr. Hammond snapped. “This is my house and you best remember that.”

  “I’m aware, Luke, but we do have guests,” Mrs. Hammond pointed out in a kinder tone.

  From the sour look on his face, it was clear he wanted to object. Hope entered and kneeled down next to him. “Please, Father, can you refrain from behaving this way while my friends are here?”

  With an exasperated sigh, he relented. “I supposed I can hold my tongue for the time-being. Let’s get on with it then.” Mr. Hammond moved to the head of the table. He took his seat, then handed his plate to his wife. Once he was served, he shoveled his food into his mouth. Apparently, there was no grace to be said in the Hammond home.

  Mrs. Hammond and Hope conversed with Nathan and Faith while Mr. Hammond ate in silence. His lack of interaction made it clear he was only allowing them to stay to appease his wife and daughter.

  As Nathan watched him, he wondered if that was his future? If he continued to let his time in the war affect his present life, would he give up his chance for happiness? Nathan didn't want to end up like the bitter, angry man sitting across from him. Luke Hammond was so overtaken by the losses of his past he couldn’t see the blessings he still had.

  “Everyone wait here. I’ll get dessert.” Hope exited the dining room and went into the kitchen.
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  “We’re glad you could join us Nathan." Mrs. Hammond poured cups of coffee in preparation for dessert, then handed them to each of her guests. "What are your plans since returning from the war?”

  “I suppose I’ll just pick up where I left off. I’m still adjusting to civilian life,” he said, shifting in his seat. “It’s been tough.”

  “If there is anything you need or if you wish to talk, I hear Pastor Howell is excellent in giving counsel and a hand.” Mrs. Hammond gave a side glance towards her husband. “Although not everyone will admit when they need help.”

  Mr. Hammond’s head jerked up, and he glared at Mrs. Hammond. “Not everyone wants an old, meddling man in their business.”

  “Well, if it can help, I don’t see a problem talking with him,” Mrs. Hammond countered, slamming the coffee pot on the table and placing her hand on her hip.

  “What makes Pastor Howell the expert? When did he serve in the military? What atrocities has he seen or had to live through to make it possible for him to relate? You're ignorant if you think that man has sage wisdom to offer anyone at this table,” Mr. Hammond spat out in anger.

  “Don’t talk about him like that, Luke. You can be angry all you want, but you don’t have to be disrespectful to a man you used to call a friend.”

  “He was never my friend, just the childhood sweetheart of my wife. Maybe your feelings about George Howell are clouding your judgment. I haven’t forgotten the rumors of how sweet you were on him while in school back before you met and married me. Maybe you decided to rekindle that relationship while I was away fighting in this wretched war.”

  Mrs. Hammond turned bright red as she shook her head in humiliation. “Stop it, Luke, stop it, right now. I can’t believe you would accuse me of such a baseless, despicable lie. You’re embarrassing me.”

  “I’m embarrassing you? You invited people into my house and forced me to spend time with them to show me the error of my ways.” Grabbing the vase from the table, Mr. Hammond threw it across the room. It landed on the wall and shattered into pieces.

  Hope came rushing towards them as Mrs. Hammond burst into tears. Everyone was silent as Faith stood up and moved behind her chair to pick up the glass shards from the ground.

  After Mrs. Hammond gathered her composure, she instructed, “Leave it, Faith. I’ll take care of it later.”

  “We should go now,” Nathan said, standing from the table and wanting to escape the uncomfortable situation.

  “Let me save you the trouble and I’ll go first.” Mr. Hammond jumped from the table, picked up his crutch, and headed out of the room. A few minutes later, a door slammed from the upstairs part of the house.

  Mrs. Hammond shook her head in aversion, dabbing at the tears on her cheek with a handkerchief she had pulled from the pocket of her apron. “I’m so sorry both of you had to witness that horrible display.”

  “It’s not your fault, Mrs. Hammond. You’re doing the best you can,” Faith responded.

  “Thank you for coming over tonight but we need to clean up now. I have an early morning,” Mrs. Hammond excused.

  Nathan took Faith's hand and moved towards the door. Before leaving, Faith stopped and turned around to face the Hammond women. “Can we pray with you before we go?” Faith inquired.

  Mother and daughter looked at each other, then nodded. “We would like that,” Hope stated.

  Faith and Nathan stepped forward and took their hands, the four of them forming a circle as Faith prayed. “Dear Lord, right now we come to You and ask for Your presence in this situation. We know You love each of us through the good times and the bad, so we pray Mr. Hammond feels Your love even in these dark times. We know You work all things together for our good. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.”

  After leaving the Hammond home, Nathan looked at Faith with admiration. “You were wonderful with them. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have a woman with such strong faith.”

  “I guess my mother knew what she was doing when she gave me my name,” Faith teased.

  “You definitely live up to your name,” Nathan agreed. “I wish I had a measure of the faith you do right now. I just can’t seem to find a way back to how I used to be.”

  “You don’t have to do it alone, Nathan. I’m here for you, as is the whole family, but most importantly, God is here for you, too. You just need to find a way to trust all of us again.”

  As they walked to the Abernathy farm, Nathan was deep in thought. Why was he behaving the way he was? He was exactly where he wanted to be. His desire to return to Faith and her family was what kept him going while he had been a prisoner. He had relied so heavily on his faith during that time, but since being back in Myrtle Grove, it was like he was disconnected from everything, including God.

  Nathan wasn’t sure how, but he needed to find a way to fix it. The last thing he wanted was to end up like Luke Hammond. He had seen a lot of awful things in his day, but never from a soldier directed at his family. It made him positive of one thing—he would do whatever it took to keep it from happening to him.

  Chapter 13

  Faith was tilling the family’s garden when Hope arrived at the house so they could walk together to the church for the monthly recipe-swap meeting.

  “Do you need help?” Hope inquired, leaning over the wooden fence.

  Faith looked at her friend’s clean attire with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t want to assign any work which would dirty her outfit. “Sure; if you don’t mind, follow behind with the watering can while I finish weeding this last row.”

  Hope picked up the nearby metal can and followed Faith’s instructions. “I wanted to apologize again for my father’s behavior the other day. If I had known he’d act out the way he did, I never would’ve invited you to come over.”

  “It isn’t your fault. You didn’t know that was going to happen. Besides, you can’t control what other people do.”

  “How are things going between you and Nathan?” Hope inquired. “Have you decided on a date for the wedding yet?”

  “I’m not sure when that’s going to happen. Nathan seems to be barely keeping his head above water since he’s returned. I will say, though yesterday was difficult for your family, it may have made Nathan realize he needs help. While we’re at the swap meeting tonight, he’s planning to meet with Pastor Howell.”

  “Well, if my father’s outburst helped Nathan see what he doesn’t want to be, something good came from it,” Hope said, placing the watering can down after finishing the final row.

  “I wish it hadn’t been at the expense of you and your mother though,” Faith added, placing the hoe against the fence.

  “We'll manage. We have for nearly a year now,” Hope pointed out with a determined smile.

  “What are you doing here, Hope?” Faith heard her brother ask from behind them.

  Both women spun around to find Davis staring at them. To be more accurate, his eyes were fixed on Hope as if he didn’t care who else was around them.

  “I came to walk with your sister to church for the recipe-swap meeting,” Hope explained.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Davis said, giving her an appreciative look.

  “Thank you, Davis. I'm happy to see you too.”

  “Are you ladies excited about getting new recipes to try out?”

  Both of the women nodded as Hope stated, "I've been looking forward to it all week."

  “It should be an interesting night, to say the least,” Faith added, as she thought about how the event had changed.

  In the beginning, it had been a few women who met up and traded recipes they received in pamphlets about the war. In typical Myrtle Grove tradition, however, something which started out so simple morphed into an elaborate event.

  There were three categories now: substitutes, meatless, and sugarless. Each woman could bring one recipe per category. Faith had created her own version of cornbread stuffing, a meatless casserole, and the molasses apple pie. She had made each one several times,
and had settled on family-approved versions. The baked dish had been quick for Faith to figure out, but the other two dishes proved more difficult. She had always been a better baker than cook, which caused her to look forward to new savory recipes she would receive at the event.

  Davis shrugged. “I can walk with you over to the church. I need to get a few items from the general store anyway.”

  Faith was skeptical of Davis' motives. Was he making an excuse to go with them? She hadn’t heard mother or father say they needed him to get anything. She suspected he desired to spend more time with Hope.

  “How kind of you to offer, Davis. We would love that, wouldn’t we, Faith?”

  She could see from her friend’s expression and posture, she wanted Faith to agree. Who was she to argue? “I think it would be nice.”

  Just at that moment, Nathan arrived at the garden. His hands were shoved in his pocket as he asked, “Are you ladies ready to go?”

  “Almost. Let me get out of this grimy outfit and change into a clean dress,” Faith explained as she gestured to her work clothes. “I’ll grab our supplies, Hope, after I finish getting ready.”

  After a few minutes passed, Faith appeared in her fresh, blue, day dress, carrying her mother’s tapestry bag.

  “Do we need to wait on Mother and Ida?” Davis inquired.

  “No, they told me they will catch up with us later. They’re waiting on Grandmother to get ready,” Faith explained.

  The four of them set off for the church and fell into pairs with Nathan and Faith in front. Davis and Hope walked behind them. Conversation passed easily between the couples. Faith could hear Hope laughing at the stories Davis told her, some of them not even funny enough to merit a laugh. Hope must be smitten with her brother to react in such a way. Why hadn’t Faith noticed the connection between them before? It was so obvious now, she wondered how long it had been going on. Later she would have to ask Hope to fill her in on the details of how and when it had started.