“I’m so happy you folks came by. It’s been a pleasure cooking a large meal again, and thanks for liking it so much,” she smiled.
“Oh, Julie, if we could have you cook for us every day, that would be great,” DeAndre said. “Your fried chicken was so good!” He sat back in his chair more and stuck out his middle, rubbing it with one hand.
“Yes, it was. But if Julie cooked for us every day, you’d get fat!” laughed Caitlyn, patting DeAndre’s belly.
“Well, gosh. There’s one more thing I’d like to show you, big fella,” Tom said, looking at Luke. “I’ve got a big red barn that has a hayloft and Old Bessie’s new calf in it. Would you like to see it?”
“YES!!” Luke cried, jumping up and nearly upending his half-full cup of milk.
“Whoa,” I said as I grabbed at the cup. I stood and gathered his plate and my dishes too.
Julie all of a sudden looked nervous. She stood and took the plates from my hands. “Alyssa, I noticed you looking closely at the antique sampler on the wall here,” she said. “I have a collection of several others on the back bedroom. Would you all like to see them?”
“Um,” I looked at Jacob. He stood up.
“Come on, Luke, I’ll show you the barn. You’re gonna love it,” Tom said, getting up himself.
“Uh,” I looked from Tom to Luke and took a step forward.
“I’ll go with you guys, if you don’t mind. I’d love to see the barn,” Jacob said.
“Well …, ” Tom said.
“Actually, I’d like to see it, too,” said Stanley, who had been nearly silent the whole afternoon.
Tom looked from Jacob to Stanley and then chuckled. “Well, all right. Sure. Let’s go!” He ruffled Luke’s hair and led the way out of the house.
Caitlyn suddenly shivered. “Boy, I suddenly got a strange feeling.”
“You all right, Baby?” Asked DeAndre, coming up and rubbing her back with concern.
“I guess I am. Just felt a chill crawl up my back. Like someone just walked over my grave,” she rubbed her arms. DeAndre moved around to her front and hugged her.
“Let’s go see Julie’s sampler collection,” said DeAndre, kissing her forehead. I smiled.
Julie led the way up the stairs to the second floor. “I have three really nice ones in this bedroom,” she said. We all went into a small bedroom painted a pale yellow and politely looked at some exquisite antique samplers from the 19 th century.
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile, Tom had led the way out of the house and onto a side path that led to the barn. We didn’t know it at the time, but my Jake and my little Luke were about to face a most horrifying experience. It was nearly 8 p.m., and the sun was just setting. The yard and adjoining fields looked as though they were on fire as they crossed in front of a chicken coop and over to a huge red barn. Luke put his head back to look up at the tall structure.
“Wow, that’s high,” he said. Jacob stared up at it as well.
“That looks higher than two stories, Tom. How high is it?” Jake asked.
Tom stopped and tipped his head back to survey it. “That roof is near forty feet high. I’ve got three levels inside above ground, one more below ground. There’s a cellar for the milk, too,” he said proudly. “Come here, let me show you something.” He walked around to the far side of the building, and they followed him.
“Luke, look at that,” Jake said quietly, pointing through a wooded area behind the barn. Luke’s gaze followed his father’s finger and he saw that there was a young doe about ten feet into the trees. She had paused in her flight to look back at them. Her delicate face was still as she stared at Luke and Jake, and only her ear twitched a little.
Luke slowly stepped a little closer, and Jacob put his hand out on Luke’s shoulder. “No farther, son. Let’s just stay back here,” he said quietly. Suddenly the doe cocked her head an inch and then, without warning, she turned and bounded into the woods as
“Oh, Julie, if we could have you cook for us every day, that would be great,” DeAndre said. “Your fried chicken was so good!” He sat back in his chair more and stuck out his middle, rubbing it with one hand.
“Yes, it was. But if Julie cooked for us every day, you’d get fat!” laughed Caitlyn, patting DeAndre’s belly.
“Well, gosh. There’s one more thing I’d like to show you, big fella,” Tom said, looking at Luke. “I’ve got a big red barn that has a hayloft and Old Bessie’s new calf in it. Would you like to see it?”
“YES!!” Luke cried, jumping up and nearly upending his half-full cup of milk.
“Whoa,” I said as I grabbed at the cup. I stood and gathered his plate and my dishes too.
Julie all of a sudden looked nervous. She stood and took the plates from my hands. “Alyssa, I noticed you looking closely at the antique sampler on the wall here,” she said. “I have a collection of several others on the back bedroom. Would you all like to see them?”
“Um,” I looked at Jacob. He stood up.
“Come on, Luke, I’ll show you the barn. You’re gonna love it,” Tom said, getting up himself.
“Uh,” I looked from Tom to Luke and took a step forward.
“I’ll go with you guys, if you don’t mind. I’d love to see the barn,” Jacob said.
“Well …, ” Tom said.
“Actually, I’d like to see it, too,” said Stanley, who had been nearly silent the whole afternoon.
Tom looked from Jacob to Stanley and then chuckled. “Well, all right. Sure. Let’s go!” He ruffled Luke’s hair and led the way out of the house.
Caitlyn suddenly shivered. “Boy, I suddenly got a strange feeling.”
“You all right, Baby?” Asked DeAndre, coming up and rubbing her back with concern.
“I guess I am. Just felt a chill crawl up my back. Like someone just walked over my grave,” she rubbed her arms. DeAndre moved around to her front and hugged her.
“Let’s go see Julie’s sampler collection,” said DeAndre, kissing her forehead. I smiled.
Julie led the way up the stairs to the second floor. “I have three really nice ones in this bedroom,” she said. We all went into a small bedroom painted a pale yellow and politely looked at some exquisite antique samplers from the 19 th century.
Chapter Nine
Meanwhile, Tom had led the way out of the house and onto a side path that led to the barn. We didn’t know it at the time, but my Jake and my little Luke were about to face a most horrifying experience. It was nearly 8 p.m., and the sun was just setting. The yard and adjoining fields looked as though they were on fire as they crossed in front of a chicken coop and over to a huge red barn. Luke put his head back to look up at the tall structure.
“Wow, that’s high,” he said. Jacob stared up at it as well.
“That looks higher than two stories, Tom. How high is it?” Jake asked.
Tom stopped and tipped his head back to survey it. “That roof is near forty feet high. I’ve got three levels inside above ground, one more below ground. There’s a cellar for the milk, too,” he said proudly. “Come here, let me show you something.” He walked around to the far side of the building, and they followed him.
“Luke, look at that,” Jake said quietly, pointing through a wooded area behind the barn. Luke’s gaze followed his father’s finger and he saw that there was a young doe about ten feet into the trees. She had paused in her flight to look back at them. Her delicate face was still as she stared at Luke and Jake, and only her ear twitched a little.
Luke slowly stepped a little closer, and Jacob put his hand out on Luke’s shoulder. “No farther, son. Let’s just stay back here,” he said quietly. Suddenly the doe cocked her head an inch and then, without warning, she turned and bounded into the woods as
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