Free The Day Will Come by Judy Clemens Page A

believing any of the excuses I had created, and snuggled under the covers, feeling colder and emptier than I had in some time.
    ***
    Sunday dawned clear and chilly, and I pulled a flannel shirt on to head to the barn. The news over breakfast held nothing helpful about Genna, the bomb scare, or the disappearance of Bobby Baronne. At least they didn’t announce that they were looking for Jordan to “help with their investigation.”
    Lucy came out to help with the clean-up after milking, since Zach didn’t come on Sunday mornings, and by eight-o’clock we were watching our herd with anticipation. They’d been inside for several long winter months, and they were more than ready for the outside. Since I’d repaired the fences the day before and we’d readied the barnyard, it was time to set them free.
    “Give me a minute to try Nick again?” I said.
    Lucy smiled. “Sure.”
    But Nick still wasn’t answering, and I set the phone down with care. I was tempted to call one of his sisters, or his mom, but really wanted to hear his voice, not theirs. I assumed that if he hadn’t made it home they would’ve called me, since I’d gotten to know them at least a little bit during my once-a-month visits to Virginia. They wouldn’t leave me hanging.
    Like Nick was.
    No one from the Granger clan had called, either, which made me feel even more out of the loop. I wished somebody would think to keep me informed about some aspect of my life.
    Back in the parlor, Lucy had unclipped the herd and was waiting by the back door.
    “No news?” she said.
    I shook my head. “Ready?”
    “Ready.”
    Each grabbing a handle, we slid the doors along their tracks, letting in the sun. Nala, the cow closest to the door, perked up her ears. Slowly, she shifted her body out of her stall and made her way to the door. In a sudden burst of understanding—well, instinct, probably—she burst from the barn, kicking her heels and swishing her tail like a calf.
    Lucy giggled, and I could feel the laughter bubbling up in my chest, too. I let go with a chuckle.
    One by one the closest cows realized what was happening and backed out of their stalls, crashing into each other and wrestling to be the first out the door. It was turning into a mini stampede, and Lucy and I edged out of harm’s way.
    Once they’d all exited, prancing and kicking, Lucy and I stood in the doorway surveying the scene. The cows ran back and forth, tossing their heads, holding their tails up. Some were racing to the fence at the far end of the pasture and back, working out the kinks in their winter legs. I glanced at Lucy and recognized the joy in her face.
    “It’s like they have a new lease on life,” I said.
    She smiled. “It is.”
    “Kind of like you. Getting married again and all.”
    Her smile grew. “Yeah. My second chance. Although I hope Lenny and I don’t run over each other in the process.” She pointed out a pair of cows fighting over a particular patch of grass in the pasture, like there weren’t a few acres of the green stuff surrounding them.
    “Think we’ll get them back in for tonight’s milking?” I asked.
    She laughed. “Gonna be a chore.”
    “Eh. They’ll be ready once they feel their udders filling up.”
    “I guess we’ll see.”
    We were still standing there when we heard Lenny’s bike thundering up the drive.
    “Goodness,” Lucy said. “What time is it?”
    “Eight-thirty. He’s early. The poker run doesn’t even start till ten, and we only have to get down to Norristown.”
    “Even so, we’d better get ready.”
    Lucy’s Sunday morning “getting ready” would be different from usual. Where she usually got herself and Tess in church clothes, today they’d be getting dudded up in jeans and leather for a HOG outing. We’d heard about it a couple of weeks before and had been looking forward to the ride.
    We walked back through the barn and met Lenny in the driveway, where Lucy gave him a kiss. “Give us a few minutes, hon.