Free Paisley's Pattern by LoRee Peery

Paisley said.
    “You did nothing wrong.” Edna Mae patted her chest above the face of a Holstein cow on her bright pink shirt. She settled her gaze on Paisley. Those gray eyes sparkled with lively interest. “What a man, the way he reacted to your news. He must really love you.”
    “Why would you say that?”
    “For him to let loose with such passion, he cares beyond his ability. He doesn’t know how to harness all those feelings.” Edna Mae fanned her hand in front of her face. “Be still my heart. What a man. It’d be a genuine crime if you let him escape.”
    Paisley dissolved into tears.
    “I know I’m right,” Edna Mae patted her chest again. “Think about it, girl. Think about Rob coming to you here. He didn’t have to follow you to Nebraska. You’d handed back his ring. That has to be mortifying to a guy. We all knew what you told Oren, knew what to expect at Rob’s arrival. We knew what he’d find. But all Rob knew ahead of time was you. He’d given his heart to you, and bought you a ring. He knew nothing of the situation here.”
    “How do I fix this?” Paisley choked on a sob and finished through her tears. “I handed back his heart and disappeared. He can only expect I’ll leave again.”
    What had she done to both of them?
    “But I never said I was leaving Nebraska. He stormed out assuming so. I always pray about those moving decisions.”
    “But do you wait for the Lord’s answers?”
    “I know with my head that God will work all this out in His time. For now, I’ll wash dishes”
    “Ah ha. The heart is a different organ, altogether.” Edna Mae took charge. “I’ll wash dishes. As soon as you’re done feeling sorry for yourself, let’s get this table cleared. It’ll be full night by the time dishes are done. You can even walk me home and see if the storm has passed.”
    Will there forever be a storm in Rob’s life?
     
    ~*~
     
    The walk to Edna Mae’s home was quiet except for their footsteps and traffic a few blocks over. The basement windows were dark, which indicated Rob wasn’t downstairs. Motion sensors kicked on lights over the drive in front of Edna Mae’s garage.
    Paisley looked to the right, and through the window of the shed, saw Rob’s head bent over the work bench. Was he still angry?
    Edna Mae entered her home. The light next to the side door went on.
    Paisley stepped off the cement onto the backyard path. She halted. The electric sound of a power tool gave background music to the buzzing of cicadas.
    Did she want to see Rob again tonight?
    The wind hadn’t been so brisk during their walk. She unwound her crimson scarf and wrapped it around as a shawl, hugging her arms, but she didn’t move forward.
    The wind died and the grinder—or drill or whatever Rob used—shut off. He looked up and stared right at her. Backlit by interior light, did he see her standing in the shadows? An inner sense told her she and Rob should sleep and pray. That way she’d be fortified by heavenly Power prior to their next meeting.
     
    ~*~
     
    The following morning, Paisley arrived at the Waverly house to catch sight of Rob’s back as he wheeled the mower into the shed. The fragrant smell of fresh cut grass was bittersweet. She imagined he’d awakened with the urge to work off anger and disappointment from the night before. She progressed methodically through the house, sometimes shaking her head over the volume of stuff accumulated.
    Rob remained busy in the shed.
    Throughout ensuing days, she observed his comings and goings, heard his rental car start up as he went about his business. He now worked with the overhead door of the shed open and the antique milk truck was in plain sight whenever she looked out the kitchen window.
    The previous day, she’d found a wire birdcage in the attic. All wires appeared to be attached where they were supposed to be, but there was a hole in the wooden floor of the cage, easy for Rob’s handyman ability to repair. She waited for Rob to