And the greatest of these is Love

Chapter 17

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As Violet met with Minnie, her fears subsided especially when Minnie suggested Pastor Joseph stop over and check on Jake.

"Minnie, I am sorry that I laid all this on you, but Dr. Faith suggested that I talk with you, so I hope you don't mind," Violet asked.

Minnie looked compassionately at Violet and told her, "Violet you are always welcome to come to me. I can't always guarantee that I'll have time to talk right then and there, but don't ever hesitate, hear me?"

"What I want to do, Minnie, is just get on with life and one thing after another comes up and throws us off track. Maybe God is testing us. I don't know what to think."

"Well honey, I can't speak for God, but I can reassure you that if you keep praying He will answer you. Even if He is testing you, as you suggest, you and Jake will be passing with flying colors if you keep depending on Him and not try to solve things by yourself. So, my dear, you and Jake need to pray together. Have you prayed as a couple?"

Violet nodded, "Jake leads us in grace before meals, and we go to church and pray together."

Minnie got up and went to the cupboard where the Ladies' Bible Study bibles were kept. Reaching inside, she took out one and brought it over to Violet. Handing it to her she said, "Do you have a Bible at home?"

Violet smiled and accepted the Bible, "We have an old one from my parents, but it's quite worn and some pages are missing, so we don't read it. This one here is so nice, I'm sure we can read it together."

"Good. It's yours, and I suggest that you start reading one of the Gospels. This way you can learn more about Jesus and His teachings. There's wonderful stories that you have probably heard about," Minnie grinned.

Violet's smile started to fade. Minnie looked confused at her, "What's wrong dear?"

Violet looked away and then looked back at Minnie and spoke in a whisper, "I don't think anyone knows, but Jake can barely read. He is embarrassed. I've been teaching him but he can't read much."

Minnie straightened up, "Violet, I have an idea. Now that Jake is home recovering maybe we can have Elizabeth tutor him while he's off of work. By the time he is medically released, he should be reading well. That will keep him busy and also give him a boost of confidence!"

"I like that idea. When Elizabeth is with him, I'll have a chance to do my home visits knowing someone is with him for part of the time." Now, Violet started to feel hopeful.

"I'll talk to Pastor and ask him to stop by soon. I can't promise when as Coulter Lumber has been very busy and he's their foreman, but when it comes to his congregation, he's always willing to go the extra mile," Minnie patted Violet's hand.

"I'll show Jake this Bible and maybe he won't mind if I read it out loud for us. Thank you again Minnie!" Violet gave Minnie a hug, "I'll let you know how it goes."

Violet left feeling hopeful and took her new Bible to the Infirmary and put it with her belongings in her satchel then left to make some house calls.

Jake was by himself upstairs when he heard knocking on his door. It was loud and persistent, so he hollered, "Who is it?"

"Jake? It's Mike Hickam, can I let myself in?"

"Yes, I'm upstairs," Jake answered.

Mike let himself in and found Jake in the bedroom. "How you feeling?"

"How do I look?"

"Not very pretty, that's for sure," Mike laughed.

"Did you catch those guys yet?" Jake was hoping he had good news.

"No, sorry to say, not yet," Mike started but continued even though he saw Jake getting angry, "but the good news is Mr. Gowen will be paying you compensation while you're home recuperating. He feels responsible and certainly doesn't want you to worry about income."

Jake smiled for the first time in days, "Now, that is good news. I honestly didn't know how we were going to make it."

"Not only that, there's a suspicion that those guys might have sneaked on the train and got out of town. Apparently, the train went to Edmonton and parked. When unloading the food car, it was clear that someone or somebodies had been there. The haystacks had impressions of someone laying on them and some food was missing. So, Henry is having some of the reward posters posted all over the city of Edmonton. That should help, right?"

"Yeah, it might. Those guys just can't get away with what they did. It wouldn't be fair." Jake angrily sulked.

Mike studied Jake a minute, "I don't think they will, everyone is looking for them. Besides now though you won't have to worry about money, Mr. Gowen is going to see to that."

Mike hoped he had cheered Jake up, but was concerned by his attitude. When he left he returned to the office where Henry was. Looking up, Henry asked, "How's Jake doing?"

"He's all right, but there's something he's not saying that I can't put my finger on. He seems like he's not his usual self. He was quick to get angry when I told him those guys hadn't been found yet. He's taking it pretty hard I guess," Mike shook his head.

"Hopefully, once he gets his paycheck, he'll come around," Henry shrugged and went back to work.

"Yeah, I guess," Mike muttered but wasn't convinced.

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Brook was learning to speak English quickly. Elizabeth was impressed at how fast she was picking it up. Brook could understand English when it was spoken slow so Elizabeth would enunciate each syllable as needed. She didn't want Brook to put emphasis on the wrong syllable, so that was the hardest part of Brook's learning to speak English.

In return for Elizabeth's help Brook weaved a beautiful basket and filled it with flowers. "Oh Brook, this is lovely! Thank you!"

Brook smiled and replied, "You like yes?"

"Yes, I do, but you didn't have to, I enjoy teaching you."

"I enjoy you too," Brook replied, "you and boy come for eat?"

"Oh? My son, Jack you mean? You want us to come here for dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, tomorrow?" Brook watched Elizabeth closely hoping she wouldn't say no.

"That's very nice of you. Little Jack can be a busy boy though, are you sure?"

"Jack is cute! Carl like him," Brook grinned, "Six o'clock?"

Elizabeth couldn't say no. Brook was trying her hardest to be a good friend. "All right, I'm looking forward to it, so we'll see you tomorrow night."

As Elizabeth left she felt happy to know she could bring Jack with her. She enjoyed being off of teaching school in the summer so she could be with her little son, but now it was almost just as busy. Minnie had asked her to go over to the Taylor's to teach Jake how to read. She had to keep it to herself about teaching Jake, but if he learned, that's what mattered.

When she left Brook, she went over to the Taylor's home. Luckily, Violet was there to answer the door. "Hello Elizabeth! Minnie told me she asked you to talk to Jake about teaching him to read."

"If I can help in any way, I'd be happy to. Will he be open to it?" Elizabeth asked.

Violet nodded, "I told Jake about the idea and at first he was not thrilled about it to be honest, but he said he would give it a try. So, I'll take you upstairs and you two can talk about it."

Violet led Elizabeth upstairs. Jake was sitting in a chair by the window just watching outside. "Jake, honey, Elizabeth is here."

Jake just looked at Elizabeth with barely a smile. "Hello Elizabeth. I'm not going to get up as it hurts, so if you want to talk to me, you'll have to pull up a chair."

Elizabeth was shocked by Jake's rudeness. "Well, Mr. Taylor, if you don't want me here to teach you to read, I'll leave you alone."

Violet gulped and quickly stopped Elizabeth from leaving, "Elizabeth, don't leave, Jake is just out of sorts with his pain. Right Jake?"

Jake just grumbled, "Right dear."

Elizabeth wasn't so sure Jake meant it, but for Violet's sake said, "Mr. Taylor, I would like to start tomorrow. Would ten o'clock be a good time for you?"

Jake mumbled, "I'll be here, I'm not going anywhere."

Violet rolled her eyes then looking at Elizabeth told her, "That is great. We'll be home. Oh, and please call us by our first names, Violet and Jake."

"Of course, Violet, we were both at Bible Study so I know you, but I've never met Mr. Taylor, I mean Jake. So, I agreed to help him, because Minnie asked, but I do expect him to be respectful. We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I can't make any promises."

Violet shut the door behind her and ran upstairs to talk to Jake. "Jake, honey, what is wrong? You've been sulking up here, please tell me what's going on?"

Jake was silent. He just stared out the window. Violet pleaded, "Jake, whatever is bothering you please tell me, I'm your wife. I want to help."

Jake got up and winced as he walked over to his bed. "Violet, I'm going to bed," was all he said.

Violet ran down the stairs and went outside to the backyard garden. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She squeezed them shut trying to keep them from flowing down her cheeks, but there were too many of them. She sat down on the bench and let her sadness flow. "Lord, Minnie said you would never forsake me and that I need to be persistent. Am I doing something wrong? What am I to do?"

Just as she was praying, she saw her neighbor come outside too. She quickly wiped her eyes dry and waved. They barely saw each other so they hadn't talked much. The mother was outside tending to her flower garden and laughing with her children as they were trying to help her. As Violet watched she started to think about her baby that she miscarried. It was so hard to lose a child. When it happened, she was alone trying to heal at the same time Jake was sent to prison. She often would cry herself to sleep over losing her baby and what seemed like she lost her husband too.

Those feelings came flooding back to her. She didn't know what was wrong with Jake. She wanted to be happy like her neighbor with children. Why was Jake being so stubborn. Didn't he realize that he could've been hurt a lot worse or not even made it? He had such a strong faith when he came out of prison, she was sure everything was going to be a fresh new start here in Hope Valley. Now, she wasn't so sure.

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Lana Peterson was styling her hair trying to make it look like the photo she spotted in the latest magazine of Elite Styles, when she had stopped by to talk to Christy at Nichols and Dimes. Christy offered to do her hair for her, but Lana was pinching pennies for her schooling so she was determined to do her own hair.

"Lisa?" she called out. She waited, but there was no answer from her sister. Hmm, she thought, well maybe mom is here. So she called out again, "Mom?"

"Yes dear?" Gail answered from the Peterson kitchen.

"Mom, can you come up here please? I need your help," Lana asked.

Gail came into Lisa and Lana's bedroom and saw Lana working on her loose ends that weren't cooperating with her hair style. "I can't see the back of my head, and I've got some wisps of hair that need tucked in. Do you see them?"

Gail looked and sure enough the stragglers were falling out of her hairdo so she tucked them in where they belonged, "All right honey, I think I got them to behave, hand me your mirror."

When Lana looked at the vanity mirror she saw the back of her head that her mom showed her with the handheld mirror. "Oh good, thank you Mom!"

"I see you're trying a new style. Must be a special date," Gail smiled.

"I'm going out with Trevor to Romano's for a candlelit dinner. It's not just the place of course, it's Trevor."

"Hmm, is there more to your relationship than I know?" Gail inquired.

"Mom! You'll be the first to know," she giggled.

Lisa came in then and saw her sister's new style, "Who are you trying to impress," she teased.

"Not you too. It's just a special night with Trevor to Romano's for a quiet dinner alone from friends or sisters!" she winked.

Lisa looked at the dress that Lana had pulled from the closet to let the wrinkles out. "Is this new?"

"Yes, I saw it at the window at Dottie's, and Debra talked me into trying it on. It needed some hemming it up to mid-calf, but Debra did it for me. It's the latest style. What do you think of it?"

"The color is such a soft pink-rose and it'll look so nice on you! I love the way you threaded the matching silk ribbon through your hair," Lisa complimented Lana.

"Trevor will see a little leg tonight," their mom raised her eyebrows, "so this is the current fashion now?"

"Oh, mom, you should go to Dottie's and see all the lovely summer dresses. You might want to get a new dress to woo dad!"

Gail chuckled, "Girls, I don't need to woo your dad anymore, I'm afraid those days are long gone."

"They don't have to be," Lisa taunted.

Gail was laughing as she left knowing their father was often sound asleep after dinner in his favorite chair and barely could keep his eyes open, nevertheless be 'wooed'.

"So," Lisa began, "give me the scoop. Are you two getting, you know, serious?" she asked as she shut their bedroom door.

Lana just smiled, "I could see us getting more serious, yes. We both hit it off so well and we did have our first kiss," she giggled. "It's just that he has to deal with his shell shock. It's hard on him and he doesn't want to talk much about it, but he had a personal talk with Fr. Ricardo."

"Did it help?"

"I guess so, but he's carrying a lot of guilt that his friend, Buddy died in his arms when he fell into the foxhole, yet he survived. It's almost like he doesn't think he deserves any happiness. That's what scares me, Lisa. What if we fall in love and then he decides he's too happy and calls it quits because he doesn't feel it's right for him to be happy," Lana sighed.

Lisa thought for a moment and suggested, "Maybe if you offer to go with him to talk to Fr. Ricardo, he'll go."

"No, I think he needs for his time to be personal without me. If we get serious, then I'd support him by going, if he wanted me too. I just wish there was an easy way to get him to talk to Fr. Ricardo," Lana stewed.

"Maybe, Walter Gleixner will say something, he's home from medical school. He was in the war too and he'll be moving his parents to their new home soon close by. Anyways, sis, lets pick out some jewelry and get you ready!" Lisa suggested.

Both her mom and dad were downstairs and her dad, Dan had greeted Trevor with a handshake at the door, "Hello Trevor, it's good to see you."

Trevor returned the greeting and stepped inside. Gail called up, "Lana, Trevor is here."

Gail then walked over and greeted Trevor, "I hear you're going to Romano's for dinner tonight."

"Yes, I thought Lana might enjoy a real date out with a good dinner," he grinned.

As he looked up, he saw Lana coming down the stairs in her beautiful dress and new hairstyle, taking his breath away.

When Trevor came to pick Lana up, he was dressed in a suit, he borrowed from Luke as he didn't have one. He looked mighty handsome to her with his soft green eyes and light brown hair all decked out. His huge smile when she came down the stairs made her blush.

Lana had a small white shawl draped over her arm, with a touch of rose water perfume which followed her when she walked up to Trevor.

"Hello, Trevor! Look at you, no jeans tonight?" she giggled.

"You look lovely Lana!" Trevor admired her as he helped put the shawl across her shoulders. Lana grabbed her handbag and then put her arm through Trevor's as they ventured to the door.

"Have fun!" Lisa called.

"Enjoy yourselves," Gail said.

"Don't be home late!" Dan warned. But, his words were lost on these two. Tonight was young and it belonged to them.