“Ask Julian to come to the window.” Mr. Lakeman’s voice drifted out toward him.
A sense of panic sprang up inside him. Why did her father want him closer? His limbs shook and he gulped.
Anna took his arm. Her hand was warm and comforting. “Come on, Dad wants to talk to you.”
He couldn’t say a word. Couldn’t stop the fear from growing. Fathers were horrible men. They did horrible things.
He allowed Anna to walk him to the window.
The man in the bed had tears in his eyes. “Son, thank you for helping my daughter with this surprise for me. I’ve admired your work in your garden for years. Once you were gone, it broke my heart to see it wither up and die. You are talented. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate all this.”
Julian stood there. He had no idea what to say. The man was ... nice. Thankful. And had complimented him.
Mr. Lakeman waved his right hand at him. “Anna showed me the diagram with all the plants, I would love it if you would come back sometime and visit with me. We can talk flowers. I’ve always wanted to be ananthophilousmyself.”
He blinked several times. The man understood what it was like to love living among flowers. “I would love to talk flowers with you.”
“Good, good.” He leaned back. “I look forward to visiting with you.”
“I look forward to it, too.” As hard as it was to believe, itwas the truth. Julian waved his hand and walked away from the window. He turned to Anna. “Is your father always that nice?”
The look she gave him was quizzical, then she laughed. “Yes. He’s a wonderful man.”
Huh. Wonderful man.
Julian cleaned up his tools while Anna finished planting.
What would it be like to be called a wonderful man?
nineteen
“Bitterness and despair rolled away and left me happy again.”
~Earl Douglass
THURSDAY, JULY4
Anna fanned her face as the heat of the day was upon them. But she wouldn’t trade this for the world. The Independence Day celebration in Walker Creek this year was better than ever before.
Little Caleb was safely home. Dad was improving each day. Their community was thriving and had come together for a big picnic.
And she’d saidyes.
Her cheeks lifted in a smile. She was going to marry Joshua Ziegler!
The news had spread like wildfire, and she couldn’t be happier.
“If I could have your attention, please.” The good reverend held his arms up in the air and then clapped. The soundechoed across the crowd, and the happy chatter diminished as everyone turned to face him.
“The choir has prepared a few songs for us. We invite you to join in on the final song.”
After the choir finished “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” the reverend waved for all of them to stand and join in on “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Tears sprang to Anna’s eyes as the words sank into her heart. Ever since the end of the Civil War, the healing of the nation had been slow going. Out here in Wyoming Territory, they hadn’t dealt with as much division as they’d read about in the papers back East. But here, right now, she felt they could heal from the horrific war that had turned brother against brother—if Americans would simply come together in love and community. Like Walker Creek.
Oh, she’d seen the brutality and lasting effects of the war that had left large portions of the country in shambles as she’d traveled with Dad. Memories she wished she could erase. But her community prayed together this morning that God would bring them back together in unity and that beauty would rise from the ashes. Fueled by her own passion to see that happen, she was determined to do her part. However large or small that might be.
Joshua nudged her elbow as the song ended and handed her his handkerchief.
