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“Peter said he thought someone opened the gate on purpose.”
“The gate that allowed the bull out that charged him?”
“Yes.”
“That was you?”
“Oh no! I wasn’t there at all that day. It definitely wasn’t me.”
“You’re worried it might have been Norma Jean?”
“Peter insisted that it probably wasn’t. He said lots of people stop at the office, and that when he got a chance to talk to Norma Jean, he’d ask if she could remember if she saw something that morning and see if they could figure it out. Actually, he thought that maybe Norma Jean would put two and two together and go to Miles or to Peter, and let them know who she suspected.”
“I don’t know that Norma Jean’s been around the farm long enough to even think about that,” Lana said thoughtfully.
“That’s assuming it wasn’t her.”
“And you’re worried it was?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have any evidence to back up your fear?”
“Not really. Just... I know that Norma Jean will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say that. Norma Jean isn’t a mean person. She doesn’t want to see people hurt. But I can see her thinking that opening the gate would somehow bring Peter to her. And Peter has admitted that he was trying to avoid her. So, I’m just putting together what I know about Norma Jean with what Peter said.”
“Did you express your fears to Peter?”
“No. How could I?”
Lana didn’t say anything, just lightly rubbed her hand up and down Sally’s arm.
“It’s just speculation. I wouldn’t want to get him upset with her, especially if it turned out to be nothing. I just... I’m just afraid I might be right.”
“And you could be. But maybe this is what Norma Jean needs in order to learn a lesson.”
“But I hate to see Peter suffering because Norma Jean needed to learn a lesson.”
“Maybe there’s something for Peter to learn as well,” Lana said, and then she added, “and you’re not God, right? I mean, I know you know you’re not. He allowed this? Right?”
“Yes. But it could have been prevented.”
“It’s true that God doesn’t save us from our stupidity at times.”
Sally snorted. “You can say that again.”
“But I can kinda see that God might be working in a way that you might not have thought of.”
“And how’s that?”
“Well, Norma Jean has a few lessons to learn.”
“True.”
“And so do you.”
“That’s for sure.”
“And maybe, maybe God had that happen to Peter because he knew that Peter would ask you to nurse him, and you and Peter will be spending a good bit of time together. Which, if I recall correctly, you might have been hoping for the last time we spoke.”
