Healing Grace by Lisa J. Lickel Read Free Book Online

annual event, I take it? I’ll take Eddy with me when we pick blueberries. It’s okay for him to come, isn’t it?”
    “Oh, yes. We always take the daycare kids out for a trip.”
    Shelby offered detailed instructions about the finer points of fruit picking and which orchards and gardens gave the best deals, which ones catered to tourists and which were for “real” Michiganders.
    Grace’s head reeled with the admonitions and knowing for certain she was a dead ringer for a tourist, she and Eddy set out the next morning on their adventure.
    The child enjoyed the exercise of walking out to the rows and plucking the fruit. At first. The August weather was sticky and hot and he soon became unusually cranky.
    “Gra-ace. I’m done. It’s time to go home now.” His little blueberry bucket was only a quarter full. She didn’t want to stop picking yet and debated the wisdom of having an argument with a nearly five-year-old. Somehow she knew they both would lose.
    She tried distraction instead. “Look, Eddy! A big grasshopper is on that bush. Listen to his chirping. He’s singing your favorite song.”
    “No he’s not.” Eddy dropped the bucket. “It’s too hot.” He wiped a grubby, stained palm across his eyes leaving a streaky mask across his nose. “There’s hoppers at home.” He kicked at his bucket and pulled at Grace’s arm when she reached into the bushes for another handful of berries. “Let’s go home and jump in the pool!”
    “Eddy—hold on there, big guy.” She picked up his bucket. “We’re almost done. Why don’t you go sit over there by Mrs. Overstreet for a little bit while I fill up your bucket, okay? It won’t take long. There’s her dog. You can pet him.”
    She waved a hand to shoo away the little gnats away from her eyes. She was uncomfortable too, but intrigued by the great gifts of western Michigan. Mrs. Overstreet was a member of the co-op and clearly respectful of Eddy as the nephew of their marketing chief. She recognized him right away when they drove up, inquiring about picking for the day. Confessed ignorance of the fruit season gave the woman a chance to look her up and down, frowning, and Grace did not want to further irritate her by not getting a decent picking. Besides, they drove a half-hour south to find the recommended farm and she was sharing the picking with her friend.
    Eddy trudged over to the tent occupied by Mrs. Overstreet. Grace waved hesitantly when the woman looked over at her. Was she breaking some child labor or neglect laws? Her neighbors picking on either side of her smirked and nodded at each other. She picked faster.
    * * * *
    Randy came to the house that evening to take Eddy home.
    “We were at blueberries today, Unca Randy! By Mrs. Overstreet. I played.” Eddy was in a much better frame of mind now that he had been given lunch and was splashing in his wading pool. He’d slept all the way home, much to Grace’s relief. He rarely took a nap and had obviously been tired that morning. Now he went giddyupping in his tiny brown swim trunks around the pool, water flying everywhere. Randy backed up, a smile barely making his mouth change shape underneath his dark sunglasses. He was dressed soberly as always, the perfect front man for the local marketers. He obviously took the responsibility seriously. Too seriously.
    She invited him to join her on the front porch while Eddy dried off. “How’s Ted today?”
    Randy did not look at her. She watched him swallow before answering. Not that she cared overly, but since the rest of the townspeople held him in such high regard, she supposed she should stay on his good side. Maybe they could reach a mutual understanding, some sort of respect, even if they didn’t actually get to the liking each other stage.
    “They’ll be keeping him another day at the hospital,” he replied in measured tones. “More prodding and poking. He complains.”
    Randy sighed. Then, for the first time, he showed his vulnerable