Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 15 by Chautona Havig Read Free Book Online Page A

wedding .”
    “ I guess I am, ” she admitted, her tone a little terse. “ I wasn ’ t trying to be difficult that time. I was trying to —”
    He sighed. “ That was a low blow. Sorry. That one was completely my fault , and I had no business using it as an example. How about ‘ no kids if I have to educate them like this? ’ ”
    “ I guess you ’ re right. Mother and I must have agreed on more than we thought. We never —” Her eyes grew wide. “ Oh , Chad. I did that to Mother too! When I didn ’ t get what I wanted, I stabbed her in the heart .” Tears filled her eyes and she jumped from her chair. Chad started to follow , but she waved him back. “ I need a few minutes .”
    He watched confused as she left the house and strolled across the fields toward the stream. “ Lord, what just happened? ”
     

     
     
    Late that night, after they ’ d been sleeping for hours, Willow crept from the covers and padded downstairs. Chad heard the creak of the screen door and sighed. He tossed the blankets from him and followed. Everything had seemed fine, why was she now so unsettled?
    “ Willow? ”
    She turned and smiled. “ Hmm? ”
    Chad pushed the door open letting it bang gently behind him. “ You ok? ” He sank to the step beside her and pulled her to him. “ I ’ m worried about you .”
    “ I was just thinking .”
    “ Have you always come out here in the middle of the night? ” Chad didn ’ t remember her wandering last year.
    “ Usually. Mother said she found me in the porch swing as often as she didn ’ t when I was little .”
    “ Didn ’ t she worry about you wandering off somewhere? ”
    Willow shrugged. “ Not that I can remember .”
    “ What do you think about when you come out here in the middle of the night? ”
    “ It ’ s when I feel closest to God. It ’ s when that ‘ still small voice ’ seems to pierce my thick skull. I love praying in the dark and the stillness .”
    “ Want me to go? ” Chad ’ s voice was little more than a whisper in her ear.
    “ Never .”
     
     

Chapter 10 8
     
     
    Becca Jacobs tentatively exited her car and glanced around her. It hadn ’ t seemed to o intimidating when the farm was crawling with other guests , but now , here alone, she felt awkward and uncertain. Was she truly welcome? She must be , but then…
    “ Becca! Back here. I ’ m just hanging the last of the laundry .” Willow ’ s voice called to her from behind the house.
    “ Hey. I hoped you still meant it —”
    “ Of course! I ’ m glad to have you here. Have you ever made candles? ”
    Becca’s eyes widened. “ Make candles? ”
    “ Well, you will now. I gave away most of my candles during the power outage this winter. I ’ ll need more before long .”
    As Willow led her to the summer kitchen, curiosity filled her. “ So why … ” Becca hesitated. It was none of her business.
    “ What? ”
    “ Well, ” with a sigh, Becca plunged forward. “ I just wondered why you don ’ t use electricity instead? It ’ s a lot less work but —” she winked. “ I admit probably not as much fun .”
    “ You ’ re one of the first people who has even hinted that there might be an advantage to making candles .” She grabbed the candle wicking, tying it to her dipping sticks as she spoke. “ We like having the simplicity that comes without having easy access to electricity. I mean, it ’ s easy access — I just have to flip the breaker — but we aren ’ t tempted to stay up too late, watch too many movies, or even stay up too late because they aren ’ t available. Why buy a TV if you don ’ t want to watch it very often? Why stay up late doing more things that you don’t need?”
    “ Why not? ”
    “ Well, ” Willow agreed, “ You have a point. There ’ s nothing wrong with doing any of that. We just never wanted to, so we took away the temptation. Well, Mother did. She did it at first because she knew she needed to make it hard to do what she was