“Yessir, Mistah Flint,” Mr. Calhoun nodded, tipping his large white hat at Mark. The man appeared to be genuinely remorseful for the mix-up, which gave Mark pause.
I know I didn’t cancel that order,he thought as he stomped back to the buggy, which he brought in hopes of bringing all the new equipment back to the farm.I know I didn’t. I need those tools. But, if I didn’t write that letter, canceling the order, then who did?
Mark racked his brain the entire ride home, trying to think of who might have written that letter. He believed that Mr. Calhoun received some sort of correspondence. He had been patronizing Mr. Calhoun’s establishment since he moved to Willow Lake, and he trusted that Mr. Calhoun was a man of his word. Having eliminated the possibility of Mr. Calhoun working against him, Mark tried to make a list of people he knew who might want him to suffer or, at the very least, would be likely to profit if Mark’s business deteriorated. There were neighboring farmers, like the Beckers, but their property was so small it didn’t make sense for them to attack Mark. There was also George Winn. He didn’t know the man that well, but he knew that the Winn’s had once been the most successful ranchers in town before Mark arrived. If Mark’s business suffered, it stood to reason that the Winn family would profit.
After putting Felix away in the stables for the night, Mark trudged back into the house. He gazes at the dark sky as the stars had come out during his ride home.Heath has probably already gone to bed,Mark thought moodily.And Layla must have eaten supper without me.
He stomped his boots when he reached the back door. Today had been very trying, and all he wanted to do was see Heath and Layla and eat a peaceful meal. He yanked open the door, and an appetizing aroma caught his attention. Sitting on the kitchen counter was a plate covered with tin. Mark surmised this was his supper, and Layla had attempted to keep it warm for him by putting it under the tin. There were roasted potatoes, chicken, and a pile of vegetables. He stuck a finger in the gravy and popped his finger into his mouth to taste the rich, salty food.
He smiled approvingly. But even though the chicken and other items on the plate were enticing, what he smelled was not chicken or vegetables. Mark swiveled his head, looking for something else appetizing.
His gaze fell on a cake sitting on the edge of the countertop closest to the fire. The cake had yet to be cut, and he sniffed with pleasure.She made it for me. She waited until I got home to cut it.
Mark was touched by Layla’s thoughtfulness. Placing the tin back on top of his supper, he decided to search the house for Layla. She was exactly where he expected her to be: in Heath’s bedroom, leaning over the crib, talking to him in hushed tones.
“There once was a boy named Joseph, who lived in a land called Canaan with his father and his twelve brothers. Can you imagine having twelve brothers, Heath?” Layla asked quietly. Mark recognized the story Layla was telling his son tonight. He knew the story of Joseph, but he found himself edging closer to the door, so he could listen to the way Layla told it.
“Sometimes having twelve brothers isn’t all that fun, and it wasn’t always a great situation for Joseph. He and his brothers didn’t always get along. Sometimes, even if you are a part of a family, things don’t always go smoothly.” Layla paused, and Mark wondered if she was thinking about her father in the downstairs bedroom.
Mark tipped his head back toward the green door to listen closely. “While Joseph didn’t have the best relationship with his brothers, he was much beloved by his father. To celebrate his son’s birthday, Joseph’s father gave him a coat that had been woven using many beautiful colors. This extraordinary coat was the nicest Joseph, or his brothers, had ever seen, and Joseph loved the gift. On the other hand, his brothers became jealous of Joseph’s new coat. They wanted something so nice for themselves, and they were disappointed their father had given something so amazing to Joseph.”
Layla leaned forward and into the crib, reaching out her hand toward Heath. He imagined that she was softly stroking the baby’s hair and figured that Heath must be getting very close to sleep.
“This coat that Joseph possessed caused him quite a bit of trouble. His brothers couldn’t get over the way their father favored him, and so they plotted against him. First, they threw him in a pit, then sold him into slavery. They took his marvelous coat of many colors and covered it in blood and showed the soiled coat to their father, Jacob, telling him that Joseph was killed by a wild animal.”
Layla sighed deeply as she straightened, rolling her shoulders as if to release the tension. “Joseph’s story continues with him eventually using his gift for understanding dreams … I guess I forgot to mention that he had that special ability …” Layla muttered softly. “The point is, Joseph’s gift of accurately interpreting dreams impressed the pharaoh, and Joseph eventually became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Years later, when his brothers appeared before the court, begging assistance because they were short on food, Joseph was in the position to punish them. He could have refused to share the food supplies with him, or he could have done even worse things, but he didn’t. Joseph wasn’t consumed with owning things or lording his possessions over others. And so, when his brothers needed his help, he gave it to them.”
Layla bent forward once more to kiss Heath on top of his soft, curly hair. As she straightened, she said, “Sleep well, Heath, and have pleasant dreams. Like Joseph, we must do our best to love our neighbors and live a life where we are not consumed by material possessions. ‘Do not think of earthly things. Think about heavenly things.’”
Mark thought over the Bible verse Layla recited, motivating himself to move down the stairs quickly. He didn’t mind if Layla knew he was listening to her as she told Heath his bedtime story, but he didn’t want to startle her either by standing by the door.
Even though his supper was now cold, regardless of the tin that had been placed atop it, Mark still thought it looked appealing. Sitting at the table, he had just started to take a bite when Layla appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“Mark,” she squeaked, a hand rising to cover her heart.
“Layla,” he replied, standing to welcome her into the room.
“I didn’t realize you had made it back home safely. I mean, I was hoping that you would return home safely, but …” Layla faltered, and a pale pink blush crept up her cheeks. She shrugged helplessly. “Sorry. It’s been a long day. I just meant to say that I’m glad you’ve come home. Have you been here long?”
“No,” Mark answered, debating whether to tell Layla that he had enjoyed listening to the story of Joseph. But first, he wanted to make sure that she was taking care of herself. He motioned toward his supper and asked politely, “Have you already eaten, or would you care to join me?”
“I ate with Heath, but I thank you for the offer. Please sit,” she said, and Mark did so. After all, he was famished, and even though he wanted to be polite, he also wanted to eat.
Mark thought it tasted great, not minding that it was cold. He complimented Layla, “This is quite the spread. I especially like the gravy.” He took a healthy bite of chicken and gravy as if to make his point.
“I’m glad,” Layla said brightly. “I thought you liked the chicken I made the other day, so I decided to cook it a different way tonight. I was hoping this would be just as good.”
“It is,” Mark said, digging into the peas and carrots. “And, not to get ahead of myself here, but I also believe I saw some cake in the kitchen.”
“Yes,” Layla replied, grinning widely. “I did make a cake. Would you care for a slice now?”
“I would,” Mark answered with another bite of his meal. He glanced at Layla. “Would you like to join me? We could have our cake together.”
“That sounds nice. I’ll make some tea and then bring out a couple of slices. You eat your supper until I get back.”
“I can do that.” As he continued eating chicken and potatoes, Mark thought his day had been lousy, but everything improved once he was home. From the fine meal he was enjoying now to the Bible story he overheard Layla telling his son, his anxiety about his day just melted away. It was as if the warmth of God’s words had soothed his soul.
He ate quickly and waited eagerly for Layla to return. Partly because of the cake, but mostly because he looked forward to spending some time talking with her.
