Rocky Mountain Daddy. Lois Richer

sleeping.

      “Okay. Hated to leave Mavis in Edmonton alone, but she must be close to the hospital for her treatment and I’ve got to tend things here. All this back and forth is wearing me out,” Art admitted, heaving a sigh. “But you don’t want to hear my woes. Come on inside and I’ll make you a cup of coffee. Place isn’t very tidy but—”

      “You have the most glorious deck. Do you mind if we sit out here for a bit? Then Eli, that’s Gabe’s son, will see us when he wakens. And we had coffee earlier so don’t go to any trouble on our account.” Olivia’s smile seemed to put the fatigued man at ease.

      “Okay. Have a seat. Son, huh? Good for you, Gabe.” Art sat down gratefully. “Thought maybe I’d mow the yard today. Sure does need it, but that beast won’t start.” He shook his head at the ancient green ride-on mower sitting in the long grass. “Guess it’s getting old, just like me.”

      “Mind if I take a look?” Gabe asked. He shot Olivia a questioning glance, relieved when she nodded. “Stay here and relax,” he ordered Art with a grin. “I’m better if I work alone. Or at least I’m less embarrassed when I can’t figure it out.”

      “Join my club. Have at it.” Art stretched out his legs when Gabe stepped off the deck and bent to look at the mower.

      “My aunts, Tillie and Margaret, send their best wishes to you and Mavis. They’re praying for both of you,” Olivia said quietly. “Is there anything we can do to make things easier for you?”

      “Everybody’s already doing so much,” the man said, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. “Embarrassing to ask for more.”

      “That’s what friends are for,” Olivia assured him.

      Gabe listened in unabashedly, liking the way Olivia deflected the man’s concern.

      “We’d like to help if we can, Art,” she said now. “Please tell us how we can best do that.”

      Gabe already knew most of the issues at Evensong. He’d been trying to rectify them since the couple had left, but the list seemed to increase daily.

      “I’m most worried about the house roof,” the retired man admitted. “God’s blessed us so far this summer and we haven’t had a big deluge. But the next downpour is going to cause huge problems inside.” Art hung his head, obviously ashamed he hadn’t been able to fix it.

      “Don’t you dare go up there, Arthur.” Gabe called his warning loudly, hoping the older man would heed him. “Climbing on roofs won’t help that knee of yours.” He glanced at Olivia, surprised to see her writing in a tiny notebook. “We’ll get it done,” he assured his friend with a grin while wondering, When?

      “What else needs doing, Art?” Olivia glanced around.

      “Well, the cattle and the horses are a worry, of course. Gabe’s been great at taking care of them while I’m gone but we can’t keep relying on him. Guess I’ll have to sell them, though Mavis raised that mare from a foal and she’s attached to it—”

      “You know I don’t mind caring for the animals, Art.” Gabe fiddled with the carburetor, then flicked the starter switch. The mower sputtered momentarily but finally came to life. He let it run for a few minutes as he added gas from the nearby can. “I’m going to give it a whirl,” he called to the pair on the deck.

      He noticed Art start to rise, saw Olivia restrain him with a gentle hand on his arm. Then, heads bent together, the two chatted and Olivia wrote some more in her book. Gabe was curious about that book, but he concentrated on grass cutting until he saw Eli’s head pop up inside the cab. Then he parked the machine, got off and went to his son.

      “Ever ridden on a mower?” Gabe asked. Eyes wide, Eli shook his head. “Come on, you can ride with me while we cut this grass for my friend.” He explained the rules about riding to Eli, then sat him on the back of the long seat. “Hang on to me now,” he ordered, a tiny rush of pleasure surging through him when the small hands wrapped around his waist.

      Just then Gabe happened to glance up. Olivia was watching them. She smiled and nodded her approval. For some reason that made him unreasonably happy, and he returned to his mowing with a light heart.

       Whatever You have in store for me, God, I thank You for my son and for a friend like Olivia. Underneath that reserve, she’s got a good heart.