Plot Line Read Free Page B

also correct; he did have to do
something.
    “This whole conversation is unfair,” Ray
said softly yet firmly. “I’m not going to let the family starve,
Nora. We’re not going to lose the house. Everything is going to be
fine, I’ll make sure of it.”
    They fell silent as the night. Ray knew he
was a disappointment in his wife’s eyes. She had never understood
his need to write. To her it had always been a diversion or an
unrealistic dream. Sure there were famous writers, but they were
few. Not for a second had she ever caught a glimpse of his dream.
He doubted she ever would.
    Nora wrapped her arms around herself trying
to ward off the cold and bounced on the balls of her feet. After
another few moments of silence, she said, “You should come into the
house. You don’t want to catch a cold.”
    Ray smiled. It was her way of showing
concern. “I will in a few minutes. I want to sort a few things out
in my mind.”
    Nora turned without a word and trod back to
the house.
    A few minutes later, Ray heard the screen
door open and close, this time softly. He didn’t turn. Steps made
soft by the thick grass drew closer.
    “Hi ya, Pops.” It was his daughter. Just
hearing her voice made him feel better.
    “Hi, Skeeter. How was church?”
    “Great. The pastor gave a wonderful Bible
study. You would’ve enjoyed it.”
    “Think so, huh?” Ray avoided church except
on Easter. A solitary man, he found the crowds uncomfortable, the
songs foreign, and the sermons unchallenging. He never felt as if
he belonged.
    “Mom told me about your publisher. I’m
sorry.”
    Ray looked into his daughter’s face and saw
genuine heartache. “Thanks, honey. It was quite a shock.”
    “It’s not the end, you know. You have a
great talent. I think God will use it in ways we can’t see
yet.”
    “If so, He has an odd way of showing
it.”
    Skeeter sat next to Ray. Her thin body
radiated heat. She wore blue jeans and a tee shirt with the name of
a local college imprinted on it. “Odd isn’t always bad.”
    Ray put his arm around his daughter. She had
always been the spiritual one in the family, and her faith always
seemed genuine. Since so many children her age involved themselves
with sex and drugs, he considered himself fortunate to have a
daughter who found excitement in religion. At least she wasn’t in a
cult. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I’m a little on edge.”
    “It sounded like mom gave you a hard
time.”
    “You heard that, eh? She wasn’t very
sympathetic.”
    “I think she’s scared. She always acts angry
when she’s frightened.”
    It was an accurate insight. “I guess it’s
hard to be married to a writer, especially one that’s such a
failure.”
    “You’re not a failure. Thousands of people
wish they could have a book published. You’ve had two.”
    “Not bestsellers. If they had been best
selling books, then none of this would have mattered. Publishers
would be calling me and not the other way around.”
    “It will happen, Dad. Give it time.” She
shivered.
    “Go inside. You’re freezing.”
    “I’m going to stay here with you,” she
answered.
    Ray chuckled. “Is this a sneaky way of
getting me to come in from the cold?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay, you win. Truth is, I’ve done all the
thinking I can do for the night.”
    Skeeter put her arm around Ray’s waist and
gave him a hug. “It’s going to work out,” she said softly. “I
believe in you, and God won’t abandon us.”
    Ray gave his daughter a quick kiss on her
forehead. “I hope you’re right.”
     
    The evening passed slowly, the sun
rising reluctantly. Ray Beeman had been up
to greet it. He had been awake for hours. When he stepped from the
backyard into the house he found Nora already in bed although it
was just a few minutes after nine. It was something she did when
upset. Ray walked into the bedroom and saw his wife lying beneath
the covers, her back turned toward the door. He doubted she was
truly asleep, but moved quietly