Hailey's Heart (Young Adult Christian Fiction) (The Valley Meadows Series Book 1) Read online

  “Night, Nellie,” said Chris.

  “I’m sure you’ll be drifting off in no time,” added James. He was right. Nellie fell fast asleep.

  “What about that campfire tonight?” asked Chris. “Are we still going to have it?”

  “As far as I know,” said James. “Nothing seems to reach people more than music.”

  “You’re right,” Chris agreed. “Everyone enjoys it. I know that is what I look forward to the most at the end of a long day. It brings everyone together.”

  *****

  That evening, they all sat down at the table to a sumptuous dinner in the bright turquoise kitchen of the volunteer camp. Chris was anxious for Nellie to taste the local cuisine, including mole, a special sauce. She enjoyed it immensely. “Everything is delicious,” Nellie remarked. “You are all great cooks.”

  “We try,” admitted Chris. “Between Emily, Hailey, and I, we get the job done. Besides, we all like trying out new recipes and learning what to cook from the people here.”

  “Well, they have certainly taught you well because this meal is amazing,” said Nellie.

  “I keep threatening to open a restaurant when I get home,” laughed Hailey.

  “That’s a great idea,” urged Nellie. “You’d have customers lining up for this food.”

  “Actually, I am getting you prepared to eat crickets, Nellie,” quipped Chris.

  “Are you joking?” she asked.

  “I wish he was,” said Emily.

  “Well, it is a popular dish here, but I don’t suppose I could convince you to eat it,” Chris replied.

  “You’ve got that right,” Nellie laughed.

  “Don’t worry,” Hailey advised her. “He hasn’t talked any of us into eating them, either.”

  “That’s a good thing,” said Nellie. “Just to let you know, Chris, I won’t be changing my mind.”

  “That’s okay,” he smiled. “I didn’t figure that you would.”

  “Don’t take him too seriously,” laughed Emily. “He’s never even tried them himself.” Emily was twenty-one years old with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and an easy-going manner. It was her third summer serving as a missionary in Oaxaca. She was also fluent in Spanish, which made her indispensable to everyone there.

  Just then, James walked in. “We saved some dinner for you,” Chris told him.

  “Thanks so much,” replied James. He fixed himself a plate and sat at the table. “I’m sorry I am late, but some of our younger missionaries needed my help. It’s not easy for everyone to be away from home.”

  “I had trouble with it my first year here, too,” admitted Emily. “But, then I got so busy working with the children that the time flew by before I knew it.”

  “I can certainly understand someone getting homesick,” Nellie said. “Sometimes I can’t believe that I live all the way in Hawaii when most of my family is in Texas.”

  “Luckily, you are able to reach them by phone and the Internet,” James reminded her.

  “That’s true,” said Nellie. “It’s different being here because it’s easy to feel cut off from the world.”

  “Yes,” agreed James, “and it’s a hard adjustment.”

  “I imagine that it could be very difficult for some people,” said Nellie.

  “So, did Chris talk you into eating crickets yet?” teased James.

  “He tried,” laughed Nellie.

  “It didn’t work,” conceded Chris.

  “That’s the thanks Nellie gets for coming all the way here to see us,” said Hailey.

  “Now that you put it that way, I guess I better quit joking about it,” apologized Chris.

  “It’s okay,” Nellie laughed. “I can take it.”

  * * * * *

  Later, the campfire was glowing and everyone sang songs while seated on the grass around it. Nellie knew that she had made the right decision about coming to Oaxaca. As the music finished, she was hoping that after Chris got his guitar put away that she would have a chance to talk to him. She was sitting next to Hailey when the other missionaries got up and began returning to their cabins.

  “I’m so happy that you came here,” said Hailey. “Thank you so much for sending all the supplies and gifts.”

  “Oh, they weren’t from me,” explained Nellie. “There were so many generous people and I feel so blessed to have been part of this outpouring of support.”

  “Well, all the work you put into it is still great,” insisted Hailey.

  “Thanks so much,” said Nellie. “You seem to love it here.”

  “I do,” replied Hailey. “At first I was worried about being away from Josh for two months, but he is very busy with his landscaping business. Still it’s hard being apart.”

  “Isn’t Brad helping him?” asked Nellie.

  “Yes,” said Hailey. “Tim is, too.”

  “He is?” Nellie had not heard much about her old boyfriend, Tim, since she left for the military.

  “Yes, they are working so hard these days, but getting a lot done. The business has really taken off,” Hailey informed her.

  “That is good news,” said Nellie. “I only wish the best for Tim. He is a really good guy.”

  “I suppose you know about Jillian, right?” asked Hailey. “I guess all of Valley Meadows has heard of her by now.”

  “No. Her name doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “Oh, I am so sorry, Nellie,” Hailey apologized. “I assumed that you did.”

  “Who is she?”

  “She is Tim’s girlfriend from New York.”

  Nellie looked visibly shocked. So much had transpired since she saw him last. “I had no idea,” she said. “Did he meet her on the senior trip to The Bahamas?”

  “No,” replied Hailey. “You know the lady who owns the Sullivan Estate out on Center Highway?”

  “You mean the silver-haired woman in the big yellow house?”

  “Yes,” said Hailey. “Jillian is her granddaughter. She came to visit and that’s how Tim met her.”

  “Life changes fast when someone moves away. Tim is such a ‘down home’ guy that it’s hard to picture him with a ‘city’ girl.”

  “Jillian is not like that at all,” Hailey told her. “She is very down to earth. Tim has changed an awful lot since he met her.”

  “In what way?” asked Nellie.

  “He’s very caretaking. Oh, and he got baptized.”

  “He did?” asked Nellie. “Well, then whoever Jillian is, she is a blessing in his life. I don’t think I ever brought out the best in him. I had so much I wanted to do and I felt like I could not accomplish it if I was with him. But, he is a really good person. I’ve missed him a lot.”

  “I think there is a bigger plan that we are part of and we never know how things are going to work out in life.” Hailey hoped that she had not hurt Nellie’s feelings. Since Tim was with Jillian every day, she simply assumed that word of their relationship had reached her by then. Nothing in Valley Meadows remained a secret for very long.

  “It sounds like you have changed a great deal, too,” said Nellie.

  “Well, being a minister’s daughter has never been easy for me. I’ve always felt like I have had to conform to a certain standard, so in many ways, I bucked the system. Not that I was wild, but I always had to speak up. Now, that I have come here, I do things from my heart. I have been more myself here than anywhere.”

  “I see what you mean,” Nellie told her. “You are finally in touch with the real you.”

  “Yes. I’m only sorry that Josh isn’t here because I know that he would love doing this work and helping people.”

  “I think you are right,” agreed Nellie. “He’s a good person. Remember the night of the Fall Formal when you got sick?”

  “Oh, that was awful,” Hailey recalled. “We couldn’t even go to the dance. But, he came over to my house dressed in a new navy blue suit. He brought dinner and even gave me a corsage, so that sure made things better.”

  “That was so nice,” sai
d Nellie.

  “That night, I think my father realized that he is a good guy. Actually, they have become quite close. Josh did all the work for the church at Easter and would not charge a dime for his time. His aunt and uncle even donated the plants from the nursery.”

  “He’s very special. I can see why you miss him so much.”

  “Well, the good part is that I’m half-way through the summer now,” said Hailey. “When I leave here, I will be so happy to see him, but I know that I am going to miss my students.”

  “What will we do tomorrow?” asked Nellie.

  “You and Emily will help me in the classroom. The guys will be working on building a small room that will be the library. The materials come from donations, but we supply the labor for free. That’s why it takes so long to get everything accomplished. It’s done in stages.”

  “I see,” said Nellie. “I’m looking forward to meeting the children tomorrow. I love kids.”

  “Me, too. I will start college when I go home.” Hailey had made an important decision in the last few weeks. “I am thinking of going on to law school and focusing on child advocacy.”

  “That would truly allow you to use your talents,” Nellie encouraged her. “You are one to speak up for people’s rights.”

  “You think so?” asked Hailey.

  “Sure,” said Nellie. “Look how many years you had to speak up to be heard yourself. You got the best practice. I would call it on-the-job training right at your own house,” she laughed.

  “I never thought of it that way, but I think you’re right,” agreed Hailey. “By the way, I wanted to tell you that I love your cross.”

  “Thank you,” said Nellie. “Your cousin Kimberly gave it to me on the day I was baptized. I’ve never taken it off.”

  “It is beautiful. Even more important, it is a special keepsake of something so significant in your life.”

  “Am I interrupting anything?” asked Chris as he walked over to them.

  “Oh, not at all,” Hailey assured him. “In fact, I’m so tired. I want to write a letter to Josh and turn in early.” She got up to return to her cabin.

  “Have you got a few minutes to spare?” Nellie asked Chris.

  “Sure, now is just fine.”

  “Night, you two,” said Hailey. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She walked toward the cabin that was in the distance.

  “Night, Hailey,” said Chris. “God bless you.”

  “Good night, Hailey,” said Nellie. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be in the room in a little bit.”

  Nellie appeared anxious to speak to Chris by herself, or so he thought. “Is Pastor Rick available?” she asked him. “I’d like to talk to you both, if I could.” The pastor was a man in his late thirties who had done mission work every summer in Oaxaca for the past five years. He was a deeply caring individual who had a profound enthusiasm for helping others.

  “Let me go get him,” offered Chris. He returned a few minutes later with Pastor Rick by his side. He and the pastor brought some chairs over, which they moved closer to the campfire so that the three of them could sit and talk.

  “I’m so glad that you had a chance to come over here from Hawaii,” said the pastor.

  “Thank you, Pastor Rick, but actually, I didn’t come from Hawaii,” Nellie began. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

  “Certainly. How can I be of help?”

  “I received a call earlier this week that my father passed away,” she said.

  “Oh, Nellie, I am so sorry to hear about your loss.” Pastor Rick offered his condolences.

  “I am, too,” sympathized Chris. “I had no idea about that.” He could not even imagine how such a loss was affecting her, especially because she barely got to know her father while he was alive.

  “It all happened so fast,” she explained. “I got the phone call and before I knew it, I boarded a plane for Virginia. It was all like a bad dream. My father died of a heart attack. He was only forty-two years old. I actually met some of my extended family that I had never known while I was there. They were such nice people.”

  “Well, I am glad they were,” Pastor Rick responded. “I hope that they were a comfort to you in your hour of need.”

  “Yes, they were,” she replied. “They told me so many stories about my father and that meant a great deal to me because it allowed me to know him better.”

  “I am sure that it did,” said the pastor.

  “My father left Texas when I was six. He had been a Navy SEAL and served in Desert Storm when I was a baby. All these years, the only thing that my mom told me about him was that he was never the same after he returned from the war. She always loved him. But, he drifted further and further apart from her. Then, one day he took off and she never heard from him again.”

  “That must have been awful for both of you.” As Pastor Rick heard her story, he hoped that he could help alleviate her pain.

  “Yes, it was,” admitted Nellie. “I think that’s why my mom never remarried because she always had hopes of him coming back. When I was in Virginia, my father’s sister, Susan, told me that my mom stayed in touch with her all this time just to ask how my dad was getting along. Even though he worked hard in his family’s business in Virginia, he was not the same person he was before.”

  “That must have been very difficult for your mother,” said Pastor Rick.

  “I never realized how much until now,” she replied. “When I was there this week, I went to see where my father lived. My aunt drove me over there the day before the funeral. He had rented a little home with a fireplace where he lived all these years by himself. There was barely any furniture. But, his entire mantle was filled with photographs of me. My mom had sent Aunt Susan my school picture every year and he framed each one. I guess he really did love me.” The tears fell down her cheeks.

  “Yes, Nellie, he did love you,” Chris tried to console her. “There’s no doubt. He just wasn’t well.” He put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

  “I wish I had known him better,” she said. “Aunt Susan told me so many stories about what he was like when he was in high school. He was full of personality and always joked with everyone. She said that he was the best brother that anyone could have asked for. All these years, my mom always told me that I had his laugh. Now, I know why she said that.”

  “The war certainly changed him,” noted Pastor Rick. “But, it didn’t change his love for you. At least you know that now because you saw the pictures with your own eyes.”

  “He was given a full military funeral.” At that point, Nellie could barely get her words out. “I was sitting at his burial in my uniform. When the flag from his casket was folded and the honor guard handed it to me, I was trembling. There I was holding the flag of a man I loved, but barely knew. He fought for our country and sacrificed much of his life as a result. I may not have known him well, but my dad is my hero. I decided right then and there that I wanted to find a way for his memory to live on because I know that he was a good man.”

  “Yes, he was,” agreed Pastor Rick. “It sounds as though his experiences in the war were quite traumatic and that’s why he was never the same.”

  “My aunt told me that when he was younger, he was so happy. He always said that he looked forward to the day that he would get married and have a house full of kids.”

  “Then, the war must have taken its toll on him,” said Chris. He finally understood why her father had disappeared and only hoped that Nellie realized that it was not a reflection of how he felt about her. Her father had clearly been a valiant soldier and was impacted by his experiences in a manner that even his own family did not understand.

  “Yes, it definitely did.” She wiped away her tears and continued. “The day after the funeral, my father’s lawyer contacted me. My father had written a will and everything he had was left to me. My mother has paid for years on a home in Texas that she does not own. I am going to pay it off for
her.”

  “That is very generous of you.” Pastor Rick was impressed by Nellie’s deep love and concern for her mother.

  “She spent her whole life taking care of me. That is the least that I can do for her. I also want to start a non-profit foundation when I finish college, so I am saving part of the money to put toward that.”

  “That is extremely admirable, Nellie,” said the pastor. “You are a very good-hearted person.”

  “Well, it is my dream,” she replied. “So, I hope that I can make it come true. But, I also wanted to come here while I was on leave and had the opportunity to do so. That is why I flew down on such short notice.”

  “You made a very long trip to get here and we are so glad that you are here,” said Pastor Rick.

  “No wonder you were so exhausted today,” added Chris. “I hope we didn’t wear you out further with all this singing tonight.”

  “Oh, not at all,” she assured him. “I loved it.”

  “Please let me know if you ever need to talk,” offered the pastor. “I feel very blessed that you came to spend some time with us. I will help in any way that I can.”

  “Thank you so much, Pastor Rick.” She appreciated his kindness. “I actually came because I would like to donate twenty-five thousand dollars in hopes that it could be put to good use here in Mexico to help the children.”

  “Nellie, I am speechless.” Pastor Rick was very moved by her kind offer. “It is hard to comprehend how someone going through such a tremendous loss would take time to think of others. You are a remarkable young lady.”

  “I want to help in any way that I can,” explained Nellie. “I am sure that my father would be glad that his money would help make the lives of many children better.”

  “I need to tell you something, Nellie,” Pastor Rick began to confide in her. “We had a meeting last week. We have very immediate needs, as well as long-term ones that we are trying to fill here. When the meeting ended, we came up with a figure that we thought could bring these plans to fruition over the next few summers. We settled on a determined amount and prayed about it. We asked for a miracle.”

  “How much was it?” asked Nellie.