Pam Andrews - Hometown Reunion

Joey woke up when she got out of the truck.

“Bye, Lori,” he said sleepily.

“Have fun making stuff with your new hammer,” she said as she turned to walk up to Aunt Bess’s house.

Scott thanked her for coming along. She stood and watched as his truck went down the street and disappeared from sight.

Lori walked to church beside her aunt, drawing in the sweet scent of spring with every breath. It was the first Sunday in May, and she couldn’t have imagined a fairer day. The sky was a beautiful blue, and the sun was almost too warm for the white sweater she was wearing with her light pink dress. A light wind teased her silky flared skirt and caressed her cheeks, and she felt truly at home for the first time since arriving back in town.

“Everyone will be so happy to see you,” Bess trilled, hustling along in her pointy-toed shoes with one-inch heels.

She was dressed in one of her standard colors, forest green, but she’d softened the effect by wearing a creamy ruffled blouse with her suit. Bess looked lighthearted, which matched Lori’s mood perfectly, although she was hard-pressed to understand the rush of happiness the morning had brought.

Certainly she was pleased to be going to Apple Grove Bible Church again. She’d enjoyed services at a Chicago church, but the congregation was so large that she’d felt lost in the crowd. It would be good to see familiar faces, and she was eager to hear a sermon by the new minister, Reverend Bachman.

Not surprisingly, there was a good crowd milling around outside the open church doors; people were enjoying the pleasant weather and exchanging small talk. The sound of the choir’s last-minute practice wafted out, a signal that they had a good fifteen minutes before church began.

“I need to talk to one of the Sunday school teachers,” her aunt said. “No need for you to come inside yet, but save me a seat somewhere in the middle.”

Lori nodded assent as her aunt hurried off, then looked around for familiar faces.

“Lori Raymond!” a voice behind her said.

“Sara! I wondered whether I’d see you this morning.”

“You remember Todd, don’t you?” the apple-cheeked, red-haired young woman asked, introducing her husband.

“Of course, you were a few years ahead of us in school. It’s nice to see you, Todd,” Lori said.

“Lori’s been in Chicago, working as a chef,” Sara told her husband.

“Here for a vacation?” Todd asked, running his finger around the collar of a crisp white shirt.

He was a big man, muscular but not beefy, with a pleasant face and close-cropped blond hair. Lori remembered him as a popular football player, but as rather shy and quiet.

“Not exactly,” Lori said as a trio of little girls in pastel dresses and little straw hats raced past her.

“Oops. Looks like Sunday school is letting out,” Sara said. “I’d better round up Sunny. Call me again soon.”

When Sara and Todd darted around to the rear entrance to collect their daughter, Lori looked for other people she knew. There were familiar faces, but before she could approach anyone, she was surprised to see the last person she would expect to find at church.

“Scott!” she called.

He stopped suddenly when he saw her and grinned broadly.

“Lori.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she told him.

“No, I suppose you didn’t,” he said, coming two steps closer.

He was wearing his Sunday-best jeans, if there was such a thing, and the cuffs of a pale blue dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows over golden-tan arms. He wasn’t wearing a hat, and his hair looked thick and wavy.

“Well, I’m glad to see you.” She was surprised by the pleasure she felt.

“I’m picking Joey up from Sunday school,” he explained.

“Oh.”

“I’m not staying for the service, though.”

“Does Joey enjoy Sunday school?”

“He likes to be with kids his own age.”

“Well, I’d better go inside,” she said. “Say hello to Joey for me.”

“Yeah, waiting isn’t Joey’s strong suit. I’d better go get him.”

For a long moment he didn’t move away, and she was conscious of his eyes focused on her. Then he was gone, and the sun seemed to go behind a cloud. She moved slowly toward the open church doors, trying not to think about things that could have been different if they’d been more than friends years ago.

When the service began, Lori tried hard to concentrate. She had to admit that the new minister was a gifted preacher, but her mind kept wandering in spite of her good intentions. She shouldn’t be thinking about Scott. After all, he had a family of his own now and a life completely separate from hers. A few brief encounters while they planned renovations in the café shouldn’t bring back disturbing feelings. What she really needed to do was decide whether to take the new job in Chicago. That way she would know how long she’d be staying in Apple Grove.

Bess chatted with friends after the service, and Lori stood beside her and answered the same questions over and over as different people greeted her. She loved the people in town, but she had a hard time focusing on the conversations that swirled around her when her own life was in limbo. She found it especially hard to say how long she’d stick around. She was relieved when her aunt finally wanted to start walking home.

“Oh, by the way,” Bess said in an offhand way, “I’ve invited company for Sunday dinner. That potato salad you made last night looks too luscious for just the two of us. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Well, no, of course not.”

“I have some hot dogs and buns. We can fire up my grill. I made sure there’s enough charcoal.”

The last time Lori had eaten anything her aunt had grilled, she’d had to scrape off a quarter inch of charred meat. Bess was a wonderful teacher but a disaster as a cook.

“I’ll take care of the grill,” Lori quickly offered.

“I was sure I could count on you,” her aunt said, with a little giggle. “And don’t worry about dessert. I have three kinds of ice cream in the freezer.”

“You didn’t say who’s coming.”

“Dottie. You remember her. We’ve been teaching together since forever. And I invited Scott when I saw him picking Joey up after Sunday school.”

Scott had doubts—serious doubts—about going to Bess Raymond’s house for Sunday dinner. If she had any ideas about matching him with her niece, she was wasting her time. A lot had happened since high school. He felt hollow inside, and he was not ready to let anyone else get close. His life was much more complicated now than when they’d been kids.

Even if he did want to renew his friendship with Lori, nothing could come of it. She’d be leaving after the café was up and running. He didn’t want Joey to become attached to her, only to be devastated when she left.

He was mad at himself for not thinking of an excuse to get out of going to Sunday dinner, but Miss Raymond had a way of getting people to do what she wanted. Going to a meal at her house was the second thing he really didn’t want to do that day.

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