BooksBarbecue
Back Promises of Change
Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Everyone loves the ladies of Covington!
  3. Also by Joan Medlicott
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. Discussion Questions

Hannah smiled but did not stir or open her eyes, and Grace tiptoed from the room.

20

Exploring the Mountain

His father did not trust him. The idea that someone needed to accompany him, to clear a path up the hillside, angered Zachary. Well, he would show them all. His long stride soon outpaced Jose’s cousin, Fortino, and within half an hour the man lost sight of Zachary. Confused and upset, he scrambled down to Bella’s Park to report to Señor Max the impossibility of keeping up with Señor Zachary.

“He go like an hombre on fire,” Fortino said.

Max sighed. He should have expected this from his irascible son. “Don’t worry about it.” Max patted Fortino on the back. “Go on back to the dairy and help Jose.”

Max found Hannah in the rose garden. “Zachary can’t cooperate in anything.”

She dropped her hand clippers into a basket and motioned him to a nearby bench. “What’s he done now?”

“Took off at a tear so Fortino couldn’t keep up. They hadn’t gone four hundred yards when Fortino lost sight of Zachary.”

“Zachary’s had lots of experience, hasn’t he? Isn’t that what he said?”

“That’s what I thought he said.”

“But you’re not sure?”

He shrugged. “If he’s hiked in the Himalayas, this hillside of ours ought to be a snap, wouldn’t you think?” Max looked away. “Sometimes, though, I wish he’d get lost permanently.”

With a guide, she thought—Zachary had always hiked with a guide—but she did not say that to Max. “I thought since the baby came you two were getting on better.”

“One minute I think so too, and the next minute he’s cold and withdrawn, and I feel shut out,” Max said.

“He’s having a hard time. He’ll be all right after a while. He’s a thousand times more affectionate with Sarina, and he certainly loves that baby,” Hannah replied.

“It’s too complicated for me. I never understood him and I don’t now.”

“We don’t have to understand our kids in order to love or accept them. Wait and see what he comes back and reports.”

“I’m not sure I’ll believe whatever he says.” Max stood. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I expect a call from the guy in Georgia about the dairy. I think we have a deal.”

Hannah sat for a time wondering how this alienation between father and son had begun and how or if it could be healed.

Unconcerned about the man he had outpaced, Zachary climbed higher, and with every step his exhilaration increased. He loved solitude and the quiet of the forest, yet longed to tear out twenty acres of trees and replace them with roads and houses. Rental income would free him to travel, to live the unfettered lifestyle he desired.