Lessons From the Heart Read online

  Lessons from

  the Heart

  RACHEL SKATVOLD

  LESSONS FROM THE HEART

  Copyright © 2019 Rachel Skatvold

  ISBN: 9781700734174

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. Published by Rachel Skatvold.

  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations or events is coincidental.

  Editor: Lisa M. Prysock

  Proofreader: Joy Davidson

  Author Photo: Jenny Davidson

  Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-Hill

  For more information on Rachel Skatvold, please visit her website: www.rachelskatvold.com

  Acknowledgements

  First of all, it requires many individuals working behind the scenes to publish a book. I’d like to start off by thanking the Whispers in Wyoming authors writing with me in this amazing series. Danni, Kari and Lisa, Tina, Kit, George and Jo. I’m grateful for your friendship and encouragement.

  A big shout-out to Erin Dameron-Hill for creating the stunning cover art for this book and Lisa M. Prysock for doing a phenomenal editing job. Thanks to my mom, Joy Davidson, for proofreading and my sister, Jenny Davidson for taking my author photo.

  Next, writing wouldn’t be possible without the support of my wonderful family and friends. Thanks for your support and for understanding my reclusive behavior when I need to retreat into my writing cave.

  Last but not least, I saved the best for last. Thank you to my Heavenly Father for giving me the words and message to write. Little did I know as a confused college student who changing majors three times, you were planting the seeds for my future career and knew I would need knowledge for many different subject matters. It felt a lot like wandering, but You were leading me down the right path all along.

  “Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.’”

  Mark 4:8-9

  Chapter One

  At the sound of the lunch bell, Lexie looked up from her desk as students scrambled to put away a few remaining supplies. “Please make sure your paintbrushes are placed upside down in the cup by the sink and your paintings are placed on the drying rack. Have a good lunch break.”

  They did as she asked and then quickly filed out of the room, eager to find a good place in the lunch line. Only one fifth grader remained in the class finishing her project.

  She smiled, watching the girl bite her lip while making another careful brushstroke. “Emma, it’s time to go to lunch. You can finish your painting next week.”

  Emma looked up with wide eyes and put her brush in a cup of water. “Sorry, Miss Donoghue. I didn’t hear the bell.”

  She chuckled softly. “I can tell. You seemed very engrossed in your project.” She looked down at her artwork. “You’re doing a fine job on your portrait of a horse. It almost seems like I could reach out and touch its mane.”

  The girl grinned while cleaning up her area and then taking her painting to the drying rack. “Thank you. I used a picture of my horse, Buttercup. I’m going to put it in my baby brother’s room so he can look at it when he comes home from the hospital.”

  Lexie let out a surprised gasp. “Your mom had her baby? She told me she was due at the end of October during school orientation.”

  Emma’s grin widened. “She had him yesterday morning. We were worried because he came so early, but the doctor said he’s doing just fine. He just has to stay an extra week until his lungs get strong.”

  “That’s good. And how’s your mom?”

  “She’s a little tired, but very happy. So is my dad.”

  “Well, tell them both congratulations for me.”

  “I will.” Emma beamed while returning to retrieve her backpack. “See you next week, Miss Donoghue!”

  She smiled watching the girl run out of the room with her long braid bouncing behind her. Emma was a sweet girl and showed a genuine interest in art, unlike some of the other fifth graders who groaned when she explained the projects they’d be working on throughout the school year. During her first month teaching at the new school, Emma had been one of her most dedicated pupils.

  Lexie busied herself drying the paintbrushes and wiping down tables before washing her hands and taking out her lunch. She didn’t know very many people at the school yet, so she often stayed in the art room instead of going to the teachers’ lounge. It gave her a chance to wind down and plan for the next week as well.

  While eating her turkey sandwich, she tried to think of some objects the students could draw for their upcoming still life assignment. Her eyes shifted toward the window, taking in all the fall colors. It was her favorite time of year—sweater and boot season—and all the leaves covering the ground in an array of colors filled her artist’s heart with joy.

  Lexie clutched the paint palette charm on the chain around her neck as fond memories returned. Her dad always said her auburn hair reminded him of the autumn portrait displayed on their living room wall in Ohio. The maple trees and mums in front of an old white farmhouse had a calming effect on her.

  All at once, Lexie knew exactly what she needed for her students’ still life project.

  Saturday morning, Lexie grabbed a granola bar, left her two-level duplex and drove to the edge of town. Along the way, she admired the scenery of the mountains in the distance and trees displaying their bursts of colorful leaves. Tipton, Wyoming in the autumn took her breath away. The landscape of her hometown seemed dull in comparison. Lexie had already splurged and ordered some canvases online to paint some of the scenery.

  After her GPS led her to the farm and home store, Lexie stepped out and a smile curved on her lips. The large selection of mums adorning the pavement in front of the store in shades of gold, blush, crimson and violet were a welcome sight. Seeing the fifty percent discount sign, she grabbed a cart and started loading it with one of each color.

  She had just selected her last pot when a peculiar sound caught her attention. Lexie let go of the cart handle and looked around until determining the sound came from underneath a wooden pallet holding some flowers. She peaked underneath and found a meowing calico kitten. “Hi there, little one. Where did you come from?”

  The little kitten backed away from her into the shadows beneath the flowers. At the same time, a gust of wind swooshed over the parking lot and Lexie heard the screech of wheels and rattling close by.

  She looked up in time to see her cart full of flowers careening across the parking lot. “No!” she yelled, chasing after it.

  A red truck pulled into a nearby parking spot, right in the path of the cart. Lexie cringed, hearing the loud crash.

  She caught up to her cart and pulled it back so the driver could get out of his truck. “I’m so sorry! The wind blew my cart and it got away from me.”

  The tall cowboy climbed out and closed the driver’s side door to inspect the large dent. “It’s all right, ma’am. This ole’ truck has had worse dents than this one.”

  She shook her head, the blood rushing to her cheeks as she avoided his eyes. “No, sir, please allow me to pay for the damages. I was
distracted by a cat and got careless.”

  “It’s fine, like I said. Don’t worry yourself over it.” He paused for a moment before going on. “Hey, I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? You’re the new art teacher, right?”

  She looked up for the first time, recognizing the man’s handsome face and kind blue eyes. They’d seen each other at the school orientation briefly. “Oh, you’re Mr. Campbell. The gym teacher?”

  The cowboy smiled and tipped his hat. “Tobias Campbell, at your service. Most of my friends just call me Toby.” He reached to shake her hand, but she flinched and backed up a few inches. He studied her face for a moment and then dropped his hand. “You’re not from around these parts, are you, ma’am?”

  She started to relax a little and shook her head. “No. I came here for the teaching position.” His eyes encouraged her to explain further, but she left it at that.

  Toby sighed and hooked his thumb through the edge of his pocket. “So, you said you were distracted by a cat or something?”

  Lexie glanced toward the display of mums and then back at Tobias. “Oh, I almost forgot. There’s a little stray kitten over there meowing who won’t let me get close. Could you help?”

  “I’ve helped catch the little barn cats at my parents’ farm. I can give it a try.”

  A minute later, they were outside the entrance to the store, working together to coax the little creature out from under the shelves. Toby endured a scratch or two before pulling the calico out, who hissed and yowled loudly in protest.

  He studied the kitten for a minute before handing it to her. “Here you go. Looks like a little boy. That’s rare for a calico.”

  Lexie struggled to hold onto the kitten at first, but after a few seconds he stopped struggling and buried his face in the crook of her arm. “Thank you. I never would have caught him by myself.”

  “Yeah, he’s feisty. There’s an animal rescue down the street if you can’t keep him. My sister owns it and I know they’ll find him a good home.”

  Lexie nodded while stroking the kitten’s soft fur. “You know, it’s been a long time since I owned a cat, but I think I could use a little friend at my place.”

  He offered her another kind smile. “Good, I’m glad to hear he has a forever home.”

  Lexie pondered the phrase forever home for a moment while continuing to stroke the kitten in her arms, feeling a kinship with the little animal. It seemed they’d both been searching for something.

  “So, what do you think?” Toby asked.

  Lexie shook her head, clearing the cobwebs from her mind. “I’m sorry, what were you asking?”

  He nodded toward the kitten. “I said, looks like you have your hands full. I could push the cart and help you find supplies for him. What do you think?”

  Lexie considered his offer for a moment, looking down at the kitten and then her full cart of flowers. “Would you mind? I guess I really could use some help. Are you headed somewhere? I don’t want to make you late.”

  Toby shook his head and the twinkle in his blue eyes sent a warm tingle through her guarded heart. “I’m not in a hurry. You’ll find out soon enough, folks around these parts aren’t in as much of a hurry as city folks. We help each other when we can.”

  After thanking him, they spent the next half hour buying cat food, a litterbox, collar and other things for the kitten. Then he walked out and helped her load everything into her car.

  He closed the trunk and leaned against it. “Well, that’s it. Think you can make it from here?”

  She nodded, managing a shy smile. “Yeah, I can manage. Thank you, Mr. Campbell.”

  “Please, call me Toby. By the way, I never heard your first name.”

  “Lexie.” She avoided his gaze and petted the sleeping kitten in her arms. “I’d still like to pay you for the damages to your truck, Toby.”

  He shook his head. “There’s no need, like I said. If you really want to thank me, there is one thing you can do, though.”

  She met his gaze. “What?”

  “Go out to lunch with me on Sunday afternoon?”

  Chapter Two

  Toby watched the auburn-haired beauty before him while she considered his lunch invitation. After a few moments her blue eyes shifted downward as she pursed her lips and stroked the kitten in her arms. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’d much rather just pay for the damages to your truck.”

  “I told you before. There’s no need. Maybe a raincheck then?”

  She nodded while hurrying toward the driver’s-side door and fiddling with the key fob to unlock it. “Maybe some other time. Thanks again.”

  He tipped his hat, puzzled by her sudden rush. “I’ll see ya at school then?”

  “See you.” Lexie ducked into her seat and quickly shut the door.

  He stepped back and waved as she pulled away with her tiny red car packed to capacity with potted plants, pet supplies and a stray kitten. The sight made a chuckle rise up from his throat at her odd behavior. She certainly was a one of a kind young woman.

  After her car drifted from sight, Toby went back into the store to buy several bags of dog, goat and chicken feed. On his way through the checkout line he picked up a bag of licorice as well and then made his purchases.

  Soon, he was back in his truck and headed a few miles outside of town before turning on the gravel road leading to his parents’ farm.

  After passing the large entrance sign hanging from an archway saying, Campbell Farm and Orchards, he saw his teenaged brother, Eli, tending to the pumpkin patches. It had been a rainy season that year, flooding some of their lower fields, but the higher crops were still viable. Toby thanked the Lord for his mercies. Hopefully they would be able to make up the money in apple sales this year.

  After driving through the customer parking lot and unlocking the gate, he continued up the private drive to his parents’ farmhouse. He saw his ten-year-old nephew, Jonah, sitting on the front porch, petting their Border Collie, Maggie. The boy didn’t look up when he parked.

  Toby climbed down from his truck and walked over to the porch, taking a seat beside his nephew. “How’s it going? Have you finished your homework yet?”

  Jonah continued patting the dog. “Yep. All finished.”

  “How’s your mom?”

  “She’s having a bad day. The nurse is in there with her. She said I had to go out for a few minutes.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. He reached over to pat the boy’s shoulder. “Hey, would you mind helping me carry the feed bags into the barn? Afterwards we could go down the pond and do some fishing.”

  Jonah perked up. “Really?”

  He smiled and tilted his head toward the truck. “Yeah. It’s the perfect day for it. Now, let’s get a move on before Grandma comes back to start making dinner.”

  Within a few minutes they had all the feed bags stacked in the barn and Toby rewarded his nephew with the bag of licorice he’d bought. The boy grinned before grabbing one out of the bag and taking a bite.

  He tousled Jonah’s hair. “Now there’s the smile I know. Let’s get the fishing poles.”

  “Thank you for cheering Jonah up today. He was all smiles when he came back from the pond.”

  Toby smiled and squeezed his sister’s hand. “It’s no problem, Cami. I need a break every now and then. Fishing helps me relax.” He paused to study his sister. Her nurse had made her wear a cannula in her nose that afternoon and Toby knew she hated it. “Need anything? Mom’s making meatloaf. I could bring you in a plate.”

  She shook her head. “I had one of those protein shakes earlier. I’m sure I’ll be feeling better tomorrow. Really, there’s no need to worry. It’s just a bad day.”

  He nodded. “Well, get some rest. Pumpkin season’s coming up. You know how much our customers love your apple pie.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t want you trying to bake it for me. You’ll burn down the whole store.”

  “Hey, I’m not that bad of a cook!”

  She raised
an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, you do make a mean bowl of canned chicken noodle soup.”

  He aimed a fake scowl in her direction. “Well, fine. Next time I make some, you won’t get any.”

  She giggled as he got up to leave. “Love you, little brother.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, you too, sis. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He closed the door behind him and made his way down the hallway to his parents’ formal dining room. His father, brother and nephew had already taken their seats at the table when he entered.

  His dad put down his newspaper and furrowed his brow. “Is there something I should know about?”

  Toby took a seat at the table and rubbed his chin. “Not that I recall. What are you suspecting me of?”

  “Oh, nothing. Just curious about that ole’ dent in your truck.”

  Toby struggled to suppress a grin. “Oh, that was a case of shopping cart versus vehicle. No big deal. I’ll have Levi, pop it back into place for me.”

  “A shopping cart? How?”

  Toby chuckled, unable to keep a straight face any longer. “To be more specific, a runaway cart full of flowers with a beautiful red-head chasing after it.”

  The whole room filled with laughter as he tried to explain, drawing his mom into the room. She placed a few last things on the table and put her hands on her hips. “Now, what’s this all about?”

  His dad composed himself. “Oh, your son was attacked by a red-head with a shopping cart.”

  Her eyes filled with confusion and then she looked him over with concern. “What?”

  Toby hugged his mom while trying to stop laughing himself and then motioned toward the table. “Let’s just sit down to pray over the food.”

  She did as he asked and his father said the blessing. Afterwards, he explained everything for the whole family to hear.