Peter Wins Grace

By Beverly D Harris

Peter Hawthorne is a new music professor at the university in his beloved aunt's town. He has been searching for his missing special needs daughter, ever since his ex-wife had Josephine abducted from her preschool. The ex has played a cruel game of keep away for several years, writing letters of where the child has been and never giving a clue of where she can be found. Peter is nearly exhausted in his search and wonders if one more talk with a detective will resolve this problem. He moves into his new job and Auntie Billie's house and finds the house is in desperate need of extreme makeover. Auntie Billie is a self proclaimed matchmaker and wants her neighbor, Grace, to know Peter better than being a good Christian neighbor. Grace Woodward is a widow and she is a teacher and foster mom to special needs children. She has just taken in electively mute Anna, who was rescued from a shabby facility that condoned abuses of special needs kids and adults. One of the abusive caregivers in the facility was Peter's ex-sister-in law and many people in Peter's new church family and his brother's church are praying justice will be done for the helpless kids and adults; that their abusers won't get away to abuse in some other care facility. In an amazing twist of circumstances, Anna reveals to Grace that she is Peter's long lost daughter. When this news breaks Peter and his aunt are suddenly involved in a reunification plan that will test the boundaries of propriety in a Christian romance. Little did Peter's minister brother know that the reunion plan would put his brother in the same household as widowed Grace and will make the romance bloom even faster for this pair of new best friends. They are blessed to be on the same page spiritually and about raising special needs children. Auntie Billie gloats a little about matching these loving people to make a forever family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beverly D Harris
• Release date: Jun 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310253942

Beverly D Harris

Beverly D. Harris is a writer and musician. She plays clarinet and bass clarinet in her church and two concert bands. She also plays theatre organ for fun and has been a teacher, raptor handler and was caregiver for her disabled Mom. She enjoys reading many genres of books, gardening, painting, needle crafts, origami, stamp collecting, mineral collecting, collecting vintage Fisher Price toys, photography,playing instruments in groups and jamming with friends. Bev lives in Sacramento, California with her mischievious cat.

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Peter Wins Grace

By Beverly D. Harris

Copyright 2016 by Beverly D. Harris

Smashwords Edition

This eBook is licensed to you for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction and the environs of Rosedale, Fruitvale and Hillman Lake are a fictional locale set somewhere in Northern California. References to other cities are real.

For parents and caregivers of special needs children and especially for those who are newly minted forever families with a special needs child. It takes faithful people to be blessed with loving and caring for God’s special children.

Peter Hawthorne is a new music professor at the university in his beloved aunt’s town. He has been searching for his missing special needs daughter; ever since his ex-wife had Josephine abducted from her preschool and has played a cruel game of keep away for several years. The ex has sent taunting letters about where their daughter has been and Peter is nearly exhausted in his search. He moves into his new job and Auntie Billie’s house and finds the house is in desperate need of extreme makeover. Auntie Billie is a self proclaimed matchmaker and wants her neighbor, Grace, to know Peter better than being a good Christian neighbor. Grace Woodward is a widowed teacher and foster mom to special needs children and has just taken in electively mute Anna, who was rescued from a shabby facility that condoned abuses of special needs kids and adults. One of the abusive caregivers was Peter’s ex and many people in Peter’s new church family and his brother’s church are praying justice will be done for the helpless kids and adults; that their abusers won’t get away to abuse in some other care facility. In an amazing twist of circumstances, Anna reveals to Grace that she is Peter’s long lost daughter. When this news breaks, Peter and his aunt are suddenly involved in a reunification plan that will test boundaries of Christian propriety. Little did Peter’s pastor brother know that the reunion plan would put his single brother in the same household as widowed Grace and will make romance bloom fast for this couple of new best friends. They are on the same page spiritually about raising special needs children and Auntie Billie gloats about matching these loving people to make a forever family.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Auntie Billie

Chapter 2—New Car

Chapter3SolvingProblems

Chapter 4—Meeting Peter

Chapter 5—Fostering Anna

Chapter 6—Friendship Gate

Chapter 7—Passing Notes

Chapter 8—Mr. Melody & Captain Grace

Chapter 9—Piano Tuning

Chapter 10—Breakthroughs

Chapter 11—Anna’s Recognition

Chapter12—Reunification Plan

Chapter 13—Grace & The Hawthornes

Chapter 14—Talking All Night

Chapter 15—Theatre Jam Session

Chapter 16—Gingertree School

Chapter 17—Church Family Orchestra

Chapter 18—Helping The Teacher

Chapter 19—Joesphine’s Toys

Chapter 20—Morning Calls

Chapter 21—Beautiful Cats

Chapter 22—Peter Fixes Laundry

Chapter 23—Painting Place

Chapter 24—Going Steady

Chapter 25—Praying For Justice

Chapter 26—Saying Our Girl

Chapter 27—Pastoral Chat

Chapter 28—Joy Of Easter

Chapter 29—Wedding Plans

Chapter 30—Wedding Stars

Chapter 31—Stage Party

Chapter 32—Forever Family

About The Author

Author’s Note

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1—Auntie Billie

Grace Woodward watched her feisty elderly neighbor lady putter around the adjacent yard and smiled when she saw Billie Silverstock throw a trowel of dog dirt to the hippies’ yard. She didn’t appreciate finding doggie landmines either. Complaining to the owners didn’t do any good. The mangy dogs still came over or under their fences. Grace was afraid those mutts would attack her or Billie.

Several minutes later she saw her beloved neighbor open the friendship gate. She hurried to the patio door. Auntie Billie, I just finished making some iced tea and I have a plate of cookies. I was about to water houseplants. She waited for her friend to leave her muddy yard clogs on the stoop then step into the house in stocking feet. Where did you get the cat socks?

Dearie, I found those at Sock City. I just fetched my mail and Peter’s letter has some good news for once. He got the music teaching job at the university and he wants to live with me and fix up the house. He’s going to be 41 really soon and I wish he would find a soul mate instead of being so alone. Billie plopped on one of the kitchen chairs and reached for some tissues to polish raindrops off her glasses.

Grace had heard so much about Billie’s nephew that she felt like she already knew him. Her friend worried a lot about Peter being alone. Her friend worried in the same way about her. Billie had tried to match her up with a couple eligible bachelors but they had not worked to be more than friends and none of them were on the same page spiritually. They hadn’t understood her dedication to her special needs students and their families.

She sighed then softly said, That’s great news for the day after New Years. According to Billie, Peter shared a lot of her spiritual values. She pushed the tissue box closer to her friend and scooped up her pile of reports and made a neat stack of the pages.

Billie grabbed a tissue and breathed, I’ve been praying for him to put all his sorrows behind him. I’ve also been praying he can put his bitterness aside and find a soul mate. He’s been alone too long. She got up to examine Grace’s windowsill full of houseplants, then took a couple of pots to the sink and watered them while she said, His church hasn’t been supportive of his search for his missing daughter. You know Josephine disappeared five years ago. She made a face while she picked dead leaves off a plant and mumbled, I already told you that story.

Grace put her papers on the counter while she said, There is a very thick binder in the teacher’s room that all of us look at each time a new child is enrolled in the school. You’ve been giving me flyers about Josephine and I have put them in there. I finally finished reports on all my students. That jade plant you gave me when I was a student teacher has gotten so big. The jade you’re watering and wiping dust off from is one of the babies.

That the mutts knocked off the mother plant before you moved the pot out to your front porch. Billie looked over the top of her glasses and pinched off some wilted African violet leaves.

Grace put her reports in her briefcase and parked it on the front room’s couch. She brought two plants from the front room’s sill and parked them on the kitchen counter. One of the kids ripped most of the leaves off this red and white plant. I’m glad new leaves have taken their place since I brought this home. I have a bunch of things the kids have planted in milk cartons and cheese tubs. They understand those plants better than these delicate plants that so easily shed leaves when someone brushes against them. The kids leave the classroom jade plant alone. I think the leaf ripping child has finally learned to respect indoor plants. She still has a thing about tearing leaves off the outdoor plants.

Billie returned some pots to the dinette windowsill and said, I saw the blooms your big jade is making. Your front porch is a good location for succulents. I should give you some more of mine. I’ll have to move all the outdoor pots when Peter starts giving the house extreme makeover. She put the dried up leaves and other clippings in the kitchen wastebasket then asked, Have you heard any more about the children who were rescued from Riverglenn?

Grace filled a couple of glasses with tea and set the plate of cookies on the table. Auntie, just before you came over, I got a call from Joel Fisher. I may be getting a little girl soon. I have a whole closet full of clothes I could donate to your church. I sorted my wardrobe and filled a few boxes with things that don’t fit anymore. I also have a few bags of clothes from my classroom that need to be exchanged to fit my current students.

Billie finished watering the dining room’s plants then settled at the table and stirred in three spoonfuls of sugar before she tasted her tea. I have a few bags of things to give to the clothes closet. That was so shameful of Riverglenn charging families extortionist fees for very poor care. She picked up her glass and studied the oriole painted on the side then took a sip. Too bad care facilities for the disabled can’t be like Gingerbread Village or Rainbow Ranch. They sure showed a bunch of old farts that it was possible to provide affordable care and do it with such compassion. I never thought disabled children or adults were so defective that they couldn’t be taught anything. I’ll never forget the fiddling around when I started teaching in the 50’s. It was little more than babysitting. I was so surprised when the head of the university ed department came to see my methods. A year later I was astonished to be asked to teach university level courses on classroom management and lesson plans.

Grace leaned an elbow on the table and softly said, You wrote the first really useful textbook with a few other revolutionary educators who proved mentally challenged kids could be educated. You were such an inspiration when I was getting my teaching credentials. Billie dear, you have been such an encourager. Because of you, some of your first students are able to have jobs. It’s so sad there are some parents who don’t see what a blessing they have when God gives them a disabled child. She nibbled one of the cookies while Billie talked.

Peter felt blessed about having Josephine even though she was born with Downs. Sharon rejected the child and one time I heard Sharon mouthing off that disabled kids should be put away so they wouldn’t contaminate the rest of us. She got her sister and a few others to follow her lead about making Peter and Josephine miserable until that sweet child disappeared.

Grace wrinkled her nose then said, I guess I told you about Hurricane Dorothy being nasty about a mother with a disabled child at church. Then I heard her daughter making the same sorts of nasty comments to another mother with a disabled child in the restroom and I seriously wanted to tell her off.

Billie reached across the table and stroked one of Grace’s hands while she said, Oh, that sounds so typical of anyone named Wells. She let go of Grace’s hands and leaned back in her chair.

Grace took a couple sips of tea then solemnly said, Auntie Billie, I’m coming to your church from now on. You have been such an aunt in Christ to me. The only ones who will miss me are Ruth White and Rosie Fox. You know, they only stay because they love the old Wurlitzer and they are marking time until there is a serious regime change. I want more of the richness of discipleship like you enjoy. I want the fellowship too. Ever since Gene and Evan were killed in that stupid auto accident seven years ago, I have become invisible to most people in the church.

She made a wry face then asked, Has Peter played some interesting organs lately? You had told me about getting some CDs of him playing.

Billie drew a pair of CDs out of her skirt pocket and said, This first organ is in the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Peter printed some wonderful pictures of the theatre in this booklet. This second fine organ is in the Avalon Theatre on Santa Catalina Island. He has a friend who flies him over to the island on a vintage seaplane twice a month to play. She let Grace examine the CD booklets and got up to fuss with some more of her friend’s houseplants.

Grace said, These song lists look interesting.

Dearie, you may keep these. Peter always sends me two of everything because he knows I share. Jim and I have bought several dozen drawing tickets from Coleman Organ & Piano and Peter might have a good chance to win a state of the art Allen theatre organ. He has such sorrows of an ugly empty house, a drunken pastor and prejudiced church. This letter says he has served notice on his job and he’s found a buyer for the house. He has told me that he will have to make a decision between joining his brother’s church or joining my church. He says a lot could depend on which church orchestra he likes the best. You are the first one to know all this about Peter trading sorrows for joy.

It’s still tough, having to move. Grace finished eating a flower shaped cookie and firmly put the lid on the tin. I considered moving a few years ago. Then I thought of all the plants I’d have to move and giving up the wonderful cabinets and things Gene built. I’m glad the bad neighbors next door left. I like the Finleys and the way they are cleaning up the yard and fixing up their place. I’m glad there are a couple of friendly new neighbors across the street. She sighed heavily then said, I also decided to stay because you are my best neighbor and I would miss going back and forth like we’ve enjoyed.

Billie reached over to caress Grace’s cheek then got up to rinse their cups and put the cookie tin back in the cupboard while she said, We have seen so many people come and go in the last several years. I finished cleaning out the master bedroom for Peter and I have moved into the guest room. I still have a ways to go to clean out my studio, the living room, family room and dining room. I know my kitchen is a mess, but by the time Peter gets here, I ought to be ready for him.

She sat down and held the soft hands of her younger friend and said, Dearie Gracie, I’ve been praying about this for a long time. I’m going to give the truck to Peter. I’ve decided to buy a sedan, for the times we will need more than one vehicle.

What kind of car do you think Peter would want?

I saw a gorgeous Buick when Jimmy took me over to Warburtons. The car is just a couple years old and has low mileage. I picked the dark red with white pin stripes. I almost dropped my glasses when I found I could get the car for less than 15 thousand. That includes the alarm system, clear coat and a certificate for a set of premium tires. There’s a lovely royal blue Impala with spoiler. That car already has the alarm system and all the other goodies. You said you are getting tired of that great white gas shark you have. Billie shook cookie crumbs into the wastebasket while she said, Jimmy is taking me to fetch the Buick later this afternoon. Peter will need my old truck to move here. He has a terrible Ford station wagon that is always letting him down.

Grace pushed away from the table and said, You may follow me around while I water houseplants.

Billie got up to follow her younger friend to the family room and picked up a couple of plant pots from the top of the TV set. I gave you these violets. Yours look so thrifty.

They like this northern light. I have the others on the bedroom sills. Grace led Billie to one of the bedrooms and picked up two pots of African violets, waited for Billie to pick up the other two pots and walked to the front bathroom.

Billie pinched off wilted leaves while Grace fetched more houseplants from various windowsills and parked them on the bathroom counter.

Auntie, I have time this afternoon to help you sort things. You have told me so much about Peter and he sounds like he will be a great companion for you. I have worried about you being so alone in that house. Grace watched her friend take some plants into the bathroom then turned to tidy a pile of clothes she had thrown on her bed.

Billie had been worrying about her being alone and she felt she ought to give Billie a chance to match her up with Peter…If Peter was willing to be matched up. It sounded like the guy had more than his share of emotional baggage to haul around. He was searching for a missing daughter. Each time she had sat in the teacher’s lounge to thumb through that binder of missing kids she’d tried to imagine what it was like for grieving parents having no way of knowing where their missing children were and what their conditions were. She imagined meeting Peter and hearing firsthand what it was like to worry about a missing daughter. She already knew the awful hole in her life after her son and husband had died. At least she had closure and finality about her losses. Peter didn’t have any closure. He had an endless tunnel dragging along with him. She put the last item of clothing on a hanger and put it in her closet then heard her friend softly knock on the door jamb. She smiled a little when Billie gently set a fern back on its stand by one of the windows.

Gracie, you’re such a good organizer. I love that you want to help me sort out all my junk and make my house more presentable for Peter. You could come with me and Jimmy when I fetch the car. Then we could come back and work on my kitchen. I never dreamed that George would go down so fast with cancer and didn’t get a chance to see his plans come to life. Peter has looked at the plans and says those things are what he wants in a house. Billie took plants back to their places then hunted for more plants to fuss with.

Grace straightened things on her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. She changed to the jeans and chambray shirt she’d worn the day before. She combed her long auburn hair and pulled it back with one of her hand painted hair clips. She found Billie in the laundry room stuffing some clothes in the washer. You don’t have to do that. She dumped some clothes on one of the piles while her friend put some plants back on the windowsill.

I watered the plants on this sill and saw you had all these piles. I need to get some drain buster while we’re out. Billie set the controls for the washer and gave Grace a cheeky smile.

I have half a jug of drain dynamite right here under the sink. Grace fetched the jug from under the kitchen sink and hiked toward the patio door.

Billie followed Grace to the patio and waited for her friend to slip her feet out of her loafers and slide on blue garden clogs. I’m sorry my backyard is so soggy. I was blaming it on all the rain, but now I wonder if I have a problem with the plumbing.

Grace wrinkled her nose when she felt raindrops plop on her head. She held onto her loafers and raced Billie across their gardens.

Chapter 2—New Car

Grace left her clogs on some newspapers by Billie’s patio door and slipped her feet into her loafers while she said, I got the name of an honest plumber from Joel. She took a business card out of her pocket and firmly tacked it on Billie’s pinup board.

Thanks. The dude who came last time wanted to sell me an expensive jug of stuff for the sinks. He wanted to sell me another 98 buck bottle of stuff to put down the bathroom drains. Billie led Grace to the kitchen and watched her friend pour drain cleaner into the sink.

I had the same problem with a know-it-all plumber. Was your dude a black guy with very yellow and crooked teeth? Grace cleared the dining table of old newspapers and put them in the recycle bin.

Billie grumbled, Yeah. He didn’t just give me a line of baloney about his chemicals; I don’t think he fixed the master bath toilet properly. The commode tips when I haul up from it. It still leaks around the pedestal and now it leaks where the supply line connects to the tank. I tried to turn the shut off valve and it still leaks. The wall behind the toilet feels spongy, like I might push through and have a hole to the yard. I think he broke it, hoping I’d call him back. Peter and I will have to get new toilets and we may have to replace the sewer line.

She led Grace to a pile of papers and books then said, I feel so dumb about fixing things. I’m glad Warburton’s mechanics are good about explaining things to me so I really understand my vehicle better than most women my age. She handed Grace a box and said, These books are for the SPCA yard sale. The stack under the table is for the church yard sale.

Grace fetched a marker from the mug on the counter while Billie said, Peter will appreciate the shelf space in the family room. I think his recording library will stuff the family room cabinets. He also has a very large library of music books.

Grace finished marking the boxes for the church and SPCA while she said, You told me he has a considerable library of railroad, music, arts, science and nature books. I’ve given him a lot of those books. He taught his daughter to love books. Sharon didn’t seem to appreciate books, even though she was a science professor.

Grace and Billie had most of the books in the dining room packed and the boxes labeled by the time Jim Hawthorne came to pick up Billie and Grace for the visit to the car dealer. Grace was surprised when she saw the blue Impala with a red tag listing the car at $13,888. She walked around the car and longingly stroked the emblems. She had been admiring the car for several months and thought she wouldn’t be able to afford it, even though it was a gently used car and far cheaper than a brand new car. She desperately needed something better than the great white gas guzzler Lincoln Town Car.

A salesman watched Grace examine all the Impalas in the row and stroke the blue one. He sidled over and softly asked, Ma’am, would you like to do a test drive?

I’d like that, very much.

Let me get the keys. You may follow me, rather than stand out here in the rain. My name is Ken Beaverton. I saw you come in with that great lady and her nephew.

I’ve been thinking about a newer car for several months. I have a Lincoln Town Car. It drives like a tank and gets terrible mileage.

How old is the car?

It’s almost 12 years old. I used to have a nice 1969 Impala. I loved that car, even though it was the oldest vehicle in the faculty parking lot.

You used to bring that great car in for service. What happened to it? Ken held the show room door open for Grace.

It was stolen a year ago and wrecked. Then I inherited the Lincoln from my aunt. The insurance only gave me 150 dollars. That money helped buy a new set of tires for Sharkie. Grace waited at Ken’s office while he went to find the key. One of the other teachers on the faculty had a silver Impala. She’d felt blessed by being allowed to drive the car a few times and wished she could have a reliable car like it. She’d been shown all of its special features and had enjoyed listening to all kinds of music on the car’s awesome stereo system. She sat in one of the guest chairs and heard Billie and Jim talking in the adjacent office. She smiled when Ken returned with the key and a handful of CDs.

I find customers appreciate being able to hear how the stereo sounds during a test drive. I have gospel, jazz, symphonics, rock, country and a couple kinds of organ music. Ken smiled when Grace said she liked theatre organ.

Grace picked up her umbrella on the way out the door.

Ken handed the CDs to Grace and unlocked the blue beauty. Let me take you to the parking circle, then you may drive.

Grace walked around to the passenger side of the car, settled in the bucket seat and fastened the seatbelt. One thing she’d noticed about her friend’s car was how well the seatbelts fit, instead of sawing her neck. She enjoyed the test drive and made a happy sigh when Ken directed her to park in the parking circle. I really like this car. How much could I get for the Town Car as a turn in?

I could look that up for you. Ken watched the auburn haired lady eject the CD and carefully put it back in its case.

Grace took a deep breath and slowly got out of the car. This would be the first time she’d bought a car on her own. Her first car had been her parents’ second best truck that they’d sent her to college with. Then she’d gotten married and her husband had given her that lovely old Impala. Then, when she desperately needed a car, she’d inherited that Lincoln from her maiden aunt. She followed Ken back to his office and gave him the information about the old car and smiled when she could expect a fair turn in price. She softly said, It is very unusual to get a car for this cool price. I almost can’t believe I can actually afford to buy this great car.

Mrs. Woodward, red tags give very pleasant surprises. Your new ride has a new set of premium tires, the clear coat, security system and the extended care package. My sister snagged a sweet deal last week. The lady in the adjacent office is getting a nice car. It will be very different for her to drive a sedan instead of a truck. She’s going to enjoy that Buick. My uncle was very happy to get a rental fleet of used cars for our red tag sale inventory. Those vehicles are gently used, and most were non-smokers, and we can afford to give those cars premium tires and the other new car accessories. How would you like to pay for this? Would you like to take your new car home tonight?

They talked about the payment plan and she whipped out her checkbook. That home improvement loan she’d gotten from the credit union was going to go a long way on fixing stuff at her house and getting a good car, just like the loan lady had advised. Grace took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap. I feel I ought to fetch the old car and let you examine it.

I’ll put a sold tag on your car. I’ll be here until closing time.

Excellent. Grace shook hands with her salesman and said, Thanks so much for making this a pleasant experience. She picked up her umbrella and purse and suddenly felt as light as the red and silver mylar balloons wafting around the showroom. She met Billie and Jim near the Corvette display and softly said, I bought the blue Impala. I need to clear out Sharkie and bring it here.

Billie and Jim congratulated her about choosing a better car. Billie said, I’m sure Peter is going to love the car I picked out. I never dreamed red tag sales would be so easy to handle. She led Grace to the maroon Buick and spoke again when Grace was buckled in. I have a few things I never had on the truck. I never imagined having a CD player, alarm system and extended service warranty. I’m glad to know this car has premium tires. I had sticker shock when I bought new truck tires a few months ago.

I had some awful tires when I got Sharkie. I had a terrible drive from Fresno. I went to the tire place the next day and got a decent set of tires. The tire guy was surprised I didn’t have a wreck.

"Dearie, I remember that. A couple of your tires were bald and had big bubbles