Cameo

By Penelope S. Hession

A must read story of an older couple, widow and widower, moral and faithful to their beliefs, finding a new relationship with each other and with God. Diverse life experiences act as the catalyst to fuel their relationship and sometimes result in deep soul searching and conflict.
A recently retired military career officer, the man finds himself at odds with his faith experience and the woman. She, also retired, exhibit the needs and desires of a woman in love and the conflicts of their differing Christian faith prospectives. Can such a sensuous and passionate new love, like a teens first love, blossom into a mature life companionship?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781329697829

Book preview

Cameo

Cameo

Penelope S. Hession

Copyright 2016

Penelope S. Hession

This story is a work of fiction.  All characters and events are a product of the author’s imagination.  All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

The author can be reached at:

[e-mail]

Cover & Photo: PJH

Noisseh Books eBook ISBN: 978-329-69782

Cover design: PJH

This book is dedicated to

Jesus Christ, my healer, who miraculously restored my eyesight when I was going blind.

Jesus said:

This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not

hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy

Of Isaiah:

" ‘You will be ever hearing but

never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but

never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has

become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with

their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’

Matthew 6:13-15, NIV

And personal thanks to the following:

Shirley

Sabrina

Patrick

Friends and encouragers extraordinary!

CONTENTS

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

About the Penelope

Chapter1

Leslie had just filled her paintbrush with paint when the phone rang.  For an instant, she hesitated thinking the call could rollover to the answering machine.  Signing, she propped the brush on the edge of the water pan.  Hello? she said to the hurriedly picked up phone as she watched the paintbrush roll off the precarious perch and fall onto the paint table.

Leslie? the male voice hesitantly asked.

Yes? she racked her brain for the very distant familiarity to the voice that jumped into her mind.

This is Andy, we worked on a project together, your husband and I, several years ago.

Immediately the voice and an image in her mind connected.  The one... she remembered instantly.  It was like yesterday even still in her mind.

I hope you don't mind me calling you, the voice interrupted her thoughts.

Of course not, Andy.

Would you go out to dinner with me, the male voice continued, "you and your husband?

He passed away last year, she responded.

On the other end of the line, Andy nodded to himself.  So that is why you had me look her up, God.  I am sorry to hear that, he almost didn't trust his voice to answer.

Is your wife with you?  A normal question, Leslie thought.

No, the man's voice seemed choked with emotion.  That is why I called.

Leslie waited and wondered if the person on the other end of the phone had hung up.

Truthfully, I am sitting outside your house in the driveway.

Leslie glanced through the lace curtains and could see a small SUV in the drive.

For heaven's shake, come up on the porch.  I will open the door to you, my friend.  Leslie like the sound of the words 'my friend' for Andy had been an intense friend during the event they had both served on.

Dinner out? Andy tried again to make his voice sound normal.

We will talk about it face-to-face, Leslie replied as she saw the familiar man climb out of his car with his cell phone still at his ear.  Good heavens! Leslie thought to herself.  What am I doing inviting a man into my home without proper identity.  She remembered reading the literature at the Senior Center cautioning all the elderly, especially those who live alone on opening their doors to strangers.  But Andy isn't a stranger, she protested to herself.

The doorbell rang as Leslie step quickly into the bathroom to inspect her face and wash some of the paint off her hands.  The landscape picture she had been painting would just have to wait.

The two stood and looked at each other in the doorway.  She had aged, but then so had he.  He still seemed to have a very commanding aura about him, and the hint of authority that she had observed when she had worked with him.

I am sorry to bother you, he said not believing

his own words.  He saw the paint splatter shirt she was wearing over her other clothing. Maybe this is not a convenient time for you.

Come in, she said softly before looking down at her paint shirt.  She hurriedly tried to take it off.  I was working on a painting.

Obviously, he answered as he helped her slip the awkward oversized paint shirt off.

Leslie was scolding herself for taking this ten-day trip.  Since Andy had shown up at her door so unexpected a couple of weeks ago, she had found herself totally enamored with everything he did or said.  Just like a teenage schoolgirl, she thought.  And now, she had traveled through several states on this trip with him.  He had been the gentleman at all times, very kind, caring and solicitous with her.  They had spent last night at a beautiful inn, in separate rooms, she noted to herself.  They were now nearing their destination, a visit with his elderly parents.  A sigh escaped her lips.

Bored? the now very familiar voice asked from the driver's side of the car.

No, just thinking.

Good or bad thinking? he replied quickly, almost too quickly.

She looked over at him and saw the question mark in his eyes.  She shook her head for she didn't trust herself to voice her current feelings.

We will be there, soon, he didn't seem concerned with her silence.  Suddenly he put on his turn signal and began braking. 

Problem? she asked.

Almost missed the turnoff, he responded as they moved down the exit ramp to a secondary road.  "I

guess I haven't driven it enough to be aware of the scenery that I used to notice as a young man.  And of course, the super highway cuts through so much faster

than the older routes."

Leslie noted the pastures and barns that appeared with regularity now that they were off the big highway.  She started to ask him a question about how he ever got into the business he was in having grown up in the agricultural heartland but she didn't.  He had made it clear that he didn't want to talk about his line of work.

Another flip of the turn signal proceeded their turn into a long lane.  He apologized for the bumps and jolts as he maneuvered the SUV to the lone house.  Parking on the grass under a shade tree close to the house, he barely got the engine turned off when the front door popped open and an old man ventured out followed by an equally old woman using a walker.  Last to appear was a younger woman, their healthcare aide. Andy's parents waited expectantly on the porch as Andy assisted Leslie out of the car.

Andy bound up the two steps and was enveloped in his father's arms as the two men hugged and patted each other on the back.  Breaking away, Andy tuned to his mother, guiding her carefully to a waiting chair.  Leslie stood where he had left her, beside the car.  After a few words and a mother's caress, Andy broke away and returned to Leslie's side and escorted her up the steps.  

Mother and Dad, my friend, Leslie. 

For most of the time they spent at his parent's house, Andy devoted himself to his mother and father.  Leslie spent one of the days with his second cousin where she had been invited to sleep during the visit.  Noting the presence of many different churches as Margaret was playing hostess and local chamber of commerce one afternoon, Leslie asked, Are there any Catholic Churches in this part of the country?

Margaret laughed.  "Right along beside the 'old order' ones out in the country.  Who ever built it, the

Catholic Church, had great expectations.  It has

spectacular stained glass windows and you can see the

church steeple for miles.  Would you like to go see them?"

If it is out of the way, Leslie began to say.