Jodie's Song

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Book: Read Jodie's Song for Free Online
Authors: Marianne Evans
Tags: Christian fiction
on two moping kids who resented having to leave behind everything familiar. Then, there was her dad. He had insisted on helping, but ended up frustrated by his lack of energy and stamina, and had spent most of his time on the couch, watching the proceedings with a dejected, defeated air that broke Jodie’s heart. She’d found herself directly in the middle when Tracee complained about their father’s argumentative attitude and the battles she faced moving away from Angel Falls.
    “Why do I get the feeling you’re hedging?”
    Kevin’s question brought her back around. “Probably because I’m hedging.”
    His short, quiet chuckle rumbled into the air and tingled against her skin. “C’mon. Tell me what happened.”
    Jodie carefully worked more plants into place. “Everyone is pretty keyed up about the move, and I’m trying to be the glue that holds everything together. Like I alluded to just a bit ago, it didn’t help matters any that Dad insisted on being there and helping. He ended up overdoing it, then he got frustrated and started lashing out, making some very opinionated suggestions about how to pack and how to handle moody kids. That’s when an episode of grandkid diversion played out on the rear patio of Tracee’s home with my dad watching the kids romp and frolic on a slip-and-slide.”
    “Good way to cheer him up.”
    Jodie made a sound of agreement. “I understand where his pain comes from. Still, it hurts.” Birds swirled and cawed through the cloudless sky. “He didn’t used to be that way. He’s always been our rock. We’ve always relied on him, but his days of being strong and in charge are slowly coming to an end. It’s scary to watch. I worry about him.”
    “I understand.” Kevin laid soil, smoothed the ground. “Believe me, my uncle wants to be right here with us, seeing to every detail of the complex. The more Viv and I urge him to rest, the more determined he becomes to do just the opposite.”
    “Is it the breathing, or is it his heart?”
    “One set of issues affects the other, actually. It’s both.” Kevin shrugged; he resumed working but stopped after just a few more till strokes. “Know what?” He wiped a gloved hand across his damp forehead, slicking away beads of perspiration. “Part of me likes seeing him put on the battle armor and fight, but…”
    He stopped short and Jodie found herself wishing his sunglasses didn’t mask his eyes. She rested a hand against his forearm. Warmth and solid muscle met her touch. “But what?”
    “He just can’t keep up with the physical aspects of running this place any more. Viv and I have been trying to assume more of the responsibility without stepping on his pride, but Uncle Andy is a smart guy. He knows the score. It seems to me like he’s barking and pushing to be sure everything is in order in case he can’t do it anymore.”
    Jodie’s heart twisted. A connection flowed. Using a gentle touch, she pressed the roots of a vibrant purple hyacinth into the empty hole she had just dug.
    “That sounds familiar.” She halted her gardening for a moment in order to watch him. Dark brown hair shone beneath the sun; his arm muscles bunched and flowed as he worked, unaware of her study.
    “Kevin…” She hesitated but pushed on despite her tendency to back away. “Do you ever feel like you’re empty inside? Like no matter what you do, what you try, where you go, what you say, nothing changes, and everything in your life leaves you drained and feeling a bit…I don’t know…ineffective?”
    He didn’t break stride. “Yep. Especially lately. In spite of everything I’m trying to do, I sense what’s coming. I dread the day Uncle Andy can’t maintain this place the way he wants. His soul is tied to Heart’s Haven. I guess spring couldn’t have come at a better time, because nothing cures my anxieties like working the ground.” Jodie continued to lean on her heels for a moment. Her silence almost immediately snared his

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