Bountiful Harvest

  Bountiful Harvest

  By Darlene Tallman

  Frank Jameson heeds that still small voice when it says “Feed Them”, relocating to an impoverished area in the Appalachian foothills. He, along with his Christian MC, the Redeemed Brotherhood MC, set about building something the community can get involved with and be proud of – the Community Market – where bartering is everyone’s friend.

  But he’s alone. A widower with two college-aged daughters, he never expected to find love in the form of the lovely widow who owns and operates the local salon.

  With God leading his every step, will he find his forever love in Dorrie?

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. /react-text

  All rights reserved. Bountiful Harvest

  Copyright 2016 © Darlene Tallman Published by: Darlene Tallman

  Editor: Emily Kirkpatrick

  Cover by Lori Birkett

  Canstock®

  The character of “Edna” and “The Diner” are owned by Barbi Barnard, who hereby give to, loan to, and to borrow, to Darlene Tallman for the purpose of a story line in her novel Bountiful Harvest. These characters and their characteristics are mine and will be used in my own story line at a later date. This is a temporary loan and in no way gives away my rights to them.

  Barbi Barnard

  barbibarnard@ymail.com

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from Darlene Tallman, the author / publisher.

  Acknowledgements

  I can honestly say that being a writer was always a dream of mine. Finding the indie community two years ago through a chance sponsored ad on Facebook had me seeking out other authors and still more authors, and falling in love with the worlds they created. This book literally came from a dream – I woke up one morning with the prologue on the tips of my fingers and before I even got out of bed, I had it on a word document. Wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it, but the thoughts were there. That was a year ago and in the past two months, I’ve returned to Jessup and Frank and Dorrie’s story. Mostly, due to the encouragement I got from my SOS girls (and perhaps the threat of banishment and no more books from a fave author if I didn’t “go write!”).

  I couldn’t have written this book without the help and encouragement of Lori, Barbi, Fran, Pam, Joanne, Kat, Emily, Mel and Melanie, who read my snippets and kept saying “go write!” Erin, Kayce, Katrina and Sonia also cheered me on. Sometimes through scary memes placed on my FB wall, sometimes through private messages or phone calls.

  I know I’ll end up leaving someone out and that’s not my intention whatsoever. So if you rooted for me to get it done, thank you. If you’re still on the fence about following a dream, let me remind you that you’re never too old to dream a new dream. Ever. I hope you like Frank and Dorrie and their families; so many pieces of the people I love are woven into them!

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my mom, who was my number one cheerleader while she was alive and who is surely peering down through a window in Heaven to see that her girl pursued her dream. And for my dad, who gave me my love and passion for reading.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Epilogue

  About

  Prologue

  “Feed them” He woke up with that simple but evocative phrase rolling in his spirit. Feed them? Feed who? Feed them what? He wasn’t a farmer. He was a middle-aged retired businessman who rode with his local Christian motorcycle club that did a lot of community work. Maybe that was it – he was supposed to feed someone in the community? He knew if he prayed the answers would be revealed, they always were.

  Looking over at the clock, he decided to go ahead and get up and start his day. Years of rising early were so ingrained in him that even now, at forty, he maintained the habit. Only now, instead of rushing off to a high-pressured, high-paying job, he spent time in the Word and in prayer before showering and heading into town for his breakfast.

  ***

  “Morning Frank! Usual?” he heard called out as he entered Johnny’s. The diner had been around since the inception of the town, and he was a regular as were many of his friends. “Yes, please, and can you...” “Bring you the paper? Don’t I always?” asked Sissy, the long-time waitress and owner.

  “Yeah, you do, not sure why I always ask. I think it’s a habit from my days in the office,” Frank replied. Frank sat down at his normal booth after nodding and saying his hellos to several other regulars. Mulling over his morning so far, he felt that the decision placed in his spirit was the one he was meant to follow. Now to put a plan in motion. It seemed God wanted him to relocate to an impoverished region of the country.

  ***

  “Frank, you’re not going to believe this, but I had a call just last night from one of our brothers in the foothills and they were telling me that they are in need of help as their community has been struggling to keep the families and kids fed ever since last winter’s storms,” said Jonas, the president of the Redeemed Brothers Motorcycle Club. “I told him I would be praying for the answer and then you walk in here this morning with the vision you were given. I’d say that’s confirmation you are on the right path, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes, I would. Now, where in the foothills?” asked Frank.

  Chapter One

  Several months later Frank wiped his brow and drank deeply from his thermos of water. It was a hot spring day in the Appalachian foothills and he was trying to get the fields planted so there would be a crop. He had settled in nicely in Jessup, KY and was grateful to his local MC chapter for helping him find the land and house to buy. At a recent town hall meeting, which he didn’t even know towns had any more, he had presented his ideas for Frank’s Market, which would not only carry the produce he grew, but would also have vendors who would provide meat and clothing to the community. No actual money would exchange hands, instead, community members who had a need would barter with their time in some capacity to pay for their merchandise. It was going to be on an honor system, and while Frank was sure there would be some abuse, he still felt very strongly that this community had people who were hungry in more ways than one.

  The MC bought the storefront property and the men set about doing the repairs and renovations to bring the building up to code. There were apartments above the store, and they were in the process of renting them out. He was excited at how the community seemed to be onboard with the whole idea, and cautiously optimistic that when the summer produce was brought in, families would start “shopping”.

  Capping his thermos, he looked around a
nd realized that he was, in fact, done for the day. Now on to his next “job” of working on his own house. When he bought it, he knew that there would have to be some upgrades, and he focused first on making sure his room and kitchen were completed. Whistling to his dog, Lily, he shut the tractor down and headed toward the house.

  “C’mon girl, let’s go get cleaned up and see what we can fix for dinner, what do you say?” Frank asked, then chuckled as it dawned on him that she wasn’t going to answer. At least not directly, he thought, as he saw her tail begin wagging even faster than before.

  One shower later, he set about grilling some chicken and vegetables, and then sat out on his back deck enjoying the serenity as he ate.

  “You’ll need to be patient, my Son. She’s the one, but her spirit has been broken.” Wait, what? Where had that come from? He had been a widower for a long time, and his girls were basically on their own in college. They spoke regularly and he sent them money and cards and packages so they knew he was thinking of them, but he hadn’t even thought about another woman in his life. The last few years of his marriage to Madge had been rough; the girls didn’t know that she had cheated on him and that what she caught was the reason she ended up dying. He knew she had loved the girls in her own way, but when he and the girls found their peace after surrendering their lives to Christ, she had pretty much given up on the marriage and especially the marriage bed. Now that he had received another word, he let his mind wander over the townspeople he had met over the past months. Most of the Brothers had wives, so he knew it wasn’t one of them. The clerk at the pharmacy was old enough to be his own mother, so he didn’t think it was her. Closing his eyes and leaning his head back, a face popped into his head. The woman who owned the salon across the street from the Market flashed in his mind’s eye and he sat up straight. She had a two-person salon from what he could tell, and it appeared that all the Brothers and their wives and children used her, so he knew she and her partnerin-hair had some talent. A blue-eyed woman who radiated tranquility. He noticed that her hair color changed regularly; must be a hairdresser thing, he mused. Since moving to town, she had been blonde, red with blonde highlights and just red. He thought back over their conversations. They had been brief in nature, but he knew she had two young boys who seemed to be well-mannered. The more he thought about her, the more his spirit settled. He felt the frisson of excitement, but knew from what he had heard that he had to proceed cautiously and patiently.

  Chapter Two

  Dorrie As she walked up to her shop, she noticed that it looked like the finishing touches to Frank’s Market seemed to be happening. She had been at the town hall meeting, and was impressed at the vision that the local MC had presented. They were a large group of men; most of them were married with children, and she knew many by name as they were her customers and friends. She was glad that there would be a way to help the community in such a way that pride would not come into play.

  “Hello Dorrie! Glad you’re opening today, I could use a shave and a haircut,” James called out as he approached her on the sidewalk.

  “You know I’m open almost every day except Sundays and Mondays and even then, if someone needs me on a Monday, I’ll come in for them,” she replied. “C’mon over to the shampoo bowl and let’s get that hair washed before I cut it for you, okay?”

  “Hey, what do you think of the new market that is going to be opening up?” James asked. “Honestly? I love the idea. So many here are out of work, and we have more than our fair share of seniors who barely get by. Knowing that they will get good, healthy food and all they have to do is barter for it allows folks to keep their pride while feeding their families,” she said as she combed his hair and began cutting. She knew from experience how he was during his shampoo (he fell asleep) so the fact that he started talking once in her chair led her to believe he had something on his mind.

  “You planning to shop there? I know with the boys, your grocery bill has to be high,” he said, watching her as she worked to tame his cowlick and still give him a presentable cut.

  “Absolutely. I have some recipes for jams and jellies and want to talk to Frank about maybe bartering that way. Plus, I love to bake and I know folks like what I make if the church dinners on the grounds are any indication!”

  “You just be sure to let me know when you make the Cocacola cake so I can go buy it myself!” he declared. “That’s the best I’ve ever eaten.”

  “All right young man, that’s ten dollars for today,” she told him as she removed the cape with a bit of a flourish. “Handsome as always!”

  “Here’s a little extra; get the boys some ice cream or something, okay hon?” he said.

  “You know it’s not necessary but thank you; I’ll be sure to take them after their game tonight,” she told him. Hearing the door close, Dorrie set about cleaning up the station and then went and looked at her appointment book. Seeing the handful of clients, she knew the rest of the day would be busy, which was good. The past few years had been hard, harder than she wanted to think about, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was doing what she was called to do. As the door chimed and she saw a group of ladies from the local senior center, she smiled and jumped into her day. She knew her partner-in-hair would be there soon and it would be rocking and rolling, with a lot of laughs.

  Chapter Three

  “Momma, Momma, can we go to the pizza place tonight? We got free little pizzas for turning in all our work this week!” said Tony, her oldest son.

  “Well, I don’t know...let me see if I have enough to get drinks for you both as well, okay? Today was busy, but momma had to pay a few things.”

  Seeing the beginning of disappointment well up in his eyes, she remembered the extra that James had given her that morning and with a grin said “Guess what? Momma forgot that Mr. James gave her extra this morning when he came in for a haircut so you guys are having pizza for dinner!”

  “Yes!” This came from her younger son, DJ, and she saw out of the corner of her eye that he and Tony were fist-bumping one another.

  “Ready to go now? I know you don’t have homework but you still have chores to do once we’re home,” she said. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, Momma,” They both chorused from the backseat. Shaking her head with a grin and reminding them to buckle up, she made her way to the local pizza place. She smiled when she saw one of her besties, Nancy, working behind the counter. Nancy and her husband, Joey, ran the place, and they always managed to sneak extras to the boys, even though she told them not to do so.

  “Hey boys! Let me guess, you did all your work this week and got the pizza certificate?” Nancy asked the boys. “Yes ma’am. We both got it this week. I had to help DJ a little bit but momma said that’s what big brothers are supposed to do so I didn’t mind too much,” Tony said. “Can we please have pepperoni pizzas with root beer floats?” DJ asked.

  “Absolutely. And what about you, Dorrie?” Nancy asked. “Oh, I’ll just have a diet soda, please. Not too hungry today,” answered Dorrie. She was hungry, but would fix a sandwich once she got home; the extra would cover the root beer floats, her drink and a tip but not much else. Mentally she shrugged, she was one month closer to owning the building outright. She already owned her house thanks to her grandmother, but utilities and repairs had been chipping away at her meager savings. And, the boys were growing like weeds so it seemed as if she was always buying clothes.

  “All right, go find a spot and when it’s ready, I’ll bring it all out to you guys, okay?” Nancy asked, with a grin on her face.

  ***

  Frank Frank was sitting in a booth nursing a cold drink and waiting on his pizza when he saw Dorrie and her two sons make their way to a booth across the way. There was something about her that drew him in, and since he tried to listen to that still small voice, he paid attention whenever she was around. He knew from the talk around town that her dead husband had been cheating on her, and it had all come to light when he and his mistress were found amidst the w
reckage of what was left of his car after it had run off the road and into a tree. He also knew that the townspeople had protected her when the whole sordid affair came out, as the other woman’s husband blamed Dorrie for the affair. It appeared, though, as if she had gotten the last laugh because from what he had also heard, there was a healthy life insurance policy and she was the sole beneficiary.

  He watched her interact with her sons, and could clearly see the love and affection they had for one another. He suspected that the generous nature he had heard she had spilled out into everything she did. He did his best not to listen in as they talked, but he wanted to hear her voice.

  “Patience, Son. You will need patience with her.” Closing his eyes, he realized that he had received the confirmation he had been seeking since hearing from Him before. However, he wasn’t sure how patient he could be because she embodied everything he was looking for in a partner. She was kind, generous and loving. He could see God written all over her, in the actions towards others and towards her sons. “Okay, God, if patience is what I need to exercise, then patient I will be” he thought to himself.

  Dorrie glanced around the pizza place and saw Frank watching

  wondered

  her. A slight blush crept up her face as she

  just what it was he was thinking. Surely he wouldn’t be interested in a thirty something year old mother of two boys, would he? While the boys played some video games, she made her way over to his table; now was as good a time as any to ask him about the jams, jellies and baked goods.

  “Frank? Hi, I’m Dorrie Smith and I was at the town hall meeting several months back. I wanted to know if anyone had approached you about homemade jams, jellies and baked goods? If not, I would love to provide the market with some of those items,” she stated.