Taste time, each judge is given a healthy slice. They taste, write and taste again. One of the judges takes a fork to the pie and scrapes back the topping on Anika's pie trying to determine what the unusual flavor in the pie is. Delaney hides her face in her mother's skirt, and Anika hugs her close. The third test is the crust. Anika's is a flaky pastry crust with a beautiful golden color.
The judges talk and step in front of the table to confer and when they step back one of them holds Anika’s pie, with a blue ribbon! Delaney squeals and jumps up and down, while Glenn presses a kiss to her temple.
“That is one of the best pies I’ve ever had, Mrs.?” The judge asks, shaking her hand.
“Ms. Coltrane and thank you, but I can’t take all the credit. It was my grandmother’s recipe passed down from her mother.”
The judges pull Anika to the table to have her picture taken with her pie and ribbon while the family watches. Glenn is surprised to find Dayton watching from the back of the tent. He makes his way to Dayton.
“What are you doing here, Patrick?”
“Don’t worry, Ward. I can see the way of things. You plan on making an honest woman of her?” He demands.
Does he? When the judge asked for her name, it irritated him to hear her give Saul's name. He grins at his friend, “If she'll have me. She could do better, but God brought us into each other's lives, and I plan on trusting him.”
“Good plan. Walk with me, Glenn.”
He follows him outside the tent. Dayton removes his hat and twists it nervously in his hand. “I’m just gonna come right out with it. I took the liberty of having a friend investigate Anika’s family.” He lifts a hand when Glenn startles.
“Let me finish. I knew her father, and it didn’t sit right with me that he left her penniless.” Dayton draws a stack of papers out that are folded. He offers it to Glenn. “This is a copy of her Father’s will. He left her everything. From the house, land, livestock, and money.”
“What? How could she not know this?” Glenn demands taking the papers and opening it.
“They said her husband tried to claim it. He returned all her family’s letters, letting her think they abandoned her. When they died, he tried to claim the inheritance, but the stipulation was that she and only she, could inherit. The estate has a trustee and now that her husband is dead, its’ all hers. She isn’t penniless and shouldn’t be working like she is.”
“Why would you do this?” Glenn demands gruffly.
“I had the honor of meeting her father, and his legacy should be treated with the respect it deserves. You'll see that she knows about this.”
“Of course. Thank you, Dayton,” he replies hoarsely.
“Don’t thank me, just take care of them.”
Glenn watches him walk away and can't help but wonder what this means for them. She will have the means to leave them now, and he may have to let her go.
His family comes out of the tent and Delaney waves her blue ribbon, proudly at him. He tucks the papers in his shirt and smiles back.
“We did it, Mr. Glenn. We won first place!”
“Of course, you did, only winners at our house.” His eyes meet Anika's as he says, “I'm so proud of you.”
“It’s just a pie,” she blushes and stammers.
“A blue-ribbon pie!” Savannah nudges her and one of the boys begins to cry in earnest now.
“That’s our signal. We should be getting back to the hotel,” Daisy informs them.
“I’ll meet you later, I have to deal with the horses.” Glenn hurries away to speak to his mother in private before leaving.
Anika glances back as he walks away as Daisy and Allen talk about the day’s events.
“Are you okay?” Savannah asks.
“I guess. Glenn seems so different these past few weeks.”
“It’s because of you, Anika.”
“No,” she is quick to say. “That honor belongs to God. He is healing his spirit in ways that I couldn’t have.”
“True, but you are healing his heart, and maybe if you trust, he can heal yours.”
Anika tears up at that. “He already has.”
Chapter 27
Anika settles into the hotel and is in awe of her shared room with Savannah.
Mrs. Henrietta and the children are in the adjoining room to hers. It has a large picture window overlooking a river, with a stone surround fireplace. The twins are fed, and Mrs. Henriette is busy bathing them while Anika settles Delaney in.
“It was a fun day, Mama,” Delaney says covering a yawn. Anika slips her nightgown down over her head.
“Yes, it was. I can’t believe we won!”
Delaney throws her arms around her and squeezes. “I like winning.”
“Me too, but we won’t always win. The joy should be in the experience. It’s how we make memories. Don’t get caught up in always being the best.”
“Okay, Mama.”
“Quinton is ready to be dressed,” Mrs. Henrietta calls and Anika is quick to help. Soon both boys are dressed and sleeping with full bellies.
“You go on and get your bath, Ms. Anika, and I will read with Delaney.”
“That sounds lovely. Delaney, my room is right through that door, okay?”
“Okay, Mama. Mrs. Henrietta, you should have seen Chuck run. Some of the chickens just pecked the ground, while others, ran the wrong way and one played dead on the ground. Chuck was amazing!”
“I’ve never heard such a thing, chicken races?”
Anika is laughing as she enters her room. Savannah has changed and is fixing her hair at a dressing table. A fire is flickering giving the room a golden glow.
“What’s so funny?” she asks turning with a smile.
“It’s
